《The Nature of Predators》 Chapter 1
Memory transcription subject: Governor Tarva of the Venlil Republic
Date [standardized human time]: July 12, 2136
Hello. We come in peace, on behalf of the human race.
Those predators aren¡¯t searching for life for ¡®science¡¯, I chided myself. They¡¯re looking for prey. It¡¯s an interstellar hunting expedition.
Chapter 2 Memory transcription subject: Governor Tarva of the Venlil Republic Date [standardized human time]: July 12, 2136 A shiver crept down my spine, and it wasn¡¯t only because of the frosty air. The thought of standing in close proximity to a predator made my skin crawl, but it was too late to turn back now. All I could do was watch, with mute horror, as the human ship powered down, and a landing ramp unfurled. The primates marched onto Venlil soil, and I suppressed a whimper. This felt like a nightmare I would wake up from at any moment. Noah and Sara marveled at their surroundings with wide-eyed fascination. Their gaze lingered on the intricate mansion behind them, then shifted to the city silhouette in the distance. The way they physically rotated their head to look around was uncanny. The menacing eyes of a predator didn¡¯t quite offer the peripheral vision we enjoyed, that much was clear. There was no way they were appreciating the beauty of our architecture. An ominous thought crept into my mind; were they only landing to scout an invasion? Noah¡¯s eyes landed on our diplomatic envoy, and he stalked toward us without further hesitation. There were a mere three individuals present: me, Kam, and my diplomatic advisor, Cheln. I knew it was a pitiful showing, but it had been next to impossible to persuade anyone to tag along. ¡°Listen,¡± I hissed. ¡°We need to act normally. No fear, and no emotion.¡± Kam flicked his ears in disgust. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you invited them here.¡± ¡°We are buying time for the Federation to arrive.¡± ¡°But how can you even look at them? You want to speak to those¡­creatures, for hours?¡± ¡°Of course not. But the other option is another war with predators, and we see how well that¡¯s worked out with the Arxur. If there is a slight chance to avoid bloodshed, I will take it. Happily.¡± ¡°We should¡¯ve blasted that ship out of the sky, while we had the chance. If you expect me to welcome these humans with open arms, that¡¯s not going to happen.¡± ¡°You are not to antagonize them. Are we clear?¡± I growled. Kam huffed, and I feared that was an answer of itself. There was no time to persuade him though, as the two humans had closed within earshot. I prayed that the advisor would come to his senses, and keep his thoughts to himself. We needed to put our best foot forward, if we wanted to get rid of the beasts peacefully. Keeping up the appearance of strength was important, if only to discourage the humans from decimating our home. Trying to rile them up was a different story; that was nigh suicidal. Predators thrived on the assertion of dominance, so I doubted they¡¯d turn down a blatant challenge. ¡°Governor Tarva.¡± Noah stopped a few paces away from our group, and flashed his teeth. ¡°It¡¯s lovely to meet you in person.¡± My heart pounded, fear coursing through my veins like a dreadful cocktail. There was not a worse visual cue in the galaxy than flaunting one¡¯s fangs. The threat it communicated felt much more tangible in person. I swayed on my feet, trying to fight off the light-headedness. A thud sounded beside me, which I realized was Cheln hitting the pavement. My diplomatic advisor fainting was not a good look, I knew that. Even Kam had his ears pressed against his head, earlier bluster forgotten. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Wonderful, I thought. So much for behaving normally. Noah¡¯s eyes stretched wide, and his mistake seemed to dawn on him. He quickly covered his mouth with a hand. ¡°Um, sorry,¡± the predator captain muttered. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to startle you. Are they ok?¡± There was no way to salvage the optics of this one; the humans definitely realized we were afraid of them at this point. I don¡¯t think my plan could have collapsed in a more disastrous manner. The initial idea of surrendering crept back into my mind. Whatever their ulterior motives were, there was nothing to deter them from taking what they pleased. The strange thing was, Noah seemed more distraught than amused. This species was slower to pounce on weakness than the Arxur. Perhaps there was still a chance to salvage the meeting, or explain away the behavior? I flicked my ears, trying to calm myself. ¡°Yes, he¡¯ll be fine. This is just¡ªa bit overwhelming.¡± ¡°Aliens landing on your planet. That must come as a terrible shock.¡± Sara exhaled heavily, before scribbling something on her notepad. ¡°You¡¯re handling this quite well, all things considered.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t imagine what this would be like without your translator,¡± Noah said. ¡°Please, forgive us. We¡¯re new to this whole first contact business.¡± Kam knelt by Cheln¡¯s side, trying to rouse him. Given that the nurturing trait stemmed from compassion, that wasn¡¯t the sort of behavior to exhibit in front of predators either. I had to nip this conduct in the bud, or else the primates would think it was commonplace. That answered what I should do, but how could I leave a man to die in the cold? How could I chastise my military advisor for basic empathy? That level of cruelty was beyond my sensibilities. Noah stooped beside the fallen diplomat, and I braced myself for the worst. Predators placed no value on sentient life, not even their own; the Arxur taught us that much. It was obvious the human thought we should abandon Cheln, rather than allow weakness to tarnish the gene pool. ¡°How can I help?¡± were the only words that came out of his mouth. I gaped at the human in disbelief, certain I had misheard. Where were the derisive comments, making light of Cheln¡¯s condition? ¡°You¡¯ve helped enough,¡± Kam spat. Noah lowered his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It was an accident.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± I jumped in, before a quarrel could break out. ¡°I apologize for my advisor¡¯s behavior. He¡¯s a bit¡­on edge.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± the male human said, with a despondent sigh. ¡°I fear I¡¯ve ruined this whole thing.¡± ¡°Noah meant no harm.¡± Sara patted her companion on the back reassuringly. ¡°Seeing an alien culture firsthand¡­it¡¯s the opportunity of a lifetime. You have no idea how excited we are. Clearly, that wasn¡¯t expressed in the best way.¡± The humans¡¯ behavior was growing more baffling by the minute. Everything in the Federation¡¯s database suggested this was a base, violent species. I thought they wouldn¡¯t be able to turn their weapons against us fast enough. While their visual cues aligned with that assumption, their temperament seemed otherwise mellow. Why maintain this ruse? If they were probing for weakness, as I hypothesized, they had already seen enough to arrive at a conclusion on that front. I was beginning to think I didn¡¯t understand their intentions at all. Perhaps these predators were capable of higher brain functions than we gave them credit for. ¡°Can you help us carry Cheln inside?¡± I took a deep breath, waiting for my translator to catch up. ¡°We¡¯ll give you a tour after that.¡± The humans nodded, and positioned themselves to shoulder the brunt of the weight. A faint hope stirred in my chest. They were in no rush to finish us off! That meant we had time to wait for the cavalry after all. I knew the Federation¡¯s response would be harsh, when they found predators traipsing about the Venlil homeworld. Their actions would be along the lines of Kam¡¯s suggestions: shoot first, ask questions later. The only reason this particular species hadn¡¯t been wiped out, was we believed them to be extinct already. But the plans to obliterate Earth were drafted centuries ago. Eradicating humanity, in one fell swoop, might still be possible. We only needed to stall the landing party a little longer. What would happen to Noah and Sara next¡­well, an attempt would be made to capture them for scientific study. If the task proved too difficult, a special ops team would be sent to dispatch them. A strange guilt tore through my stomach, at the thought of the humans tied up in a lab. It was a misguided sense of empathy, but... They are predators! They survive by killing species lower on the totem pole. They literally eat flesh, I scolded myself. These humans slaughter each other, all the time, anyways. ¡°Thanks for your hospitality, Governor.¡± Sara cleared her throat, locking eyes with me. ¡°I can tell our species will be great friends, one day.¡± The mere sight of these creatures disgusted me, but what if we were wrong about them? Wasn¡¯t my intention to avoid bloodshed? ¡°Yes¡­friends.¡± I flicked my ears in agreement, and tried to bury my conscience. ¡°I hope we will be.¡± Chapter 3 Memory transcription subject: Governor Tarva of the Venlil Republic Date [standardized human time]: July 12, 2136 The tour of the governor¡¯s mansion started off without incident, and my nerves began to settle down. The humans tailed behind Kam and I, with questions pertaining to every subject under the sun. Culture, history, politics: they couldn¡¯t absorb information fast enough. Had any other species arrived at our doorstep, with such childlike curiosity, their enthusiasm would be lauded. Hell, if you didn¡¯t look at the humans, you could almost forget they were predators. My brain switched into autopilot mode, as I steered our group to the next stop: my office. However, the second I opened the door, I realized I had made a dreadful mistake. In this morning¡¯s panic, I had left a TV on. The news was cycling through footage of bomb shelters across the planet. Government advisories played on loop in the background. They were speaking rather candidly about the humans¡¯ foray, and the likelihood of mass casualties. I scrambled to turn it off, but it was too late. The humans wandered over to the screen, staring in silence. They hadn¡¯t been this quiet since we started the tour. Seeing masses of people, huddled together, crying, must have stirred something in them. ¡°I was wondering why there were so few staff here. No reporters either,¡± Noah said finally. ¡°They¡¯ve all been evacuated, haven¡¯t they?¡± I cast my gaze downward. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You thought we were here to attack you.¡± There was a flash of something in his brown eyes, and he pressed a hand to his forehead. ¡°My God¡­Sara, you see how they look at us. I think they still believe that.¡± ¡°Is that true, Tarva?¡± Sara asked. ¡°What do you think is our purpose?¡± Panic fluttered in my chest. There was no way to formulate a convincing reply. I took a few steps back, eyeing the humans warily. To deny the accusation would be to discount their intelligence; they would see right through any further deception. Silence was a way of confirming their suspicions, without having to vocalize our terror. Kam, however, was eager to supply the answer. ¡°To kill us. And to have a grand old time dragging it out.¡± ¡°No, no, no! That is not the case at all,¡± Noah hissed. ¡°We mean you no harm. Look, if you want us to leave, we will.¡± Sara raised her hands slowly. ¡°We never wanted to cause fear, or disrupt your lives. We just wanted to meet other people¡­other people like us¡­¡± ¡°There are no people like you,¡± Kam growled. ¡°Really?¡± She pointed to a 3D photo on my desk, a hard glint in her eyes. ¡°What about them?¡± The picture in question was of myself, at a conference with dozens of Federation leaders. It was obvious, to any intelligent observer, that those diverse lifeforms were not of Venlil origin. What were the humans supposed to think? Seeing us comfortable with other aliens, they had to be wondering why they were so feared. I cursed myself for such a blatant oversight. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± I managed to speak, though my voice was hardly more than a whisper. ¡°They¡¯re not from this world. Like you.¡± Noah cleared his throat. ¡°How many intelligent species are there¡­that you know of? How did you find each other?¡± I hesitated. If the humans intended to purge the galaxy, news of the Federation¡¯s existence would give them a starting point. It might also tip them off to the coming rescue party, and cause them to accelerate invasion plans. But by the same token, they would discover it anyways. At least this way, we could gauge their reaction. ¡°Hundreds. Most of us are members of the Galactic Federation. It¡¯s a central governing body of sorts.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Why do we bother you then? You¡¯re used to aliens.¡± Sara¡¯s eyes narrowed to unnerving slits. ¡°Do we resemble something from your past?¡± A growl rumbled in Kam¡¯s throat. ¡°You¡¯re a predator. A sentient predator.¡± Wonderful. Could this conversation have gone any worse? In his hatred, the military advisor had just told the humans the actual reason they were different. It stood to reason that if they were predators¡­by default, we were the opposite. If their instincts weren¡¯t awakened before, they had to be salivating now. There was a long silence, and I could almost see the gears turning in Sara¡¯s mind. Surprise flashed on her face, as though she didn¡¯t understand why their nature mattered. Was this the first time the notion crossed her mind? It was tough to believe the humans were that oblivious to the food-chain dynamics. ¡°Is that uncommon?¡± she asked. ¡°Very.¡± ¡°How many are there?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the second.¡± Noah turned his piercing gaze toward Kam. ¡°Who is the first?¡± Silence blanketed the room with a heavy grip. Nobody wanted to explain what happened with the Arxur; not even Kam would offer pointed comments on that subject. We didn¡¯t need to give the humans any ideas. The captain seemed to notice our expressions darken, and the lines on his own face hardened. ¡°Who is the first?¡± he repeated. What words could provide an adequate description of evil incarnate? My eyes swelled with water as memories resurfaced. My father, captured alive on the warfront, shipped back piece by piece. The day the Arxur launched a gas attack against my daughter¡¯s school and left her braindead. The slave pens, the irradiated worlds, the Venlil kept as cattle¡­ I buried my head in my paws, trying to hide the tears. Showing such weakness in front of the humans was the worst thing I could do. This species, for all its refined words, was cut from the same cloth as our oppressors. If they saw the extent of our pain, it would be weaponized down the road. Noah¡¯s eyes widened, and my heart sank in my chest. The observant visitor had noticed my emotional lapse, and seemed to be debating his next action. After a moment¡¯s thought, he shuffled closer to me. Every instinct screamed at me to back away, but my paws refused to budge. As the predator reached out with a meaty paw, I waited for him to strike me. My mind was braced for taunting, torture, or whatever else may come. Instead, he gently placed an appendage on my shoulder. ¡°Whatever they did, we¡¯re not like that. We¡¯re not going to hurt you, okay?¡± Something seemed to snap in my soul, like a series of cracks spreading through a dam. Raw emotion poured through my psyche, and I broke down, sobbing uncontrollably. Noah pulled me closer to him, stroking my head in a soothing manner. His embrace was warm, soft, and delicate, yet I could feel the strength in his arms. There was a silent promise of safety in his grasp. He released me after a few seconds, and wiped a tear off of my face. Kam¡¯s jaw looked like it was about to fall off. It was rare to see the general left speechless, but I understood why. Kindness was antithetical to the nature of a predator; he couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. For the first time since the humans appeared, I considered that they might be benevolent. They had to feel empathy to understand how to comfort someone, after all. A decision cemented itself in my mind. I couldn¡¯t allow innocent people to die, simply because of their appearance. The predators might be a threat, but we had judged them based on preconceived notions. ¡°I believe you, Noah,¡± I sniffled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the first time you¡¯ve said my name!¡± The human turned his head away, hiding a ¡®smile.¡¯ ¡°Either of our names.¡± I chuckled. ¡°B-better late than never. Kam, rescind the planetary distress signal.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do that, ma¡¯am,¡± the advisor said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking your opinion. That was an order!¡± I snapped. ¡°For stars¡¯ sake, I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand. The Federation is already here. They¡¯re hailing us now.¡± A string of curses escaped my lips, and the humans tilted their heads in confusion. I tried to imagine how the poor saps felt. A few hours ago, they hadn¡¯t even known extraterrestrial life existed. Now, they learned of a galactic community; one that hated them without provocation. They were taking the news in stride, but it had to be overwhelming. Unfortunately, I still had one more bombshell to drop on them. How terrifying would it be, as guests on another world, to have warships arrive hellbent on killing you? ¡°Wait, why is that bad?¡± Noah asked. ¡°I thought the Federation are your friends.¡± I avoided his gaze. ¡°They came because we set off a distress signal. They¡¯re expecting a fight.¡± ¡°I see. Well, why don¡¯t we talk to them, and explain that it was a misunderstanding? Once they know that we¡¯re peaceful¨C¡± ¡°No. I appreciate the thought, but the second they see your¡­¡± I waved a paw in the general vicinity of my mouth and eyes. ¡°They won¡¯t listen to a word you say. They¡¯ll want you dead.¡± Or worse, I added to myself. ¡°Right¡­¡± the human muttered. ¡°So¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry about all this, really.¡± I scratched my chin, trying to think. ¡°I¡¯ll try to drive them off. Just stay out of sight, and let me do the talking. Okay?¡± Noah nodded. ¡°Got it.¡± I took a deep breath. Despite their repulsive appearance, the humans¡¯ actions exuded such a genuine kindness. They were strangely charming, when you sensed the person beneath the monster. If anything happened to Noah and Sara, the responsibility fell on my shoulders. To think minutes ago, I had been hoping for the Federation to swoop in and save us. Now, my only objective was to save the lives of two predators. Chapter 4 Memory transcription subject: Governor Tarva of the Venlil Republic Date [standardized human time]: July 12, 2136 If the sensor data was to be believed, the Federation warships were gunning to Venlil Prime at a blistering speed. Their hails seemed urgent, frantic even; they were resending the communication request every few seconds. I had never seen such a harried response, but it made sense. Venlil Prime enjoyed a strategic location, nestled in the galaxy¡¯s outer arm. It was a fair distance away from Arxur space, so it was difficult for them to execute a surprise assault. Not to mention that it was a key supply route for our troops and a launch-point for rim patrols. Losing such an outpost would be a major setback for the Federation. As we accepted the hail, I was surprised to recognize the face on screen. It was Captain Sovlin, from the powerful Gojidi Union. He had risen to galactic fame after leading a valiant charge to break an Arxur siege on his home world. Typically, the Federation would just send the nearest available assets, but this time, they¡¯d scrounged up someone competent. ¡°Governor Tarva.¡± The relief was plain on Sovlin''s face, as he realized that we were alive. ¡°We¡¯re here to assist. What is the reason for your distress?¡± The humans were waiting in the wings, just out of view of the camera. Sara jotted something down on her notepad; she seemed to be sketching the new alien before her. A pang of guilt stabbed at my chest, as I realized my instincts were still abuzz. Seeing them out of the corner of my eyes was making my skin crawl. The way they craned their heads to look at the screen¡­it was sickening. ¡°I see the Federation sent their finest,¡± I said. ¡°The Venlil Republic expresses our sincere gratitude for your response. Unfortunately, you¡¯ve come all this way for no reason.¡± ¡°By galactic law, that signal is only to be used for an extinction level event. You owe us an explanation. A good one,¡± the Gojid growled. ¡°Did you deal with¡­the problem on your own?¡± ¡°There was no problem.¡± Sovlin blinked several times. ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± ¡°It was a false alarm. Our sensors malfunctioned due to a software update.¡± ¡°What did you think you saw?¡± ¡°We thought a pred¡ªum, Arxur ship jumped into orbital range.¡± ¡°And you figured out that was false because?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing up there on visual, Captain. Our backup sensors didn¡¯t detect anything either. Not to mention, we¡¯re still alive.¡± The Gojid squinted at me, and I could tell he didn¡¯t quite buy my story. Sensor malfunctions made themselves apparent quickly, due to the lack of corroborating evidence. He knew we should¡¯ve rejected faulty data much faster than the span of a few hours. The sharp glint in his eyes told me he intended to sniff out the truth. ¡°Kam. You¡¯re awfully quiet,¡± the Federation officer noted. ¡°Do you have anything to add?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t feel like talking.¡± The military advisor paused. His gaze was not focused on the screen, so I figured he was studying the humans out of his periphery. ¡°Nothing to add anyways. Tarva said it all.¡± I breathed a silent sigh of relief. With the extent to which Kam despised the visitors, I half-expected him to out them at the first opportunity. Had this call taken place a few minutes earlier, I suspect he would¡¯ve turned the humans over. But their recent behavior must have impressed their sensitivity upon him too. Sovlin scrutinized us, suspicion marring his features. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you rescind the distress signal? It¡¯s still broadcasting now.¡± ¡°I forgot,¡± I replied. ¡°You forgot?!¡± The captain¡¯s voice leapt up an octave, and he flicked his claws in disgust. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me. Do you have any idea the systems we¡¯ve exposed by coming here? While we¡¯re chatting, a planet with a real fucking threat could be glassed.¡± Well, at least he seemed to buy the story. The Gojid''s anger was justified, in fairness. If the Arxur invaded our neighbors now, Federation forces wouldn¡¯t be available to come to their defense. ¡°Sorry,¡± I offered meekly. ¡°Whatever. We¡¯ll need to scan the subspace readings ourselves,¡± Sovlin said through gritted teeth. ¡°For our logs.¡± I swallowed. If the Federation took the measurements themselves, they¡¯d find ample evidence of human activity. The realization that we were hiding predators would horrify a seasoned veteran like Sovlin. With the amount of exposure he had to the grays, he wouldn¡¯t accept the possibility that predators could be more than animals. In all likelihood, he would assume we were acting under duress, no matter what we said. Ships would be requested to bombard Earth the second the trail was identified. ¡°That will not be acceptable. It¡¯ll only waste more of your time and energy.¡± I straightened, and tried to make myself look confident. ¡°There is no need for a formal survey. Is our word not enough for your report?¡± The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Standard protocol dictates¡ª" ¡°People are freaked out enough from the false alarm. The last thing they need to see is a Federation armada, frolicking around in the atmosphere.¡± ¡°You called us, Tarva. I¡¯m going to do my job, and then, I will leave.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll leave now. Your ships are not welcome here. If you enter our orbit, you will be fired upon.¡± Sovlin¡¯s milky eyes glowed with hatred. ¡°Go ahead then! Fire away. You wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± The indicators plotting out the armada¡¯s position crept toward our homeworld, and I sighed in dismay. The last thing I wanted was to be trading missiles with our Federation allies, but we might not have a choice. It seemed that Sovlin would barge into our territory all the same, since he had the firepower to disregard our warning. He figured we¡¯d give into simple, brutish intimidation. I gave a few tail signals to Kam, indicating for him to detonate missiles just short of their formation. This was an irreversible step, firing upon our long-time allies. The Federation would, at best, abandon us in the fight against the Arxur. Was I damning our species to extinction? I mean, what were the chances that the humans would protect us? Hell, I still wasn¡¯t positive they wouldn''t drop the facade, the second this fleet was gone. We should be grateful if they didn¡¯t murder us all themselves. Captain Sovlin wrenched his claws in shock, as the computer warned him of inbound missiles. He barked at the crew to reverse course and divert power to shields. Then, he relayed orders to the rest of the fleet to fall back. I thought he¡¯d forgotten the video call was open, until he shot a blistering glare at the camera. ¡°You SHOT AT US!¡± The Gojid stared at his weapons console, as though considering whether to return fire. ¡°You actually shot at us. That¡¯s an act of war.¡± ¡°That was a warning shot. We don¡¯t want to hurt you, but we will,¡± I hissed. ¡°How can you be so ungrateful? After all that we¡¯ve done for you,¡± he spat. ¡°I¡¯ll be recommending sanctions in my report. And the next time you call for help¡­we¡¯ll let the grays eat you miserable fucks.¡± The feed cut out abruptly, and I sank to the floor in relief. There would be hell to pay at the next Federation summit, but at least our mistake had been undone without bloodshed. It remained to be seen how the humans would reward our gamble; their body language betrayed little emotion. What if the astronauts were cross with us? We had plotted and nearly gone through with their execution, after all. "They''re gone." I turned to face the predators, and prayed that we made the right decision. "You''re safe now." Noah clasped his hands together. ¡°Thank you, both of you. You didn¡¯t have to protect us. I hope the consequences aren¡¯t too severe¡­that guy sounded pissed.¡± ¡°Ha, it was worth it. Did you see the look on his face?¡± Kam chuckled. Noah¡¯s lips curved up, and a rumbling sound came from his chest. It sounded like growling, but my translator was insistent that it was laughter. The way predators conveyed emotion left a lot to be desired. My logical brain agreed with the machine, but my instincts weren¡¯t as convinced. Sara jabbed an elbow in her partner¡¯s stomach. ¡°What did they say about smiling?!¡± ¡°That hurt!¡± he protested. ¡°I can¡¯t help it. Kam made me laugh.¡± The military advisor flicked his ears. ¡°What can I say? I¡¯m a funny guy.¡± ¡°Funny or not, Sovlin wasn¡¯t playing. The Gojids have a lot of pull with the Federation,¡± I muttered. ¡°We just burned a serious bridge.¡± ¡°Can you patch things up down the road?¡± Sara asked. ¡°After decades of groveling? Sure.¡± I sighed, shaking my head. ¡°But enough of that. We need to talk.¡± The female predator nodded. ¡°What about? ¡°First off, do you still want to be here? We¡¯ve been terrible hosts. I understand if you rescind your offer of friendship, after what we put you through.¡± ¡°It takes more than that to scare us off, Tarva. I¡¯m happy we could work through our differences together.¡± Sara was well-spoken, same as her partner, but I couldn¡¯t shake the lingering doubts. If our species were to make an honest attempt at friendship, disclosure of Arxur history was a must. A secret that abhorrent couldn¡¯t fester between us, especially when it would be the subtext of all our interactions. When the humans learned what the Arxur had done, they would realize their own species¡¯ untapped potential. The tales would trickle back to Terran leadership and circulate amongst the populace. What if it inspired them to take up the torch? It wasn¡¯t too late to change their mind on harming us. How deep could a predator¡¯s compassion run, anyways? I drew a shaky breath. ¡°We never answered your question, about the¡­first predators we encountered. I think we owe you a p-proper explanation.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t owe us anything,¡± Noah said in a soft tone. ¡°If you¡¯re not ready, you don¡¯t have to talk about it.¡± My resolve hardened as I met the male human¡¯s eyes. I recalled the horror in Noah¡¯s voice, when Kam suggested they were here to kill us all. The feel of his rough thumb, wiping saline from my cheek. Those weren¡¯t the actions of the Arxur. These were people, with intelligence and emotion. ¡°I want to. I want you to know everything.¡± ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s a good idea, Tarva?¡± Kam asked. ¡°Yes, I am. I have to believe that the humans are worth the risk we¡¯re taking.¡± I could feel my heart rate accelerating, despite my confident words. The mere thought of the grays conjured fear and dread. ¡°The first predators were the Arxur. The Federation has been at war with them for centuries.¡± The male human raised an eyebrow. ¡°All of you, against them?¡± ¡°And it¡¯s not enough,¡± I responded. ¡°Noah, they¡¯ve hunted twenty percent of all sentient species to extinction. In this galaxy, anyways.¡± His predatory eyes widened. ¡°¡­why?!¡± ¡°They kill for pleasure. They want us to suffer.¡± I reached for my tablet, and pulled up a recent video the Arxur had sent us. ¡°See for yourself.¡± Noah pried the device out of my paws, and Sara leaned in to look at the footage. It depicted a group of Arxur guards, laughing as they released farm-raised Venlil pups from their pen. The reptilians wanted to hunt their meals. To watch their prey squirm in terror. The younglings had their eyes gouged out, and if they didn¡¯t run fast enough to amuse the guards, they were prodded with an electric rod. As the Arxur clubbed a pup repeatedly on screen, making sure to break all of its limbs first, I watched the humans¡¯ reactions. At first, they seemed shocked, but then¡­their countenance morphed into something else. Their faces contorted into a mask of pure hatred: eyes dilated, lips curled back, neck veins bulging. There was the predator that had been concealed with such care. I was suddenly more inclined to believe that a ¡°smile¡± was their friendly expression. The humans either had a sudden desire to eat us, or were livid at the treatment of our people. I hoped it was the latter. ¡°This is how they treat prisoners? Children at that?¡± Sara asked. Children at that. She seemed to implicitly understand that made it worse. ¡°Prisoners? No, that¡¯s a farm.¡± Kam eyed the humans warily, but his tone had lost its edge. ¡°The hardy species become slaves, the ones that taste good become food, and everyone else gets their planets blown to smithereens.¡± Noah passed the tablet back to me. I flinched at the iciness in his glare. ¡°Send us everything you have on the Arxur,¡± he said. ¡°There¡¯s a human concept I¡¯m sure Earth would love to teach them.¡± I stared at the angry predator. ¡°And¡­what is that concept, exactly?¡± A toothy smile crossed Noah¡¯s face. ¡°We call it ¡®karma.¡¯¡± Chapter 5 Memory transcription subject: UN Secretary-General Elias Meier Date [standardized human time]: July 13, 2136 The 2136 climate change summit was the latest in an ongoing saga, complete with the usual finger pointing and empty promises. The United Nations had taken on a role as a central world government following the Satellite Wars of the late 21st century; Russia, China, and the United States were still rebuilding their crippled power grids in its aftermath. After realizing the extent of our dependence on technology, the world¡¯s countries signed the Treaty of Shanghai to govern cyberwarfare. As part of the accord, the UN was given greater authority to mediate disputes, in the hopes of preventing escalation in the future. Following several natural disasters this year, the general assembly convened to discuss solutions. Investment in fusion energy was the main item on the docket, though I doubted any parties would commit beyond fancy words. Despite my jaded view, as UN Secretary-General, my presence was mandatory at all of these events. I was zoned out while the Canadian ambassador spoke, nodding and smiling every now and then to keep up appearances. An aide tapped me on the shoulder, startling me out of my trance. ¡°Sir,¡± she whispered. ¡°I need you to come with me.¡± What was so important that it couldn¡¯t wait an hour? My staff were instructed to only approach in an emergency. There was the brief moment of worry, as I wondered whether there was a credible threat to my life. My security detail seemed relaxed though, so that likely was not the case. I followed her into a briefing room, where several serious-looking individuals were waiting. The amount of military personnel present made me think that some conflict had erupted. The strange thing was that representatives of various space agencies were present, including ESA, NASA, and CNSA. The gears started to turn in my head. The first extrasolar mission had departed a few weeks ago, but they weren¡¯t supposed to return for months. Something must have gone wrong. I settled down at the head of the mahogany table. ¡°Quite the crowd we¡¯ve got here. Could someone please fill me in?¡± ¡°The Odyssey crew made contact with extraterrestrials.¡± A short-haired woman in a leather jacket passed me a folder. Her nametag read Dr. Kuemper, SETI. ¡°They call themselves the Venlil. According to our new friends, there are hundreds of other intelligent species out there. We¡¯re not alone, Mr. Secretary. This is the biggest news of all time.¡± I leafed through the dossier, taking a moment to process the news. The first page was a grainy image of the astronauts, standing with a group of Venlil. The aliens were bipedal, like us, but that was where the similarities ended. They had woolly gray fur, side-facing eyes, and spindly legs that bent inward. I wasn¡¯t even sure if they had noses. Any information released to the public needed to be handled with the utmost care. Science fiction had gotten people used to the idea of aliens, but the revelation of hundreds of species at once? That would shatter any notion of humanity being special. Some people would be frightened, and we needed to make sure they looked to us for the answers. The last thing we needed was for conspiracy theorists and UFO-hunters to take control of the discussion. The situation could devolve into a panic fast. Not to mention how delicate communication with the aliens would be. Their culture was entirely new; we could offend them without even realizing. It was no small task ahead of us: learning their language, establishing diplomatic relations, and monitoring potential threats. It would be the work of an entire generation. ¡°I count at least forty generals in this room, which seems unnecessary,¡± I said at last. ¡°Are the aliens friendly?¡± Dr. Kuemper frowned. ¡°It¡¯s not so simple, I¡¯m afraid.¡± ¡°What do you mean? That shouldn¡¯t be a hard question.¡± I had been expecting a ¡®yes¡¯, not a noncommittal reply. My heart sank as her implication hit me. ¡°Either they¡¯re friendly or they¡¯re hostile.¡± A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°The aliens are friendly, except for one species. That species is at war with the rest of the galaxy, and they¡¯re quite the formidable foe. They wiped out 62 worlds, and fighting them has cost billions of lives.¡± ¡°They destroyed 62 planets¡­by themselves?! Jesus Christ. Please, tell me you¡¯re kidding.¡± ¡°I wish, sir. There¡¯s a full brief on the page labeled ¡®Arxur¡¯ in your file. There¡¯s also footage of them committing every war crime in the book. I mean, they literally eat children.¡± ¡°Shit. Let¡¯s face it: we¡¯re barely spacefaring. We need to hammer out alliances with the other aliens, pronto. I want every diplomat relegated to this project.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s the thing.¡± Dr. Kuemper gave me an apologetic smile, as though she was about to give more bad news. How could this get any worse? ¡°The Federation is afraid of us. The Venlil governor thinks they wouldn¡¯t want our friendship, even with her blessing. In fact, she says they might attack us on sight.¡± ¡°Why exactly?¡± I asked. ¡°Humans are predators, and the only other intelligent predator¡­¡± ¡°Let me guess. The Arxur,¡± I sighed. The SETI researcher nodded. With a heavy heart, I leaned back in my chair. Humans could be petty and violent, but even on our worst days, we didn¡¯t eat children. You could at least give us that. A bitter smirk played at my lips. ¡°So I¡¯m hearing not to invite the Venlil to the family barbecue. Yes, Doctor?¡± Dr. Kuemper stifled a laugh. ¡°And not to make that comment to them either, sir. I doubt they¡¯d be amused. The poor furballs thought we were there to kill them.¡± ¡°But we won them over, didn¡¯t we? Are you certain we can¡¯t bring the Federation around too? I don¡¯t like the odds, us taking on a technologically superior species alone.¡± ¡°I¡¯m positive. Tarva was quite emphatic. Our astronauts say her primary concern was for the safety of Earth, as a whole. She believes there could be some¡­drastic overreactions. After what they¡¯ve been through, I can¡¯t say I blame them.¡± In that case, humanity shouldn¡¯t expect a welcome party from our neighbors. It was a shame our evolutionary link with the Arxur precluded that possibility, or even the prospect of civil relations. The fact that first contact hadn¡¯t ended in violence was miraculous, by the sound of it. Things could have fallen apart without the astronauts ever realizing why. We¡¯d know only that the aliens attacked a research vessel without cause; this would be a very different briefing. I made a mental note to give Governor Tarva a proper thanks, for staying her hand and filling us in. While I didn¡¯t want to rule out swaying the aliens, gambling with Earth¡¯s security was out of the question. Mankind were on our own against a genocidal scourge. ¡°Well then. This is the rare occasion I¡¯m open to suggestion from the peanut gallery.¡± My eyes locked with the American and Chinese generals, who appeared to be discussing something. ¡°Do you have a proposal?¡± General Zhao cleared his throat. ¡°It¡¯s not all bad news. From what we¡¯ve seen, the Federation¡¯s tactics and weaponry are subpar. We should spend a few months building a proper fleet and running joint exercises. I think if we catch the Arxur by surprise, we might stand a chance.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± General Jones offered a supportive nod, and I raised an eyebrow at her. This might be the first time I¡¯d seen the US and China work together since the war. ¡°Once we¡¯re ready, UN forces can coordinate an offensive. We¡¯ve found several potential targets, including planets where sentients are bred as food.¡± ¡°A ground assault is the perfect way to test our forces, without showing our hand. We don¡¯t want to overcommit,¡± General Zhao added. ¡°If we can liberate some Federation citizens and bring them home, it might buy us some good will.¡± ¡°We all agree that these Arxur are a menace, but I must ask. Should we really get involved at all?¡± I paused, choosing my next words carefully. ¡°So far, they¡¯ve left us alone. By launching an attack, we¡¯ll be announcing our presence to those monsters. We drag Earth into a galactic war and risk untold human lives. Do we chance becoming dead world #63 for a bunch of aliens who hate us?¡± ¡°In my opinion, they¡¯ll come for us eventually. We either fight them now or we fight them later,¡± General Jones replied. ¡°The difference is, if we choose later, we won¡¯t have anyone to stand with us. The Federation is not faring well.¡± I grimaced. The Arxur¡¯s sadism was bound to awaken unsavory sentiments, when it was plastered across the airwaves. How were we going to prevent widespread hysteria? My original plan was to break this discovery to the masses gradually, but with such a serious crisis, people deserved fair warning. After all, humanity¡¯s existence hinged on the decisions that were made today. I hoped the public could handle the truth. ¡°If we¡¯re going to do this, we need unity at home. People need to know what they¡¯re signing up for.¡± I pressed a hand to my temple, trying to suppress a growing headache. ¡°Release everything to the public, and let them make the decision. If there¡¯s broad support for a war, then we¡¯ll fight the bastards.¡± Perhaps the revelation of aliens would make us set aside our differences, and face this threat as a united species. As far as I knew, Earth only had one chance to get this right. Chapter 6 Memory transcription subject: Slanek, Venlil Space Corps Date [standardized human time]: August 21, 2136 The first humans to appear on a Venlil broadcast were concealed by a vac suit, and did not speak a word. The watching world had just crawled from our bunkers, only to find our leaders linking arms with predators. The immediate closure of the borders was the sole thing that prevented a mass exodus, and word from getting back to the Federation. There was a great deal of skepticism from the public, as Governor Tarva proclaimed that these beasts were peaceful. We were all waiting for them to throw their lot in with the Arxur and prove her wrong. Instead, the United Nations pledged military aid days later, and showered Venlil Prime with food donations. Our citizens slowly warmed to the primates, touched by their outpouring of generosity. The sum of their good works quieted the voices calling for human extinction, for the most part. The Terran astronauts were relentless too, on a television tour espousing peace. Their behavior reflected well on their species as a whole. But at the end of the day, few wanted to meet a predator in the flesh. As human volunteers took to the stars, the scientific communities of two worlds worked to smooth over our first interactions. We found ourselves inundated by Terran entertainment, granting us a peek behind their bestial exterior. The first literature Earth shared with us was Frankenstein, which I¡¯m pretty sure was a thinly-veiled analogy. How do you convince the world that you¡¯re not a monster, when they decide with a single glance? The scientists decided it would make a difference mentally for us to bond, and to see them as people. A program was launched to talk to a human via text chat, no videos or images. Their appearance was the stuff of nightmares, so it was easier to start without that in mind. Out of morbid curiosity, and perhaps some pity for Frankenstein¡¯s wretch, I had volunteered. The human I spoke to was named Marcel. He was a soldier with a dry sense of humor, a passion for environmental causes, and a philosophical mind. Against the odds, I liked him; we became inseparable. I confided my deepest thoughts, and learned a great deal about Terran life in return. We finally docked. God, that was terrifying, Marcel texted. Longest four hours of my life. It¡¯ll be worth it. I¡¯m excited to meet you, I replied. Me too, bud. I know it won¡¯t be easy for you. If you need space, or it¡¯s too much, please tell me. I will. After weeks of distant communication, the final phase was exposure therapy. The plan was for us to room with our human counterpart for several days. I would be alone with a predator with no escape. They said once you got past the first few hours, the nerves would settle down. We needed to get used to the humans, if they were ever to be accepted. What do you think I look like? Marcel asked. In your head? I don¡¯t know. I try not to think about it. Why not? You know what humans look like from TV. Well, it¡¯s weird to think that you¡¯re a predator. That you look at a dead animal, all that blood and guts, and think, ¡®Hey, that¡¯s food.¡¯ I¡¯m a vegetarian, Slanek. Not applicable. Gah¡­not you specifically. I mean humans in general. The fact that you¡¯re wired to think that¡¯s appetizing. To kill other animals for a meal. It¡¯s not like that but¡­it¡¯s just evolution. Biology sucks. It does. I guess I¡¯ll know what you look like soon, Marcel. Yep. A face only a mother could love. I snorted, amused in spite of myself. The clicking of boots down the hall meant the humans were in the building; there were mere seconds to brace myself. I switched off my holopad, and tried to regulate my breathing. We were allowing enough of them in to handily overtake this space station, if they were to try. These were social predators, so perhaps encouraging them to travel in packs wasn¡¯t the best idea¡­ The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The door swung open; I was flabbergasted by the imposing wall of muscle that entered. Something deep in my subconscious howled at the sight of a predator, blocking my only escape route. Startling hazel eyes scanned my figure, and my breath hitched in my throat. Marcel¡¯s lips twitched for a moment, and I could tell from how he pursed them he didn¡¯t want to smile. We had been warned repeatedly about the humans¡¯ teeth-baring display of friendliness. ¡°Slanek.¡± The voice was harsh and raspy, as though he was gargling saltwater. ¡°I know the feeling¡¯s not mutual, but God, you¡¯re adorable.¡± I gritted my teeth, trying not to back away. ¡°T-thanks. C-come in.¡± The human saw that I had set my belongings on the bottom bunk, and tossed his duffel bag on top. Well, this isn¡¯t that bad, I thought. There had been no sudden movements, he was keeping his distance, and he didn¡¯t have the razor teeth of the Arxur. With his back to me, I couldn¡¯t see his piercing eyes. All positives. My heart was hammering in my chest, but I had kept myself together. ¡°Jeesh, I¡¯m starving,¡± the human announced, as he began to unpack. There were few words I would¡¯ve liked to hear less. Isolated in close quarters with a hungry ¡°vegetarian¡± predator¡­aw fuck, why had I signed up for this? The nearest meal was obviously me. I skittered backward on instinct, trying to shield my throat. Marcel frowned. ¡°I was just going to suggest that we grab a bite together. Or, uh, I brought snacks. We can share.¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± I squeaked. The human retrieved a plastic bag from his belongings, and popped it open with a single tug. He withdrew a yellow wafer, shoving it down his gullet. As he turned the bag to face me, I eyed the offering suspiciously. ¡°It¡¯s a potato chip,¡± he said, before I could ask. ¡°Baked from a Terran plant.¡± Did I trust the predator enough to consume his foodstuff? How did I know it wasn¡¯t dried animal fat? I tried to remind myself that this was my friend. The one who gave me relationship advice and told silly jokes. My stomach squirmed as I grasped a chip, but I placed it in my mouth anyways. It was salty and starchy, yet strangely addictive. My ears twitched with pleasant surprise. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡± Marcel mumbled, through a mouthful of food. ¡°I figure we could use some carbs, before these¡­ugh, experiments you want us in.¡± ¡°They mentioned something about that. It¡¯s psychological research, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Your scientists just mentioned it was a test. The UN signed off on it, so I¡¯d hope it¡¯s ethical.¡± ¡°They probably just want to be sure you don¡¯t want to eat us.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pass with flying colors then. Not sure where the lab is though.¡± ¡°Uh, I¡¯ll take you there.¡± ¡°Great. Let¡¯s get it over with, shall we?¡± Once the fright began to subside, speaking to Marcel felt less forced. It tickled my instincts, but not in a way my conscious brain couldn¡¯t override. A little discomfort was nothing I couldn¡¯t handle. It wasn¡¯t like he had actually done anything to threaten me, or diverged from his online persona in a noticeable way. Chatting via text was easier, but it was unfair to ostracize the humans forever. The predators had been understanding enough as things were. Unless any red flags were uncovered in their psychological screening, Terran soldiers would accompany Venlil ships on today¡¯s mid-rotation patrols. It was possible UN Peacekeepers would remain as permanent fixtures in our crew. In that case, I would be relieved to have a conclusive answer on the workings of the human mind. Predators were known to toy with their prey in nature. The more intelligent they were, the more sadistic and deceptive they could be. I tried not to think about what I would do, if I found out Marcel¡¯s niceties were a long con. There were a few humans present at the lab, probably to monitor the methods used for research. Sara, who I recognized as a lingering visitor from the UN first contact team, was hunched over a microscope. She seemed to be analyzing some cell samples with a Venlil scientist, and waved at us as we entered. ¡°Welcome!¡± How Sara sensed us, with her lack of peripheral vision, was beyond me. ¡°Here for the behavioral exam?¡± ¡°Uh, yep. I think,¡± my roommate grumbled. ¡°Excellent. Just sign the consent form, and then speak to Ilja here.¡± Sara gestured toward the Venlil hovering beside her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯ll be quick.¡± Marcel hesitated before scrawling his name on the dotted line. I noted how thin and frail his fingers looked, for a predator; they were like spindly twigs. Either my imagination was running amok, or his hands quivered as he set the pen down. The humans looked terrifying to us, but I couldn¡¯t picture them going toe-to-toe with the Arxur. Before the ink dried on his signature, Ilja was strapping Marcel to a chair. The restraints seemed excessive for a consensual test. Electrodes were fastened to his skull, and his shirt was removed to tape a series of wires to his chest. Clips placed on his fingers fed additional data to a vitals monitor. I noticed the human growing more agitated, the more equipment he was hooked up to. The rise and fall of his chest had quickened dramatically. ¡°Don¡¯t leave, Slanek. Please,¡± he pleaded. ¡°This is making me nervous as hell.¡± A sympathetic ache filled my chest cavity. It was strange to think that the predator was afraid of us, but I hated seeing a friend in distress. What were our scientists testing, exactly? Guarantees were necessary to cement trust in these creatures, but I was worried about what would be done to achieve that. It looked as though they were planning to elicit a violent reaction from Marcel. Human subjects deserved proper treatment, not to be goaded into retaliation. Why do I feel so protective of him? I mused. I haven¡¯t known him that long. ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay, Marc.¡± I waved my tail reassuringly. ¡°They won¡¯t hurt you. I promise.¡± The human furrowed his brow. ¡°But you¡¯ll stay?¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll be here.¡± Marcel relaxed, and the twinge in my chest deepened. The sentiments I felt in this moment suggested that, despite the inherent risk, it was possible to grow attached to a predator. Whether humanity was sincere in its friendship, or if that was a one-sided delusion, remained to be seen. Chapter 7 Memory transcription subject: Slanek, Venlil Space Corps Date [standardized human time]: August 21, 2136 The patrol ship drifted along the Federation border, dispelling fuel into the endless night. A brooding Marcel sat at the helm, under my supervision. Human pilots had no real-world experience flying ships; their only insight to interplanetary battles were clumsy simulations back home. Perhaps it was unfair to hurl them into the war out of desperation, as unprepared as they were. I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about the results of the experiments, and how revolutionary the findings would be when broadcast. Marcel bolted from the lab in a sweat-soaked stupor, and I made a judgment call to give him some time to regain his senses. In his absence, Ilja shared a cumulative AI analysis of all human subjects. A larger sample size was needed to validate the findings, but it was enough to put my mind at ease. We had proof that humans felt empathy. The predators were recorded doing things they claimed to enjoy as a baseline for pleasure: eating sugary snacks, listening to their favorite song, playing games, and so on. A variety of other metrics were assessed for comparison, including boredom and anger. Then, they were shown videos of the Arxur torturing our children. Interestingly enough, the regions of their brain that were activated were most similar to the baseline for physical pain (which we determined through finger pricking). Some human participants were so disturbed by the videos that they had to leave the room. That even manifested itself in physical symptoms, such as elevated heart rate and vomiting. Much to my relief, the restraints proved an unnecessary precaution. Venlil xenobiologists were worried that violent footage might trigger predatory instincts, and that humans could experience a lapse in control. They wanted to avoid having to put a Terran subject down, if they lashed out; it was best for everyone¡¯s safety. My gaze flickered over to Marcel, curiosity brimming in my chest. The human was evidently lost in thought as well. His face was bright red, as he cast a smoldering stare at the floorboards. I was worried he was going to rip his own hair out, with how he was tugging at the coarse auburn strands. Perhaps I should leave it alone, but I was dying to know his thoughts. ¡°If I may ask¡ª what frightened you about our scientists?¡± I blurted out. ¡°Did you really think they would hurt you? We don¡¯t have the same disposition as you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to laugh but¡­most of our old myths about aliens¡­um¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Well, they involve us getting abducted and experimented on. Hey, for all I knew, you were testing how humans react to torture.¡± ¡°You think we¡¯re that barbaric?! Our scientists just want to help you fit in. We need conclusive evidence of your empathetic capacity. Else, we¡¯ll never silence the doubters.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see why we needed to prove, yet again, that we¡¯re not the Arxur. Humans haven¡¯t done anything to you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a contradiction of hundreds of years of scientific thought, Marc. Not to mention, certain groups in the Federation won¡¯t like you, much more than us. They¡¯ll demand proof, and I¡¯m not sure even the finest scientific rigor will withstand their scrutiny. It¡¯s not fair. I know.¡± The human was silent, directing an intense glare at the scanner feed. The subspace readings were blank, with no indicators of activity beside our own. If there was anything to be gleaned, it wasn¡¯t on an empty screen. Maybe the experiments had jarred something in his personality after all, because I never remembered him being so sullen online. If we needed to abandon the patrol and return to base, I¡¯d like to know sooner rather than later. Before he endangered himself, or others. ¡°Are you alright?¡± I patted the human on the shoulder, and felt him stiffen beneath my paw. ¡°I know that footage disturbed you¡­and I¡¯m sorry.¡± Marcel sighed. ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m furious, but not with you. I want to wring my hands around an Arxur¡¯s neck.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see how that would improve anything.¡± ¡°At least I¡¯d be doing something.¡± ¡°You¡¯re here. You¡¯re protecting us.¡± ¡°Yes. Someone has to put a stop to their reign of terror. There¡¯s been no issue recruiting people back on Earth. The way the grays get off on tormenting children, it sickens us. Why are they like that?¡± ¡°I wanted to ask you that, Marc. We believed that predators evolve through warfare. Killing and cruelty¡ªisn¡¯t it a survival advantage to you?¡± ¡°Well¡­killing, yes. Killing the competition, or the dangerous things that lurk in the night; I suppose that¡¯s how we became predators. We aren¡¯t natural ones, you know. We were once prey animals, same as you, using our cooperation to survive.¡± ¡°What?! And you chose to be l-like them?!¡± Stolen story; please report. ¡°Yep. I won¡¯t pretend we¡¯re cute and cuddly like you. Some people have walked ghastly paths throughout our history. There''s plenty of blood on our hands. But in modern times, we have rules for war called the Geneva Conventions. The Arxur¡¯s methods are dishonorable and pathetic.¡± Before I could inquire as to the nature of these ¡°Geneva Conventions¡±, shrill alarms blared from the ship¡¯s computer. Nine indicators popped up on the scanner feed, suggesting inbound Arxur bombers. The flurry of activity, when the humans arrived, must have piqued their interest. The reptilians loved to target weak links, and an isolated station such as our lodging was just that. There were countermeasures, developed over the centuries, but I didn¡¯t know if they¡¯d be sufficient today. Our onboard AI could map the enemy¡¯s trajectory, then time a warp-disruptor pulse with that information. Once we knocked the grays out of hyperspace, our directive was to scamper off until reinforcements arrived. Slowing the Arxur¡¯s progress bought valuable minutes, even without a confrontation. It could mean the difference between catastrophic loss of life and a successful defense. I switched on the comms link. ¡°Prime Outpost, we¡¯re reading nine Arxur bombers en route. Figure they have you as their target.¡± ¡°Fuck. We have to stop them at all costs.¡± The exhaustion was evident in the male Venlil¡¯s voice that answered. I couldn¡¯t imagine how much stress the officers were under, monitoring the UN arrivals. ¡°The first large transport of humans, and a couple hundred wind up dead? They¡¯ll never forgive us. They¡¯ll never send anyone again¡­¡± ¡°Um, sir, my human partner can hear you,¡± I said. ¡°Oh. Right. This is General Kam from Venlil Command, we copy you. I¡¯ll ask the humans to position their so-called ¡®fighters¡¯ on an intercept course, while we evacuate personnel here. Stall for time if you can.¡± I drew a shaky breath. ¡°Yes, sir. We¡¯ll do our best.¡± Nausea swelled in my throat, as I synced the ship computer with the disruptor beacons lining the border. My mind strayed to its usual dark corner: replaying my brother¡¯s funeral. The shock was still as fresh as it was months ago, when I first learned that his transport ship was gunned down. There wasn¡¯t a trace left to remember him by; no body to recover. Would I be the next to fall by the Arxur¡¯s claws? Every instinct told me to flee; to put as much distance between us and those monsters as possible. However, the pulses needed to be timed down to the nanosecond, which meant our proximity was a necessity. My brain felt overstimulated, as if my senses were set aflame. Being around a human for hours¡­it¡¯s pushed me to my limit. It¡¯s hard to think, with my nerves all frazzled. I pondered with a tinge of guilt. How selfish I am. I haven¡¯t even considered how Marc is feeling. I hoped the wordless Marcel was okay with the peril we were in. He had loved ones back on Earth, including a fianc¨¦ whom he spoke of with fondness. He didn¡¯t want to die here. There was no data on how the primates behaved in life-threatening situations, or how they coped with stress. But with the grays closing in on our position, there was no time to explain our standard procedure. We thought there¡¯d be time for our allies to settle in, before hurling them into the fire. Hopefully, humans had solid self-preservation instincts, and could use their cleverness to fill in the blanks. Those bombers were about to become quite real. There were no visible signs of distortion as our pulse detonated. The AI¡¯s calculation was silent and flawless. I¡¯d liken FTL disruption to pulling a rug out beneath someone¡¯s feet. The warp bubble burst in an instant, plunging the Arxur vessels into real space. No doubt it was disorienting for those hellspawn on board. Watching their angular ships spring forth from nothingness would be a magical sight, if the stakes weren¡¯t so dire. The bombers slowed to regain their bearings, and to scope out their surroundings. They wished to exact revenge on the prey animal who dared to fight back. It was evident Arxur architects spared no thought for beauty. Plasma railguns jutted out on both flanks, perfect for slinging destructive volleys. Turrets for kinetic weapons dotted the armor, in case of a close-range engagement. The curvature of the underbelly provided storage for anti-matter missiles. I imagine the predators relished the terror their constructs instilled. Witnessing their fleet felt like peering into the jaws of death. ¡°Hideous ships, huh?¡± I quipped. There was no reply from Marcel. I would suspect he froze in fear, if I hadn¡¯t seen his hands tighten around the steering column. An uneasy feeling crept into my mind. Every creature handled stress differently, but his behavior was off by a long shot. C¡¯mon Slanek. The grays are the threat here, I scolded myself. Not the human. ¡°Knock knock. Anyone home?¡± I tried to keep my voice playful, but I was desperate to snap the human out of his trance. ¡°You do see their ships, and realize we¡¯re alone? There is safety in numbers. It¡¯s time to head back to base.¡± Marcel leaned forward, fangs protruding in a menacing snarl. I noted with abject horror how his eyes dilated, and his canines glistened with saliva. If that was an expression of happiness, why was it appearing when our territory was under siege? ¡°Marc, we need to flee. Now.¡± I shook the human on the shoulder, but he shrugged me off. ¡°Marc? Shit man, they definitely s-spotted us. MARCEL!! Floor it¡­ I beg you.¡± ¡°EAT THIS MOTHERFUCKERS!¡± Marcel roared, disregarding me entirely. The human did floor it: to charge in the direction of the Arxur fleet. What happened?! He went berserk; he was so lucid minutes ago! I tried to scream a plea to stop, but it came out as an incoherent yelp. The predator either didn¡¯t know how, or didn¡¯t bother to prime the targeting system. He jammed a clawless finger on the firing trigger, spraying plasma rounds with impunity. The glaring aggression seemed to take the grays by surprise; it marked a drastic shift from a Venlil¡¯s typical flightiness. A few glancing blows struck the lead ship, jolting its pitch. One must have impacted the propulsion system, since its drive-plume flickered out. Marcel turned the stream of fire toward the crippled vessel¡¯s brethren. Some hits connected at random, though the Arxur seemed more pissed off than wounded. We made a swooping pass across the formation, before banking heavily in the direction from which we came. The computer warned me that we had been target-locked by all nine hostiles. ¡°Run?¡± I whimpered. Marcel cleared his throat. ¡°Yep. Good idea.¡± The human pointed the ship in the direction of the Federation border. Why wasn¡¯t he trying to return to the outpost? The last remnants of my logical brain suggested that he was trying to lure the Arxur away. I winced as my harness chafed into my neck. Our inertial dampeners were struggling to keep up with our blistering acceleration. Only two Arxur ships gave chase, while the rest returned to their intended course. They couldn¡¯t resist sending someone to hunt a straggler down. I knew the enemy bombers would slowly close the gap, with relentless abandon. The optimal way to lose our pursuers was to slip into subspace, but unfortunately, warp required several minutes of stationary preparation. The human signed our death warrant with his stupidity. Our puny ship gunned away from safety, with a pair of apex predators in hot pursuit. Chapter 8 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, Federation Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: August 21, 2136 Making an enemy of a starship captain was ill-advised, even in these trying times. My astonishment, at being evicted from Venlil territory by force, still hadn¡¯t faded. There was no reason for flagrant disrespect, especially when we were responding to their cry for help. When Governor Tarva started waving missiles around, it felt personal. It was fair to say I harbored a permanent grudge against them. Tarva¡¯s behavior could be chalked up as war-induced psychosis, if not for the mayhem that followed. Without a word as to why, the Venlil withdrew from the Federation¡¯s military. Their borders were sealed, cutting off crucial supplies and outposts. Any ships seeking entry were turned back at gunpoint. Alien diplomats and visitors were barred from leaving Venlil space, or even contacting their homeworlds. It was like something from a dystopian novel. Division in our ranks was the last thing we needed, with how the Arxur had been pressing lately. A diplomatic resolution was the desired outcome to any crisis, if at all possible. But when it took begging for the Venlil to provide proof of life, it didn¡¯t seem there was room for negotiation. Tarva hadn¡¯t offered any timeframe, terms, or conditions for a release. This was no temporary standoff either. It had been over a month, and none of their actions were rescinded. The Federation were a lot of dithering idiots, afraid of ruffling feathers, but even their patience had limits. Major players, including my own Gojidi Union, were incensed at our people¡¯s hostage status. Judging by the protests across the galaxy, I wasn¡¯t the only one who felt compelled to take matters into my own paws. Whatever the Venlil Republic was hiding, I was determined to get to the bottom of it. ¡°Sovlin.¡± Piri, the Gojid prime minister, sighed in irritation. She must have seen my eyes glass over. ¡°You still with me? Or are you off plotting revenge in that thick head of yours?¡± I blinked several times. ¡°Sorry, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°¡­As I was saying, I¡¯m disappointed in you. You went off snooping on the Venlil, without permission, and used Federation resources to do so. What do you have to say for yourself?¡± Piri asked. ¡°I haven¡¯t crossed their border.¡± I pointed a claw at the viewport, toward the invisible threshold. ¡°If we decide to break our people out by force, we need the facts. The Federation has a right to know what the Venlil are up to.¡± ¡°What makes you think they¡¯re up to anything?¡± ¡°Tarva isn¡¯t stupid enough to commit diplomatic suicide. Not without cause. I mean, the resolution condemning their actions passed by unanimous vote. She¡¯s lucky we haven¡¯t done more than place their membership on probation.¡± Piri tilted her head, weighing the circumstances for herself. Shutting down all communication overnight and banning travel looked draconian to me. The drastic nature of it all did not make sense; I couldn¡¯t fathom what quelled the populace¡¯s rebellion. The entire galaxy was iced out for an unknown transgression; even the Venlil¡¯s closest allies were left baffled and in the dark. Talk of warfare was brewing, as much as the Federation wished for it not to be so. Why would Tarva invite such extreme fallout? What could make losing every partner worth it? ¡°I don¡¯t disagree. The Venlil would need a serious incentive to draw our ire,¡± the politician said. ¡°They¡¯ve always been loyal to the Federation, until now. What¡¯s your take?¡± ¡°Well, I would think it was cowardice, if they had run off,¡± I growled. ¡°It¡¯s as though they¡¯re trying to make enemies of us!¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be that. Not with the Arxur breathing down their necks, every hour of every day.¡± Piri focused her gaze on me, a disapproving glint in her eyes. ¡°I should reprimand you, Sovlin, but I¡¯d like some answers myself. What have you learned through your¡­ prying?¡± ¡°The Venlil are still letting someone into their territory. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s a Federation member. A group of transports docked at a fringe outpost today. They weren¡¯t chased away like the rest of us.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re sure they were allowed to stay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m positive. They got an escort from the ceremonial fleet. Tarva¡¯s personal parade! I¡¯m just not close enough to make out their subspace origin. Not, er, without crossing the border.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why you called me now. You want my blessing, in case you get caught, and I hear about it the hard way.¡± ¡°That¡¯s one way of putting it, ma¡¯am. May I poke around?¡± ¡°Ugh, very well. I want a report as soon as you learn anything. And Sovlin¡­don¡¯t make me regret this.¡± The video feed cut out. I eyed the space ahead of us with giddiness, and gave my first officer a tail thump that meant proceed. The posting was filled by Recel, a veteran of the Kolshian Commonwealth. There would be no objections to my plan from him. His allegiance was to the Federation first, and unveiling the truth about the Venlil¡¯s misdeeds was in the collective interest. Anyone with eyes could see that their behavior was off. The crew leapt into action, as Recel declared a new course for the fringes of Venlil space. We could hide behind the guise that we were patrolling and strayed into their territory by mistake. All I needed was to get in range for our signal interceptors. Local broadcasts could offer some clues, if subspace readings proved unattainable. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Our warship pivoted, angling us toward the forbidden region. I settled down in the captain¡¯s chair and monitored the bridge. We would drift over the border gradually, in the interest of stealth. If we were able to pull this mission off, I would be acclaimed for my initiative. Satisfaction swelled in my chest, at the thought of adding to my repute. ¡°Sir. You might want to look at the scanner data!¡± Recel barked. ¡°Venlil patrol ship, heading straight for us.¡± I slammed my paw down in frustration. ¡°We¡¯re still on our side of the border! They can¡¯t object to us patrolling our own damn space.¡± According to the computer, the patrol vessel was on an intercept course toward us. The sensor data suggested their speed was at max velocity, well above all safety recommendations. They were going to burn out their own engines, pushing them to that degree! How had they gotten wise to our plans? My call with Prime Minister Piri was encrypted, so I didn¡¯t see how they could¡¯ve listened in. ¡°Radio silence from that little boat,¡± Recel noted. ¡°What do you want to do?¡± My spines bristled. ¡°Order them to change course at once, and have weapons on stand-by. We¡¯re not going to let that shit-heap stop us.¡± With the viewport on the highest magnification, I could make out a tiny dot racing toward our position. Its course was erratic, as though the stabilizers were close to giving out. Several hails had gone unanswered, and the Venlil ship failed to deviate from its course. The patrol vessel paid no regard to the border, breezing into our territory without any deceleration. Silence fell over the bridge; the tension was palpable. I knew my crew still felt some sense of attachment to the Venlil, after years of steadfast alliance. It was for their sake that I wasn¡¯t striking this craft down on the spot. ¡°Fire a warning shot, and hail them one final time,¡± I ordered. ¡°If there¡¯s no acknowledgment, I want them finished.¡± Three plasma rounds were lobbed just above the patrol ship¡¯s flight path. Its pace slowed, as though the pilot was second-guessing their decisions. The hesitation was brief though; it returned to its stubborn sprint moments later. Had the Venlil fallen victim to some neurological plague?! That would explain everything. I gritted my teeth. ¡°Kill them. They need to be taught a lesson.¡± ¡°Wait, sir. We¡¯re detecting two more vessels on their tail¡­Arxur bombers,¡± my first officer said. At last, a decent explanation for why the Venlil refused to turn back. If those reptile bastards were after them, I suppose there was no retreating. Why they were unresponsive to our hails was another question, especially with the delicate situation between our species. The patrol ship¡¯s engine sputtered, and the pilot coaxed it to a resting position. The vessel swiveled around to face the Arxur bombers. It looked like an insect compared to any warship, yet its size did not prove a deterrent. As soon as the enemy pursuers became visible, it began hurling plasma rounds in their direction. The caliber was insufficient to trade blows with the grays, but the helmsman didn¡¯t seem to care. The coughing engine was prodded back to life¡­to give them a push in the enemy¡¯s direction? Yep, neurological plague. That¡¯s my story, and I¡¯m sticking to it. The Republic craft dipped down to avoid return fire, and pressed on with its advance. In spite of myself, I was impressed with the pilot¡¯s ability to overpower their instincts. Whatever my personal feelings toward the Venlil, this bravery was unmistakable; and to be honest, very unlike them. Their accuracy was lacking, however, and the Arxur ships absorbed any hits that landed. ¡°Sir, should we intervene?¡± my first officer asked. ¡°How many times have we saved them already?¡± I grumbled. ¡°And for what?¡± Recel wagged a grasper at me. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t let the Arxur kill innocent people, over a grudge with Tarva.¡± ¡°I suppose not. Advance on the Arxur bombers, and line them up with the railguns.¡± I could sense the crew¡¯s relief from their eagerness to carry out the new orders. Perhaps they had been worried that my previous threat to let the grays eat the Venlil was serious? It would take a more depraved captain than I to spectate a predator¡¯s hunt. The lights on the bridge dimmed, which was confirmation that the railgun was charging. In high enough doses, a blast of concentrated energy could chew through even Arxur armor. There was a reason the Federation invested in such slow, gargantuan ships. Powering effective weapons required a large backbone. A radiant beam sailed through the inky sky, connecting with an enemy vessel. Pleasure rolled down my spines as our plasma lanced through the engine. There was one Arxur bomber finished in a fiery flash. Our railgun would take several seconds to recharge, so I hoped the Venlil ship could hang on a little longer. The pilot¡¯s crazed maneuvers could only do so much for evasion. The final enemy was spewing quite the plasma torrent at them, unrelenting in their hunt. One round clipped the patrol ship on the bow. It lurched forward, and sat dazed in the Arxur¡¯s sights. My crew¡¯s efforts to rouse the railgun gained a new sense of urgency. The reptilians rounded on our former allies, salivating to deliver the finishing blow. The Venlil were wounded further by a clean hit to the propulsion system. The drive-plume flickered out, and the patrol ship laid paralyzed. Without mobility, a vessel was a floating tomb. The pilot¡¯s fire had ceased too; there was no telling if they had lost weapons, or if it meant the worst. A surge of relief flooded my chest, as our weapons flashed back online. There wasn¡¯t a second to spare, or any margin for error; the crew scrambled to unleash our hellfire. An energy lance penetrated the night sky, and I prayed that it would arrive in time. While the Venlil were traitors, I preferred them to the affront to sapience known as the Arxur. Our railgun strike pierced the Arxur¡¯s shell, splicing them clean in half. With its dying breath, the predators discharged a barrage of plasma; a parting gift for their quarry. There was nothing we could do to intervene. All eyes turned to the unfolding scene with collective horror. The Venlil craft was idle, dead in the waters. The fireballs bore down on the cruiser, one after the other, closing the distance in a blur. Somehow, our sensors didn¡¯t record a direct impact. The blistering shots shaved its hull, straying wide by a hair''s breath. I imagine the occupants could all but smell the smoke. Talk about a near miss, I mused. The railgun must¡¯ve jolted the Arxur just enough. Cheers echoed through the bridge, though the celebration was premature to me. The Venlil ship sustained serious damage, and wasn¡¯t showing any signs of activity. ¡°Venlil ship, do you copy?¡± I asked over the comms frequency. ¡°We can send medical assistance if needed.¡± There was silence. My opportunism flickered back to life, as I remembered the purpose of our foray. Nobody had communicated with anyone inside Republic borders for weeks. This was the perfect opportunity to force the Venlil to talk; to discover the truth behind their reclusiveness. We could start by asking some questions about the mysterious visitors. ¡°If you can hear me, Venlil ship, you are now in the custody of the Galactic Federation. Any attempt to flee will be met with extreme force, as will any efforts at resistance.¡± I paused, making sure to emphasize my last words. ¡°Prepare to be boarded.¡± Chapter 9 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, Federation Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: August 21, 2136 A contingent of Federation soldiers blasted into the patrol ship, keen to unravel its secrets. I was relieved that the Venlil opted not to barricade the main hatch. With their recent obstinance, I figured they¡¯d make our entry a drawn-out process. There were five others beside myself, a crowd for the tiny ship. It took a few moments for my eyes to adjust to the dim lighting. There didn¡¯t appear to be substantial damage to the ship¡¯s interior, but I didn''t hear any vocalization from the occupants. It became a priority to locate the passengers, and determine if they needed medical attention. I spotted a Venlil slumped in the rear seat, with blood dripping down his forehead. Judging by the wound¡¯s location, his head was tossed into the ship frame during one of the Arxur¡¯s strikes. It was possible he had been knocked out prior, from fear or shock. Those injuries required extensive treatment, if it was severe enough for him to remain unconscious. The sound of heavy breathing drew my attention, and my eyes darted toward the pilot¡¯s chair. The creature¡¯s form was mostly void of fur, if the bits of pinkish skin that peeked through its garments were an indicator. The sole hair clump was a mop of red fuzz on its head, which cut off near its neck line. With its back to us, I couldn¡¯t make out any more about its features. Was this the species that docked at the station earlier? It didn¡¯t look like any lifeform I¡¯d stumbled across in my travels, so that ruled out it being a Federation member. Something about it made my skin crawl. Maybe it was just the lack of hair that made it look freakish? Its skin looked soft, lacking any sort of natural armor or defenses. Its stature wasn¡¯t impressive either; only a touch taller than myself. ¡°What are you?¡± I growled. ¡°Uh, I¡¯m Marcel. Just a guy. Nice to meet you?¡± he offered. ¡°Please, um, help Slanek. He¡¯s injured.¡± I sighed in irritation. ¡°Fine. But why the fuck weren¡¯t you answering our hails? We almost blasted you out of the sky.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know how to use the comms system. My buddy was unconscious, er, in shock I think.¡± Marcel¡¯s voice was low and breathy; he seemed to be hyperventilating. ¡°This is my first time flying one of these.¡± ¡°You¡¯d never flown one of these ships before? And you fly like that?¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°Never mind. Turn around and come with us.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do that.¡± How dense could a person be? This was not a negotiation. These two were in no position to argue with us. My boarding notification was explicit enough in stating that they were our prisoners, not our guests. My attempts to be sensitive, and not wave guns around the second we stepped in, clearly hadn¡¯t paid dividends. ¡°Marcel, I wasn¡¯t asking,¡± I hissed. ¡°If you expect us to help your friend, you better comply.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just talk for a moment, okay?¡± The peculiar pilot raised his hands over his head slowly, but kept his head pointed toward the viewport. ¡°L-listen, I¡¯m not your enemy. I don¡¯t want you to shoot me. I don¡¯t want to hurt you¡­or whatever it is you all say.¡± ¡°You think you could hurt us? You are surrounded and alone.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying. I¡¯m just¡­not like the Arxur. We¡¯re on the same team, okay?¡± ¡°What is this nonsense? Your rambling is madness. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going into shock too?¡± Marcel drew a shaky breath, and turned his head slowly toward us. The crewmate nearest to him staggered backward, reaching for her sidearm. She tripped over the lifeless Slanek in her retreat, and discharged her weapon in a panic. The round ended up buried in the ceiling, punching a hole in the already-battered ship. Firing plasma guns, and demonstrating reckless trigger discipline, in a contained spaceship?! The damn thing was venting atmosphere as we spoke. The crewmate earned a scorching glare from me; I was appalled with her behavior. ¡°WHAT HAS GOTTEN INTO YOU?¡± I screeched. ¡°Holster your weapon at once. I¡¯ll have you disciplined for your¡ª¡± ¡°Captain Sovlin¡­¡± another crewmate interrupted in a squeaky whisper. ¡°L-look. It¡¯s one of them.¡± My gaze flitted back over to Marcel. Shock stabbed at my heart; my insides twisted into knots. The pilot sported binocular vision, just like the Arxur. A cruel intelligence glistened through his beady eyes, even as he tried to avert them. Every time he directed his gaze at someone, it felt like they were being tracked. His inky pupils were no more than dilated pools of hunger. The pieces fell together, as I gaped at Marcel dumbfounded. A feral hunter on a Republic ship could only mean one thing. The Venlil home world was occupied by an army of predators, and in all likelihood, their species was enslaved. These beasts must be the reason for that distress signal a few weeks ago. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Perhaps I owed the Venlil an apology, since I had misjudged them so terribly. The tragedy they endured was unspeakable. The monsters probably threatened to kill their entire populace if they tried anything, which was why Tarva betrayed us. Her decision-making was still terrible, but something I could forgive. Chasing the Federation armada off under duress was different to abandoning her friends. The resentment festering inside of me dissipated in an instant, replaced by a burning hatred. We had never gotten our paws on one of the reptiles, so we¡¯d have to settle for the next best thing. I would not let Marcel¡¯s species follow in the Arxur¡¯s footsteps. I would make them pay for everything they had done, tenfold. Marcel¡¯s hands trembled, and he closed his eyes. ¡°Guys, I¡¯m just here to fight the Arxur. What they¡¯ve done is despicable, and we would never¡ª¡± ¡°QUIET! Get on the ground.¡± My voice was cold and assertive, as I raised my sidearm at him. ¡°Don¡¯t shoot him, unless he pushes us. I want him alive.¡± The predator obeyed, sprawling out prone on the floor. He was lying flat on his stomach, so his eyes were facing the ground. He linked his dexterous digits behind his head, as though to prove he wouldn¡¯t take a swipe at us. My soldiers gave me an expectant look, waiting for orders. Did they presume I had the answer to everything? There was nothing in the book about predators hiding in plain sight. But if I didn¡¯t take command, there was going to be a total collapse of control. The last thing I wanted was my unit fleeing, and leaving this creature on the loose in our territory. ¡°Protect Slanek until medical assistance arrives,¡± I said, gesturing toward the unconscious Venlil. ¡°Get him out of here, and somewhere safe. Be gentle with him when he wakes. Make sure he knows he¡¯s free, and that he never has to see this monster again.¡± Marcel stiffened. ¡°Free? Slanek is¡­¡± ¡°Another word and I¡¯ll kill you. Don¡¯t tempt me, freak.¡± Summoning my innermost courage, I approached the predator with a pair of restraints. There was no other person I trusted not to freak out, if he twitched or spoke. The creature didn¡¯t move, only sucking in erratic breaths. His submissive behavior was odd, but he could be baiting me within proximity. I needed to keep my wits about me, and stay prepared for a surprise attack. I knelt down over Marcel¡¯s back, pinning him to the ground with my hind legs. One paw held the barrel of my pistol against his neck, while the other paw reached for his hands. The sensation of my fur brushing his skin made me flinch. I couldn¡¯t snap the manacles around his wrist fast enough. Behind us, two crewmates crouched by Slanek, shooting glances toward the predator as they did. It was apparent they wanted to get as far away from him as possible. We had to wait for the ship medic to arrive with a stretcher and drugs though. If the Venlil had spinal damage, it was too risky to transport him without professional supervision. That said, the damn doctor was taking his sweet time arriving. I was the one stuck guarding a novel predator, absorbing the full brunt of the terror. The minutes standing by Marcel seemed to drag; it was agony, even as he remained compliant and silent. Part of me wanted to put a bullet in his brain and be done with it. ¡°You¡¯re pressing way too hard on the prisoner¡¯s abdomen.¡± A disapproving voice drifted from the ship¡¯s entrance, earning a relieved sigh from me. Doctor Zarn strode in, scanning the scene. ¡°What is going on here, Captain?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask. I need a sedative, now,¡± I replied. ¡°For a new species? We have no idea which drugs are safe, or how they could interact with its nervous system. I can¡¯t sign onto this.¡± I rolled Marcel onto his back, and Zarn¡¯s eyes widened. The doctor dropped his kit to the floor and stood frozen for several seconds. It took a pointed cough from me to snap him out of his stupor. The medic drew a shuddering breath, trying to compose himself. He was quivering as he filled a syringe, and inched toward us like he was on cracked ice. I extended an arm as far as I could, and snatched the sedative from his outstretched paw. Zarn darted back to a safer distance, muttering several curses. He gave Slanek a brief examination, feeling the vertebrae of his spine. At the doctor¡¯s go-ahead, the soldiers moved the Venlil onto a stretcher. My eyes shifted back to the predator, whose gaze bore directly up into my skull. Turning him over for the doctor to see might not have been the best idea, since it meant his face was visible again. Well, Marcel wasn¡¯t going to sedate himself, was he? ¡°Fucking hell. Here goes nothing,¡± I growled. I found a large vein in the predator¡¯s neck, and brought the syringe toward it. Marcel shrank back into the floor, possibly mistaking the pointed blade for a weapon. It was doubtful his species had any concept of medicine. With a quick motion, I jabbed the needle into his pale skin. Marcel winced, and those awful eyes flickered shut. I finally allowed myself to feel my emotions, and doubled over, panting. My gun slipped from my paws; it took everything to bite back a scream. I couldn¡¯t lose my composure in front of the crew. ¡°Captain. Listen, you¡¯ve had a terrible shock, and the most exposure of anyone,¡± Doctor Zarn said in a soft tone. ¡°Let your first officer step in. You need to rest. You¡¯re risking cardiac arrest if you push yourself any further.¡± ¡°Let Recel call the shots? Over my dead body,¡± I snorted. ¡°I will be the one to tell Piri, and to move this thing to a holding cell.¡± The doctor flicked his ears in disdain. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a terrible creature. I didn¡¯t think any humans were still alive.¡± ¡°Any what?¡± ¡°Humans. That¡¯s what it is.¡± ¡°We knew about these demons before?!¡± ¡°Indeed. You know, the predator race we discovered after the Arxur? The Federation glosses over it, but surely you¡¯ve heard it mentioned.¡± ¡°The extinct ones?¡± ¡°Clearly not that extinct. We were certain humans killed themselves off, though. The number of explosions on their planet was astronomical. It was a fitting ending for a species that tormented each other, and lived in constant battle.¡± ¡°What do you think they¡¯ve done to the Venlil?¡± ¡°Humans are conquerors, who derive pleasure from dominating others. That is what their ''explorers'' have always done on their homeworld. They are aggressive, brutal, and territorial. Every bit as savage as the grays. You can fill in the blanks, Captain.¡± ¡°Dear stars. I should wonder how you know such detail, Doctor. Enough to recognize one.¡± ¡°I researched humans for my bioethics thesis.¡± ¡°Of course you did,¡± I said in a derisive tone. ¡°I bet you argued it was worth saving them, because a doctor¡¯s oath is to saving all lives.¡± ¡°On the contrary. The Federation developed plans to raze their planet, Earth, which were scrapped after their presumed extinction. My paper argued that some animals are not worth saving; that not all life is equivalent. Killing humanity would¡¯ve been justified for the greater good. It was our moral obligation to follow through, even.¡± ¡°I never thought I''d hear those words from you, Zarn. Humans must be irredeemable.¡± I glowered at Marcel¡¯s lifeless form. My mind was buzzing with thoughts of a fiery raid on this Earth. ¡°Well then, I suppose it¡¯s time to tell Piri we have unfinished business.¡± Chapter 10 Memory transcription subject: Governor Tarva of the Venlil Republic Date [standardized human time]: August 22, 2136 Word of the Arxur attack on our space station reached Venlil Prime via the media first. I suspected the camera crews sent to document the humans¡¯ arrival were able to get a messenger ship out before the confrontation. Details were scarce, but the first duel between predators in space made for flashy headlines. In all honesty, I was curious how humans would fare against the grays as anyone. I was clinging to some far-fetched hope that they¡¯d swoop in and save the day. There was no telling whether the station was still standing. Research outposts didn¡¯t have meaningful defenses, since our fiercest protection was assigned to colonies and planets. The humans needed to save their own hide against the Arxur. Maybe we should¡¯ve hosted the UN delegation on Venlil Prime, but the idea was to assimilate them in increments. Having predators walking the streets, dining in restaurants, and smiling at schoolchildren was a bit much for the public. I felt guilty anyways, for leaving our human friends in a vulnerable location. In trying to shield them, I might¡¯ve gotten them killed. Terran technology was primitive, and while they excelled at dogfights in atmospheric conditions, I suspected their ships weren¡¯t attuned to space yet. They were in the process of building a new armada from scratch. The craft deployed to the station were there for emergencies, and were little more than prototypes. There was profound relief when Kam messaged me, stating that he was in orbit along with two UN generals. My military advisor promised a full briefing, and assured me that the station was still standing. I was relieved to hear that there were survivors, but also wondered how the human ships had performed. ¡°Hi, Tarva!¡± a predator¡¯s voice pierced my ears. Noah¡¯s arrival at the governor¡¯s mansion was a welcome sight. I was happy to have a familiar face amidst the stress and confusion. The cheery astronaut was appointed Terran ambassador at my request, and had taken up permanent residence planetside. He never seemed to tire of interviews, or lose patience with our timid behavior. ¡°Thank you for coming.¡± I nodded to my friend, suppressing my reaction to his toothy grin. ¡°I¡¯ve never met any human military personnel. It¡¯s as though Meier has been trying to keep them away from me. He calls them ¡®snakes in the grass¡¯, whatever that means.¡± ¡°Meier is a smart man,¡± Noah chuckled. ¡°They¡¯re going to try to get you to hand over your ship blueprints, and to take sides in our national disputes. By the way, I strongly advise not doing either. Neutrality is a fine policy.¡± I flicked my ears. ¡°What disputes? Don¡¯t you all get along now?¡± ¡°Ha. We never get along, Tarva. We just get along with the Arxur less.¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t you make peace? That whole ¡®predator¡¯s instinct for aggression¡¯ thing?¡± ¡°I guess.¡± ¡°You¡¯re smart. You must realize it¡¯s not advantageous to your species to fight.¡± ¡°We know that. But we are what we are. I¡¯m sorry if it frightens you.¡± General Kam entered the reception hall, halting our conversation. The military advisor looked like he hadn¡¯t slept in days. Two humans trailed after him, sporting uniforms with flashy colors. If memory served me right, the one in the light blue was from the US Space Force, while the red attire designated China¡¯s Strategic Support Force. It was tough to remember all the factions of such a disunited species. There were hundreds of governments on Earth, each with their own culture and leadership. One of the most embarrassing incidents was when I sent thanks to Austria for supplies rendered by Australia, though both nations seemed to find the mix-up humorous. Ever since then, I¡¯d tried to stick to speaking with Secretary-General Meier and his office. The Venlil wanted an alliance with the entire species, not to juggle rival tribes. ¡°Glad to see you, Governor. General Jones and General Zhao,¡± Kam paused, gesturing to the two respective humans. ¡°¡­have prepared a simulation of the battle for us. You¡¯ll find their strategies, er, most intriguing.¡± ¡°Intriguing?¡± General Zhao shrugged. ¡°A win is a win.¡± What did that mean? Had our predators used some cheap tactics against the Arxur? I ushered the entourage into a conference room, making sure to keep Noah between myself and them. It was all I could do not to openly stare at the human militants. They didn¡¯t look as imposing or feral as Meier¡¯s diplomats would have us believe. I half-expected them to be marred with battle scars, or baring their fangs at everyone they passed. Kam fiddled with the holo-projector, syncing the Terran devices with ours. A shimmering recreation blinked up over the central table, and I studied it with nervous anticipation. This would be our first insight into how human warfare truly worked. ¡°There we go,¡± General Jones said. ¡°I feel obligated to note those ships are American designs.¡± Zhao rolled his predator eyes, a display that looked most unnatural. ¡°You had to slip that in, didn¡¯t you? They used our weapons modifications. The most important part of any system is the firepower. Wouldn¡¯t you agree, Tarva?¡± ¡°Uh, well, uh¡­would you mind if we watch the simulation, before I offer my opinion?¡± I answered in a sheepish voice. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to speak in ignorance.¡± Noah smirked, shooting me a knowing glance. The ambassador¡¯s warning proved at least half-correct, but I thought I¡¯d done a decent job deflecting the question. Motion activated on the projector, and the visual representation sprung to life. Computer data and analysis augmented the view of the battlefield. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Six Arxur bombers barreled down on the outpost, opposed by a wall of human ships. The Terran fleet was comprised of tiny one-seater ships, whose only asset appeared to be speed. The humans outnumbered the reptiles by an order of twenty-to-one, according to the computer. Sheer numbers didn¡¯t matter when their primitive weapons were ineffectual against the grays. The UN had to have something else up their sleeves, if the station survived, I thought. Our allies swarmed the Arxur with blinding mobility. Plasma and kinetics rained on the grays¡¯ position, and the enemy struggled to lock down the pesky targets. They began shooting in all directions, as that was the surefire way to connect with something. Terran indicators blinked out by the dozens, which earned a wince from me. Undeterred, the humans pressed on toward their deaths. The Arxur craft had sustained minor damage, but were mostly unscathed. There was no sign of any backup or reinforcements; no grand trick or ambush. I expected more complex tactics from an intelligent predator. The humans flew practically on top of the Arxur, making it impossible for them to use their railguns. The reptiles switched over to kinetic weapons, and carved swaths through the Terran ranks with precision. The bombers then broke off toward the station, disregarding the puny fighters. The humans were not worthy of attention. Even to me, these UN ships are a joke. This is the species that was supposed to save us? I mused. They sent their pilots to a slaughter. Blind aggression isn¡¯t enough. It was the second the Arxur lost interest that the primates pounced. There were only 52 friendly vessels remaining, but they acted in harmony. The humans discharged heat-seeking missiles, so close that they were caught up in the explosions themselves. From those ranges, the grays had no chance to activate their interceptors. It seemed the humans had finally drawn blood. Two enemy indicators flickered out, but four weathered the storm. By comparison, 23 more UN ships had gone down to their own blasts. Losing every ¡°fighter¡± wasn¡¯t going to prove a point. It was time to order a retreat, before there were no forces left. Instead, the primates violated all laws of self-preservation. The Terrans formed a barricade in the Arxur''s path, trying to intercept their fire. Their railguns chewed through the fighters with ease, and whittled their numbers down to a dozen. The humans were backed into a corner; unlike us, they would not flee. They saw that the station was about to take fire, and rushed forward in a predatory frenzy. The last Terran ammunition was dispensed; they were drained dry, with no options to fight on. Several captains made the spontaneous decision to hurl the last scraps of their fighters into Arxur ranks. What kind of species used their ships as missiles? How could their impulse be to sacrifice their own lives? In the wake of the humans¡¯ earlier battering, the reptiles proved unable to withstand multiple drive explosions. The handful of remaining fighters sat defiantly, almost daring any Arxur ships to emerge from the smoke. The simulation froze, as it reached the end of the data input. "We suffered heavy losses. If only our drone program was ready for deployment. That would be a game changer. At least we know now, the Arxur can be taken down," General Jones said. ¡°There were no Venlil casualties. We destroyed the grays before they reached the station,¡± General Zhao concluded. I glanced away in horror. Only three UN vessels remained from the original allotment. The humans sacrificed ships numbering in the three digits to stop the Arxur. That could hardly be considered a victory. How could predators develop vessels that were that much weaker than their counterparts? That loss ratio was unacceptable in a long-term war. ¡°There is a small point of concern, Governor.¡± Jones paused, waiting for me to focus on her. ¡°A Venlil patrol ship went missing in Federation territory, with a human on board. In the hours since, the Gojids have started to mobilize along the border.¡± ¡°We believe the ship may have been captured, which would mean the Feds are now aware of us,¡± Zhao added. ¡°The only positive is that unless the hostages told them, they don¡¯t know where Earth is. That buys us some time to figure out our next action.¡± My blood ran cold as ice. The Federation possessed the exact location of Earth. While the humans were advised that they might be killed on sight, I hadn¡¯t disclosed the specifics of our history. There was no telling how a predatory species might retaliate to a plot for their extinction. That said, I couldn¡¯t bear to see them blindsided by a pre-emptive strike. The time had come where I had to divulge the full extent of the Federation¡¯s hatred. ¡°Well, maybe we should speak to them,¡± Noah chimed in. ¡°I¡¯m not sure we shouldn¡¯t have from the start. The Arxur are a sample size of one. The aliens have no experience with humans, or any other predators. If Tarva vouches for us, they might come around.¡± I stood up from my chair. ¡°I doubt that. They¡¯ll hate you.¡± The Terran ambassador frowned. ¡°If you can accept us, why can¡¯t they? How do you know that the Federation will try to kill us, just because we¡¯re predators? ¡°I just do.¡± Noah crossed his arms. ¡°You¡¯re going to have to do better than that.¡± ¡°I¡­I need a word with the Ambassador. Alone.¡± ¡°No, I think we all should hear this.¡± General Zhao¡¯s posture was stiff as a board, as though he¡¯d sensed something off. ¡°Whatever pertains to our safety concerns everyone in this room.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s because¡­¡± Noah tilted his head inquisitively. Worry sparkled in his brown eyes, as he noticed me shying away from him. I wondered if even he could forgive me for such a grave omission, for the betrayal of his trust. ¡°Because they tried to kill the last predators they found.¡± I slumped my shoulders in defeat, avoiding his gaze. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to tell you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying they killed another predator species before?¡± the ambassador asked. ¡°No. There are only two.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°The Federation knew about humans and Earth a long time ago. The vote to glass your planet was unanimous, after footage of your world wars became public.¡± General Jones¡¯ eyes narrowed to slits. ¡°Unanimous. That includes the Venlil?¡± ¡°Yes. Before my time but¡­yes. They¡­we were meticulous in our planning. We believed we couldn¡¯t fail.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± Hurt flashed in Noah¡¯s gaze, though the human quickly blinked it away. ¡°Alright. Um, what stopped them?¡± ¡°The Federation thought you were dead. Something about hundreds of nuclear explosions, right after those world wars ended. I myself wonder what that was.¡± ¡°Testing. There were countless nuclear tests in that era, in unpopulated areas, might I add,¡± Noah muttered. ¡°I see. At any rate, that¡¯s how we knew exactly what you were, and where you were from. Before your ship ever hailed us. The Federation will recognize what the captive is, and find Earth¡¯s location on a star chart.¡± Jones¡¯ eyes were icy. ¡°You didn¡¯t think this was something we needed to know, Tarva?¡± ¡°Yeah. Why are you telling us now?¡± Zhao spat. I shrank back under the predators¡¯ withering gaze. While their anger was justified, it rendered me unable to form a response. Open hostility was not something my instincts processed well; not when they were eyeing me up like their next meal. ¡°The Governor didn¡¯t want us to have cause to attack the Federation,¡± Noah said, leaping to my defense. ¡°They are her friends, no matter how unjust they are. Besides, she¡¯s only known us for a month.¡± Kam cleared his throat. ¡°It¡¯s little consolation, but the Federation means well. Truly.¡± ¡°Well-meaning or not, they want to kill us. We have to make difficult choices,¡± Jones growled. ¡°Earth must be protected at all costs. I don¡¯t think Tarva wants to see that side of us.¡± ¡°I will s-support you all, no matter what you choose,¡± I stammered. ¡°I don¡¯t want humanity to die. If you evacuate people from Earth, they will be welcome in our territory. And though I have no right to ask, I beg you to show the Federation mercy.¡± The human generals did not respond aloud, but their expressions conveyed a simmering rage. As Noah once told me, the concept of karma was close to their hearts. I suspected any Terran mercy was dependent on the Federation¡¯s next actions. The galaxy¡¯s prejudice could become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Species Glossary and FAQs Species Glossary Venlil - Humanity''s first contact in the galaxy, often described by their counterparts as one of the weakest and most emotional races. Their timidity can overshadow their fierce sense of morality, but their desire for friendship usually wins out in the end. Their homeworld, Venlil Prime, requires constant defense due to its strategic location in the galaxy''s outer arm. (Humanity calls this planet Gliese 832 c, and it''s 16 light-years away from Earth) The Venlil Republic officially controls a swath of territory which stretches 20 light-years in any direction. This makes the Sol system technically in their domain. As for appearance, the Venlil''s flatter facial features remind some humans of stuffed animals. This, combined with their large, horizontal-pupiled eyes makes them rather "cute." One note of peculiarity is that they lack any nose, or sense of smell. Their wooly fur can be any shade of gray, with occasional tufts or stripes breaking up the singular tone. One example is the black tuft between Slanek''s ears. Their tails are bushy, stretching about 1 ft on average. They can be used as a secondary form of communication, or to help with balance and grasping. The Venlil have tiny claws, but they are not capable of real damage. Due to their lack of natural weapons or defenses, they were easy prey for their natural predators in their formative years. With bipedalism as their designated form of locomotion, and spindly knock-kneed hindlegs, they are not well-suited to speedy escapes either. Their height places them at about the average human''s shoulders. Gojid - The Gojidi Union was a prevailing political force in the galaxy for centuries; even prior to the Arxur''s arrival. Their extensive border defenses left many to consider them impervious to an external assault. Their military presence within their territory was considerable, and they never hesitated to send assistance to their neighbors. Their homeworld lacks an official name, simply dubbed "the cradle" by its occupants. What name would a planet need but something that speaks of fondness and home? The last Federation census listed the cradle''s population at 12 billion. Its primary export is fruits from its famed orchards, and it had a wide array of merchant settlements. The defining physical trait for a Gojid is their spines. Whenever one is afraid, their spines bristle as an involuntary response. The length of their lowest spines is the best way to approximate one''s age at a glance. Their long, brown fur makes them well-adapted to colder climates. They cannot engage in the animated tail language of other species, since their tails and legs are both stubby. Their claws are slender, and of a significant length; they can slash through most softer substances, including skin. Arxur (as told by the Federation) - The only predatory species known besides humans. They enjoy the thrill of hunting sentient prey, and their sole communications have been for the purpose of taunting Federation powers. They are solo, ambush hunters who have been known to torment the millions of sentients they keep as cattle. The Arxur''s technology was about at late-1900s levels before the Federation uplifted them. They waited long enough to mass produce starships, and to get their bearings, before launching a surprise attack on all neighboring species. The handful that fled their worlds are the only ones that survived. 62 worlds have been destroyed over the centuries. Little is known about the Arxur''s government. Some Federation sources claim they are completely anarchistic, but this is to be taken with a grain of salt. A few fringe scientists suggest that the most vicious warriors culled the masses, and this may be closer to the truth. Their v-shaped snouts are reminiscent of a crocodile, and their fangs protrude from their mouths even when closed. While bipedal, they often lean forward as they walk, so that they can lunge on all fours in a heartbeat. Their scaly, gray skin earned them the moniker "the grays." The tough hide serves as a natural armor, as do the ridges on their spine. Kolshian - The Kolshian Commonwealth champions knowledge and objectivity, and spearheads many Federation conventions. Their homeworld, Aafa, translates as "Garden". Its dwellings are said to be stunning feats of architecture, and the capital''s botanical gardens are also famed. The School of the Flora is the largest university in the Federation; as such, the capital has a large student population. The Kolshians are one of the few species without fur. Evolutionary biologists believe their ancestors were aquatic, judging by the tentacles that form their arms. Their eyes are brightly-colored and bulbous, reminiscent of Earth''s frogs. Meanwhile, their cooler skin tones are various blues or purples; perhaps ocean camouflage? Zurulian - A neighbor species to the Venlil, the Gojids, and by extension, humanity. These quadrupedal, green-blooded mammals contribute much of the Federation''s medical funding. They take great pride in grooming their shaggy, brown pelts; they are often seen smoothing their fur with their tongues. The Zurulians'' cub-like ears may trigger humanity''s cute response. They are known to be very energetic, when enthused about a subject, and are one of the most social species in the galaxy. Quieter species sometimes do not appreciate having their ear talked off by Zurulian counterparts. Krakotl - Avian species are a rarity, simply because ground-dwelling species are most likely to evolve sentience. The Krakotl evolved on a marshy world called Nishtal, which led to the development of talons for balance. These seconded as a defensive weapon, when they landed to eat algae. Their curved beaks are bright, tropical colors. Evolutionary biologists suggest these colors developed to frighten away predators, since bright animals are often poisonous. When irritated, their feathers puff out in a semi-circle behind them. A Krakotl possesses one of the largest vocal ranges in the galaxy. Their squawks can range from deafening screeches, to a melodic harmony. With their arsenal of physical defenses, the Krakotl have a higher aggression than most, due to their tendency to scare off predators. For this reason, they led the path to create many Federation weapons and strategies, during the first phases of the war. The Krakotl Alliance''s military presence is always known, as are their offensive capabilities. They aren''t afraid to intimidate other species into going along with their plans. Mazic - These sand-colored mammals evolved in the hot, arid desert, but proved their adaptability to many climates. Their bulky mass leads them to weigh several hundred pounds. A considerable amount of vegetation is necessary for a healthy diet each day. Accommodating a Mazic individual onto a Federation ship can be a logistical nightmare. A fluke genetic mutation separated the toes of their front paws, compared to the flatness of their hindlegs. This allowed them to create tools, although they generally maintain quadrupedalism. Their trunks are multi-faceted in their purpose. They are used to drink water, to convey emotion, and as a grasping tool when necessary. Yotul - The bipedal marsupials are the newest uplifts to the Federation. Just 22 cycles ago, their planet was a fledging industrial society. The discovery of steam power led to a society that was finally interconnected, through railroads and quicker boats. When aliens greeted the leaders of each major settlement, in front of watching crowds, there was panic. Newspapers spread the word; the dissemination of information was a slow process, regardless. Aviation, antibiotics, electricity, and astronomy were all novel discoveries. The Yotul struggled at first, as could be expected, but began a slow adjustment period. The Federation still views them as primitives, while the Yotul feel they are treated with unfair derision. Their policy is driven by desperation to prove that they are not just a liability. Nevok - The Nevoks pride themselves on their extensive trading network, specializing in the development of fabrics, microchips, and appliances. Their engineering knowledge is unrivaled, as is their condescending attitude toward any species they perceive as stupid. They''re happy to fleece any trading partner that isn''t savvy enough to play their game. The bipedal mammals often look awkward, swaying as they walk on their thick hooves. Their forelegs have toes rather than hooves, which make their paws look mismatched as well. The long, circular ears atop their heads remind humans of rabbits. Lastly, their cream-colored fur is perfect for arctic camouflage on their homeworld. The governing Nevok Imperium has lost its competitive edge over the past century, as the Fissans began undercutting their prices. Both have been in a vicious trading war to sign agreements with new species. The Nevok Imperium went as far as to lodge a formal complaint against the Fissan Compact in human year 2123, accusing them of stealing proprietary secrets. Sivkit - The Sivkits are known as a reclusive species, as much due to their timidness as their location. They are one of the furthest Federation members from central worlds like Aafa. The Arxur can seem like a distant threat at times; they have to go thousands of light-years out of the way to target the Sivkits. Thus, it''s sometimes difficult to spur the prairie animals to action. The Sivkit Grand Herd is comprised of a series of smaller, nomadic tribes. It''s not uncommon for them to set up shop on a habitable world, harvest its vegetation, then move to the next. They don''t bear the attachment to a home that other species do. It''s uncertain whether their governing planet, Tunsas, is even their homeworld. If Sivkit settlements were more stable, they might act as a haven for Federation refugees. Instead, it''s the Paltan Combine that shoulders most of the humanitarian outreach from their quadrant. The Sivkits are medium-sized mammals with fluffy, white pelts. Their razor-thin tails have a thick plume of hair at the end. While anthropologists believe they were bipedal for a short time when they first created tools, they regressed back to quadrupedalism as technology advanced. In their spacefaring days, they have always presented themselves on four legs. Farsul - The Farsul are best known for their historians, and creating standardized education curriculums for all prey species. They chair the Federation''s Archaeological Committee, though their excavations often involves studying the ways a species'' ancestors were hunted. They also maintain various museums and the Galactic Archives. The Farsul also were one of the lead species in observing Earth back in the 20th century. The "scholarly" research done on humanity, and the dossier of our wartime atrocities, was largely their handiwork. For this reason, they are critical of Terran diplomacy. The Farsul States are a gerontocracy, which means they are led by any elders who are considered wise or accomplished. Their government is more decentralized than most unified planets. The day-to-day affairs on the local level are controlled by an elder from that region. The Farsul are bipeds, but with their stout paws and curved hindlegs, they struggle with traction and balance. They have a variety of fur colors; while brown in the predominant gene, anything from white to charcoal gray exists. Their floppy ears are reminiscent of a cocker spaniel''s to human observers. Takkan - The Takkans may describe themselves as a species seeking identity. Visually, their thick gray hides aren''t too different from hippos on Earth. They are slightly taller and bulkier than humans. Their tri-toed paws are a memorable feature, which suggest they may have evolved from larger land mammals. Following the start of the Arxur war, there was a rift in the populace. A consequential percent wished to flee their homeworld. The original Takkan government folded after contentious legislative hearings, and the species'' fate was left in uncertainty. The Compromise of Nishtal was brokered by the Krakotl; this pact led to the formation of the new Takkan Coalition. While the majority took up arms to defend their birthplace, several million Takkans dispersed across the galaxy. Some found citizenship with other Federation powers. Others set off into the unknown, never to be heard from again. Because of this so-called ''Takkan Diaspora'', they are a common species to encounter on other race''s military ships. Thafki - The Thafki were one of the first races hit in the Arxur raids. Their species has been hunted close to extinction. While hundreds of millions, perhaps even billions, are held in captivity, only 12,000 exist in the wild. For the most part, these are descendants of any Thakfi residing off-world at the times of the attacks. Since their territory has been seized, the existing government is more of a loose advocacy association. The Thafki have a few communes in colonies donated by other powers, but these become easy targets for the Arxur. Federation recognition of their membership status is a formality as much as anything. The Thafki''s gray-blue coloration is broken up by cream patches under their chin. Their long, tapering tails are perfect for animated signals. Meanwhile, their webbed feet and slender bodies aid swimming; they are semiaquatic animals at heart. Dossur - The Dossur are the most diminutive species in the Federation. Their largest individuals are comparative in size of squirrels. Their tiny, rounded ears, and pointed snout give their faces the illusion of eternal youth; or as humans would call it, "cuteness." Their fur is ginger, with either white or gray stripes along their back. Stolen novel; please report. Harchen - The Harchen are a reptile species famed for their natural camouflage. The waddling prey bipeds stand at half a human¡¯s height, and can morph their skin into differing colors. Their species is average in most fields, notable for a few media franchises (such as the award-winning show The Exterminators) and software start-ups (such as predictive search engine Thread-Weave). The Harchen have maintained their oral traditions from prehistoric times, using folk-songs at significant moments of their lives. Their colonies tend to be wealthy, and are best likened to Earth tech hubs like Silicon Valley. Meanwhile, their homeworld, Fahl, has a large portion that is a desert biome. This may have supported the success of small, sapient reptiles. Fissans ¨C The Fissan Compact exploded onto the scene as a trading power in the last century. The newer species did not shy away from the trading war with the Nevoks, undercutting their prices and swiping deals at every turn. The rival Nevok Imperium has lobbied accusations of corporate espionage at the Compact, but the Fissans insist that they merely engineer the technology cheaper. The Fissans have a single horn at the top of their heads, with a hearty mane covering their necks. Humans are quick to draw comparisons to mythical unicorns, though the Fissans do not have hooves. Their whinnying vocalizations reinforce such parallels. Tilfish - The Tilfish Ambassadorship was brought into the Federation via uplift around 180 years ago. Their homeworld, Sillis, is unique in having a single supercontinent. The massive ocean surrounding the rest of the planet results in acute weather patterns not seen in a traditional biome; rain and storms are near constant. The Tilfish are an insectoid species, with six legs and a rotund, segmented thorax. Their shape and gray-black coloration is similar to spiders on Earth, while their mandibles, smooth skin, and mesh-like eyes are reminiscent of ants. Their height ranges between an average human¡¯s shoulder and chest height. Sulean and Iftali - The Suleans and Iftalis are two distinct mammalian species from the same homeworld, who have forged a nigh inseparable alliance over the years. They were inducted into the Federation together, and since accrued respectable military power. The bi-species government have separate representatives, but don''t make decisions without the other. The Iftalis are known for their tri-humped backs, and pinkish fur that matches with the sands of their deserts. Religion features more prominently in their society than their counterparts, ranking different food groups by dietary purity. The accumulation of negative auras determines whether the soul is light enough to move to the next life. The Suleans are black-and-white striped animals, with tapered snouts and small antlers. They evolved in a more fertile biome than the Iftali, grazing in plains and valleys. They excel at climbing in mountains, and their antlers give them a way of defending themselves from predators. Sulean explorers documented Iftali settlements, when they pushed near the equator. The two species swapped cultural elements, and established flourishing trade between their peoples. The free flow of ideas allowed them to work in cooperation, developing technology quicker than the average sapient races. Paltan - The Paltan Combine is distant from the center of Federation space, but that has led them to become a beacon to war refugees. Their territory is becoming overpopulated, unable to keep up with the high demands of immigration. Resentment brews among the government for the Sivkit''s apathy and non-intervention. The Paltans have amber eyes that seem to pop from their skull. Their optical features can take up half of their face. Their wiggly toes and tiny nose soften their appearance even further, along with flexible cone-shaped ears. Their fur is an off-shade of yellow, and lauded by even the Arxur as exceptionally soft. Duerten - As mentioned with the Krakotl, avian species are a rarity. The second and final other bird race in the galaxy are the Duerten, who are known for their long, curved bills. Most have dull, gray feathers, which adapted to blend in with the often-stormy skies on their homeworld. The monsoon season on their planet can result in extreme weather pattern. The Duerten Homogeneity actively encourage uniform thinking, and discourage individual ideas. Their collectivism is unique even among Federation species, as they only show their true personalities among close friends and in the privacy of their homes. The Duerten are key producers of support ships, while never playing a leading military role themselves. Malti - The Malti are the sole sapient monotreme (an egg-laying mammal) in the galaxy. They are said to resemble a spikeless echidna with their compressed faces and tapered snouts, and they have evolved with a vast range of colors to blend in with the environment. They are pure quadrupeds, like Zurulians, though they are about twice as large as the medical-minded teddy bears. The Malti specialize in colonization expeditions, with their expertise called in when expansionist powers seek settlement advice; the exterminators guild was responsible for the creation of unique, firepower-packed bombers for their task. While not traditionally a military power, they do have one of the strongest offensive fleets at hand, were it to be adapted for that purpose. Drezjin - The Drezjin are a quirky mammalian species, notable for being the sole non-avian race that is capable of flight. They primarily reside in caves, though secondary settlements cropped up in cool locales near water sources; a few habitats are also build into cliff and rock face crevices. Due to their preferred ambience being dark or dim, their sight is weak and short-ranged. Their hearing is sharp enough to hear crisply miles away to make up for this. The Drezjin Theocracy believes that the Federation founders were avatars of their deities due to interpretations of ancient cave paintings, and as such are strongly loyal to the Kolshians. While priests hold a crucial role in several societies, the Drezjin are one of the few spacefaring races actively governed by the clergy class. Certain sects of the Federation mock their leadership as a conduit for primitive superstition, despite its reverence toward them. The Drezjin can sport a variety of patterns on their stretchy, near translucent skin, and are lightweight to support flight. The wing membrane is quite flexible, allowing tool usage and grip strength. They are a mere two feet tall on average, lending to smaller structures than are typical with upright species. **Drilvar** - The Drilvar are long-limbed, lethargic mammalian bipeds, known for their laid-back and relaxed attitude. Their fur pattern is a flashy orange, with black stripes. Their driving philosophy is that decisions and deeds should only be reached through careful consideration; it is this attitude that leads to their reputation as unreliable, compounded by other races deriding them as slow to react under pressure. Their slow metabolic rate is at the heart of this issue, which is part of why their city design is unusually compact. Drilvar don''t like to go far from their homes for activities, which makes attending diplomatic processes a drawn-out affair. The Drilvar are best known for their legal services, with their attorneys becoming renowned across the Federation for their knowledge of galactic law across numbers of jurisdiction. Their law schools feature sprawling campuses with dizzying verticality due to the inclusion of branch-like structures at various heights to hang from. The Drilvar Kritocracy reflects their reliance on codified statutes and systems through rule by the planet''s highest judges. **Jaur**- The Jaur are mammals who originated on a frigid homeworld, and evolved to craft dams even before their ancestors were considered sapient by Federation standards; their teeth have a unique regenerative ability to facilitate the carving of both wood and ice. They have silky, silver fur that is mottled with white spots, and patterns of black stripes along their sides. Their tails are black and paddle-like, serving as a defensive weapon. While they do possess standard tail language, smacking their tails against the ground is viewed as aggressive body language by the Federation. The Jaur Principality is renowned for their architectural endeavors, with even modern buildings using compacted snow due to the unchanging cold on their planet; their world is considered to be one of the furthest on the outskirts of a theoretical habitable zone. Due to their engineering resourcefulness and resistance to extreme winters, the Jaur are able to scout potential colonies that other species would not be able to use. However, hotter temperatures on alien worlds can be life-threatening to a Jaur who lacks an envirosuit. **Letian** - Letians are a marsupial species with limited aerial capabilities, without the full ability to fly. A flap of skin connects their front and hind legs, and this membrane can keep them aloft when jumping from crag to crag. Due to their rare crepuscular (preferring to be active during twilight hours) tendencies, they typically have dark colorations. Their compact faces often have a tiny nose and large eyes, along with rodent-like ears. Their silent gliding makes them somewhat creepy to other species, as they can silently glide down on an unsuspecting prey animal, much like a predator. Their habit of looking at people with both eyes feeds that unwanted reputation, due to their inclination to judge distances in this manner. Their alpine homeworld has the highest amount of mountain ranges of any inhabited planet in the Federation, resulting in oddly-curved buildings that hug mountainsides for stability and semi-vertical cities which fit their gliding abilities. The Letian caste system divides people by elevation, which means the most esteemed individuals inhabit the highest buildings. Their world is not very welcoming to alien refugees due to the daunting heights, and designs which are tailored to the unique gliding capabilities. Rumors abound among prey species that all Letians have some degree of predator disease, which leads it to be frequented only by a skeleton crew of diplomats. **Verin and Onkari** - The Verin share a unique bond with Onkari, due to the fact that their homeworlds are both moons orbiting the same planet. The Onkari birthplace is dominated by a global rainforest, which is in stark contrast to the arid savannah-like conditions of the Verin''s moon. Both races developed stargazing tools much earlier than the average sophonts, and were able to see each others'' worlds. The two planets pass close to each other frequently, which led both species to christen the other''s moon as "paradise" in their respective religions. The Verin are most well-known as optical specialists, crafting the vast complex telescope arrays and lenses to bolster the Federation''s mission to seek out new new life. They have a beetle-like appearance, sporting an iridescent violet carapace, and similar to the Tilfish, they have six limbs, four of which are used for locomotion. They''ve attempted to use their antennae to replicate tail language, with some success, since joining the Federation. The Onkari, meanwhile, specialized in communications technology, and were responsible for opening diplomatic contact with the Verin in their industrial era. Upon first contact, however, their networks were upgraded with alien technology, and this field lost traction. They are a primarily quadrupedal race, switching to a bipedal stance when necessary to handle tasks or objects. Due to their rainforest origins, the Onkari are arboreal creatures, with their bark-colored striped fur making them virtually invisible in tree canopies. Their main contribution to the galactic community is in the chemistry realm of energetics, where they are responsible for developing most of the demolition charges the Federation employs. **Angren** - With a homeworld that¡¯s on the habitable zone cusp of being too hot to sustain complex life, Angren society rose up against the odds. The planet¡¯s unusually slow rotation rate means that the Angren lack a fixed circadian rhythm, instead sleeping and waking almost at random. The quadrupeds¡¯ unusual temperament could be linked to the harsh conditions on their world. Angren males have a reputation for rowdy, unsociable behavior, with a disproportionately high number of predator disease diagnoses. While the more level-headed females are employed in the overwhelming majority of governmental and civilian jobs, many Angren males find violent work or leave their homeworld in search of opportunity. Most either find themselves enlisting in the military or enrolling in exterminator guilds, sometimes far away from the Angren Matriarchy¡¯s rule. Smaller than even the Zurulians, the Angren have olive fur and orange-red eyes, and sport a prominent pair of horns. Their unique ability to throw their voice, which historians believe was used to distract and confuse their predators, has earned some lucky few a prominent place in the Federation''s entertainment industry. With the ability to emulate multiple voices from a single voice box, obsolete Angren theatre was said to be a unique artform. **Tierkel** - The Tierkel are burrowing mammals that thrive in rocky, arid climates. Despite their desert preferences, their dull-colored fur is rather thick. They require sun basking for thermoregulation, and at night will often sleep by huddling if they don¡¯t have heated blankets available. The Tierkel have very shrill, loud voices in order to warn each other of predators, especially with their long spells of dormancy. Similar to Gojids, their stubby tails limit them in terms of tail languages, but they invented tapping patterns with their hardened claws. Their cub-like ears and thickset bodies make them slightly larger quadrupeds than the Zurulians. The Tierkel Rockclan aren¡¯t as well adapted as most species, so they never dominated their homeworld, and their biosphere was considered especially dangerous by the Federation. The Tierkel are useful links for trading empires like the Nevoks and Fissans for their control over various ores and resources found in their native environment, but rarely stray from their homeworld due to being naturally drawn to heat and warmth. **Yulpa** - The Yulpa are mammals that evolved in rainforest biomes, with prehensile tongues that can rip apart leaves from the undergrowth. They have large ears that stand upright. The single-colored pattern of their fur switches jarringly into odd-striped legs, which lead down to hooves. They are ones of the faster runners in the Federation, and also one of the more solitary creatures. The Yulpa Ascendancy have some of the most brutal exterminator practices in the Federation, as sacred cities lead regular sacrifices of predators to the Spirit of Life. If any creature needs to be captured for study, the Yulpa are the go-to experts in the field; often, various planets and governments will use them if they wish to document or study surviving predators. **Leshee** - The Leshees are an amphibious species who are often looked down upon as contaminated due to their need for water absorption through their skin. Most Federation species rule them unfit for military service due to their water intake needs. The Leshees also are fully aquatic in their tadpole stage, until they¡¯re fully grown and able to move to land. The younglings are often kept in pools or containment tanks. Similar to the Tilfish, the Leshee can lay a staggering number of eggs at once; however, limited food and sensitive temperature requisites lead very few to survive. Parents don¡¯t interact with their young much until they reach maturity. Their appearance can be a range of colors and patterns, but almost all Leshees have bulbous, colorful eyes like the Kolshians. Their splayed toes are very flexible. There are rumors that brightly colored Leshees, a mutated genome that¡¯s seen in one specific region, used to be able to spit poison, though the main consensus is that that¡¯s an exaggerated tale derived from feelings of powerlessness against predators. The Leshee Junta have some of the strictest laws in the Federation, with the leading party punishing predator disease and anti-herd mentality severely. They claim they have to be harsh to survive, since they are not well-liked on most Federation worlds. FAQs How do the Federation''s translators work? Why do the aliens use human expressions? The Federation''s translators use a form of machine learning. They can analyze data from various mediums, though a species'' broadcasts and recordings are the easiest. Citizens of various space-faring societies have translators implanted at a young age (shortly after speaking their first words). The translators opt for semantic rather than literal translation. When a human expression, that obviously does not exist within a prey society, is uttered, it''s a safe assumption that their idiom was quite different. What happened to the Federation''s predators on their homeworlds? How were they studied or observed? Any species that predated the sentients was exterminated, for obvious reasons. Their natural predators could not be allowed to survive; anything that "looked dangerous" was wiped out as well. Smaller predators, or predators that thrive in different biomes (for example, aquatic predators) have a continued existence in their ecosystem. Predators (even lesser predators) were never the subject of much study, as they were seen to have little complexity or value. The scientific consensus was that every predatory action served the purpose of killing. Have humans colonized the solar system? 22nd century humans possess fledging lunar and Martian colonies, but haven¡¯t gotten beyond that yet. There are a few research outposts past the asteroid belt, on large or notable moons. With the novel discovery of FTL, various proposals have been outlined for extrasolar colonies. There are many habitable worlds out in the cosmos, but that will take more time than a few months. Can I write a fanfiction of your story? Absolutely, anyone is allowed to write NoP fanfiction. My one request is that the original universe is credited. You can find lots of great fanfictions of NoP down below! Chapter 11 Memory transcription subject: Slanek, Venlil Space Corps Date [standardized human time]: August 30, 2136 The glow of artificial lighting was the first thing that met my eyes. I stared at the unfamiliar surroundings in confusion, trying to recall where I was. This doesn¡¯t seem right. How did I get here? Someone had cocooned me in a blanket, which insulated me from the drafty room. There was light pressure by my ears, perhaps from some sort of bandage. Pain pulsed in my temple, dulled by a painkiller. Snippets of shapes lingered in my memory, but there was nothing concrete. I think I had been drifting in and out of consciousness for days. My brain concluded that this was a hospital, which meant I was recovering from a serious injury. My addled state suggested the damage was concentrated on the head. Gritting my teeth, I tried to think of the last thing I could remember. Two Arxur bombers were chasing my spacecraft, and after that, everything got fuzzy. How was I still alive? It had seemed to be a hopeless scenario. There was a grim certainty that they would catch a small ship, sooner or later. There were vague recollections of being paralyzed in fear, plastered against the seat. The person flying was screaming my name, and had the most visceral look on their predator¡­ I snapped upright. Marcel! Where is Marcel? What happened to him? ¡°Easy. Calm down.¡± A gentle voice came from my right. A Takkan male was seated beside my bed, keeping an eye on my vitals. ¡°You¡¯re safe now. I¡¯m Doctor Zarn. You¡¯re in the medical bay of a Federation warship.¡± ¡°The Federation?¡± My heart rate spiked, which Zarn seemed to notice. ¡°Why are you involved?¡± ¡°Well¡­your craft came into our territory, so we took out the Arxur. It was fortunate that the grays crippled your ship first. If they didn¡¯t, our boarding party wouldn¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°Where is Marcel?¡± I blurted. The rush of panic was best described as gasoline lacing through my insides. It was not safe for him to encounter unprepared aliens alone, when his appearance was so jarring. My mind leapt to the worst-case scenario. Had the Federation killed the human on sight? All I could picture was myself, standing over his corpse. The doctor patted my arm. ¡°He¡¯s not here. Rest easy, he¡¯s not a threat.¡± ¡°He¡¯s alive,¡± I exhaled. ¡°Please, take me to him.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea.¡± ¡°I need to see him. I won¡¯t be able to function if I don¡¯t.¡± I staggered to my feet, but wobbled when I tried to walk. Zarn caught me with a grunt, setting me back on the bed. Sympathy flashed in his amber eyes, as if he sensed my desperation. The doctor retrieved a wheelchair from the storage closet, and eased me into it. ¡°Captain Sovlin is going to kill me, but if that¡¯s really what you need to heal¡­then alright,¡± Zarn grumbled. The Takkan doctor pushed me into a hallway, steering us past maintenance rooms and lounges. My concern intensified as I received pitying stares from the crewmates we passed. It reminded me of the look people had when they learned a species¡¯ homeworld had been destroyed by the Arxur. Had the Federation assumed that humans attacked Venlil Prime? Oh God, how long have I been out? They would at least hear Marcel out, right? They¡¯re rational people, I tried to convince myself. I need to back up his story, before something terrible happens. I have to speak to their captain at once. A pair of automatic doors creaked open, and Zarn rolled me into an observation room. A throng of officers stood by a glass pane, which provided a view to the holding cell. They seemed to be pointing to a spot in the corner. From their whispers, I caught the words ¡°non-responsive¡± and ¡°hungry.¡± My blood turned to ice as I realized what the tan mass in the nook was. Marcel was curled up in a ball, hugging his knees to his chest. The human was shaking from head-to-toe, and looked gaunt enough to hardly be recognizable. His coverings had been removed, leaving his form exposed and barren. His face was buried in the wall, so I could only see the purple bruises lining his spine. A desperate scream poured from my mouth, high-pitched and agonized. I flung myself toward the window, crawling on all fours. The sounds of the doctor trying to pacify me and the bewildered shouts of the captain registered, but I drowned them out. ¡°MARCEL!¡± I shrieked. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Pain laced through my vocal cords from the volume, but I hardly felt it. The human lifted his head, craning his neck toward the glass. The moment his face became visible, I gasped in horror. Clawmarks traced down his right cheek, deep gashes. Marcel hadn¡¯t even bothered to clean off the dried blood, perhaps losing the ability to care. The sockets around his hazel eyes were puffy and bruised; the left one was severe enough to be swollen shut. To add insult to injury, a thick metal band was clasped around his neck, restricting his airway. The human rose on weak legs, but stumbled to the glass. His gaze locked on me, and his lips curved up slightly. The band on his neck crackled with electricity seconds later. With a yelp, the predator collapsed in a heap. One of the officers must have triggered the shock, as a form of punitive control. My heart twisted, watching my friend racked with pain. I snarled toward the Federation posse. ¡°Stop that!¡± The one I believed was Captain Sovlin blinked in confusion. ¡°It¡¯s snarling at you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how humans show happiness. They don¡¯t have tails or moveable ears,¡± I growled. The electric current ceased, to my relief. Marcel languished on the floor, clutching his throat. The skin beneath the collar looked red, as though the human had been zapped repeatedly. I was amazed that he found the strength to answer my call the first time. ¡°Marcel,¡± I repeated. The predator struggled to a kneeling position, and pressed a splayed hand against the glass. The Federation officers backed away, like they thought he could reach through a solid object. Tears welled in my eyes; the poor guy was struggling with such simple motions. I met his gaze, and placed my own paw opposite his palm. ¡°Slanek,¡± Marcel croaked. ¡°I am h-happy¡­you¡¯re okay. I was worried.¡± I pinned my ears against my head with concern. The human¡¯s voice sounded weak and feeble. I could only imagine how much he was hurting, looking at the wounds all over his body. By my estimation, they weren¡¯t feeding him either; the Federation was letting him endure a slow death by starvation. I sniffled, wiping a tear off my face. ¡°I am so sorry, Marc. It was my job to protect you, and I failed. I left you all alone.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cry. P-please. It¡¯s not your fault,¡± the human murmured. Doctor Zarn seemed floored by our exchange, as though he didn¡¯t understand what was happening. A paw grasped at my scruff and dragged me away from the glass. I reared on my assailant, flexing my claws as best as I could. There was no chance I was letting anyone take me away from the human. ¡°What is wrong with you, Slanek?¡± Captain Sovlin set me down in the hallway, deflecting an attempted swing. ¡°You¡¯re crying over a vicious, sadistic predator. A human!¡± ¡°What is wrong with me?¡± The veins in my eyes bulged, as white-hot fury coursed through my blood. ¡°How could you do this to him? Marcel is my friend.¡± ¡°I thought you¡¯d be more grateful, being liberated. A species that enslaves and exploits you are not your friends. I can¡¯t believe I have to say that.¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t enslaved. We¡¯re partners with them, willingly.¡± Sovlin recoiled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what?!¡± ¡°A science vessel made contact with us. After speaking with them, we couldn¡¯t let you chase their trail. We knew this is what you fuckers would do, to an innocent species that came in peace.¡± ¡°I¡­I refuse to believe that. The distress signal¡­their history¡­well, just look at them!¡± he spat, spines bristling. ¡°The Venlil wouldn¡¯t betray the Federation. Not for their kind. Do you have any idea which species you¡¯re dealing with?¡± ¡°We do. Venlil scientists did tests that prove that humans feel empathy. They are kind and gentle. Marcel is kind and gentle.¡± ¡°Kind and gentle? As if. I can think of a quick way to sober you up.¡± The captain¡¯s voice was low with anger. ¡°Marcel hasn¡¯t eaten in days. Let¡¯s see how gentle he really is!¡± Sovlin grabbed me by the scruff again, and marched back into the observation room. He opened the door to the holding cell, flinging me inside with disdain. Zarn shouted at him to stop, once it was obvious what the intention was. The doctor tried to remind him that I had a head injury, not to mention being under the influence of painkillers. The rough officer ignored him, and clicked the door shut behind me. A brief tinge of fear crossed my mind. I knew Marcel didn¡¯t want to eat me, but this might be pushing his instincts. When his options were starving to death or gnawing at my bones, there had to be some temptation. The human glanced at me, surprised at my involuntary entrance. Russet hair sprouted along his jawline, which gave him a rougher look than I was used to. He approached cautiously, and watched me with sad eyes. Seeing that I didn¡¯t back away, he settled down beside me. This was the closest we¡¯d ever been, which made the discoloration around his left eye all the more noticeable. ¡°What happened to your eye?¡± I managed. ¡°S-sovlin was tired of looking at me. Said next time, he¡¯d do it with claws out, and then¡­¡± The human gestured to the gash on his cheek. ¡°It¡¯s everything I do, Slanek. They hate my existence.¡± I reached out with a shaking paw, tracing the wound. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Keep going with the stupid questions, Slanek. Bravo. You¡¯re really making him feel better. Marcel nodded. ¡°Everywhere.¡± The fissure inside my chest widened; the way his voice cracked with that word was heartbreaking. The human lowered his head into his hands, and defeat radiated through his posture. I couldn¡¯t bear to see the sharp, considerate Marcel reduced to this. ¡°I¡¯m going to get you out of here. I promise,¡± I whimpered. ¡°My friend¡­don¡¯t make promises¡­you can¡¯t keep¡­¡± the human coughed. My paws tugged the predator closer to me, before I realized I had done it. Marcel¡¯s eyebrows shot up in surprise, but he didn¡¯t try to pull away. He rested his head on my stomach, and tried to absorb some of my body warmth. I petted his hair with a tentative paw, humming soothingly. His oily mane was softer than I expected it to be, except for the strands that were crusted by dried blood. The human closed his hunter eyes, relaxing into my arms. A more peaceful expression settled onto his face, and I observed him with fondness. Sovlin was right; I saw exactly how gentle Marcel was. With his bruised skull cradled in my lap and his shivering body snuggled up against me, he seemed so frail and innocent. ¡°But I will get you out of here. Because you are my brother. My best friend,¡± I whispered. ¡°And I love you.¡± I thought Marcel didn¡¯t hear me, because there was no reaction or response. It wasn¡¯t until I saw a tear trickle down his cheek that I realized he had. The human reached up with a feeble hand, and brought my paw over his chest. The steady beat of his heart ebbed into my toes, warm and rhythmic. At the glass pane, the Federation officers gawked at the affectionate scene between a predator and its prey. Chapter 12 Memory transcription subject: Slanek, Venlil Space Corps Date [standardized human time]: August 31, 2136 I don¡¯t remember drifting off, but it was incredible that my instincts allowed it. There was no greater state of helplessness than during slumber, between diminished awareness and an inability to react to threats. I wonder if Marcel understood how deep of a display of trust it was, that I could fall asleep in his presence at all. The human had stirred by the time I awoke, and was crouched in the corner watching me. I swished my tail at the predator, and he smiled in return. It was a sinister display, yet bearable to me because of its intention. As terrible as his physical condition was, the teeth-flashing meant he was in better spirits, and that was all that mattered. ¡°That head wound must be bad, if you¡¯re willing to go near me now.¡± The humorous lilt had returned to Marcel¡¯s voice, though it sounded strained. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± I pawed at the bandage. ¡°Better. I think I can walk again.¡± ¡°Oh dear,¡± the human sighed. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you couldn¡¯t move. So that¡¯s why you didn¡¯t run away¡­and I guess I heard what I needed to hear yesterday. I¡¯ve been delirious. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°No. You didn¡¯t mishear a word, and I meant what I said. We¡¯re in this together.¡± The sound of his stomach rumbling overshadowed our conversation moments later. The gurgling persisted for several seconds, loud and insistent. Marcel¡¯s expression morphed to embarrassment, and the hint of an apology danced in his eyes. I think he figured it¡¯d make me uncomfortable, but it only jogged my worry for his health. No animal could survive without sustenance. ¡°Have they fed you at all?¡± I asked. The human shook his head. ¡°No.¡± ¡°What about water? I¡¯m thirsty myself.¡± Marcel pointed to a rusty bucket in the corner, which was about half-full with grayish liquid. The thought of lapping from that filthy container like a wild beast made me nauseous. If more time passed though, there wouldn¡¯t be much choice. I didn¡¯t want to take the only resource the human had, for now. "Alright. We''ve got to get out of here," I said. "You think, and I''ll think. We''ll come up with something." I glanced toward the glass pane, trying to figure out how to persuade the Federation officers. The captain was absent, which was a small point of relief. The ship doctor appeared to be in a heated discussion with a Kolshian male. Maybe our companionship had given them second thoughts about humans? I swiveled my ears toward them, straining to pick up their words. Doctor Zarn raised his eye-ridges in disgust. ¡°¡­more trauma. We should¡¯ve never thrown him in there, Recel.¡± ¡°I know,¡± a silky voice answered. ¡°Captain told me I could spring Slanek once the predator tries something. He just wants to scare some sense into him. Sovlin wouldn¡¯t let it eat a pup, you know.¡± ¡°But what if it pounces on him faster than we can activate the shock collar? I can¡¯t undo a broken neck,¡± Zarn argued. ¡°Slanek needs medical attention, regardless, and I¡¯m not going in there.¡± ¡°And what do I tell the captain?¡± ¡°Make up a story. Slanek is awake now, and the human is separated from him. This could be our only chance. We can get him to move slowly toward the exit, and fry the predator if it tries anything.¡± I glowered at the observation panel. ¡°Fuck you! I¡¯m not going anywhere without Marcel.¡± The human squinted in confusion. With his lousy ears, there was no way he could hear their hushed words. The two Federation officers shared a glance, before fixing me with patronizing looks. ¡°Slanek, you¡¯re not thinking straight,¡± Recel hissed. ¡°If what you say is true, the Venlil have fallen for a dreadful ruse. These humans just want you to give up our secrets. They¡¯ll discard you as soon as they¡¯ve drained you dry. They are not your friends.¡± ¡°That¡¯s rich, coming from the crew that tossed me in a cage, intending for me to be attacked by a predator.¡± Recel sighed. ¡°That was Sovlin¡¯s doing. He didn¡¯t consult us.¡± ¡°Listen to me, Slanek. That thing is twisting your compassion against you,¡± Zarn pleaded. ¡°The Arxur allowed us to uplift them, and only then did they attack. I¡¯m sure your, um, Marcel mimics very well, but it¡¯s not real. These humans are just playing along to their benefit.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t think any Venlil considered that? The tests we did literally analyzed human brain activity.¡± Recel blinked in confusion. ¡°What tests?¡± ¡°Sovlin didn¡¯t tell you?¡± I gasped. ¡°Our experiments recorded how humans respond to violence, and guess what? Their brains lit up with pain. You can¡¯t fake empathy on a biochemical level.¡± The two aliens were quiet, as the weight of my revelation sunk in. I recalled my own skepticism when I first learned of the humans¡¯ benevolence. There would always be a little voice in my head, suggesting that they wanted to hunt me. Our entire evolution hinged on avoiding predators; recognizing them as threats on sight. It wasn¡¯t something we could unlearn. ¡°You¡¯re either misinterpreting the results, or the humans altered them.¡± The doctor waved a paw dismissively, and eyed Marcel with undisguised loathing. ¡°I can¡¯t listen to this, Slanek. Not from one of our own. Perhaps by the time I get back, the first officer will have snapped some sense into you.¡± This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. As his counterpart stormed out in a rage, Recel inspected the human¡¯s behavior with curious eyes. The grizzled veteran seemed to be the only one listening to a word I said. My disclosure seemed to affect him, since he began pacing back and forth. It violated every facet of our moral code, to treat a feeling person with such cruelty. Now was my best chance to persuade him into making Marcel¡¯s situation more livable. ¡°Marcel needs to eat,¡± I said, trying to keep my tone calm. ¡°He will starve if he doesn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Why should I care?¡± the officer growled. ¡°I have no idea how long humans can live without food, but it¡¯s not forever. What use is he to you dead? Also, it¡¯s torture to me to watch him starve. If you won¡¯t do it for his sake, do it for mine.¡± Recel waved a grasper in frustration. ¡°Do you really expect me to carve up an animal, and serve its flesh on a platter? Or are you saying you¡¯d be the one to slaughter it for this¡­ predator?¡± ¡°Humans can eat plants. In fact, Marcel only consumes vegetation. Please, if you have any decency, I beg you. Give us something. Anything.¡± There was a hint of pity in his gaze, as he scanned Marcel¡¯s visible ribs. I could tell he didn¡¯t like seeing any creature suffer, no matter what it was. Recel fished the half-eaten remains of a purple fruit out of the waste bin, wrinkling his nose. ¡°I¡­I¡¯m going to put this right at the door. If it so much as takes a step toward me,¡± the second-in-command waved the collar¡¯s trigger. ¡°This is all I can manage. Sovlin will notice if I take seconds from the rations.¡± The door slid open with a loud creak. Recel tossed the fruit inside like it burned to the touch. I scooped it off the floor, trying to push down my revulsion at the bitemarks on its side. In his current state, I think Marcel would eat it even if it was covered in literal shit. The human snatched the fruit from my paw without a second thought. He tore into it, wolfing it down in ravenous gulps; it was all he could do not to swallow it whole. He slumped back against the wall, quivering, and then proceeded to suck the juice off his grimy fingers. It wasn¡¯t anywhere close to enough to satiate the human¡¯s appetite, or to provide adequate nutrition. But Recel was the only one to offer him so much as a morsel, so I wasn¡¯t going to complain. Hopefully, it was enough to take the edge off of Marcel¡¯s hunger; to ease a bit of the desperation. ¡°Thank you so much,¡± I told the first officer. ¡°It means the world to me.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Marcel rumbled. ¡°Thank you, Recel. I am appreciative.¡± Recel met the predator¡¯s eyes, shuddering from behind the safety of the glass. My guess was that the captain gave orders not to let the human speak. However, I suspected the first officer was curious to see what the prisoner would say, and just how lucid one of his kind could be. A cuddly, furless fruit-eater didn¡¯t seem at all like the bloodthirsty predators the Federation said they were. ¡°Why would you want to fight the Arxur, human?¡± the officer asked suddenly. ¡°Is it to claim the galaxy as your own catch? To rid yourself of the competition?¡± ¡°The grays kill children. They eat sentients. Is that not enough reason to fight them?¡± Marcel rubbed the chafed skin under his collar, wincing. ¡°Humans are lonely. We wanted to be your friends, but you all think we¡¯re monsters.¡± Recel sighed. ¡°And what do you do to your¡­friends?¡± ¡°We protect them. We stand by them unconditionally. Just as we are loyal to the Venlil now.¡± ¡°How can you prove that you aren¡¯t using them as your playthings? You¡¯re telling me your instincts aren¡¯t tempted at all, having a vulnerable creature like Slanek, at your mercy?¡± ¡°God no. Humans dote on animals much less cute than him, you know. Look at that adorable face! All I can think about is his safety.¡± ¡°Prove it to¡ª¡± Captain Sovlin burst into the observation room, staring daggers at his first officer. The root of his exasperation must be walking in on his subordinate, conversing with the predator. Zarn was tailing close behind, no doubt having informed the boss about my troubling statements. The doctor had a smug look on his face. ¡°You¡¯re under its spell too?¡± the brutish Gojid spat. ¡°Clearly, it¡¯s dangerous to let it start talking, if it can entrance you so easily. Anyone alone might succumb to its charm.¡± The captain leaned toward Recel, and the Kolshian flinched away from his threatening scowl. Sovlin nabbed the collar¡¯s trigger out of the officer¡¯s tentacle. He looked at me, noting how I backed toward Marcel, and shook his head. His spines stood on edge, fully extended. It made him appear much larger than his true size. ¡°Get Slanek out of here, Doctor,¡± the leader spat. ¡°I¡¯ll sign off on the psychological treatments you recommended, and we¡¯ll cure him of this delusion.¡± ¡°No!! You can¡¯t take me away,¡± I snarled. Sovlin sidled up to the cell door, and waved for me to come to him. The idea of being placed under Federation ¡°treatments¡± terrified me. What if they convinced me that Marcel was evil, or erased my memories of him? A pitiful whine vibrated in my throat, and I skittered away with my tail between my legs. The human moved forward to protect me, placing his bony form between me and the captain. How could he be worrying about me still, after all he¡¯d been through? ¡°I mean it. I won¡¯t come with you. Not willingly!¡± My voice shook with fear, but I managed to squeak out the words. ¡°Why would I ever want to come with a monster like you?¡± ¡°Would you rather watch us dissect your human?¡± A crazed light flashed into Sovlin''s eyes. It was the look of a man who was at the end of his rope. ¡°I think it¡¯s time we open it up. See what makes it tick.¡± Terror radiated through my blood at the captain¡¯s chilling threat. Marcel faltered in his protective stance, as he processed what was said too. The Gojid looked him right in the eyes, then jabbed a slender claw on the collar remote. The predator was down in an instant, too weakened to maintain his footing. Sovlin advanced on his prisoner, and I tried to get in the way. He merely shoved me to the floor with a disgusted grunt. Zarn took that as his cue to rush inside the cell, and scoop me up in his sturdy arms. Panic filled my psyche, as though it were my own life in the balance. My self-preservation instincts kicked into overdrive, filling me with a burning urge to escape. I tried to writhe out of the doctor¡¯s grasp, to no avail. My friend''s eyes narrowed as he noticed I was gone. He struggled against the pain, propping himself onto his elbows. Sovlin¡¯s face contorted with hatred, and he dealt a kick to the convulsing Marcel¡¯s head. There was a sickening crack, which I recognized as the sound of bone breaking. Blood gushed from his misshapen nose like a fountain, and the human howled in agony. It was a primal cry that made my heart burn in my chest. The captain was unrelenting in the shock¡¯s administration, electrocuting the predator nonstop. The human¡¯s complexion was turning bright red, and he struggled to breathe. His veins bulged against his pallid skin, and his teeth chattered in his jaw. He rolled onto his back, unable to muster any more fight. The Gojid lowered a hindleg, right on the spot on Marcel¡¯s ribs with the most bruising. The predator¡¯s scream seemed to satisfy the captain. ¡°It¡¯s time to end this.¡± Sovlin drew his sidearm and flicked off the safety. ¡°I should¡¯ve done this at the start, instead of wasting our oxygen prolonging its wretched life.¡± Recel gaped in horror, inching out from the observation room. ¡°Sir, we need to keep it alive. At least until we know more.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing more I need to know. I want it off my ship!¡± the captain roared. The first officer closed his eyes, but didn¡¯t act to intervene. The voltage ceased as the Gojid turned his attention to his weapon. Sovlin towered over Marcel, pressing the barrel to the human¡¯s temple. Those hazel eyes I had come to adore stared up helplessly, glassed over from pain. There was nothing I could do as my predator friend faced his execution. Chapter 13 Memory transcription subject: Slanek, Venlil Space Corps Date [standardized human time]: August 31, 2136 The thought of a world without my human was too much to bear. After all we¡¯d been through, he felt like a long-lost brother rather than an alien predator. I would never hear his voice, message him in a chatroom, or fly a spaceship with him again. His life was about to end in a haze of misery, because I was too weak to stop it. Why had I promised Marcel I would free him from this hell? It was cruel to give him a false sense of hope. If I had said the right words¡­if I had woken up sooner, maybe this wouldn¡¯t have happened. What kind of friend am I? A failure. I thought I had more time to talk the Federation down, since they refrained from killing him this far. There was no reason for the captain to rush to an irreversible decision¡­though he didn¡¯t seem in a particular hurry now. Sovlin was savoring the anguish on Marcel¡¯s face, and seemed to be daring him to fight back. He tapped the gun against the predator¡¯s crooked nose, which elicited a cracking sound. He swiftly returned the barrel to the human¡¯s temple, and flashed his teeth. The lack of a reaction disappointed him; Marcel was too out of it to process any more sensation. The captain sighed, and resolved himself to finish the job. I wanted to make some sort of last-ditch effort, but Zarn had me ensnared in his suffocating grip. The doctor chuckled as he realized the human was about to be terminated. It was that callous glee that spurred me to action. ¡°NO!¡± I screamed. ¡°Leave¡­him¡­alone!¡± I bit Zarn¡¯s arm with force, then thrashed about with my tiny claws. The weighty Takkan restrained me with ease, dragging me further out of the cell. My teeth hadn¡¯t even pierced his thick hide; the efforts wore down my strength more than anything else. The doctor clamped a paw around my mouth, suppressing any other attempts to call out. I reached out for Marcel desperately. The human made eye contact with me, and tears rolled down his mangled face. Despite the overwhelming pain, he tried to put on a brave smile. The predator was thinking about my feelings, even in his final moments. Sovlin¡¯s claw drifted toward the trigger, and I averted my eyes. I didn¡¯t want to see Marcel¡¯s brains come out the other side of his head. His beautiful snarl should be the last thing in my memory. That was how I wanted to remember him. ¡°Lower your weapon, Sovlin, or I¡¯ll put you down with that thing.¡± Recel¡¯s quavering voice broke the silence, rather than a gunshot. ¡°I can¡¯t watch this anymore. You are behaving just like the Arxur.¡± My eyes blinked open to find the first officer, pointing his sidearm at the captain. Several emotions rushed across Sovlin¡¯s face. Most seemed to be a shade of outrage or shock. The Gojid was relishing his assault of the predator, and didn¡¯t appreciate having the finale cut off. ¡°Recel, there is no intelligence we need from it. Slanek can tell us everything.¡± Zarn tightened his hold around me, imploring the first officer to stand down. ¡°Its life has no value. It is nothing but a danger to the crew, in the case that it gets loose.¡± ¡°It is sapient. That must have some value. No matter how little. Why have you both forgotten that?¡± The captain¡¯s lips curled back, revealing his curved molars. ¡°Because they took everything from me. Everything! And now, this monster has the nerve to corrupt my crew. Let me tell you, it is done taking from us. This ends now!¡± ¡°But it has done nothing wrong. Look at it; it¡¯s helpless,¡± Recel hissed. ¡°You¡¯ve beaten it half to death.¡± ¡°So you think this human is sweet too?¡± Sovlin sneered. ¡°It thirsts for blood just like the Arxur do. It is a violent creature at its core, its rotten core. Marcel savors the hunt. If it was honest, it would admit it!¡± The only time Marcel ever showed any violent impulses, was after he watched the Arxur torture Venlil children, I thought. The captain isn¡¯t wrong about human bloodlust, but they have reasons to kill. It¡¯s not anger borne from a place of cruelty. The first officer swallowed nervously. ¡°Are aggression and compassion mutually exclusive? We don¡¯t know. There could be more to the story. If there¡¯s a chance it wanted peace and we kill it, what does that make us?¡± ¡°It makes us heroes. I think you¡¯re a damned fool, if you give it the chance to do the exact same thing the Arxur did. Now you¡¯re going to let me protect us, and we¡¯re going to put this incident behind us.¡± ¡°How can you be sure you¡¯re right?¡± ¡°The Federation wouldn¡¯t have voted to destroy Earth the first time if they weren¡¯t sure, Recel. I trust in the judgment of several hundred species, as should you.¡± ¡°Earth?¡± Marcel groaned. ¡°I never t-told you¡­¡± The captain¡¯s paw twitched around his gun. A shot rang out moments later, and my fur stood on end. Blood spurted through a wound in Sovlin¡¯s thigh, and the crippled leg buckled beneath him. It wasn¡¯t the Gojid who got off the first shot, to my exuberant relief. Recel tackled the spiky male away from the human. The first officer disarmed his superior, and cast a blank stare at the prisoner. The proximity to Marcel seemed to bother him, though he tried to keep his wits. I was amazed that the Kolshian veteran had intervened. The talk of human neural activity must have instilled some qualms in his mind. The first officer aimed his gun toward the doctor. If he turned to the tertiary threat, he must be satisfied that Sovlin was restrained and Marcel was incapable of lunging at him. I yelped as I felt a sudden tug around my waist. Zarn was propping me up as a shield, and trying to load a syringe. ¡°Let the Venlil go, Zarn,¡± Recel spat. ¡°You don¡¯t want to hurt him.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt Slanek. But I need to fix him! He¡¯s ill.¡± ¡°Release him, now.¡± The doctor pressed a needle to my throat, ignoring my whimper. ¡°Or what?¡± ¡°Or I remove the human¡¯s collar and we find out.¡± The predator was in no condition to move; it was obvious to me that he was on the brink of losing consciousness. I think Recel knew the threat was empty, but it worked like a charm on the doctor. Zarn¡¯s grip slackened, and I slithered out of his arms in a flash. My sprint to Marcel¡¯s side was a blur of elated bliss. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. The human yelped as I dove atop his chest, forgetting about the inflamed bruises. He pushed me off of him, with care not to hurt me. Gritting his teeth, he tried to sit up, but didn¡¯t get farther than raising his head. My stomach flipped at the sight of his nose, twisted to the side, with the skin turning a deep purple already. ¡°Did you tell them?¡± Marcel croaked. I tilted my head. ¡°Tell them what?¡± ¡°About¡­Earth. T-they¡­they¡¯re¡­going to¡­¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s a long story, but we¡¯ve got to warn your people.¡± While my eyes were averted, Recel placed a makeshift gag around Sovlin¡¯s mouth. The captain was squirming, his voice muffled to grunts. The first officer had resorted to pacing back and forth, palming his head in frustration. I assumed he was at a loss for what to do with Marcel. Intervening to spare the human¡¯s life was simpler than releasing him. At the end of the day, Recel was a frightened Kolshian with a gun. He was the primary obstacle in our path to getting Marcel home. I contemplated an angle of persuasion, since my odds of fighting him unarmed seemed paltry. If the human dies, why did he shoot his own captain? I thought. Surely he realizes he¡¯s too far in to back out now. He wouldn¡¯t want his treason to be for naught. ¡°Recel, we¡¯ve got to get Marcel out of here. He needs a doctor,¡± I pleaded. ¡°I know. And Zarn would poison the thing as soon as treat it,¡± Recel sighed. ¡°If there¡¯s billions of these predators out there, I suppose letting this one go isn¡¯t going to make a difference. Even if...ugh, never mind.¡± I better not give him time to change his mind. He really sounds like he¡¯s having second thoughts. I flicked my ears toward Marcel. ¡°How are we going to move him?¡± The first officer surveyed the vicinity. His eyes landed on the wheelchair Zarn used for me yesterday. I sensed his hesitancy to retrieve it from the observation room, with Sovlin still grumbling curses and Marcel trying to sit up. The Kolshian tapped me on the shoulder, and pressed the gun into my paws. ¡°If Sovlin or the predator try anything, shoot them,¡± Recel growled. ¡°I¡¯ll be gone a few seconds.¡± The officer sprinted over to the wheelchair¡¯s resting spot like a predator was chasing him¡­which I guess he felt like it was. He rolled it back to our location, and almost fell over when Marcel glanced at him. I considered pointing the gun at Recel, since I didn¡¯t trust him to treat the human like a person. The Kolshian was a bystander to Sovlin¡¯s torture, after all. Even now, he kept referring to Marcel as ¡°it¡± or ¡°the predator.¡± The sole reason I decided against backstabbing him was that I needed help. Recel had saved Marcel¡¯s life, and wasn¡¯t actively trying to hurt him. I didn¡¯t know my way around the ship, so getting out of here was impossible without him. Not to mention that the veteran was stronger, well-adapted to stress, and more adept at combat. The first officer seemed oblivious to my deliberation, as he stepped away from the wheelchair. He reclaimed his firearm, brandishing it with shaking graspers. I was by far the least threatening entity in the room, to his brain. ¡°Move the human into the chair, Slanek,¡± Recel grumbled. ¡°I can¡¯t. I¡¯m too weak. You have to do it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to touch it!¡± ¡°Grow up. He won¡¯t bite.¡± Recel huffed, but slowly knelt by Marcel. He reached out with a grasper, and hissed in disgust as it touched sweat-soaked skin. His breathing devolved to sporadic gasps, as the fear chemicals became unbearable. When he lifted the predator, I worried his grip might falter. The human shouldn¡¯t be dropped, especially in his current condition. With eyes the size of moons, Recel deposited my friend into the chair. Marcel yelped from the rough landing. My lip curled up without thinking, an instinctive warning not to hurt the predator. ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look, Slanek! I¡¯m trying my best,¡± the first officer spat. ¡°I don¡¯t see you doing anything helpful.¡± ¡°I want to help. I¡¯d do anything, really¡ª¡± ¡°Gah, I¡¯m sorry. That was harsh. I apologize.¡± Recel took a deep breath, and positioned himself behind the predator. ¡°This is overwhelming for me, okay? Shit¡­let¡¯s just get moving.¡± Marcel was wheeled out of the cell by the trembling Kolshian, past the watching Zarn. I made eye contact with the doctor during my own exit. A Federation officer, carting a wounded predator away, with a mesmerized Venlil in tow; suffice to say, it wasn¡¯t his desired outcome. The Takkan seemed to be having an aneurysm at the sight of our posse. ¡°You¡¯re making a big mistake. Humans are sociopaths. Murderers!¡± Zarn screeched. Recel pointed at the doctor. ¡°You get in that cell and treat Sovlin. I¡¯d prefer if he doesn¡¯t bleed out.¡± The medic bared his teeth at us. He slunk inside with reluctance, and began tending to the captain¡¯s injury with his kit. Recel pressed a button outside the cell, and the door slid shut. Several clicks indicated that it locked behind us. Clearly, the first officer didn¡¯t want his devious shipmates pursuing us, or tipping us off to the crew. Realization flashed in the doctor¡¯s eyes, and he slammed a paw on the wall in frustration. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I do that to you all?¡± Zarn wailed. Recel snorted, waving a shiny object. ¡°Because I have the key.¡± The hint of a smirk played at Marcel¡¯s face, which showed he was still conscious. I was pleased to see him responsive, though I hoped he didn¡¯t start laughing. The last thing we needed was the first officer thinking the human was growling. It was going to be difficult to get a battered predator out unnoticed as things were. ¡°Recel¡­aren¡¯t the crew going to wonder why the predator got loose?¡± I asked. ¡°Won¡¯t they freak out?¡± The first officer thought for a moment. He yanked the fire alarm, then pressed a button on his holopad to trigger an evacuation order. An automated message relayed the command to abandon ship, while the overhead sprinklers doused us in cold water. This guy is smart, I¡¯ll give him that. I thought. Maybe he will be useful. Nobody would question an officer moving a high-value prisoner under emergency procedures. In his current state, Marcel appeared sedated, so that might limit panic too. Giddiness abounded in my mind at the thought of freedom. Returning home with my best friend might have been a trip to paradise, as far as I was concerned. It felt like we had been given a new lease on life. With uncertain steps, Recel guided us into the shuttle bay. Several ear-piercing screams were our greeting, once the crewmates detected the half-conscious predator. The way they pointed at Marcel made me seethe. The people nearest to the entrance tripped over themselves in their haste to get away. The first officer ignored them, pushing Marcel toward an unoccupied shuttle. He carried the human with less overt fright this time. His delicacy as he placed the predator in the back seat surprised me. The fact that he noticed his prior mistake, through the haze of terror, showed a great deal of empathy. Recel clicked the harness over Marcel¡¯s withered chest, which was forcing out shallow breaths. The Kolshian felt the human¡¯s pulse; the concern in his eyes reignited my own worries. The heartbeat must have been rapid or erratic. The first officer found a blanket under the seat, and draped it over the predator¡¯s barren form. It was undeniably a kind gesture. Recel seemed to care; whether he would admit it was another question. As reluctant as I was to forgive the officer for his role in Marcel¡¯s abduction, I was worried about what would happen to him next. We couldn¡¯t leave the man who saved us behind to hang for treason. ¡°Come with us.¡± I jumped into the pilot seat, firing up the launch sequence. ¡°You can¡¯t stay here, Recel. They¡¯ll have you hanged.¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather face whatever the Federation has in store for me than live surrounded by humans.¡± The first officer took a last look at Marcel, blinking rapidly. ¡°But I wish you both well. For the sake of us all, I pray you¡¯re right about this.¡± ¡°Please¡­you don¡¯t have to see the humans. I¡¯m sure the Venlil will take care of you, and we can put you somewhere far away from them.¡± For Marcel¡¯s sake, we have to dock at the outpost¡­assuming it¡¯s still there, I thought. I¡¯m not sure how the humans would react to Recel¡¯s presence, but we can cross that bridge when we get to it. ¡°But that¡¯s not the point. I deserve to hang, Slanek!¡± The officer¡¯s composure crumbled, and he buried his face in his tentacles. ¡°I don¡¯t know what came over me back there. I¡¯m a traitor.¡± ¡°You stopped a murder. And now, this is our only chance to stop a genocide. If Earth is attacked, there will be no chance of peace. Not now, maybe not ever. The fate of the Federation hinges on what we do. Are you really going to sit that out?¡± Recel stepped off the craft, a torn look on his face. He stood motionless and pondered my words. No wise veteran wanted another predatory enemy. That would ensure that the Federation lost the war. With a reluctant sigh, the first officer clambered back onto the ship. He squeezed into the back seat beside Marcel, leaning away from him. Regret was already etched on the Kolshian¡¯s gelatinous features. I suspected this would be a long ride for our Federation savior. Chapter 14 Memory transcription subject: Governor Tarva of the Venlil Republic Date [standardized human time]: September 1, 2136 My visit to the research outpost was intended to last half a day. At my request, Cheln, my diplomatic advisor, had crafted a speech to show our solidarity with the UN. The whole afternoon was a joint ceremony in remembrance of the humans who sacrificed their lives in our defense. At the end of it, I would send off the predators who partook in our first civilian encounter. The volunteers of ¡°Doctors Without Borders¡± and ¡°The Red Cross¡± would board the initial outbound ship, with their Venlil partners in tow. It was time for humans to receive a proper integration into our society, and that meant moving planetside. That was a less concerning prospect than it would¡¯ve been before our experiments. There were zero reports of human-on-Venlil violence during the past 10 days. Most of the complaints against the Terrans involved the predators trying to stroke our curly fur, which I found bewildering. That wasn¡¯t behavior I saw them exhibit with each other, so it couldn¡¯t be written off as a social custom. Perhaps a display of possessiveness? But overall, the trial of our species living together was a pleasant success; more so than any scientists predicted. The predators had an uncanny ability to bond with anything, and that allowed them to forge close connections within days. My mind defaulted to thinking of Noah and Sara as part of my in-group, at this point. I never could¡¯ve imagined, when this all started, that I would look forward to seeing them as I did now. ¡°So they¡¯re alive. Do you think they¡¯ll have good news?¡± Sara asked. The ceremony had come to an abrupt halt, when General Kam informed the UN delegation of a pressing development. A Federation shuttle barged into Venlil territory, and raised a series of alarms. Its pilot claimed to be the missing patrolman Slanek. He kept repeating that his human companion needed medical attention, in a hysterical voice. I would¡¯ve kept it on the down low until we knew more, but Secretary-General Meier wanted everyone aware of the situation. He believed that if the change of plans wasn¡¯t explained, rumors would spread that the Arxur were attacking. The UN leader¡¯s presence was unexpected. We had never met in person, or spoken beyond video messages. But it seemed when Ambassador Noah told him of my plans, he wished to attend the memorial firsthand. Many humans flocked to the docking port as the news dispersed; everyone on the station was eager to welcome the arrivals. The crowd numbered several hundred, once Venlil were added to the count. Terran paramedics were on stand-by, and the media were swarming to report any developments. I knew why the predators wanted to see the state of the captives. They were trying to decide if the Federation was an enemy. In the wake of my shocking admission, they wanted to know if co-existence was even possible. This was a good sign, if the Federation military were civilized enough to hear a predator out, and set it free. ¡°I¡¯m hopeful, guys.¡± I swished my tail reassuringly. ¡°If the Federation let your ¡®Marcel¡¯ fellow go, maybe I was wrong. Maybe they can see you for the sensitive and wonderful species you really are.¡± ¡°I greenlit the plan for a pre-emptive strike days ago.¡± Meier¡¯s voice was slow and gravelly, flowing with a practiced cadence. ¡°The generals suggested that we needed to hit the key Gojid launchpoints. I have no way of recalling our bombers, even if I want to.¡± ¡°Damn it all!¡± Noah cursed. ¡°I knew we were too hasty. The Federation will see this as an unprovoked attack. We¡¯re going to ruin all chances of peace.¡± I patted the Ambassador on the shoulder, hoping to quell his emotions. His brown eyes softened, and he gave me an appreciative nod. There was no sense in lamenting what was already set in stone. All we could do now was address the consequences together. Proximity alarms shrieked, as our sensors detected an unknown vessel within bombing range. The UN generals switched them off, then granted permission for the inbound ship to dock. A few Terran soldiers lingered near their officers with assault rifles, in case of a trap. Their paranoia and suspicion had soared to new heights, since they learned the galaxy wanted to kill them. I didn¡¯t have the heart to tell them that such deception was a predator¡¯s tactic. Playing at empathy would never be the Federation¡¯s modus operandi. The exterior airlock creaked open, and a Federation shuttle descended from the inky backdrop. It followed the station¡¯s landing beacon to glide through the opening, and mounted its footings into the docking port with surgical precision. The craft wasn¡¯t big enough to fit more than four individuals, and that was if they stacked on top of each other. The soldiers relaxed, satisfied that an ambush force was ruled out. It only took a few seconds for the port to repressurize, but I could sense the humans¡¯ restlessness. Anxious murmurs cycled through the crowd. Waiting, on the cusp of certainty, fueled the darker side of their imagination. The partition between the reception area and the dock receded, once the sensors determined it was safe. A silver-gray Venlil poked his head from the spacecraft, which drew a few cheers from our people. A bandage wound its way around his ears, tying down the lone black tuft of hair on his forehead. The wrappings were soaked through with rich, orange fluid. That fresh bleeding suggested he needed medical attention himself. The human paramedics exchanged looks, as there was no sign of their man. They shouldered their way past the Venlil. I could only see their backs, but they seemed to stiffen as they laid eyes on the interior. What had they seen that we had not? How severe were the human¡¯s injuries? The predators toted a stretcher inside, and summoned a gurney to wait by the ship. Loud calls thundered above the chatter to clear a path. That meant Marcel was alive, but I had to wonder why he couldn¡¯t walk out under his own power. It also raised the question of how he incurred such a condition in the first place. Stolen story; please report. Sara pressed a hand to her mouth. ¡°My God. What have they done?¡± ¡°I¡­I am more grateful to you than ever, Tarva,¡± Noah breathed, shaken to the core. ¡°I should¡¯ve never questioned your decision. I see now what you saved us from.¡± Similar cries erupted from the onlookers, as the paramedics emerged with the captured human. Marcel¡¯s malnourishment was apparent at first glance. His skin hugged his bones tightly, and his stomach was a flat depression beneath his ribcage. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was the starvation, or the vicious injuries, that caused his breathing to sound so strained. The poor guy¡¯s face was mashed to a pulp, bruised and bloodied. Whoever beat the human seemed to take particular offense to his binocular eyes. The way the sockets were turning black made my stomach flip. A metal band was fitted to his neck, and the skin beneath was marred with minor burns. Why was that choker still on him? Nobody had taken it off? The Venlil almost seemed more incensed than the humans. The thought of the Federation doing that to their buddy sparked a¡­ predatory rage. My own blood boiled at such a grave injustice. Noah was right; that would¡¯ve been him if I allowed it. I was wavering on whether I wanted the humans to show mercy to my old friends after all. ¡°Stop filming this,¡± I hissed at our media personnel. ¡°Show some respect.¡± Meier crossed his arms. ¡°No, film it. On the condition that you¡¯ll show it everywhere. I want everyone to see this. To document how the Federation treated one of ours. When we declare war on these bastards, I don¡¯t want anyone saying it¡¯s for no reason.¡± ¡°Whoa, hold up. If they realized their mistake, and let him go¡­¡± Noah whispered. ¡°Maybe they¡¯re sorry, and wish to make amends?¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t realize anything!¡± Slanek¡¯s horizontal pupils snapped toward us, as he overheard the Ambassador¡¯s comment. ¡°The captain was going to kill Marcel, and they¡¯re still planning to bomb Earth.¡± ¡°What stopped them from killing him? Did you talk them down?¡± I asked, in a soft voice. ¡°I tried, Governor. But they wouldn¡¯t listen! We escaped by the skin of our teeth, because of first officer Recel. He incapacitated the captain, and escorted us off the ship.¡± The Secretary-General frowned. ¡°What happened to this Recel?¡± ¡°I brought him with us, sir. He¡¯s on the ship¡­I can¡¯t get him to come out. This isn¡¯t, er, exactly what I promised him.¡± My ears swiveled toward the shuttle. I thought I could detect the sound of terrified whines, amidst the commotion. Meier looked like he wanted to retrieve the first officer himself, and was about to start in that direction. Though the gray-haired human didn¡¯t exude hostility, I feared he might escalate Recel¡¯s emotions to a blinding panic. ¡°Let me handle this,¡± I said to the humans. ¡°Noah, Sara, you remember how hard it was for us¡­and there were only two of you.¡± Meier glanced at the astronauts, and fell back as their nods affirmed my words. I ducked into the spacecraft to look around. Huddled beneath the pilot¡¯s chair was a Kolshian male, with a dark blanket over his head. It was a pitiful attempt at camouflage; it would be amusing, at a brighter time. The movement of the fabric, and the outline of his form were obvious giveaways. I imagine the human paramedics noticed Recel, but were too preoccupied with Marcel to coax him out. Within closer range, the whines sounded more like muffled screams. I clicked my claws on the floor, so Recel would know the approaching person wasn¡¯t a human. The officer peeked out from under his tarp. His bulbous, orange eyes lit up with recognition. ¡°Governor Tarva!¡± Recel exclaimed. ¡°You¡¯re¡­alive?¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m alive. What made you think I wasn¡¯t?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s just, er, nobody has actually seen you in months. And this station is infested with predators; I saw them through the window. Lurking, waiting.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not infested, and they have good reason to ¡®lurk.¡¯ They were curious and worried, and now, they¡¯re rather upset. Hell, I¡¯m upset too.¡± ¡°Oh, please help me, Tarva. This is a nightmare, and I¡¯ve done it to myself. I just want to wake up, you know? Get me out of here! Please.¡± ¡°Calm down. Everything is alright now. Tell me, what is it that the humans are doing that¡¯s bothering you?¡± ¡°Slanek said there were ¡®just a couple¡¯, damn it. Two or three, I could tolerate but¡­looking at all those predators? Pure agony. It feels like my chest is on fire. I don¡¯t know how you bear it.¡± ¡°I know exactly how you feel. It will pass.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t know that.¡± ¡°But I do. How about I introduce you to my first human friend? Just one of them.¡± ¡°Just one. Just one, one!¡± Recel whined, rocking back and forth. ¡°Okay. Just one.¡± The Kolshian was clearly on the brink of a nervous breakdown, but I decided to move forward with that tepid affirmation. This guy defied a superior officer, and sacrificed his career to save a human. That wasn¡¯t a risk that someone took without good reason. There had to be some part of Recel that already accepted the predators¡¯ true nature. It was a matter of getting through to him, of bringing his logical mind back into the equation. Whether it was reason or empathy that struck home, it didn¡¯t make a difference. ¡°NOAH! Come here,¡± I called. The male astronaut hurried in, rushing to my side. ¡°Is everything alright? What¡¯s going on, Tarva?¡± ¡°Hm. The first time I saw Noah, I thought he was feral. Can you imagine answering that hail?¡± I waved a paw in the human¡¯s direction, and Recel shuddered. ¡°All of his teeth were showing, and those murderous eyes were like something out of a nightmare. He looked like the meanest, nastiest creature in the universe.¡± The Ambassador sighed. ¡°Ah Governor, you always flatter me.¡± ¡°Shush! I¡¯m getting to the important part,¡± I huffed. ¡°But anyhow, the humans¡¯ words were about peace. There was such a disparity between that appearance and the things they said. My brain couldn¡¯t reconcile it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just saying, Tarva, you could fake the occasional compliment.¡± Noah shot me a coy smile. I had been around the predators too long if I could differentiate snarls, hadn¡¯t I? ¡°Talk about my winning personality? My exquisite physique? Pretend you liked me?¡± ¡°I do like you! Stop fishing! At any rate¡­there was this collection of little things the humans did that made me think ¡®maybe.¡¯ The odd doubt. But looking at them dredged up all my worst memories, so I shut out that voice. I wanted them gone.¡± ¡°Then why did you stop Sovlin from g-getting rid of them? What happened?¡± Recel stammered. ¡°I teared up just a little, and the first thing Noah did was try to comfort me. I realized that I never gave him a chance. No unfeeling creature would pick up on emotional nuances like they do. That¡¯s when I knew. When did it click for you?¡± ¡°It¡­he¡­the instant Slanek showed signs of distress, Marcel tried to protect him. It was something he said, that he only cared for the Venlil¡¯s safety.¡± The Kolshian¡¯s eyes became distant, as though he was reliving the moment. ¡°Even when the captain had a gun against his head, the predator was trying to soothe his friend. And I believed him, if just for a moment.¡± ¡°You sensed it then, Recel. You know that nobody could fake it that perfectly.¡± ¡°I know. But, I feel¡­¡± ¡°Forget about the feel. You¡¯re going to walk out of here with me and Noah. We¡¯ll find you a room, and I want you to rest up.¡± ¡°And then?¡± ¡°Then, we¡¯re going to determine who is responsible for what happened to Marcel. The humans will decide what to do about it. It¡¯s your decision, but I¡¯d like you to speak to them. You represent the Federation, as far as we¡¯re concerned.¡± Noah nodded. ¡°As would I. We don¡¯t have to be enemies.¡± Recel rose on unstable legs and dusted himself off. Those first steps into the open were tentative and frightful; he coiled his tail around mine for support. Venturing out through the sea of humans, many of whom were openly staring, must have been a daunting task. But he managed to hold back the scream which I sensed building in his chest. The officer lowered his gaze to the floor, and marched ahead through the chemical fever. Perhaps this man was a spark of hope that not everyone would write humanity off on sight. I prayed that Earth could find other friends in the galaxy; and that our newfound ally would find the courage to prove that it was a possibility. Chapter 15 Memory transcription subject: Slanek, Venlil Space Corps Date [standardized human time]: September 3, 2136 Nursing the human back to health became my obsession. The doctors were optimistic that Marcel would make a full recovery, but I was determined not to vacate his side. There was no way I was leaving his well-being to chance, ever again. My claws tightened around the fork, stabbing into a block of tofu. The spongy protein folded into the prongs, and I brought it up toward the human¡¯s mouth. My gaze lingered on the pointy canines beside his incisors, which looked perfect for tearing flesh. It felt unnatural, placing my paw so near to a predator¡¯s teeth, while offering it food. A pins and needles sensation danced at the base of my toes, which I promptly ignored. ¡°Slanek, I can do this myself,¡± Marcel protested. The predator was lounging in a hospital bed, propped up against some pillows. After a fresh shave and some washing up, my human looked more like his old self. A nose splint concealed the deformed appendage, and stitches mended the gashes on his cheek. Fluids and medication were distributed intravenously, which brought life back into his complexion. I glared at him. ¡°But I¡¯m not going to let you. And that¡¯s that.¡± Marcel rolled his eyes, but allowed me to insert the protein between his lips. I scrutinized him as he chewed. It was wonderful to see him eating real food after his long hunger, but I didn¡¯t want to lose sight of the big picture. Human medicine was primitive compared to ours, a school of medievalism. My vigilance was the only hope at preventing complications. All I knew was that Marcel¡¯s diet was essential to his recovery; it was my intention for him to consume every calorie the medical staff gave us. I prepared a forkful of greens, which looked scrumptious and herby, and shoved it at him. The red-haired primate sighed. He tugged the plate from my stubborn paws, and set it on the bedside table. ¡°You gotta stop babying me. I¡¯m fine, buddy, really.¡± The human began to sit up, and grimaced as pain scorched across his ribs. ¡°See? Good as new.¡± Tears welled in my eyes. ¡°No, you¡¯re not!¡± ¡°I¡¯m on the mend. This is the new normal, and that¡¯s okay. I¡¯m tougher than you think I am.¡± ¡°You¡¯re very strong, and resilient, and brave¡­but¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I almost lost you, Marc. And it scares me how much that hurts.¡± ¡°Aw. It¡¯s over now, Slanek. I¡¯m never going to let anyone hurt us again, okay? Come here.¡± I curled up on the bed, and placed my chin on the predator¡¯s thigh. Marcel reached out with his nimble fingers. The same hesitancy that always flashed on his face, when he was worried about spooking me, surfaced. His hand hovered over the back of my neck for several seconds, and my heartrate skyrocketed. What was he doing? My instincts despised the location of his paw, and the way his nails were aimed at my head. It was a slash away from my throat. Everything about that body language mirrored a predator about to pounce; no amount of trust could alter those ominous cues. My eyes blinked shut, and I summoned all of my willpower to remain still. I felt a light touch on my ear. The human palmed the right one gently, then moved to the other. The breath I didn¡¯t realize I had been holding in escaped. Marcel beamed when he saw me relax, and took that as encouragement to continue. His fingers darted beneath my chin, and ruffled the fur by my throat. The human¡¯s claws nicked my skin; they were rather dull, for a predator¡¯s offensive weapons. Oddly enough, it was more gratifying than painful. A happy mewl emanated from my chest. I nuzzled against his side, and flipped onto my back. ¡°You¡¯re so cute!¡± he whispered. Without thinking, I had exposed the most soft and vulnerable organ; my stomach. Marcel tickled my belly with vigor, which was quite the overwhelming sensation. I was embarrassed by my undignified squeals and laughs, but my control was slipping. I rolled around in delirium, thrashing and kicking. The human had to catch me when I almost tumbled off the bed. He winced from the abdominal strain, but refused to drop me. Affection and warmth shined in his eyes. ¡°Am I interrupting something?¡± Sara stood in the doorway, amusement on her face. She stared at me, the blankets on the floor, then back at me. ¡°Actually, you were, but not what you think,¡± Marcel chuckled. ¡°What can I do for you?¡± ¡°You look better. We¡¯re all happy to see it,¡± she replied. ¡°But I just wanted a quick word with Slanek. Alone.¡± I tilted my head at the scientist, confused. Had the humans decided to blame me for my inability to prevent Marcel¡¯s injuries? Did they think he would be better off with someone stronger, and more competent at their civic duties? I couldn¡¯t fault them if that were the case. My human released his grip, and gave me an encouraging wave. A paralyzing reluctance made me slow to follow Sara, so I dragged my feet to a secluded spot in the hallway. A mature individual would accept the consequences of their own failure; especially when that failure landed their best friend in critical condition, a whisker away from death. I can¡¯t let him go, though. I slumped my shoulders. ¡°Look, Sara¡­I am so sorry for what happened to Marc. My best friend was terrorized by a madman, and I was nothing more than a liability. I take full responsibility for everything, and accept whatever the UN has decided. If there is anything that I can do to make it right¡ª¡± Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°Slow down.¡± The scientist raised a pale hand. ¡°Nobody blames you, least of all Marcel. I think having you around is helping him immensely.¡± ¡°You do?¡± ¡°It¡¯s obvious. He¡¯s trying to hide it, but I figure he¡¯s in a lot of pain.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I was worried about. So then, um, what is it you needed to speak to me about? Oh stars, is there bad news about Marc?¡± ¡°Perhaps. It¡¯s not clear yet. If I remember correctly, he was frightened of torture by aliens before this, yeah?¡± Sara waited for my nod. She seemed concerned about how to phrase her next words. ¡°I think you need to be warned about how humans react to trauma. Our brains often have¡­ difficulty processing it.¡± I studied her expression closely. ¡°What are you trying to say? Is Marcel going to go insane?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a polite word, Slanek. Everyone reacts differently. Marcel could be fine¡­and I hope he is,¡± she said. ¡°But after what he¡¯s been through, you must be prepared for drastic changes in mood and personality. He could become depressed, forgetful, irritable, or even hostile.¡± ¡°Hostile?¡± ¡°Nightmares and flashbacks are common in these cases. That can incite all sorts of negative reactions.¡± My eyes widened in surprise. It had never occurred to me that humans relived their worst experiences as vividly as we did. When I imagined how their brains worked, I always assumed it was different. No wonder Marcel was in a prolonged fog, after watching the Arxur torture clips on the first day. Why would a predator have such an overblown fear response, and cling to memories of prior threats? They were on the other side of that equation in nature. Even if humans descended from prey animals, they hadn¡¯t been that for millions of years. I guess it proves humans are just people, like us. That their emotions resemble ours. ¡°You didn¡¯t say negative. You said hostile,¡± I pointed out. Sara shuffled on her feet. ¡°Well, the memories trigger our ¡®fight-or-flight¡¯ response. Some people lash out with physical violence, though they don¡¯t mean to. I think that unlikely here, but it needs to be stated as a possibility.¡± My breath hitched in my throat, though I tried not to show my fright to the scientist. Physical violence? Being assaulted by a predator wasn¡¯t exactly on my bucket list. If a human lunged at me, without warning, I doubted I could keep my composure. It would be tough to brush that off. The thought of Marcel, with his meaty hands clenched around my windpipe, stirred all of my subconscious fears. But I knew that wasn¡¯t him. My human hadn¡¯t tried to eat me, even when he was starving. This ¡®mindless killer¡¯ preserved my welfare, to his own detriment, and never displayed anything but kindness toward me. As long as it was unintentional, I decided I could forgive him for spontaneous violence. Sara deemed it improbable, so in all likelihood, it wouldn¡¯t happen. The prospect of mental torture, that would drive Marcel to violate his principles, was more concerning to me. ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡± I questioned. Maybe Sara thinks I wasn¡¯t being supportive enough. Or she¡¯ll teach me which signs to watch for. Human mannerisms are as alien as alien gets. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to fault Marcel, or to think it¡¯s proof that humans are evil. I know how frightened you Venlil are of us. If any of those symptoms would be too much to deal with, it may be best that we find you a more suitable partner.¡± My ears flattened against my head. Is that what the Terran scientific community believed we thought of them? That we saw them as interchangeable demons, and volunteered just to vindicate that conclusion? That¡¯s right. We risked our lives, waiting for them to slip up, so we could say ¡®Gotcha!¡¯ I thought sarcastically. There was nobody in the galaxy: human, Venlil, or otherwise, more suitable than Marcel. Being around him was pleasant and easy. I wasn¡¯t going to discard him the second a challenge presented itself. ¡°You want me to leave him, because he might be ill?¡± I hissed. ¡°I don¡¯t want another ¡®partner.¡¯ I want Marcel, and I¡¯ll deal with whatever happens.¡± ¡°No, no, we don¡¯t want you to leave. That¡¯s the opposite of what we want.¡± Sara took a step back, trying to appear non-threatening. ¡°But your feelings and well-being are important too, Slanek. You must not discount yourself, out of some sense of guilt or obligation.¡± ¡°Obligation?! I love him! Did you consider Marcel¡¯s feelings at all? To even suggest that I should abandon him, right when he needs me the most¡­it¡¯s cruel! Heartless!¡± ¡°We are thinking of Marcel. Listen, he is in a fragile state right now. You are the main thing reminding him he is human. That someone cares for him. What would hurt him the most is to hear you call him a monster.¡± A furious growl rumbled in my throat. ¡°I would never! Short of him eating my family in front of me, anyway. I hate that anyone would suggest otherwise.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave you be.¡± Sara¡¯s voice was measured, but there was pleasure in her eyes at my response. ¡°If you need anything, you know where to find me.¡± I flicked my ears in acknowledgement, and scampered back toward my human¡¯s chamber without hesitation. After the mention of being pried away from Marcel, all I wanted was to have him back in my sight. What if he had an episode while I was gone? Once he was in my periphery, I could rest assured that he was okay. Marcel had cleaned his plate during my absence, and was seated on the edge of the bed. His predatory eyes were staring into space, unblinking. There was the hint of a twitch by his lip, as if he were biting his cheek. The human jumped a little when I leapt onto the mattress. I coiled my tail around his wrist, and noted how he slowly unclenched his fist. ¡°Slanek,¡± he sighed. ¡°I missed you.¡± Before, I had attributed his aloof moments to the primitive narcotics in the IVs. But in light of Sara¡¯s words, it was apparent that a different culprit was to blame. I felt ashamed of myself, for not picking up on the cues sooner. My preoccupation with his physical injuries caused me to overlook the obvious. ¡°What were you thinking about? Just now?¡± I blurted. The human forced a smile. ¡°You don¡¯t want to know.¡± ¡°I do. You can tell me anything, Marc.¡± ¡°Not this.¡± ¡°Try me.¡± His gaze darkened. ¡°I¡¯m thinking I want to kill Sovlin.¡± ¡°Get in line.¡± ¡°I¡¯m quite serious. I was fantasizing about it. Does that make me a bad person? A ¡®bloodthirsty¡¯ predator?¡± ¡°I¡¯d shed no tears over his death. It¡¯s not fair that he got away scot-free. You¡¯re a good person, who is trying to process something terrible¡­and yes, has more aggressive instincts. You didn¡¯t deserve any of what he did to you.¡± ¡°Thanks, buddy.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me. I should¡¯ve asked about your mental health sooner. How do those memories make you feel? Are you able to talk about it?" ¡°I don¡¯t know. When Sovlin was about to shoot me, I felt¡­relief that it was over. Profound relief. I was ready for him to pull the trigger. I was only sorry that you had to see it. And that Zarn was kidnapping you because of me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. All that matters to me is that you¡¯re here, and you recover.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I need you to let me push myself, Slanek. I heard we¡¯re going to war with the Gojids¡­and I want to join. Even if it¡¯s just to fly a ship or run logistics, I need to be cleared for action.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re safer here. Why would you want to risk your life again, so soon?¡± ¡°To go after Sovlin, to deal with my anger, all of it. I have to do something, and I didn¡¯t know how to tell you. It¡¯s being idle that drives me mad.¡± ¡°Fine. When are we leaving?¡± The human blinked. ¡°We?¡± ¡°I¡¯m coming with you, if I have to stow away in your duffel bag. You can¡¯t get rid of me that easily.¡± Moisture glistened in Marcel¡¯s hazel eyes, and a low chuckle rumbled from his vocal cords. A silent vow formed in my mind, that I would protect him better this time around. Even if it meant shipping off to an active warzone, surrounded by trained predators with guns. Something told me that I wouldn¡¯t be the only Venlil tagging along for the humans¡¯ war efforts. Though there was no formal declaration from the governor yet, I think we had chosen a side. The fates of our species were intertwined, for better or for worse. Chapter 16 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, Federation Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: September 3, 2136 It was a maintenance worker, sweeping the ship for any stragglers, who found the doctor and I caged in the beast¡¯s filthy pen. The reek of waste and blood had been overpowering in the cell; a sickening reminder that the predator had walked those very floors. It felt beneath my dignity to lie in such squalor, with no company but the sulking Zarn. I could still see Marcel¡¯s hideous face when I closed my eyes. My heart seized at the thought of those sunken eyes, soulless and scorching. The sound of the human¡¯s voice grating at my ears, as he tried to offer some deceitful words, was unforgettable too. When I saw my first officer chumming it up with that savage, it was no wonder I saw red. What a nightmarish creature it was, I thought. How could anyone ever care for it? Recel¡¯s betrayal stung more than the burning in my leg ever could. I had taken the Kolshian under my wing for decades, and mentored him into a confident officer that commanded respect. How could he shoot me¡­ for that animal? After what the Federation had endured, wasn¡¯t I entitled to a few minutes of retribution? The human¡¯s suffering paled in comparison to the children mauled as Arxur toys, or the worlds razed in radiation and fire. The first officer¡¯s most offensive statement was comparing me to the Arxur. Since when was protecting my crew from an existential threat a crime? Everyone would be happier with one less human prowling the universe, other than the Venlil, I suppose. They needed to be rescued before the predators sank their claws any deeper. ¡°Sovlin,¡± Zarn growled. ¡°The Prime Minister is on the line. Are you well enough to speak to her?¡± It was arduous to round up the crew from various shuttles, but we managed to put the band back together. Placing a medical official, with no combat expertise, as acting first officer wasn¡¯t my first choice, but I needed someone who would support me on matters of human policy. Keeping the crew on a leash was my primary objective. I raised my hobbled leg, studying the azure-stained bandage. ¡°Of course I am. Recel blew off a limb, not my head! Put her on screen.¡± The video call flickered to life, revealing a glaring Piri. ¡°Sovlin. Tell me how you manage to lose a predator, in the mere days since your last check-in! The Federation is going to freak out.¡± Word of Tarva¡¯s folly traveled across the Federation within days, after we detained our unwelcome guest. Panic was spreading through civilian channels, and public pressure was mounting for an immediate response. Galactic leaders arranged an emergency convention to discuss joint action, but it would take days for everyone to arrive at the designated meeting spot. More time would be squandered coordinating the forces of hundreds of independent powers. The Gojidi Union was not content to sit on its paws, while vacillating fools debated the obvious choice. Destructive measures were necessary at once, before the humans lashed out at the Venlil. We were en route to a Gojid border station to rendezvous with our bombing partners. Launching for Earth felt like my destiny. I was ecstatic to join the mission, and hoped we could cripple the human breeding grounds. The escapees wouldn¡¯t have time to warn humanity, so our attack would come as an unexpected blow. Now that humans were spacefaring, it was unlikely to eliminate them entirely. But with any luck, their numbers would be reduced to insignificance, and the remnants would wipe each other out with their aggression. The damn predators were a smear on the name of sentience. ¡°Must your head always be elsewhere? I demand an answer, Captain!¡± Piri hissed. ¡°How did the predator escape?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how to say this, but First Officer Recel shot me and released it,¡± I answered. The prime minister recoiled in shock. ¡°Recel? Why, he¡¯s served under you for decades. He¡¯s practically Gojid at this point. What pushed him to such reckless action?¡± ¡°The humans seem to have an ability to charm others that we didn¡¯t account for. They appear to be able to manipulate empathy, and to pretend to be like the rest of us. My first officer said I was being unfair to the flesh-eater, if you believe that.¡± ¡°Well then¡­I¡¯ll put out a warrant for Recel¡¯s arrest. I¡¯m sure the Kolshians will side with us. There¡¯s no excuse for a veteran, who just watched our briefing videos, releasing a human.¡± She tapped a few buttons on her console, most likely penning a transmission to the Federation. ¡°At least we¡¯ve gathered some key information from this debacle. The humans are more intelligent than the grays, and more cooperative.¡± ¡°With respect, ma¡¯am, what makes you say that?¡± ¡°The Arxur would have never made it to space without our interference. But these monkeys did it without outside assistance.¡± ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right. That only makes their schemes and ruses more complex. They seem quite capable of mirroring empathetic responses.¡± ¡°Indeed. Let¡¯s not forget, Sovlin, the Venlil are one of the weakest, and most emotional races in the galaxy. And that¡¯s by our standards. The humans will enjoy turning on them.¡± ¡°My thoughts exactly. Whatever Tarva or Recel say, the only good human is a dead human. And I¡¯m going to see to it that there¡¯s a lot of those by next week.¡± ¡°I commend your courage. Oh, and Captain¡­be warned that we¡¯ve lost contact with two military outposts that were slated to join the bombing run. Our scouts are going to look in, but I¡¯d stay alert.¡± I flared my nostrils in dismay. The humans would have had to know about our scheme days ago to launch any countermeasures, and that was inexplicable. Clairvoyance wasn¡¯t a predator trait, to my knowledge. Tarva wouldn¡¯t be idiotic enough to tell humanity about the Federation¡¯s earlier plans, would she? That would be begging for retribution. Venlil involvement in the plot was extensive, according to my files. Due to Earth¡¯s proximity to their borders, they prodded the Federation to act quicker. The decades our leaders spent dawdling was time for the predators to advance. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Perhaps the humans had kidnapped some Venlil quietly and were torturing them, out of Tarva¡¯s eye. There were a myriad of ways they could have obtained the information. ¡°I¡¯ll report if I hear anything. It could be the Arxur, though it¡¯s impeccable timing if so,¡± I said. Piri flicked her ears. ¡°Perhaps. Is it bad that I almost hope it¡¯s the grays? Ugh¡­take care of yourself, Sovlin.¡± The call blinked out, and I turned my attention to the viewport. The blue dot on screen was an unnamed Gojid colony, with a population around twenty thousand. Its border location lacked appeal for potential settlers, due to the inherent peril; its only drawing point was dirt-cheap housing. The humans will push everyone closer to home soon enough. Our resources are already strained with a single enemy, I pondered. Our military launchpoint was lodged on a large asteroid, just beyond the colony¡¯s orbit. It functioned as a hub for bomber squadrons and defensive units. I spotted a few Gojid patrol ships, adrift in the system¡¯s outer reaches. Spacecraft were ready to fight at all hours of the day, in case of any Arxur incursions. Everything appeared to be normal, but Piri¡¯s warning lingered in my mind. Predators loved stealth and ambush tactics. If our attackers were the humans, that was more proof they were the same as the grays. It was their nature to catch others off-guard and helpless. ¡°Halt out of docking range!¡± I shouted. ¡°Scan the perimeter for ship activity. Better safe than sorry.¡± It could do no harm to supplement our station¡¯s intel from a different vantage point. Sensors didn¡¯t reveal any subspace disruptions or gravitational disturbances, at first glance. However, there were a few stray radio signals by the system¡¯s gas giants that seemed peculiar. That caught my attention, and I decided it merited further investigation. ¡°What are those coordinates you¡¯ve input? Why are we turning the viewport?¡± Zarn asked. I tapped my claws nervously. ¡°Nothing, I hope. We¡¯ll see soon enough.¡± Zooming in on the source of the EMF anomaly, a formation of angular ships became visible. Gasps sounded across the bridge. My spines raised in an instant, and I gaped at the startling image. How could an enemy have gotten within the system unseen? Lurking near celestial bodies with high masses to evade detection was possible, in theory. But there wasn¡¯t a more dangerous place to disengage warp. While a strong gravitational field masked an incoming subspace trail, it would leave the ships at risk of being drawn into orbit. It would require incredible patience as well. To avoid discovery, those vessels needed to engage in a series of tiny jumps. That was the only way to ensure that their trail didn¡¯t poke into real space at an unwanted moment. Did those ships really hop between high-gravity spots, and wait for their drive to respool each time? Not utilizing continuous warp transit would increase travel time tenfold. That¡¯s no Arxur strategy, I thought. These humans learn quickly, and it seems they gamble with their lives. Knowing the Terran position, the computer was able to tease out sensor readings. A rough estimation of their capabilities would help us concoct a plan of attack. ¡°What is their shield capacity?¡± I barked. Zarn¡¯s eyes stretched wide in panic. ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t know? How do I read this shit?!¡± ¡°I miss Recel immensely. Let me see.¡± With a sigh of irritation, I pulled up the data feed on my workstation. ¡°Why the primitive¡­not a trace of ion generators! I don¡¯t think they¡¯ve figured out how to power shields.¡± ¡°Sounds like great news! What are your orders, sir?¡± the doctor asked. My disappointment with Zarn was already mounting. A lackey wasn¡¯t what I desired, deep down. I wanted a first officer with their own ideas, who was willing to challenge me when their thoughts were contrary. The thought of Recel wasting in a cell, or being toasted over a fire by the humans, felt like such a damn waste. A fine man, who threw away his career over some misplaced idealism. ¡°Charge the railgun, but slow and subtle. We don¡¯t want to alarm the humans.¡± A sharp pain stabbed through my leg, the first sign of the painkillers waning. ¡°In the meantime, let¡¯s amplify and intercept those radio signals. I think two of the ships are talking to each other.¡± While Zarn stood around like a lost child, the comms station pounced on my order. Static fed through the PA, an incoherent buzzing. The technicians took a few moments to fine-tune the settings, and my ears perked up in anticipation. Catching the predators red-handed, gloating over the prospect of eating and torturing sentients, would squash any doubts. It should even be enough to win back the Venlil. I wonder if Tarva knows about the cheap tactics her¡­friends employ, I mused. What does she see in these skin-eaters? She¡¯ll be begging us to take the Venlil back by tomorrow. ¡°may¡­too harsh on them.¡± A thunderous voice echoed over the loudspeakers, sinking in to its captive audience. It was so quiet on the bridge that you could hear a pin drop. ¡°The Arxur traumatized the xenos, and we¡¯re just making it worse. They¡¯ll think we¡¯re just like them, Sani. This¡¯ll be their proof.¡± ¡°They¡¯re going to attack Earth if we don¡¯t,¡± came the tired reply. ¡°It¡¯s a military base, nothing more. It¡¯s fair game. Meier didn¡¯t put any civilian targets on the list.¡± ¡°But the Gojids haven¡¯t done anything yet. There¡¯s still time for them to change their mind. We should have tried to negotiate.¡± ¡°Raj, are you mad? They would drop bombs on London, Mumbai, or Lagos without thinking for a second. They don¡¯t want to talk to us.¡± ¡°I know. I just signed on to fight the Arxur, and now¡­it¡¯s not like I imagined.¡± ¡°This is not the time for second thoughts. We¡¯ll offer medical assistance to any survivors. I¡¯m certain the UN and the Venlil will try to broker peace, but right now, this is about surviving. This is about humanity.¡± I blinked in confusion. Much of my crew looked dazed, as though they were having trouble processing the conversation. From the two humans¡¯ words, you would think it was the Gojids who were the villains in this scenario, not the stealth ships creeping in on a clueless station. Why were those predator pilots talking like they felt sorry for us? Why did both of them sound like they wanted peace; as though it were their own objective? Soft old fool, I cursed myself. How did you almost fall for such a basic trap? It must be some sort of trickery, an empathetic ploy, in case anyone was listening in. If we hesitated to shoot the human craft, that lent them a strategic advantage. There was no other reason to talk, and give away their position. It was that charm ability I mentioned to Piri. No wonder the Venlil had fallen for it, after prolonged exposure to their smooth tongues. ¡°Turn that off!¡± I hissed. ¡°Delete all records of that conversation. They¡¯re trying to manipulate us.¡± ¡°But how could they know we were listening, Sovlin?¡± a comms technician asked. ¡°What if they actually meant that? And we just keep trying to harm them?¡± ¡°Humans don¡¯t understand what peace means, you numbskull! They¡¯re parroting something the Venlil told them.¡± The young analyst scowled. ¡°Sir¡­you have the authority to get our station to stand down. I think we should hail them, and offer a truce. Then, we can see what they do. At least that way, we have no regrets.¡± ¡°I have no regrets as is! If you want to talk to predators, you can get on a shuttle and fly over there yourself.¡± The word ¡®predator¡¯ seemed to snap the crew out of their trance, and I saw a few tail waves of agreement. The technician shuffled on his paws, before he pressed the delete button on his station. A high-pitched beep disrupted the silence, showing our weapons were charged and operational. I leaned back in my chair. ¡°Fire the railgun. The humans aren¡¯t getting this system.¡± ¡°Fire at who?¡± Jemic, my weapons officer, pointed at the viewport in horror. ¡°Where did they go?¡± My eyes widened in panic. The colony! They¡¯re making a run on the colony. Dammit, I knew it was a distraction! I fired off a transmission to the station, warning them of the ambush. My heart felt heavy; I prayed that my communique reached them in time. My recommended course of action was to divert defenses to the colony, and prepare for an orbital raid. The humans claimed they were attacking the base. But even if that were their stated mission, predators couldn¡¯t resist landing the killing blow on hapless prey, once in range. The colony was a much juicier target. A solemn silence gripped the bridge, as we turned our own course toward the planet. Even with such a small population, there was no way we could evacuate in time. My stomach flipped at the thought of needless death; of another atmosphere choked in flame. This wasn¡¯t my first siege, but it never got easier. We had to stop the humans from continuing the Arxur¡¯s legacy of destruction. Chapter 17 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, Federation Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: September 3, 2136 Worst-case scenarios cycled through my mind, as the Gojid ships formed a defensive wall around the colony. I tried to imagine how the people on the ground felt; trapped and aware of the impending assault. This sea of dots spanning the blue orb¡¯s circumference was all that stood between the innocent and hungry predators. Any angle that was overlooked was an opportunity for the humans to break through. We would stop any missiles from penetrating our ranks by throwing our craft in the way, if necessary. The only way a battle with a predator ended, was with all of them dead, or all of us dead. The primitive nature of the human craft was our primary hope. A single hit should be enough to dispatch their ships. Hell, the station¡¯s lasers might be able to chew through more than one at a time. Our weaponry was designed to tear through Arxur armor, and the Terrans¡¯ defenses were negligible. ¡°Sir. The ships have reappeared just out of targeting range,¡± Jemic barked, a tremor in her voice. I hoped the weapons officer could keep her wits. ¡°On a trajectory course for the base.¡± The viewport locked onto the hostiles. I watched as they veered off onto multiple headings, and altered their course to avoid any intercepting ships we launched. A laser lanced out from the station, a streak of brilliancy across the void. The shot connected with a Terran bomber, and obliterated the predator craft in a flash. Happiness fluttered in my chest, though it was tempered by nerves. It was encouraging that we had attained the first kill of the war. The humans, in response, spewed plasma at the approaching Gojid ships. They seemed to hope that would ward us off, like brandishing a torch to keep a beast at bay. Weapons of that caliber couldn¡¯t deal more than minor damage, but I knew they had to preserve their main payload for their target. It occurred to me that we had simplified the task of bombing the station for the humans. The predators were flooring it toward their stated target, and in many ways, my suggestions cleared the path. There wasn¡¯t a single sign of deviation, which boggled my mind. The asteroid base dispatched as many ships as it could, and left its own defenses barren in the process. When given the choice, our commanders prioritized civilian lives over military infrastructure. Things can be replaced. Stations can be rebuilt, I chided myself. Lives cannot. There are children down there. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder, for a split second, if this was a lapse in judgment on my part. Where was that predatory sadism; the one Zarn said humans used on their own world? The last thing I wanted was to cost the Gojidi Union valuable resources. It was worse if some soldiers didn¡¯t make it from their barracks. Their deaths would weigh on my conscience for years. But there was no way a predator could override their bloodlust, particularly while engaged in warfare! It was a matter of time before the humans rounded on our position. At least a few ships had to give into temptation, even if the majority could resist. ¡°Shoot the bastards! Blast them out of the sky!¡± I roared. Jemic sighed. ¡°I just said they¡¯re out of range, sir. We need to move closer.¡± ¡°We are NOT abandoning our position. The second the planet is vulnerable, they¡¯ll pounce.¡± My mind yearned to fight the humans myself, but I had to remember the stakes at hand. We were consigned to watching, as though this skirmish were some spectator sport. Zarn was cheering each time a Terran vessel went up in a fireball, which earned strange glances from the nearest crew. The predators weaved erratic patterns to avoid termination, but their spirals and zigzags weren¡¯t fast enough. Every crackle of the laser purged one of the vermin. The station¡¯s defenses were slow to recharge, but their effectiveness was dazzling. In fairness, it seemed a love tap could take out a Terran ship; their workmanship was rather flimsy. Gojid craft remained hot on the humans¡¯ heels, and spit our own concentrated plasma at them. There was no breathing space for our attackers. The predators rocketed up to max acceleration, and towed a tighter line toward the base. It was wonderful to see our ships chasing the humans; how the tables had turned, from the natural order. The hunter was the hunted. ¡°Captain, the predators are showing no interest in the colony. I don¡¯t see the harm in taking a few ships to the battlefield,¡± Jemic pressed. ¡°They¡¯re just trying to lose their pursuers. If they can bait us away from the colony¡¯s defense, that¡¯s what they want.¡± Her spines bristled. ¡°I hate feeling powerless.¡± ¡°As do I. Zarn, why don¡¯t you make yourself useful?¡± I gestured toward the doctor, who was transfixed by the battle. ¡°Establish contact with Piri, if at all possible. Make her aware of the predators¡¯ tactics, so she can relay a warning to any nearby installations.¡± The Takkan returned an eager tail swish, and scrambled to reopen communication lines. My gaze darted back to the viewport. I looked just in time to catch a glimpse of a Terran fighter, taking a round to the belly. The plasma compromised its hull integrity, and reduced it to a fractured heap of metal. There was no hesitation from the Gojid chasers, to bombard the incapacitated ship with fire. Nobody would be foolish enough to leave a predator alive; they needed to be taken out of the fight with permanence. As long as such a monster was still kicking, they could have a final trick up their sleeves. The human vessels clustered back together, and opted to deal with the gaining pursuers one at a time. They peppered the closest Gojid ship with fire, and concentrated their strikes on its drive column. The patroller¡¯s engine went up in a colossal flare; debris was flung in all directions. Our other allies were forced to drop back, to avoid getting swept up in the blast¡¯s wake. Stars¡­ I hate humans, I seethed. They don¡¯t quit or retreat! I curse my ancestors, for not confirming their extinction centuries ago. This is going to be a tedious and costly war, even if we win. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. The predators had endured a hailstorm of fire, and pressed nearer to the base all the same. No matter how many of their brethren were reduced to scrap, they persevered. Watching the humans¡¯ fearlessness, I couldn¡¯t help but envy their natural disposition. They shrugged off losses with that callous disregard for life they were so famed for. We felt our casualties. That was the Federation¡¯s downfall against the Arxur. It was emotion that lost us the war. Predators saw only the mission; the kill. ¡°Captain, we have to do something,¡± Jemic growled. I flicked my ears. ¡°It¡¯s too late. They¡¯re almost within orbital range.¡± While the Gojid defenses could deal with the humans handily, they wouldn¡¯t win the race against time. The predators could survive just long enough; pesky monsters. Sensing that their goal was within reach, our opponents found a final burst of speed. The lead bombers dispensed their payloads, and cylindrical missiles homed in on the asteroid¡¯s surface. I braced myself for the inevitable aftermath. The Gojid patrollers lunged forward in desperate pursuit, but they were already too late. Explosions detonated across the complex, tearing through the expansive stone buildings. Flame enveloped anything in the explosions¡¯ proximity; smoke plumes bushed up within the artificial atmosphere. Hangar roofs caved in, and buried any ships we failed to get off the ground. The powerful laser was out of commission too, since our orbital defenses were tucked in the center of the base. Bunkers and training areas were pummeled into submission. I wondered how many servicemen were trapped beneath the rubble. The humans followed up their first volley with another barrage. There was no pause or emotion; though I don¡¯t know why I thought there would be. The subsequent explosions ensured that nothing was standing, and reduced any likelihood of survivors. The horror on the bridge was a choking atmosphere. Amidst my grief, I couldn''t help but feel responsible for this calamity. Our local garrison could have stopped them, if there had been a few more ships at our disposal. Why are the humans not turning toward the colony? They¡¯re alive, and I think still have some bombs. They should come to us, any minute now. The predator ships dipped away, but were unable to shrug off their pursuers. The Terrans branched off on individual courses; they knew we couldn¡¯t chase after all of them. Some of those vile creatures would escape¡­wait. I shook my head in disbelief. They can¡¯t be leaving. ¡°The humans did exactly what they said!¡± My head swiveled in the direction of the voice. It was that unruly comms analyst from earlier. ¡°They never intended to attack any civilians.¡± ¡°They just annihilated a military base, and that¡¯s your reaction?¡± I snarled. ¡°None of the evidence suggests that they wanted to. We forced their hand,¡± the technician growled. I glowered at the scene in the stars, considering the predators¡¯ departure. What more evidence did one need, beyond looking at their faces? Their bloodstained history was just the icing on the cake, confirming what our eyes already knew. The humans could be faking a retreat, to lull us into a false sense of security. The bombers were still within close range of the asteroid, and it would take them awhile to escape the system. Their strategy could be to double back, after we assumed they were leaving. That, or our considerable presence by the colony dissuaded them from heeding their impulses. These creatures were more intelligent, and slightly more self-aware than the Arxur; they must have recognized that they were outmatched. That was a sufficient explanation, wasn¡¯t it? I forced myself to lower my hackles. ¡°What¡¯s your name, kid?¡± ¡°Rumi.¡± ¡°Rumi? I respect your drive to question everything, even common knowledge, but this isn¡¯t the right cause to fight for. If humans were a species of any merit, do you think that the Federation would¡¯ve dug up some argument to spare them? In decades of study?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Think about it; that goes to anyone agreeing with the young man here. And yes, we did force their hand. We forced the humans to concede civilian targets, because of our overwhelming force.¡± ¡°How so? We¡¯re in the wrong place.¡± ¡°We¡¯re in the right place. Our presence deterred the humans from attacking anything else. Everyone should be proud of themselves today. We saved twenty thousand lives.¡± Rumi slumped his shoulders. ¡°If you say so.¡± I imagine our allies had grown as restless as my crew. Seeing that the promise of the humans raiding the colony wasn¡¯t panning out, some captains may be tempted to pursue the fleeing ships. Sensors indicated that many were gearing up their drives, and that our meticulous formation was dissolving. Now was not the time for this. The predators were still in system; all we needed was a few minutes of patience to save the colony. I leaned over my microphone. ¡°Gojid vessels, hold your positions! Do not let the humans bait you into weakening our defense.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not just sitting here, dammit.¡± A voice pierced through our encrypted military channel. ¡°We are going to attempt search-and-rescue, and render medical assistance to anyone alive.¡± My eyes darted about the viewport, searching for any signs of movement. A Gojid hospital craft had crept away from our ranks, and commenced a blazing run toward the base. Its course placed it directly in the path of an escaping human. Sensors read that the Terran ship had target-locked the vessel, and their weapons were charging. ¡°Turn back now!¡± I pleaded into the comms. ¡°You won¡¯t be rescuing anyone if you¡¯re turned to slag. I¡¯ll escort you myself when the humans are gone.¡± The first responders pressed forward in defiance, and diverted their central power to shields. The fleeing predator hurled a plasma round, which deflected off our ship¡¯s nose. The medical transport seemed shaken by the contact, though it refused to turn back. The distance between them and those things was narrowing. This was lunacy! What were those Gojid doctors thinking? I admired their commitment to saving lives, but they were setting up the exact scenario I feared. ¡°Abort!¡± I shrieked into the communicator, broadcasting the message on all frequencies this time. ¡°Gojid medical vessel, turn back at once. The predators will destroy you.¡± There was no reply from the Gojid first responders. They were unarmed, which meant they stood no chance in combat. Worse, the Terran ship might¡¯ve heard my plea, and realized what an easy target they stumbled upon. I waited to see the doctors blasted to bits, feeling pity swell in my chest. On the bright side, at least it would drill some sense into Rumi, and whoever else was swayed by him. The expressions around the bridge were finally the ones I recognized from our face-offs with the Arxur. For some inexplicable reason, the human ship hesitated. Sensors suggested that their weapons were powering down, and they were altering their course to avoid a collision. I was certain my eyes deceived me, as the primates allowed the medical ship to pass their position. ¡°What about that, Captain? What could they possibly gain?¡± Rumi hissed. I chewed at my claws, rattled to the core. Allowing a vessel to survive, that aimed to resuscitate enemy combatants, was in direct opposition to the predators¡¯ goals. Why would those abominations exhibit mercy? That was the exact brand of illogical softness we were mocked for, by the Arxur. But accepting any explanation that mandated emotion was out of the question. There had to be an ulterior motive at play. There just had to be! Like I told the crew, the Federation condemned humanity by unanimous vote; they wouldn¡¯t make that decision lightly. Perhaps I wasn¡¯t looking at the big picture. The humans need the Venlil for now. They can¡¯t afford to alienate their lone ally, when they¡¯re so behind technologically, I soothed myself. Tarva must¡¯ve sent someone to supervise, and so they managed to show restraint. They¡¯re biding their time. Alarm flashed through Rumi¡¯s body language, as he saw me struggling to formulate a response. The doctor rolled his eyes in disgust, and turned to address us all. ¡°They wanted to preserve ammunition, when they realized the ship wasn¡¯t a threat,¡± Zarn answered for me. ¡°Humans are pragmatic enough to override their sadism, when it comes to their own survival.¡± ¡°Quite possible.¡± I managed to keep my voice steady. The predators were doing an excellent job messing with my head, if nothing else. ¡°Whatever game the humans playing at, we know their true colors. We always have...and we always will.¡± Chapter 18 Memory transcription subject: Governor Tarva of the Venlil Republic Date [standardized human time]: September 5, 2136 The essential Terran dignitaries were present in the meeting hall, alongside the top-ranking Venlil staff. I settled down in the chair between Noah and Kam, which was turning into the typical seating arrangement. There was satisfaction in finding the predators¡¯ presence so¡­ normal and routine. The importance of this conference could not be understated. The UN was determining which parties to take action against in the Federation, and whether diplomatic avenues could prove a suitable alternative to violence. There was no reversing the war against the Gojids; the damage done to their repute by Sovlin was catastrophic. But perhaps not everyone had to get suckered into this shit show. That was why I hoped Recel would show at the meeting. The Federation officer hadn¡¯t left his room since his arrival, and had barely picked at the meals we delivered by his door. My attempts to speak with him were met with a half-hearted ¡®Go away.¡¯ It was all I could do to inform him of the planned start time, and remind him once more on my way to the assembly hall. In case the Kolshian did accept our invitation, we wanted to make him as comfortable as possible. The humans were wearing opaque visors to conceal their eyes, and surgical masks to obscure their menacing snarls. The UN personnel were quite accommodating; it would likely be standard procedure, for any future first contacts. My eyes flickered over to Noah. Without the predatory features to buff up the humans, they looked squishy and weak. Those hands were more attuned to picking berries or climbing trees than combat, which was probably close to the truth. They lacked any form of camouflage for stealth, and weren¡¯t that quick. Even their smell and hearing were subpar. What kind of predators are they? They always mention tools when asked, then change the subject, I thought. Perhaps they¡¯re ashamed of their natural weakness? ¡°I look ridiculous in this, Tarva. I¡¯d prefer a full helmet, rather than this cyborg doctor cosplay,¡± Noah hissed. I stifled a laugh. ¡°I understood half of what you said. But this allows you to drink water, and I hope it¡¯s less stuffy. You must have been miserable on that first TV appearance.¡± ¡°Oh, I think I was just trying to remember to breathe. You have no idea how in awe we were.¡± The ambassador leaned back in his chair, and waved a hand for emphasis. ¡°I realized how important that moment was. Sometimes, I still think to myself that I dreamed it all.¡± ¡°It is like a fever dream, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s all so strange. Oh, um, speaking of strange¡­ there¡¯s something I¡¯ve been meaning to ask you.¡± ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve noticed some unusual behavior from your human volunteers. Mildly concerning.¡± ¡°Dear God, what have we done?¡± ¡°Just all sorts of bizarre reports, which I am increasingly baffled by. Multiple cases of humans speaking in high-pitched voices when asking Venlil to do things, or even saying hello.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah¡­I can see that.¡± ¡°Giving us toys that make ear-piercing squeaks when touched. Sometimes throwing objects and begging us to retrieve them? I don¡¯t understand the purpose.¡± ¡°Hm, that would be demeaning¡­sorry about that.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re so obsessed with our fur. Always trying to touch it, and talking about how soft it is. Some people suggested you wanted to harvest it.¡± Noah recoiled, and I figured his eyes were wide with horror. ¡°Nothing like that. We just, er, like cute animals?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It sparks our nurturing instincts. Releases dopamine, which makes us happy.¡± ¡°But you don¡¯t do any of that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a planetary leader, and I¡¯m a terrifying beast to you. It¡¯d be wholly inappropriate and unprofessional. Though I confess, as for the last one¡­the thought has crossed my mind.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t scare me anymore, Noah. But if you must, I¡¯d prefer you try any fur-petting on Kam than me. I¡¯d get a laugh seeing him bite your head off.¡± ¡°Deal.¡± Kam glared at us, clearly eavesdropping on our conversation. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it! Tarva, it¡¯s going to be your fault if Noah loses a finger or two.¡± ¡°Good thing I have ten of them.¡± Noah stretched a hand in the military advisor¡¯s direction, and the Venlil jumped up from the table. The human brought his arm back to his chest with a laugh. ¡°I¡¯m kidding, Kam. I¡¯d only do that if you asked me to.¡± Secretary-General Meier broke off his conversation with his generals. ¡°Well, I see we¡¯re all wonderful at sitting still. Aren¡¯t we, Ambassador Williams?¡± ¡°Uh, we were just playing around,¡± Noah replied. ¡°I see that. A lot of mature adults here.¡± The UN leader heaved an exasperated sigh. I was no expert in human body language, but his posture screamed exhaustion. ¡°Right, this meeting was supposed to start ten minutes ago¡­no sign of Recel. Let¡¯s get started.¡± I pulled up the briefing material on my holopad, and refreshed my memory one last time. The human generals had forwarded a proposition for a ground invasion of the Gojid home world. I¡¯d given it a cursory review, in advance of this gathering, and discussed with my advisors what our role should be. It was ironic, since I knew what those plans were derived from. They were offshoots of the original tactics we drew up together to invade the Arxur. Brandishing those ideas against our former allies, which were designed to raid sentient farm worlds, felt dirty. There were some modifications, stressing the preservation of civilians where possible. I was surprised to see the humans adhering to their warfare rules, under the circumstances. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. The stated objective was to capture government leaders, and to force the Gojidi Union¡¯s capitulation. I couldn¡¯t disagree that the only way to bring them to the negotiating table was at gunpoint. They¡¯d amassed an annihilation force from the discovery of a single human. ¡°I take it we¡¯re all familiar with this operation. It¡¯s an ambitious task, I know,¡± General Zhao stated. General Jones tugged at her mask. ¡°But ground fighting, and atmospheric warfare; that¡¯s our territory. I¡¯m confident in our chances.¡± ¡°The problem is which ships to use, for the battle above. To transport a proper amount of soldiers,¡± Zhao finished. ¡°Candidly, our ships just don¡¯t cut it, in any way.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll use Venlil ships for whatever you need for now, and that¡¯s final. We¡¯ll give you our blueprints too, so you can build yourself a proper armada.¡± I glanced at Noah for support, and was relieved to see an encouraging nod. ¡°With our knowledge in hand, I know you can make improvements on our designs. It will help us both in the long run. I don¡¯t wish to keep anything from you anymore.¡± ¡°That¡¯s very generous of you, Governor. Thank you,¡± Meier said. ¡°We will repay¡ª¡± The door creaked open, which about made me jump out of my fur. A violet-skinned Kolshian slunk into the room, and surveyed the occupants with hesitancy. I was grateful the humans had kept their face coverings on. Even with the precautions, the Federation officer was trembling. My ears perked up. ¡°Recel! We didn¡¯t think you were coming. Please, sit down.¡± It was promising that he showed up, since he was the best hope of peace. Then again, he was a wild card. Recel could outright insult the humans, and inflame the situation. I don¡¯t think the UN representatives, or for that matter, any Venlil present would take kindly to a defense of Sovlin¡¯s actions either. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure I would come myself,¡± the Kolshian sighed. ¡°But we must all live with the choices we make. Here I am.¡± ¡°It¡¯s come to my attention that you find it hard to look at us.¡± Secretary-General Meier gestured to his facial attire. ¡°We¡¯ve elected to wear these visors, so that you don¡¯t feel that we¡¯re staring at you. Does that help?¡± Recel waved his tail. ¡°Yes. Thank you.¡± ¡°No, thank you. You have the sincere gratitude of our planet, for your heroism and compassion. Knowing your feelings toward predators, I suspect you will decline my offer. But we are more than willing to grant you asylum on Earth, should you so desire.¡± ¡°I appreciate the offer. You diverge from the Arxur in many ways, that I have seen. But I don¡¯t think I could ever live among you.¡± ¡°We understand. If you truly cannot abide our looks¡ªI mean, it¡¯s hurtful, but not unexpected.¡± Meier¡¯s words about the sting of the galaxy¡¯s cold-shouldered treatment rang true. My mind flickered back to how wounded Noah looked, when he learned that the Venlil planned to kill humanity. The crestfallen look on his face when I described my initial impression of him to Recel. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have been quite so honest, even if it soothed the first officer. The human played it off as a joke, but I suspect he did need some kind words on occasion. It must be awful to be shunned as a monster constantly; to feel rejected and unwanted. To have every action under a microscope. Noah had been dealing with Venlil gawking or panicking at the sight of him for months. Did he understand that I cared for him, despite my instincts? I patted Noah on the hand absent-mindedly, and he squeezed my paw in return. Recel drew a deep breath. ¡°Alright. W-what else do you want of me?¡± ¡°Co-existence is all we ask, from anyone,¡± Meier replied. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to achieve that from a Federation that seeks to genocide humanity. I¡¯d like your opinion, because my own outlook is quite bleak.¡± ¡°Some in the Federation may be open to hearing your case, if they can get past the¡­you know. I¡¯ve had a lot of time to think, and I believe human history may have been studied through a narrow lens. It¡¯s so ingrained that predators are inherently evil. We might¡¯ve overlooked the forest for the trees.¡± ¡°And where does that leave us? I don¡¯t think the Gojids are the only ones plotting an attack in the Federation. If you have any ideas for a peaceful resolution, I¡¯m all ears, but we intend to defend Earth to the last.¡± The Kolshian¡¯s demeanor shifted in an instant, and suddenly, an authoritative officer was present. ¡°You can start by releasing the hostages. Now. Peaceful species don¡¯t hold diplomats and civilians against their will.¡± ¡°That was my doing, Recel,¡± I chimed in. ¡°After what happened with Marcel, you can see why I thought it necessary.¡± ¡°But I agree with him, Tarva. It reflects poorly on humanity, because, regardless of the truth, everyone will fault us in that matter. The Federation must be worried for their citizens¡¯ condition.¡± Meier tapped his fingers on the table, deep in thought. ¡°It will help our case for their own people to validate what has been said by the Venlil. We should allow anyone to leave that wishes to.¡± ¡°News of our existence is out,¡± Noah added. ¡°The damage is already done. There¡¯s no reason to keep them here.¡± I flicked my ears. ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll reopen the borders tonight¡­at least for outbound ships.¡± Recel¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. It was obvious the officer had been expecting resistance, rather than for the predators to side with him. ¡°Good. That¡¯s settled. Any other ideas, Recel?¡± Meier asked. ¡°Um, the Federation is holding a summit, a few days from now. They¡¯re going to discuss what to do regarding humanity. You could send a representative. Perhaps they would let you say a few words in your defense?¡± ¡°What¡¯s to stop the Federation from covering up anything we say? Any information we give them, or anything that contradicts their narrative? It sounds like your leadership has already made up their minds.¡± ¡°The Federation aren¡¯t out to dupe their own citizens. They just can¡¯t have another Arxur. Everything will be broadcast, so even if the leadership won¡¯t budge, you could sway public opinion.¡± ¡°But you hardly sound convinced that the Federation will let a human speak at all, Recel. What¡¯s to stop them from slapping a collar on our representative, and bashing their face in too? Or shooting them on sight?¡± ¡°Honestly? Nothing. I can¡¯t predict how they¡¯ll react. I would¡¯ve thought we were better than that at one time, but I don¡¯t anymore.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t send anyone to that fate. It would be akin to murder.¡± I swished my tail in agreement. After watching a human pilot, brutalized at the hands of a Federation crew, the risks were fresh in everyone¡¯s memory. It was a senseless sacrifice, that could be for nothing; the Federation would be reluctant to let a predator voice its thoughts. Recel knew better than anyone how deep-seated their hatred ran. ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± Noah said. My pupils snapped toward him. ¡°Absolutely not! I don¡¯t want to see you killed, or maimed as a lab rat.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of dying. If there is a single species like the Venlil out there, I find it a worthy cause.¡± The ambassador gave me a reassuring pat on the shoulder, then turned his head toward Meier. ¡°All I ask is for a cyanide capsule. I don¡¯t know if I could bear torture. I want a way out, if it comes to that.¡± The Secretary-General hesitated. ¡°Are you sure? I couldn¡¯t tell you, not with a straight face, that I believe you¡¯ll come home.¡± ¡°Quite sure. And I¡¯d like to leave as soon as possible. There¡¯s no time to waste.¡± Horror chilled my blood. The last person I wanted to fall into Federation custody was sweet, forgiving Noah. He was a godsend in the ambassadorial role; always with a perfect read on my emotions, and willing to answer every awkward question. I had come to think of him as one of my own advisors. Perhaps I was a bit too reliant on him to defuse tense situations. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you, then,¡± I hissed. ¡°I¡¯ll try to protect you, though I don¡¯t think I can do much. My standing with the Federation has diminished.¡± ¡°Tarva, no. What if they hurt you? They threw a Venlil in a cage with a starving predator, remember?¡± ¡°They won¡¯t do that to me. I¡¯m a planetary leader, and the galaxy will be watching. I am not worried for my safety.¡± Recel lowered his eyes. ¡°Please allow me to accompany you as well. I wish to turn myself in for high treason.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t want you punished for helping us,¡± Meier said. ¡°I know. But my testimony may be helpful in balancing what Sovlin has told them. And I wish to be home, whatever happens. My heart lies with the Federation.¡± ¡°If that is really what you want, you¡¯re not a prisoner.¡± Disappointment seeped into the UN leader¡¯s tone. ¡°I do wish you would reconsider though.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± ¡°Very well. Good luck to all of you then.¡± Noah stood up from his chair, and extended his hand to the Secretary-General. Meier tugged at it, in that quirky, grappling ritual humans did. It felt like a final good-bye, though I hoped that wasn¡¯t the case. I wondered what the gentle ambassador could say that would dissuade the Federation. He needed to challenge hundreds of years of research, and flip assumptions, without getting killed. It was a tall task, even for a man who epitomized the best of humanity. Chapter 19 Memory transcription subject: Governor Tarva of the Venlil Republic Date [standardized human time]: September 10, 2136 Two patrol ships rushed to intercept our transport the second we crossed the Zurulian border. There was none of the warmth in their greeting that I craved. I hoped that dodging Gojid territory would lower the temperature of any interactions, but word traveled quickly. Our neighbors possessed a keen awareness that the Venlil had thrown in our lot with predators. We were guilty by association now. I assured the Zurulians of my diplomatic intent, and decided not to mention the human¡¯s presence until we reached our destination. After several back-and-forth conversations, the guards received permission to escort us to the summit. I suspect they wouldn¡¯t have allowed it if they knew a human and a traitor were the other two passengers. The Federation chaperones were diligent, tailing us through subspace for the duration of the days-long trip. I still don¡¯t know how I¡¯m going to convince them to let a predator play politics. Maybe I should just wing it? Our transport was midway through its descent now, plunging through the host planet¡¯s atmosphere. It was apparent what Recel meant by returning home. The Kolshian home world, Aafa (a name that translates to ¡®garden¡¯), was hosting the convention in its capital. It would require great care not to incite a stampede, with the crowd I anticipated. Millions of residents dwelled among artistic buildings and botanical wonders; the renowned School of the Flora meant Aafa had a large student population. There would be ample spectators at the governing hall, since such sessions were open to the public. If a predator was reported on the loose, the premises might be vacated or locked down. I wondered if the nearest civilians would be rushed to bunkers, the way I had done when the humans approached my planet. It seemed silly, in retrospect: sending out a planetary distress signal over a two-person vessel. Someday, I was going to tell Noah that I intended to surrender Venlil Prime to him. The Terran ambassador would have a hearty laugh at my expense. ¡°This is Governor Tarva. I reiterate my request to speak to the presiding chieftain immediately. It is urgent!¡± I transmitted, for the fourth time. My designated strategy was to hail the Federation over the media channels, so that if anything went wrong, the public could hold them accountable. Recel was sandwiched beside me, in order to appear on our video feed. The Kolshian officer couldn¡¯t stop yawning; his orange eyes were bleary from sleep-deprivation. I was amazed he hadn¡¯t nodded off from exhaustion, regardless of his instincts. Noah was preoccupied editing the first contact materials the UN had thrown together. The predator seemed uncharacteristically nervous. I knew he wanted to paint a rosy picture of humanity, and to include anything that might help their cause. Wasn¡¯t he displaying that ¡®closed body language¡¯ he explained to me long ago? Maybe I was projecting my feelings onto him, since I was terrified about what would happen to him next. ¡°He¡¯s signing on now. Please, be patient,¡± came the monotone reply. ¡°Your favor here is strained as things are, Governor.¡± I was aware of the fact that our ship was target-locked; that wasn¡¯t exactly standard procedure for an approaching diplomat. A large security force was present to ward off any Arxur attacks, in case they got a whiff of the convention¡¯s location. The Federation couldn¡¯t afford to have every galactic leader killed in a decapitation strike. We¡¯re not part of the Federation anymore, are we? I realized, with a pang of sorrow. The Venlil are public enemy number one. I¡¯m probably going to be offering our withdrawal today¡­if they don¡¯t kick us out first. The Terran ambassador clapped his hands together, in what I believed was satisfaction, and jolted me out of my thoughts. Recel whined at the unexpected movement, and the human dipped his head in an apology. ¡°All set, Tarva,¡± Noah whispered. ¡°Send it over.¡± I tapped a button on my holopad, uploading the data cache to the local internet. The compilation documented everything that had transpired since first contact. It also went over humanity¡¯s surprising ability to form attachments, and the cultural nuances the Federation overlooked in past research. That was the narrative I wanted to circulate. I shared the file wherever I thought it could get traction; social media, discussion boards, and private messages to reporters. With any luck, a few figures in the media would pick it up and ignite a public discourse. Even if they were laughing at the notion, it would introduce viewers to the idea of a friendly predator. ¡°You!¡± A Kolshian with indigo coloration appeared on screen, and I recognized him as the senior Chief Nikonus. A scowl marred his features as he spotted the officer beside me. ¡°We heard what you did, Recel. Shooting your own captain, and releasing a predator?¡± ¡°There were extenuating circumstances. Recel is remanding himself to your custody,¡± I said. Nikonus squinted at the video feed. ¡°You look terrible. The guilt must be eating you alive.¡± The treasonous officer pawed at his eyes. ¡°No¡­I just can¡¯t sleep a wink trapped with this creature. It¡¯s not his fault¡­he covered his eyes for the entire ride, he¡¯s tried staying out of sight¡­but knowing that he¡¯s present¡­¡± ¡°Creature? What is Recel babbling about, Tarva?¡± the Kolshian leader growled. ¡°Don¡¯t freak out, okay? Please.¡± I turned the camera toward the masked predator, who flailed his hand in front of him. ¡°There is Noah; the third and final passenger on our ship. He wants to speak to all of you.¡± Chief Nikonus¡¯ eyes bulged. ¡°Is that¡­¡± ¡°A human. Yes.¡± ¡°Why would you bring a predator here? Are you trying to set it loose on us?!¡± ¡°All we want is to talk. You¡¯re about to attack his planet. Shouldn¡¯t you hear from this supposedly evil species first, before you make a permanent decision? Doesn¡¯t he have a right to defend himself?¡± ¡°Absolutely not. If you weren¡¯t on that vessel, Governor, I¡¯d order it shot down!¡± If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. There was no hesitation from the Kolshian host, which wasn¡¯t a promising sign. Would Nikonus even allow our ship to land at all? What would deter them from gunning Noah down, the second he set foot in the station? ¡°You permitted us entry, before you knew of the human¡¯s presence,¡± I pleaded. ¡°Do the Venlil have a right to address the galaxy?¡± The Chief flared his nostrils. ¡°You have a right to speak, and to state your version of events on record. You¡¯re still a member of the Federation¡­ at least, for now.¡± ¡°Well, I wish for Noah to speak in my stead, and to be treated with the same rights as a Venlil citizen. Look in my eyes. I consider him one of my own.¡± ¡°You have snapped, Tarva! There¡¯s millions of people down here, who don¡¯t want that thing to set foot in our capital. Some of us still value our lives.¡± ¡°It¡¯s one predator versus all of you. You have him well outnumbered.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t let a dangerous beast into the governing chamber. What¡¯s to stop it from eating the nearest leader on television? To stand and gloat about the taste of our children¡¯s blood?¡± ¡°He won¡¯t.¡± ¡°But what if it does?¡± ¡°Then you¡¯ll have documentation of what humanity was like, when the Federation is asked by future generations why we made this decision,¡± Recel interjected. ¡°But I¡¯m telling you, these predators are more civilized than they look.¡± ¡°Please, Nikonus. Let Noah say what he¡¯s come here to say. You don¡¯t want people to think you have something to hide, do you? What harm can a few words do?¡± ¡°Ugh. It can speak for five minutes, and not a second longer. If it so much as stares at anyone the wrong way or stumbles in its footing, it will be shot.¡± The Kolshian chief waved a tentacle assertively. ¡°Nor will I pledge for its safety after that time frame, even if it complies. Understand?¡± Five minutes was hardly enough to break the ice, let alone cover everything in humanity¡¯s arsenal. It was a farce of a trial to appease the Venlil; after which, the Federation could rush to a summary judgment. Noah¡¯s body language betrayed little emotion, but he gave me a nod to signal his acceptance of the terms. I flicked my ears with forced politeness. ¡°We accept. And if you¡¯re interested in objectivity, parse through the data dump. That goes to anyone listening. I¡¯ve uploaded it to social media under my credentials, explaining what we¡¯ve learned since first contact.¡± ¡°You¡¯re pushing your luck, Tarva. I have a lot of preparations to make. Do not disembark until my next transmission.¡± The Kolshian presider cut off the call, uninterested in waiting for my acknowledgement. That could¡¯ve gone better¡­but it also could¡¯ve gone much worse. Recel collapsed into the nearest seat, while I turned back to the pilot¡¯s console. We were moments away from arrival, and had just cleared the spaceport overhang. The ship touched down under my supervision, slipping its tendrils into the docking port. A thud hummed through the walls, and the engine commenced its cooldown process. I breathed a sigh of relief. The Kolshians allowed us to complete our landing sequence, which was half of the challenge. The terminal was adjoined to the governance hall, similar to the reception lawn we had on Venlil Prime. I was pleased to see media personnel and cameras, all trying to catch a glimpse of the predator diplomat. Non-essentials hadn¡¯t been evacuated; not yet, anyway. My play, to talk where everyone could hear us, had paid off. The more eyes on this whole debacle, the better. Noah peeked through the window. Knowing him, the ambassador was itching to survey the alien scenery. A red dot appeared on his forehead, and I screamed at him to get down. The predator dropped to the floor with lightning-quick reflexes. The human removed his mask for a moment, clearly short of breath. Those binocular eyes must be lost in a thousand-yard stare beneath that visor; he laid on the floor in silence for several minutes. I think he was worried if he stood up, the Federation was going to kill him. A trigger-happy shooter could take him out in a heartbeat. Recel studied the predator, as he held his head in his hands. ¡°What are you thinking, human?¡± the disgraced officer asked. Noah snorted. ¡°I¡¯m wondering how the Arxur were ever uplifted, when it¡¯s obvious your hatred for predators is so strong.¡± ¡°Things would¡¯ve been different for humanity if you were the first ones we found. We uplifted dozens of species before them, without issue,¡± Recel explained. ¡°We wanted to accept all sentients.¡± ¡°But all the research you did suggested the Arxur were different. Did prey species fight wars, Recel?¡± ¡°Not in the way you do. Our wars were over limited resources; for survival, when there wasn¡¯t enough to go around. It wasn¡¯t about power, ideology, or bloodshed. That¡¯s why we thought we could fix the grays.¡± I pinned my ears against my head. ¡°We were na?ve and stupid, but I miss the species we were then. Maybe we deserved what happened to us, because of our weakness.¡± ¡°Of course not! I just don¡¯t understand how they took on you all at once.¡± Noah pursed his lips, and dragged himself back to a sitting position. ¡°Even with your help, there¡¯s no way we could steamroll the entire galaxy.¡± Recel stifled a yawn. ¡°We had nothing to defend ourselves with then. The only survivors from that sector of space are the species that ran. We didn¡¯t understand what was happening.¡± ¡°But why didn¡¯t you have any defenses?¡± the predator asked. ¡°You never even considered the possibility of being attacked? No preparation or contingency?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand, because you¡¯ve never known peace. Why would you have planetary defenses when all sapients get along, as a rule? Why would you have warships if you never intended to use them? Humans had a¡­ very different experience on your world.¡± I swiveled my ears down, and allowed their conversation to float into the background. The last thing I wanted at a time like this was to discuss a topic as grim as war, especially when I¡¯m sure Noah had stories that could traumatize me. There was no harm in closing my eyes, just for a few seconds¡­ The world fizzled away, and my mind dissolved into the dark ocean of slumber. ¡°Tarva, wake up.¡± Noah¡¯s visor was inches away from my face; I almost headbutted him when I jerked upright. ¡°The Kolshians told us we can leave the ship. It¡¯s time.¡± It appeared that Recel had already fled from the craft, which didn¡¯t surprise me. If I was a betting woman, I¡¯d wager he was thrilled to be out in fresh air. Back on his own turf, even though it spelled catastrophe for him. The Kolshian officer didn¡¯t want to be confined with a human any longer than necessary. I wonder what will happen to Recel. He¡¯s going to have several counts of treason stacked against him, I mused. The Kolshians could hang him ten times over, if they want to. The human hoisted me to my paws, and half-carried me over to the exit hatch. I leaned on him even after I regained my bearings, reluctant to let go. There was no telling what the Federation would do when we disembarked this ship; we knew for a fact that there were gunmen on standby. We climbed down to the octagonal terminal together, and I struggled to read my surroundings. Dazzling lights were pointed straight at us, likely intended to blind the predator. Noah winced, and brought a hand toward his eyes to soften the blow. The human must be grateful to have the tinted visor to shield his vision. I turned my head to the side, so that the glare wasn¡¯t head-on. Kolshian soldiers were wrapping a trembling Recel in chains, and stuffed a gag in his mouth. One of the guards whipped him on the chin with a nightstick. They seemed to feel more vitriol toward him than the human. ¡°Oops,¡± the guard jeered. ¡°My bad.¡± The officer whimpered, but didn¡¯t fight back against his captors. A pang of concern stabbed at my chest, as they dragged the violet-skinned Kolshian away. Then again, I suppose I should be more worried for Noah¡¯s safety now. Recel still had time to assemble a proper defense, whereas the predator could be dead at a moment¡¯s notice. A Kolshian female raised a megaphone. ¡°Human, take slow steps forward. Walk until we tell you to turn.¡± The human crept forward in shuffling steps; it was obvious he was unsure of his footing. My guess was his eyes were shut all together. I curled my tail around Noah¡¯s wrist, and steered him forward. His pulse raced; I could detect the hammering heartbeat through my fluffy tail. The camera lens¡¯ zeroed in on me, no doubt stupefied that I would incite contact with such a creature. The fact that Noah¡¯s eyes were hidden probably helped our hosts keep their claws off the trigger. The soldiers directed us down a series of hallways, and I tried to look as relaxed as possible. The onlookers would attribute any fear to my proximity to the human. Optics were everything, at this point. I wondered how the leaders would react, when we reached the governing chamber. The announcement of a human¡¯s arrival must¡¯ve come as a shock; that wasn¡¯t what they imagined when they planned this visit. It was one thing to talk about a predator in the abstract, but another to see a waking nightmare in person. The Terran ambassador better have a damn good speech at the ready. Somehow, I didn¡¯t think the Federation gentry would welcome him with open arms. Chapter 20 Memory transcription subject: Governor Tarva of the Venlil Republic Date [standardized human time]: September 10, 2136 The human ambassador strode up to the microphone, and scanned the cavernous auditorium. Every guard on the premises was flocked a safe distance away from the predator, with rifles trained at his head. Barricades and barbed wire stretched in front of the podium. ¡°Hello, leaders and citizens of the Federation. My name is Noah, and I come seeking peace on behalf of humanity.¡± Silence reigned supreme over the chamber, and the human¡¯s words hung in the air with an echo. The seats in the front row were vacated entirely; many of their occupants were sharing stations with the species near the rear wall. Others were pacing by the exits, and a few were absent altogether. Remote viewing must have seemed the best option. ¡°I am sure all of you have heard terrible things about my species. Perhaps some of them are even true. Predators ravaged your worlds and twisted your altruism, and you fear that we bear such intentions.¡± Noah turned his head toward me, and I flicked my ears in support. ¡°But your conclusions are a product of confirmation bias; selecting only evidence that confirms your pre-existing beliefs. Humanity is not the same as the Arxur.¡± The reporters in the upper decks were filming every word. Commentators spoke in soundproofed booths, offering live opinions on some of the most influential political shows in the galaxy. The public viewing balcony was almost empty, so most of the citizenry would witness this display secondhand. The anxious murmurs rippling around showed this wasn¡¯t what anyone was expecting. They were expecting the human to come here, brandishing mocking footage and lobbying threats. It was clear they were concerned how close I was standing to Noah; a few tried to signal ¡®Run¡¯ to me with tail language. ¡°You come in here, wearing a mask, and think that hides what you are?¡± Jerulim, the Krakotl ambassador, leapt out of his seat in outrage. His feathers were puffed out behind him in a semi-circle. ¡°You¡¯re a slaughtering lot of slavers! You round up and gas children!¡± The nearest dignitaries glanced at the avian, and signaled their agreement with tail-waves and ear flicks. It seemed to embolden others to vocalize their opinions. ¡°Wars where millions die are a regular thing on your planet,¡± Darq, the Farsul high elder, joined in. Her thin ears drooped with horror. ¡°You use weapons that maximize suffering and destruction. You invade your neighbors and bomb cities; just like the grays.¡± Noah raised his hands placatingly. ¡°We have inflicted grave suffering upon ourselves, and I admit we have self-destructive tendencies. But as the Venlil can attest, there is another side to humanity. The side of us that is protective and familial, and has always reached to the stars in earnest. We have the traits of both predators and prey.¡± ¡°Yeah, sure. Like what? Mortality? Breathing?¡± Jerulim jeered. ¡°Let¡¯s start with the forward-facing eyes, which seem to be the focal point of your disgust.¡± The human was unfazed by the widespread contempt, keeping his voice level. ¡°They evolved for depth perception, since primates are an arboreal class of mammals. They have nothing to do with hunting, and¡ª¡± ¡°Just happens to help with tracking and killing living creatures too, doesn¡¯t it? Funny!¡± Mazic President Cupo interrupted. ¡°Well¡ª¡± ¡°Which ones of us look tasty to your ¡®arboreal¡¯ eyes?¡± an unidentifiable voice asked. A cacophony of similar-minded leaders spoke up. Animosity and fear were two words that captured the collective mindset to a tee. The shouts ranged from panicked, to accusatory, to blood-seeking. The Kolshian guards stiffened as the meeting dissolved into chaos; no doubt they expected the discordance to elicit a violent response from the predator. ¡°You¡¯re just here to terrorize us! To scope out your enemies.¡± ¡°You kidnapped our civilians! Your first action as a space-faring species was to hold innocents against their will.¡± ¡°Flesh-eating filth. You defile this chamber with your presence.¡± ¡°Why did you assault the Gojids in cold blood?¡± ¡°We should execute this beast. I¡¯d like to see its head roll!¡± My eyes widened in dismay, and Noah ducked his head. This was a beatdown televised to the galaxy; not any genuine attempt at listening. It was only solidifying the viewers¡¯ prejudices, hearing their leaders trounce any attempts for the predator to speak. I noticed a few dignitaries seemed interested in what the human was saying though, which was a glimmer of hope. ¡°SILENCE! I said we would let it speak, and I don¡¯t break my word. Can you not hold your tongues for a few minutes?¡± Chief Nikonus roared. Noah took a deep breath to collect himself. ¡°Thank you. Unlike the Arxur, humans are omnivores. That means our diet is primarily plants. Plants, vegetation, you hear me? We are capable of subsisting without meat, and some of us choose to do so.¡± ¡°But you eat flesh?¡± Jerulim called from the crowd, ignoring the chairman¡¯s glare. ¡°Yes, you personally.¡± ¡°Er, yes. No animal has to die, thanks to science. We grow our meat from cell samples in a lab,¡± the predator added quickly. ¡°Does that not overrule the moral dilemma? Of killing another creature? There is no suffering caused. We¡¯ve done our best within the confines of our nutritional needs.¡± The representatives bore squeamish expressions. While the ethical argument was correct, the mental image that answer evoked was unsettling. They were probably visualizing an unmasked Noah, stooped over a maggot-ridden corpse, with blood dripping down his chin. How could they take the person talking seriously with that thought? Humans seemed to understand the reaction when we asked how they would feel, if they knew someone chowed down on human legs. It wouldn¡¯t matter whether they were ¡°ethically sourced.¡± The idea of consuming animal parts was utterly reprehensible to most species. I respected the Terran¡¯s honesty, but that wasn¡¯t earning him any brownie points with the Federation. Even when I thought about Noah, munching into some artificial animal carcass, it made me shudder. I was happy he didn¡¯t do it in front of me, but I still preferred not to think about it. There was a crevasse of my mind that wondered if humans would find Venlil tasty. Did that craving really make the lovable ambassador salivate? Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Nikonus retched into the wastebin under his station. ¡°Growing flesh in a vat? Let¡¯s change the subject¡­ please.¡± ¡°Gladly. I don¡¯t have time to go over everything on the data cache Tarva shared with you all in detail, as I hoped,¡± the predator stated. ¡°But we¡¯ve included our art, music, relationships, philosophy, culture, architecture, and scientific achievements. You may find beauty in our creation and innovation.¡± I finally found my voice. ¡°The experiments conducted by the Venlil, which proved humans have a wide-range of softer emotions, have been uploaded as well. Your scientists are welcome to review those findings; and I promise, they are replicable, if you wish to see for yourselves.¡± ¡°Ultimately, this is about you, not us. Do you want to kill a race of thinking, feeling people, because they are predators? Just because they have a violent history, and a few biological traits you curl your noses at? Is that reason enough to¡ª" Jerulim tossed his sunset-colored beak. ¡°YES!¡± ¡°If cruelty and violence are reason enough to genocide a species, we should kill all of you.¡± Noah had synced his holopad to the auditorium projector, and cast a video to it. ¡°You want to wipe out humanity without ever hearing us out; with no remorse. How would you respond in our position? What choice are you giving us?¡± A handheld video of a young predator appeared on screen. I winced as recognition dawned on me, and I realized where Noah was taking this. Marcel was holding a light-pink baby prey creature in one arm, feeding it milk with a bottle. The infant suckled eagerly, while the human supported its tiny front legs with gentle fingers. The leaders¡¯ expressions softened at the cute animal, though they seemed worried about the predator dropping the ruse and gobbling it up. ¡°This is Marcel. He volunteers to care for animals in his spare time. Before we learned about the Arxur, he wanted to go to veterinary school. He¡¯s never consumed meat in his life.¡± Noah swiped a button. The footage switched to a news reel, which captured Marcel as he was carted away for emergency care. The prolific wounds presented a stark deterioration from the pristine condition he was in before. It was tough to tell this gaunt, ungroomed human was the same fellow. The red-haired primate looked like a wild predator plucked from the woods. Gasps echoed around the room, and I was relieved to see some genuine pity. Many species averted their eyes. I don¡¯t believe even the ones who wanted humans dead could stomach the execution of such violence. The entire galaxy is going to see this, once the tapes reach them. Noah is forcing them to feel empathy for a predator. The film transitioned to close-ups of the bruises, the emaciated bones, and the neck burns beneath the asphyxiating collar. The haunting finale was a photo of Marcel unconscious in a hospital bed, with a sobbing Slanek at his side. ¡°This is what your captain did to an herbivore human. Sovlin starved him and laughed at his pain, while Marcel begged him to stop.¡± The Terran ambassador¡¯s voice climbed with indignation, and he shook his head in disgust. ¡°It was cruelty for cruelty¡¯s sake. How can you say you¡¯re any different than the Arxur? If that¡¯s not predatory behavior, I don¡¯t know what is.¡± ¡°Wait, he¡¯s not our captain; he answers to Piri. We didn¡¯t tell Sovlin to do that. We had no idea he went that far,¡± Nikonus growled. ¡°I want justice. I want a trial, by your laws or ours. Can you imagine if a human treated one of your people like that? What would you be saying about us?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what you do. You need to die either way,¡± Jerulim muttered. ¡°The whole idea is that you don¡¯t have the chance to fuck us over. You¡¯re not like us.¡± ¡°But who decides who lives or who dies? Who is ¡®like us¡¯? What precedent are you setting? Perhaps there¡¯s an intelligent scavenger out there, who wouldn¡¯t hurt a fly.¡± The human paused for effect, and raised a confident hand. ¡°A predator, who only eats insects and small game? A territorial herbivore, who might lash out at you? Maybe just a tree-dwelling creature who gets targeted for their eyes.¡± Cupo flared his trunk. ¡°T-this is ridiculous! Your whole argument is hypothetical.¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s the hypothetical, that maybe, just maybe, we could be your friends. That¡¯s what I want you to consider.¡± ¡°How do we know you won¡¯t turn on us?¡± the Mazic returned, a hint of fear seeping into his voice. ¡°You don¡¯t. But you¡¯re going to lose this war without our help, and adding us into the mix basically guarantees it. Even if you believe that chance is slim, humanity is your only chance at victory. Work with us to fight the Arxur, as we have offered from the start, or we can all die together. It is your choice.¡± Thoughtful expressions cropped up across the chamber, as the logic of the human¡¯s words sank in. Noah saved a compelling argument for last; appealing to reason where empathy could not prevail. Even if this whole thing was an elaborate ruse, it wouldn¡¯t affect the war¡¯s outcome to fall for it. Nikonus tapped his microphone. ¡°Alright. That¡¯s enough, human.¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯d just like to mention¡ª¡° ¡°No. I let you speak over your allotted time, since these fools kept interrupting you. You can¡¯t say I¡¯m being unfair.¡± ¡°Right. Thank you.¡± The human stepped back from the podium, and seemed to be awaiting further instruction. Chief Nikonus¡¯ prior words, about not vouching for his safety after the speech, rang in my ears. Would the Kolshian soldiers really shoot a diplomat in cold blood, after everything they witnessed? ¡°Exit the chamber with slow steps, and follow the trail of lights on the floor.¡± Nikonus spoke. ¡°We¡¯ve prepared living arrangements. I expect you, at least the human, to stay there indefinitely. I will retrieve you two when all parties have reached a decision.¡± I hovered at Noah¡¯s side as we walked out, and visible relief tugged at my features. The Terran ambassador spotted the emergency lights along the baseboards, and trudged away with quiet reservation. My mind was reeling as we scaled a narrow stairwell, but I was just grateful the human was alive. The selected living arrangements were a full diplomatic suite, complete with plumbing and a kitchenette. Two trays of fruit mash, with an algae and grain garnish, waited on the bedstand. Noah¡¯s species needed more protein in their diet. However, I wasn¡¯t going to explain that when the Kolshians were serving him a gourmet meal, the same as everyone else. They could¡¯ve starved him and tossed him in a dingy cell. The human flung off his visor. After wearing it for days, the rough metal had left an indentation around his eyes. A deep sadness danced in his chocolate irises, and months of weariness bubbled to the surface. ¡°I¡¯m trying so hard, Tarva. This was my dream,¡± Noah muttered. I placed a paw on his shoulder. ¡°You were amazing!¡± The predator sighed. ¡°It didn¡¯t feel like that. It felt like nothing I said mattered.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wrong,¡± a new voice chimed in. ¡°As with most things in life, the hate-infused rhetoric stems from a vocal minority. Idiots speak the loudest. Reasonable people tend to be the quiet ones.¡± The human¡¯s head snapped up, and his eyes locked on the Zurulian at the door. The Zurulians were a neighboring species to us and the Gojids. With their quadrupedal anatomy, shaggy brown fur and cub-like ears, they looked smaller than they were. I imagine the visitor triggered Noah¡¯s ¡°cute¡± response, which made him all the more aware of his predatory visage. The Terran ambassador practically fell over himself to scoop his visor off the floor. He pressed a hand to his face in the interim, peeking between his fingers in comical fashion. Noah fumbled with his headgear, panicking. ¡°Er, I apologize. I wasn¡¯t expecting company so soon.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. You don¡¯t have to apologize for your appearance. Leave the visor off, friend.¡± The male Zurulian averted his eyes briefly, before continuing. ¡°I¡¯m Chauson, behavioral scientist with the Galactic Institute of Medicine. May I come in?¡± ¡°Yes, go ahead! Please do,¡± Noah said. ¡°I¡¯ve been speaking in our Prime Minister¡¯s ear, before you ever went on stage. He¡¯s my brother,¡± the scientist explained. ¡°Those Venlil experiments are irrefutable. You sympathize with our plight, and you take no joy in suffering. With that new evidence in mind, we¡¯re willing to change our position on humanity.¡± ¡°You are? I¡¯m thrilled to hear that someone can grasp the truth.¡± ¡°At long last. The Zurulian government expresses our desire to begin anew, and I only hope that doesn¡¯t come too late. Would you like to open diplomatic relations?¡± Noah¡¯s eyes crinkled around the edges, which indicated that a smile was hidden beneath his mask. The Terran ambassador felt his mission was worthwhile, if he swayed a single species. That wondrous enthusiasm returned to his predatory gaze, as bright as the day we first met. ¡°Yes, we would like that, very much. More than you know. Humanity¡¯s door is always open.¡± Chapter 21 Memory transcription subject: Slanek, Venlil Space Corps Date [standardized human time]: September 23, 2136 Thanks to the destruction of Gojid military outposts, human forces were able to waltz through their systems without challenge. Piri recalled all vessels to protect their cradle-world, which meant the attack on Earth was postponed. With their border detection systems and complex defense network offline, their only play was to hold their core planets. The rambunctious behavior of the humans, on the transport ride to the Gojid homeworld, struck me as odd. Their vulgarity multiplied by an exponential factor, once we were among the regular soldiers; the outpost visitors never made such explicit or demeaning comments. Even Marcel made some quips to his counterparts that came across as downright cruel, but they just laughed it off. I was beginning to realize that these predators may have toned themselves down, so as not to exacerbate our fears. How can they mess around at a time like this? Don¡¯t they know what they¡¯re walking into? My human was ¡®playing¡¯ some ¡®game¡¯ with his new friend, Tyler, which was difficult for me to spectate. As I observed, my buddy¡¯s on-screen avatar shot an enemy, while gunfire sound effects blared from the speakers. Marcel¡¯s laser-focused expression became gleeful, and his counterpart cursed. The screen shifted to a replay, which showed the bullet penetrating the avatar¡¯s head from a side angle. The body dropped in slow motion, as though the game was glamorizing its demise. Why would the Terrans want to simulate murder and warfare, for fun? I hated seeing my friend conduct himself in a predatory manner. It was disconcerting, to say the least. Come to think of it, the ruckus the predators were creating caused me discomfort, in general. I really wanted a hug, and for them to turn off that uncivilized game. However, I didn¡¯t want to embarrass my Terran friend by collapsing into his grip; that would put him in an uncomfortable position. According to my recent reading, human males were taught not to display emotion in public. Marcel grinned as Tyler called him obscenities, and my ears drooped against my head. I was hyper-aware that I was the only Venlil on this ship. I felt neglected and¡­alone, in this awful cage. We¡¯re less than an hour away from our destination, Slanek. You need to get yourself together. I slipped away while the red-haired human was distracted, and locked myself into the lavatory. My snuffling echoed through the chamber, as full-throated sobs racked my body. Why couldn¡¯t I just be happy that my friend was improving? It was idiotic to think that Marcel needed me. There were too many rowdy predators here, and I was just going to get in the way. Whatever bonding had occurred between us, my species was too emotional and sensitive. I could never be one of his kind; it was more enjoyable for him to hang with his own people. Maybe my human was bored of me, now that the alien novelty had worn off. Had I been suffocating the redhead, when I shepherded his recovery? My sentimentality must be grating on his nerves. All we were to the Terrans was a burden. They had to be gentle with Venlil, and couldn¡¯t be their true selves. ¡°Slanek.¡± A rapping sound emanated on the frame, and Marcel¡¯s agitated voice trickled into my ears. Surprise tingled in my chest that he even noticed my departure. ¡°Slanek, open the door.¡± ¡°Go away,¡± I growled. Regret pulsed through my mind, instantly, but it was too late to take the words back. I didn¡¯t want to hurt him, or push him away. What if this was what Sara meant, when she warned me not to call him a monster? I needed to let him make new friends, if that was what helped his recovery; even if it meant replacing me. ¡°I can¡¯t do that.¡± The human tugged at the sliding door, making the frame wobble. ¡°Don¡¯t make me kick this down, ya big fluffer.¡± I blinked away the tears, and tried to collect myself. My claws hooked on the locking mechanism, and began to unclasp it. Marcel pushed his way inside the second it opened, and knelt beside me. His hazel gaze softened when he looked at me; judging by the irritation, my eyes were red and puffy. ¡°Are you okay? Did I do something wrong?¡± he whispered. I shook my head. ¡°No.¡± ¡°The video games bother you? You think it¡¯s senseless and violent. Predatory?¡± ¡°Yeah. But that¡¯s not why I¡¯m crying¡­at least, I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re homesick?¡± ¡°Not really. Ah, don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s stupid.¡± The human crossed his arms, and raised his eyebrows. The unwavering look he gave me stated, I¡¯m not budging until you spill. A tear strayed down my cheek. ¡°You¡¯ve been different ever since we got on this ship, Marc. I feel like you don¡¯t want me here.¡± Marcel recoiled like he¡¯d been slapped, and stared at me in silence. My heart sank; the soldier wasn¡¯t denying it. The human finally shook his head and chuckled, a stubborn grin clinging to his face. How could even a predator find that amusing? A snarl tugged at my lips. ¡°Don¡¯t laugh at me!¡± ¡°I am going to laugh at you, when you say something that fucking dumb,¡± he snorted. ¡°How is it dumb? It¡¯s like you¡¯ve lost all interest in talking to me, or doing anything together.¡± Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°Slanek, you¡¯ve been avoiding me with a ten-foot pole. You haven¡¯t so much as wagged your tail at me, and it¡¯s suddenly like any contact with me repulses you. So I¡¯ve been keeping my distance, and trying to figure out what I did.¡± ¡°Huh? Don¡¯t you want your¡­¡®personal space?¡¯ I read a lot of books on human psychology to prep for this trip. They said you have an aversion to close contact. I didn¡¯t want to pester or embarrass you in front of the other guys.¡± ¡°We have a problem with other humans in our bubble. But you? You¡¯re fine, because you¡¯re cute. Look, anyone that objects to me cuddling you is probably the type of person that kicks puppies for fun. So they can fuck right off.¡± A chuckle trilled from my throat. All the predatory stressors compounded my emotions, and it hadn¡¯t even occurred to me that I was the one who withdrew. Marcel was only respecting what he saw as my wishes. I squinted at him. ¡°You¡¯re having more fun with the other humans, though. You look so happy¡­and I want you to be¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m just trying to get to know the guys. We¡¯re going to be fighting alongside of them. I don¡¯t want everyone to treat me like some charity case, just because I¡¯m¡­¡± Marcel trailed off, pointing to his pink scars. ¡°That¡¯s all I¡¯m known for, Slanek. I don¡¯t want that.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t define you. Anyone who thinks it does can ¡®fuck right off¡¯, to use your phrase.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m sorry if I made you feel excluded, buddy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry too.¡± ¡°All is forgiven. So, now that we¡¯re good¡­can I pick you up?¡± As soon as he saw my ears flick, Marcel scooped me up in his arms. I felt joyful as he carried me to the couch, unashamed of our bond. The predator switched off the gaming console, noticing my sigh of relief; I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted to be in his grip while he was focused on simulated death. ¡°C¡¯mon man! We had one more round,¡± Tyler protested. ¡°I felt sorry for you. Mercy rule.¡± Marcel scratched my forehead, and the other soldier smiled at me too. Somehow, the expression looked much more ferocious on his lips than my human¡¯s. ¡°Besides¡ª¡± Our room was plunged into darkness, as the lights snapped out in unison. The transport lurched beneath my paws, and the long-limbed humans reached for nearby furniture to steady themselves. Gojid orbital defenses must¡¯ve nailed us, which meant we entered their orbit. In the dim lighting, the predators¡¯ faces were cloaked in shadow; it bore a striking resemblance to our prehistoric beasts, lurking in the night. The only thing I could see was the faint glint of Marcel¡¯s eyes, and the rapid movement of his arms. He draped me over his shoulder, while terror numbed my mind. I could hardly even squirm in his firm grip; not that my body was obeying my brain¡¯s commands. I wanted to protest, but couldn¡¯t manage anything more than squeaks of gibberish. Slanek, don¡¯t pass out like you did against the Arxur. You¡¯re supposed to be watching out for Marc, I scolded myself. Do you have to freeze, every time you¡¯re in imminent danger? How are you going to make it in a warzone? Another tremor pounded the transport, and the overhead ceiling creaked. The shields buzzed from the impact''s dispersal, but some of the damage trickled through. This Gojid barrage meant an early departure for Terran soldiers launching to the surface; the main vessel wasn¡¯t going to be able to get us as close as they wanted. ¡°I¡¯m surprised the Gojids found us so soon,¡± Tyler barked. ¡°What about the ships we sent ahead as decoys? To draw their defenses away?¡± I lowered my ears. ¡°I¡¯m sure they predicted your predatory tactics. Ruses and deceit¡­that¡¯s all you guys.¡± Marcel¡¯s fingers tightened around my stomach. ¡°You don¡¯t have to make it sound nefarious, Slanek. Everything we do isn¡¯t predator this, predator that. We just want a tactical advantage.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re a predator, whether you like it or not. I don¡¯t mean it to be unkind,¡± I responded. ¡°The Arxur are ambush predators too. We¡¯ve been conditioned to expect them to use stealth, or lure us away.¡± Tyler snorted. ¡°We¡¯re not ambush predators though. We¡¯re persi¡­¡± ¡°SHUT THE FUCK UP!¡± I gaped as Marcel jabbed a heel into the other human¡¯s boot, and caused Tyler¡¯s words to break off. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare finish that sentence.¡± ¡°Ow, shit. I¡¯m sorry, man. I wasn¡¯t thinking.¡± ¡°Wait, you¡¯re what?¡± I asked in a tentative voice. ¡°Marcel, why did you stop him? You¡­you¡¯re s-scaring me, roaring like that.¡± My eyes had adjusted to the lighting enough to see my human gritting his teeth. I had been around the Terrans long enough to know that was no smile. It was too strained. He was terrified that immediate disclosure would freak me out. What secret was Marcel hiding? Didn¡¯t humans have to be ambush predators, primarily? All of our scientists were certain that was their only viable hunting strategy. They were slow, and their brains were their only advantage. ¡°Do you trust me, Slanek?¡± he whispered. I nuzzled his shoulder. ¡°Yes.¡± Marcel turned into a hangar bay. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m an¡­abomination? Like Sovlin and Zarn did?¡± ¡°No. You know I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯d like to keep it that way. I¡¯ll tell you, but not right now. Then, it can be our secret. Okay?¡± ¡°F-fine. But I¡¯m not going to forget.¡± My friend sighed, and scratched his fresh buzz-cut with frustration. I could tell from how his strides quickened that he didn¡¯t want to convey that information at all. Something about this whole exchange unsettled me deep in my bones. Wouldn¡¯t any explanation of humanity¡¯s evolution be a good thing? In their position, I would want to put as many scientific questions to rest as I could. It would help galactic leaders make an informed decision about Terran society and inclinations. Marcel set me on the floor, and slipped a bulky harness over his shoulders. I scrutinized his body language, trying to determine why he wouldn''t confide in me. If anything, not defaulting to ambush predation distanced humanity from the Arxur. What could be more heinous than stealth? ¡°Now, on the topic of trust,¡± the red-haired human began. ¡°I¡¯m going to strap you to my vest and sedate you. Everything will be alright, I promise.¡± ¡°What?¡± I scrambled backward, and collided tail-first with Tyler. ¡°Why? You¡­don¡¯t need to knock me out.¡± Marcel cinched his vest straps. ¡°You know we¡¯re jumping out of a shuttle from the upper atmosphere. I don¡¯t think you want to be awake for that.¡± ¡°W¡­you¡­wha¡­what? NO! I THOUGHT THAT WAS A JOKE!¡± ¡°We don¡¯t joke about our crazy military shit,¡± Tyler chuckled. My entire body quivered with dread, and my tail bunched up between my legs. Bile rose in my throat, a byproduct of the nausea racking my stomach. This was suicide! Nobody in their right mind, or even the Arxur, would choose to freefall from the clouds. Tree-dwelling predators like the humans should have some fear of heights, or at least of slipping to their deaths. Maybe that¡¯s what kind of predators they were? Leaping from great heights onto their prey? ¡°You won¡¯t remember any of it,¡± Marcel insisted, creeping toward me. ¡°You¡¯ll just go to sleep, and you¡¯ll wake up on the ground. Leaving you here is not an option, okay?¡± The Terran ship pitched to the side, as it was pounded by another enemy assault. The shields rendered a negligible difference this time, and the thunderous jolt made my molars rattle. I squeezed my eyes shut, and tried to think. My options were to go up in flames, or to enter a drug-induced state of helplessness, as a predator dragged me toward the ground. The only image in my mind was myself as a splat of blood on the pavement. What if the sedative wore off before our deaths, and my last moments were hurtling through purple skies at terminal velocity? I just couldn¡¯t do it, even for Marcel. I was going to tell the humans to leave me, and then figure out something else. As a Venlil, there was always the option for me to surrender myself. The Gojids would take me as a prisoner if I took a shuttle over there, alone¡­ There was a prick in my neck, and I yelped at the unexpected pain. My eyes blinked open to see Marcel stooped beside me, inserting a needle into my skin. The human already unloaded the entire syringe? With the tranquilizers flowing through my veins, I was going to be at the predators¡¯ mercy. A scream of horror came from my throat. ¡°NO! PLEASE, DON''T! Marc¡­¡± My eyelids felt impossibly heavy, and my vision shrank to a pinhole. The last thing I remembered was collapsing into the human¡¯s arms, certain he was about to kill us both. Chapter 22 Memory transcription subject: Slanek, Venlil Space Corps Date [standardized human time]: September 23, 2136 I stirred to an array of screams, chaotic and unhinged; the perishing squeals of prey falling at a predator¡¯s claws. My ears keyed in to pounding pawsteps on the grass. Those were unmistakable thumps of animals running around in terror. Bullet spurts were also a constant, cropping up from both scattered Terran friendlies and lucid Gojids. I¡¯m alive, and I think I¡¯m in one-piece. Hooray? By the looks of it, the enemy were fleeing from a military base by the hundreds. It seemed to be a fifty-fifty split, which of the Gojids were fighting and which were on the run. All the sentries and watchtowers, set up to counter a previous Arxur siege, were useless against an aerial drop. It was embarrassingly easy for the Terran forces to take control of the military institution, and continue to expand their perimeter. There was no organized response like the humans expected from a predominant Federation power. No one accounted for predators falling from the sky, and landing smack dab in the middle of their fortresses. Many Gojid soldiers were in a panic; several had tossed their weapons aside, even as officers tried to restore order. A few individuals were lying prostrate on the ground. Others ran for seemingly unharmed ground vehicles, only to find the devious humans slashed their tires. Anyone who fled to buildings for shelter was tracked by a Terran breach team. Predatory soldiers flushed their quarry out, adept in the art of clearing structures. Their arboreal roots only bolstered their mastery of ground warfare; there was no safe haven amidst their shocking incursion. The Gojids at least had a chance against the Arxur. They could shoot down their shuttles, scout for their traps, and prepare for their advances, I thought. This is something else. This degree of surprise factor will only work once. It was horrifying to look around at the enemy corpses littering the premises. Many were riddled with bullets, mowed down without remorse by the ravenous Terran troopers. The ghastly sights, of organs perforating skin and blood pooling from agonized soldiers, sickened me to the core. Predators were simply everywhere, corralling their prey to perfection. Was this really what humans practiced throughout their history? Was that disposition hard-wired into their DNA? ¡°Slanek, you¡¯re awake!¡± Tyler¡¯s voice came from behind me, making me jump. ¡°Take it easy, at least until the drugs wear off. We¡¯ll get you a pistol when you¡¯re more alert.¡± Panic seized at my heart. ¡°Where is Marcel?!¡± ¡°Over there,¡± he replied, pointing. Marcel was laying on his side with a communicator pressed to his face. A scoped rifle was tucked under his armpit, poised to pick off any Gojids attempting to return to the battle. The human found a group of enemy soldiers assembling out of his range, and watched with unblinking eyes. He barked out coordinates in a throaty snarl. A small aircraft, which didn¡¯t seem large enough to fit a pilot, descended over the enemy gathering. Its dimensions were minuscule enough to evade Gojid air defenses. I assumed it was¡­ some sort of Terran murder robot? Sure enough, kinetic fire rained down with incessant whirring, followed by a succinct missile explosion. Smoke accumulated in the air, as body parts, guts, and earth were dispelled from the epicenter. The humans didn¡¯t want the enemy to have time to form ranks or generate a plan. ¡°This is their military?¡± Marcel muttered. ¡°When we landed and their fellow soldiers started to be taken out around them¡­there was just mass panic. I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°You¡¯re seeing true fear. Everything becomes a free-for-all, and you lose your sense of self,¡± I growled. ¡°Forget reason, or thought; you¡¯re just drowning.¡± The concept of a stampede was intuitive as blinking or breathing, to any decent-sized herbivore. In situations where bizarre and unanticipated threats took hold, it was easy to sink into a mindless daze. Feeling surrounded, races of notable intelligence were reduced to a herd of primitive animals. Every instinct demands to run, but you don¡¯t know where to run to. One person races off in a direction, and pandemonium erupts. Everyone follows their lead, because they don¡¯t know what else to do. Individuals like me, with an inclination to freeze, often got trampled as collateral. When I joined the Venlil Space Corps, a good chunk of our training was dedicated to overriding our flighty instincts. Virtual reality simulations of the Arxur, closing in on all sides, were common. A commander couldn¡¯t manage a total breakdown of military order, with soldiers fleeing the battlefield in droves. The predators startling the young Gojid conscripts, and simultaneously closing off escape routes, set up the perfect scenario for a stampede. Honestly, that was where large herbivores were at their most dangerous. Raw instinct could encourage groups to plow through the threat. Humans concentrated fire on any Gojid clusters charging, causing them to turn away. ¡°I hope you can forgive me for dragging you out a spacecraft, against your will.¡± Marcel pursed his lips. ¡°It wasn¡¯t my first choice.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re not hurt.¡± My ears laid back against my head, unsettled by the notion. ¡°That would¡¯ve been awful, to wake up and find that out.¡± ¡°Aw,¡± Tyler purred, with a monstrous grin. ¡°The Venlil are really sweet, aren¡¯t they? I kind of want one.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t phrase it like that. Venlil are good companions, but they¡¯re not something you fucking own,¡± my predator growled. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Despite their chatter, neither of the humans¡¯ eyes left the battlefield. A group of Gojid soldiers were hiding behind a large tree, a few hundred paces away. These hostiles retained their wits enough to shoot at any Terrans in the vicinity. Stray rounds impacted the hillock, whiskers shy of our position, and forced the predators to hunker down. Marcel¡¯s breathing hitched, and his gun barrel swiveled in slight increments. Calling in the coordinates would waste precious seconds; the primate thought he could take the shot himself. One finger crept over the trigger, as a hint of a smirk tugged at his face. Was my friend enjoying this skirmish? Perhaps as much as those ¡°video games?¡± There is another side to him, to all of humanity, that I didn¡¯t appreciate. I¡¯d be curious if we ran those famed brain experiments, right now. Their aggression is concerning. They look¡­hungry. Tyler followed his partner¡¯s lead, pressing his chin into the dirt. The blond-haired male lined up his own shot, and the two humans synced their motions. Ever the cooperative pack predators, they placed a pair of bullets through their targets¡¯ heads in quick succession. I recoiled in disgust as I saw how pleased the Terrans were with themselves. There shouldn¡¯t be anything enjoyable about murder. ¡°Base air defenses are disabled and under UN control. Unit 13, proceed into the Gojid merchant settlement. We expect hostile reinforcements by nightfall.¡± A male voice on the other end of the radio crackled to life. ¡°Commence occupation of the city, and establish a base of operations when the area is secure. Be advised civilians are fleeing en masse.¡± My jaw almost dropped to the dirt. Why was the Terran commander advising his troops of the civilians fleeing? So they could pick them off or intercept them? Those were families vacating their homes with tiny children; terrified people who didn¡¯t want to end up as a predator¡¯s evening supper. ¡°Slanek, the CO said that so we use discretion which targets we shoot. It¡¯s difficult to tell a fleeing civilian from an army coward right now.¡± Marcel grunted, without even turning his head. ¡°Sometimes, I wonder what you think we are. The only civilians we want are political figures.¡± I blinked in confusion. Did I say that out loud? I was certain I hadn¡¯t. It was almost like the human could read my mind; my thoughts must be quite transparent. Most likely, the unnerved emotions had showed on my face. This warfare business left me shaken up, since it showcased the ruthless predator in them all. ¡°W-why are you invading the settlement then?¡± I stammered. ¡°Seizing this particular city will disrupt their supply chain. Forcing a surrender is what we want, without a long-term conflict. We can¡¯t occupy every square inch of the planet. We have to be selective with our targets.¡± The two humans dusted themselves off, and crawled back down the grassy knoll. My heartbeat raced as we packed in with the rest of their unit; many dilated eyes turned toward me with interest. In stark contrast to the vessels I served on, there was not a single soldier panicking or crying. There was an unnatural amount of composure and structure. My mind wandered as we exited the north gate, trundling toward the walled settlement. Ground vehicles, which my human explained had been ¡°airdropped¡± as well, served as an armored method to clear the path. It was a short ride to the city outskirts. There was so much carnage; I saw a handful of Terrans dragging an enemy away with a bag over their head. ¡°What are you doing with the surrendering Gojids? And the wounded ones?¡± I blurted. ¡°You see the people with the red cross band on their sleeves? Those are medics,¡± Tyler explained. ¡°If you get hurt by those spiky freaks, God forbid, go see them.¡± Marcel sighed. ¡°Anyone who surrenders is being held as a prisoner. We¡¯re treating any human and Gojid soldiers still alive.¡± Our procession rolled to an unforeseen halt. Tree branches, barricades, and spike strips were laid out in a desperate attempt to obstruct the road. The Terrans disembarked their vehicles, and Marcel propped my paws around his neck to spare me from walking. My stomach lurched as I got a glimpse inside the settlement. There were two routes out of the city, according to the maps Venlil intelligence provided. The main gate was large enough to fit three vehicles side-by-side; with tens of thousands of people trying to evacuate, it turned into a bottleneck. Civilian corpses were splayed by the gates, and others were beaten badly enough to be immobilized. Many of the bodies were children, with skulls cracked open and limbs shattered to pieces. Half-conscious individuals staggered or crawled away from the approaching soldiers. They were ¡°fish in a barrel¡±, as the Terrans say. Did the predators do this? Was Marcel lying about his commander¡¯s intent? I realized as we drew closer that several of the cuts looked like clawmarks, and that pawprints were stamped into the blood pools. This was the aftermath of a citywide stampede, not a predatory massacre. The inhabitants'' desperation to escape, before the predators'' arrival, was something I could only imagine. The humans, to their credit, didn¡¯t seem jubilant about the civilian casualties. ¡°Holy shit,¡± Tyler breathed. Marcel lowered his rifle. ¡°What kind of parent leaves their child behind, Slanek? To bleed out in the streets.¡± I bowed my head in shame. ¡°I thought you guys did that for a second. I¡¯m sorry.¡± My human ignored me with a huff, and marched over to one of the Gojid children. She was crying for her mother, while tears poured down her face. Her leg was pulverized from prolonged trampling, and cuts laced across her body. Marcel knelt beside the kid, removing his helmet with slow motions. ¡°Hi, sweetie. I¡¯m Marcel. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°D-don¡¯t eat me! HELP! MOMMY!¡± she sobbed. ¡°Nobody is going to hurt you.¡± The human removed a Venlil plushy with oversized features from his duffel bag. He handed it to the child, a patient look in his eyes. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± I wasn¡¯t even going to ask why the primate was carrying that toy on his person. The Gojid toddler eyed it with suspicion, before hugging the soft fluff against her body. My presence, riding on the scary predator¡¯s back, might serve as a soothing factor as well. ¡°Nulia,¡± she said with a sniffle. ¡°My mom says you¡¯re bad people.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a pretty name, Nulia. Parents are wrong about lots of things,¡± Marcel replied. Nulia whined in pain. ¡°Where did you get those scars, Mawsle? You look mean.¡± ¡°One of your officers tortured him because he looked scary,¡± I growled. ¡°Marcel has some nerve, to be born with forward-facing eyes. They threw him in a cage, electrocuted him, and¡ª¡± ¡°Slanek! She¡¯s a child.¡± The human drew an inhaler from his pack and passed it to Nulia. ¡°Breathe this. It¡¯ll help with the pain.¡± ¡°You were hurt just because your eyes are ugly?¡± She suckled on the canister, surveying the predator with earnestness. ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem fair.¡± Marcel blinked, a far-off look in his gaze. ¡°It¡¯s not fair at all. Humans just want your leaders not to kill us. We¡¯re here to stop them from destroying our homes and our loved ones.¡± Other humans were tending to downed civilians as well, scrambling to set up a temporary medical tent. There was the side of the predators I was fond of: the empathetic nurturers. That wasn¡¯t the typical flavor of an Arxur siege; no rogue soldiers were attempting to sample Gojid flesh, or salivating at the blood. With the grays, the cost of surrender was always higher than fighting on. No matter how steep the penalties. If they saw Terran mercy, the Gojidi Union might be willing to admit defeat. The actual evidence suggested these predators were civilized, with rules and boundaries. ¡°So, if you don¡¯t want to eat me¡­can you fix my leg?¡± Nulia asked. My friend¡¯s gaze lit up. ¡°Yeah! We¡¯ll try to find your parents after.¡± The humans had no motive to help, yet their trained killers were falling over themselves to render life-saving aid. It was striking how their instinct led them to prioritize and coddle the children. If it was like this across the globe, the Terrans¡¯ civilian policy would worm its way into the local broadcasts. Wouldn''t it be ironic, if the tide of public opinion began to shift? Captain Sovlin must be having a coronary right about now. Chapter 23 Memory transcription subject: Slanek, Venlil Space Corps Date [standardized human time]: September 27, 2136 Waves of Gojid reinforcements arrived after the predators¡¯ initial takeover. The humans¡¯ strategic advantage was that they could be liberal when hurling artillery into enemy ranks. Our opponents were more hesitant, bearing the knowledge that civilians were trapped within city limits. To their credit, the Gojids adapted to the novel predatory tactics quickly. To counteract the unmanned UN ships, the fresh troops carried out manual surface-to-air missile launches. That made precision strikes a more challenging affair. From what I heard, most Gojid politicians escaped to an unknown bunker location, which meant the Terrans were also thwarted on their main objective. The humans resolved to hold their perimeter, exacting a heavy price in blood for every inch they were forced to concede. They took up guard at positions with open sight-lines, and made Gojid advances suicide. With neither side able to make progress, the situation became a stand-off. Our rivals must be steaming at their failure to reclaim any significant landmarks. ¡°Slanek, you need to eat something. You haven¡¯t touched your plate. We¡¯re on next watch,¡± Tyler mumbled through a mouthful of food. The blond human was shoveling brown crumbles down his gullet, one after the other. This person, that I knew and traveled with, was consuming meat. Real, actual flesh bits, like it was the most ordinary thing in the world. No wonder Marcel had taken Nulia away for mealtime, and told me I should eat alone. I didn¡¯t want to be impolite when Tyler asked if I wanted company. The thought hadn¡¯t even crossed my mind, that he would indulge in such a savage feast. My appetite vanished as soon as I saw him bite into those rations. There were so many animal pieces, contaminating the entire meal. The queasiness in my stomach was swelling upward, like a thrashing wave at high tide. He¡¯s eating the burnt skin and muscle of a dead animal. Crunching it between his fangs. Fucking hell, I cursed internally. This predator is swallowing those carcass shavings without hesitation. He¡¯s enjoying it, even. Acid gurgled in my throat, and I spewed my stomach contents onto the ground. The human¡¯s blue eyes widened in alarm, and he rushed to my side. The flesh-eating beast patted my back, whispering soothing words. He dabbed a towel against my mouth, wiping off the vomit specks. ¡°It¡¯s okay, buddy,¡± Tyler hummed. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you were sick.¡± How could this predator try to emulate normal behavior, after what he just did? All I could think was that he was a disgusting animal, and that he was probably breathing flesh particles onto my neck. It was all I could do not to kick my hindlegs into his carnivorous stomach. I tried to spit the taste of puke out of my mouth. ¡°I¡­want you to leave.¡± ¡°Um, yeah, alright. Let me get Marcel first, and he can check on you.¡± I breathed a sigh of relief as the human exited the tent, and tried not to look at the meal remains he left behind. Most of these predators here ate meat, didn¡¯t they? It was a standard part of their diet; Marcel was the rare exception that refrained from such horrid consumption. I couldn¡¯t have the vegetarian back at my side fast enough. My human returned with a sleeping Nulia tucked against his chest. The Gojid child had her leg fixed in a cast, and seemed to be in better spirits after a few days. Remarkably, her spines were laying flat on her back, despite being in a predator¡¯s clutches. Marcel rubbed the bristles, careless to the fact that they could extend and prickle him at any moment. ¡°Marc,¡± I whined. ¡°Please¡­¡± His hazel eyes landed on the table. ¡°What the fuck, man? You brought predator food around Slanek?¡± Tyler glanced at his plate. ¡°Oh¡­that¡¯s why he threw up? Shit, I¡¯m sorry. Slanek, I¡¯m real sorry, bro.¡± ¡°Get the fuck out of here!¡± Marcel growled. ¡°And for God¡¯s sake, take your shit-ass MRE with you.¡± The other human grabbed his food, and rushed away as my friend shot him a blistering glare. The redhead cupped a hand over Nulia¡¯s eyes as she stirred, so she wouldn¡¯t see what Tyler had been munching on. I don¡¯t think I was ever going to be able to look at that meat-eating predator the same. That savage display made my skin crawl. I lowered my ears. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making you yell at your friend.¡± ¡°Shh, it¡¯s okay, Slanek. Let¡¯s go outside and get some fresh air,¡± Marcel said. ¡°You¡¯ll feel better. Then, we¡¯ll clean up that mess. Everything is going to be fine.¡± My mind began to settle once we wandered out beneath the starlight. The red-haired human tickled Nulia¡¯s nose, making her giggle. It was clear he took a shine to the Gojid child, despite the feelings he harbored toward Sovlin and her species as a whole. I didn¡¯t understand how his brain operated sometimes. ¡°If you¡¯re happy and you know it, clap your paws.¡± The human sang in a low voice, shooting a glance toward me. The kid squealed and slapped him on the chest, which I don¡¯t think was the instruction. ¡°If you¡¯re happy¡ª¡± Two bright orange flashes detonated on the horizon, striking the most-populated regions of the settlement. Marcel¡¯s song died out as he observed the explosions, and my own eyes widened with horror. I thought the Terrans were opposed to an orbital bombardment! Why had these predators gone through the trouble of an invasion, just to do that? Were they lashing out because they failed to capture their desired political targets? More bombs fell close behind, striking points across the skyline, with the undeniable intention of scoring casualties. Aircraft ripped through the sky, dispersing a trail of interceptors to avoid being shot down. They were searching for a flat stretch of land on the city outskirts. Most likely, they wanted to touch down a shuttle and dispatch ground troops. The humans don¡¯t have aircraft like that, and they didn¡¯t land like that. Which means¡­ ¡°All Terran forces, report to your extraction point. The UN fleet is engaging Arxur hostiles above-world.¡± Terse orders carried over the radio, confirming my worst suspicions. ¡°But, they have already attained orbital supremacy. Their intent appears to be glassing the planet.¡± Any sign of weakness was the Arxur¡¯s invitation to pounce. The sadistic predators must¡¯ve sensed that something was off from the destruction of the Gojid border outposts. As they advanced to the core systems, the lack of resistance from patrol ships or FTL disruptors confirmed those suspicions. The Terran incursion left this system vulnerable to the true threat. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Fear coursed through my veins, and the nausea began to simmer again. Facing the grays after this miserable, irredeemable week was a dreadful thought. I felt like I was about to snap as things were. Meanwhile, the UN soldiers in the camp grabbed their weapons. They held no such reservations about drawing reptilian blood. I suspected fighting the Arxur was the reason most humans joined the Terran reserves. ¡°Not good. We have to evacuate as many people as we can,¡± my human grumbled. ¡°But, I¡¯m just going to get you two out of here. You¡¯re all that matters to me.¡± Marcel withdrew his hand as Nulia¡¯s spines bristled, but didn¡¯t seem angered by the blood spots dotting his palm. He balanced the Gojid child in his arms, and knelt to let me climb onto his back. The weight proved difficult for him to handle. The predator grunted with exertion, shuffling forward in slow steps. The child¡¯s life comes first, obviously. We can¡¯t abandon her to a predator¡¯s whims like her mother did. Marc doesn¡¯t want to leave either of us behind, but it¡¯s too much. I disembarked. It was uncertain whether I could run more than a few minutes, or keep up with a human¡¯s long strides. But Nulia had no hope, if left to her own devices; with her maimed leg, she couldn¡¯t walk on her own. Marcel knelt back down. ¡°Slanek, no. I am not going anywhere without you. Listen¡­ I can handle this.¡± ¡°Take the kid. I¡¯ll be fine,¡± I managed. My slender legs trotted after the departing Terran soldiers, trusting that I could follow their footsteps. Two hands grabbed me from behind, and I yelped in alarm. My head snapped around, teeth bared with the intention to bite my assailant. There was a moment of hesitation as I realized it was Tyler; the very human Marcel just chased out of my tent. A shudder rippled down my spine. The last thing I wanted was for this flesh-eater to stick his grubby paws on me. But it seemed to be the best solution for Marcel¡¯s sake, so I decided to tolerate the unwanted contact. My friend hesitated, seeing me squirm in discomfort. ¡°You¡¯ve got Slanek, Ty?¡± ¡°Yep. No man left behind. We all stick together,¡± Tyler replied. The blond predator shifted me onto his back, and he jogged off with Marcel close behind. The humans¡¯ breathing grew a bit more laborious, although I¡¯d hardly call it panting. The predators ran for minutes without carving a dent into their stamina; there were merely a few beads of sweat on Tyler¡¯s neck. That was odd. UN soldiers fanned out at the front of the entourage, on the lookout for threats. They were shepherding the vulnerable individuals behind them, rather than an ¡°every man for himself¡± mentality. Terran medics were evacuating any wounded or captives that could stand, including their own hobbled soldiers. They had their fair share of human injuries to grapple with. Some Gojid prisoners attempted to flee as soon as they were released. They appeared in decent shape, for having been in predatory custody. The humans made little attempt to stop them, watching them go with head shakes. The evacuation couldn¡¯t slow for fearful idiots unwilling to act in their own survival interest. A decent percentage heeded the Terran warning about the Arxur threat, falling into the pack. Perhaps they felt indebted to the predators, since many were civilians who would be dead without human intervention. It was unsurprising to see that Marcel wasn¡¯t the only one carrying an alien child. ¡°MAWZY!¡± Nulia wailed. ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going somewhere safe, darling,¡± Marcel panted, accepting the nickname. I think if I tried to call him that, his reaction would be quite different. ¡°I need you to be brave. Think of it as a great adventure! Nothing can happen to you when you¡¯re with me, okay?¡± I watched my human from my perch on Tyler¡¯s back. There was nothing adventurous about fleeing from an orbital raid. It was possible that nobody would make it off-world alive. A bomb could land atop the group right now and disintegrate us. More Arxur craft descended through the atmosphere, eager to collect dazed survivors as slaves. Pummel the cities across the globe, fill a few transports with cattle, and then finish off the rest. This was a story I¡¯d seen before. ¡°Why did so many of the Arxur shuttles get through, when ours couldn¡¯t?¡± I whispered, more to myself than anything. Tyler sighed. ¡°We¡­we did take control of the Gojid defenses. And we haven¡¯t learned how to use them.¡± My ears curled back, as an explosion rocked the city wall a kilometer away. I was relieved we had escaped the confines with such swiftness; a few minutes slower and we would be toast. The humans carved a path through the local orchards, which took up much of the land outside the settlement. Grain fields rested past rows of plump trees, and I figured Terran craft would crunch down atop the stalks. At least we can land ships now. The sooner we¡¯re off this forsaken world, the better, I thought. I can¡¯t imagine how the Gojids feel, knowing their homeworld is all but lost. The Terrans must look friendly by comparison. Agitated chatter spawned at the head of the pack, and the humans slowed their pace. My gaze locked onto the galaxy¡¯s apex predators, who were spread out in search of lone civilians. I had never seen one of the Arxur in person. It was merciful that we spotted them first, but they still stood between us and our presumed extraction point. Their tough gray skin was taut and scaly, forming ridges along their spines. Their long v-shaped snouts were perfect for snapping up prey; serrated fangs jutted from their mouths, even when they were closed. Onyx eyes were dialed to slits, and tracked prey with jittery motions. Their bipedal plodding allowed them to lunge forward with unbelievable speed. My eyes zeroed in on an Arxur soldier, tearing into an elderly Gojid¡¯s stomach. The poor guy was still alive, and his screams were audible from here. Younger specimen were being dragged away, to serve breeding purposes or toil as slaves. ¡°Monsters,¡± Nulia cried. ¡°Way scarier than Mawsle. I want to go home!¡± Marcel covered her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t look, Nulia. We have to escape from the monsters. They¡­destroyed your home.¡± ¡°FIX IT!¡± she sobbed. ¡°Fix it now!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t. I wish I could.¡± The Terran soldiers leading the posse crept forward, and waved for the group to continue. The Arxur¡¯s nostrils flared as we drew within scent range. Something flashed in their eyes as they locked onto the humans. Was that¡­interest? Did they recognize the puny primates as predators? UN forces opened fire on the grays, and tried to seek refuge behind the orchard trees. They were drawing the reptilians¡¯ attention to provide cover for our escape. We darted out into the open, and I prayed that the vessels circling overhead were friendlies. As if on cue, three ships with the Terran insignia alighted on the grain field. Our human protectors were locked in a vicious firefight, at the edge of my periphery. A few of them were strewn out in lifeless positions. The time they bought us was a mere thirty seconds; we needed to be off the ground as soon as possible. The Arxur had wizened up to the diversion, and lobbed their shots at the civilian entourage. It is times like these I wish I had the humans¡¯ narrow field of vision. I can see all of the terror and death happening around us at once. Tyler pushed himself to his maximum speed, and dove into the open side door of a transport. I dropped to the floor and crawled toward the rear of the aircraft. The blond human asked if I was okay, repeating my name several times, but I ignored him. My gaze was focused on the entrance, watching as several passengers climbed in. Dozens of people pushed into the craft, packing in on each other. The Gojids were eyeing any boarding predators warily, but after what they saw outside, they realized the humans had better self-control. Wait¡­where was my friend? The engine revved to life, and I screamed at the pilots to stop. Oblivious to any inherent danger, I raced toward a window. Marcel was shouldering a wounded human alongside a medic, while still clinging to the kid. Bullets sailed around him, but he refused to abandon his compatriot. He hoisted the half-conscious predator into the vehicle, then staggered onboard with the doctor. My human collapsed on the floor, groaning. The expression on his face spoke of pain, and I hoped it was just exhaustion. I dashed to his side, and whimpered at the sight of crimson blood pooling around him. ¡°Mawsle, your arm is wet,¡± Nulia said. ¡°And sticky.¡± ¡°Is it now?¡± he murmured. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m sure¡­sure it¡¯s fine.¡± There was another red mark on his thigh. My predator appeared to have been shot twice during the fray. Why did Marcel insist on playing the hero, every time the Arxur turned up? These wounds hit non-vital areas at least, from what I knew about human anatomy. As long as the bleeding was stopped, he should survive. The spacecraft began to lift off, and I shouted for a medic. The Terrans¡¯ efforts were undeniable, but the Gojid populace numbered a few billion. If even a hundred thousand made it off-world miraculously, it was simple math to figure the astronomical casualties. A great Federation power was down to a few colonies, and an endangered species overnight. Perhaps most concerning, the Arxur knew there was another predator now. My eyes floated back to the window, watching the gray beasts shrink to the size of insects. I suspected tracking down the Earthlings just became their top priority. Chapter 24 Memory transcription subject: Governor Tarva of the Venlil Republic Date [standardized human time]: September 28, 2136 18 days. That is how long had passed since the minutes-long speech, and the human ambassador hadn¡¯t been outside of this room since. I tried to occupy Noah by teaching him alien games, and watching the happenings on TV. But while he never voiced his complaints, I could sense his agitation. Chauson visited once a day, logging every aspect of Terran culture he could. The Zurulian prime minster appointed him ambassador to Earth, and the scientist was eager to squeeze everything from the opportunity. He subjected Noah to a myriad of personality tests, as well as asking him philosophical and ethical queries. The chocolate-skinned human was happy to play along, since it distracted him from the waiting. When Chauson gave him a standard academic test in math and sciences, he was surprised to find Noah scored in the 80th percentile. That was much higher than expected, for a species that was hundreds of years behind our knowledge. The Zurulian testified before the Federation assemblage today, sharing his novel findings. With any luck, he would be the final speaker. These discussions had dragged on far too long for my liking. At least that signaled it wasn¡¯t an easy, unanimous verdict to war with humanity. Noah yawned, penning a final sentence in his journal. The predator had been logging his thoughts throughout this experience, but would not let me view a word. I would love to know his unfiltered opinions; his secretiveness rubbed me the wrong way. ¡°I¡¯m tired, Tarva. Wake me up if the execution squad arrives,¡± the Terran said sarcastically. ¡°Good night.¡± I studied the dark circles under his eyes. ¡°Good night, Noah. Sweet dreams.¡± The human tucked his notebook into a table drawer, and shuffled out of the living area. I waited for the sound of his footsteps to recede. Running water reverberated for a few seconds, before the spring of the bulky predator hitting the mattress reached my ears. My heartrate quickened, as the temptation to sift through his journal called me again. Noah never has to know I looked. You know the aliens¡¯ fear has taken its toll on him. Ultimately, it¡¯ll help with being supportive and empathetic, right? I took a deep breath, and counted back from 200 in my mind. Satisfied that the human was drifting off, my paws meandered over to the table. The drawer slid out without a sound, and I lifted the diary. There was nothing wrong with just a peek, surely. I flipped open to a random page, and began reading the first entry my eyes landed on. ~Sept 17 An accidental smile sent Chauson fleeing in terror, and my heart is heavy with guilt. I¡¯m surprised it took this long to happen. Tarva had to chase him down and explain what the expression means. The Zurulian has tried to accept me, and he shrugged off my apology. But he¡¯s afraid of us, deep down, like everyone is. Why didn¡¯t I wear the mask? Why can¡¯t I fit in, anywhere? When I look in the mirror, I¡¯ve begun to see myself as a predator. If there is a future where humanity can be a healthy contributor to the galaxy, I don¡¯t know if I picture it anymore. We want it, but that¡¯s not enough. The simple fact of the matter is, nobody wants us. Even the Venlil are still frightened by us. I feel like I¡¯m walking on eggshells around them. Trying so hard not to break them, because they¡¯re fragile and innocent. Sometimes, I let my guard down, but that rarely ends well. Tarva said straight to my face that she thought I was a nasty-looking creature. No matter how much I try to forget about it, through all the laughs and conversation, that is what she thinks of me. Any feelings of attachment are one-way, and I¡¯d do well to remember that. Yes, there is a shared history now, and the Venlil wish no harm upon us. But they cannot be normal around monsters. Perhaps a better man, a better species, would cut them free¡­and never show their face again. Instead, I¡¯ll just return to this lie, and pretend that we can make friends in the stars. Dream on. I recoiled, guilt rushing through my veins. These writings sounded depressed and bitter, unlike the optimist persona he projected. Was Noah¡¯s self-image that low, because of me? That comment that I made to Recel wasn¡¯t at all what I thought of him now. Perhaps cabin fever had placed wild ideas in his head, and his outlook was cheerier before the speech. My claws tugged back through several pages, until I reached an earlier entry. ~Sept 6 Recel is a wreck from being near me, but what am I to do? Throw myself into space? The visor, the mask, none of it makes a difference. My face feels constricted already, and the nerves are making me sick to my stomach. My indecisiveness, on what bits of humanity to include, might be the death of me: literally. The Federation will have a field day upon our arrival. I wonder if seeing me on television will be traumatic for small children? Perhaps I will be posterized as the face of the new enemy. The questions the Venlil asked when I first arrived left me taken aback, and this will be worse. Governor Tarva is kind to help. Because of me, her species has lost every friend, and are left with a lot of primitive predators for company. Humanity disappoints on every front; the regrets must cross her mind daily. Yet she¡¯s too far committed now, so she sticks it out. My speech feels pathetic and inadequate before I¡¯ve ever given it. I don¡¯t know why it hurts so much, when I understand they¡¯re all just afraid. Predators aren¡¯t supposed to have feelings, not¡­ A pointed cough came from behind me. The human was standing with crossed arms, watching me with a livid glare. ¡°That¡¯s private, Tarva!¡± Noah snapped, and my ears lowered against my head. That was the first time I ever heard the ambassador raise his voice. ¡°You can¡¯t just go through my things!¡± ¡°You were supposed to be sleeping!¡± I took a few steps back instinctively, flinging the book on the table. ¡°I thought you seemed agitated. And I knew you wouldn¡¯t tell me what¡¯s wrong.¡± The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°So I tell you ¡®no¡¯ when you ask to read it, and you go snooping anyways?¡± he growled. ¡°Well congrats, you¡¯ve dug up some dirt on the predator.¡± ¡°Noah¡­you know I¡¯m so proud of you, don¡¯t you?¡± I whined, tucking my tail between my legs. ¡°You have no idea how glad I am that we met. Your kind never disappointed me. Humanity are wonderful friends, that I am siding against the entire galaxy to protect.¡± ¡°You¡¯re trying to do the right thing, Tarva. I appreciate your morality and compassion, infinitely. But let¡¯s not pretend anymore. You have to repress your instincts all the time around me, and you find my appearance loathsome.¡± ¡°My initial reaction was negative, yes, but I find you quite endearing. I didn¡¯t personally request you to represent your species because I¡¯m disgusted by you. I¡¯ve done nothing but worry about your safety since we came to Aafa.¡± ¡°You¡­you mean that? Really? You¡¯re telling me you don¡¯t still think of me as a predator.¡± ¡°You¡¯re my kind and charming friend. That¡¯s what I see when I look at you. You are the predator¡­ who convinced me to give humanity a chance. I don¡¯t think anyone else could have a personality bright enough to shine through that fear.¡± Couldn¡¯t Noah understand our skittishness was a part of us, just like some predatory traits were part of him? There were certain attributes that were difficult to accept, but surely humanity could see how hard we were trying. The last thing I wanted was for Venlil instincts to have a detrimental effect on his mental health. Initiating contact should prove that there were few lingering fears in my mind. I flung my paws around Noah¡¯s waist, and his breathing tensed up. There was brief hesitation from the ambassador; his stance emanated tiredness and frustration. The human wrapped his arms around me, after I curled my claws into his skin insistently, and relaxed into my comforting embrace. The Terran ambassador withdrew. ¡°Tarva, I am serious. Don¡¯t go through my personal items without permission, ever again.¡± ¡°I know. Sorry,¡± I muttered. ¡°Hm. It¡¯s impossible to stay angry at you.¡± Noah shook his head with disdain. ¡°You could get away with just about anything.¡± The human stretched out on the couch, closing his predatory eyes. The lines on his face eased, and I watched as his breathing slowed. My own eyelids began to feel heavy, listening to the harsh rumbling of his snores. The big guy was so gentle and sweet, so intelligent and reliable¡­ As I was about to drift off, the door to the diplomatic suite crashed open. Kolshian soldiers stood in the entryway; their eyes stretched wide when the predator snapped upright. Noah tried to collect himself, and raised his hands in confusion. Seeing that the guards were waving at him to come, he reached for his visor. I glared at him, and snatched it away from his hand. I threw the metal at the wall, as hard as I could; it broke into two pieces with a satisfying crunch. Noah looked stunned, and apprehensive at the prospect of approaching the guards without it. He swallowed, then grabbed for his mask. My tiny claws scrabbled at his arm, and I shook my head in the human ¡°no¡± gesture. The Terran ambassador looked uncertain, but stood up from the couch. The wary Kolshians weren¡¯t attempting to blind him this time. A soldier barked the word ¡°follow¡±, and began retracing the path to the assembly hall. Heated discussions were creating a clamor inside the chamber; we could hear it from a hundred paces away. The guards pointed at the podium, and Noah took obedient steps to the stage. Surprised exclamations rose from the crowd, as they saw the human in his uncensored form. Jerulim, the agitated Krakotl from the earlier meeting, was emitting furious squawks at those provocative eyes. I shot a blistering glare toward him. ¡°We apologize for the delay,¡± Chief Nikonus began, in a cordial tone. ¡°These are unprecedented circumstances, and we¡¯ve struggled to reach any sort of decision. Has your treatment here been acceptable, Noah of the planet Earth?¡± The human dipped his head. ¡°Yes. Thank you for your hospitality, gracious Chief.¡± ¡°Good. I¡¯d never let anything like the Gojids did occur within my borders.¡± The Kolshian palmed an indigo tentacle across his nostrils. ¡°The Federation, as I¡¯m sure you know from the television, has sought all sorts of counsel on this matter. We reviewed your data sharing, consulted our own records, and brought in numerous experts to testify.¡± ¡°It looked like many of them had conflicting perspectives,¡± I said. ¡°Indeed. Historians, xenobiologists, psychologists, zoologists, sociologists, lawyers, economists; we had them all. Several individuals who were trapped within Venlil borders testified too, and we had our own internal discussions. At last, we¡¯ve tallied every vote.¡± The Federation could prove to the ambassador that some species did desire friendship. Any impartial observer would find humanity worthy of a chance, or at least derive reasonable doubt from their intricacies. My breath hitched in my throat, and I squeezed Noah¡¯s hand for support. The predator¡¯s palm was damp with sweat. Nikonus cleared his throat. ¡°Alright. The count of members who voted that humanity cannot be allowed to exist, or should be treated as a hostile party are¡­38.¡± I tilted my head. Should we be disappointed that the figure was so high, or relieved that the proportion was only a little over 10%? That was a lot of species ganging up on a single planet; plenty of threats for the predators to fend off. ¡°Take that, stupid human!¡± Jerulim chirped. ¡°You¡¯re all going to be dead soon.¡± ¡°There will be no commentary from the audience until I have finished reading the results!¡± the Chief spat. ¡°65 members voted for no contact or relations with humanity, which entails total isolation of Earth.¡± I glanced toward the predator. There was more hurt in his eyes after that figure was read, than after hearing the ones who wished him dead. Knowing how much humans craved acceptance, they didn¡¯t want to be shunned. The rest of the options had to be more promising, didn¡¯t they? Nikonus squinted at his notes. ¡°74 species are undecided, with 52 specifying that they are awaiting news from the Gojid warzone.¡± Those are a coin flip. Some people might not take kindly to the fact that predators attacked a Federation homeworld. Then again, it will be apparent that human morality is leagues above the Arxur¡¯s. ¡°107 species vote in favor of a temporary truce, or working together where necessary to defeat the Arxur. Any violation of express conditions will lead to an immediate return to hostilities.¡± My ears perked up with hope. After cooperating against the Arxur, some Federation members might become ingratiated to humanity. It could bridge the gap to normal relations. Though I doubted we could call upon their assistance, in regards to the species maintaining contention with Earth. ¡°Who the fuck voted for that?!¡± Jerulim squawked. ¡°My species did, for one,¡± the Kolshian leader replied. ¡°Er, if that will be acceptable to the humans, of course.¡± Noah nodded, shuffling as if expecting to leave. ¡°Yes, it will. We want the Arxur gone from this galaxy, and an enemy of an enemy is a friend to us. Thank you for your time, and giving us a chance.¡± ¡°Wait, human. 11 members voted in favor of opening full diplomatic relations. This would involve forming trade, military, and border agreements¡­if you know anything of the sort. I suggest you ask Tarva for guidance, if those concepts confuse you.¡± The ambassador raised a hand to his mouth, no doubt hiding his bared teeth. Perhaps he was amused by Nikonus¡¯ assumption that predators would have no concept of negotiation. Primarily, I believed that Noah was moved by the fact that humanity would return with new friends. It was a tiny number, less than five percent, but it wasn¡¯t zero. That counted for something. Overall, the results could have gone much worse. If the neutral, isolationist species were counted as in our favor, the majority of the Federation voted against humanity¡¯s extinction. Judging by the furious expressions sprinkled across the chamber, I wasn¡¯t sure every species was going to accept that. ¡°So many of you would side with them over us?!¡± Jerulim screeched. ¡°Defend or appease humanity like they were a civilized species? Anyone who stands with predators is dead to the Krakotl.¡± The avian ambassador dive-bombed over the Chieftain¡¯s cubicle, and slashed his talons at the elderly Kolshian. Nikonus shielded his face with a tentacle, and nearby soldiers rushed to his aid. Jerulim flapped his wings in a frenzy, pledging that anyone who stood with humanity would share their fate. Had the Krakotl forgotten whose planet he was on? Other ambassadors launched into shouting matches, and a few made violent gestures toward the human. I didn¡¯t want to know what the unfriendly ones were suggesting. Several individuals were trading blows, grappling right in front of the media cameras. A pair of Kolshian guards hurried us out of the chamber, before the predator could get swept up in the chaos. Noah shared a glance with me, and I knew that tumultuous unrest stirred his own concerns. This vote could be the start of a major rift within the Federation. Chapter 25 Memory transcription subject: Governor Tarva of the Venlil Republic Date [standardized human time]: September 28, 2136 Armed Kolshians steered us into the docking area, where we landed upon our arrival. Our previous shuttle was outfitted with supplies, since the Chief granted us permission to return home on a pre-arranged route. The soldiers fell back several steps, and monitored the human for any threatening moves. One of them curled their lip at me, briefly. Noah settled down on an empty crate, clutching a knapsack that contained his meager belongings. He met the soldiers¡¯ gaze without blinking. Staring was a contest of dominance, whether that was the intention or not. The Kolshians gripped their rifles tighter, and slunk back toward the entryway. ¡°You¡¯re gawked at all the time, Noah,¡± I whispered. ¡°Not saying it¡¯s right, but I don¡¯t suggest that smoldering stare-down as a response. It¡¯ll tickle their instincts in ways you don¡¯t want.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care how they look at me, but they¡¯re not going to look at you with disgust and hatred. If they want a problem, they can pick on someone their own size,¡± he growled, loud enough for the guards to hear. Aggression and protectiveness were not the persona to exhibit, on the verge of our first diplomatic encounter. The Federation representatives would see it as a predator cowing his observers. I appreciated his loyalty, but humans were a little too defensive of their friends at times. Those soldiers were entitled to their opinions. ¡°Thank you, but it¡¯s fine. A lot of people think I¡¯m a disgrace to the Federation, and aren¡¯t happy that I imprisoned their people.¡± I studied the guards¡¯ expressions, noticing how their scowls deepened at my words. ¡°Nikonus didn¡¯t even discuss consequences for the Venlil.¡± ¡°So you agree with them?! You had noble reasons for what you did. They can¡¯t find fault with that.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve single-handedly fractured the Federation beyond repair. I guess that makes me a traitor to most folks.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a hero to all of humankind, Tarva. 12 species in the galaxy who would even try to befriend us. We met what might be the only one who would try, before there was a shred of proof to our claims! Don¡¯t think we¡¯ll forget what the Venlil have risked.¡± I pressed a claw to my lips, and flicked my ears toward the doorway. The soldiers had snapped to attention, breaking their deadlock with the irate predator. That could only mean someone was approaching; the human needed to make a good first impression. Flattering us, at the expense of the rest of the galaxy, wasn¡¯t going to win hearts and minds. A violet-skinned Kolshian padded into the hangar bay, clearly resisting the urge to grab his sidearm. His steps faltered once he was within pouncing distance of Noah, like a magnetic force was repelling him from the human. The familiar officer crept to my side, using me as a living shield. How has he still not grasped that Noah doesn¡¯t have a violent bone in his body? Didn¡¯t our journey here prove that much? The Terran ambassador grinned. ¡°Recel! I was worried you were rotting in a cell.¡± The Kolshian rubbed his forehead. ¡°I was, until the Commonwealth finalized our decision on humanity. Chief Nikonus agreed that I had a moral imperative to intervene, and pardoned me on all counts. I did receive a disciplinary mark for my methods, though.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Noah asked. ¡°While Nikonus agrees with my rationale¡­we can¡¯t have officers running around shooting their captains. I don¡¯t think I had time to go through ¡®proper channels¡¯, but whatever.¡± ¡°I see. So you¡¯re free. Why did you come here, of all places?¡± ¡°Nikonus offered me an appointment as military liaison to Earth, and I accepted.¡± My eyes widened, as did the ambassador¡¯s dilated ones. I thought that Recel hated being around predators! By his own admission, living around humans was a nightmare for him, and he couldn¡¯t fathom prolonged exposure to them. Noah stroked his chin in confusion. ¡°You want to be around predator generals, and talk about war tactics? Don¡¯t you hate the thought of having one of us within a hundred miles?¡± ¡°Forgive me if I¡¯ve caused offense, Noah. Seeing your chemistry with Tarva, I think we could be great friends.¡± The Kolshian shuddered as he tried to meet the predator¡¯s gaze. ¡°Others seem to adapt quicker and easier than me, but I don¡¯t want to give up. Truly.¡± ¡°Do you think you can work past your fear?¡± I asked gently. ¡°Have you identified what triggers such a severe reaction?¡± ¡°I enlisted on a starship when I was 9. I don¡¯t recall another way to feel toward predators. It may take an unreasonably long time for me to work past those behaviors, and it would take considerable coaxing from you all. I can¡¯t imagine what this is like from Noah¡¯s perspective; I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d have the patience. If you¡¯d like a different liaison, I understand.¡± Sympathy flashed in the Noah¡¯s eyes. ¡°Recel, we are willing to help you every step of the way. I just don¡¯t know why you want to endure those¡­feelings. It seems unfair to you.¡± ¡°Humanity made me realize we are stronger than the sum of our fears. That there is something other than being afraid. I haven¡¯t got there yet, but I¡¯m grateful for that. Can you accept my apology?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to forgive. Your emotions are out of your control.¡± The edge dissipated from the human¡¯s sonorous voice, replaced by a warm tone. ¡°We¡¯ll figure this out together. No matter how long it takes.¡± ¡°G-great. Now, there¡¯s other diplomats coming¡­so I¡¯m going to m-make some preparations.¡± Recel skittered off to the farthest corner of the hangar bay, and began prepping a second shuttle. That was a smart idea, since it was unlikely the entire crowd would fit in a single vessel. Hell, I doubted some of them would want to ride in a tiny box with a human for days. The first officer was probably thrilled to charter his own ship, for that exact reason. I watched the Kolshian shoot furtive glances toward us, and pondered why his species hadn¡¯t agreed to full diplomatic relations. Chief Nikonus didn¡¯t appear hostile to humanity, and displayed more fairness than I anticipated. The prospect of harm befalling Noah seemed to offend him, even. When my expectations were little more than a farcical hearing, a genuine debate was astounding. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. I guess Nikonus didn¡¯t propose a full partnership, because he doesn¡¯t believe humans can reciprocate their cordiality in a meaningful way. Nonetheless, I thought the Kolshian Commonwealth might come around as an ally. They had already seized the initiative by sending a military liaison. Even those guards were angered by my lack of accountability, rather than Noah¡¯s presence. Maybe it was just too large of a leap for most governments to make at once. Our Zurulian ambassador, Chauson, skittered into the room. Something seemed to have been bashed against his head, and green blood trailed down his snout. The furry scientist looked unsteady on his feet, but it was a good sign that he wasn¡¯t shy of Noah in his wounded state. It violated every prey instinct, to wander up to a predator like this. Noah squinted with concern. ¡°Are you alright, Chauson? Please, let me take a look at that.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± I gasped. The Zurulian sighed. ¡°A bunch of people rushed to leave the chamber when the fighting broke out. Someone clubbed me over the noggin; I didn¡¯t see who. Probably because I testified with a generous view on humanity. The pundits think I swayed some hostile votes to undecided.¡± ¡°All that, for sharing a synopsis of human morality?!¡± Noah said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I never wanted you to be assaulted.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± The scientist licked a foreleg absent-mindedly, smoothing out the brown fur. ¡°I¡¯ll look tougher now, when I force you to take me to your planet.¡± ¡°Ha! Even Tarva won¡¯t go to Earth.¡± ¡°Why not? You haven¡¯t invited her?¡± ¡°Our¡­it¡¯s complicated, but Elias Meier, our leader, extended the invitation. Had an herbivorous banquet, live music, and a tour of New York City in the works. Tarva refused.¡± I swished my tail with indignation. ¡°It¡¯s a different story after the experiments, Noah. You think I was going to wander into a city with ten million predator residents, less than a month after we met? Before anyone ever saw how you behaved in packs?¡± Noah opened his mouth to respond, but snapped it shut as he saw Chief Nikonus leading a group of diplomats toward our ship. These must be the species that constituted the affirmative votes for open relations with Earth. None of them had been brave enough to make introductions yet; our Zurulian friend was the sole exception. It didn¡¯t surprise me to see the Sivkits or the Paltans in the mix. Their centrally-located territories were far enough away that they thought they could keep humanity at arms-length, and control or minimize the interactions. Even predators wouldn¡¯t start that off the beaten path to gain a foothold. Us neighboring species were easier to invade first. Then there were the Yotul, the latest ¡°uplifts.¡± Adapting to the galactic arena was difficult for a species that just discovered steam power. I couldn¡¯t imagine how the Venlil would¡¯ve processed the Federation¡¯s vast knowledge in our infancy. Of course, if the Yotul¡¯s industrialism tipped us off to their presence, the Arxur might find them too. It was the lesser evil to flood them with information, and give them a fighting chance. 22 cycles after first contact, the marsupials tired of the derision from their counterparts. Most species dismissed them as primitive, with a poor scientific understanding, and little to offer as allies. The Federation military saw the Yotul as a liability, and wouldn¡¯t take their suggestions seriously. Gaining the backing of predators was a calculated risk, to coerce some respect from their peers. So far, no surprises. The Thafki seek protection, since there¡¯s only about 12,000 members of their species left alive¡­well, not in captivity. The Nevoks and Fissans are trading juggernauts that don¡¯t want to go the way of the Gojids. I squinted in apparent confusion. Was that the Mazic president among their ranks? Perhaps this was not the assemblage of friendly species, after all. It wasn¡¯t even a personal representative or aide; he was the only official dignitary I observed in the group. Noah tensed, as he also spotted the beige-skinned mammal. I doubted my friend had forgotten who interrupted him at every turn. Cupo was rather outspoken against humanity, mocking the Terran ambassador for his eyes and criticizing simple arguments. ¡°Is the alien with the trunk just here to make trouble? The Mazic, you said?¡± the human whispered, echoing my thoughts. ¡°Them and the Krakotl were the ones who couldn¡¯t stand my presence.¡± Cupo swished his trunk. ¡°Your closing argument, about the hypothetical of friendship, was profound. We are, in fact, desperate enough that there is nothing to lose. Am I not welcome here?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean for you to overhear that comment, Mazic; my apologies. If you desire diplomacy, I would not turn you away.¡± Noah lowered his voice to its minimum, and pursed his lips in mistrust. ¡°Damn Tarva. Those massive ears must be sharp.¡± I snickered. ¡°No, your ears are just bad.¡± The human sighed. ¡°That¡¯s hardly the worst thing you¡¯ve said about us.¡± I studied the waiting crowd. While the injured Nikonus bore no intention of making the journey to Venlil space, he opted to send us off himself. There was more sharpness in his gaze than fear; he wasn¡¯t shaking or whining, the way Recel did. Though I appreciated the officer¡¯s efforts, perhaps there were better candidates to represent the Kolshians. As for the newcomers, the Zurulian was prancing around the human in circles. Chauson couldn¡¯t contain his excitement; he was the only ally eager to get up close and personal with the flesh-eater. Meanwhile, the Sivkit diplomat looked like she was about to pass out, standing across from a predator. Logical talk of borders and distance didn¡¯t mean much when she was going to be trapped in its lair. The Mazic president had the same suspicion in his eyes from the pivotal meeting. I don¡¯t think he trusted Noah¡¯s demeanor not to shift the second we took flight. There was a Dossur representative present, I realized, but the tiny rodent was hiding behind Cupo¡¯s bulky form. That size differential could only make the lumbering predator more daunting. That makes my count 10 species, plus the Kolshians. Maybe the last one is running late for some reason¡­their representative might¡¯ve had a panic attack. ¡°You¡¯re going to take the Yotul? I thought humans already invented the wheel,¡± the Nevok representative sneered. A few chuckles came from the gathering, and even the Kolshian chief struggled to maintain a neutral expression. The Yotul glowered at his critic, then fired a nervous glance toward the human. I suppose the general assumption was that predators would shun any species with weaker technology. It was tough to imagine that friendship was their end rather than the means. If anything, I think supposed ¡°weakness¡± roused the Terrans¡¯ protectiveness. Noah and Sara were most partial to us in our moments of vulnerability. Judging by how my friend¡¯s lips curved down, he wasn¡¯t pleased with the Nevok¡¯s humiliation of their peer. ¡°We have plenty to offer, Tossa!¡± the marsupial snapped. ¡°Maybe these predators will be less stupid than you, and see that!¡± Tossa flicked her ears. ¡°Like what? Name one thing that makes you valuable¡­especially compared to the rest of us.¡± ¡°For one thing, we¡¯re the only ones here who weren¡¯t around for that vote. You know, the one where you unanimously decided to wipe out all life on Earth. Even the Venlil have that baggage!¡± Silence fell over the assemblage. Trepidation played at the representatives¡¯ expressions, as the fiery Yotul reminded them of their prior decisions. Perhaps I could afford to issue a formal apology on that matter myself, though it hadn¡¯t been my government that arrived at that conclusion. It must be tough for the predators to forget our role in their planned extinction. ¡°Humanity welcomes all parties, of all backgrounds!¡± The ambassador cleared his throat, irritation flashing in his eyes. ¡°There¡¯s no need for divisive rhetoric, or to ¡®prove yourselves¡¯ by putting others down. We¡¯re a small group; we need to band together.¡± ¡°He¡¯s right. There¡¯s too much at stake here. Quit acting like children,¡± I growled. ¡°Gosh. On that unpleasant note¡­ I must warn you that siding with us may put you at odds with your friends and neighbors. This is your last chance to turn back.¡± Noah blinked in surprise, as every party lingered. That was a risk they already considered leaving the acrimonious conference. ¡°Alright then. Let¡¯s board a shuttle, and get this show underway.¡± The UN would be delighted to receive a proper diplomatic envoy, but I knew I had to temper their expectations. There would be missteps along the way, and few species would act as casual as us. It took a long time to be comfortable around predators. Familiarity was the final phase of the adjustment period, which certain prey sapients might never achieve. At least now, humanity knew where they stood with the Federation. Chapter 26 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, Federation Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: September 28, 2136 The humans¡¯ actions in the past few days were a showcase of why I was right about them. It brought me relief to see such vindication. The dishonorable tactics persisted into our home system, sneaking their transports into orbit through diversions. The good, old predatory ruse: these hunter bastards never changed. It baffled me why they didn¡¯t commence an orbital raid on the planet, to soften up our populace. Then, I realized that the arrogant apes thought they could get people to come with them, willingly. The Terrans¡¯ supposed rescue attempts targeted children, who were the most susceptible to suggestion. I¡¯m sure they predicted the stampede casualties a ruthless invasion would cause. Every clip I saw was the image of death, and humans baiting their livestock into submission with false kindness. The higher-ups wouldn¡¯t allow ships like mine to attack human positions, due to the fact that they overlapped with civilian dwellings. I didn¡¯t want any innocents to die, but I knew it was a kindness to spare them from predatory possession. This was our lone chance to regain control in a timely manner. The only way to get any terrified innocents out alive. We should¡¯ve taken the shot, before the predators got more entrenched. Who knows what brainwashing techniques they¡¯re employing on our people. Prime Minister Piri lost it with me the third time I pressed her with a bombing scheme. She said the collateral damage was ¡°unacceptable¡±, and was livid at the proposal. My ship was reassigned to a patrol route by our largest colony for an indefinite duration. Barring a secondary invasion, I was out of the game. When a message came from the Union government, after several days of silence, I couldn¡¯t play it quick enough. ¡°I hope we¡¯re being recalled to the cradle. Piri¡¯s had us in timeout for long enough,¡± I growled. Zarn closed the soundproofed door to the briefing room behind us. ¡°It must be stressful, knowing that they¡¯re on your own world. I knew humans were a conquering species, but it¡¯s another thing to see them in action.¡± ¡°Why hasn¡¯t the fucking Federation come to our aid? The cowards must be scared to raise a claw in our defense,¡± I sneered. ¡°They¡¯re just watching! It¡¯ll be them the humans come for next.¡± ¡°Perhaps they think the predatory expansion will end with us. A foolhardy notion. Their kind always want more,¡± the doctor said. ¡°I know, Zarn. Shit, let¡¯s see what humans¡¯ve done to cities and children this time. No sense delaying.¡± I cast the holopad message to the projector. Holographic footage of the Arxur raiding our homeworld flickered to life, and my spines bristled. Explosions ravaged our planet, wiping out swaths of civilians in one fell swoop. Realization washed over me like a cold shower, as the pieces began to fit into place. It was so obvious. Of course, the predators were working together; the humans were the brains of the operation. They took out our defenses, so that the red carpet was rolled out for the other sadistic monsters. It was a matter of divvying up the cattle, and finishing off what was left of our populace. My eyes narrowed with fury. I was so tired of seeing my world exploited by psychotic beasts, who preyed upon the helpless. The amount of death I witnessed in my career was more than anyone should have to endure. Now, billions of souls were about to be whisked away by the two freaks of the galaxy. Unless Gojid forces cheated death, the rock I called home was no more. Why was nature so uncaring and unfair? No matter how much I tried, there was never any way that I could make the predators¡¯ suffering match ours. Our existence was agony and terror, a living hell. ¡°They can¡¯t destroy our cradle!¡± I spat. ¡°It¡¯s sacred. All those people, gone, and for what?¡± Zarn¡¯s eyes widened with sympathy. ¡°I am sorry, sir. If there is anything I can do, please let me know.¡± ¡°Thank you. But¡­¡± I blinked away tears, watching an Arxur bite into a child¡¯s arm. ¡°The humans got what they wanted. I¡¯d like to watch the end of this. Alone.¡± The acting first officer swished his tail, and ambled out of the room. None of the Takkan¡¯s warnings about humans had done any good to prevent this calamity. We hadn¡¯t been smart enough, or fast-acting enough. This was the inevitable conclusion, wasn''t it? Squinting at my holopad, Piri had attached a note to the video. I could almost hear the prime minister¡¯s crisp voice, and see the sternness of her expression. It must¡¯ve been her final action, to pass this media montage to any active communications satellites. ¡°By the time you view this, I will already be dead. My bunker is on the brink of collapse, pelted by bomb after bomb. This message is being relayed to any high-ranking officers out of system; I hope it finds you in good health. There¡¯s no sense addressing the brave souls stationed here. Our fleet failed to restrain the inbound Arxur ships, with catastrophic losses. We were pre-occupied with the humans, and taking them out any time they lingered near the cradle. The Terran ships burned into the fray, as soon as we abandoned our position against their vector. There was great confusion on who to fight. We figured they planned this scenario in cooperation with the Arxur. Then, the monkeys began attacking the grays, and broadcasting warnings to the surface. We intercepted signal after signal. It could be staged chatter, but they seemed surprised. Perhaps it was just predatory treachery, betraying an ally for the thrill. It could have been a dispute over the livestock haul. But this is the last footage I saw. I can¡¯t conjure a reason that such sacrifice and tenderness would stem from aggression or cruelty. Those traits are polar opposites. What a marvelous ruse, if it is one. Please, send word to the Federation, and relate the unspeakable losses of the Gojidi Union. Beg their help. Form your own opinions¡­and see what is done with the humans¡¯ prisoners.¡± A flash of movement snapped my eyes back to the video. A human soldier plowed into the feasting Arxur, tackling it away from the child. The primate was missing his gun, but swung a knife at the reptilian with a vicious look. His inky pupils were dilated, and his neck veins bulged against his skin. He stepped between the Gojid and the gray, shouting at the kid to run. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. What the fuck? Why did he intervene? I thought. Maybe he had claimed the child as his own catch, like Piri suggested¡­ The Terran jabbed his blade into the Arxur¡¯s elongated nose. The gray beast roared in agony, and crunched through the human¡¯s stomach with swift jaws. More mammalians rushed over to the kid, peppering the reptile with bullets. They carried the Gojid so¡­tenderly, shielding the youngling with their own bodies. ¡°Rescue¡± was one thing, but it made no sense to die for their intended cattle. I gaped at the footage, staring in silence as the scene transitioned. A Terran fireteam were surrounded by a school, and fighting to the last. Many of the furless predators were wounded, yet they propped themselves up and kept shooting. It was as though a drug was fueling them. These broken remnants managed to eviscerate an entire Arxur capture squad, by the looks of the time lapse. As soon as there was a moment of peace, a Gojid child raced into the open and knelt by a human¡¯s corpse. He jabbed a claw into the predator¡¯s stomach, sobbing in hysterics. The kid showed such feeble emotions in front of those beasts, and their lips didn¡¯t even curve into a snarl? Two primates stooped to the ground, and¡­attempted to console him? A dangerous thought crept into my brain. What if the humans did actually care for the children? What would that say about them? They¡¯re capable of¡­they¡¯re¡­ Every part of me screamed for a refutation. I keeled over, clutching my temples in a desperate attempt to vanquish the thought. There was no logical way to override this narrative as propaganda; it was a transmission from my own government. ¡°No, no, no! They¡¯re predators. Predators don¡¯t have feelings,¡± I hissed. ¡°They took your home. They took your family. They took¡­¡± I collapsed into a prone position, bawling. The more I considered it, the more I realized that all of my arguments circled back to humans being predators. To my trauma, and to the planetary history Zarn claimed to know like the back of his paw. Every sneaking doubt that I blocked out flowed through my mind. The Terrans rushed to tend to the civilians on our world, asking nothing in return. The way they prioritized the children was the same as any nurturing species. They only attacked military targets, both in our home¡¯s invasion and when striking the border outposts. The last remnants of a bombing run allowed a medical ship to pass, as soon as it was identified. Despite my beliefs, the bombers never so much as glanced at the colony. There was also the chatter we heard on the radio frequencies, expressing sympathy for what the Arxur had done. One pilot said he wanted to negotiate, but his counterpart¡¯s retort was that we despised them too much to listen. I wiped a tear off my cheek. ¡°Nobody but the Venlil ever tried to speak to humanity. I hate¡­hated them with all my heart.¡± Crumbling to my conscience¡¯s assault, I allowed the memories of that week to play in my mind. The delight bubbling in my chest, as I drew screams from a helpless human, was as fresh as yesterday. At the time, it made me exuberant, but now, my sole wish was to undo the cruelty. Recel was right, when he said I was behaving just like the Arxur; he was always the better of us. What kind of a man enjoyed another creature¡¯s pain? That wasn¡¯t the behavior of a hero, who was better than the predators he fought. An unbearable agony clasped at my chest; it was a sickening veil of disgust and self-hatred. I allowed myself to view the event from Marcel¡¯s eyes, and imbued some feeling into the predator¡¯s mindset. The captain was a cruel individual, who shocked him for the slightest movements. The days were unending agony, with no sense of time or place. He felt his own body withering away, and clung to sanity recalling the kindness of his friend. How do you persuade someone who hates you, who has already made up their mind about you? Nothing that was said mattered, or was even brought into consideration. The officers wouldn¡¯t allow him to speak, and punished him for deceit after his repeated claims of friendship. For the crime of looking at the glass, his eyes were bashed in and clawed. Marcel lost interest in everything, and became non-responsive. There was the briefest glimmer of hope, seeing his friend Slanek greet him with empathy and care. He thought maybe he could get through to the crew, now. The Venlil confirmed all of his claims about humanity, and it was obvious he loved the little guy...or at least didn¡¯t want to eat him. But the captain rushed to execute him, because he hated that someone listened to a predator. Of course, extorting every bit of suffering first, and making uncivilized threats. The human saw his life flash before his eyes; he felt afraid and alone. What was his crime but existing? Why was this happening to him? ¡°You did all of that, Sovlin. How could you?¡± I screamed. ¡°Marcel was never noncompliant, or of a predatory disposition. He was just sickening to look at.¡± The tears were flowing freely now. I couldn¡¯t live with the knowledge that I inflicted such torment on a sentient creature, who came to my ship in peace. By extension, the ensuing war caused the Gojidi Union to lose our cradle to the Arxur. All I ever wanted was to save my people, and instead, my actions cost billions of lives. I yanked my sidearm out of its holster, and shoved it into my mouth. Someone who had done what I had didn¡¯t deserve to live. I felt like I was thinking clearer now than I ever had in my life. Just a few more seconds, knowing what a failure I was. Five, four, three¡­ With a detached sigh, I tugged the gun out of my gullet. It would be wrong to leave a mess for my crew to clean up, and traumatize another person. Even if I hung myself, someone would stumble across my body. They would live with that image for the rest of their lives. My stubby legs staggered out of the briefing room, and navigated to a maintenance airlock. The thought crossed my mind to write an apology as a suicide note, but that just didn¡¯t cut it. Staring out at the stars, I knew that I could be free of this guilt. The only trace of this would be a data point on the logs; after my disappearance, someone could fill in the blanks with quiet conjecture. ¡°CAPTAIN! Please, don¡¯t do it!¡± Doctor Zarn shouted from behind me, seeing my paw hover over the lever. ¡°They can rebuild your homeworld. Ending your life is a permanent decision, and you will never contribute anything again. It will taint your legacy, and the Union will be weaker for your loss.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about any of that! Why did you follow me?¡± I growled. ¡°Because there is still more to add to your story, sir.¡± The Takkan raised his paws in a pleading gesture, inching toward me. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t see it, each day is a gift. It¡¯s a chance to do something for someone else.¡± My eyes rolled back, as those last words sank in. The doctor didn¡¯t realize why he was right, but he was. These final actions were selfish, the coward¡¯s way out, because I was too afraid to turn myself over to the predators¡¯ custody. What right did I have to deprive Marcel of his revenge? Death was too kind for what I did. Suffering was what I deserved; none of the physical pain could be as awful as what I felt now. It was tough to breathe through the oppressive guilt, misery, and regret. ¡°I have to go,¡± I snapped. The doctor stiffened. ¡°Sir, you¡¯re not in your right mind. We¡¯re going to the medbay for observation¡­¡± I shoved past Zarn, speed-walking back to the bridge. My gaze met Rumi¡¯s, and I gave the comms technician a slight nod. The young Gojid looked floored to see his captain disheveled and sniffling. My paws moved him aside, and tapped the recording button on his console. ¡°This is Captain Sovlin speaking. I wish to state for the record that Officer Recel conducted himself in accordance with the highest Federation ethical standards.¡± My eyes swept across the chamber, studying my beloved crew for the last time. ¡°It is my final wish that he succeeds me as captain of this vessel, and that any charges against him are cleared. I¡­I will be turning myself in for crimes against sentience. That is all.¡± Astonished gasps echoed across the bridge. Zarn looked baffled which ¡°crimes against sentience¡± I was referring to. It wasn¡¯t my place to persuade him, or to fault him for feeding me slanted information. The responsibility for my decisions fell on my shoulders. I didn¡¯t want the rest of my crew taken with me. The only honorable thing to do was to turn myself over to the humans, and accept my nightmarish fate. I rushed through the corridors to the hangar bay, not wanting to give myself time to chicken out. Whatever the predators did to me was their prerogative, but my expectation was a slow and painful death. It was quick work to board a shuttle, punching in the stellar coordinates for Earth. The predators¡¯ breeding grounds, hadn¡¯t I called it? A planet that filled my heart with hatred, that I longed to destroy with every fiber of my being. Starlight twisted in the viewport, signifying that my final voyage was about to commence. This wasn¡¯t the way I thought my military career would end. Very soon, I would know more about the humans than I ever wanted to. My mind was adamant that such penance was merited. Chapter 27 Memory transcription subject: Slanek, Venlil Space Corps Date [standardized human time]: October 1, 2136 Our evacuation party was fortunate to skirt the orbital battle, and depart the system with a fair distance between us and the Arxur. The Terran transport unloaded its critically wounded passengers at a Venlil border outpost, while the rest of the posse trekked on to Earth. I wasn¡¯t sure how the predators planned to deal with the terrified aliens upon arrival. Marcel had been stabilized by onboard medics, and didn¡¯t want to send Nulia to a refugee site run by predators without him. In fact, I got the feeling that he bore no intention of leaving her in a camp at all. Every Gojid on the vessel gawked at him yesterday, when he launched into a silly song about a twinkling star to put her to sleep. Marcel was the reason I resisted the temptation to disembark, in the relative safety of a Venlil station. After every horror that befell him in space, I was uncertain if he¡¯d ever return to the stars. Our separation could be permanent. The last thing I wanted was for our friendship to conclude with me showing fear and disgust toward his species. If someone told me when I signed up for the humans¡¯ first contact program that I would willingly go to their home world, I would¡¯ve keeled over laughing. But I felt guilty over how my instincts ran amok on the Gojid cradle, and how quick I was to fault the predators for things they had no role in. Was my trust in humanity really that conditional? Were my prejudices still alive? The mere sight of Marcel in the doorway had me in shambles, at our first meeting. Now, I don¡¯t think about it when he snarls or picks me up. I don¡¯t react to any humans¡¯ eyes either, not even strangers or crowds. Maybe I¡¯ve made more progress than I give myself credit for. All sorts of bizarre ideas waltzed through my imagination, when I tried to envision Earth. I was the first Venlil to visit humanity¡¯s home; not even the bravest scientists or diplomats would venture to the ¡°blue marble.¡± It was a massive step, which might be a far cry from my preconceptions of society. Landing on Terran soil would place me at the whims of their government, and expose me to the general populace. It would offer better insight into what the average predator was like, but was that a positive? I was woefully unprepared for what I had seen, mixing in with the UN military units. As the spacecraft touched down, I tried to remind myself that it was too late to back out. This was not the time for second thoughts; my fright would only contribute to the other passengers¡¯ panic. ¡°Gojid refugees, line up single file and prepare to exit the ship. Anyone who fails to follow the directions of UN soldiers will be hit with a tranquilizer dart, for your own safety,¡± a grating voice growled over the PA system. ¡°Volunteers are handing out blankets, water, and dried fruit. If you require medication or special accommodations, approach the nearest human in a white coat or red cross insignia. You are safe here. Please do not panic.¡± I snorted. Easier said than done. The humans¡¯ statements didn¡¯t have the calming effect they desired; there wasn¡¯t a single refugee that didn¡¯t look petrified. One elderly Gojid collapsed with a thud, clutching her chest. The terror generated by this amount of predators could certainly cause a heart attack. Terran medics gestured for everyone to move back, and hurried to cart the cardiac victim out. For the Gojids on board, it must appear they were being towed to a predators¡¯ lair as cattle. Ferocious-looking soldiers with massive guns were corralling them into the open air. Who would believe a beast¡¯s claim, that they would return anyone that wished to leave to a Gojid or Federation territory, as soon as they arranged terms with their government? ¡°Hi, Slanek,¡± Tyler said hesitantly. The blond human took a timid approach, as if worried about frightening me. As traumatic as his table manners were, the big guy¡¯s intentions were benevolent. He couldn¡¯t help that his taste buds evolved with such a vile proclivity. Like Marcel explained, it was biology that was beyond their control. I was aware that predators consumed meat by definition, and that didn¡¯t negate everything I knew about their rich emotions. Humans weren¡¯t like the Arxur, hunting living creatures; they cultivated cell samples in a lab. What was so amoral about that, other than the fact that it was appallingly gross? It¡¯s on the same level as consuming fecal matter. Don¡¯t exactly want to share a table, or drink out of the same saucer. But it doesn¡¯t have to shape my entire opinion of him. Out of sight, out of mind. ¡°Thanks for saving my life, Tyler. Sorry for freaking out back there.¡± I pinned my ears against my head, and saw his eyes soften at my scared expression. ¡°It was a good idea on paper, for me to help humanity communicate with civilians. But I had no idea what I was signing up for. It was sensory overload, all the death, predation, and aggression.¡± ¡°It¡¯s cool. I forget how much you guys hate predators sometimes. I know, Marcel doesn¡¯t¡­but how could he?¡± the flesh-eater muttered. Following Tyler¡¯s sharp gaze, my own eyes landed on the redhead. I couldn¡¯t help but notice the looks Marcel shot the Gojid adults throughout the ride. Clearly, his own species picked up on it too. This mission wasn¡¯t the thrilling revenge jaunt he dreamed of. My friend¡¯s right limb was stuffed in a sling, while his dominant arm held the spiky child. He was clutching Nulia to his chest, like he expected someone to take her away. His hazel eyes were glazed over, as he watched the adult refugees stumble outside. A tear rolled down his cheek, which the young Gojid poked with a claw. ¡°Don¡¯t cry,¡± she whimpered. ¡°Why are you sad?¡± The human pawed at his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not. Just tired.¡± The child tilted her head. ¡°But you JUST slept for hours, Mawsle!¡± ¡°Marrrr-cel,¡± he enunciated, rolling the r sound with a reverberating growl. ¡°You can say it, dear.¡± ¡°Mawah¡­sell.¡± Nulia hooked her claws into the corners of his lips, and tugged them upward. I gaped at her bravado, playing with a predator¡¯s eating orifice. ¡°There¡¯s the happy snarl! Stay like that.¡± Marcel flashed his teeth with genuine amusement. He glanced at me, noticing that Tyler and I were both watching with concern. The vegetarian struggled to his feet, limping toward us at the rear of the line. We shuffled to the exit as a pack, and my nerves surged through my veins. Warm sunlight struck my face, as I took my first look at humanity¡¯s home. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. The refugee camp was based in a decommissioned airport, judging by its appearance. Various structures had been converted to lodging, and tents dotted the runways. Humans were passing out supplies in what I thought was a former hangar bay. Doctors checked on any Gojids showing signs of life-threatening distress. Camera crews were parked on the other side of a chain-link fence. A few predators shouted the word Venlil, trying to get my attention. For better or for worse, my image was as the first representative of my species here. I forced myself to straighten, and offered the most human-like wave I could muster. UN guards manned the perimeter, allowing only cleared personnel through the gates either way. Alarm rocketed through my veins, as I spotted a ferocious, four-legged predator alongside them. The brown-and-black beast made the humans look cute and cuddly. I was sure its serrated fangs could puncture their flesh like pudding, but the primates seemed oblivious. It sniffed the air with twitching nostrils, and eyed the armed Terrans with hungry pupils. I knew they had forward-facing vision, but how could they be that blind to their surroundings? How could the dangerous beast have drawn that close to them unnoticed? My survival instincts leapt into overdrive. ¡°RUN! PREDATOR! SAVE YOURSELVES! RUN, QUICK!¡± Wait, Marcel can¡¯t run. He¡¯s going to get picked off first; him and Nulia are an easy target. The humans need to gun down the predator before it gets to us! I bolted back toward the transport, overcome with a blinding terror. Tyler raced after me, closing the distance with long strides. He scooped me up despite my shrill, incoherent protests, and walked back to Marcel and the child. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of predators here, Slanek,¡± Marcel sighed. ¡°What, you¡¯ve never seen a human before?¡± I thrashed in Tyler¡¯s grasp, trying to get him to put me down. My ability to formulate words other than ¡°predator¡± or ¡°run¡± was greatly diminished. A pitiful squeak escaped from my mouth, and I jabbed a claw at the monstrous quadruped. It was panting and slobbering over the humans¡¯ boots! Were they the most clueless species in the galaxy? Nulia screeched as she spotted the beast, and understanding flashed in Marcel¡¯s eyes. He massaged the child¡¯s neck, seeing her spines pop up. Why didn¡¯t the human seem the least bit afraid? Why didn¡¯t he call to the guards to shoot the predator? ¡°That is called a dog,¡± Marcel said slowly. ¡°We domesticated them thousands of years ago¡­which means we trained them to be friendly to humans.¡± Tyler grinned. ¡°I have one at home! They helped us with hunting back in the old days, but now we keep them as p¡ª¡± ¡°Companions,¡± my human interjected. ¡°Dogs are loyal and obedient to us. They¡¯re not sapient, but we have a close bond. Those UN guys have the ¡®predator¡¯ situation under control.¡± I watched as a Terran soldier patted the dog on its head, and its tongue lolled out of its mouth. The human fished into his pocket, pulling out a cookie. He placed it into his hand, stretching his palm as flat as it could go, then offered it to the fanged predator. What was this madman doing? Trying to lose a limb? The beast sniffed at the offering, and wagged its tail. Disbelief filled my chest as it snapped up the morsel, seizing the food without nicking the man¡¯s hand. It barked at the Terrans, who were showering it with toddler-esque praise. Did that non-sapient predator understand their words?! I can¡¯t believe even humans tried to befriend that¡­thing. Conditioning dogs ¡°to be friendly to humans¡± means they weren¡¯t always friendly, I mused. And Tyler keeps one in his residence, like that is normal. How can he sleep with it around? Tyler sensed that I calmed down enough, and placed me back on the ground. Was that how human hunting worked; co-opting other predators to do their dirty work? Marcel promised an answer once we were out of danger, but had yet to fulfill his vow. My outburst already drew a lot of unwanted attention though, so I decided not to say anything now. One human took brisk strides toward us, flanked by a group of soldiers. His thinning salt-and-pepper mane, and crisp coat with a UN pin, looked familiar. Dear stars, it was the Secretary-General himself; I recognized him from our landing at the outpost. Was his entourage coming to arrest me for inciting panic? ¡°Slanek, isn¡¯t it? Welcome to Earth!¡± Elias Meier leaned in, so close that I could feel his breath inside my ear. The air movement tickled the sensitive hairs, and I resisted the urge to paw at it. ¡°Act natural and pose for the cameras for a moment. It¡¯ll be bad PR for everyone if they think you¡¯re afraid of us.¡± The human official draped his arm across my neck, and I forced myself not to shy away. Why did the predators always have to grab for the vital areas? All he¡¯d have to do would be to lock his elbow, to constrict my throat. ¡°I apologize for the canine presence.¡± The Secretary-General spoke the words in a booming tone, and I sensed that he was trying to tell the media that I hadn¡¯t freaked out from the humans. ¡°The dogs are necessary for security purposes.¡± ¡°Security from what?¡± I whispered. Meier smiled, but did not answer. He slipped his arm from my shoulders, and gestured for us to follow him. I tailed behind the UN leader on shaky legs, terrified to traverse the checkpoint. Marcel and Tyler lurked at the rear, probably to seal off my escape route if I tried to run. The dog was tethered by a thin rope, on closer inspection, but it seemed to be pulling the humans more than anything. Those awful eyes were watching me; its yellowed fangs were the size of my ear. I couldn¡¯t stop hyperventilating. A predator like that could smell my fear, couldn¡¯t it? What could the Terrans do if it lunged at me? A tinted vehicle was waiting with a door ajar, and Meier flicked a hand toward the car. I didn¡¯t need a second invitation to spring into the steel death trap. Marcel and Tyler squished in beside me, while the Secretary-General found a seat opposite us. The Gojid child was inconsolable after the dog sighting, sobbing into my human¡¯s grimy uniform. Meier raised his eyebrows. ¡°Where are your parents, kid? They must be worried sick about you.¡± ¡°No they¡¯re not!¡± Nulia wailed. ¡°I called for my mommy and she never came back. She didn¡¯t care if Mawsle or the bad monsters ate me.¡± Marcel gave her head a gentle pat. ¡°Your mother made a mistake, darling, because she was really scared. She loved you very much.¡± Tyler nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re a good kid.¡± Meier¡¯s eyes lingered on Nulia for a moment. His thinly-veiled displeasure suggested he¡¯d prefer if Gojid children weren¡¯t roaming his planet. Evidently, he decided it wasn¡¯t good PR to force Marcel to leave her behind either. ¡°Anyhow. Sorry about that mess, Slanek. I had no idea the Venlil were sending visitors, though don¡¯t misunderstand me. We¡¯re thrilled to have you here,¡± the Secretary-General said. ¡°I¡¯ll work out luxurious arrangements for all of you. If there¡¯s anything you want, just ask.¡± I cuddled up to my human. ¡°T-thank you, sir.¡± ¡°Anything for our galactic neighbors. I¡¯m pleased that you both returned alive, especially with how symbolic your connection has become here on Earth. Speaking of which¡­I have some positive news.¡± Marcel leaned forward. ¡°Positive news?¡± ¡°Sovlin has been arrested by UN forces. He¡¯s being held in a clandestine facility for alien POWs, and is awaiting trial.¡± My eyes widened, while my friend¡¯s gaze narrowed. How had the Terrans tracked down the sadistic Gojid? Regardless of their methodology, I was relieved the captain wouldn¡¯t get away with his wretched deeds. If the predators executed Sovlin, it would satisfy Marcel¡¯s wish for his death. The anger boiling inside him was taking its toll on his kind soul. ¡°Take me there,¡± my human growled. ¡°I want to see him.¡± Secretary-General Meier exhaled, shaking his head in the negative. ¡°That¡¯s not a good idea.¡± ¡°So what? Pull some strings. I¡¯m not going to do anything drastic,¡± Marcel said. ¡°And why would I risk the political fallout, if you did attack an alien prisoner in our custody? There is zero benefit to any party, and we aren¡¯t prepared to host visitors there regardless. You¡¯ll be able to see Sovlin in court.¡± ¡°C¡¯mon! All I want is a short conversation, Meier.¡± The red-haired human¡¯s expression was pleading, and his eyes searched the UN leader¡¯s resolute face. ¡°I¡¯ll go along with whatever media strategy you want in return. You know I¡¯m important to our propaganda efforts, at home and abroad.¡± The UN leader stared out the window in thought. Was Marcel¡¯s claim that he was that vital to the Terran narrative accurate? The Secretary-General crossed his arms with a resigned sigh, like he hated his next actions. A holopad found its way into his hands, and he began typing out a message. ¡°I¡¯m sure I will regret this. I¡¯ll let you peek at his cell from outside. You can enter only if Sovlin wants to see you,¡± Meier rumbled. ¡°Understand?¡± Marcel nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± My ears pinned back against my head. Those predatory eyes brewed with such a deep hatred, that it made me squirm. There was no telling whether the human could¡­or would restrain his aggression, once his tormentor was within grasping distance. Whatever happened, my primary hope was that this confrontation would bring him peace, at last. Chapter 28 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, Federation Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: October 2, 2136 A harsh buzzing drifted into my ears, rousing me from unconsciousness. I stirred on the thin cot, and grunted at the mattress¡¯ inflexibility. Terror flooded my mind as I realized where I was. Gravity this authentic could only mean I was on Earth. I had received a military greeting as soon as I neared the Sol system. When I informed them of my name and intent to surrender, the humans ordered me to power off my vessel¡¯s engines. A breaching ship jostled my shuttle, and pumped a sleeping vapor through the ventilation shafts. The predators weren¡¯t taking any chances of trickery or resistance. The accommodations were reasonable, with every basic necessity available. By comparison, the Arxur kept their captives in squalor; a pen designed for five soldiers would be the size of my room¡¯s bed. The reptiles had no qualms about piling us on top of each other and degrading our dignity. Water and a fruit bowl were sitting on a small table. The drinking liquid wasn¡¯t the unsanitary sludge I¡¯d expect from predators. My cell was caged by a barred door, but it was spacious enough to walk around. The barrier slid open as the buzzing noise finished, and shoe thuds echoed through the vicinity. I might never see a person that¡¯s not a predator again, I realized with a chill. That¡¯s very likely. A pudgy Terran male in layered garments entered, studying me with a calculating gaze. My spines felt like they were about to worm their way out of my back. Those eyes were revolting; an unyielding assertion of dominance! Was he dissecting me in his mind, or searching for my vulnerable areas? The predator tugged out a metal chair, and beckoned me to the table with a finger. I steeled myself for the physical pain I knew was about to occur. ¡°Well.¡± I slunk over to the opposing chair on shaking legs. ¡°Go on then.¡± The crown of fading white hair signified his age, I presumed. He fished a stack of papers out of a briefcase, and placed some glass adornment over his eyes. The beast looked like he engorged himself on flesh regularly; how else would he have fattened up like that? Words were insufficient to describe the numbing dread, snowballing in the pit of my stomach. Figures that the humans waited until I woke up to start reciprocating the cruelty. I was on the other end of Marcel¡¯s plight, caged with a monster with no way out. ¡°Hi Sovlin. My name is Anton Kozlov, and I¡¯m your legal counsel,¡± the human said. I cleared my throat. ¡°L-legal counsel?¡± ¡°Yes. If you are unsatisfied with my services, we can find you another representative,¡± he replied. ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t understand. Representative¡­represent me for what?¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to be put on trial for crimes against humanity. Your case has been referred to the International Criminal Court by the UNSC. Er, that¡¯s the United Nations Security Council.¡± My ears could hardly process what they were hearing. Humanity had a proper court system, that relied on evidentiary claims to establish guilt, and stable institutions?! It all sounded so tame and normal. And United Nations? Since when is the humans¡¯ government unified? Every source says they do nothing but war with each other. ¡°First off, such d-d-decorum is¡­undeserved. T-there is no question that I did what I am accused of,¡± I stuttered. ¡°Why would there even be a hearing?¡± Anton¡¯s lips curved down. ¡°Everyone has the right to a trial. Presumed innocent until proven guilty. We are a civilized species, with laws and justice systems, you know.¡± ¡°I wish you weren¡¯t.¡± Savage retribution would at least alleviate my guilt over my own sadism. This calm professionalism was twisting the knife. The self-proclaimed lawyer had to know he was defending someone who would¡¯ve killed his whole species, in a heartbeat. If I stumbled across him in my domain, I would¡¯ve tormented him without refrain. ¡°Anyhow. Let¡¯s go over the charges, and the facts of the matter. The ICC believes that your case has gravitas enough to fall under their jurisdiction.¡± The predator passed a packet in front of me, which detailed my crimes in their angular script. ¡°While you tortured a single human, it was intended as an attack against our entire species. You¡¯re the first alien to face trial by Terran law, so I¡¯d say that¡¯s important enough.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°You also bore the intent to genocide civilians, which granted, there is less direct evidence of. If you cannot understand these charges, let me know. We can try to translate them into your language, though I cannot vouch for the accuracy.¡± ¡°I have a translator. I understand just fine.¡± I lowered my head in shame, despising every word of sophistication he uttered. ¡°How do I confess? I am guilty. I don¡¯t wish to dispute the charges.¡± I definitely don¡¯t want to see evidence of what I did to Marcel. I wish I could forget about that beast. Oh stars, what if he comes to watch the proceedings? ¡°You can plead guilty, but I think there is a solid defense in the making. Of course, the evidence against you is airtight.¡± The human paused, and tapped a finger to his temple. Maybe they tried to use their hands like we used tail signals. ¡°With your innate resentment of predators, I think there is substantial evidence to argue insanity. We can beseech the court for leniency on those grounds.¡± ¡°What? That¡¯s not what I want. You¡¯re predators. You can think of a brutal and agonizing way for a man to die.¡± ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± ¡°I want my actions repaid. Request the worst imaginable sentence your government can give¡­please. Something torturous!¡± Anton squinted at me. He poured a glass of water, and pushed it toward me with a sigh. The primate must be mocking me by concocting such a defense; there was no psychological excuse for my untenable hatred. I failed at every opportunity to revert my course, and never used a scrap of logic. The last thing I wanted was for Terran judges to empathize with my perspective. The predators needed to prove themselves to be a little unhinged or vindictive. Maybe they could have some feelings, but they weren¡¯t just ordinary, docile people. ¡°Prisoners are not tortured on this planet,¡± the human explained. ¡°It¡¯s explicitly forbidden by our laws. While you are in UN custody, your needs will be cared for. You will be imprisoned if convicted, likely for a period of 10 to 20 years.¡± If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. My eyes widened. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± ¡°Imprisoned where? Like where I am now?¡± ¡°Yes. This facility was specifically set aside, in case we captured any Federation prisoners of war.¡± ¡°Make an exception. WHAT KIND OF PREDATORS ARE YOU?!¡± The lawyer eyed my flailing claws nervously. ¡°You need to calm down. I¡¯ll be back when you¡¯re ready to discuss your case.¡± The predators had a much better grasp on their aggression than I thought. There wasn¡¯t a scratch on my physical form, nor had there been the deployment of intimidation tactics. Even screaming at Anton couldn¡¯t evoke the violent reaction I desired. If anything, my antagonization seemed to frighten the old man. ¡°If you¡¯re just going to dream up excuses, don¡¯t come back at all,¡± I growled. ¡°I don¡¯t need legal counsel.¡± The white-haired human collected his belongings, shaking his head in what I thought was frustration. That refined conversation wasn¡¯t at all on par with my expectations. They were supposed to enact all sorts of predatory compulsions on me; not confine me under humane conditions, to ponder what I had done. This is the worst outcome. They have every chance to return the favor, yet they choose to be better. ¡°Listen. If you want to plead guilty, that¡¯s your right.¡± Anton paused at the door, as he was buzzed out by the guards. ¡°But let me test the waters first. See what sort of deal the UN are willing to offer.¡± ¡°Why would they offer anything?!¡± ¡°You¡¯re still one of the Federation¡¯s most brilliant tacticians. That counts for something.¡± ¡°I¡­fine. I really don¡¯t care anymore.¡± ¡°Excellent. Oh, and Sovlin. There¡¯s¡­oh shit¡­someone else here to see you. You may want to refuse him.¡± ¡°Would Cap here dare to turn me away?¡± A steaming voice hissed, so throaty that it sounded like a snarl. ¡°I have a right to face him.¡± The lawyer hurried out, and a muscular silhouette appeared by the door frame in his place. The new predator was baring his teeth, with strained breathing that verged on panting. This must be the interrogator I was waiting for! I curled my claws for the humans to send him in, assuming they were monitoring the cell somehow. They must not have understood. ¡°Do you wish to speak to the visitor?¡± a gruff voice crackled through a speaker. ¡°There is no established visiting area at the moment. We can arrange a separate meeting under more defined circumstances, if you wish.¡± I blinked slowly. ¡°No need for pomp and circumstance. Send him in now.¡± The bars creaked out of the way. The human stalked in, with a guard tailing behind; my visitor limped like he was wounded. One arm was placed in a sling, and a bandage was tied around his leg. His short hair bore an orange tinge, but it was no more than stubble on his scalp. The predator¡¯s face was beet-red, marred by three long scars that carried a lighter shade. The pattern of those marks clicked with the nagging images in my head. I gasped in horror, and struggled to keep myself still. My eyes turned toward the floor, as Marcel shoved his crooked nose inches from my face. Every part of me wanted to hide under the bed; it would be much easier to pretend he wasn¡¯t here. At least I didn¡¯t kill him. His skeleton is much healthier¡­and he¡¯s lopped off what little hair humans have. Stars, he is hideous. ¡°LOOK AT ME!¡± the Terran roared. I took a shaky breath, and gazed into his hazel eyes. The human¡¯s expression was contorted, with a coat of water swelling around his pupils. The depth of emotion, when I truly looked, was staggering; not the soulless abyss I saw them as before. It was a looking glass to his conflicted mind, which was beleaguered by resentment and recollection. ¡°Every time I close my eyes, I¡¯m back there. I can¡¯t be touched on the neck, without thinking of your fucking collar.¡± Marcel¡¯s raspy voice sounded choked, and I heard snot bubbling in his nose. He furiously wiped a tear away. ¡°I can¡¯t look in the mirror, without seeing your fucking scars! I¡¯m reminded of you by everything.¡± My skin tingled from the feel of his warm breath on my snout. Guilt plagued me, twisting my insides into knots. How could the human return to his society and act civilized, after being treated like an animal? Wetness trickled down my own cheek, and my vision grew fuzzy. I could see truth in his words, that the anguish wreaked havoc on his mind daily. Maybe beating the shit out of me, or killing me, would give him some closure. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you again. B-but when you start attacking me, I won¡¯t be in control anymore. I suggest you start with the claws, or t-tie up my paws,¡± I croaked. The predator slammed a fist on the table, baring his teeth. ¡°All I want is to know why. What have I ever done to you? Why did you do it?¡± ¡°Because when I look at you, I see the Arxur. I¡¯m s-sorry.¡± ¡°You¡¯re sorry?! Fuck you!¡± he spat. ¡°You¡¯re a piece of shit, you know. A lying sack of shit!¡± ¡°I¡­h-how am I lying?¡± ¡°Tell me the real reason. You said they took everything from you, when you were about to kill me. What did you mean?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t talk about that, ever.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you owe me that much?!¡± I drummed my claws on the chair. If Marcel could derive meaning from that wretched tale, it was something I had to rehash one more time. Sorrow filled my throat, just reminiscing about it. Arxur shuttles snuck past our defenses, and the reptilians went on the hunt. One of the first places they landed was my neighborhood. The Gojid armada¡¯s efforts failed to stave them off; therefore, it was my fault that those monsters tormented my family. Unspeakable things were done to the only two people I loved. I spectated the whole event, from a holopad that was dropped on the floor in panic. The awful screams were something I tried, and failed, to blot out of my mind. The reason I led that famed charge against the Arxur fleet, was the paralyzing grief I felt that day. It was meant as suicide; dying in a righteous blaze of glory. Instead, I was saddled with a heroic mantle, and consigned to live for nothing more than vengeance. ¡°They killed my family. While I was on a call to wish my daughter good night¡­happy? It¡¯s no excuse.¡± Marcel stepped away at last, pacing by the door. I was surprised he didn¡¯t throw that back in my face, and try to reopen the wound. Even if humans could feel empathy, there was no reason to extend that to me. Slanek¡¯s words about how ¡°kind and gentle¡± this predator was rang in my ears; the Venlil staked his life on that belief. This isn¡¯t someone who is cruel and sadistic. This is a good person, who is dying on the inside¡­ because of you. ¡°Indeed. There¡¯s no excuse for what you did,¡± the predator decided. ¡°But I saw what the Arxur do. I saw a lot of things I can¡¯t begin to describe.¡± ¡°Saw how? It¡¯s not the same on television.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t get shot twice sitting on the couch, Sovlin. I deployed on your ¡®cradle¡¯, don¡¯t you call it? You don¡¯t even give your fucking homeworld a proper name.¡± ¡°How is that any worse than naming your planet ¡®Dirt¡¯?¡± ¡°Well¡­fine, on your cradle. I saw Arxur soldiers munching on a Gojid¡¯s organs in the middle of a fucking battle. Them plucking people off the streets to God knows what fate; us racing to evacuate anyone. Cities wiped off the map, and explosions all around us.¡± Marcel¡¯s voice quavered with horror, and his eyes stared blankly at the wall. There was a grim sincerity in his testimonial. It would be easy to interpret his anecdote as gloating, but he seemed saddened by the destruction of my homeworld. The humans hadn¡¯t wished such a senseless fate upon us; it was us who yearned for a genocide against their race. I chewed at my claws with despondency, mourning the infinite loss of the cradle. The question nagged at my mind, whether any humans partook in the flesh consumption, but I bit back that morbid curiosity. I should just let the predator continue uninterrupted. ¡°There were children crushed to death by their own parents, left broken in the streets,¡± he recalled. ¡°A massacre as far as the eye can see. The stench of death, flies buzzing in the air¡­you all did that to yourselves. Humans would never do that to our kids.¡± A predator speaking as though a stampede was a conscious choice, and claiming the moral high ground; this was all so bizarre. The notion of humans caring for their young, or having any kind of family unit was jarring. To think of them forming attachments felt alien to my brain. ¡°Somehow, you¡¯re the worst of it all, Sovlin. I will never escape what you did.¡± I swallowed. ¡°So what do we do now? Are you going to kill me?¡± ¡°Oh, I dreamed about killing you. Tearing you from limb to limb.¡± Marcel pinched the bridge of his crooked nose. ¡°But that¡¯s not who I am. Not to Nulia, not to Slanek, and not to myself. You don¡¯t get to take that away from me.¡± ¡°I d-don¡¯t understand. Take what away?¡± The predator¡¯s lips curved up into a snarl, revealing his pointed canines. ¡°How I treat a monster¡­it says a lot more about me than you. I¡¯m proud to be human, and I wake up every morning without feeling like a total piece of shit. Can you say the same?¡± Marcel stalked away with a limping gait, and the door clanged open at his behest. The human receded down the corridor, as did the UN guard shadowing him. The heavy clops of their feet faded out of earshot. My spines began to settle, left without the company of any predators. That final question resonated through my head; the scarred flesh-eater knew that answer as well as I did. It was my treatment of a perceived abomination that shaped me into one myself. And no¡­I don¡¯t think I¡¯d ever feel pride or contentment again. The spark that made me Sovlin, the brazen officer, was gone for good. When the Terran lawyer returned, I decided to go along with his merciful plots. Humanity treated monsters with dignity for their own sake, and who was I to ruin it for them? Chapter 29 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, Federation Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: October 3, 2136 Our van cruised along the multi-lane highway, granting me a perfect view of the passing scenery. The road was packed with cars, with light signals governing the traffic flow. The humans were more enterprising and entertainment-driven than I anticipated. Intermittent signs advertised shops, restaurants and hangouts. Dwellings were mostly tucked away on side streets, away from the hustle-and-bustle of traffic. Earth is not as harrowing as I expected. There¡¯s not a single sign of violence or corpses lying around. It¡¯s just people, going about their lives. We were en route to a refugee camp, per the Terran government¡¯s request. Despite their best efforts, humans lacked knowledge of our basic biology and necessities. They also were having difficulty getting any Gojids to speak to them¡­for obvious reasons. The predators asked whether I would be willing to provide guidance, and assist communication with the more frightened individuals. My attorney noted that there was nothing offered in return, but I was happy to help my people. The few thousand that were left, anyways. Anton leaned in. ¡°Remember, this is a test to see if you¡¯ll cooperate. You need all the goodwill you can get here. Don¡¯t do anything stupid.¡± The lawyer looked nervous sitting next to me, even with the cuffs around my forepaws. An ankle monitor was also strapped to one leg, suppressing my circulation. The predators didn¡¯t trust me not to run off, the second I tasted fresh air. If I intended to flee, why would I have flown a ship into the heart of their territory? There were two UN officers at the front of the vehicle, wearing matching artificial pelts. The primates¡¯ skin must be sensitive to light, with how they wore extensive garments at all times. Their eyes barely left me; the constant tracking meant my spines hadn¡¯t settled for the hours-long ride. The build-up of fear chemicals was dizzying. I coughed. ¡°Uh, guard predators. C-can¡­I say something, if I, um¡­think that my people are b-being mistreated?¡± One of the officers, named Samantha, gave a curt nod. ¡°Yes. You may.¡± ¡°If you have any ideas for cultural elements that are missing, that¡¯s acceptable as well,¡± the other soldier, Carlos, growled. ¡°We know nothing of your religions or customs.¡± That old anxious habit of chewing at my claws cropped up again. The most popular deity worshipped in our systems was the Great Protector, a nature spirit that warded off predators. I never believed in such nonsense myself; judging by how the Arxur terrorized us, there was no one safeguarding our cradle. Probably shouldn¡¯t tell literal predators that our higher power is supposed to keep their kind away. I doubt they¡¯d let Gojids exercise patronage to her, once they discover that. My faint curiosity wondered what sorts of beliefs the Terrans were governed by. Carlos¡¯ words implied that they did have religions, which must shape their society¡¯s morality. Perhaps their gods offered wisdom such as only killing when necessary, and giving their quarry swift deaths? That could explain their prey-like conventions on prisoners and warfare. Our van paused by a secured gate, where more humans waved it into a large paved area. The vehicle parked itself by a hangar bay, and the operators switched off the ignition. The UN soldiers stalked around to open the rear hatch. A dark corner of my mind fed me awful ideas about what condition the Gojid refugees were in. What if the predators lost patience with the more fearful individuals while we were in transit? What if being around this many prey animals at once stirred the humans¡¯ appetite, even if they didn¡¯t want it to? This had to be a massive temptation. ¡°What are you waiting for, Sovlin?¡± Samantha waved a hand impatiently. ¡°Get a move on it.¡± Anton snaked his fingers around my wrist, steadying me as I stumbled out of the van. The predator¡¯s skin was slick and oily; the touch sent a shudder through my veins. I tried to use my surroundings to ground myself, and forget about my proximity to the Terran. There were no hints of any pens, suspicious contraptions, or butchering tools. This appeared like the helpful facility the predators proclaimed it to be. Thousands of Gojids were milling about, while humans lingered by designated assistance tents. The largest line was at a station labelled for locating loved ones. ¡°You can¡¯t have gotten many people off planet,¡± I muttered. ¡°Why give them hope?¡± Carlos crossed his arms. ¡°Such a cynic. If we reunite a handful of friends or family, then it¡¯s worth it.¡± The female guard shook her head in disapproval as well. She fished a yellow object out of her pocket, and tugged down the outer skin. The soft flesh below had to be from a plant, judging by the lack of eyes, limbs, or blood. Was she offering me food? I wasn¡¯t hungry. To my bewilderment, Samantha took a bite out of the clasped vegetation. The seeds in the half-eaten object confirmed that it was a fruit, rather than any animal organ. This predator was chowing down on prey snacks, right before my eyes! I thought it might be curiosity what our food tasted like, but she seemed too bored for it to be interest. Marcel could have eaten fruit? I thought the only way to feed him was to sacrifice a crew member, I mused, with a guilty pang. Stars, are these humans even predators at all? Samantha¡¯s forward-facing eyes locked on me. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?!¡± ¡°You¡­you eat plants?¡± I squeaked. Anton nodded. ¡°We¡¯re omnivores, Sovlin. Humans can eat meat, but that¡¯s not the main part of our diet.¡± ¡°Umnuver?¡± I struggled to pronounce the tonal word, since no equivalent existed in my language. ¡°Okay. Uh, sorry for gawking. M-maybe just show me something you want my help with?¡± Carlos steered me toward a large dormitory, palming his chin in thought. This predator had strange green markings across his arm. Was that some sort of customary brand, for males in their service? Maybe it was a way of denoting his kill count, or ancestral heritage? The olive-skinned human didn¡¯t notice me studying him, which was a relief. The male guard checked that no Gojids were watching, before pointing to the far end of the bunks. ¡°See that group huddling over there? How they seem to be protecting that chap with the beige claws?¡± ¡°What about it?¡± I answered. ¡°That guy they¡¯re shielding has been unresponsive to any of our orders,¡± Samantha chimed in. ¡°Completely ignoring us.¡± Carlos nodded. ¡°Which isn¡¯t the issue. Lots of Gojids haven¡¯t been very cooperative, because they¡¯re afraid or otherwise. But this particular fellow, it¡¯s like everyone tries to get him away as quickly as possible.¡± ¡°So what? You, um, want me to get this one to listen to you? I can¡¯t guarantee I can do that.¡± The predator shook his head. ¡°Just find out why they¡¯re hiding him. If he¡¯s a celebrity, a religious leader, a politician¡­I don¡¯t know. If he¡¯s important to you all, we can give him special treatment.¡± The Gojid in question wasn¡¯t anyone that I recognized. If I didn¡¯t know him, it was unlikely he was famous enough that large percentages of our people would pick him out. A suspicion flickered in my mind, that this one had some sort of disability. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Everyone knew that predators practiced the ¡°survival of the fittest¡± maxim of nature. The humans had ample emotions, but would they knowingly expend resources on a deficient individual? Someone with a permanent handicap wouldn¡¯t be helpful for rebuilding our species, to the predatory mindset. Surely, they¡¯d want that trait wiped out of the gene pool. Humans probably would think they¡¯re doing us a favor, with how limited our numbers are. They¡¯d never understand why we nurse an individual who cannot care for themselves, or can never live a normal life. ¡°Er, I¡¯ll check in,¡± I growled. ¡°Don¡¯t come with me. Nobody will talk to you.¡± Samantha tossed the finished fruit peel into a waste bin. ¡°Fine. Don¡¯t try to run. That band on your ankle will tell us where you are.¡± My conscience was torn, as I wandered over to the group. While I owed the predators an immense debt, one I could never atone for, sacrificing another person¡¯s life felt immoral. Perhaps I should have just refused to help; if I didn¡¯t know anything, it couldn¡¯t be used against the poor guy. A Gojid female watched my approach, and pointed a claw at me. ¡°Stop. What do you want?¡± I halted in my tracks. ¡°Is the young man there alright? Have the predators done something to him?¡± ¡°Nothing like that,¡± she muttered. ¡°Why should we trust you? You just came with a bunch of their soldiers. We saw you go through the checkpoint.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a high-ranking Gojid officer that was taken prisoner during the war.¡± The words were automatic, as if some other persona jumped behind the wheel. ¡°The second they released me, I¡¯m doing what I can to help¡­under the circumstances. You might know me; my name is Captain Sovlin.¡± Her eyes widened. ¡°The Sovlin? It¡¯s an honor, sir. Um, I¡¯m Berna, and the silent one¡¯s Talpin.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you. May I ask again what the issue is?¡± ¡°Tal is deaf. He can¡¯t hear any of the predators¡¯ commands, and they¡¯re starting to get belligerent. We¡¯re trying to guide him, but it¡¯s a matter of time before they figure it out.¡± ¡°How long do you think you can keep them in the dark? The humans aren¡¯t stupid.¡± ¡°A few days, at most. But every hour we keep my brother alive is worth it to me.¡± I studied the deaf Gojid, noticing the confusion plastered across his features. A burning feeling crawled into my throat. The length of Talpin¡¯s lower spines suggested that he had just reached adulthood. This teenager had so much of his life ahead of him, and his family circle would mourn his loss immensely. The UN soldiers were waiting, expecting a full report. Yes, it was a single life to earn the humans¡¯ favor; one that would be terminated soon anyways. But there were so many fatalities on my conscience. As it were, that count was more than I could live with. I couldn¡¯t let another person die because of me. Not a single one. The Terrans would resent my disobedience, but any threats paled in comparison to a novel source of guilt. ¡°I understand. I suggest that you lay low as possible,¡± I said with a soft tone. ¡°Take care of yourselves.¡± Talpin waved at me, blissfully ignorant to the dilemma in my mind. I shuffled back toward the predators, while a choking sickness clamped down on my stomach. Their hideous eyes searched mine for any clues. Carlos barked a question, but the translated meaning was lost beneath my swirling thoughts. ¡°Sovlin? Talk to me, buddy.¡± Anton patted my shoulder, and I flinched at the contact. ¡°You look shaken up. What¡¯s the matter?¡± Samantha narrowed her eyes. ¡°What did they tell you? If there¡¯s a threat, we can try to de-escalate the situation. That is part of our training, you know.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. N-no one is in danger. But I can¡¯t tell you,¡± I whimpered. ¡°What do you mean, ¡®You can¡¯t tell us?!¡¯¡± the female predator hissed. ¡°Your reaction could be drastic. I can¡¯t get someone else killed¡­no matter how b-bad I feel about Marcel. Just throw me back in my cell, okay? Please.¡± She blinked. ¡°Nobody is getting killed. Have humans ever displayed violence toward you? Either you trust us to conduct ourselves with kindness and compassion, or you haven¡¯t reformed at all. Pick one.¡± ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know. Shit, I don¡¯t know!¡± ¡°Sovlin, we are trying to help these people. You have my word that no harm will befall any of them. Not unless there is zero alternative,¡± Carlos growled. I squeezed my eyes shut. Feeling empathy was a far cry from the altruistic disregard of genealogy. Humans wouldn¡¯t be a strong, warrior species without making a few logical sacrifices. It might stupefy them, that we burdened ourselves with so-called debility. Would honor be enough to compel the predator guards to spare Talpin? The lawyer jostled my arm again. ¡°You¡¯re panicking. I can see that. Whatever predator nonsense you all are convinced of, it¡¯s dead wrong. We are nothing like the Arxur.¡± ¡°Yes, but¡­he¡¯s deaf!¡± I blurted. The humans recoiled. All of their expressions seemed stunned, from how their eyebrows shot up toward their hairline. I don¡¯t think that possibility even crossed their mind. Why would it, when they would never engage in such an impractical undertaking themselves? Shit, what have I done? You couldn¡¯t keep your fat mouth shut, and let a teenager live his final days in peace? I berated myself. You¡¯re a weak-minded, selfish asshole, Sovlin. You should¡¯ve spaced yourself back on your ship. Samantha scratched her head. ¡°Was that so hard? I think I can take care of this.¡± The UN guards stalked toward the group, and I tailed behind them in mute horror. My brain was screaming at them to stop, but I couldn¡¯t muster the words. The self-hatred reached a new high; my will to live felt depleted. Were the predators going to take Talpin away from his family? Execute him in front of the watching crowd? The female human approached, without drawing her weapon, and gestured toward the deaf youth. Talpin screeched, as he saw the armed predators¡¯ attention on him. With bristling spines, he tried to crawl under his bunk. The Gojid cluster gaped at me with looks of absolute betrayal; tears swelled in my eyes. ¡°How could you, Sovlin?!¡± Berna jumped between the Terrans and her brother, flexing her claws in defiance. ¡°I thought you were a hero! A man who would die for our planet.¡± I collapsed to my knees, hugging my chest. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I¡­I trusted them.¡± ¡°P-please, don¡¯t kill him, predators. I¡¯ll give you whatever you want!¡± the sister protested. Samantha dropped to one leg. ¡°We¡¯re not going to hurt anyone. Can he understand me now?¡± She made a series of animated gestures, concurrent with her speech. Talpin watched her with a blank stare, trembling. Her clawless fingers curled in strange motions, but they didn¡¯t seem random. My misery gave way to confusion, as I tried to understand what she was doing. Was this some non-verbal form of communication? That¡¯s not hunger or disgust in her eyes, I don¡¯t think. ¡°Sign language,¡± Carlos explained, spotting my bafflement. ¡°It¡¯s how deaf people communicate on our planet. Do your translators work on it?¡± ¡°N-no. Only audible language; that¡¯s why tail s-signals don¡¯t translate,¡± I stammered. The female predator lowered her hands. ¡°Dammit. Please tell him we¡¯re going to find a way to talk to him, Gojids. Ask him for a little patience.¡± Berna gaped at the UN soldiers. ¡°Okay? Thank you.¡± My mind was spinning. The humans created an entire gesture language for those who lacked hearing? Did that mean that they catered to other ailments too; that individuals like Talpin could live normal lives? This suggested the limits of their nurturing went much farther than I imagined. The Arxur would have considered any hindered offspring as prey, lumping it in the same category as their food. Then again, they abandoned their children days after birth, whereas Marcel spoke as if humans kept contact with their progeny. With their empathetic behavior toward our younglings, I couldn¡¯t imagine they left their kids to fend for themselves. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. You speak a language for deaf people, but you can hear?¡± I murmured. Samantha raised her shoulders briefly. ¡°My brother is deaf. Was from birth.¡± Berna¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Your parents reared a deficient offspring? Reworked their whole lives for it¡­kept it?¡± ¡°What the fuck? Of course they ¡®kept¡¯ him!¡± she spat. The Gojid flinched. ¡°S-sorry. Shit, I meant no offense, predator. I thought you¡¯d care about individual contributions.¡± ¡°There are more ways to enhance society than by being the pinnacle of physical perfection.¡± Anton met my gaze, though replying to Berna. It was like he knew my thoughts followed a similar track. ¡°One of our greatest astrophysicists was a quadriplegic for decades; fully dependent on the care of others, unable to talk without a speech synthesizer. Brilliant man.¡± I twisted my claws, pondering their words. Though I regretted my behavior toward Marcel, my understanding of humans was limited to the scope of my prior knowledge. Zarn had spoken in ghastly detail about their cruelty and malice. Our briefing videos encapsulated those heinous acts, and confirmed the unthinkable level of viciousness abiding within them. Even in Terran domain, all I see is compassion. Where is the humanity that the Federation saw? Wouldn¡¯t such a brutish nature shine through, somewhere? Seeing their redeeming qualities, such as how they were capable of empathy, was a start. However, these primates were nothing at all like any scientist predicted. Predators¡¯ entire purpose in an ecosystem was to weed out the weak. They were natural selection itself! ¡°You¡¯re quite right, humans. You are nothing like the Arxur,¡± I admitted. ¡°We¡¯re not. We want you to help us beat them, Sovlin, but the UN needed to see that you trust us first.¡± A hard glint flashed in Carlos¡¯ brown eyes. ¡°I¡¯m satisfied that your remorse is genuine. What do you say we spend a few hours here, then we talk shop?¡± ¡°That translated as, um, discussing work?¡± ¡°Touch¨¦. We¡¯re drumming up plans to take the fight to the Arxur, and to bring whatever is left of your cradle back into our hands. Would you be willing to look them over? Perhaps serve alongside us?¡± I realized that, in spite of my visceral reaction to their features, I almost liked these humans. They had a certain charisma, when they articulated their lofty intentions. Our cradle would be little more than rubble now, but its symbolism counted for something. A few thousand Gojids might¡¯ve survived in bunkers, and these strange predators were their last hope. The UN was giving me a chance to offset a fraction of the damage I''d caused. That wasn''t the sort of offer I could pass up. ¡°There¡¯s nothing I¡¯d like more. Count me in.¡± Chapter 30 Memory transcription subject: Slanek, Venlil Space Corps Date [standardized human time]: October 3, 2136 Accompanying Marcel to visit his tormentor was my overarching desire, but persuading the predator proved an impossible task. It baffled me why he believed this confrontation was something he needed to tackle alone. The worry I felt for my human was tremendous; I couldn¡¯t imagine how traumatic it was to encounter Sovlin, with the roles reversed. Beyond that, it was terrifying to be stranded on Earth, without him to protect me. Whenever something frightened me, there was the comforting assurance that the vegetarian would fix it. I was beginning to understand that Marcel shielded me from the predatory side of humanity, to the best of his ability. Who was there to filter the stimuli around me now? You need to get used to humans on your own, Slanek. Toughen up, I chided myself. That orphan toddler is twice as brave as you! Nulia seemed anxious without her scarred predator; the poor thing must be fearful of being abandoned again. Tyler landed babysitting duty for the Gojid child, while her guardian was away. The meat-eater had finally retired to his room, trying to get both of them some shut-eye. As babyish as it would have been, I wished I tagged along. Every shadow that danced on the wall seemed like a dog sneaking up on me. There was no chance of getting a wink of sleep, knowing I was trapped in a land of predators alone. How could any sane species leave their varmint alive? With a frustrated sigh, I jabbed a claw on the remote. It was a bad idea to watch their television without supervision, but the boredom was stirring up the dark side of my imagination regardless. The screen opposite the bed flickered to life, set to a news channel by default. A stern-looking female had her intense, predatory eyes fixed on the camera. ¡°¡­ever trust the Federation?¡± she asked. ¡°None of their information about predators has been correct. The continued survival of the human race is due to their astonishing incompetence; their fundamental lack of curiosity. You, your children, and your loved ones are vermin to be killed to them. These aliens take offense to your existence.¡± ¡°Not the Venlil!¡± I yipped, knowing that she couldn¡¯t hear me. ¡°The UN ambassador and the Venlil governor never returned, from a summit where they tried to negotiate with these genocidal maniacs. At this point, we have to presume that Noah Williams was murdered. Maybe it¡¯s time to give the Feds a dose of the predators they¡¯re asking for. Is this why the Arxur turned on them? How were they really treated at first contact?¡± That statement made my blood boil. How could any human argue with the mountain of footage, depicting Arxur sadism? It was an undisputed fact that the Federation uplifted those predators, gifting the means to blaze a trail of destruction. Hadn¡¯t the Terran soldiers returned with stories of the grays rounding up cattle, and snacking on living Gojids mid-battle? Surely, no humans bought this outrageous line of thinking. This had to be a sensationalist take to garner publicity for her broadcast. That, or it was satire. I failed to see the humor, but then again, I always took a literal interpretation of things. Terran comedy could be pretty dark and tasteless, from the jokes I heard on my deployment. ¡°Nothing excuses cannibalism and xenocide, to those who will inevitably take my words out of context. I just don¡¯t see a reason to accept a bigot¡¯s narrative, without any critical thinking. Recent intelligence suggests ship movement in the Krakotl¡­¡± The hotel door clicked open without warning, which startled me upright. What if it was UN security guards, coming to secure my room with a dog? That creature was going to be my nightmare fuel for months; I could vividly picture it ripping off a Venlil limb, with a toss of its ugly head. My fear morphed to relief as I saw it was Marcel, who bore an exhausted look on his face. The predator¡¯s emotions must be depleted, after such a taxing journey. He flopped back-first on the bed, allowing the residual tension to ebb from his shoulders. I assaulted him with a hug, and ignored the groan as I knocked the wind out of him. ¡°Easy, buddy,¡± the human grunted. ¡°It¡¯s only been a day!¡± I emitted a happy mewl, as he settled me onto his chest with his uninjured arm. The room¡¯s dark environment felt much brighter, with my friend to shepherd me. Nothing could harm me when he was around; not even a dog. The human tickled my chin with a low chuckle, and I rested my paws atop his stomach. My eyes met his piercing gaze. ¡°I was worried sick about you. How did it go? Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡­I think I¡¯m ready to move forward,¡± he replied. ¡°But I don¡¯t want to talk about it. Let¡¯s talk about something else, alright?¡± ¡°Sure. How about what kind of predators humans are?¡± ¡°Shit, Slanek. Do we have to discuss that now? It¡¯s 1 in the morning¡ª¡± ¡°Yes, we do. You promised, and I think I deserve the truth. It¡¯s like you don¡¯t trust me, even after all we¡¯ve been through together.¡± Marcel searched my expression, a mix of concern and affection in his eyes. The human seemed reluctant to answer. His fear of losing me was palpable, from how his fingers tightened around my fur. What could be so sinister that it would alter my view of him, after all this time? I trusted him with my life; if my stupid instincts didn¡¯t get in the way, I would take a bullet for him. ¡°It¡¯s complicated,¡± he growled, after several seconds of silence. ¡°Humans have employed every predation strategy in the book. Like Tyler said, dogs have helped us. We¡¯ve set traps, used ambush tactics, fished, raised livestock¡­yes, I know you hate that word. But you asked.¡± I tilted my head. ¡°You said you weren¡¯t ambush predators.¡± ¡°We¡¯re versatile. Anyhow, what people claim we are, is one of the oldest hunting strategies known to mankind. It¡¯s called persistence hunting.¡± The human paused, as though expecting a dramatic reaction. My blank stare seemed to disappoint him; his lips curved downward even further. I could tell how much he disliked this topic, but we had already gotten this far. Is that ¡®persistence hunting¡¯ phrase supposed to mean something to me? ¡°Continue? I don¡¯t get it,¡± I pressed. ¡°Humans possess a high endurance, because of our sweating ability. We can run a lot longer¡­especially in the hot climates we originated in.¡± Marcel closed his eyes, unable to meet my gaze. ¡°We were never faster than our prey. We just had more stamina. We chased them until they stopped running.¡± Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. A chill ran down my spine, as I processed the meaning of those words. Was he telling me that humans pursued their prey for hours¡­ maybe even days? That they never tired, or gave up on a pursuit? Such an ordeal meant their quarry had an eternity to contemplate their demise. The victim spent their last day in a desperate, agonized flight. Their terror lasted much longer than the split second of an ambush. My brain began to imagine running from a human, feeling the burning of my muscles and my lungs. The savage predator would draw closer, every time I paused to rest or dampened my pace. Knowing all the while that the second my legs gave out, my death was a certainty. There was no hope of escape, short of confronting the hunter. What an awful way to go. Having your own body betray you, and languishing in a pool of chemical exhaustion. The predator would slowly approach, bloodlust in its eyes, signifying the end¡­I thought humans showed mercy? They conducted themselves like reasonable, kind, and feeling people; not relentless beasts that inflicted torment on the weak. Tears streamed down my face, at the thought of my human partaking in that sort of predation. It felt awful, to think of him in that regard. If he was born a few thousand years ago, would he have chased helpless creatures through the scorching heat too? Was that what was coded in his instincts? ¡°Slanek? Gosh, you¡¯re shaking.¡± Marcel rubbed my ear comfortingly. ¡°Say something, please. Even if it¡¯s that you hate me.¡± Sadness seeped onto his expression, which knocked some sense back into me. It was painful to see how heartbroken he looked. I resisted the urge to swat his hand away, and attempted to regain my wits. The predator¡¯s honesty was admirable, when he foretold precisely how I would react. I knew, in my soul, that my human would never dream of harming me. It was time to stop fixating on their heritage, as much as anything predatory frightened my instincts. Humanity left their gruesome past behind, and had proven themselves more than capable of empathy. My reactions were the product of a stupid, irrational phobia. I wanted to love them fully, without awful thoughts creeping into my head all the time. ¡°O¡­okay. P-persistence. Got it,¡± I stammered. The human blinked. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I accept you, f-for whatever you are, because I care about you. No matter what.¡± The predator clutched me tighter, and restrained his own tears. It was important for Marcel to know that he didn¡¯t have to apologize for his existence. After wrestling with wretched self-doubts, my acceptance was essential for his mental welfare. Humans didn¡¯t need to alter themselves to prove they were worthy of our friendship. ¡°Thank you,¡± he whispered. ¡°Keep it between us, please. I¡¯ll get in trouble for telling you.¡± I flicked my ears. ¡°Okay. That is an awful form of predation, which doesn¡¯t exist on our world, so I get why you avoided the subject. But Tarva deserves to know. She would still stand by you; I¡¯m certain.¡± ¡°I¡¯d hope the governor would take heart, knowing the fruit our roots have borne. We just do the best with what we have in our toolset. Humans are survivors; whatever it takes, we have the resolve and the dedication.¡± ¡°How is that encouraging in any way, Marc?¡± ¡°Maybe it will help you to realize the lengths we would go for you, our Venlil friends. And you¡¯ll know that we will hunt the Arxur to the ends of the universe; that there will be nowhere they can hide. We¡¯ll battle a scourge like that as long as our species survives.¡± Marcel¡¯s argument was persuasive enough, when he phrased it like that. The Terran pledge to liberate sentient farm worlds, and all of their military aspirations, felt much more feasible. An arduous war wouldn''t daunt humanity like it did for us. I suppose there was another positive to their hunting methodology, in that it wasn¡¯t a deceptive art. They had no reason to employ trickery, or extend a hand in a false friendship. This could be conveyed as a reason to trust humanity, if they played their cards right. ¡°You should get one of the UN people to ¡®tell me.¡¯ You¡¯ll need to be more tactful with most Venlil; framing is everything.¡± I pinned my ears against my head, trying to keep a storm of negative emotions at bay. ¡°I can think of a way to make your ancestry more palatable. Maybe just say you can withstand heat better, so you¡¯re desert pursuit predators. Or shift the focus to your recent cattle practices.¡± ¡°Er, I¡¯m not sure a close examination of factory farms is a good idea either. Never mind that. You took that better than I expected, by far, Slanek.¡± ¡°I want to stop panicking, but I don¡¯t know how. My kneejerk reactions aren¡¯t what I really think, once my brain comes around. But sometimes¡­usually, I can¡¯t control it! You deserve a better friend.¡± I ducked my head, feeling shame roll down my spine. Despite my constant efforts, my brain refused to forget that these lumbering primates were predators. My subconscious reminded me at every turn that humans weren¡¯t like us, and that they could morph into feral beasts at any second. Marcel did deserve so much better. All that time he wastes comforting me, and trying to calm me down. I¡¯m a burden. A loser. ¡°Are you kidding? I got paired with the best Venlil.¡± Marcel offered his signature snarl, which was menacing yet gentle. ¡°I wanted to be a part of the first contact program so bad. Do you know how many questions we had to answer?¡± ¡°30? 50? How many?¡± ¡°200, plus an in-person interview, a background check, and a psychological exam. All of my communications were analyzed since first contact, for any red flags. What was your selection process like?¡± ¡°I volunteered.¡± ¡°Um, right. I¡¯m sure there weren¡¯t a lot of takers for your position,¡± the red-haired human chuckled. ¡°There was no guarantee that my partner would get past seeing me. You know from the stories around the outpost that some people didn¡¯t.¡± That was a true statement. Several Venlil fainted once in proximity of their penpals, and were taken to the infirmary. A smaller minority abandoned the program altogether, due to meeting their Terran counterparts. I remembered how my fear had been almost painful that first day. It was no wonder a few Venlil found the humans too intimidating for cohabitation. Still, I couldn¡¯t imagine how those predators felt, being rejected on sight after weeks of chatting. The worst horror story was a Venlil that panicked at a human stepping into her room, and leapt into self-defense mode. She grabbed the nearest sharp object, which was a pair of scissors, and plunged it into the Terran¡¯s shoulder. Her partner, while wounded, was able to wrestle the blade from her claws; the violence was not returned. The predator didn¡¯t press charges, for some reason, despite Venlil government¡¯s offer to prosecute. Meanwhile, Marcel and I shared potato chips on our first day. Not the worst pairing he could¡¯ve had, I suppose? ¡°Anyways. I talked to Lucy, you know, my fianc¨¦, on the ride here. She wants me to come home, but I¡¯ve gotten used to having you around.¡± Marcel took a deep breath, scratching his stubbly scalp. ¡°Ah, maybe it¡¯s not the right time to ask, after what I just told you.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m calm now. Go on.¡± ¡°How would you feel about living with us? You can come and go as you please. Any time you want to return to Venlil Prime, you don¡¯t have to stay. But we¡¯ll take care of all of your expenses, whenever you want to be here.¡± I gaped at him. The idea of a permanent residence with my human filled my chest with warmth, but Earth was as alien as any world could get. A trial period was all I could commit to, to see how I handled prolonged exposure to a predatory environment. Would the UN¡­or technically, the regional government be okay with my staying? ¡°Er, I¡¯ll think about it. Does that mean you¡¯re going to receive a military discharge?¡± ¡°No. But I¡¯ve requested a transfer home, so I can live planetside. I¡¯ll only be involved with the defense of Earth, should that be necessary.¡± ¡°And what about Nulia? She needs you more than I do. She¡¯d be devastated if she ends up in a camp, alone.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous! We¡¯re going to adopt her. I already spoke with Meier about the necessary paperwork, and he¡¯s going to contact the American State Department. They¡¯re starting from scratch on that one, I think.¡± The Gojid child would be elated. I wondered how being raised by predators would impact her development, but I knew she¡¯d grow up in a loving environment. It was obvious the human considered her to be his own daughter, and would care for her accordingly. There wasn''t a more touching tale, than to witness these pursuit hunters rescuing the children of a species that swore to destroy Earth. ¡°Sounds like you¡¯ve got it all figured out¡­ Mawsle,¡± I whispered. ¡°Why, you fluffy little shit!¡± The human glowered at me, while I feigned ignorance. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare start that, too! I can and will rescind my offer.¡± I wagged my tail. ¡°Too late. No takebacks.¡± My family back on Venlil Prime would say I was suicidal to accept; but the more I thought about his proposition, the more enticing it seemed. Navigating humanity¡¯s diplomatic hurdles, helping a predator raise a prey child, and protecting their planet from harm could be my new calling. Maybe one day, Earth would even feel like my home. At any rate, free rent sounded pretty darn good to my ears. Chapter 31 Memory transcription subject: Governor Tarva of the Venlil Republic Date [standardized human time]: October 3, 2136 In a half-day, our ship would reach the edge of Republic space, and we¡¯d be able to transmit communications back to our UN contacts. The Terrans had been slated to open an embassy on Venlil Prime, a few days after our original departure. That meant they would have a full diplomatic staff on world, and would be available to help humans abroad. Many Terran nations requested their own embassies, so they could conduct their affairs as separate entities. While I liked the predators, I wasn¡¯t giving out an absurd 198 embassies, versus every other species¡¯ singular site. Humans were welcome to bicker amongst themselves about who could send their own diplomatic corps, and how to divide the turf, if they must. I had no interest in making their discordance my business. My focus was on smoothing over both of our relations with the Federation. It was also a priority to stabilize my friend¡¯s mental health, especially after weeks of isolation and boredom. Learning how the human mind coped with stress would be useful down the road. After careful consideration of the astronaut¡¯s mannerisms, I decided there was no major cause for alarm. All of our research showed that humans were highly social creatures. Ambassador Noah perked up just from having new conversation partners at hand. A few days to unwind, in the company of his own people, and he¡¯d be begging to get back into the field. He only needed to ¡°recharge his batteries¡±, as the Terrans said. Noah¡¯s excelled in quite an uncomfortable position. Volunteering with the belief that he would be a martyr. Standing in as a representative for his whole species. That kind of pressure has to pile up. ¡°¡­in conclusion, the International Space Station proved that humanity can cooperate in the stars.¡± The predator was finishing a story I¡¯d heard before; he had a rapt audience in our Mazic passenger. ¡°That scientists see our beautiful Earth differently from above. The ISS was our first foothold off-world. It paved the path for lunar colonies, and set a precedent of joint exploration.¡± ¡°So then, why has your planet still not united under a single banner, Noah? You do not care for distant members of your species without a, shall I say, stellar view?¡± came the scoffing response. When President Cupo¡¯s question reached my ears, I was concerned that other diplomats would voice similar concerns. The Mazic still seemed leery of the human, despite being thrice the weight of the predator. No offense to Noah, but I¡¯m pretty sure the beige prey-animal could knock him out with a stamp of his flat paw, easily. Humanity¡¯s internal divisions were a disquieting issue, to the galaxy as a whole. The newcomers seemed to be trying to work up the courage to ask about it for days. With the external threat of predation in our formative years, prey species had to maintain unity. Cooperation was our bread and fruit spread, so to speak. Indulging in petty squabbles would¡¯ve gotten us killed. I¡¯d seen several exit interviews with various leaders, before we left signal range of Aafa. Many dissenters cited Earth¡¯s disputes as proof that the predators were incapable of cooperation. It was their main evidence that the primates were still warlike and disagreeable. ¡°Humans evolved in a lot of small tribes, which later became nation-states. These each have their own distinct culture: beliefs, music, stories, cuisine, and languages,¡± the Terran ambassador replied, leaning back in his seat. ¡°It would be losing a part of our heritage to renounce that¡­and because of our differing viewpoints, we don¡¯t always agree on how things should be done.¡± Cupo flared his trunk. ¡°But why can you not maintain your practices, under a common entity? You claim freedom of beliefs are a core value.¡± ¡°It would be like you unifying with the Nevoks. You may like each other plenty, perhaps you are even allies, but you would not abide by the same jurisdiction. We have common forums, alliances, and trade agreements¡­so Nikonus was quite mistaken, in thinking we do not speak the language of diplomacy. We work together when it matters.¡± It didn¡¯t escape my notice that Tossa, the Nevok representative, was watching with interest. The Sivkit, Zurulian, and Yotul occupants were also observing the exchange. None of them were being subtle, with how their ears were swiveled toward the predator. The other Federation diplomats had flown with Recel in a separate ship, too daunted to embark on a human-infested vessel. Cupo was just the only one bold enough to voice what they all are thinking. Now, the floodgates are open, I thought. I better be ready to intervene, if Noah gets overwhelmed. ¡°Predator Noah, please forgive my impertinence.¡± Laulo, the Yotul diplomat, spoke in a measured tone. The uplift had given the human a wide berth, but at least was able to meet his startling gaze. ¡°Do humans still fight wars when you, um, disagree?¡± ¡°Sometimes. One always hopes those quarrels can be resolved with words. Rest assured, a common threat, like the Arxur, should place any of our lingering disputes on the back burner.¡± The Federation representatives looked baffled by that answer. As I learned early on, the national affairs of Earth were a complex matter. It was imprudent to deal with any nation individually, since that could be construed as favoritism. Most of the humans¡¯ rhetoric was posturing, but they were always locked in jealous competition. It was strange how human tribes perceived their interests as separate. They had much more in common than divided them, and they even seemed to recognize their folly when asked. It was one of several areas I had pointed out to renowned neuroscientist Ilja for closer study. ¡°I suspect a human¡¯s temper can run much hotter, much quicker than ours,¡± Chauson offered, in a matter-of-fact tone. ¡°None of my research suggests their end goal is loss of life. It is just the result of aggression. Their predatory inclination is to deal with a perceived threat through violence, rather than fleeing.¡± ¡°Er, not fully accurate, doc. Humans have a fight or flight response,¡± Noah growled. "We can panic or freeze, just like you. It varies from person to person, and what temperament they have. Some of us are wholly incapable of aggression.¡± A contemplative silence fell over our entourage, and Chauson scribbled something in his sketchbook. The last tidbit was news to me too. I assumed aggression was part of every predator¡¯s natural makeup, since that ferocity facilitated their ancestors¡¯ survival. Were there really some humans as timid and anxious as us? That cowered at threats like Venlil? If so, it was obvious Noah was not one of those humans. While the ambassador was skilled at masking his emotions, hostility seeped through whenever he saw the Venlil threatened. Its source was almost paternal. The look in his eyes at first contact, when he watched the grays tormenting our pups, was apoplectic. Lots of compassionate humans were angry when they saw those videos. I wish we were home, so the Federation could meet the volunteer doctors and aid workers. It¡¯s been too¡ª A rattling noise hummed through the ship walls, jolting me out of my thoughts. This time, it was more insistent than its previous occurrences throughout the journey. There was no reason a ship which deployed a year ago should experience issues, but it roused some worries nonetheless. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°Hey, Tarva? Not to stir up panic, but is that grating sound normal?¡± the Terran ambassador asked. Something felt¡­off with the shuttle, since it took flight. The predator¡¯s unease validated my suspicions. I was inclined to propose further investigation, even though we were one territory away from home. The last thing we needed was to be stranded in space, with a bunch of skittish diplomats and an inoperable ship. I tilted my head. ¡°No, it¡¯s not. I¡¯m going to run a ship diagnostic, just to be safe.¡± Laulo raised a peach-colored paw. ¡°It¡¯s coming from the cooling shaft. We should take a look there.¡± ¡°As if you know,¡± Tossa scoffed. ¡°I¡¯d hardly trust your ilk to fix a sailboat! The printing press is a novelty to you primitives.¡± ¡°Were your ancestors born with spaceships?¡± Noah glowered at her, and the Nevok froze under his ocular intensity. ¡°I didn¡¯t know we were graced by the presence of a species, who were endowed with divine knowledge!¡± Tossa quivered, her icy fur raising along her hackles. ¡°W-we found our way on our own. We d-didn¡¯t have everything handed to us!¡± ¡°The Yotul would have learned on their own, with time. You interfered in their natural development, so that they could join your war!¡± ¡°Are you daft, predator? The Arxur don¡¯t give a grain stalk about natural development.¡± ¡°And neither do you, with your insensitive and tone-deaf comments. How the fuck did you become a diplomat?¡± Laulo looked aghast at the predator¡¯s vehement defense of his species. I think he assumed that the ambassador didn¡¯t know the Yotul¡¯s origins, but it was obvious the human had done his homework. The marsupial was likely surprised that the Terran would side with him. Especially when he was accustomed to verbal beatdowns from fellow diplomats. It was apparent that Noah had lost all patience with the vitriolic rhetoric toward the uplift. Tossa¡¯s condescension, singling the Yotul out at every turn, rubbed my friend the wrong way. However noble his outburst, the last thing we needed was for him to alienate an influential ally. The Nevoks could be a crucial supplier of resources and ship parts to Earth. Axsely, the Sivkit representative, was sobbing from the primate¡¯s raised voice. She had yet to speak a word to Noah, only introducing herself to the rest of us while he was asleep. A shouting match wasn¡¯t the way to calm her nerves either. ¡°Stop it, both of you!¡± I hissed. ¡°Every second we spend bickering, the Arxur win. Let¡¯s be respectful to each other, alright?¡± The human drew a shuddering breath. ¡°My apologies, Governor. I¡¯m not the type to stand idle while someone else is mocked and bullied.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not mockery, predator. I¡¯m merely stating facts,¡± Tossa said. ¡°My name is not predator. It¡¯s Noah, Ambassador Williams, or if that¡¯s too fucking difficult, I¡¯ll settle for human!¡± ¡°Uh, sorry about that,¡± Laulo muttered. The human snorted. ¡°You¡¯re fine. At least you used my name.¡± The Nevok curled her lip. ¡°Predator is just a word, which does describe you. You¡¯re too defensive, Noah.¡± ¡°So you can pronounce it! Fascinating.¡± Despite my best efforts, the two of them were still at each other¡¯s throats. Whoever managed Terran relations with the Nevok Imperium, it couldn¡¯t involve Noah in any way. The human was so incensed by his counterpart¡¯s attitude, that he hadn¡¯t noticed Axsely balling up into a fetal position. I believed he would¡¯ve backed down if he realized the fright his ire had caused. ¡°Not another word!¡± I swished my tail in frustration. ¡°Noah, you are coming with me, alone, and that¡¯s not up for discussion. I¡¯m going to run a diagnostic, and we¡¯ll see if Laulo¡¯s intuition is correct.¡± The Terran ambassador opened his mouth to argue, but then followed my pupils toward the sniveling Sivkit. His expression softened, replaced by a worried furrow of his brow. That agitation might¡¯ve undone any progress with the Mazic too. President Cupo had inched away from the human, and was trying to comfort Axsely with soothing words. The timid female was unresponsive, rocking back and forth. At least our Zurulian friend seemed to enjoy that, I mused. Chauson was trying to be the ship stenographer, during that whole exchange! Noah lowered his gaze, and strode over to me with dejection. The predator risked a glance over his shoulder, making eye contact with Laulo. The marsupial mouthed his gratitude, and the Terran¡¯s posture relaxed. He gave the Yotul a slight nod of acknowledgement, before shuffling into the cockpit. I hovered by the ship computer, pulling up the troubleshooting module. It would take several seconds to complete a cursory scan, which would give Noah¡¯s temper time to blow over. I hoped that nothing was amiss with the vessel. The implications of a defect would be unpleasant. ¡°I didn¡¯t scare you, did I, Tarva?¡± Noah murmured. I snorted. ¡°No. I¡¯m just trying to stop Earth¡¯s foreign relations from imploding on week one. For the sake of argument, let¡¯s say you piss off the Nevoks. The Federation will parade them around, using them as proof that you can¡¯t be allies with humanity.¡± ¡°And then, we lose the undecided votes.¡± ¡°Exactly. There is too much at stake, for all of us.¡± A soft beep indicated that the diagnostic was complete, and we returned our attention to the computer. A holographic avatar of the shuttle zoomed in to the ship¡¯s underbelly. It highlighted a long pipe in blinking red; an autogenerated note indicated that cooling fluid was leaking. The shaft was nestled right next to the warp drive, so it didn¡¯t take an engineer to figure its purpose. That part of the ship was only accessible from the exterior; fixing it would require a spacewalk. My immediate suspicion was that someone had tampered with the vessel. Mainly because the pipe leaked just enough, that it wouldn¡¯t cause immediate alarm¡­or breakdown in range of the Kolshian surveillance team. But who would have sabotaged us? What was their motive? ¡°So it was the cooling system,¡± the human said calmly. ¡°Stop the ship. I¡¯ll get a vac suit, and try to patch her up.¡± I flicked my ears. ¡°No. You need to stay here and keep an eye on everyone.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I suspect foul play. Deliberate damage. If it¡¯s one of the species on board, they could be trying to lure you off the ship. That way, they can take all of us out, without having to fight a predator.¡± Noah squinted in confusion. It was refreshing that the ambassador didn¡¯t panic at the first hint of danger; his reaction was cool and calculating. The human lacked a full understanding of the situation, and I suspected he disliked the uncertainty more than the peril. ¡°That makes zero sense. Who would do such a thing?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. That¡¯s what I want to find out. If our vessel went missing in no man¡¯s land, with all of humanity¡¯s allies on board, you know who would foot the blame.¡± He frowned. ¡°Always me, isn¡¯t it?¡± I flicked my ears in acknowledgment; Noah shook his head in disgust. Unfortunately, humanity had no shortage of enemies within the Federation. The two of us needed to talk it over, and work out anyone who could have a possible angle. Ruling out the five species on board was our top priority, since they would be an immediate threat. Of course, it could be someone on Recel¡¯s ship. I wonder if they ran into any trouble, or if this was only targeted at the human, I thought. ¡°I don¡¯t know where to start.¡± I slammed a paw on the console, stressed at the prospect of ship-wide interrogation. ¡°There could be any number of parties involved; someone inside or outside our group. An ally or an enemy. How do we even begin to narrow the field?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s start with who we think it couldn¡¯t be,¡± Noah growled. ¡°Can we clear anyone on this ship? Someone we can account for, or are almost certain they¡¯re fine?¡± ¡°I trust Chauson.¡± ¡°Really? I don¡¯t know about him.¡± ¡°He¡¯s never been unkind to you, which is saying a lot.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly why he¡¯s suspicious, Tarva. He¡¯s too nice. What if he¡¯s up to something?¡± ¡°The Zurulians were the only ones to reach out before the vote. Also, as you know, we do an awful job controlling our instincts. Chauson couldn¡¯t fake not being afraid of a predator; he pranced up to you while his head was dripping blood.¡± The ambassador tapped his foot a few times, and a touch of relief flickered in his brown eyes. It saddened me that mistreatment was so commonplace for him, that normal interaction triggered alarm bells in his head. The Zurulian scientist was the only person I¡¯d seen attempt to squash his instincts, in his first meeting with a human. If we trusted Chauson, bringing him into the loop might not be the worst idea. Three minds were better than two, and he was intelligent enough not to jump to conclusions. Besides, someone needed to mend the cooling shaft damage. I would volunteer, except that with my technical knowhow, I was more likely to make the warp core spontaneously combust. The fewer people know the true reason for our predicament, the better. Let¡¯s hope Chauson can keep his mouth shut, when asked. Sharing my suspicions with the entire ship would only incite panic, and lead to in-fighting and accusations. Knowing how paranoid some species were about predators, they would find a way to blame Noah. Because obviously, the nefarious human would cripple his ride home, after weeks of imprisonment, for some illusory goal. It made perfect sense, if you didn¡¯t think about it. I sighed. ¡°Do not tell anyone, anything, other than that we¡¯re fixing a minor problem. I¡¯m going to fetch Chauson.¡± The human nodded. If anyone could sniff out deceit, it would be an observant predator like Noah. One way or another, we were going to get to the bottom of this debacle. I suppose it was too much to ask, for these introductions to be smooth sailing, and for Earth to attain some genuine allies without any hiccups. When I ascertained the responsible party, they were going to receive some harsh retribution, courtesy of the human-Venlil alliance. Chapter 32 Memory transcription subject: Governor Tarva of the Venlil Republic Date [standardized human time]: October 4, 2136 The shuttle halted a few parsecs short of Venlil space, until the necessary repairs were complete. This delay tacked hours to our travel time, but none of the other options were reasonable. If the drive overheated, the ensuing explosion would bring about our swift demise. I wondered how the passengers reacted to our sudden stop, and my refusal to explain any details. Chauson hadn¡¯t taken any convincing to come to our aid, even after he processed the murky truth. He was pacing back and forth now, pink tongue lolling out of his mouth. With his quadrupedal stature, the Zurulian barely surpassed the human¡¯s knee. Noah was biting his lip, and I assumed the predator was holding back a reaction to the ¡°adorable¡± scientist. Now was not the time to divulge that wrinkle to our new friend. Especially when that furry guy was the potential ally we were most optimistic about. I sorted through the shape-conforming vac suits, picking out one designed for small quadrupeds. Strong magnets fixed a standardized toolbox to one sleeve; serving on a few science vessels prepared Chauson for basic repairs. ¡°Thanks again for helping us. Do you think this is something you can handle?¡± I asked. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best, Tarva.¡± The Zurulian wiggled into the suit, baring his teeth in discomfort. The fabric must feel restricting in all the wrong places. ¡°We only need it to hold together long enough to get a few parsecs. Let¡¯s just try to minimize the stress on the warp drive.¡± ¡°Slow and steady,¡± I confirmed. ¡°Oh, and remember, this is our secret. We don¡¯t want anyone else getting wind of this.¡± ¡°You really think it¡¯s someone here? Why would they damage a ship they¡¯re on, with a, um¡­¡± Noah rolled his arboreal eyes. ¡°Predator. It¡¯s okay. You can say it.¡± Chauson winced. ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t see the logic of that plan.¡± ¡°If everyone were logical, this all would¡¯ve been much easier,¡± I responded. ¡°It¡¯s just a possibility, for now. Honestly, it¡¯s more likely that it¡¯s someone outside this group. But some people would sacrifice themselves, in a heartbeat, to ¡®fight flesh-eating monstrosities.¡¯¡± ¡°I can feel the love,¡± the human growled. ¡°You¡¯d be better off to seek respect, rather than love.¡± Chauson struggled with his headgear, fumbling with the clip. ¡°Love can be quite the fleeting emotion, you know.¡± The quadruped flicked his ears with annoyance, and Noah helped him click the helmet into place. Those opposable thumbs were more useful than most species¡¯ toes and claws. I was impressed by how fast the Terran picked up on alien nonverbal cues, given how little he had actually been told. The Zurulian gave the tether on his chest a final tug, ensuring it was fastened. He shimmied into the crawl space, and there was a click as the emergency airlock unsealed. Left alone with me, Noah¡¯s composition dissolved. A smile tugged at his lips, and he allowed a fawning look into his gaze. ¡°Seeing Chauson dressed up in a spacesuit, with those little teddy bear ears¡­Tarva, my heart feels real fuzzy,¡± the ambassador declared. Amusement flared within my sternum. ¡°No clue what a ¡®teddy bear¡¯ is. I guess Venlil aren¡¯t cute to you anymore, if we¡¯ve been replaced so easily.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go getting all jealous on me, now. Am I not allowed to think the entire galaxy is cute?¡± ¡°You think the Arxur are cute?¡± ¡°Damn you! You know that wasn¡¯t what I meant.¡± ¡°You said the entire¡ª¡± ¡°I know what I said. And honestly, maybe baby Arxur are cute. We think pretty much any youngling is cute, even the mean or ugly ones.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got to be shitting me. You¡¯re really doubling down on that?¡± ¡°I am. What are you gonna do about it?¡± A chuckle trilled from my chest, picturing the predator cooing at baby reptilians. That would be stretching their nurturing instincts a little too far for my liking. Humans¡¯ fierce protectiveness of their offspring was something I noticed in their earliest transmissions. It would be interesting to meet a little primate; despite their eyes, their innocence and enthusiasm looked endearing. It¡¯s wonderful that Noah and I¡¯s friendship is so easygoing, and that we can mess around now. He would¡¯ve apologized for the implication before this trip, instead of recognizing that I was kidding. I gave the human a playful headbutt. ¡°I¡¯m going to make us focus on potential culprits. We need to go over the list of species onboard, pronto. With any luck, we can clear most of them. Maybe all of them.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Noah¡¯s grin dissolved, and the teasing edge leapt from his intonation. ¡°Let¡¯s start with the Mazic. Even as a reluctant ally, I doubt he¡¯ll ever like me.¡± It was tough to reconcile President Cupo¡¯s ridicule during Noah¡¯s speech, with the potential of friendship. The human had attempted to brush any past incidents off, fielding his critical questions on our voyage with aplomb. At least the Mazic was touching on genuine topics, and listening to the given responses. Still, mistrust flowed from Cupo at every turn. He stated himself that his vote stemmed from the Federation¡¯s desperation against the Arxur alone. There was little more dangerous than a man with nothing left to lose. Not to mention, that Noah¡¯s first thought was that the President was only partaking in this foray to stir up trouble. The Mazics would be my prime suspect, if it weren¡¯t for the fact that their figurehead was present in the flesh. Surely a planetary leader would send a stand-in to carry out devious plans. Why would he cause disruption to his planet¡¯s governance, other than as a show of good faith? ¡°Cupo came himself,¡± I replied. ¡°It would be like me going on a suicide mission. I wouldn¡¯t be the first candidate the Venlil proposed.¡± ¡°Leadership is important, I suppose, but that isn¡¯t a full exoneration. Ugh, alright, what about the Nevoks?¡± ¡°You¡¯re just picking the ones you don¡¯t like first.¡± ¡°So what if I am?¡± This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. The Nevok representative put on quite the performance for the predator, perhaps with the belief that playing up her derision would impress him. Tossa¡¯s haughtiness had the opposite effect, though. Her ability to quarrel with Noah suggested either she was brave, or the heated dislike was mutual. Predetermined hate was a fine motive to ensure human diplomacy failed. However, the Nevok government had more to gain from trade than most other species. The Terrans would be creating more ships than anyone, in their rush to fortify their fleet. A lucrative defense contract could keep them sated for years; war was profitable for manufacturing powers. ¡°I think Tossa dislikes Laulo more than you,¡± I snorted. ¡°The Nevok Imperium are using you for economic benefit, if you hadn¡¯t already figured that out. They don¡¯t accomplish anything from getting us all stranded in space.¡± Noah scratched his chin. ¡°But what if they did get something? What if someone like the Krakotl paid them off?¡± ¡°While the Nevoks could be bribed, their price would be steep enough that you could buy a whole colony instead. If I were an outside actor, I¡¯d do it myself, or find a cheaper entity to do my bidding.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be their government, Tarva. It could be a rogue actor; a single person who was swayed, and broke with official policy. We don¡¯t have to assign blame to an entire species.¡± ¡°Sure. But I think you just want it to be the Nevoks, so that you can gag their diplomat.¡± ¡°That is a baseless accusation.¡± ¡°Right¡­I¡¯m going to move on. That just leaves the Sivkit and the Yotul.¡± It would be simpler to make a determination about Axsely, if we had gotten more than a sentence out of her this whole trip. She displayed more skittishness than the rest of us combined. What if that extreme terror stemmed from concerns of the predator catching her treachery? That, or her pre-existing fear had driven her to act against humanity. However, her open cowardice didn¡¯t mesh with the profile of a martyr or fanatic. I¡¯d expect a little more hatred and reproach from such an enemy, after witnessing the sadistic behavior of Sovlin. Though it was a long shot, it would satisfy me if the humans captured that officer during their war. I wouldn¡¯t blame the UN for executing the Gojid on the spot. If Sovlin somehow survived, I¡¯d want him tried in our courts, for throwing a wounded Venlil in a filthy cage, with a predator. Not that Marcel was ever going to eat Slanek, but that was the captain¡¯s intent. That¡¯s attempted murder. Noah tilted his head. ¡°Right now, the only thing the Sivkits are guilty of is a poor choice of personnel.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a bit harsh. Everyone copes with fear differently.¡± I pinned my ears against my head, recalling how disastrous first contact was. ¡°My diplomatic advisor passed out at your initial smile, but now, he loves humans. Axsely might warm up to you too.¡± ¡°Axsely?¡± ¡°That¡¯s her name.¡± ¡°Gotcha. Now, onto the Yotul.¡± I sensed the marsupial was Noah¡¯s favorite. That said, of the species onboard, uplifts had the most to gain from a ploy. Outfoxing a predator was the ultimate display of intellect; it would be the swiftest way to silence any ¡°primitive¡± jabs. This sabotage could be a calculated risk, to garner respect from some Federation peers. Come to think of it, Laulo was the one who blurted out that the cooling shaft was the culprit. The fact that it was just as he said was an oddity of itself. That he hadn¡¯t wavered, while being discredited and badgered by his colleagues, was even stranger. Either the Yotul had familiarized himself with mechanical knowledge to impress the human, or he had known about the pipe¡¯s defectiveness prior. That alone is pretty incriminating. I¡¯m surprised I didn¡¯t catch onto that sooner. The puzzling bit was why Laulo would offer that information, if he was responsible. Someone who was setting up a drive explosion shouldn¡¯t want that problem rectified, before it paid dividends. The uplift might¡¯ve known that a diagnostic would reveal the issue, and decided to cut his losses. He could always move onto Plan B. My tail drooped between my legs. ¡°How did the Yotul know what the issue was, immediately?¡± ¡°Well, just because he¡¯s an uplift doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s an idiot.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say that, Noah. Every other passenger, including myself, and you, had no idea. We¡¯ve been around ships our whole adult lives.¡± ¡°It could be a lucky guess. Maybe Laulo¡¯s studying to be a mechanic. We haven¡¯t talked about our personal aspirations.¡± ¡°Even then, there wasn¡¯t a trace of doubt. He stated it as fact, not preceded by an ¡®I think¡¯ clause. It was like he knew he was right.¡± The predator was quiet, and I sensed him replaying the exact words in his head. Noah¡¯s disappointment was obvious. Protecting the Yotul was the most passion I¡¯d seen from the ambassador since his desperate plea on the Federation floor. Humanity would love to take a fledgling species under their wing, and explore the galaxy together. My friend cursed, and slammed his fist into a wall. The human bent over at once, clutching that hand to his stomach. His binocular eyes were narrowed to slits, while his teeth were on full display. His uncontrolled breathing was animalistic, punctuated by furious grunts. Was the Terran still in control, during this fit of predatory rage? My instincts shadowed my consciousness for the first time in awhile; I¡¯d never seen sweet Noah like this. It took all of my willpower to step forward, and place a shaking paw on his arm. ¡°You¡¯re hurting yourself more than the wall,¡± I squeaked. ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel pain.¡± ¡°I know that.¡± His lips twitched, as he nursed his injured hand. ¡°But fuck! I don¡¯t want it to be Laulo. The Yotul were a newer species, who don¡¯t have historic prejudices against us.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know it¡¯s him. Let¡¯s not overreact.¡± ¡°But you were right. It doesn¡¯t make sense how he knew, with such confidence, from that one sound. Why is the whole galaxy so unfair? Everyone is so fucking hateful!¡± Silence was my answer, as much as I wanted to offer soothing words. I didn¡¯t know how to handle an angry human, or at what point they presented a threat to those around them. It was possible that my intended response would exacerbate the problem; trusting Noah to calm down on his own might be best. I took a deep breath, and turned my back to the furious human. It felt wrong to leave myself unguarded, at least while he was in attack mode. Forcing my eyes open, I searched through a mini-fridge. There was no ice, but hopefully, a cold water pouch would suffice. The burning in my chest eased once I stood upright, and the predator was back in my vision. My claws wrapped around Noah¡¯s wrist, clueing me into his racing pulse. The ambassador allowed me to move the aching hand, and it slackened in my grip. I gently pressed the water container to his knuckles. At least that would ease any physical pain. ¡°Thanks, Tarva. Uh, sorry for blowing up in your face.¡± The human¡¯s dilated eyes met mine for a moment, before he looked away. ¡°I have your support, don¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Always,¡± I whispered. ¡°Good. Now let¡¯s get back to the others, before Cupo barges in here, asking a million questions. Chauson¡¯s going to be awhile.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not going to detain Laulo, or at least interrogate him?¡± ¡°If I tie up the Yotul now, how are the others going to react? My explanation won¡¯t matter. This needs to be handled quietly. It¡¯s better to act somewhere that we¡¯re in complete control.¡± ¡°Fair point. I can pull him off to the side when we land on Venlil Prime.¡± The predator offered his uninjured hand, and I accepted it with an eye roll. Mischief played in his brown irises, as his fingers intertwined with my claws. One nail tickled the fur right under my paw pad, which caused me to yank my limb back. A hint of a smirk tugged at his face, as the affectionate moment of solidarity was ruined. I pointed toward the control room exit. ¡°Start walking, or I¡¯m going to start calling you ¡®Predator Noah¡¯ too.¡± His eyebrows shot up. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Oh, I would, right in front of your dear friend, Tossa. Test me!¡± ¡°Fine, fine. I¡¯m going now.¡± Noah¡¯s strides were poised and confident, a far cry from the raving beast I saw minutes ago. I followed him into the cabin, and our return caused the guests to break off their discussions. Axsely had been speaking with Cupo, but she skittered away at the human¡¯s return. She couldn¡¯t keep doing this for the entirety of her visit. There were going to be hundreds of UN personnel on site, when we docked. ¡°Welcome back, Ambassador Noah,¡± Laulo yipped. ¡°Thanks. You were right about the cooling shaft.¡± The predator¡¯s tone was light with false cordiality, and he settled across from the marsupial. ¡°Quite clever deduction. We¡¯ll be back up and running within the next few hours, I hope.¡± The uplift flicked his ears in acknowledgment. Under the human¡¯s watchful eye, I trusted that the Yotul couldn¡¯t pull off any shenanigans. We just needed to maintain a facade of normalcy for a little longer, before we could press our suspect on his involvement. Part of me hoped that our theory was wild speculation; that it could be disproved, for Noah¡¯s sake. After our lengthy ordeal, both of us were beset by paranoia. I hoped this investigation wouldn¡¯t dampen the Terran reception to their new friends. If nothing else panned out, the Zurulians looked like they might be better neighbors than us. This could still be a positive endeavor overall, that would lend humanity a diplomatic foothold within the galaxy. We didn¡¯t have to let one rotten fruit spoil the barrel. Chapter 33 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, Federation Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: October 6, 2136 There were no signs of life or civilization nearby. The cinders of a blaze rested off to my side, an orange glow clinging to the black dust. A charred Gojid corpse was draped over the ashes, with the spaces between its skeleton hollowed out. It was as though some predator had cleaned the flesh off its carcass. How had I gotten here? My hindlegs were tied to a pole behind me, while my forepaws were fastened to one ahead of me. Warmth brushed against my stomach, and my attention was drawn to its source below. A quick glance revealed a pit of hungry flames on sandy earth, stoked by a wooden heap. Fuck, I¡¯m next. Someone is trying to eat me alive, and giving warm blood a whole new meaning. What if this is the Arxur? Every instinct encouraged me to scream, but my voice had stopped working. It felt like swimming through cement; motions lagged seconds behind my brain signals. My claws tried to move, either to cut through the ropes or thrash about. But as my vision landed upon the curved appendages, they began to peel off my paws. Growling echoed behind me, and a bipedal shape moved within a mass of shadows. It was more rounded and graceful than any Arxur. At first, all I could see of it was the reflection of flame in its pupils. Given that its hideous gaze mirrored light directly toward me, I knew those were predator eyes. Panic constricted my throat, and the thin veneer of logic dissipated. The creature stepped out of the shadows, baring its yellowed teeth. That sinewy form, sporting only small clumps of hair, jarred my memory. Everything I knew about humanity, including my decision to remand myself to their custody, came rushing back. That rumbling noise was laughter; they were amused by our helplessness and naivety. Hundreds more humans emerged from the darkness, encircling me. I was right about these hairless freaks from the beginning! Now that their ruse had taken hold, they were going to wipe out the last Gojid refugees for laughs. The first predator twisted the crank on the spit, and my support began to descend toward the fire. Recognition flashed through my mind, picking out the green markings on his arm. It was that UN guard, Carlos! I tried to elevate my torso, but I was sinking lower by the second. ¡°Stop, please.¡± Words finally tumbled from my throat, a stream of panicked whimpers. ¡°Carlos? Why are you doing this? Humans, y-you don¡¯t want to do this. CARLOS!¡± ¡°Sovlin, I¡¯m not doing anything,¡± the feral predator¡¯s voice replied, though I never saw his lips move. ¡°Wake up!¡± An invisible touch jostled my shoulders, and I jolted upright in a cramped bunk. My heart was racing at a million miles an hour; panic made it impossible to think straight. I swiped my claws in a wide arc, aiming for the blurry shape in my periphery. A gravelly curse reverberated through the air, and the human sprang back with lightning-quick reflexes. Carlos raised his hands in front of him, inching toward the door. The primate¡¯s eyes flitted to his holster, which sat on his hip. I blinked in confusion, realizing I was back on a Terran military ship. My claws were still in one piece, and nobody had taken a bite out of me while I was sleeping. It was a nightmare, probably the result of my brain trying to process my attitude shift toward humans. My subconscious was clinging to the notion that these predators were twisted and rapacious. The fire thing might¡¯ve come from Terran soldiers toasting ¡°s¡¯mores¡± in the cafeteria last night. I closed my eyes, and attempted to steady my breathing. ¡°S-sorry. Bad dream,¡± I sighed. The human narrowed his eyes. ¡°I can tell. You said my name. Er, what was I doing?¡± ¡°You were roasting me over a fire, and laughing while I burned alive.¡± ¡°That¡¯s absurd! Sam and I are here to babysit you, not to host a bonfire.¡± I struggled to my feet, using the bedframe for support. The predators had brought me onboard as a tactical advisor, for their mission to liberate the Gojid cradle. The UN crew on the bridge gave the distinct impression that they resented my presence; several officers shot me nasty looks when I was introduced. Captain Monahan, who was the ship¡¯s commander, warned her men not to take justice into their own hands. I know many of you have strong feelings on Sovlin, but he¡¯s a valuable asset against the enemy, she had barked. He knows their weak points, their tactics, and the terrain we¡¯re heading into. If anyone lays a finger on him, and it gets back to me, I¡¯ll have you shitcanned so fast your head will spin. That made it quite evident to me that my crimes had been broadcasted across Earth. Carlos had done his best to keep me isolated from the human personnel, while Samantha told me to shrug off any taunts by soldiers in passing. I had made a few attempts to engage in personal conversation with my guards. They seemed to make a point of pulling out their phones, and ignoring my questions when I tried. I was just curious about what a Terran¡¯s life was like, but it was obvious they wanted to shutdown any semblance of friendship. It wouldn¡¯t surprise me if chatting with a criminal would put them at odds with their associates; the last thing I wanted was to disrupt the group cohesion, prior to battle. My commentary needed to be strictly professional, and stick to the grays. ¡°I apologize that my dream was about you, and for my subsequent reaction,¡± I muttered. ¡°I¡¯ll try not to sleep for awhile.¡± Carlos blinked. ¡°You don¡¯t have to not sleep, Sovlin.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry for waking you up.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t. I was about to rouse you to go to the bridge anyways. Captain wants everyone at their stations; we¡¯re about to warp within detection range of your system.¡± I scampered toward the exit at those words, not wanting to miss a chance at drawing Arxur blood. Carlos¡¯ lips curved up slightly; with a snarl on his face, he looked ravenous. He escorted me out the door, whisking me down a dimly lit corridor. Dozens of unfamiliar predators were padding toward their assignments, without a lick of fear before the looming battle. Many of their faces looked hardened and intimidating. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Thunderous chatter carried through the hallway, as we approached a bend in the path. We jogged down a small staircase to our right, which deposited us into the bridge. Captain Monahan was seated in a central chair, swiveling it toward the viewport. I recognized Samantha among a group of soldiers, comparing sensor data with projections. There was no stone left unturned, and no post left unmanned. Humans were built for this; they adjusted to the medium of space warfare with unnatural speed. They were the only people I had ever seen mirror my excitement to draw Arxur blood. Fear pulsed through my veins, but this time, it was mixed with reverent awe. ¡°All plasma weapons charged, ma¡¯am. Targeting systems on stand-by,¡± a voice growled at the weapons station. Monahan nodded. ¡°Excellent. Sensors, report?¡± ¡°230 confirmed hostiles on tracking,¡± came a reply, from the respective cluster. ¡°No signs of active combat, or any remaining UN or Gojid friendlies. The grays still appear to be engaged in a bombing campaign.¡± ¡°Any Arxur vessels keeping watch? If we see them, they see us.¡± ¡°About 40 ships scattered about the inner perimeter. I¡¯ve sent a trajectory course to navigations that¡¯ll direct us through their weakest link.¡± ¡°Good. The entire UN fleet made the jump safely. They¡¯ll divert a few ships to covering our six, while we blitz hellfire on those bastards.¡± The bridge communication was so calm and professional, like it was down to a science. There was no questioning orders, or emotions mixed into their exchange. Judging by the simulations I saw at my initial briefing, the Terran play was to concentrate fire on the older Arxur models. Then, they were going to use their swifter ships as decoys, drawing the staunchest defenders out of position. Carlos ushered me to a chair at the weapons station, within the captain¡¯s earshot. Our vessel dropped out of warp, before we could be stunned by any anti-FTL weapons. Dozens of allies shimmered into position around us, cruising at various angles and headings. A golden gas giant rested to one side, and its gravitational field might cause disruption to the enemy¡¯s readings. A sensor analyst piped up again. ¡°Ma¡¯am, several Arxur patrollers are trying to pinch us on the rear flank. Closing fast.¡± ¡°All according to the plan. Continue ahead.¡± My pupils focused on the space behind us, where several Terran ships branched off on intercept courses. The reptilians attempted to nail them with long-range missiles, but the clever monkeys deployed interceptors as a countershot. A stream of plasma spouted from the humans¡¯ railguns, bright and dazzling. Impressive as it looked, the efficacy was doubtful when an enemy wasn¡¯t in visual range. Even predators can¡¯t line anything up from that distance. Are they just trying to make the Arxur flinch? That skirmish faded into the backdrop, becoming no more than dots on my sensor overlay. Our trajectory was a straight shot to my homeworld, and that meant facing the vessels bombarding it. I believed that the humans would greet the Arxur with a ferocity they¡¯d never seen before. The bristling of my spines intensified, as I recalled the videos of the grays snatching Gojids off the streets. The Terran and Gojid ships that engaged the enemy were vanquished by now, succumbing to an overwhelming force. Returning with reinforcements was our final hope, but what could we save of our society? All of our landmarks and cities had been pummeled into oblivion. My thoughts strayed to the UN soldiers on the surface, who fought tooth and nail for our civilians. The ones who missed their extraction were fucked, for lack of a better word. I wondered if a handful of humans had gotten to a bunker, and were trying to wait out the storm. Would Gojids even allow a predator to hunker down in their shelter? ¡°They definitely see us!¡± the sensors technician hissed. ¡°52 ships and counting, breaking off from the bombing formation. All on an intercept heading toward the fleet." A navigations officer looked to the captain. "Shall we alter our course?¡± Captain Monahan scowled. ¡°Negative. All stations, prepare to engage.¡± The viewport magnified a small blip, and an angular behemoth appeared on screen. Its design catered to packing as many explosives on board as possible. I wished I could be more useful than a spectator, parked at the weapons station. The humans around me weren¡¯t seeking my advice, as I had hoped, but I worried that piping up might be taken as criticism. The officers around me were lining up a plasma beam with the hostile¡¯s nose, using AI assistance. While structural damage would be a plus, it wasn¡¯t the crippling knockout they were seeking. The precious time we spent reloading could give the Arxur time to pelt us with missiles. One human held a clawless finger over the firing trigger, and waited for the go ahead. ¡°You¡¯re targeting the wrong spot.¡± The words slipped out of my mouth, and a few irritated gazes landed on me. I didn¡¯t know how anyone could get used to their paralyzing stares. ¡°Y-you could do¡­more damage elsewhere.¡± ¡°Sit down and shut up,¡± a primate to my right sneered, wrinkling his nose. I believe I overheard a cohort call him Oliver. ¡°You¡¯re fucking lucky we don¡¯t use you as bait.¡± Captain Monahan raised a hand. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Speak up, Sovlin; you¡¯re here to offer insight.¡± ¡°You¡¯re trying to knock out propulsion or ventilation¡­like your briefings said. Which, your intelligence is right; that¡¯s the play for most ships. But this is a heavy bomber.¡± ¡°And?¡± she pressed. ¡°It¡¯s bursting to the seams with explosives. You hit it anywhere in its belly, and it¡¯ll go up in flames. Much cleaner.¡± ¡°How do we know he¡¯s not trying to trip us up? Get us killed?¡± the disdainful Oliver shouted. My nostrils flared with indignation. ¡°I would never help the Arxur! It can¡¯t be that hard to believe that I want those fuckwits to fry.¡± The captain drummed her fingers on an armrest, reminding me of my behavior with claws. Monahan was debating whether to trust me with the lives of her crew, even if my counsel was a good idea on paper. With the grays coming in hot, there were only seconds to reach a decision. I was a variable to her; someone who, until days ago, would cheer if this entire ship was terminated. Now, I see humans as people¡­or at least, I¡¯m trying to. But I wouldn¡¯t believe that from me, in their position. ¡°Lower our heading, and fire a shot as quick as possible. Target the center of its underside,¡± she growled. ¡°Sovlin, if you¡¯re wrong about this, I¡¯m going to throw you in a deep, dark hole for a long fucking time.¡± A falling sensation permeated the artificial gravity, as the warship rapidly altered its course. The weapons station heeded the orders, despite any crewmates¡¯ extraneous opinions. They selected the approximate coordinates, and dispatched a plasma beam in quick succession. The Arxur ship¡¯s approach carried it within weapons range, and it launched a slew of missiles toward us. The humans¡¯ power was committed to weapons, not shields. We didn¡¯t have enough time to raise them, and stabilize our defenses. The Terrans veered sharply to one side, and I prayed the projectiles would avoid clipping us. The energy from our railgun closed the distance with formidable speed, sizzling across the sky. Our plasma volley arrived before the Arxur munitions, punching into the missile bay. Explosions rocked its insides, and set off a chain reaction that culminated with the drive. Premature cheers came from the humans, as our opponent was reduced to a sea of shrapnel. While I was satisfied with my own knowledge, the grays¡¯ destruction didn¡¯t stop the inbound explosives. Our hull creaked from the strain of our evasive maneuver. The missile indicators practically overlapped with our ship; my heart pounded in my ribcage. One by one, the flashing dots slipped past us, avoiding contact with the extensive vessel. It was only then that I allowed myself to celebrate our first triumph. Standing on a bridge with these predators felt good, for some strange reason. ¡°Nice call, Sovlin.¡± Captain Monahan bared her teeth, which made me shudder. ¡°We¡¯ll make a note of that ship class. Thanks for the heads up.¡± ¡°D-don¡¯t mention it. Like I said, I want those monstrosities dead.¡± ¡°All of them dead is the plan.¡± Those words were music to my ears. Was it too much to hope for my planet, and my galaxy, to be cleansed of merciless filth? The Arxur deserved to have their own tactics lobbed against them. There wasn¡¯t enough suffering in the world for our nemesis, but I would settle for a long list of casualties. The human vessel plowed ahead, continuing to make headway toward the Gojid cradle. Scoring a victory today would be the kind of morale booster Earth needed. And for the first time in awhile, I thought the Federation might have a chance in the war. We had our own predators now. Chapter 34 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, Federation Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: October 6, 2136 The way the humans maneuvered through space was like a bird of prey, swooping down on its intended target. It was a graceful and emotionless flight, as I watched the blues and tans of my planet come into focus. Those in the UN fleet who shrugged off their assailants fell into position, and began to coordinate their next targets. Meanwhile, the dogged Arxur were forming ranks across the globe; they had no intent of relinquishing their position to a few primitives. Every sort of ammunition imaginable was ready to be lobbed at the first UN ship to stray too close. The Terrans weren¡¯t foolish enough to approach the reptilians directly, instead charting their course off to one side. Our nimble ships then hooked sharply back toward the fray, with surprising maneuverability. I¡¯m surprised the Terrans spec¡¯d into speed. It¡¯s clear they tweaked whatever Venlil building blocks they got their hands on. The furless predators at our weapon station were growling over which enemy to take on. An indicator blinked red on my data feed, as the humans singled out the weakest link. I squinted at the viewport, studying their selection. The enemy ship¡¯s exterior had lost its shine, and its armor didn¡¯t look as thorough as its companions. ¡°Deploy missiles on target, and follow it up with everything our railgun¡¯s got.¡± Captain Monahan¡¯s voice pierced the air, booming and authoritative. ¡°Divert all power to shields, as soon as we get a shot off.¡± Carlos tapped me on the shoulder. ¡°Hold on. We could be in for a rough ride. Let¡¯s hope our new developments in ablative armor pay off.¡± We banked toward our intended target, which seemed to be tracking us as well. A spray of kinetics battered our exterior, though they did little more than superficial damage. Terran ship design diverged slightly from the Federation, which meant the grays hadn¡¯t learned our weakness. The primates held much more intelligence about the Arxur than the other way around. Around us, UN ships were careening into the fray with guns blazing; pockets of fire littered the space in our periphery. I couldn¡¯t tell who was suffering more losses in this initial confrontation. The clash of two species of equal ferocity could only mean carnage. The bombing of the cradle ground to a halt, at least, as every ship was drawn away to address the vicious humans. The fact that a large-scale conflict with apex predators is even close is a damn miracle. It¡¯s easy to forget the Earthlings developed FTL a few months ago, I mused. Imagine how indomitable they could be, given a few hundred years of practice. A scary thought. Amidst my musings, our spacecraft pelted its opponent with a flurry of missiles. Prompt point defenses took out most of our firepower, but a handful detonated against the Arxur¡¯s armor. The rival ship struggled to regain its bearings, and was unable to return fire with its own munitions. While dazed, and possibly with navigational troubles, its defenses had shrugged off our initial assault. The dilapidated Arxur vessel peeled back toward one of its compatriots, seeking backup. I could feel the roar of our engine, as we gave chase at full speed. The technicians at the weapons station were racing to get the shot off. Obliterating the grays with plasma would be a stylish finish. The enemy sensed that they were about to be nailed by the railgun, and yanked their nose skyward. The humans failed to compensate for the change of course, and our plasma stream missed the mark by a wide margin. The reptilians were emboldened after skirting our heavy blow; they knew we would have to reload. Worse, they succeeded in drawing a partner¡¯s attention, and this late joiner was a newer Arxur model. ¡°Raise shields!¡± the Terran captain barked. ¡°Switch over to kinetics. Full speed toward the UNS Lovecraft.¡± Our flight took on an erratic path, as the engines were pushed to their limit. The state-of-the-art, fresh Arxur partner had no trouble keeping pace with us, even at our maximum speed. This was back to what they were used to; chasing an enemy that knew they were beaten. The human predators were on their heels, like everyone else. The Terrans sent off bursts of kinetic bullets, despite knowing full well that the grays¡¯ shields would absorb their punch. Right now, we needed to buy time to find our own backup; it couldn¡¯t hurt to throw everything in our arsenal at them. My sensors told me that both Arxur ships had us target-locked, and that couldn¡¯t be a good omen. On screen, the allied UNS Lovecraft moseyed toward us; the flashy blue crest on its hull demonstrated it wasn¡¯t designed for camouflage. The rectangular shape, which seemed to boast retractable doors, suggested it could be transporting smaller craft. This human ship was an unseemly clump of mass and guns. A layer of paint didn¡¯t hide that it was a predatory prowler. Some of their ships are definitely modified Venlil models, but this one? This screams humanity, I thought. A sensors technician glanced at the captain. ¡°The computer suggests the second Arxur hostile¡¯s railguns are charged. Evasive maneuvers are infeasible.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± Monahan replied, her voice icy calm. ¡°Brace for impact.¡± My claws sank into the armrest, and nerves bubbled in my chest. Why were the humans not showing more alarm? An imminent threat on their lives should at least rattle anyone with a trace of sanity. I knew that these predators could feel fear from¡­Marcel¡¯s responses to me. Plasma snaked toward us, hungry to devour our metallic shell. The white-hot blur plowed into an aft hangar; at least, that¡¯s where sensors registered the impact. My arm was nearly jerked out of its socket, as the force reached the bridge. The overhead lights snapped off from an electrical short-circuit, and baseboard lighting provided an eerie glow. The predators that were standing found themselves on the ground. A few of the unfortunate crewmates faceplanted, and hobbled off to mend their injuries. Alarms warned that structural integrity was compromised. Atmosphere was venting from the rear sector, which would require repairs if we survived this battle. ¡°UNS Rocinante, you alright?¡± a throaty voice crackled from the speakers. Captain Monahan surveyed the bridge. ¡°Still in one piece, Lovecraft. We could use a hand.¡± ¡°You heard the lady,¡± came the reply. ¡°Let her rip, boys.¡± Our ship staggered down to avoid getting in their line of sight. The Lovecraft powered up twin railguns on its broad hull, undeterred by the energy demands. I doubted they could command the same power as a sole armament. The humans must believe wounding an enemy in two places offset that drawback. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. The new-fangled Arxur wizened up to the peril a bit late. By the time it slowed its pace, Terran plasma was already in transit. Two simultaneous beams blazed scars on both flanks, connecting with several key systems. The drive-plume flickered out altogether, which meant our foe was out of commission. UN pilots steered the Lovecraft toward the original Arxur, and deployed missiles on target. With that monstrous warship on our side, confidence was restored within the bridge. Several humans¡¯ eyes glowed with anticipation of the kill; these predators smelled blood. While the aged vessel was preoccupied with the inbound parcel, the weapons station coaxed our ship¡¯s railgun back online. A plasma beam barreled toward its target with perfect aim, magnetically accelerated by my devious partners. My instincts told me the enemy was toast before it arrived. Some intuition sensed that the momentum had shifted in our favor, and the Terrans didn¡¯t need a second chance to capitalize. Fire seared atop the enemy¡¯s armor, and its integrity collapsed. The scorched metal split open from side-to-side, leaving the ship powerless and immobilized. With its weapons systems knocked offline, the Arxur couldn¡¯t deploy interceptors against the Lovecraft¡¯s missile barrage. The vessel exploded in an orange burst, churned into metallic residue and fragments. ¡°That¡¯ll leave a mark,¡± came the gloating comment from our allies. ¡°We¡¯re off to respond to another distress signal. Smooth sailing.¡± Captain Monahan offered her thanks over the comms, before reviewing the damage to our vessel. It wasn¡¯t quite as extensive as I would expect. There were some nasty wounds across the ship¡¯s body, but all major systems were functional. As long as there were no issues funneling power to weapons and propulsion, we were still in the fight. The human officer straightened. ¡°Navs, bring us closer to the planet. Our structural integrity is weakened, so we¡¯re going to play a supporting role.¡± I lowered my head for a moment, trying to cleanse some of the fear chemicals from my system. The exhilaration, of killing the Arxur, was lost beneath raw sensation. The burning in my chest was making it difficult to breathe, as if I was walking the line with cardiac arrest. While the predators breathing down my neck were dangerous and untamed, I was thankful they were at the helm. A human¡¯s split-second decision making, under duress, was clearly better than mine. Our brush with death struck more fear into my heart, than any of the surrounding crewmates. And you¡¯re considered exceptionally brave at home, I mused. I suppose keeping it together enough to function, is what we consider stoicism. Our vessel curved a winding path through the battlefield, avoiding a solo confrontation with any lurking Arxur. It was sobering to see that several dozen UN indicators had flickered out on our sensors. I hoped those measurements were erroneous, or that each fallen had at least taken two enemies with them. The good news was that we had numbers. That advantage was minimized in clashes involving the Federation, when fleets often fell into disarray at the first sign of incoming fire. A bold charge, like the Terrans were attempting, was nigh unthinkable. We lost the psychological war before we ever thought of the physical one. ¡°Sensors, pick out an enemy that¡¯s showing signs of critical damage.¡± Captain Monahan nodded at the viewport, a thoughtful look on her face. ¡°We don¡¯t want anyone to limp off and nurse their wounds.¡± ¡°On it,¡± a technician answered. My eyes turned toward the cradle, and homesickness burgeoned in my chest. Beneath the tranquil blue exterior, I knew the ground was ashen and lifeless. The Arxur ships, gliding above the atmosphere, menaced the skies. They were locked in combat with the humans now, but if our mission failed, they would return to their bombing in a heartbeat. A dark, rectangular object, which burned away from the planet¡¯s glow, caught my attention. There was only one Arxur ship that would flee from the heart of battle. My heart sank into my stomach, and I realized which target the Terrans had to choose. It was a small mercy, for the souls onboard. I leapt to my paws, ignoring the bile rising in my throat. ¡°Terminate the hostile labeled A9241, on your sensors. Please. It¡¯s on an ascent course, departing from the cradle.¡± ¡°Hold on. Why that particular ship?¡± Monahan asked. I met her steely gaze. ¡°It¡¯s a cattle ship. It cannot be allowed to leave the system. Put those Gojids out of their misery, I beg you.¡± ¡°There are innocent hostages on that ship? We don¡¯t kill civilians, whenever it''s possible to avoid it.¡± ¡°But there are fates much worse than death. Humans, please tell me you¡¯re logical enough to understand. There are children on there, and I know you care for them. You¡¯re saving hundreds of people from an existence you cannot imagine.¡± The captain studied her own readout, and waved the first officer over for a brief conference. I didn¡¯t know what she was discussing with him; it was an easy decision to me. Their hushed words gave the grays time to get away. Maybe these predators did have stunted morality, if they couldn¡¯t discern the lesser evil here. Forget the letter of the law! Monahan¡¯s head snapped up. ¡°Sovlin, how many Arxur do you expect are onboard?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know! It¡¯s not like anyone¡¯s ever been on one of their ships,¡± I growled. ¡°But, uh, their landing parties are usually around 2-3 dozen per group.¡± ¡°That seems manageable. I¡¯ll put together a breach team, and we¡¯ll send a shuttle to board them. All we need is to knock out propulsion, so they¡¯re dead in the waters.¡± The proposition was so simple, yet it almost moved me to tears. I couldn¡¯t believe these savage beasts would attempt a rescue mission mid-battle, at grave peril to their own personnel. From how the UN captain reacted, it was her first instinct. The thought hadn¡¯t crossed my mind to think of those Gojids as anything but gone. As the officers began assembling a flight crew, I realized there was a foundation of genuine trust forming. The idea that humanity would want the sapient livestock for themselves had barely crossed my mind. I¡¯d begun to believe that this ¡°conquering species¡± would help us, just as they had with our refugees. Captain Monahan barked orders to the bridge personnel, who began scrounging what energy they could for the plasma railgun. There was no time to await backup, and most UN ships were preoccupied regardless. The comms station notified all nearby friendlies of the cattle vessel, so that it wouldn¡¯t be shot down while we were trying to seize it. If reinforcements arrived down the line, that would be a bonus. ¡°Sovlin, I¡¯m going to offer my name for the boarding party.¡± Hatred radiated from Carlos, as his gaze scorched toward the viewport. ¡°I am a foot soldier, after all. I¡¯d like a crack at those gray freaks.¡± The humans¡¯ pent-up rage seeped out, as they contemplated the terrorizing foe. Hunger trickled into their stances and snarls. I could almost feel its burning hum through their veins. Wild, untapped anger spurred the primates to action, and demanded retribution for the cruelty they perceived. They¡¯re channeling their predatory energy. But they¡¯re still in control of themselves, somehow, even in hunting mode. I can¡¯t imagine the intrusive thoughts it puts in their heads. Our ship raced toward the Arxur¡¯s transport, gaining on the clunky object. Cattle vessels did have external weapons, but they were more limited than their warship counterparts. However, their internal armory wouldn¡¯t be deficient, by any metric; they were equipped with the tools to eviscerate a city. This wasn¡¯t going to be an easy task for my human allies. ¡°You¡¯re all so noble, and fearsome,¡± I growled. ¡°Captain Monahan, let me accompany your team, please.¡± The captain raised her eyebrows. ¡°Why would I do that? So the only Federation asset we have can be KIA?¡± ¡°KIA?¡± ¡°Killed in action.¡± ¡°Oh, uh, I won¡¯t get in your way. If you manage to free those Gojids, you¡¯ll need me to stop a stampede. They¡¯re not going to be in their right minds. You¡¯ll¡­see why.¡± Monahan¡¯s rosy lips twitched, and I could sense the unspoken question on her tongue. After witnessing our lack of composure, during their initial landing, she wasn¡¯t sure I¡¯d be in my right mind. It was a valid question, honestly. Charging through an enclosed space, surrounded by Arxur and gunfighting, would break most Gojids. The mere sight of binocular eyes pumped dread through my veins, and made my spines bristle. It was a constant effort to push that aside, but I could power through it in most cases. My fury toward the grays had to be enough to override it. I tried to show my determination through teeth-baring, raising my claws in a threatening manner. She sighed, rubbing her forehead. ¡°Very well. Don¡¯t fuck this up, and¡­for the love of God, don¡¯t die.¡± ¡°Understood, ma¡¯am,¡± I answered. ¡°Just, er, if the mission fails, please take out that ship. No matter who¡¯s onboard.¡± ¡°They won¡¯t make it out of this system. Not on my watch.¡± A wave of livid excitement almost swept me off my feet, as I eyed the cattle vessel in the viewport. Few people met an Arxur face-to-face, and lived to tell the tale. Insertion into an enemy ship could end in complete catastrophe; such a feat would be unheard of. My predatory companions either didn¡¯t realize, or didn¡¯t care how risky their stunt was. The eager weapons station pinpointed their target, and plasma arced across the void. My nostrils twitched with anticipation; I was raring to go, same as the predators. This role was a pitiful attempt to atone for my crimes, but at least I felt certain I was on the right side. Any way I could assist the humans, I was going to chip in. Chapter 35 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, Federation Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: October 6, 2136 The bulletproof vest afforded to me by the predators was snug around my spines, but nearly fell off my shoulders. Its shape was not designed for the rotund Gojid species. The slender curvature of the human spine was a polar opposite, evolved for grace and flexibility. I knew the armor might save my life, but I wish I waited longer to don it. My bristles were being compressed at irritating angles, and the nearest soldiers seemed annoyed by my inability to sit still. The humans were sandwiched together in the shuttle, brushing shoulders with each other. I was glad to be at the end, so I could lean toward the wall. Samantha traded places with Carlos halfway through the ride. She bore an obvious disdain for me, but the male guard had enough of my fidgeting. Many of the general soldiers curled their lips in contempt as well; I wasn¡¯t winning any popularity contests with these predators. I was grateful we were only a minute out from the cattle vessel. ¡°Did we succeed at paralyzing the Arxur transport?¡± I asked the female chaperone. Her eyelashes fluttered in annoyance. ¡°Yes. Were you not listening to the damn announcements?¡± ¡°Relax, Sam. It was an innocent question,¡± Carlos sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sure he just zoned out.¡± ¡°You feel sorry for the racist war criminal?¡± a soldier called out. I saw a few humans nod their heads in agreement, which caused me to lower my gaze. There wouldn¡¯t be many tears shed by anyone other than the UN brass, if the Arxur gunned me down today. Not that I blamed them; an honorable death wasn¡¯t the worst thing I could think of. Dying scared me more than death. I wish I had a weapon, so I could actually help. I don¡¯t want to stay back, and let them do all the fighting. ¡°Well, that¡¯s great news,¡± I said, ignoring the jab. ¡°Can I have a gun?¡± ¡°No,¡± a chorus of voices answered in unison. I waved my claws dismissively. ¡°Worth a shot.¡± The shuttle lurched beneath my paws, and my vest pressed harder against my spines. There was going to be some light bruising tomorrow, if I lived past this battle. Our craft latched onto an Arxur wing, attaching itself to the immobilized transport. We inched forward so that our airlock stood across from theirs. A vac-suited predator slipped into our emergency airlock, and I strained to see his movements through the window. The Terran unfurled a walkway on our side, then floated across to the Arxur vessel with a gentle push. All that tied him to us was a thin rope on his waist. He tested a red lever with a feeble hand, and confirmed that it wasn¡¯t locked. The human nodded to himself, and used some sort of suction technology to adhere the tunnel to the enemy ship. His feet clicked onto the ground, as the artificial gravity initiated. Once the corridor was sealed from the vacuum, he raised his thumb to the rest of us. I didn¡¯t understand the signal, but the others took it as a go-ahead. The UN soldiers trundled out of the ship, wielding massive rifles. While the predators possessed few natural gifts, they were saddled with a truckload of gear. Their warriors were clad head-to-toe in black armor, including a hard shell atop their heads. Once they shoved reflective goggles over their eyes, humans looked like homogenous, impassive machines. ¡°Stick behind us, Sovlin.¡± Samantha rose to her feet, falling into the rear of the pack. ¡°We can¡¯t leave you here to get captured. Take cover, and stay out of the way ¡®til you¡¯re needed.¡± Silence fell over our entourage, as the primates crossed the cattle ship¡¯s threshold. I couldn¡¯t help but notice the humans¡¯ slinking posture, as though they were stalking prey in a shaded forest. They were crouched to a fraction of their normal height, with steps that were furtive and calculated. Their guns swiveled in every direction, searching for a target to pounce on. With a hint of reluctance, my paws followed them down the tunnel. There were some short bursts of gunfire, as they pumped a few unprepared Arxur full of lead. I suppressed a chuckle, knowing it would make me seem deranged. The enemy would raise the alarm now, but I relished that we got the drop on them. My attention switched to the reptilian interior, taking mental notes of its facilities. The Federation would kill for intelligence like this. The atmosphere was musty, but the lighting was rich and plentiful. The hygiene of the enemy ship surprised me as well; it didn¡¯t reek of rotten flesh or blood. I guess those savages understood basic disease transmission after all. We followed the entryway a few hundred paces, before we reached a bend in the path. The team leader poked his head around the corner, and immediately recoiled. A barrage of bullets decimated the wall, where his shell-cap poked out moments earlier. He ducked back behind cover, hugging his weapon to his chest. ¡°8 or 9 hostiles arming themselves, and taking positions,¡± he hissed. ¡°They¡¯re waiting for us.¡± We have more numbers than that, but the Arxur have a clear line of sight. They¡¯re going to nail us as soon as we advance. A human rolled a metal canister across the floor, which released a milky plume of smoke. Irritants dispersed through the hallway, and I squinted to see anything. There was no way the Arxur could determine our position, if I could barely see my claws in front of me. Shrouded in the haze of silver mist, the Terrans stepped out from behind their refuge. The Arxur sprayed bullets in our direction, hoping to connect with something. These sounds helped the humans key in on their positions, and they spewed their own rounds back in return. Terrans seemed to fare better in low visibility, with their remarkable adaptiveness. The silhouetted movement I glimpsed in the mist suggested a few grays were hit. As the smoke dissipated, the primates sprang toward any makeshift shelter they could find. Carlos pulled me behind a supply cart, and popped his gun over the top. Samantha sprawled on the floor beside him. Her hands were steady as she gazed down the scope, and fired at an Arxur attempting to fall back. I didn¡¯t know the grays could retreat. ¡°I imagine, down that main staircase, we¡¯ll find living quarters, the cattle pens, and the bridge,¡± Samantha growled. ¡°They don¡¯t want us to get to anything vital.¡± The female human stood to get a better look, and inched forward to join another UN cluster. My eyes drifted to the Arxur she shot, who was bleeding profusely. The enemy bastard was still twitching, until another Terran soldier unloaded a clip into its head. That was overkill, but hey, I wasn¡¯t judging. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Samantha caressed her rifle with a gloved hand, and waved for Carlos and I to follow. Hesitant as I was to move, the handful of hostile survivors were regrouping with their brethren. The Terrans blinding every combatant caught the Arxur off-guard. It forced them to make concessions, and await backup. The grays haven¡¯t fought a true enemy in a long time, have they? I mused. They haven¡¯t been on the back foot for a second in this war. Our weakness has made them complacent. There was no sound from the presumed Arxur position, and I guessed they were lying in wait. The UN contingent advanced with caution, creeping toward the stairway. Their boots glided across the metal, as light as the patter of rain. Whether they were coached by instinct, training, or generational experience, I did not know. A grating voice rumbled over the PA. ¡°Greetings, fellow hunters. I take it you don¡¯t appreciate that we, ah, stole your catch.¡± Several human predators startled, and their attention shifted overhead. My jaw almost dropped to the floor; the Arxur never conversed so eloquently with us. We translated their dialects at first contact, but I couldn¡¯t remember them enunciating anything but vulgar threats in my lifetime. It was incredible that they had words for ¡°greetings¡± or ¡°appreciate.¡± ¡°We would¡¯ve offered to split the haul, if we realized our intrusion sooner,¡± the Arxur continued. ¡°You made things much easier for us, and we¡¯re not entirely ungrateful. You already learned that Gojids make excellent slaves, judging by your companion.¡± I bared my teeth, incensed that this monstrosity thought I was a human plaything. While I was a Terran prisoner, that was a far cry from servitude and degradation. There was nothing I had been forced to do; my presence on this mission was voluntary, and my treatment was fairer than I deserved. Carlos nudged me, pointing to a blinking red light on the ceiling. There was a camera tracking our movements, and granting the enemy a full view of our advance. He raised only his middle finger, and several of his counterparts copied the gesture. I didn¡¯t understand what that meant either, but I guessed it was something hateful. ¡°Go fuck yourselves!¡± the male guard shouted. Probably that. Note to self. ¡°Ah, to be a young race again. Let¡¯s get that aggression out of our systems. Then, after, we should pool our resources to bring the lesser species to heel.¡± The reptile sounded almost disappointed, as though it would enjoy a test of strength. ¡°Anything else would be¡­wasteful, when our interests are aligned. As loathsome as ¡®sharing¡¯ is, there¡¯s enough food to go around.¡± Did those demons just offer to ally with humanity against the Federation?! My blood boiled at the thought. It had to be a trap, since everyone knew the Arxur were incapable of inter-species cooperation. They couldn¡¯t get along with themselves. The grays were locked in a global bloodbath, which jeopardized their world¡¯s survival, when we found them. The prospect of the Terrans switching sides was unnerving, all the same. The clawless ¡°omnivores¡± hadn¡¯t been welcomed into the galaxy with open arms. The lack of clarity from our factions meant threats could still reside within the Federation. Would humans view siding with monsters as the only way to save their Earth? Carlos gunned down the camera lens with prejudice, and answered the question for me. His knuckles were strained against the cloth coverings, from being clenched around his rifle. The soldier at the advance¡¯s forefront raised a fist, and our posse shuffled to a halt astride of the staircase. Odds were, the enemy was gathering in the deck underneath us. ¡°Fire in the hole!¡± a human voice declared. A UN soldier lobbed a grenade into the open area, and we watched it clatter down the incline. The resulting explosion detonated atop any Arxur in the vicinity. I heard a gurgling scream, as if shrapnel hit one of the reptiles in the throat. My predatory allies moved down the first steps, and followed it up with another explosive toss. That should be enough to get the enemy to move back. The primates bounded down the last of the staircase, and jammed down their firing triggers. I followed Samantha¡¯s movements, and tried to keep my head low. We took refuge behind a trash can, in what appeared to be a mess hall. There were blood-speckled trays and reading materials left abandoned on the tables. What do you know? Eating sentients is a communal activity, I guess. Arxur gunfire peppered the walls around us, and took down several humans. Other Terrans stepped in as soon as they saw a counterpart felled, dragging them to safety. Attempts to stymie the bleeding looked hopeless, in many cases, but their efforts were charged with emotion. It was mind-boggling how a predator¡¯s warrior class could forge such deep bonds. How they could even think of their fellow man, during the insanity of battle, was beyond me. The amount of Arxur tickled every flighty urge in my DNA, and overstimulation made my head swim. This wasn¡¯t at all like my revenge fantasies. I was helpless, without any weapon, if one of them lunged at me. I could sense several reptilian eyes on me. From their vantage point, dinner just walked in front of a firing squad. Malicious snarls sent in my direction told me what they saw in my form. The humans, for all their unwanted teeth baring, had never seemed so ¡°distracted¡± by me. ¡°S-stay calm, Sovlin. You hate predators. You want them to burn, rot, and die in agony,¡± I murmured. Samantha snorted. ¡°Gee, thanks.¡± ¡°Not you. You¡¯re different.¡± ¡°Whatever you¡ª" A stray bullet grazed the female¡¯s headgear. She sensed it clip her cap, and fell back as a kneejerk reaction. The soldier dragged herself back up against the waste bin, with erratic breathing. After taking a moment to collect her wits, she worked to get her rifle situated. Guilt flashed through my mind, realizing my distraction almost killed her. Calling my guards friends would be a stretch, since that required a mutual respect. But they had become familiar faces, and I didn¡¯t wish for anything to happen to them. There had to be some way for me to help, rather than impede their progress. Carlos was crouched a few paces deeper, using an upturned table as a shelter. Several UN soldiers were positioned there, coordinating fire. My eyes widened in alarm as I saw an Arxur duo attempting to encircle them. I shouted to warn the humans, but the deafening pops of gunfire drowned out my words. Panic fluttered in my chest, as a reptile straightened its rifle. Sitting here and doing nothing wasn¡¯t an option; Samantha was too rattled from her encounter to react in time. The mangled Arxur corpse, downed by a grenade at the base of the staircase, caught my eye. A crazy thought leapt into my head, as I glimpsed the bloodied gun in its grip. ¡°SOVLIN! What the fuck are you¡ª" the female human began. I dashed out behind cover, and retraced my short steps into the room. The tile was slick with blood, which made traction a struggle. Prying the firearm from the beast¡¯s lifeless grasp, I tried to line up the shot. My heart was hammering at a million parsecs an hour, and my paws quivered too much to steady it. The lead Arxur fired off the first shot, nailing one of Carlos¡¯ companions in the back of the neck. The other humans whirled around, but they couldn¡¯t react in the half-second it would take to execute them all. Gritting my teeth, I tried to lock my wrists. I released several rounds, praying I wouldn¡¯t accidentally hit the Terrans. Two of my five bullets nailed the first Arxur, and it crumpled to the floor. Its partner stumbled over the body, which gave the primates enough time to swivel around. An unfamiliar Terran blew its head off with panicked motions. Carlos turned his masked skull, looking for the source of the shots that saved him. His gaze faced me, as I skittered back to Samantha. The female snatched the firearm from my grip, tucking it under her arm. ¡°You¡¯re really going to take the gun away?¡± I groaned. ¡°I saved¡­¡± She offered a grudging sigh. ¡°You saved Carlos¡¯ life.¡± ¡°I¡¯m good at killing¡­for a Gojid. Let me help, please.¡± ¡°Not a chance. Don¡¯t even think about pulling a stunt like that again.¡± I chewed at my claws, and leaned back against the wall. Several human corpses were strewn about the entry point, suggesting many hadn¡¯t been as lucky as Carlos. These Terran soldiers were resilient, but it was evident Arxur marksmen had wicked accuracy. About half of our active allies appeared to be nursing injuries, which spoke to an unrivaled ability to persist through pain. Then again, I couldn¡¯t tell when crimson bloodstains were theirs, or a comrade¡¯s. Regardless, our ranks weren''t unscathed. From what I could make out of the scenery, the grays had suffered their fair share of casualties too. Their numbers were whittled down to ten or so, by my estimation. The UN warriors were starting to gain ground, and flush the enemy out. I don¡¯t think the reptilians were prepared to fend off a larger contingent of predators. The hostile gunfire ceased without warning, and I tilted my head in bewilderment. A firearm skidded across the floor, followed by a series of others. A handful of Arxur rose to their full height, watching the primates¡¯ next move. The humans paused their barrage, suspicion glowing in their eyes. What in the name of the Protector was this? Chapter 36 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, Federation Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: October 6, 2136 Resounding shouts coursed through the air, as the humans rounded on the unarmed enemy. Most were some variant of a demand to lie on the ground. There was no question that this was an Arxur surrender; they were complying with the barked orders, and cuffing themselves without any clear trickery. There was no snarling or sudden movements, either. Perhaps this inexplicable behavior was because humans earned respect, by whatever their twisted standards were. The primates¡¯ bellowing voices shook me to the core, and clearly left no room for debate. Scaring the boarders away with bloodied fangs and piercing eyes hadn''t been a viable tactic, for a change. All the same, I didn¡¯t think the reptilians were capable of submission. The Federation never managed to capture a predator, or reason with them. Appealing to mercy was an exercise in futility; amusement seemed to be the only motive they needed to destroy our worlds. Accepting the Terrans as thinking people was one thing, but the Arxur were clear-cut in their villainy. ¡°I wonder what Captain Monahan will do with the prisoners,¡± I muttered. Samantha offered a non-committal shrug. ¡°Not my call.¡± ¡°Not mine either, and that¡¯s probably a good thing.¡± Carlos bounded up to us, raising his goggles. ¡°We¡¯re going to have some guys make sure they sit nice and pretty for now. Probably sedate them, take them as prisoners.¡± ¡°But if it was your call, what would you do?¡± I asked. ¡°I¡¯d put them in the cattle pens. Right where they belong,¡± he growled, a malicious gleam in his eyes. ¡°I wonder if the grays would taste like gator. Or maybe they¡¯d make a good pair of boots.¡± The bold-faced talk of eating another sentient left me taken aback. It wasn¡¯t something I thought humankind would contemplate, even for those monsters. I understood what Carlos was saying, though; that schadenfreude was something we had in common. The guard¡¯s statement was pushing it a little far, but I was happy he was being more open with me. Maybe Carlos is grateful I saved his life. He seems more friendly toward me. My eyes studied the Arxur prisoners. ¡°But they would still look hideous as boots. Also, I wouldn¡¯t want my paws touching their skin; how defiling.¡± ¡°Well then, what would you do with them, Sovlin?¡± As much as I would love to see the grays get a full dose of their own medicine, the stakes were too high. The intelligence a strong-willed military could extract was invaluable. If we could stop the cradle¡¯s fate from befalling another world, that was worth keeping these Arxur alive for a bit. Besides, they deserved more suffering than a quick execution. Scientific studies of their pain tolerance and responses could offer interesting results. My lip curled up in disgust. ¡°I would inflict as much agony as I could. And once I had no use for it, I would blow its brain out.¡± ¡°You already knew the answer to that, Carlos,¡± Samantha hissed. ¡°Remember why he¡¯s here? You two have fun with your¡­chat.¡± I lowered my gaze, watching the female guard stalk off. It hadn¡¯t occurred to me that I described verbatim what I had done to the first Terran soldier I found. After recognizing the parallel, Carlos would surely lose interest in speaking with me. It confused me why he didn¡¯t lope after her, but a part of me still hoped we could make progress. ¡°I am sorry. The irony is, somehow, I think you might be the only species who could understand why I did¡­that,¡± I sighed. The human crossed his arms, a conflicted glint in his eyes. ¡°I understand why, if we were the Arxur. But you didn¡¯t even consider or research Marcel Fraser¡¯s story. Nor did you listen to the Venlil that backed him up.¡± ¡°I did research. The Federation¡¯s database pegged you as a species of genocidal conquerors, who do nothing but war.¡± My spines bristled, as I recalled the atrocities in the original briefing. ¡°Then I watched videos of humans gassing children and nuking your own cities! And you lecture us about stampedes. I still don¡¯t get you.¡± ¡°That history makes a lot of us angry too. We¡¯re, um, capable of much of what they are. But the Ven¡ª¡± ¡°The Venlil, Slanek, was unconscious for days. What we knew was the Republic cut off all communications, chased off aid ships at gunpoint, and took every Federation visitor hostage, after they met you. It was an obvious conclusion, at the time, that humans coerced them into those actions.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s just not true. You know that.¡± ¡°Now. In my paws, would you have thought humanity was friendly and empathetic? When you seemed so much like the Arxur, the only other known predators?¡± The guard didn¡¯t say anything, but his ocular relaxation showed that my point landed. He pursed his lips, and scratched the back of his neck. It was obvious he was hesitant, to vocalize understanding for the torture of his own kind. Perhaps his concern was that nearby soldiers might overhear. ¡°Let¡¯s just say, by the time Slanek woke up, it was too late. I had to be right about you, or else, I was a monster.¡± My voice cracked, and my eyes blinked shut to seal away tears. ¡°I¡¯m not defending¡­Carlos, I can¡¯t live with what I¡¯ve done. Not since it hit home. I don¡¯t expect anyone¡¯s forgiveness.¡± The predator patted my shoulder once, with a surprising amount of gentleness. No words tumbled from his lips, but that was more consolation than I deserved. The guilt enshrouding my heart eased, for a brief moment. I realized how badly I had needed one of the humans to understand. Carlos cleared his throat, and his gaze dialed in on the Arxur prisoners. A human had a boot planted against one¡¯s tail, with a gun barrel pressed against its skull. The reptilian¡¯s eyes were wild, with what I would think was fear, in any other species. It looked young and scrawny, which might be why it was singled out for intimidation. ¡°What did you do with the kids?¡± The UN soldier¡¯s voice was low, charged with a venomous undercurrent. ¡°Where are they?¡± ¡°Kids?¡± the Arxur stammered. ¡°The Gojids. The ¡®cattle¡¯, you son of a bitch!¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just say that?! They¡¯re in the cargo bay.¡± ¡°And where the fuck is that? Show us, now!¡± The gray led us into the kitchen, which was placed adjacent to the cafeteria. The stations seemed more suitable to butchering than food preparation. Carlos gestured for me to follow, since my inclusion was only permitted to pacify the captives. My uneasy brain resented the march into a predator¡¯s lair, and was relieved the human hovered close behind. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. A decaying scent wafted into my nostrils, which triggered my gag reflex. A few Gojid corpses dangled from the ceiling, and had been gutted from head to toe. The amount of dried blood suggested their organs were carved out while they were alive. One carcass was noticeably smaller than the others; it looked about the size of my daughter, last time I saw her alive. That child was dissected, then served to the group as an entr¨¦e. Just like my sweet Hania. Those vile predators¡­they see us as a feast. Disgust torched a path up my esophagus, and I spewed vomit onto the tile. The way Carlos¡¯ cheeks were ashen and puffed out, I think he was barely keeping his own lunch down. It was a relief to see the clawless predator looking squeamish. Especially after hearing him ponder how the Arxur tasted. Heaving sounds behind me suggested that disgust was the overarching reaction, within Terran ranks. The UN soldiers bringing up our flank got more of an eyeful than they anticipated. It was baffling, that predators would have such a strong aversion to gore. All evolutionary knowledge suggested blood should serve as the enticing marker of an easy catch, and sharpen their senses. The male guard wiped sweat off his brow. ¡°Fuck, man. I can¡¯t unsee that. They¡¯re so¡­brutal. Senseless.¡± ¡°D-deep breaths. Don¡¯t focus on it.¡± ¡°But the smell¡­¡± ¡°I know. By the way, why did your warriors split up?¡± I asked Carlos, trying to distract us. ¡°Doesn¡¯t everyone want to secure the civilians?¡± Samantha cleared her throat to my right, startling me. ¡°Enemy officers are holed up in the bridge, and we need to sweep the ship anyways. Don¡¯t need a napping gray crawling out of a crevasse.¡± ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want to be anywhere near me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t. But it¡¯s my job.¡± The scrawny Arxur staggered to the kitchen¡¯s rear wall, and wagged a bony claw at the partition. The reflective metal formed two double doors, wide enough to fit a few spacecraft side-by-side. I considered that the prisoner was deceiving us, since that was their modus operandi. But it made too much sense, for the prey to be right next to the mess hall. The Terran handler jabbed his gun barrel into the Arxur¡¯s temple. ¡°Open the fucking door¡­or we¡¯ll find out what color your brains splatter.¡± It swallowed, and waved a paw in front of a motion sensor. I half-expected an automated turret to descend from the ceiling, and start cutting down our ranks. The humans tensed as well, clearly not trusting the beast. Despite their lack of experience with the Arxur, they seemed well-versed in the ways of sapient deception. The doors creaked open, and the UN soldiers inched forward. There was no reinforcing army amassed inside, for all our misgivings. The cavern before us was devoid of Arxur, on the ground level, which was where my eyes stopped looking. Of course, the reptiles wouldn¡¯t leave their prized possession unattended. Some instinct compelled the humans¡¯ binocular eyes to turn skyward. Perhaps it was the same madness that made them leap out of planes. One Arxur camped on a raised platform, which allowed it to overlook the assembled prey. It wheeled around, slowed by the same narrow vision as the Terrans. The gray couldn¡¯t reach for its weapon before it was obliterated by dozens of bullets. Lots of trigger-happy humans out here. They seem really on edge. I watched as the monster slumped to the floor. Its skin was perforated everywhere that constituted a vital organ. The life flickered out of its reptilian eyes, as liters of blood dripped through the latticed walkway. It doused any Gojids below in coagulated goo, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to face the livestock yet. My gaze instead fell on our predatory captive; I wanted to see how it reacted to the death of a counterpart. A brief gasp slipped from its maw, and those diabolical pupils lingered on its fallen comrade for a full second. A full second longer than they should have. ¡°No heads up about the guard?¡± The UN soldier slammed his rifle butt into the Arxur prisoner¡¯s temple. He snickered as its hindlegs buckled, and it collapsed on the floor. ¡°Ah, shit, my hand slipped. That¡¯s what everyone saw, isn¡¯t it?¡± The other humans nodded, as they studied the cattle enclosure in horrified silence. My reluctant eyes fell on the scene, and renewed fury surged through my spines. Gojids were packed in a pen like animals, to the brink of suffocation. I could see faces squished up against the barbed wire mesh, and paws scrabbling for a way out. The guards must¡¯ve fed the cattle by throwing seeds and leaves down from the walkway. Water was available through a few small basins on the rim. Many people seemed to have given up, and were lying unresponsive on the floor. The squealing of the children was what really stabbed at my heart; they sounded so high-pitched and frantic. ¡°HELP US! Please,¡± a desperate voice wailed, from the corral¡¯s epicenter. That individual was shushed by its counterparts, who divulged that the entrants were humans. There was no line of sight from within the throng of Gojids. All they knew was the boarders weren¡¯t Arxur, and that the grays had succumbed to them. The last they saw of humanity was Terran soldiers, dropping into cradle settlements. If they hadn¡¯t witnessed the heroic sacrifices on the surface, it would be logical to assume humans orchestrated the Arxur raid. These people must think they were going from one predator¡¯s clutches to another. One Gojid strained his face against the mesh. ¡°Captain Sovlin? They c-captured you?! You should know better¡­than to let them take you alive.¡± My mouth was dry. I was too horrified by the atrocities of this vessel to find words; this felt like a waking nightmare. It was all I could do not to sink against the nearest human¡¯s boots, and break down. The Gojid took my shocked state as affirmation of his fears, howling with despair. Carlos shuffled forward, kneeling by the cage¡¯s edge. He tugged at the material, which did not budge, and bared his teeth in obvious frustration. The muscles in his shoulders were quivering, with a primal rage that he was struggling to restrain. The predator couldn¡¯t bear the sobbing kids, any more than I could. A growl emanated from his chest, and his brown eyes narrowed to slits. The compulsion to break the sapient livestock out of the cage all but possessed him. There was a franticness in his motions, as Samantha passed him a cable cutter. Carlos clipped the first strand, and other humans ambled in to help peel back the material. The Terrans¡¯ haste was enough to snap me out of my trance. If I didn¡¯t get through to the Gojids, they would stampede right over their saviors. A mauling wasn¡¯t the way to reward the gentle beasts for their compassion. ¡°T-the¡­the humans are here as allies of the Gojidi Union. Let them help you,¡± I croaked. ¡°The warlike predators who invaded our home, and caused the Arxur to capture us, are allies? Tell those demons to make their lies believable, puppet,¡± came a sneering reply. So this was how it felt, trying to convince a skeptical audience to see past that abominable appearance. Carlos¡¯ efforts paused for a moment, and he shared a glance with his counterparts. The gash they carved in the barbwire was almost wide enough to rip out an opening. How could anyone read malice into their actions? Nobody ever just started off seeing humans as people. Nobody accepted their story at face value, or treated them as equals. In that moment, I felt sorry¡­angry for the alien predators. I stormed toward the pen. ¡°The ground invasion occurred because we were planning to bomb Earth; I would know. Preventing their own extinction is self-defense. The fact that they risked their lives to save you, in spite of that, shows their empathy runs deeper than ours.¡± ¡°Predators don¡¯t feel empathy. The Great Protector teaches they are cursed creatures, doomed to live in eternal hunger and bloodlust.¡± The Great Protector? Carlos mouthed. Arguing with a fairytale wasn¡¯t my ideal scenario, but antagonizing the religious was only going to make them shut down. There might be a shred of truth to that axiom, anyways; I had seen the Terrans tap into their aggression multiple times. Humans used their higher emotions to redirect bloodlust to proper outlets, but sometimes, their agency waned. My eyes swept over the group. ¡°These predators are intelligent enough to override that. To control it. The Venlil did experiments that proved they can bond with prey animals, and that they feel pain for those of us in suffering. It is irrefutable evidence, by every scientific metric.¡± ¡°What? That¡¯s¡­that¡¯s not possible. You¡¯re saying¡­¡± ¡°Humans use their ¡®hunger¡¯ to protect the weak from threats, much like your goddess. They formed laws and morality that are civilized. Honorable, even. If they are cursed and trying to break free, wouldn¡¯t the Protector command us to help?¡± The UN soldiers tugged back the spiky wall, and surveyed the traumatized Gojids. My people didn¡¯t rush on their saviors in a panic, though many shoved their way toward the escape. The alternative was to remain in Arxur custody, and the Arxur were a known commodity. Even if the Terrans were just as evil, it was difficult for them to be worse. Several humans extended gloved hands, hoisting the victims onto solid ground. Herbivore food and clean water awaited the rescued; the special care they gave to the young didn¡¯t escape my notice. Samantha¡¯s eyes glowed as she began to spoon-feed an emaciated infant. I had never seen such a toothy snarl on her face, or heard her speak so softly. This skirmish hadn¡¯t been to contest the cattle claim, at all. I wondered what the Arxur would think, when they realized the predators they viewed as equals, despised them as much as the rest of the galaxy. Whether humanity¡¯s interrogations turned up anything useful or not, it would be priceless to be a fly on the wall. Chapter 37 Memory transcription subject: Governor Tarva of the Venlil Republic Date [standardized human time]: October 6, 2136 In the month we had been away, the predators seemed to have established their presence on Venlil Prime. Teeming masses of humans with cameras awaited the shuttle; the increase in personnel was noticeable. Venlil journalists were squeezed right next to the formidable beasts, and didn¡¯t pay their counterparts much attention. They must have done extensive work with Terrans, to be so casual. Several individuals in the UN¡¯s baby blue welcomed the new species, and offered polite introductions. Their eyes were concealed in floral-colored visors, which was a clear attempt to look as non-threatening as possible. They paused as they saw the Sivkit diplomat bolt away from the crowd; Axsely¡¯s snowy pelt vanished into the thick bushes around the governor mansion. Ambassador Noah took a step in that direction, as though he wanted to follow her. I placed a paw on his arm, and shook my head. ¡°Chasing after her will only make it worse. At any rate, we need to speak with your people, immediately,¡± I muttered. Concern flickered in his brown eyes. ¡°Is something wrong? You¡¯ve been¡­subdued. You learned something, when they answered.¡± As soon as we entered FTL-communication range, I had relayed word of the Federation delegation through government channels. Chauson patched up the ship enough to travel, but affirmed that the cooling shaft showed signs of external tampering. I didn¡¯t convey those details over the network, since I didn¡¯t want the UN embassy¡¯s greeting to involve guns and interrogation. The Venlil government brought Terran officials into the loop, and related some startling developments in the Gojid war. However, the immediate concern was that both parties seemed surprised by our contact. That meant Recel¡¯s ship never reached its destination. With our lengthy delay, they should have arrived well before we crossed Venlil space. At my request, the Terrans deployed a search-and-rescue team to follow their flight path. I kept the knowledge to myself, to avoid a panic, but the worry was nagging at me. What would happen to our relations with those six species, if something had gone wrong? My ears pressed back against my head. ¡°I learned several things, which are all troubling. Let me brush off the media, and then, we will join Kam in the briefing room.¡± The camera-wielding primates drew closer with a clamor, and Venlil yipped questions as well. My instincts protested allowing noisy predators to crowd me in every direction; the humans were more aggressive than I was used to, with our own reporters. I breathed a silent sigh of relief, as they granted enough space for us to pass. I think some of the human journalists¡¯ bad habits¡­their ambush tactics, have rubbed off on these Venlil. Stars. ¡°I politely request that you lower the volume of your speech, especially when you are this close. My ears are more sensitive than yours, and it carries more intimidation than I believe you intend,¡± I barked to the microphones. The crescendo of Terran questions died down, which lessened the encounter¡¯s intensity. At least if they were all badgering us, someone had the good sense to tell them to avoid the new diplomats. We might have other visitors running into the foliage, if this ensnarement was attempted on anyone else. ¡°What happened at the Federation summit?¡± an insistent voice called out. ¡°I am behind on everything that¡¯s happened in the past month, so I¡¯m not taking general questions right now,¡± I said, forcing a level cadence. ¡°For now, you can report to Earth that 11 species offered to open diplomatic relations with you.¡± ¡°Only 11?¡± ¡°Noah Williams, how was your treatment at their hands?¡± ¡°Is the rest of the Federation at war with humanity?¡± ¡°How do you think this will affect human-Venlil relations?¡± ¡°LET ME FINISH!¡± I spat. ¡°Over 100 species voted to ally with you against the Arxur. An even larger sector are either undecided, or opted for an isolationist policy. While these may not be the results you hoped for, I see them as a positive step forward, from wishing your species extinct. However¡ª¡± ¡°The Krakotl fleet are amassing warships, with support from several neighbors, in every border station that faces our space. How can we trust that these public stances aren¡¯t intended as deception?¡± ¡°You might find your questions resolved, if my answers could reach their conclusion,¡± I growled with frustration. ¡°I was about to explain that 38 member states would not budge on their extermination position, and may seek a war of extinction. The Krakotl were one of these¡­a rather vocal one.¡± Agitated whispers cycled through the crowd. I knew there was the half-second it¡¯d take the humans to process that information, before they¡¯d launch into a new inquisition. The questions would fall into predictable categories; how Earth should defend itself from these threats, if diplomatic resolutions were off the table, and what assistance the Venlil would provide. ¡°I am going to discuss with your generals and my generals how to handle this now. Perhaps our new allies will help us.¡± I swished my tail toward the Zurulian diplomat, who had settled down atop a human¡¯s shoe. The predator looked taken aback, but didn¡¯t move his foot. ¡°No matter what, we will figure this out together. The Venlil will stand with humanity to the end. Now, excuse me.¡± Noah grinned as he saw my irritated head shakes. The Terran ambassador clasped his hands behind his back, and followed me into the governor¡¯s mansion. There was something in his eyes, beyond amusement, as his gaze bored into my skull. It almost came off as predatory hunger, though for some reason, it wasn¡¯t unnerving. The human held open the door, his stare never faltering as we walked into the briefing center. That unblinking fixation was distracting; I wasn¡¯t sure if I wanted to tell him to break eye contact. It took a colossal effort to recall the planet-threatening reasons we were here. General Kam leapt from his chair. ¡°Governor, Ambassador! We¡¯re all delighted you¡¯re back.¡± I took a seat next to him, and the predator settled beside me. ¡°I would say it¡¯s good to be back, but¡­in the month I¡¯ve been gone, the Gojid cradle was glassed?!¡± ¡°What?¡± Noah hissed. ¡°Please, don¡¯t tell me we did that.¡± From his dejected tone, it seemed he considered that well within the realm of possibility. My certainty, that there was another explanation, wavered after his response. The UN¡¯s position against civilian casualties seemed set in stone, at that initial briefing. Perhaps Meier was just saying what we wanted to hear, so he could obtain our aid. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°The Arxur took advantage of the defenses being down. There was nothing we could do,¡± General Jones, of the American clan, growled. ¡°We lost a considerable amount of our own troops, trying to evacuate civilians.¡± I lowered my gaze. ¡°And the civilians you did evacuate are where?¡± ¡°Earth. Mostly refugee camps in New York.¡± My eyes about bulged out of my skull. The humans thought it was a good idea, to take a bunch of terrified refugees to a predator¡¯s homeworld, far away from their own territory? Those Gojids must be overwhelmed, and the optics of this were atrocious. It would¡¯ve been a better solution to host them on Venlil Prime, or transport them to a Gojid colony. General Zhao narrowed his eyes. ¡°Governor, you look displeased. Do you not trust humans to be proper caregivers?¡± ¡°You misunderstand. Candidly, this is an absolute disaster,¡± I grumbled. ¡°52 species specified they were waiting for news from the cradle, to determine their diplomatic position. When they hear it¡¯s been destroyed¡­¡± ¡°They¡¯ll blame humanity. She¡¯s right. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they accused us of coordinating with the Arxur,¡± Noah finished. A sigh slipped from my lips. ¡°The refugees are the ¡®cherry on top¡¯, as you say. When they hear you¡¯re keeping them in camps on Earth, they¡¯ll assume you¡¯re keeping them as cattle.¡± ¡°We have troves of footage, showcasing our humanitarian efforts,¡± the Chinese general objected. ¡°And? It¡¯s easy enough to dismiss that as staged propaganda. I bet anything, the Krakotl will use this to gain public support for their attack. To smear you as slaving predators.¡± Hell, what was stopping the species on-world from rescinding their diplomatic offer? The Mazic president was going to flip when he learned of the cradle¡¯s destruction. This was a grave setback to our progress with the friendly governments, and it would push most undecided factions toward animosity. At least I¡¯d had a few hours, to deliberate how to react to various scenarios; this was all news to Noah. The Terran ambassador shifted beside me, and I could sense his surprise to the war¡¯s developments. After witnessing the hatred on the Federation floor, he knew better than anyone I was right about their perspective. ¡°The Secretary-General understood the cradle¡¯s importance, as a propaganda tool,¡± Jones said. ¡°That¡¯s why we sent our first fleet on a liberation mission. We have a chance to defeat the Arxur, and retake the cradle. Those mission logs, and the footage which Captain Sovlin provided to us from Gojid media sources, might help mitigate any reputational damage.¡± Two items leapt out at me from that statement. The first being, the humans sent a large contingent of the Venlil ships that were donated to them to a slaughter. Attacking the Arxur was a foolhardy play, which I can¡¯t believe General Kam didn¡¯t object to. Predators or not, the UN had succumbed at every turn to the grays¡¯ superior army. Are they trying to leave both of our planets exposed? To lose everything we gave them? Since the fleet was already dead, there was no point even addressing that matter. I began to wonder if allying with humanity was a mistake; I hadn¡¯t thought they were suicidal. The second topic was the name Sovlin, which I couldn¡¯t be hearing right. Even under excruciating interrogation, it was tough to picture that Gojid giving humanity anything helpful. Had they captured him during the war? What terrible retribution had they inflicted, to make him violate his principles? ¡°Sovlin is in your custody?¡± I blinked with concern, as the human representatives nodded. ¡°Is he alive?¡± Jones rolled her eyes. ¡°Yes. Why does everyone ask that?¡± ¡°Because we wouldn¡¯t blame you for killing him, General. I might venture he deserves the ultimate penalty. But how did he come into your possession?¡± ¡°He turned himself in, after witnessing our soldiers fight back against the Arxur.¡± ¡°I, er¡­I see. Would it be an unreasonable request to ask for Sovlin to stand trial in a Venlil court? I would like him to answer for reckless endangerment, and mistreatment of a Venlil citizen.¡± ¡°The UN is willing to discuss extradition, but he is a valuable strategic asset now. I don¡¯t see him being handed over for a few years.¡± A female voice I didn¡¯t recognize piped up. This predator was seated away from the generals, and bore the keen visage of intelligence. ¡°Erin Kuemper, UN Secretary of Alien Affairs. Formerly with SETI.¡± That agency name rang a bell in my head. Humans desired friends among the stars, long before their species was interstellar; stories about aliens were abnormally prevalent in their culture. Some Terran scientists devoted their careers to scanning the skies for signals, and cataloguing exoplanets that might be habitable. Noah and Sara¡¯s flight on the Odyssey was charted by SETI researchers. Venlil Prime happened to be the fifth ¡°Earth-like¡± world on their candidate list. It made sense that those prescient astronomers would try to become the first alien experts and attach¨¦s. I flicked my ears with politeness. ¡°Nice to meet you, Madam Secretary. I understand humans have the greatest claim to Sovlin, of course, but I don¡¯t want his treatment of Slanek to be overlooked. It¡¯s a bad precedent.¡± ¡°Agreed. I think it¡¯s a good idea, for us to write out travel and extradition treaties. We¡¯ve relied too heavily on goodwill between our species. This would nip any misunderstandings in the bud.¡± There were a lot of other details that needed to be ironed out; trade, borders, intelligence sharing, joint military bases, and which foods were allowed within our domain. It was a daunting task, since I had no idea how predators approached such matters. That fact that Earth technically fell in Venlil territory was a grievous issue I¡¯d been tiptoeing around. The official status, galaxy-wide, is that humanity does not own their homeworld. We do, even if we renounce that stake between our two species. Of course, the Venlil Republic would never lay claim to the Sol system. The unfortunate reality was that we didn¡¯t have the authority to hand out parsecs of space. The Federation would be hesitant to sign off on any territorial claims, and that was the best-case scenario. Recognizing the United Nations as a legitimate, spacefaring entity would be acknowledging humans as equals; encouraging them to spread throughout the galaxy. I feared that our predator friends wouldn¡¯t take kindly to that fact, especially as they eyed colonial expansion initiatives. Decorous as humanity were, I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d be happy sharing with their neighbors forever. They would want some breathing room, and space to call their own. ¡°Speaking of misunderstandings,¡± Ambassador Noah rumbled. ¡°Myself, and any human-allied species, might have a target on our back. It appears our shuttle was sabotaged, and that almost resulted in a catastrophic drive failure.¡± General Jones chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m amazed the xenos have the stones to think of subterfuge. They sure haven¡¯t shown it before now.¡± ¡°The Venlil have risked their entire existence to protect ours. Is that not courageous? Let¡¯s not insult our friends.¡± Secretary Kuemper shot the American a warning look, then gave me an apologetic smile. ¡°I¡¯m sure that was not her intention, Governor.¡± ¡°No offense taken. But as Noah is about to mention, there was a second ship of representatives coming here. You sent out a search party already?¡± The astronaut¡¯s eyebrows shot up. He must be stunned that I had discerned his thoughts with a half-glance. It was uncanny, at times, how I felt like I could sense what was on that predator¡¯s mind. ¡°Venlil and humans are scouring the edges of Zurulian space now. We expect them back in comms range, within the next few hours,¡± Zhao answered. Kuemper tilted her head. ¡°Is there something more you wanted from us?¡± ¡°We would like the Yotul diplomat pulled aside for questioning, at the earliest convenience. He had an uncanny amount of knowledge about the defect. But please, do so with tact. Without drawing outside attention.¡± The human officials shared a glance, before consulting the encyclopedia of known species on their holopads. It must be difficult, to recall the nuances and details of three hundred races they¡¯d never met before. Perhaps a full briefing, on the friendly visitor races, should be led by our diplomatic corps. General Kam cleared his throat. ¡°I¡¯ll tell Venlil police to collect him, since you want it to slip under the radar.¡± ¡°Thank you. And listen, media silence for now,¡± I said. ¡°We don¡¯t need this playing out in the court of public opinion.¡± Kuemper nodded. ¡°I second that. Talk of conspiracies will sour any good news.¡± Silence fell over the room, as my military advisor forwarded the request to the appropriate agencies. The Terrans were browsing the Yotul¡¯s file, and seemed to home in on the details of their uplifting. It was easy to forget how new humans were to the galactic scene. As predators, they rarely seemed unprepared for anything. My eyes fell on my holopad, awaiting the call that would bring news. It was unknown what happened to Recel and his passengers, but there was a sinking feeling in my stomach when I thought about it. Our interspecies relations were in a delicate position, to begin with; a tragedy was the last thing humanity needed. It was in our best interest to hope the Kolshian pilot got lost. Chapter 38 Memory transcription subject: Governor Tarva of the Venlil Republic Date [standardized human time]: October 6, 2136 There was a heaviness in my heart, as the four diplomats were ushered into the briefing room. The Mazic had been creating quite the scene outside, accusing his human hosts of kidnapping Laulo. Apparently, no amount of tact could prevent that; the uplift¡¯s disappearance was noted within minutes. President Cupo¡¯s dramatic theories, that the predators intended to poke and prod every diplomat, were generating panic among the others. That meant we had to brief everyone, about the sabotage and the missing craft. The information needed to be turned over to the media as soon as possible too, since Cupo¡¯s outburst occurred in front of live cameras. How could we persuade such a paranoid individual? His mind longed to believe that humanity was up to something. I wasn¡¯t sure how much of this briefing the Sivkit would remember, given that she was drugged with a light sedative. The Mazic, who had been quite gentle with Axsely, had to carry her into the room. The humans couldn¡¯t breathe without spooking the fluffy representative. Noah had accused the Sivkit Grand Herd of having a poor choice of personnel, and I¡¯d begun to agree. I should order her to return home, and request that the Herd send someone else. With behavior like this, it¡¯s impossible to establish any relations with her species. Tossa was oddly quiet, and her gaze darted across the waiting predators. Despite her disdain for uplifts, her snooty attitude slipped when Laulo disappeared from their ranks. The Nevok had been trying to hawk her planet¡¯s refined metals and microchips to any Terran that would listen, but now, that interest had subsided. Even Chauson looked curious at why the Yotul had vanished from their ranks, though he had more of an inkling what was going on. We had told him, in no uncertain terms, that someone on the ship could be involved. A scientist of the Zurulian¡¯s intellect might put the pieces together. ¡°I knew from the beginning that we couldn¡¯t trust you predators!¡± Cupo spat, as he took a seat on the floor. ¡°You were just waiting to get us here to turn on us.¡± Chauson¡¯s whiskers twitched. ¡°You should wait to hear what they¡¯re going to tell you, before you start with that nonsense. It¡¯s not what you think.¡± ¡°Wait, you know? So Tarva and Noah have been selecting who to spin their yarns with. Who to hide things from,¡± Tossa growled. The Mazic president flared his trunk. ¡°Half the shit that comes out of a human¡¯s mouth is a lie! Who knows why they want to manipulate us, but I bet it¡¯s about control. All their species has shown they care about is power!¡± The UN diplomats fidgeted with their visors, clearly uncomfortable with the accusatory rhetoric. This couldn¡¯t have been their expectation when they greeted the landing party. I winced, as I saw the anger on the Terran generals¡¯ faces. They lacked the poise and the patience of their diplomatic counterparts; it was tough for them to shrug off insults. ¡°You know what: fuck the Federation. You can fuck right back off to your ship,¡± General Zhao stood from his chair, and leaned across the table toward the Mazic president. ¡°All you care about is where a person¡¯s eyes are on their head.¡± General Jones reclined in her seat. ¡°And these are the ¡®friendly¡¯ species, Zhao. Who needs enemies, with friends like these?¡± Axsely¡¯s chest was wracked with sobs, as the primates¡¯ tone escalated. The military humans shifted their annoyance to the sniveling animal. Their binocular eyes smoldered with indignation; the generals¡¯ tolerance for predator bigotry had been tested for the last time. ¡°And you, with the white pelt¡­you can¡¯t even look at us! Why are you here?¡± the Chinese general spat. Jones bared her teeth, intentionally pointing them at the Sivkit. ¡°Get a grip. You¡¯re embarrassing your race.¡± To be honest, if the brunt of a human¡¯s anger was directed at me, it would make me clam up too. When their jaw muscles were clenched, it showcased their flesh-tearing bite force. The lack of fur made the protruding bones and bulging veins more obvious; translucent skin confined the rage bubbling beneath the surface. I can tell they¡¯re in control, but I don¡¯t think any other alien can. ¡°THAT IS ENOUGH! All of you are acting like children!¡± I screeched. ¡°Let¡¯s agree that we¡¯ve all messed up, in one way or another. We shared our information with Chauson, because he¡¯s the only one not looking for an excuse to spout predator nonsense. You lot just proved my point.¡± Noah squeezed my paw under the table. ¡°Also, you guys tend to freak out at the slightest sign of danger. It was hard enough to keep everyone calm on the ship.¡± The Nevok diplomat sighed. ¡°You get one chance to explain yourselves. The truth.¡± ¡°Anti-human plotters in the Federation tried to kill us all with a cooling shaft malfunction. Recel¡¯s ship is missing, probably for the same reason,¡± I replied. ¡°We¡¯re trying to figure out who¡¯s responsible, and hold them accountable,¡± Noah added. Tossa snorted. ¡°And you think it¡¯s little, primitive Laulo?!¡± The Terran ambassador tensed beside me; clearly, recent events hadn¡¯t stopped his defensive reaction to any ¡°primitive¡± jabs. I gave Noah a look that warned him not to interfere. He swallowed hard, and inhaled a series of deep breaths. This was not the time for him to give the Nevok an earful. Especially when she was the most level-headed person here, not named Chauson. I offered a non-committal tail swish. ¡°We¡¯re suspicious enough to ask questions.¡± It was plain to see from the representatives¡¯ faces that they were worried about how those questions were being asked. I swiped a few buttons on my holopad, and cast the security feed of the cell to the projector. The marsupial was seated alone on a bench, with his head in his paws. It was the predators¡¯ suggestion, to let him wait for awhile; to ¡°give him time to marinate¡±, was their phrase. I didn¡¯t like that wording. But as long as the humans didn¡¯t suggest physical harm, I was happy to let them try out their techniques. The feisty uplift raised his head, and stared at the camera. ¡°I know you¡¯re listening, Ambassador Noah! I can see that red light blinking. I want to talk.¡± ¡°Too bad. I don¡¯t,¡± the astronaut muttered to himself. The Mazic president settled down, once he saw the Yotul in pristine condition. I was surprised that he hadn¡¯t suggested that humanity could have staged the sabotage. Cupo was a strange case, and it was tough to pinpoint what he hoped to gain from diplomacy. Telling the Terran military, to their faces, that he thought all humans avaricious liars; that could only stem from remarkable disdain. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. The fact that the leader came himself could be chalked up to an attempt at honorability. Cupo didn¡¯t want anyone else to die, for what he believed was a foolish gamble. Was it simply a desperation play, like he told Noah? I didn¡¯t know if he¡¯d ever see humanity as anything more than predators. General Jones tapped her earpiece. ¡°Governor. A United Nations scout ship recovered a data buoy within the search perimeter. Almost missed it on sensors.¡± My ears perked up. Standard Federation vessels were equipped with two data buoys, which could be ejected if a ship was in distress. They contained information about a ship¡¯s function, and could be encoded with a message from the captain. The buoy emitted a distress signal for a week, or as long as any nearby starlight replenished its power. Common scenarios for their usage included emergency landings, mechanical failures, or after sustaining damage in battle. It could offer insight to a vessel¡¯s fate, or point rescuers in the right direction. I was uncertain whether to view a buoy¡¯s deployment as a positive, or a negative sign. It meant that the ship had incurred trouble, but it also meant Recel had been aware of the problem before a drive meltdown. Maybe they were in the process of mending considerable damage; all that mattered was whether they were alive. ¡°Alright. Was your team able to extract the data?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes. There appears to be a short video log included.¡± Jones scrolled through the file archives, and tapped the mentioned item. ¡°Shall I clear these interlopers out, so we can review what it says in private?¡± My ears flattened against my head. ¡°They¡¯re not ¡®interlopers.¡¯ At some point, we have to start acting like friends. I¡¯m counting on humanity to take the first step.¡± I muted the feed from Laulo¡¯s cell, and moved that window into background processing. The American general frowned, as I gestured to the projector. Her gaze drifted to the skeptical Mazic; that first impression didn¡¯t make her eager to share intelligence. There was no telling what was on the video file, and it might not take much for such individuals to jump to conclusions. A smog-filled cabin was depicted on the projector, with a delirious Kolshian at the helm. Recel dabbed a damp rag against his forehead; the internal temperature must be sweltering. The smoke was so thick, that gray tendrils seemed to curl around the Federation officer¡¯s form. His orange eyes were listing and unfocused. I glimpsed a few Federation diplomats behind him; all were wearing vac suits to avoid the toxins. That would only be good while the half-day¡¯s oxygen supply lasted. Upon closer inspection, Recel had set a helmet down, out of the camera¡¯s focus. He must¡¯ve taken it off so that he could be seen and heard on the recording. ¡°This is Recel of the Kolshian Commonwealth. A few hours ago, we noticed signs of a fire in the warp drive compartment. With the core ablaze, repairs are impossible.¡± The officer burst into a coughing fit, and paused to catch his breath. ¡°Emergency shutdown has been unsuccessful. Once it reaches a certain temperature, it¡¯s going to go off like a bomb.¡± As panicked as Recel had been around humans, his tranquility in the face of impending death was remarkable. I don¡¯t know how he¡¯d kept the diplomats calm, or why they hardly reacted to those words. It helped that their ship didn¡¯t have a predator around, to add fuel to instinctual fear. Still, perhaps we just couldn¡¯t hear their cries from beneath the suits? The Kolshian pilot grimaced. ¡°I know we have mere hours, at most, but I¡¯m at peace with my death. I spent my final days seeking the first real chance the Federation¡¯s had at ending the war, in my lifetime. Isn¡¯t that a beautiful thought?¡± Water swelled in my eyes, as the finality of their predicament sank in. Recel¡¯s contributions to galactic peace were monumental, and rarely received full acknowledgment. When push came to shove, he found the courage to support humanity. It was his belief in diplomacy, encouraging us to attend the summit, that led Noah to speak to the Federation. If it weren¡¯t for that heroic veteran, it would still be the two of us against the galaxy. Sovlin¡¯s actions could¡¯ve been the catalyst for war. Humanity would¡¯ve never seized the opportunity to voice their side of the story, or opened themselves up to new partners. Recel might be the person who saved Earth. Who deserves as much credit as my dear Noah, I mused. ¡°There are some people who want to silence my version of events, regarding the torture of a human prisoner. I want it known that all I regret is that I didn¡¯t act sooner,¡± he sputtered. ¡°That I never had the courage to check in on Marcel, and apologize for my part in it. I hope he¡¯s doing well.¡± The Kolshian could hardly speak between coughing outbursts; his eyelids fluttered with exhaustion. He huddled over the console, and rested a grasper over the send button. The lack of clean oxygen had pushed him to the brink of unconsciousness. Recel gritted his teeth. ¡°Humans¡­if you see this, I remember what your leader said, about desiring co-existence. I hope people give you a chance, and that you won¡¯t lose faith. The things you endure would be too much, for any other species, but you¡¯re not them. You¡¯re strong. You¡¯re predators. Maybe that is a good thing.¡± The Terran ambassador¡¯s mouth was agape with horror, as we observed Recel paw at his throat. This was someone we had traveled with for days, who offered his unique perspective on Federation history. It wasn¡¯t all that long ago the Kolshian greeted us in the hangar bay, and thanked Noah for reminding him what courage felt like. ¡°Agh¡­time¡¯s up,¡± Recel whined, in a pained voice. ¡°Kick some Arxur ass for me, humans. Leave a little less ugly in the galaxy. I have faith in you¡­.¡± The transmission cut out with a final beep, and was replaced by a grim static. The Federation diplomats looked aghast at what we just witnessed; even Axsely was showing signs of lucidity. The Terran generals dropped their scowls, and bowed their heads in a solemn display of grief. There was something sobering about a person¡¯s last words. ¡°We have to help them!¡± Cupo spat. ¡°Send a ship.¡± Ambassador Noah nodded. ¡°I will fly it myself if I have to. Those are our allies, and they¡¯re in trouble.¡± General Jones¡¯ lips curved down. ¡°This video is time-stamped three days ago. There¡¯s no vessels on sensors. Only a few stray energy readings, which suggests¡­¡± The only trace we¡¯d find of the occupants was their atoms scattered across local space. Humanity¡¯s first interactions with those six species, would be the unenviable task of explaining how their diplomats died. I didn¡¯t know how we would convince their leadership not to fault the predators. Condolences and words might not cut it. We need concrete proof. The words the Krakotl uttered, that anyone who stood with humanity was dead to them, lingered in my ears. It was difficult for me to process that parties in the Federation would murder civilians, for the crime of speaking to predators. I wouldn¡¯t blame our new allies for not wanting to believe it was their long-standing friends. My claws flung the prison surveillance back onto the projector; I was trembling with outrage. A taped confession would be a start, even if others accused us of coercion. ¡°Forget waiting.¡± I switched on the intercom function, and leaned into my holopad. ¡°Why did you betray us, Laulo? Why?¡± The Yotul glanced up with a hopeful expression. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. Saving our shuttle seemed like enough to spark gratitude. I just wanted to impress Noah, so humanity wouldn¡¯t discard us¡­like everyone else.¡± A chorus of gasps echoed from our Federation contingent. The predator generals looked mystified by his rationale, and their eyes narrowed to intimidating slits. None of us expected such a straightforward confession, especially when I was hoping we¡¯d pegged the marsupial wrong. ¡°Impress me? You killed Recel, and almost killed us!¡± Noah snarled over my shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re a homicidal psychopath!¡± Laulo blinked. ¡°What? Were you not listening to what I said before? I¡­I didn¡¯t do it. I just saw who did, and used the opportunity to, um, prove myself.¡± The human squinted. ¡°Why should we believe that? Why wouldn¡¯t you come forward straight away?¡± Murmurs of agreement came from the alien diplomats. It was bizarre to see the Mazic nodding along to a Terran argument, but it was natural to suspect the Yotul¡¯s claim. On one paw, it seemed like a lousy attempt to dodge responsibility. On the other, it made more sense than an uplift plotting a complex, technological scheme. ¡°The Takkan representative saw them too, and tried to intervene. Didn¡¯t you wonder why one friendly species never made it to the shuttle?¡± Laulo hissed. ¡°Besides, we were on their territory! If I spoke up sooner, we would¡¯ve never left Aafa.¡± Confusion stirred in my chest. ¡°You¡¯re saying it was¡­¡± The uplift swished his tail. ¡°The Kolshians wanted the human ambassador, and his friends, dead. Not me. Who would have unfettered access to the shuttles? Who planned the whole trip, and saw Recel as a loose end?¡± I fell back on my haunches, stunned to silence. Those words synced with the facts a little too perfectly. If Laulo was telling the truth, a touch-DNA sweep by the core should corroborate it. However, it didn¡¯t add up, why an influential species would grant humanity a public audience and seek a military alliance, only to kill us. Was it even possible for our predators to track down a Kolshian official, and demand answers? Chief Nikonus was secure, at the heart of Federation territory. As much as I wanted to avenge the fallen vessel, nothing good could come from blazing a trail of destruction. My expertise would focus on the diplomatic side: salvaging our relations with the victimized species. The choice, of how to respond to a personal and cowardly attack, belonged to the humans. Chapter 39 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, Federation Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: October 7, 2136 The battle for the cradle was decided in our unit¡¯s absence, hinging on the sheer force of human aggression. With a mix of bold tactics and innovation, the UN fleet was able to widen their numerical advantage. The enemy found themselves ganged up on, by a myriad of ship classes; every slight weakness was pinpointed and exploited. Hundreds of Arxur fell by their railguns and missiles, and the entire formation was pushed back within a few hours. Defensive walls were dismantled by brazen, yet calculated charges. Hostiles were encircled and pinned down from every heading, unable to deal with all the Terran pests at once. There were significant casualties on our side, but enough humans remained at the end of the dogfight. The grays were reduced to isolated, scattered pockets. This was a feat, if achieved by any other species, that would cement itself in folklore. It was the greatest victory in centuries of Federation warfare. The Arxur vessels attempted to flee the system and regroup, but lighter Terran craft pursued them with relentless abandon. There was no mercy in a predator¡¯s hunt; there was only the kill. Even in victory, the humans wanted little more than to finish them off. They are wired differently. They stare into the darkness, yet they do not flinch. The remnants of the cradle were now beneath the humans¡¯ watchful eye. The omnivores had no intention of letting the Arxur back within orbital proximity; thus, the UN fleet lingered as a protective barrier against any secondary attack. They began transmitting messages to the battered surface, and organizing landing parties. As for the captured cattle ship, that could offer plentiful intel. Technological access could allow humans to reverse-engineer the enemy¡¯s weapons and armor, or develop countermeasures. The Gojid victims and Arxur prisoners were brought aboard UN ships, wherever there was room. A large chunk were deposited back on the UNS Rocinante, the warship that started it all. Captain Monahan was seated at her desk, when Carlos brought me to her office. The human officer was impassive and confident; it was no wonder her subordinates believed in her orders. She had no shortage of conviction or mental fortitude. Her capability under battle circumstances was undeniable. ¡°Ma¡¯am.¡± I bowed my head in a respectful gesture, and the predator waved to a chair. ¡°Thank you for allowing me to spectate your interrogation. I can¡¯t wait to see the bastards squirm.¡± She folded her fingers together, and studied me with piercing blue eyes. ¡°My motives are entirely selfish, Sovlin. You could supplement any intel regarding the Federation, and brainstorm pertinent questions.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ve wanted to get my paws on a gray for a long time.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s why we¡¯re watching from afar. It¡¯s personal for you.¡± The human crossed her arms, and eyed my lengthy claws with concern. ¡°Private Romero vouched that you can keep a level head. That you won¡¯t interfere, or question our methods. Don¡¯t prove him wrong.¡± I stared at my guard, who seemed to take note of my confusion. We had conversed about my desire for their suffering, mere hours ago. Whatever a human did to an Arxur, my lips were sealed. Did they really think I, of all people, would take pity on those creatures? There would be no moral argument from this Gojid. If the Terran military violated Earth¡¯s conventions on torture, I thought it was justified. Those parameters weren¡¯t designed for child-eating abominations. ¡°Listen, I know what your inclinations toward humans are,¡± Carlos grunted. ¡°Our interrogators are trained to say whatever it takes to extract information from a subject. They might try to build rapport with that thing, by talking like ¡®fellow hunters.¡¯¡± ¡°Why?! How can you even pretend to be like them?¡± Monahan rolled her eyes. ¡°We want to keep one talking. Torture isn¡¯t an effective methodology.¡± Something about that matter-of-fact statement sent a chill down my spines. I think it was the implication, that inefficacy was the main argument against torture, rather than the ethical rationale other humans offered. It sounded like her kind had dabbled in the art, after all¡­enough times to reach a scientific consensus. ¡°We¡¯re doing whatever it takes to stop them,¡± Carlos added, with a throaty growl. ¡°I just want to know that you won¡¯t misinterpret things. That you¡¯ll understand, if a human agrees with a vile statement on camera.¡± They¡¯re concerned I might fall for any acting that¡¯s geared toward the Arxur. These predators don¡¯t want me to accuse them of hiding their true intentions again. ¡°I disagree with your methods, but I understand.¡± I met his brown eyes, and suppressed the ripple of fear that ensued. ¡°It¡¯s your ship, your prisoners. You don¡¯t answer to a conscripted criminal.¡± Captain Monahan nodded. ¡°Very well. Then I¡¯ll send the signal to begin.¡± The human swiped at her holopad with nimble digits. The viewport on the far wall morphed to a different image: an overhead angle of the Arxur¡¯s cell. A sturdy chain clung to the reptilian¡¯s leg, and allowed it to wander just far enough to sit at a metal table. It reminded me of the furnishings of my prison cell, when Anton explained my legal rights. These savage predators shouldn¡¯t have legal rights. If I overheard a lawyer introduce themselves and talk about defense arguments, I was going to blow a gasket. The door swung open, and a dark-haired human in military pelts ambled up to the table. His strides were too casual for my liking, as he plopped himself in a chair with a bored expression. A clawless hand drifted to his chin, and his eyes leveled with those of the monster. Secondhand fear tugged at my heart, seeing the primate within lunging distance of the gray. The Arxur¡¯s imposing form was superior in every manner; its dagger-like teeth flashed with menace, as it studied the visitor. I don¡¯t know how the Terran could keep such a nonchalant demeanor. Could he really bank his life on a chain¡¯s integrity? The reptilian prisoner unleashed a vicious snarl, without warning. The roar reverberated into the microphones; it was a bloodthirsty chord that sent my instincts into overdrive. The decibel level directed into the primate¡¯s face must be enough to set his ears ringing and his skin tingling. The human interrogator yawned. ¡°Is that all? Are you done? I thought you wanted to talk, Captain.¡± A rattling noise came from the prisoner¡¯s chest, like two stones scraping against each other. The translator proclaimed it to be laughter. I didn¡¯t know how the human stayed fixed to his seat, let alone displaying a cue of boredom. His cadence was also unwavering. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡°You are truly predators; I had to be certain,¡± it barked. ¡°That would be enough to make the feckless prey-folk piss themselves. They¡¯re little more than animals, you know.¡± The Terran flashed his, much flatter, teeth. ¡°We know. The Gojids, they trampled each other the second our boots touched ground.¡± ¡°Conquest is inefficient, but for your first prize, I presume¡­you wanted to be paws-on. We interrupted your hunt, and you did not appreciate us spoiling the fun.¡± ¡°You saved us a lot of work, the way I see it. There is much to learn from your people, if you would honor us. I¡¯m Ross.¡± ¡°Captain Coth. What is it you wish to know?¡± Thinking of the Arxur as self-aware individuals with names and ranks was too much. Ross¡¯ callous words stirred disgust in my chest as well; this predacious behavior was everything I imagined from his kind, in my prior adventures. The human tilted his head to one side, and I glimpsed an object in his earlobe. Despite his sinister words, he was still waiting for a cue from Monahan. ¡°Ask about first contact, and the events leading up to it,¡± the Terran captain ordered. Ross narrowed his eyes. ¡°Tell me about the first time you met the Federation. What did they say? Why did you decide to hunt them? We want the full picture, of how this all started.¡± I blinked with puzzlement. This was a waste of a question; the humans knew how the war started. The reason they hunted us was because the grays were cruel, and they relished suffering. There was nothing new to glean from the tale of betrayal, and certainly nothing that would serve Terran military interests. ¡°Before the Federation arrived¡­well, to understand why those dimwits contacted us, you must know of the fourth world war,¡± Coth hissed. ¡°You see, our regional powers always had competing interests. Does that concept register with you, or have I already lost you?¡± The human scowled. ¡°Our ¡®nations¡¯ still bicker to this day. Go on.¡± ¡°I see. The Northwest Bloc was a loose union of related cultures, which formed as a counterbalance to the Morvim Charter. The Bloc sought the reclamation of ancestral greatness, and built an army designed to subjugate middling states.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying the Bloc invaded its neighbors. Neutral ones.¡± ¡°Yes, precisely. The war was a drawn-out, bloody affair: as wars tend to be. The Bloc brought scientists in for genetic research. They wanted to find a way to select the best soldiers, so their army could be the strongest. That leads us to Laznel, or as he is known today, ¡®the Prophet.¡¯¡± Captain Monahan narrowed her eyes, as though trying to decide where the reptile was going with this history lesson. I didn¡¯t see how any details about a bloody war or politics were relevant. The Federation¡¯s succinct summation, of a brutal culture that was bound to wipe itself out, was enough. The humans didn¡¯t cut the creature off for some reason, and it was all I could do to listen to its grating tongue. ¡°A brilliant scientist, indeed. He theorized that certain bloodlines had a higher probability of strength and intelligence.¡± Coth tossed its truncated snout. ¡°Laznel¡¯s report to the Bloc Council was published under the name ¡®Betterment¡¯, and it is mandatory reading today. The Prophet rose through party ranks, eliminating persons of lesser races, health, dispositions and creeds from the citizenry.¡± It looked like recognition, which flickered in the interrogator¡¯s eyes, but it was gone a second later. Carlos¡¯ breath hitched for a moment, and Monahan¡¯s jaw tightened as well. I had no idea why such an unthinkable story would resonate with the humans. The Arxur just admitted their people¡¯s hero was forged from the genocide of their own populace! Ross leaned forward. ¡°What did the Morvim Charter think of this¡­¡®Betterment¡¯ philosophy?¡± ¡°They thought it was too radical. That was when the war truly became about destruction; making sure the other side was crippled or erased. In the wake of several cities¡¯ decimation, the Federation arrived. Their initial message was they were here to ¡®save us¡¯, and then, they dumped their technology to our databanks.¡± ¡°I think I understand. The Bloc used that technology to end the Charter, then turned their guns on the stars.¡± ¡°Not at all. The Bloc and the Charter signed a peace treaty, and began delving through the aliens¡¯ gifts. We didn¡¯t want a war with hundreds of species, who at the time, were centuries more advanced. The Federation promised their own betterment plan, but would never contact us directly. We didn¡¯t know why, then.¡± My eyes widened, as I observed how the humans were listening with rapt attention. This was an obvious distortion of the truth! The Arxur, signing peace treaties? As if that were even possible. A growl rumbled in my throat, which earned me a warning look from Carlos. The guard had warned me not to interfere, but it stung to watch them record deception. This grotesque predator was lying through its fangs; I didn¡¯t know how the Terrans could be impervious to the decadent hunger in its eyes. ¡°Anyhow, their medicine and the unprecedented peace meant people were living longer,¡± Coth continued. ¡°Our food supply couldn¡¯t keep up with the growing populace. We asked the Federation for help. They offered two concoctions: one for our livestock, and one for ourselves. We mass-produced them, and rushed distribution.¡± ¡°Without any trials?¡± ¡°We trusted the aliens. They said it would cure hunger¡­and people were starving. Hundreds of thousands of volunteers took those Arxur doses, and the livestock one was sent to every major farm. Take a guess what happened next?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Tell me.¡± ¡°The livestock began dying from a highly-transmissible, lethal disease. As for the Arxur test subjects, they were infected with a microbe that made them allergic to meat. Here¡¯s a simple question, Ross. What happens to obligate carnivores, when they can¡¯t consume meat?¡± ¡°They starve.¡± ¡°Correct. Every volunteer was dead within a month. The Federation simply responded how pleased they were¡­that we were cured of our desires. Their intent was to force us not to be predators; like it were a choice.¡± My mouth opened to protest, and Carlos slapped a hand over my lips. I struggled against his grip, coughing out muffled words behind his oily palm. There wasn¡¯t a sliver of truth in this far-fetched tale. The Federation wasn¡¯t an organization that went around bioengineering killer diseases; we reached out to the Arxur out of kindness. Why is Coth lying to them? Is it trying to use humanity in its conquests? Perhaps the Arxur noted that these primates feel empathy, so they¡¯re using standard manipulation tactics. The UN interrogator hesitated. ¡°Okay. What does your ¡®prophet¡¯ Laznel have to do with any of this?¡± ¡°We had to make choices, about who lived or who died. All nations, including the Charter, finally embraced and expanded upon Laznel¡¯s thinking. The individuals with the highest markers for aggression and violence were chosen as survivors, and the rest of our population was culled.¡± ¡°What about the Federation?¡± ¡°We studied them, and learned how they eradicated predators on their worlds. Someone got the idea to make them our cattle, and use that to scrape by. It¡¯s fittingly ironic¡­it is revenge.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t think of grabbing their non-sentient animals?¡± ¡°The prey-folk are the most populous species on their worlds. They breed incessantly. Besides, they destroyed their wildlife populations. The idiots wiped out most large animals on their planet; including any ¡®herbivores¡¯ that got caught munching on roadkill.¡± Captain Monahan signaled for Carlos to release me, and his slimy palm uncorked from my mouth. The human officer met my eyes, but there was a new emotion brewing in her pupils. She was scrutinizing me, like she thought I was hiding something. Irritation coursed through my veins, and I bared my teeth in contempt. This was ridiculous! The predators couldn¡¯t turn on us because of a flimsy tale, from a subject who laughed at sharing and slavery hours ago. ¡°Pause the interview,¡± the captain spoke into her holopad. ¡°So, the Federation gave Nazis space tech, then pushed everyone to follow them through starvation? Pure lunacy.¡± ¡°The Arxur are sadistic monsters! This interview was a mistake,¡± I snarled. ¡°You have seen them throw children in cages, chow down on people while they are alive, yet you are considering their lies? I thought humans were better than this.¡± Monahan returned a challenging stare. ¡°Your viewpoint is duly noted. Romero, your thoughts?¡± ¡°It¡¯s something we should investigate. If it is true, the Federation erased it from their history books,¡± Carlos replied. ¡°But, I am certain Sovlin believes the public narrative, and so do the common people. Any deception on his part is unintentional.¡± I gaped in disbelief. ¡°Deception?! You speak like you believe that thing!¡± ¡°Look, it doesn¡¯t change the atrocities they committed, buddy. Humanity just wants the truth, whatever that may be; we can¡¯t work with half the facts,¡± he growled. ¡°Why is there no documentation of first contact? Unless you¡¯re hiding something, why shouldn¡¯t we look?¡± Captain Monahan nodded. ¡°Agreed. From the Federation¡¯s perspective, they could think they were blindsided. They see predation as some form of wicked corruption.¡± I cast a sullen glance at the video screen. The pleasure of the fleet¡¯s victory was short-lived; as was any notion that these primates offered a reliable source of protection. My desire for friendship with the Terran guard was gone; in its place, was a blistering pain. After everything the Arxur had taken from me and my people, it felt like a personal betrayal, for these humans to place blame on us. Chapter 40 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, Federation Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: October 8, 2136 No matter how often I replayed the Arxur¡¯s words in my head, I couldn¡¯t understand why the Terran observers would trust them. It was at the humans¡¯ clutches that the traumatized refugees were nursed back to health. They risked life and limb, and lost hundreds of ships in pursuit of our survival. How could they reconcile what they¡¯d seen with the prisoner¡¯s narrative? The primates had loathed every aspect of the cattle ship, and acted distraught at the condition of the victims. I had wondered how one could tell when a predator was truly hungry, until I saw the darkness in their eyes that day. There was a bottomless abyss of rage inside their pupils; it was a much-needed reminder of human volatility. My service on this vessel was for nothing, I bemoaned. What if humans decide to give the cattle back? Have I just helped the Arxur land a game-changing ally? The door to my quarters clicked open, and a weary Carlos strode in with a vegetable platter. He placed the tray on the bedside table, without any sort of apology. The food was soaked in some clear fluid; it felt viscous against my claws as I poked it. Had the omnivores coated the plants in an animal secretion? Maybe it was saliva, or worse¡­ugh. ¡°Why the fuck are these vegetables wet?¡± I snarled, with as much hostility as I could muster. ¡°Disgusting.¡± Carlos crossed his arms. ¡°It¡¯s olive oil, Sovlin. Relax. You might even like it; lots of healthy plant fats.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want anything from you...predator.¡± I grabbed an orange-colored slice, and flung it at his cheek. The human barely reacted, only wiping the oil off with his chest-pelt. ¡°If you still feel empathy, shoot me now. Before I watch your kind turn on every species with a semblance of decency.¡± ¡°You¡¯re overreacting. And you are not going to refer to me as ¡®predator¡¯ again.¡± ¡°Why not? You defended the fucking Arxur, then accused me of deception! I don¡¯t want to see your face.¡± ¡°Just listen to me, alright? Sixty seconds.¡± Renewed disgust flared in my chest, as the guard¡¯s binocular eyes pleaded with mine. I knew humanity didn¡¯t want sapient livestock of their own, but defending the act made them equally culpable. No moral race would rewrite the tragedy of first contact and the unspeakable losses that befell every species. The image from my nightmare, of Carlos roasting me over a fire, seemed much more realistic. He just proved that he could see Gojids as food. This man¡­beast was a traitor to sapientkind, and yet, I had grown attached to him. What happened to throwing the Arxur in the cattle pens, ¡®where they belonged?¡¯ I slashed my claws across a pillow several times, and struggled not to turn them on the human. ¡°I will never agree with you. Don¡¯t waste your breath.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to agree with me. I¡¯m asking you to understand.¡± Carlos eyeballed the decimated pillows, as fluff was flung across my form. ¡°Look, I listened to your spiel on torturing an innocent human, and tried to empathize with you. Don¡¯t you think you can at least try to see where I¡¯m coming from?¡± ¡°The grays are your fellow predators. They¡¯re more like people to you than us.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t about the Arxur, Sovlin. It¡¯s about the Federation and how they¡¯ve treated us. The prejudice and the hatred.¡± ¡°That is because of the grays. They won¡¯t stop until we¡¯re destroyed! Erased!¡± ¡°But can¡¯t you see how it looks from our side? Why we would think you¡¯re capable of killing and terrorizing predators, when you¡¯ve been hellbent on our extinction since you discovered us?¡± I chewed at my claws, considering the welcome that humanity had received to the galaxy. Governor Tarva had made them aware of the Federation¡¯s extermination plans; the only reason their species still lived was due to misinterpreted sensor data. The second their survival was discovered, the entire organization convened to discuss a raid on Earth. There were entire religions formed around the eradication of predators, including the one on my world. Most individuals the UN tried to contact rejected the idea that humans could be civilized. This was typically due to the belief that their ilk were incapable of empathy, cooperation, or basic bonding. My experiences proved the error of that prior research. In Carlos¡¯ paws, I would definitely resent the Federation. Maybe it would seem within the realm of possibility, that we had done a similar thing to other predators. ¡°I guess. But I know better than to believe an Arxur¡¯s lies,¡± I growled. ¡°However bad you think they are¡­they¡¯re worse.¡± The human lowered his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not saying Coth is telling the truth. I¡¯m saying he could be, because I know how much you hate our existence. I¡¯ll believe whatever the evidence says.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll help you prove it wrong. Only because I am sorry for what the Federation has done to humans. I regret how much it has soured your opinion of us¡­and I know my part in that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all I ask. Are we cool?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Good. Because the captain wants to see you, and I don¡¯t want to explain that you¡¯re pouting.¡± ¡°I am not pouting!¡± The predator¡¯s lips adopted a slight curvature, which seemed indicative of amusement. I was beginning to understand how Slanek could read emotions in their snarls; it was just a way of compensating for their missing tails. Did humans ever envy that additional appendage that the rest of us took for granted? It was a miracle they were so graceful and balanced without it. I shoveled a pawful of vegetables down my gullet, then dismounted from my bed. Carlos steered us back toward Monahan¡¯s office, and we traversed the ship corridors in a comfortable silence. Amazement rippled through me, as I realized my spines were lying flat. The second I noted my proximity to the predator, they returned to full bristle. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Yikes¡­that is starting to hurt. Why did I have to think about it? The doors to our destination slid open, and distracted me from the latest dose of fear chemicals. The UN captain was reviewing one clip when we entered, a curt exchange between Coth and Ross. Her eyes were bloodshot, like she had been poring over footage all night. Humans could be obsessive, that was for certain. ¡°¡ªwant peace? What do you see as acceptable end conditions for the war?¡± the Terran interrogator asked. ¡°You don¡¯t get it. There is us and them.¡± Saliva oozed from the reptilian captain¡¯s fangs as it spoke. ¡°There can only be peace when every Federation planet is dead. That is acceptable.¡± Ross narrowed his eyes. ¡°What if that is not acceptable to us?¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re stupider than I took you for, and you¡¯ll die with the Federation. You can watch the prey-folk neuter your race before your extinction.¡± Captain Monahan punched some notation into her holopad. Her sigh sounded flustered, but she didn¡¯t seem concerned by the extermination threat. If I didn¡¯t know better, I would think that question had been aimed at finding out if diplomatic avenues between us and the grays were possible. ¡°So there would be no room for negotiation?¡± the UN interrogator pressed. ¡°Humanity cares for one alien species above all others. They are a part of our pack, and we will not abandon them.¡± Coth thought for a moment. Its pupils darted from side to side, as if it were scanning its memory banks. The cold intelligence on display was appalling, and the Terrans¡¯ reckless divulgence alarmed me. Humans were painting a target on Venlil Prime, if they publicized that alliance to the enemy. Poor Tarva. The species she saved from certain death is trying to get her killed in return. Careless, idiot monkeys. ¡°The Venlil,¡± Coth decided. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding. That explains their thwarting what should¡¯ve been a simple border raid.¡± Ross was quiet. The human maintained eye contact, and waited for the prisoner to continue. He did not confirm or deny the reptilian¡¯s guess, which was affirmation of itself. The Arxur slammed its snout against the table. ¡°One of the weakest, most frightful species of them all. The Venlil are beneath you!¡± ¡°That is for us to decide.¡± ¡°Surely you see that they¡¯re a liability to you? What use could they be? You referred to them as packmates, not food or slaves. That means equals.¡± ¡°I meant what I said, Coth. An attack on them is an attack on us. We would die for them, happily.¡± ¡°But why?¡± ¡°Because they defended us from the Federation, despite the fact that we¡¯re predators. They were the only ones who helped us. Humanity would never repay such a debt with anything less.¡± The Arxur shook its head, huffing with disgust. The abomination was repulsed by the interrogator¡¯s soft rhetoric; this was Ross¡¯ worst miscalculation yet. Still, it was a relief to hear that the humans would stand by the Venlil, if nothing else. I thought they were ashamed of their prey friends for a moment. A growl rumbled in Coth¡¯s throat. ¡°What is it you¡¯re asking? We could discuss sparing one species, if that¡¯s what you require to join us.¡± ¡°That, and the release of every Venlil held as livestock, unharmed,¡± the human barked. ¡°You expect us to give up millions of cattle we already have? We¡¯re starving as is. Surrendering any of our existing food supply is a nonstarter.¡± Captain Monahan tapped a button on her console, and the video feed paused. I knew she was the one who directed the interrogator to barter over lives, like any mundane commodity. She hadn¡¯t even reacted to the premise of Venlil as food. These familiar faces were leaning into their predator roots a bit too much, ever since they started interacting with the grays. Fortunately, this foray had gone nowhere; that last statement sealed the finality of a diplomatic impasse. The Arxur would never part ways with their precious quarry, by Coth¡¯s own admission. Regardless, the offer to spare the Venlil further harm was empty talk. The predator would say whatever it thought afforded the best chance of escape. Would the humans abandon this folly now? It was insulting that they would even pose such questions. Monahan sighed. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a start. The Federation said the grays were incapable of negotiation.¡± ¡°You¡¯re negotiating on whether your best friends deserve to have their pups tortured and hunted for kicks?¡± I spat incredulously. ¡°Sovlin! You are out of line.¡± Carlos tugged at my scruff, which snapped my attention to his flabbergasted expression. ¡°She doesn¡¯t answer to you. You said it yourself.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Monahan growled. ¡°If we rescue every enslaved Venlil, I don¡¯t imagine Tarva will care how we achieve it. Especially if that option would negate years of suffering for those people, and save Earth significant loss of life.¡± The UN guard narrowed his eyes. ¡°There is a reason we get along with Tarva. Her government is actually reasonable.¡± Implying that mine is not. Irritation swelled in my chest. ¡°So you¡¯re really moving forward with this plan?¡± ¡°Nothing has been decided, Sovlin, because it¡¯s not my decision. My job is to weigh options for the UN, and to see if talking is even a possibility. Turns out, it just might be,¡± the Terran captain replied. ¡°You didn¡¯t even mention Gojids, or any other species to Coth. Let¡¯s say you save the Venlil. Then, you¡¯re just gonna let everyone else rot?¡± ¡°Humanity does not believe any sapient deserves such treatment. We would never be involved with or agree with those practices.¡± Monahan raised her eyebrows, emphasizing her predatory gaze. ¡°However, if we can only save one race, you should understand why the Venlil are our top priority.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still wrong. I refuse to help you trade lives¡­ and bargain with those demons!¡± ¡°Good thing that¡¯s not why I summoned you, then. Now that we control the cradle, we¡¯d like your help with the Gojid refugee crisis. They belong with their colonies or the Federation, but it¡¯s not so simple.¡± There was no need for further explanation from the captain. I grasped the dilemma that humanity was facing. It wasn¡¯t as easy as flying this ship to the nearest Gojid colony and dropping them off. An inbound Terran transport would draw shoot-to-kill missile fire, no matter how slow their approach or polite their hail. The same problem would occur at any Federation outpost. Using the Venlil as a courier may not work either. They¡¯re considered predators by association, at this point. However, with the humans potentially in cahoots with the Arxur, we had to get the Gojid refugees out of their custody at once. Judging by the reaction to Coth¡¯s interview, the primates were susceptible to corrupting influences. It didn¡¯t take much to warp their good intentions, and rope them into a dastardly scheme. The more I pondered it, the enemy¡¯s motives could stretch beyond escape. The offer of an alliance might be genuine, since the UN impressed so thoroughly in their early engagements. Humans had the power to decide the conflict for either side, and would only grow more dangerous with time. The Federation needed to straighten up our act, and make sure the Terrans stayed in our corner. I had to do whatever was in my power to convince our galactic allies not to follow Gojid mistakes. Antagonizing Earth made the child-eaters look more palatable, even to noble soldiers like Monahan and Carlos. Adding a second predator to the Arxur side would turn this war into a demolition. ¡°Then we contact both my people and the Federation,¡± I decided. ¡°I still have some sway.¡± Monahan grimaced. ¡°How do we speak to your people? Your settlers might need to relocate; we don¡¯t have the resources to protect this region long-term.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you how to reach Gojid government channels. If they still exist, that is¡­ be warned, they probably don¡¯t. The last I heard, the designated bunker was looking shaky.¡± Carlos rubbed his neck anxiously. ¡°Doesn¡¯t your Prime Minister hate us?¡± ¡°Piri had a change of heart. She would be a useful witness with the Federation, regarding this whole debacle. Short of that, I¡¯m probably your best mouthpiece. You know, being one of the few surviving and well-known Gojids.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the best? We¡¯re doomed,¡± the UN guard groaned. Monahan chuckled. ¡°Let¡¯s see if the PM¡¯s alive before we pronounce our political death, Romero.¡± ¡°Look what you¡¯ve got your captain thinking. Political death?¡± I glowered at Carlos, knowing intimidation would have no effect. ¡°Thanks for the vote of confidence.¡± He flashed his teeth. ¡°No problem!¡± Whatever the Terrans might think of my reliability, the remnants of the Gojidi Union needed to do our part. Right now, the Venlil were the only incentive for Earth and her citizens to risk their hides. That needed to change, before it was too late. I was going to impress upon anyone that would listen that humans were a species worth saving; even if we were saving them from their predator selves. Chapter 41 Memory transcription subject: Slanek, Venlil Space Corps Date [standardized human time]: October 8, 2136 When the science officer from humanity¡¯s first contact team reached out about a fear study, I was a bit intimidated. Sara Rosario had done extensive biological and environmental analysis, and collaborated with Venlil scientists throughout their early behavioral research. Her talks comparing our psychology racked up millions of views, as did her controversial analysis on Venlil ecosystems. In a nutshell, Terran ¡°conservationists¡± were less than thrilled with our biome manipulation. Sara had lambasted our efforts to wipe out predator species, and discussed something she referred to as ¡°trophic cascades¡±. The aspects she attributed to the absence of hunters were far-fetched, though she spoke at length about supposed examples from Earth. How could removing a terrestrial predator alter the ocean, destroy vegetation, or spread diseases? Humans can prove their own worth without grasping at straws; these arguments are just moronic. Besides her fringe theories, Sara was a remarkable scientist, with credentials in several fields. If anyone could find a way to break Venlil fear responses, it would be her. I knew the process could be traumatic, but I would do anything to leave my internalized feelings behind once and for all. I was tired of failing to protect my human friends. ¡°Are you sure about this, Slanek?¡± Marcel growled, as we approached the scientist. ¡°If you¡¯re trying to be more human to appease me, please don¡¯t. I accept you for you.¡± I squeezed my tail around his wrist. ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯m doing this for myself. I¡¯m tired of being scared, and at the whims of my instincts.¡± Tyler patted me on the back, a little harder than I would¡¯ve liked. The blond human accompanied our group to assist with any physical activities, since Marcel was still in recovery from his gunshot wounds. The UN military was involved with these experiments, so I knew part of it was seeing if I could be shaped into a proper soldier. Dread festered already, knowing simulated combat was in my future. ¡°Why do you keep helping me, Tyler? We haven¡¯t known each other long, and you must have other things to do,¡± I said. ¡°Dude, I wanted to be in the buddy program, just like you two. The UN turned me down.¡± The soldier towered over me, and his blue eyes glittered like ice crystals. ¡°They didn¡¯t think I would mesh with the Venlil, I guess. Too tall and too scary.¡± Marcel frowned. ¡°You were turned down ¡®cause you¡¯re not vegetarian. Though your stature probably doesn¡¯t help your case.¡± ¡°Aliens are the most exciting thing to ever happen to mankind. I want to be a part of this all, but maybe they were right. I always stick my foot in my mouth with the Venlil.¡± I studied the flesh-eating soldier, imagining I had never seen a human before. Marcel was a daunting hunk of muscle when I first glimpsed him. His shadow smothered me, and his forward-facing eyes were like spotlights peering down from above. It was only seeing him at his most vulnerable, cold and afraid, that squashed that threatening aura. That said, my friend barely came up to Tyler¡¯s shoulders. The sandy-haired soldier was tall, even by human standards. His dietary choices would¡¯ve given everyone at the outpost the creeps. It was likely something would be blurted out about dogs and persistence hunting, at a stage when his partner wasn¡¯t ready to accept that. Still, there were a lot of good memories to be formed with Tyler, if you could see past the bulky predator. He was friendly to a fault, considering my emotions at times when I was harsher than he deserved. There was selflessness in the way he didn¡¯t hesitate to carry me off the cradle. I hoped other Venlil would give him a chance someday. I nuzzled against his arm, which startled the big guy. ¡°I appreciate you, Tyler; your heart is in the right place. Don¡¯t give up. Appearances aren¡¯t everything.¡± ¡°That was actually¡­ sensitive and thoughtful.¡± Marcel feigned a gasp, and I giggled as the whites of his eyes expanded to cartoonish dimensions. ¡°Who are you, and what have you done with Slanek?¡± ¡°Oh, shut up! You humans are a lot to take in, and you know it!¡± Tyler placed a hand on his hip, striking a goofy pose. ¡°Well, take it all in, buddy. Appearances are worth something. 210 pounds of glorious, rugged¡ª¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, you¡¯re the pinnacle of male perfection,¡± Marcel snorted, shoving the other soldier with his good arm. ¡°Keep walking! The Secretary-General doesn¡¯t want to see that.¡± The Secretary-General? Why would Meier be here? I followed my human¡¯s gaze, and surveyed the Terran scientists camped by the machines. Sara was taking an inventory of her equipment, while other predators were staring at us. My nerves flared, as I realized most humans present were in military uniforms. I knew these experiments would have combat applications, but I didn¡¯t think martial leaders were calling the shots. Secretary-General Meier looked less amused with my pack¡¯s antics than I was; tomfoolery was not his favorite pastime. He was in a heated discussion with several people in green-and-brown uniforms. The color scheme looked like a tree threw up on it, but they didn¡¯t seem the type that would appreciate such comments. Sara waved us over to her. ¡°Long time no see, Slanek. Glad you¡¯re back in one piece.¡± ¡°Uh, I¡¯m hoping to s-stay that way? Why are all these important pred...humans here?¡± I squeaked. She lowered her eyes. ¡°There¡¯s no easy way to say this, but I¡¯m afraid our work will have to move much faster than I anticipated. We don¡¯t have much time.¡± ¡°You heard the news from Venlil Prime?¡± Secretary-General Meier interjected. Marcel nodded. ¡°We did. Ambassador Williams is alive, and he returned with some new friends.¡± I was glad my human piped up, because this ambush had thrown me off my prepared responses. Was this about helping our new allies with their own first contact programs? Maybe trying to create an easier bonding process? Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°The picture of the Zorlin¡ª¡± Tyler began. ¡°Zurulian,¡± Sara and I corrected at the same time. ¡°¡ªZurulian on the human¡¯s shoe is everywhere. My man was just like, ¡®Oh, a predator?¡¯ Looks like a warm, comfy pillow to me.¡± Secretary Meier breathed an irritated sigh. ¡°The other news. The Krakotl are leading a crusade against us, and we have less friends than foes. Not that even our ¡®friends¡¯ are likely to help. Simple math dictates that we¡¯re at a numerical disadvantage.¡± ¡°The thousands of ships the birds¡¯ve been massing represent a multi-species coalition,¡± one of the uniformed personnel chimed in. ¡°Projections indicate that they¡¯ll set sail today, and arrive on October 16th or 17th.¡± Horror coursed through my veins, as the gravity of the Terrans¡¯ revelations set in. How could these humans be so calm at the prospect of an attack on Earth? Marcel and Tyler both were subdued, but their reaction wasn¡¯t on the level it should be. This was a raid with the intention of turning their verdant home into a barren rock; the same as the Arxur¡¯s vile tactics. The Krakotl were one of the few species that could head a functional offensive. They boasted a high aggression, since they evolved to scare off predators. During the initial phases of the Arxur war, the avians conjured up the technology that allowed us to regroup. While nobody was on the humans¡¯ level, they possessed some tactical acumen. ¡°W-why not launch a pre-emptive strike? Like you did with the Gojids?¡± I demanded. Meier frowned. ¡°It¡¯s too late now, but it wouldn¡¯t have worked. Most of their ships were already space-borne, so we couldn¡¯t catch them sleeping like the Gojids. They concentrated forces around their stations heavily.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re excellent fighters. You have advanced ships now. Nobody can rival a predator¡¯s military prowess.¡± ¡°They outnumbered us ten-to-one, if we sent the entirety of our fledgling armada. They also had home-turf advantage, and orbital lasers around every base. You might as well launch the UN fleet into a supernova; you¡¯d get the same results.¡± Sara sighed. ¡°Our best hope was for Noah to convince them to stand down. That didn¡¯t work out.¡± I turned my gaze toward Marcel, noticing how his gaze drifted to his holopad. My human¡¯s thoughts were transparent at times. He was worried about the welfare of Nulia and Lucy, who remained back at his residence. The Gojid child would never feel safe again, if she watched another world endure destruction. That¡¯s if anyone survives the attack on Earth. The entire human race is in jeopardy, I realized. We need to get everyone off-world, before it¡¯s too late. I pinned my ears against my head. ¡°You know the Krakotl are coming. There¡¯s still time. Evacuate Earth!¡± ¡°And go where? Anyone who wishes to leave will have the opportunity, including you,¡± the Secretary-General growled. ¡°This is our home; we¡¯ve built everything here. It¡¯s the only planet we¡¯ve got.¡± Marcel ruffled the stray tuft on my head, gentle and reassuring as ever. ¡°Us soldiers, we¡¯re going to stay and fight.¡± ¡°No!¡± I shrieked. ¡°Come with me to Venlil territory. We¡¯ll take care of you¡­all of you. Please, don¡¯t die, humans.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, buddy. Go back to your world. I want you to be safe.¡± Tears rolled down my face, at the thought of Marcel perishing by a Krakotl horde. It brought back unwanted memories; like the scorching pain in my chest, when I thought he was about to be shot in front of me. We had been to hell and back together, and it had finally seemed like our lives could settle down. Now, without warning, the light at the end of the tunnel was extinguished. If Sara¡¯s team were cancelling my experiment, I understood. Humans had bigger things to worry about than my fragile instincts. ¡°Scrap the study. It¡¯s not a priority.¡± I rubbed a paw against my cheek, catching the water rolling down my fur. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about diplomatic fallout from me. I want to fight with you.¡± Meier shook his head. ¡°We can discuss integration to a UN vessel, if the results of your training are positive. However, I recommend that you lend that option some serious thought, as high casualties are expected.¡± ¡°I appreciate that humans honor your word, but you do not have time to fix me. Don¡¯t waste¡ª¡± ¡°This study is very important, Slanek, for the survival of our species.¡± The Secretary-General crossed his arms, a calculating scowl on his face. ¡°Look, if Earth falls, the Venlil will be custodians of the few remaining humans. It will be up to you to rebuild our population, and to protect our survivors from threats.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk like that. Please!¡± ¡°I have to. Our research could point you in the right direction, and make your soldiers stronger.¡± ¡°If things don¡¯t work out for us, this is humanity¡¯s parting gift,¡± Sara finished. ¡°I speak for all of us in saying that I hope the Venlil prosper.¡± My tail drooped between my legs, and it was all I could do not to collapse in defeat. The Terrans¡¯ odds of defending such an onslaught were slim; every human I knew could be dead in little over a week. Hearing the UN leader speak as if that probability was likely, crushed my hopes that the Sol system had some predatory tricks tucked away. Their species didn¡¯t deserve this fate. The humans faced their impending doom with fearlessness, so I needed to accept reality too. If my participation strengthened the Venlil military in the UN¡¯s absence, I would do whatever was asked of me. No matter the mental duress this exacted on me, it was worth it. I swallowed hard. ¡°Thanks for telling me yourself, sir. Where do we begin?¡± Sara rummaged through a box of her belongings, and retrieved a red fabric sleeve. It took all of my willpower not to shy away as she tugged it over my face. Her curved nails waded through my fur like daggers. I couldn¡¯t see at all for a split second, which added to the panic. How could placing coverings on my head impart anything? They have to have a good reason. These predators will not hurt you. Humans will never hurt you, I repeated internally. The human scientist was gentle as she tugged a pair of straps behind my ears. My vision returned, as two cutouts fell over the eyes¡¯ positioning. It felt like I was suffocating in the mask, but the fit was correct enough. Was it custom-made to my dimensions? Its purpose must lie beyond adding color to my silver fur. I realized that something was wrong with my sight, as soon as I processed my surroundings. Where I had seen Tyler standing beside me, there was only a dark shadow. Marcel¡¯s comforting snarl was obscured as well. This headgear had barriers to take away my periphery. Was this what it was like, to have predator sight? Sara clapped her hands. ¡°Perfect.¡± ¡°You good, Slanek?¡± Marcel¡¯s voice echoed from my left, and I had to turn my head to look at him. The motion felt alien. ¡°You look miserable¡­like a fish out of water.¡± It was tough to describe how it felt, to be unaware of the objects in my vicinity. Simply carrying out a conversation was unnatural. No wonder humans got jumpy, if I came up beside them without thinking. Something could sneak up behind me now, and I wouldn¡¯t realize it was there until it pounced. ¡°I¡¯ll survive,¡± I grumbled. ¡°You¡¯re going to make me calmer, Sara, by limiting my vision? No offense, but I thought limited optical range was a downside to being human.¡± ¡°Your instincts are triggered by things approaching from the side or behind you. You¡¯re easily distracted by your surroundings, because you see too much at once. I think this''ll help your spook reflex, to focus on a single target at a time.¡± ¡°I get it. Like horse blinders,¡± Tyler stated, in a glummer tone than usual. Like what? Maybe I¡¯m making the wrong inference again, but it sounds like they¡¯ve tried to force their tunnel vision on other prey animals. The scientist nodded. ¡°Precisely. Slanek, why don¡¯t we try a combat simulator with the blinders? If it doesn¡¯t help, or you really don¡¯t like it, we¡¯ll drop it.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Sara steered me into a separate room with a light touch. The enclosed space appeared to be an imitation of a patrol ship cabin, complete with controls and sensor readouts. Where the viewport should sit, there were blank screens; I imagined they would reflect Arxur ships in a few minutes. Tyler squeezed into the copilot¡¯s seat, a downcast expression on his face. The tall human knew we could be in a dogfight that was very real, a short time from now. The stakes of our next mission would be his entire planet. This flight presented no tangible threat, and I needed to keep that fact at the forefront of my mind. Somewhere deep inside my soul, there had to be some bravery lurking. All that mattered was gaining admission to the UN¡¯s last stand, and proving that prey genetics didn¡¯t define us. These virtual enemies were going to have hell to pay. Chapter 42 Memory transcription subject: Slanek, Venlil Space Corps Date [standardized human time]: October 8, 2136 The humans instructed me to place a wraparound headset over my ears. I was impressed with how they had modified their technology with Venlil in mind, though I hoped I wasn¡¯t the only one who would get to use it. The earpiece fed simulated audio of alarms and hits; it also allowed Sara to speak to me directly. ¡°Slanek, I¡¯m going to talk to you throughout this exercise. In time, I hope you will learn to do these things yourself,¡± she explained, in a melodic voice. ¡°Thoughts guide our actions. By changing your thoughts, you can unlearn negative behaviors.¡± I tilted my head. ¡°But that¡¯s the problem. You can¡¯t control your thoughts.¡± ¡°Well, not with that attitude. You didn¡¯t develop your thinking patterns overnight,¡± Sara responded. ¡°It takes time, effort, and understanding to make a self-adjustment. Mind if I ask you a few questions, before we begin the simulation?¡± ¡°Go for it.¡± ¡°When was the first time you encountered a predator?¡± I failed to see the relevance of the question, but I decided to humor the human. If she thought delving into the origins of predator phobia would further her understanding, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to play along. The more background info she had on me, the better subject I would be. You saw the Arxur on TV, but that doesn¡¯t really count. Mother tried to shield us from those atrocities, I recalled. Encounters with predators were uncommon on Venlil Prime, though occasionally, one slipped through the cracks. Teams of investigators in armored vehicles would travel out to the site, scorching any area with evidence of a hunter¡¯s presence. There was no way we would leave them alive to reproduce and terrorize our settlements. Extermination officer was an occupation that paid well, but all the money in the world wouldn¡¯t be enticing enough for me. ¡°My parents took me for a walk in the local pasture, and there was a dead rodent on the sidewalk. Lots of blood. There were larvae all over it; news cameras turned up within minutes.¡± A shudder rippled down my spine at the memory. ¡°The anchors said a predator might be on the loose. The entire neighborhood was placed on a curfew by local police. Schools were closed indefinitely.¡± Tyler couldn¡¯t hear the other end of the conversation, but he shot me a baffled look. The human¡¯s eyebrow arched up his forehead, as though he couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing. I think the words he mouthed were, What the fuck? ¡°Tell me more about that. Did they find out what happened to the dead animal?¡± Sara inquired. I gritted my teeth. ¡°It died of natural causes, according to the autopsy. Everyone was relieved that there was no imminent threat. But that was the week I learned about food chains¡­and our place on it.¡± ¡°How did that make you feel?¡± ¡°Scared. Powerless. I just couldn¡¯t believe there were animals that based their existence on k-killing.¡± ¡°I can tell this is difficult for you, Slanek. If I may, what conclusions did your childhood self reach about predators?¡± ¡°Predators had to be cruel and unfeeling, to be able to stomach such violence. To eat that rotting corpse I saw.¡± ¡°The Arxur must have cemented those beliefs. I take it that was your initial feeling toward humans?¡± A horrified gasp came from my chest, as I realized what I just said about predators. It had slipped my mind that I was talking to one, while I was focusing on the emotional residue of that experience. There was the thoughtlessness Marcel teased me over. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, that was too honest. I didn¡¯t mean to say you¡¯re¡ª¡± I squeaked. ¡°Relax. I¡¯m not offended.¡± Sara¡¯s voice was reserved and soothing, like the rustle of leaves in the wind. ¡°I want you to be transparent with me; especially about how humans make you feel.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like to think about humans being predators. It¡¯s jarring to equate you with, uh¡­¡± ¡°The animal in the field. With eating ¡®rotting corpses.¡¯¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The scientist was silent on the other end of the headset, and I caught some light scraping sounds. She must be taking notes from what I was telling her. I hoped I hadn¡¯t said too much; the humans wouldn¡¯t admit they were offended, even if they were. ¡°You did great, Slanek. Thank you for sharing that with me. What I am going to ask of you now, is to try to put yourself in the predator¡¯s shoes,¡± she said. ¡°Come up with as many reasons why an animal might choose to hunt as you can: beyond being cruel, violent, and unfeeling. We¡¯ll talk about it at tomorrow¡¯s session.¡± I focused my eyes on the floor, ignoring Tyler¡¯s inquisitive stare. Did flesh taste so good that it was addictive? It was tough to think of a single other allure to predation, other than biological impulse. Even with humans, I assumed they had those aspects within them due to their brutal hunting methods. The difference was that I believed they had another side, and that there were enough positive attributes to outweigh the repugnant ones. Besides, they found a way to sate their cravings without harming other creatures. Maybe that¡¯s something I should ask Marcel. He might know the answers Sara is looking for. I breathed a weary sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can do that, but I¡¯ll try.¡± ¡°Good. Now, we¡¯re going to start your mission. The goal of this exercise is to stop any hostile ships from reaching orbital range of Earth. I¡¯ll be here for guidance as needed.¡± The screens glowed to life, and Tyler clenched his fist around the firing trigger. The image of Earth in the background was hyperrealistic, down to the orange glow dotting the continents. Swirling clouds idled across the oceans, and the inky backdrop framed the planet in serene radiance. It was a breathtaking sight, even in a simulation. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. I searched for enemy contacts on sensor data. Craning my neck, I tried to get a visual on a fast-approaching vessel from our left. The blinders were inhibiting my sight line, so it was difficult to ground myself. At least it rendered me impervious to the virtual explosions and conflict taking place in the distance. My breath hitched in my throat, as a plasma beam sailed meters from our hull. This felt too real and dangerous. The stress of decision-making was enough to make panic seep in. I was frozen as usual; what was I supposed to do? I couldn¡¯t even remember how to engage the targeting systems. Nonetheless, inaction was unacceptable. My trembling paw slammed the steering column and veered the ship toward the hostile. My diminished vision blurred; my heart was pounding so hard that it felt like an earthquake in my chest. Every instinct declared that facing an aggressive foe was too perilous. I feel like I¡¯m going to die. Like I¡¯m flying into my doom¡­and it¡¯s not even real. Meanwhile, Tyler was impossibly collected, as he aligned kinetic munitions with the target. How could humans push through the chemical fog with such ease? It was as though their instincts compelled them to run headlong toward danger, rather than gallop to safety. ¡°Slanek, deep breaths. Count to five as you inhale, then count to five as you exhale,¡± Sara¡¯s voice growled. I took a few wheezing breaths, attempting to comply with her orders. Through the lightheadedness, I could see the opposing craft enlarging in the viewport. A horrified gasp escaped before I could contain it; this was all happening so quickly. There was no time to think. Everything on screen froze, including the hostile that was just magnified. I slumped my shoulders in shame; the humans were going to can the experiment on day one. I was a hopeless cause. Helping them was never going to be within my capability, no matter how much I wanted it to be. ¡°Talk to me!¡± The scientist¡¯s voice sounded urgent over the headset, which jolted me out of my daze. ¡°Rate your fear on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the worst you¡¯ve ever felt.¡± I blinked in confusion. ¡°Um¡­7?¡± ¡°We can work with that. Everything is going to be fine. This feeling will pass,¡± Sara said. ¡°What thoughts went through your mind, as you started to feel afraid?¡± ¡°I just¡­ I know I can¡¯t do this. I¡¯m not a fighter, and I never will be. My instincts can¡¯t handle stress or danger.¡± ¡°What I¡¯m hearing is that you don¡¯t feel that you can control your emotions. You¡¯ve decided it¡¯s not possible already.¡± ¡°Humans are special. I have to face what I am.¡± ¡°What you are is a good pilot. Remember, the enemy is just as vulnerable as you.¡± ¡°It d-doesn¡¯t feel that way. Never does.¡± ¡°Focus on your target and get the shot off. Everything else doesn¡¯t matter; you can complete that one thing. One step at a time.¡± Squeezing my eyes shut, I allowed my breathing to fall back into a calm rhythm. It was within my power to press a few buttons, wasn¡¯t it? There had to be a way to override my instincts, the way the humans kept their aggression in check. Marcel had squared off against nine Arxur vessels in an inferior ship, and we survived. This was nothing. ¡°Hey, we can do this, Slanek. You¡¯re not alone here. Remember that!¡± Tyler growled. I flicked my ears in appreciation. The sandy-haired human didn¡¯t have much heart after learning Earth¡¯s insurmountable odds, but he was still trying to be supportive. Bravery felt a little less difficult, knowing that fearless predators had my back. Humans were survivors, and that meant I was in good company. You¡¯re not doing this by yourself. You¡¯re on the predators¡¯ side; not the Krakotl. They¡¯re the ones who should be afraid. I believed in humanity¡¯s strength, even if I was uncertain of my own. Newfound determination swelled in my veins as the simulation resumed. The blinders were there for the purpose of directing my attention to a single task. It was a matter of just acting, and not thinking at all. The opposing ship barreled toward us, racing closer to Earth. My aviation knowledge kicked in, and I verified the target on sensors. All I contemplated was the intake of my breathing, while my claw jammed down on the missile switch. Projectiles homed in on the sleek bomber, tracking its evasion attempts. My human partner sent a flurry of kinetics close behind. It was prudent to take advantage of any disruption to shields. The missiles rocked the imaginary opponent, and Tyler¡¯s well-timed rounds tore through its armor. The seamless teamwork was invigorating, for a moment. The predator bared his teeth at the thrill, and I almost mimicked him. Instead of allowing the follow-up options to overwhelm me, I asked myself what humans would do. They would go for the kill, and not give the enemy any recovery time. Persistence hunting taught them how to be relentless; maybe I could learn from that cruelty as well. ¡°Leave my friends alone!¡± I hissed to the screen. It was easy to channel my outrage at the unprovoked assault on Earth. ¡°Nobody hurts my herd, ever again.¡± I navigated the ship nearer to our nemesis. My anger at injustice was warring with the voice that told me to turn back. The resolute snarl on Tyler¡¯s face was enough to keep my paw on the accelerator. Just this once, I wanted to be the predator; to pounce on a weakened enemy. My heart was racing, while I unloaded a devastating salvo into their flanks. Orange tendrils burst from its metallic shell, and damned the fictitious crew to the vacuum. The simulation faded back to white, with a ¡®mission success¡¯ declaration. ¡°You did it!!¡± Tyler cheered, forcing a grin. ¡°That was all you, Slanek.¡± I leapt up from the pilot¡¯s seat, wagging my tail. As the Federation often reminded us, Venlil weren¡¯t supposed to have a fighting bone in our bodies. How had I managed to kill an enemy¡­and emulate Terran intensity? Had the humans changed me? An answer to Sara¡¯s earlier question popped into my mind. An animal might choose to be a predator, because it refined their species into something stronger. Hunting mandated discipline, and lessened the brunt of fearful instincts. Maybe it was empowering to be the one dealing the damage. Sara cleared her throat. ¡°I told you that you were a good pilot. That exercise should give you hope for what we can accomplish.¡± ¡°But it was only one ship, guys,¡± I pointed out. ¡°That¡¯s nothing compared to the Krakotl invasion.¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to increase the duration and number of enemies every day. You¡¯ll be taking on an army in no time.¡± The exhilaration of success fizzled out, as I processed that daunting prospect. The scientist sounded hellbent on pushing me well past my instincts¡¯ limit, when all was said and done. Every day was going to be more of a struggle than the next. If nothing else though, her questioning had forced me to consider my fears in a new light. ¡°Oh buddy, I¡¯m so proud of you.¡± Marcel must have snagged the microphone. His rumbling voice fluttered into my ears. ¡°You¡¯re going to turn those birds to space feathers. They¡¯ll never see it coming.¡± ¡°Thanks, uh, but¡­I don¡¯t know about that.¡± He chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re stronger than you think you are. The attacking skills are there, as we all saw. You nailed that fucker, even with Tyler button mashing and getting in your way.¡± This time, the tall copilot leaned close enough to hear the headset chatter. He threw up his hands in exasperation, then turned his glare at me for giggling. There was hilarity in the expression that once would¡¯ve had me on the floor, begging not to be eaten. I knew humans well enough to recognize the difference between jest and malice. Tyler waved a fist at the camera. ¡°Slanek and I are gonna win this war, while you¡¯re still on your ass eating Doritos.¡± ¡°Nah, are you kidding, bro? I¡¯ll be up there, stopping you from snacking on too many crayons mid-battle.¡± ¡°What can I say? That¡¯s a true predator¡¯s diet.¡± I appreciated that my friends were able to make light of a dark situation; that was their method of coping with the unpleasant. There wasn¡¯t a more resilient species in the galaxy. With their example to model, maybe it was possible to mold me into something a little more vicious. The survival of these alien predators was what was important, I reminded myself. My progression was a secondary objective that would complement Terran aims. If Earth was to be lost, the spiteful defenders would take as many enemies with them as possible. No battle waged against humans was ever as easy as it looked on paper. Regardless, I had faith the Venlil Republic wouldn¡¯t hang our allies out to dry. Chapter 43 Memory transcription subject: Captain Kalsim, Krakotl Alliance Command Date [standardized human time]: October 8, 2136 The Federation fleet entered warp in harmonious accord, and our voyage to Earth commenced on schedule. I was less-than-thrilled with the extraneous additions to my crew; Krakotl officers were preferred to the reserved exports of another species. Our diplomats stressed that this was an interplanetary effort, and forced my talons. While I understood the necessity of building group cohesion, the Farsul they implanted as operational first officer was already asking questions. His name was Thyon; to my understanding, he was a personal favorite of their high elder. That didn¡¯t buy him any favor on my vessel. The Krakotl Alliance was the entity that planned this mission, down to the gritty details. My crew was chosen because of their special attributes, and I trust them. You never know who can keep their head in battle until you¡¯ve been there. Thyon scrunched his droopy ears. ¡°Why are Terran colonies not on the bombing agenda? The data dump suggested humans had settlements on the red world and their moon. There¡¯s research outposts in the gas giant moons, asteroid mining operations, orbital telescopes and¡ª" ¡°I get it. But Earth is the priority,¡± I replied. ¡°Other than military installations, the rest can be cleaned up afterwards.¡± The Farsul wiped the mucus from his nose. ¡°The plans for a follow-up operation should be drawn up now. We have to stay prepared!¡± ¡°What is there to prepare for? The predators can¡¯t muster a semblance of our numbers.¡± I puffed my feathers out in a display of intimidation. ¡°You know Thyon, I much prefer Jala as my XO. She doesn¡¯t nitpick everything.¡± ¡°You keep strange company, Kalsim. There¡¯s something wrong with Jala. She seems¡­off.¡± There was a comment that had some basis to it, though I wasn¡¯t ready to take an outsider into my confidence. Jala was diagnosed with a rare cognitive disorder that entailed not producing the neurotransmitters for fear or affection. This caused a deficiency in empathy; her responses to situations were often tasteless. Most Alliance officers wouldn¡¯t have allowed such individuals in their crew. However, the benefit of a person that didn¡¯t panic or lose focus couldn¡¯t be understated. As long as she didn¡¯t have to deal with the interpersonal side of things, Jala was the finest officer in my crew. I credited her as the reason we were the most effective ship in the Alliance armada. ¡°That is Captain Kalsim to you,¡± I spat. ¡°Jala follows orders and makes the right calls. She¡¯s still my second even now, as far as I¡¯m concerned.¡± ¡°Captain, I see we¡¯ve gotten off on the wrong paw.¡± Thyon¡¯s slender tail curled across the floor, twitching with restlessness. ¡°I¡¯d rather be on a Farsul vessel too, but this is where we are. Can we try to make the most of it?¡± I tossed my beak. ¡°Fine. But did you have to start tearing everything apart, the second you came aboard?¡± ¡°I like to know who and what I¡¯m working with. Every captain has a different background, and a different way of running things. The more I know about you, the more useful I can be.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll keep it short and sweet. I started off as an extermination officer. I¡¯m still one really, just with a starship and a title.¡± Thyon¡¯s whiskers twitched, as my former profession registered in his mind. There wasn¡¯t a better vocation to prepare a person for eliminating predators. It taught how to destroy a monster¡¯s habitat and prevent any chances of survival. Sapient extermination wasn¡¯t that different, except that there was more land to torch with the breadth of a planet. There was a buzzing sound at the door, and I peeked at the security feed. The other Federation implant on my crew was the new medical officer, though the peculiar aspect was the species. The doctor was a Takkan veteran. The Takkan Coalition had been outed as one of the parties amenable to a full alliance with humanity. For some reason, this Takkan individual had thrown himself onto a transport and begged to join our raid. The newly-demoted Jala escorted him to my quarters, per my request. It was a mystery why a medical practitioner would want to fly toward a predator¡¯s homeworld. My own doctor deserted, when she learned the fleet¡¯s destination. It could be a simple case of this Takkan despising his government¡¯s rhetoric. Still, I want to look him in the eye and demand his reasons. ¡°Come in,¡± I growled to the intercom. ¡°Thyon, you can stay if you want.¡± The Farsul thumped his tail. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s stolen my post,¡± Jala snapped. ¡°We¡¯ll settle this later, soft ears.¡± I glowered at the female Krakotl. ¡°Don¡¯t mind her. Please, come in, Doctor.¡± The Takkan male strode through the door, and plopped himself in a chair without waiting for permission. His tough hide was silver, about the same hue as my ship¡¯s metallic walls. Those tri-toed paws wiggled enough to grasp objects, though I found his kind much clumsier than Krakotl surgeons. Few species compared to how well our talons could sink into or wrap around things. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. I jabbed a talon at the doctor. ¡°What is your name?¡± ¡°Zarn, sir.¡± ¡°Alright. Tell me, what is a Takkan doing, volunteering for a mission like this?¡± I squawked. ¡°When I landed on Aafa to share that the Gojid cradle was annihilated, I discovered that my species betrayed the Federation in my absence. It was horrifying¡­shameful. Captain, I want to put an end to this alliance, permanently.¡± I nodded my beak, and contemplated his words. If we returned from deployment to find the Alliance cozying up to predators, it might push me to renounce my citizenship as well. Then again, a doctor shouldn¡¯t have devoted his entire life to extermination. Why would Zarn feel compelled to take such drastic measures? ¡°Wait, if I may, you were stationed in Gojid space?¡± Thyon interjected. Zarn swished his tail. ¡°Yes. I was working under Captain Sovlin. We were the first vessel to encounter a human.¡± My eyes snapped toward him. ¡°I heard. Everyone heard! What you lot did was cruel and disgraceful. I don¡¯t know that I want you on this ship.¡± ¡°I beg your pardon, Captain? It was a human, not an actual sapient. That abominable¡­freak deserved to rot for eternity. All predators do.¡± The captive Terran pilot in their custody could no longer pose any threat, yet Sovlin and his lackeys granted it the slowest death possible. Extermination teams were swift and surgical, when our services were needed; suffering was never our goal. Listening to a helpless creature scream and knowing it was in unimaginable pain¡­that didn¡¯t make anyone safer. The line that separated us from the Arxur was one that could not be crossed. ¡°Humans are true sapients, Doctor, make no mistake.¡± My feathers were ruffled as I offered the reproachful assessment. ¡°I even believe they feel selective empathy. They¡¯re pack predators, after all.¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised to hear you say that,¡± Thyon muttered. ¡°Why? Because I used to be an extermination officer?¡± Zarn blinked in surprise. The doctor gave the appearance that he was about to contest my statements, but my field expertise was enough to make him reconsider. I understood predators better than most citizens of the Federation; humans weren¡¯t as simple as they would like to believe. ¡°Captain Kalsim has a certain respect for humans. He thinks they¡¯re interesting, as do I,¡± Jala chuckled. The physician¡¯s amber eyes bulged. ¡°Interesting? Respect? They kill for sustenance!¡± I puffed out my feathers for emphasis. ¡°If you don¡¯t respect a predator, you¡¯re already dead. They¡¯re not to be trifled with. Remarkably cunning.¡± The Farsul officer tilted his head. ¡°Your tone is almost reverent. Wouldn¡¯t someone with your¡­skillset hate predators?¡± ¡°Thyon, you shouldn¡¯t hate humans. They can¡¯t help that they¡¯re a disease, that they infect everything they touch. Bacteria don¡¯t choose to be bacteria, and predators don¡¯t choose to be predators. They just are.¡± ¡°So what are you saying? It sounds like you don¡¯t believe in this mission,¡± Zarn snarled. ¡°Sure I do, but it shouldn¡¯t be about hatred. I don¡¯t derive any pleasure from killing billions; only a predator should. You should feel sorry for the humans, and be grateful that we were not born in such an accursed form.¡± The doctor recoiled, and I could see indignation brewing in his eyes. The company this Captain Sovlin kept seemed like an extension of his own undisciplined behavior. It must have been difficult for Zarn to witness the cradle¡¯s destruction, but his current behavior was unhinged. I wouldn¡¯t want this Takkan cutting me open, if my life was in the balance. ¡°You pity a creature that is incapable of pity. It¡¯s ironic,¡± Jala remarked, a sharp glint in her eyes. Thyon¡¯s nostrils flared. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not following either, Captain. Why do you support wiping humanity out, if you feel sorry for predators?¡± Few understood how terrible it was, to pour gasoline on a youngling as it cried for its mother¡¯s milk. The first time I found a nest of predator pups, the guilt of killing them nearly caused me to quit. They were tiny, innocent and untainted by their parents¡¯ atrocities. I broke down on the ride home, and asked my mentor how we could kill a baby for the way it was born. There was cold logic in her explanation. Little predators become big predators, and reproduce exponentially. Within a few cycles, there would be a full-blown infestation; it wouldn¡¯t be one set of pups we were killing. ¡°What happens if we don¡¯t wipe them out? Humans will spread everywhere, and they¡¯ll be in our systems in no time,¡± I answered. ¡°This is our only chance to destroy them. We kill because we must.¡± It was an unfortunate reality that Earth had to be eradicated. Unlike our incensed Ambassador Jerulim, I understood why most in the Federation couldn¡¯t bring themselves to push the button. They were relieved not to have to wrestle with the moral conundrum, of killing a species that had yet to lash out. They didn¡¯t want to spend the rest of their lives wondering if some predators could¡¯ve been saved. It was the same reason the Federation readily accepted that humanity destroyed itself with nuclear bombs, two hundred years ago. That was how this problem got so out of wing in the first place. The predators attained spacefaring capabilities without anyone realizing. Only a few months into their expeditions, humans had already caused the destruction of the Gojid cradle. The longer we let Earth survive, the more Federation worlds will perish. ¡°We agree on this being our moral imperative, but that¡¯s all we agree on.¡± Zarn leapt up from his seat, and swished his tail with impatience. ¡°I¡¯m here because I want to witness humanity¡¯s death with my own eyes. I¡¯m qualified¡ªoverqualified, even, and I know the enemy. Now, do you want my services or not?¡± Jala snickered at the Takkan¡¯s temperament. ¡°I like this one, Captain.¡± ¡°Well, I do not, but it¡¯s not like I have a suitable replacement,¡± I muttered. ¡°You¡¯ll follow my orders on this ship, Zarn. It¡¯s not becoming of a doctor to have such little value for life.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need a lecture over how I feel toward predators. I value lives; our lives. Jala, show me to the medbay, now,¡± Zarn hissed. The female Krakotl glanced at me for confirmation, and I curled my wing tip in a ¡®Go on¡¯ gesture. Something told me I needed to keep a close eye on the doctor. The kind of person that delighted in death and suffering would never have intentions that I could trust. Besides, it was a bad omen when the crewmate who took a shine to Zarn was a sociopath. ¡°That was an unpleasant discussion. What do you think, Thyon?¡± I asked. The Farsul hesitated. ¡°I think I have your back, sir.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m asking. If you¡¯re going to be my XO, then I expect you to speak freely behind closed doors.¡± ¡°Frankly, I¡¯ve seen what happens after predators hit a world as well. There¡¯s nothing to feel remorse over. I¡¯ll sleep better when this mission is done.¡± ¡°Understood. Let¡¯s head to the bridge, and keep watch for any Terran ambushes.¡± My heart felt heavy as we set off together, and I wondered where my crew fell along the moral spectrum. Thyon missed the distinction between his feelings and Zarn¡¯s, though perhaps he would realize in time. Unlike the doctor, the first officer was motivated by reasons that had nothing to do with the humans. His concern was the suffering he witnessed and any future threats, rather than pure vitriol. That was the correct rationale for the destruction of Earth. This fleet would succeed in its duties, because there was no other option for our survival. Chapter 44 Memory transcription subject: Captain Kalsim, Krakotl Alliance Command Date [standardized human time]: October 9, 2136 As soon as we departed Krakotl space, it became evident that the humans had been tracking our movements. The predators were lurking in the shadows along our starry route; two ambushes were sprung on the fleet during the first day of travel. The primates knew that we were coming, and that was enough to unsettle the crew. But the humans were afraid, from what I could tell. Their attacks seem devoted to stalling, and chipping away at our resources. Larger Terran ships had FTL-disruptors on their hulls, which could be deployed as soon as we came within range. They would dart in for a missile run while we were dazed, then vanish just as quickly. Why do they flee after a single strike? These techniques seem too cowardly to be borne of predators. Nonetheless, I adjusted personnel rotations, so that our vessel was combat-ready at all times. I allowed myself only a short nap after the second ambush, just to refresh my wits. There was no time for a full night¡¯s rest until the enemy resurfaced. Thyon was working overtime as well, compiling data to predict the Terrans¡¯ next appearance. Our vessel was going to nail the humans, next time they tried anything. If their attempts at disrupting our operations were this lousy, they must lack confidence in their combat abilities. ¡°This locale seems like the likeliest spot for an ambush. The EM radiation from the system¡¯s pulsar makes our sensors and targeting wonky,¡± the first officer said. ¡°Though, perhaps I¡¯m mistaken. It would affect their targeting too.¡± My feathers ruffled with disquiet. ¡°I suspect humans¡¯ reliance on targeting is less than ours. They have a backup system in their brains.¡± ¡°Should we advise the fleet to reroute? If I¡¯m correct on Terran whereabouts, there¡¯s less than a minute before they activate the disruptors.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not do anything hasty, Thyon. Their ships can outpace us, so we¡¯ll just be pushing this off to a later date. We face these predator pests here, on our terms.¡± The Farsul officer swallowed nervously, and studied his readout. I couldn¡¯t blame the big-eared guy for feeling discomfort about engaging the humans blind. Our instinctual fear wasn¡¯t conducive to off-the-cuff maneuvers, and precise calculations under stress. Krakotl could muster aggression, sure, but that desperation wasn¡¯t controlled. But Jala wasn¡¯t bogged down by chemicals. If I placed her behind the weapons station, she could recalibrate our artillery on a dime. We didn¡¯t have to worry about fear addling her senses. There was a reason I twisted the brass¡¯ wing, not to lock her up in an asylum like they wanted to. It was in our best interest to use people like her against the predators. I cleared my throat. ¡°Jala, assume control of weapons. Switch to manual override, and hit the first ship you see with whatever you like.¡± The female Krakotl shoved a younger officer out of her way, and pecked the buttons with giddiness. She didn¡¯t need to be told twice. It was rare to see anyone else so thrilled to carry out orders, especially when those involved being flung into combat. My second-in-command wouldn''t miss the clues, if they were shoved in his face. ¡°Captain, answer me honestly,¡± Thyon whispered. ¡°Does Jala have Predator Disease?¡± I lowered my voice. ¡°That terminology is ignorant; predators do feel fear. Jala is an asset that I have under control. She knows I¡¯m the only thing stopping her from being thrown in a deep, dark hole.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe for a second that predators feel anything¡­but she has more in common with them, either way. How can you trust her not to side with them?¡± ¡°Even people with her condition don¡¯t side with people who want to eat them. I¡¯ve heard that has a way of shortening your lifespan.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t say.¡± The Farsul transferred the projected enemy coordinates onto the sensor grid. By his estimates, the humans were camped within a gas giant¡¯s ring. It seemed a suitable position to lie in wait. The planet¡¯s gravitational field added further disturbance to sensor readings, and the icy ring particles were indistinguishable from a quiet vessel. That¡¯s actually some solid analytics from Thyon. I suppose I¡¯m fortunate the guy the Federation saddled me with is halfway intelligent. The first officer also noted the maximum range of an FTL disruptor. It stood to reason that the humans would wait until the bulk of the fleet was within the pulse¡¯s umbrella. I highlighted the blast zone circumference on my screen, using their approximate location. Now, it was a matter of forging ahead and waiting. ¡°Navigations, as soon as we hit the edge of that red circle, disengage warp,¡± I squawked. ¡°If we time this right, the humans will think we¡¯re stunned. Just as they show themselves, we¡¯ll be ready to fire.¡± Thyon blinked in surprise. ¡°Bold plan. If we¡¯re off by a few seconds, we¡¯ll get dazed alongside everyone else.¡± ¡°And if we drop in too early, the humans will know we¡¯re onto them. Of course, we don¡¯t know they¡¯re here for sure. We could be chasing ghosts¡­but I¡¯m trusting your work.¡± ¡°Thank you, sir. Shouldn¡¯t we tip off the fleet though?¡± ¡°Negative. The predators may have breached our comms.¡± Other friendly vessels may have come to similar conclusions, but our role as the Krakotl flagship was to seize the initiative. Defeating a predator necessitated brashness. I don¡¯t think even the meticulous humans accounted for us turning the tables. They were under the impression that everyone in the Federation was weak, and that might serve us well. The fear plastered across the bridge crew¡¯s faces was apparent; the inexperienced enlistees weren¡¯t keen on hurling a multi-billion credit ship into a predator¡¯s trap. To be fair, this was the kind of action that earned reprimands from Alliance Command if it backfired. We had one chance to validate our decisions. My file does say I take ¡®unnecessary risks¡¯, and attributes my success to luck. I imagine Thyon read that dossier before boarding. For better or for worse, I always asked myself what a predator would do. Trying to predict their moves or understand their thinking was easy, once it was a habit. This raid was one final job, before passing the baton to someone younger. What better way to cap off my career than by vanquishing the greatest threat of our time? I fluttered over to the navigations station, ready to intervene if the technician froze. Our dot was almost overlapping the perilous area. Thyon was itching to issue the disengage order, but I didn¡¯t want to jump the gun. We couldn¡¯t allow the riskiness to inhibit our patience. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. My breathing hitched as we entered the pulse threshold. ¡°A little further¡­real space, now!¡± A head-on view of a gas giant materialized on the viewport. The dull orange mass, surrounded by a glistening ring, was a sight to behold. My talons stiffened, as the feeling of being watched sank in. I couldn¡¯t see any enemy ships, but I could sense their unholy presence. ¡°No sign of human activity¡ª" Thyon began. Thousands of friendly vessels appeared around us without warning. The Federation fleet was evidently reeling from the effects of the disruptor signal. Lithe Terran ships swarmed out of the ring, and descended on the nearest Krakotl vessels with fury. Jala¡¯s wings extended to their full span, as she began firing missiles at will. Several projectiles slammed into an enemy bomber, and it was terminated mid-swoop. More explosives followed close behind, synced with whirring kinetics that pelted their shields. The humans were pushed back by my crazed Krakotl, long enough for some friendlies to catch their bearings. Our allies¡¯ aim was clearly rattled without sensors, and most plasma beams missed their mark by a long shot. Nonetheless, the predators determined the mission was a wash. They weren¡¯t going to take the chance of a stray hit connecting. There¡¯s only a few dozen ships in this ambush, anyways. The Terran military didn¡¯t lend sufficient support. ¡°They¡¯re retreating. Don¡¯t let them get away!¡± the Farsul first officer exclaimed. ¡°All Federation ships, fire at will.¡± I barked over the comms channel. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you miss! Hurl everything you¡¯ve got ready at their position.¡± Jala was happy to oblige those orders, and dispensed another round of missiles toward the gas giant¡¯s cover. That was where the Terrans were trying to vanish for emergency warp. None of our explosives connected with an opponent, but they did pack a punch to the ring itself. Ice fragments were flung out from the epicenter, and some shrapnel found its way into human armor. The navigations officer maneuvered us to the edge of the ring; the proximity was close enough to get a visual. A few predator craft were rendered inoperable, or ripped apart by debris. Cheers erupted across the bridge, as they saw the devastation we unleashed. I tried to mimic pleasure, but gunning humans down just made me feel numb. My eyes lingered on the wreckage in the viewport. ¡°Nice work, Jala. We must¡¯ve taken out a number in the double digits¡­in no small part, due to your fortitude.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. That was fun!¡± she trilled. ¡°Just a shame our skirmish was so short. I was expecting more of a scrap.¡± Thyon narrowed his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s not a shame that our victory was decisive. It makes it more likely that our flight to Earth will continue unimpeded.¡± I tuned out their bickering. My focus was on scanning a motionless Terran vessel via manual input. Ship sensors had been fully automated since before I was born. At close-range though, it should be possible to work through the interference with operator assistance. The human craft I scrutinized had its hull caved in, which suggested debris impact at high velocity. It was mostly intact, but life support and propulsions were knocked offline. Some part of me itched to know if its pilot was still alive. Future generations would ask about these Earthlings, and nobody could provide an adequate explanation. This was a pristine opportunity to document a sapient predator¡¯s mannerisms. ¡°Silence on the bridge! Comms, make sure all transmissions are being recorded,¡± I screeched. ¡°I want everyone here to know the enemy, so I¡¯m hailing that venting wreck. Consider it a crash course on predators.¡± Thyon gasped. ¡°What? What makes you think that demon will answer?¡± I tilted my head. There was no guarantee a human would accept our communication attempt, but it was worth a try. While seeing its face would make the crew shudder, there was no feasible risk. Its weapons and escape options were severed, and it was smart enough to know that. The outbound hail was sent with a swipe of my talons, against the protests of the crew. A tense silence filled the air, as our signal was extended to the crippled foe. There was no response for several seconds, which only added to the crew¡¯s nerves. Did these people think a predator could teleport on deck through a call? I could almost sense the Terran¡¯s bewilderment; it was weighing whether to hear our message. Curiosity must have won out, because a pair of frosty blue eyes appeared on screen. The ferocity of its gaze sent several crewmates ducking for cover; their color looked cold and unnatural. The beast had a laceration across its forehead, and was dabbing it with a towel to keep the blood out of its vision. It¡¯s wounded. Maybe it¡¯s not thinking straight, so we can pry some intel from it. I couldn¡¯t say that looking at it didn¡¯t give me the creeps, even after decades of dealing with predators. This creature was more intelligent than anything I eliminated in the wild. There were only a few clumps of hair across its face, which made it look alien and bare. ¡°What do you want? I don¡¯t need your mockery, birds,¡± it gurgled. I resisted the urge to avert my gaze, and instead tried to make neutral observations. Beneath that petrifying visage, there were signs that the creature was rattled. The slightest furrow of its brow suggested fear, and the way its jaw tightened indicated pain. It realized its death was imminent; that knowledge overshadowed its last moments. I raised a wing in a noncommittal gesture. ¡°Nobody is mocking you. I just want to talk.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got to be shitting me.¡± It leaned closer to the camera, close enough to make out the veins in its eyes. ¡°What makes you think I want to talk to you?! Enlighten me.¡± ¡°A hunch. I figured a pack predator wouldn¡¯t want to die alone. If I¡¯m wrong on that, you can end this transmission now.¡± Thyon was staring at me like I¡¯d grown a third wing, while Jala was observing the exchange with amusement. I had my reasons for fielding this call in the public eye. The crew needed to see affirmation of my theories, after the skeptical reception I observed. It would be a critical lapse in understanding, to presume they shared the Arxur¡¯s solitary behavioral patterns. The human bared its teeth, and shook its head in disbelief. It placed its chin on its hands, then refocused those horrific eyes on the camera. Frost spiraled from its plump lips, which suggested the cabin temperature was frigid. With only a stringy flaxen mane, I didn¡¯t imagine it would last without environmental regulation for long. ¡°You never answered my question,¡± the beast sighed. ¡°What is it you want?¡± ¡°I want to rescue you from that icebox. Surrender yourself to our custody, peacefully, and I¡¯ll see that you survive. You can ensure that your culture is remembered.¡± ¡°Thanks, but no thanks. How fucking stupid do you think I am? Death is better than what you lot do to human prisoners.¡± ¡°You have my word that I¡¯ll hold you in fair conditions. You don¡¯t want to die. I can see your fear.¡± The predator blinked slowly, and hugged its arms together to conserve warmth. It wasn¡¯t ready to give up key information now, but if I managed its needs, it might start spilling intelligence. Self-preservation was a driving force in every sapient being. The human detached a small cutout from its dashboard, and turned it toward the camera. The image was of three snarling, young predators, with the pilot crouched beside them. Another adult primate had an arm around the offspring, and was flashing pearly white fangs. They looked vicious, but¡­happy. ¡°That¡¯s my family. I am afraid, but not of my death,¡± it growled. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that you¡¯re going to kill everyone I love. The only thing that will please you is my whole species purged from existence¡­and I don¡¯t know if even that will quench your hatred. Please, stop this.¡± The transmission cut out abruptly, and I pushed down the lump of pity in my throat. There was the confirmation that humans cared for each other. I hoped that inspired a bit more sympathy from my comrades; the Krakotl government shouldn¡¯t hide humanity¡¯s redeeming attributes. It was enough to establish them as a major, valid threat. The truth matters, I thought to myself. We¡¯re not going to strip that away on my ship, to make ourselves feel better. ¡°The predator only has a few hours before its atmosphere is used up. Orders, sir?¡± Jala asked in an emotionless voice. I lowered my gaze. ¡°Terminate it. A quick death, Jala. The human refused my offer, and we can¡¯t leave it to be rescued by its brethren.¡± The female Krakotl rolled her eyes, but deployed a missile into the drive column. I watched as the wreckage went up in flame. It was merciful to grant the beast a swift end, rather than condemning it to suffocate in that freezing tomb. Still, its death didn¡¯t bring out any positive emotions. Some of the crew seemed moved by its elimination as well, which meant my strategy was a success. Thyon¡¯s nostrils flared with exasperation. ¡°What were you thinking, Captain?! What would you have done if it accepted your offer?¡± ¡°I would¡¯ve stuck it in the brig, like I said,¡± I answered. ¡°And no, Zarn wouldn¡¯t have gotten within a hundred paces of it. We could contain a single, wounded predator¡­and it was useful.¡± ¡°Useful? What did you gain from that little chat?!¡± ¡°Watch your tone, XO; this is my ship. Now, you all know the enemy as I do. You can come to terms with the real reasons for this mission.¡± The Farsul first officer gritted his teeth. Thyon was disturbed by my generous view of predators, but he knew protesting on the bridge was out of line. Perhaps he needed to believe falsehoods to maintain his conviction. All doubts needed to be sorted out before we reached Earth. Assuming the Terran ambushes were resolved, the fleet¡¯s next engagement would pummel everything humanity had into oblivion. When we reached our destination, I hoped my crew would be ready to do what was necessary. Chapter 45 Memory transcription subject: Governor Tarva of the Venlil Republic Date [standardized human time]: October 9, 2136 This should have been a jubilant moment. The UN liberation fleet established contact with the Venlil military, and requested permission to dock on our homeworld. A victory against the Arxur was something I never fathomed; the humans had accomplished the impossible. But I didn¡¯t understand why the Secretary-General had traveled all the way from Earth to meet with me. His stated purpose was to discuss ¡®something urgent¡¯ with me before those ships landed. The way the human diplomats were tight-lipped, and implored me to remain calm, instilled some apprehension. My advisors were aware of the Krakotl invasion. We offered to take in as many Terran refugees as needed. About fifty thousand predators had arrived on the first flights, and were settled into temporary housing. We didn¡¯t have the resources to take care of them long term, or to satisfy their¡­dietary preferences. But leaving our friends to die wasn¡¯t an option, so we¡¯d figure it out together. There was no need to persuade us to help, and the minutiae could be handled by stand-ins. As for the diplomatic fiasco, the humans sent representatives to every allied species yesterday. They would point the finger at the Kolshian Commonwealth, and pray their innocence was believed. With such immediate casualties, all bets were off. I¡¯d expect the Thafki to be most suspect of predators, given that they¡¯re almost extinct. The Fissans, with their expansive resources, are the ones we truly must convince, at all costs. There wasn¡¯t much to do besides await each race¡¯s reaction. I told the humans, in no uncertain terms, that I wouldn¡¯t expect any government¡¯s assistance. What else could the UN figurehead wish to discuss in person, at such a crucial time in his planet¡¯s survival? If Meier was leaving Earth, shouldn¡¯t his priority be appealing to Chauson or Tossa for aid? ¡°Noah, do you know what this is about?¡± I asked. The Terran ambassador frowned. ¡°I think it¡¯s better to wait for Meier, Tarva. I don¡¯t imagine you¡¯re going to like this. Please, just promise you¡¯ll try to understand¡­for me.¡± The ominous reply didn¡¯t provide any reassurance. That was how humans spoke when they were worried something predatory would frighten us, or shake our trust. I didn¡¯t like seeing my beloved friend pleading with me, like I was bound to turn against him. ¡°Don¡¯t be like that,¡± I grumbled. ¡°What, are you finally going to tell me you hunt through your endurance?¡± Noah gaped at me, eyes bulging. ¡°Who told you?¡± ¡°I figured it out, watching you exercise back on Aafa. It occurred to me how that¡­tirelessness might help chase down prey. You don¡¯t have much else going for you.¡± ¡°Gee, thanks. You don¡¯t seem very concerned, though.¡± ¡°Why should I be? Your people would never hunt mine, either way. I am humanity¡¯s friend, and I¡¯m not here to judge your ancestors.¡± The ambassador patted my shoulder with affection. I didn¡¯t appreciate that there was still secrecy around their hunting methods, but trust was a slow process. Fortunately, my deduction skills were sufficient. ¡°You are the only real friend we¡¯ve had out here. Thank you,¡± Noah whispered. I flicked my ears in acknowledgment. ¡°Not to inflate my own ego, but I¡¯m pretty alright. So see, Secretary-General Meier doesn¡¯t need to waste time ¡®talking me off the ledge.¡¯¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking you down about,¡± a gravelly voice interrupted. Noah and I both startled. Neither of us noticed the Secretary-General enter the cavernous reception hall. I had no idea how long Meier had been eavesdropping, but it was enough to catch the subject matter. I was glad I didn¡¯t make any suggestive quips about their endurance. The UN leader looked like he hadn¡¯t slept in days, as he tossed a hard-copy photograph on my desk. The poor guy collapsed into the nearest chair, and pawed at his bleary eyes. I wanted to order him to get some rest, but with Earth in danger, I doubted he would comply. My gaze landed on the image, which showed a uniformed human sitting across from an Arxur. Was this taken from one of their ships? The gray had a shackle around its leg, so at least it was restrained from rampaging through the crew quarters. How the Terrans got it there in one piece was another question. ¡°We captured several Arxur from a cattle ship.¡± Secretary-General Meier stifled a yawn, and blinked in quick succession. ¡°Quite a few of our major players had, well, concerns about sharing the next part with you. Given that you¡¯re the only reason humanity is still alive, I felt you had the right to know.¡± ¡°T-to know what?¡± I asked, hesitantly. Meier raised his hands in a placating gesture. ¡°Please don¡¯t take offense; I¡¯m just repeating the story multiple grays told us. They claim the Federation infected thousands with a microbe that made them allergic to meat, then killed their livestock to force them into herbivory.¡± I narrowed my eyes, processing what the human relayed. Our Terran friends proved that being a predator alone didn¡¯t explain the Arxur¡¯s cruelty. Either sadism was a trait unique to their species, or a reaction to a particular event. On that note, the Federation had no issue sacrificing lives or bending morals, in the short time I knew the primates. I¡¯ve watched them beat and starve a human. Blow up spaceships to eliminate any offer of friendship. Plan multiple raids to wipe out all life on Earth. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Honestly, I wouldn¡¯t put that antagonism past the Federation. But if it¡¯s true, I know nothing about it,¡± I replied. ¡°Regardless, why would the Arxur choose to farm sapient beings, rather than eat plants?¡± Noah pursed his lips, suppressing a sigh. ¡°They¡¯re obligate carnivores, Tarva. They cannot survive without meat.¡± I tilted my head in confusion. ¡°I¡­I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t understand. Why not?¡± ¡°Obligate carnivores can¡¯t digest plants like you or me. They don¡¯t have the right gut bacteria, and they can¡¯t synthesize vitamins from plant forms.¡± ¡°There are certain nutrients, like taurine, that exist almost exclusively in meat,¡± Meier chimed in. ¡°Correct me if I¡¯m wrong, Noah, but I think such carnivores have high protein requirements as well.¡± The astronaut nodded. ¡°Exactly. The glucose in their blood¡­y¡¯know, energy, comes from proteins rather than carbohydrates. In the absence of protein, their bodies start eating their own muscle and organs.¡± I shuddered at the notion. Having your innards digested by your own cells was the literal definition of starvation. Human scientists needed to spread these facts around; it would make predation more sympathetic. Flesh-eating made sense if biology left no alternative. Noah couldn¡¯t eat any meat while he was at the Federation summit. No wonder he was irritable; I had no idea he was in such agony. Burgeoning concerns flooded my mind, and I stared at the ambassador in horror. We were informed from the onset that humans had higher protein requirements. Had the vegetarian visitors been suffering or starving to pacify us? I hoped none of them would have long-term repercussions; that was never my intention. Noah¡¯s brown eyes softened. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Governor? Was that too graphic?¡± ¡°You have been starving from eating plants?¡± I squeaked. Meier breathed a frustrated sigh. ¡°Humans are omnivores, Tarva, as we have told you many times. The nutrients in vegetables are quite accessible to us.¡± ¡°That said, without animal products, we usually develop serious mineral deficiencies,¡± Noah interjected, sensing my next question. ¡°Vegetarians need supplements or fortified foods: B12, iron, protein, and so on. This has been explained to your medical community.¡± Undoubtedly, it was easier to absorb those nutrients through dietary means. At least the Terrans could survive on vegetation, with a little help. The Arxur couldn¡¯t derive any nutritional value from plants, even if they wanted to. I didn¡¯t know why zero scientists, here or in the Federation, had figured that out. ¡°So it¡¯s not about bloodlust at all. I get the point, I think,¡± I sighed. ¡°What do you want to do about the grays¡¯ story?¡± Meier grimaced. ¡°Governor, I¡¯ll give it to you straight. The Arxur offered us an alliance, and the Federation has forced us to hear them out. We need all the help we can get; especially from such a powerful player.¡± I stared at the floor, and avoided Ambassador Noah¡¯s pitying gaze. This was the scenario every Venlil dreaded, from the moment humans declared their peaceful intent. Everyone feared they would buddy with the Arxur at the first opportunity. We hoped that these predators wouldn¡¯t be like the ones who saw us as tasty playthings. But the truth was, Terrans were nothing like the monsters we imagined. They sided with the Federation, and mustered a genuine attempt at peace. General Jones told me a long time ago that humanity would do anything to protect Earth. I couldn¡¯t blame them for making that decision: forsaking our predicament for theirs. I blinked away tears. ¡°Do what you have to. I understand why you¡¯re leaving us. Their friendship is more¡­impactful¡­¡± ¡°Leaving?¡± Meier echoed. ¡°Wait, do you think we¡¯re just going to let them eat you?¡± Noah stepped toward me, shaking his head for emphasis. ¡°We¡¯d never abandon you! Never, understand?¡± The Terran ambassador enveloped me in a warm hug, without waiting for a response. I sank into his suffocating grasp. Losing the humans would be a devastating emotional blow; especially this particular human. I didn¡¯t think I could bear it. The selfish part of me wanted them to stand against the Arxur, whatever the cost. The Secretary-General cleared his throat pointedly. ¡°We consider you the same as our own people. Any deal with us mandates the release of all captive Venlil, and an armistice between your governments. That is non-negotiable.¡± ¡°W-what? You want us to ally with¡­or bargain with the grays?!¡± I hissed. ¡°Something like that.¡± ¡°Elias, I killed my only child because of their bombing excursions. I remember how it felt, t-to hold her in my arms as I told the doctors to disconnect life support. Forgive me if I¡¯m not thrilled about the idea.¡± The humans were considering a deal out of necessity, but the circumstances were different for our predator friends. Terrans hadn¡¯t been slaughtered en masse for centuries; that wasn¡¯t something you just forgot. Whatever the Federation had done, it didn¡¯t change the unspeakable atrocities committed against Venlilkind. You can¡¯t reason with creatures who bomb schools, and laugh at brutalized pups. I don¡¯t want to talk to the grays. I recognized that personal experience was clouding my judgment, but I didn¡¯t want to brush it aside. The Arxur ripped apart my life. Even my mate and I separated, because he reminded me too much of our daughter. The pain was still a constant ache in my heart. Suffice to say, I despised the Arxur with the utmost venom. ¡°I am sorry for your loss, Tarva. I know how hollow those words must sound.¡± The wrinkles on Meier¡¯s face were taut with sympathy. ¡°But please let me correct that statement: you did not kill her. You chose not to prolong her suffering, because you¡¯re a selfless, kind person.¡± My tail drooped with grief. ¡°T-thank you. Is that what you really think?¡± ¡°I do. That¡¯s why I think you¡¯ll help us broker this deal. So nobody else on your world will have to endure that feeling, ever again. And so that we might not have to bury our loved ones, seven days from now.¡± The UN leader was a gifted speaker; I¡¯d give him that. Was any price too high to bring peace to my planet? Even a brief reprieve would merciful, if it halted the torment of millions. All the Venlil really wanted was for this senseless war to stop. ¡°Noah, how can we¡­no, how can you trust them?¡± I asked, after a long silence. ¡°I don¡¯t, but there¡¯s no good alternatives.¡± The ambassador crossed his sinewy arms. ¡°I¡¯m disgusted by those fascist child-eaters, but the Federation is the immediate threat to Earth.¡± Meier frowned. ¡°We¡¯re ideologically incompatible with the Arxur, long-term. An alliance would be temporary, to buy time. Perhaps we can steer them down less reprehensible paths.¡± I supposed the reptilians would be less of a menace under Terran control, pointed at our enemies. Still, how could we justify this to the non-hostile Federation majority? The largest voting bloc were the 107 that sought an anti-Arxur alliance with humanity. Those species would see a predatory partnership as violating the crux of their position. ¡°Are you guys trying to ensure I lose next year¡¯s election?¡± I grumbled. ¡°I¡¯ll stand with you, but this won¡¯t look good. You might as well go on galactic television, and pledge to eat a Zurulian infant a day.¡± Noah flashed his teeth. ¡°Well, the birds already think that¡¯s our morning breakfast. We¡¯re past worrying about appearances.¡± ¡°Very well. Though, I hope you have a better plan than flying to a cattle world and offering me as a sacrifice.¡± Meier smirked. ¡°Actually, an Arxur captain gave us the location of one of their spy outposts. I¡¯m going to fly within comms range, and strike up a nice conversation. Care to join me, Tarva?¡± The thought of seeking a carnivore¡¯s safe haven made my heart stop in my chest. There was nothing I would care for less, than to be surrounded by abominations. The mental image, of hungry eyes darting over my vital areas, made me want to curl into a ball. What Venlil would ever want to talk those foul beasts? A low whine rattled off my vocal cords. ¡°I can¡¯t think of a worse idea, but I¡¯m right behind you. Let¡¯s get going.¡± Chapter 46 Memory transcription subject: Governor Tarva of the Venlil Republic Date [standardized human time]: October 10, 2136 Alarms blared from the cockpit, and my fur stood on end. Meier¡¯s head snapped up from its snoozing position; the human needed only a fraction of a second to process the stimuli. The Secretary-General jumped into full-alert mode, scrambling toward the ship¡¯s helm. It was incredible how quickly the predator brain kicked into fighting mode. Our transport was accompanied by a ten-ship UN escort, which was armed to the teeth. We planned on skirting the edge of FTL comms range, and blasting a long-range transmission toward the Arxur station¡¯s coordinates. There shouldn¡¯t be a high chance of conflict, since we were keeping a substantial distance. Still, the humans came prepared to protect their leader. ¡°Status?¡± Meier asked, his voice icy calm. ¡°What¡¯s all this about?¡± The Terran pilot grimaced. ¡°Massive formation on an intercept course, about two milliparsecs out. Looks like patrollers of an Arxur make.¡± ¡°Hail them on all frequencies.¡± ¡°Already done. No reply, sir, but our sensors picked up an attempted target-lock.¡± ¡°Abort mission. Adjust our course at once.¡± ¡°Too late. We can¡¯t shift our heading quick enough in hyperspace.¡± Shit, I don¡¯t belong anywhere near a conflict, I panicked. Why didn¡¯t the humans assume this station location was a trap? I guess desperation overrode their paranoia. It seemed the reptilians weren¡¯t as keen on talking as the captive ones posited. The fake promise of an alliance was exactly the sort of deception the Federation claimed was inherent. If the Arxur managed to subdue us, I might have to take drastic measures. I hoped I didn¡¯t pass out at the first sign of boarding; my head felt woozy, like I had been twirling around for hours. Meier¡¯s eyes widened, and he caught me as I lurched forward. It was all I could do to coax the slightest motions out of my muscles, as the terror of becoming Arxur livestock intensified. The UN leader pushed me back into my seat, and strapped me into the harness with steady hands. ¡°P-please¡­Elias, I c-c-can¡¯t¡­please kill me if they get on board,¡± I pleaded. The Secretary-General combed a hand through his gray hair. ¡°Nobody is going to die. We¡¯ll figure a way out.¡± ¡°No, p-promise to kill me if that time comes.¡± My words tumbled out in hyperventilating gasps, and I caressed my searing heart. ¡°You have no idea what they¡¯ll do to me, especially when they figure out who I am. Please.¡± ¡°I understand what you¡¯re saying. Everything is going to be fine, but I need you here with¡ª¡± A colossal jolt radiated through the ship¡¯s frame. Meier doubled over, clutching his temples; profanity spewed from the human¡¯s mouth. That was quite the deviation from his typical composure. It felt wrong to see such a stalwart man roll onto his side, and curl up into a fetal position. His cheeks had turned bright red, and his binocular eyes watered. Is Meier okay? He looks like he is asphyxiating. I¡¯ve never seen a human¡¯s skin that color. The effects of the FTL-disruptor pulse hit me a millisecond later. I felt my ears pop like I was in a plummeting elevator, and the discomfort only escalated. I whimpered in pain, as I sensed the fluid sloshing in the auditory canals. The positive was it snapped me out of my fear, but the existing dizziness was compounded. My surroundings were an undulating haze. ¡°Fucking hell,¡± the Secretary-General grunted. ¡°Shields. SHIELDS!¡± The Terran leader shifted onto his stomach, and began to crawl toward the cockpit. He tapped his earlobe, still bothered by the ringing sensation. He then shook his head, as vigorously as a rain-drenched Venlil. I didn¡¯t think any human had been on the receiving end of a disruptor pulse before; this crew was the first to experience it. Our ship¡¯s pilot raised an unsteady arm. The disorienting effects inhibited his coordination, and he couldn¡¯t jab his finger on the right button. There was no concerned chatter from our escorts; their bearings must be rattled too. The grays had rendered us defenseless. Silver streaks closed in on us from a diagonal heading. Orange light encompassed an escort vessel¡¯s hull, as the Arxur swooped in. The reptiles seemed to be taunting us by drawing so close. More blinding beams accelerated around us, and drilled into the UN craft from flawless angles. This was a beatdown, not a fight. I struggled through my own panting. ¡°Elias, get a firearm and shoot me. Please, I beg you.¡± A disgruntled Meier struggled to his hindlegs. His hair and attire were more disheveled than I ever recalled. The dignitary was painstaking with his grooming and persona. His reddened skin glistened with water, and dark stains spread under his arms. Human sweat had a way of making them look slimy and feral. ¡°Hail the Arxur again, but with a video preview. Do it!¡± the Secretary-General barked. The helmsman stiffened. ¡°Are you mad, sir? That¡¯s going to be a little difficult now.¡± Our pilot slammed a fist on the control column, swerving away from a flock of mini-missiles. I¡¯d guess those were designed to squeeze between chinks of armor, or dodge interceptors. Our ship listed to one side, as several hits battered our underbelly. The navigator howled some curses. Meier shook the other man¡¯s shoulder. ¡°OPEN A CHANNEL. Do exactly what the fuck I said!¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The Secretary-General placed his hands on the console, steadying himself as kinetics pelted our armor. Our allies were trying to intervene, but several were otherwise occupied. Meier gritted his teeth, and turned his eyes right toward the camera lens. An Arxur ship banked around us, and pivoted to a head-on view of the cockpit. Its railguns glowed, as it prepared to finish us off. My bloodstream was flooded with nauseating chemicals; these were the last moments of consciousness I would ever have. To my bewilderment, the enemy craft hesitated. Its weapons powered down, and it lost interest in our staring contest. The other grays also backed off, leaving their Terran targets time to recuperate. They circled back to their jump point, and watched us from the increased distance. ¡°Greetings on behalf of the Arxur Dominion.¡± The throaty voice on the speakers was accompanied by a visual of a menacing creature. The sight of its yellowed fangs was revolting. ¡°Our sincere apologies, brothers. We do not mean you any harm.¡± Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Meier heaved a flustered sigh. ¡°Why did you attack us? We hailed you as soon as we saw you.¡± ¡°Your subspace trail originated from Venlil Prime, so we didn¡¯t realize it was you,¡± the predator croaked. ¡°You were heading straight for a key foothold of ours. Listening to the prey beg is a waste of time. I¡¯m sure you understand.¡± It didn¡¯t escape my notice how the Secretary-General¡¯s shoulders tensed. He inhaled a few purposeful breaths, as though trying to restrain his temper. I was aghast at the civility the Arxur was displaying to the humans. Nothing directed at us ever suggested this demeanor was within their capacity. Even as they are polite to the Terrans, they are bashing Venlil. They would never agree to a truce with us. ¡°We were heading for your listening station,¡± Meier growled. ¡°Humanity wishes to negotiate terms for our species¡¯ interactions¡­and we have some intelligence to offer.¡± Its eyes narrowed to slits, inspecting the primate¡¯s form. ¡°Speak. I am listening. Identify yourself.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Secretary-General Elias Meier, leader of the United Nations. Do you have the authority to negotiate on behalf of your species?¡± ¡°Authority over this sector. I¡¯m Chief Hunter Isif. This transmission is being recorded, so I will relay anything you say through the proper channels.¡± My difficulty in collecting my thoughts was frustrating, but this was marked improvement from being fired upon. It was unsurprising to learn Arxur labeled their highest-ranking officers as chief hunters. Their society revolved around the systematic slaughter of other sapients. Did the humans really think they could change that? This was a foolish mistake on my part. The Venlil had no part in any of this, even if we were loyal to the Terrans. ¡°That will suffice,¡± the Secretary-General decided. ¡°Humanity thought you would be interested to learn seven species that have relocated their military assets. In other words, their territory is practically unguarded.¡± Isif¡¯s tongue flittered between its fangs, as it salivated at the prospect of a raid. The sinister gleam in those eyes was enough to make me question humanity¡¯s plan. How could my friends call such a malicious assault on the Krakotl¡¯s head? Meier knew precisely what would happen to the civilians on world; it was a low move, even with the stakes. ¡°Also, there are 17 other species who have mobilized a couple ship units,¡± the human leader continued, without any sign of guilt. ¡°Perhaps that will weaken a few key regions, or result in their forces being spread thin. The first seven names will be easiest, but it¡¯s your choice.¡± The Arxur offered a scratchy chuckle. ¡°Send the data over, Meier. I take it these assets have¡­relocated to attack you? You wouldn¡¯t give information for free if it wasn¡¯t in your interest.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. But I do have a request in return.¡± ¡°If you want to ally with us, you need only ask.¡± The human leader paused. He turned around to face the cabin, and waved for me to join him. I shook my head in the negative, not wanting the predator to see my presence. The entire dialogue was going to crumble, the second my face appeared on screen. Meier crossed his arms, tapping his foot with impatience. The stubborn human was going to wait until I joined him, one way or another. Blood roared in my ears, as my shaking claws unclipped the harness. My legs felt like they were made of jelly; I slunk up beside the primate with my tail between my legs. The Secretary-General¡¯s eyes glowed with defiance. He scooped me up by the chest, and propped my paws around his neck. The reptile¡¯s maw hung agape for several seconds; the dilation of its eyes made my grip tighten. I imagined it was contemplating how I¡¯d look on a carving station. ¡°Why is that feeble animal not cowering?¡± Isif asked, at last. ¡°You have your food loose in your ship?!¡± My ears pinned against my head. ¡°F-fuck you, scaly wretch. I hope you rot in a furnace.¡± The Arxur leaned back, and placed a spindly arm beneath its snout. I was surprised it didn¡¯t return the insult, or lobby vulgar threats at my race. The way it flashed its teeth reminded me of the Terrans¡¯ amused expression. Then again, perhaps it was the display of appetite that we used to interpret that as. Meier sighed. ¡°Tarva, meet Isif. Isif, meet Tarva. Excellent, now everyone is acquainted.¡± ¡°Its name is irrelevant. It is lesser. Explain yourself, quickly, human,¡± the Chief Hunter snarled. ¡°Sure, that¡¯s easy. If you want positive relations with the UN, cease all hostilities with the Venlil Republic.¡± The human bared his teeth in a confident smile. ¡°Also, release every Venlil in your custody. We will compensate you double the cattle¡¯s weight in fresh meat, so food is not an issue.¡± ¡°I¡­you have some nerve! Why would we relinquish our right to such a delicacy? Why would this be the entire basis of your terms?¡± ¡°The Venlil are our partners. You recognize the value of sowing division within the Federation, and having sources with access to their information. You also know what a powerful ally we could be. Sparing one species isn¡¯t that important in the grand scheme of things.¡± Isif cast a ferocious glare at me, but I managed to meet its gaze. The Arxur could not harm me through the screen. This could be my only chance to confront a monster, and I wanted it to know that Venlil were not just inferior creatures. My courage seemed to cement its decision. A growl rumbled in the soulless predator¡¯s throat. ¡°We heard you took Arxur captives during our unfortunate clash in Gojid space. Add them to your end, and we have an agreement¡­unless you killed them. In that case, there won¡¯t be any deals today.¡± ¡°I accept those terms. For the record, we don¡¯t kill surrendering prisoners. It¡¯s not strategical,¡± Meier replied. ¡°We¡¯re glad to hear that. How do you wish to complete this transaction?¡± ¡°Bring the captives, alive, to the abandoned Venlil colony I just sent you. We¡¯ll give you the code to a storage satellite, once you¡¯ve left the prisoners unharmed. The exchange will be arranged a month from now.¡± ¡°That is acceptable.¡± I blinked in amazement, unable to believe my ears. Had the Arxur hunter agreed to release all of our livestock, that easily? My instincts suggested that it had to be deception. For all of Meier¡¯s poised words, I couldn¡¯t fathom the benefit to the enemy. The logistics of reintegrating millions of traumatized Venlil, and trying to explain that our greatest allies were warlike predators, daunted me too. That was on top of the projected millions of Terran refugees we needed to find a place for. Perhaps the grays agreed to release the cattle, because they realized the burden it would place on our infrastructure. The humans¡¯ judgment will be sound. You can discuss this with their generals later, if they have the time. The Secretary-General scowled at the camera. ¡°You try anything on the Venlil, we blow the satellite up. Also¡­we have a rough estimate of how many cattle you have, so don¡¯t try to cheat us.¡± Isif snorted. ¡°Cheat you? I am extending my claw in friendship. But your request will take considerable effort, and it¡¯s inevitable that some mewling Venlil will slip through the cracks.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Meier muttered. ¡°Thanks for your time, Chief Hunter. I hope our information serves you well.¡± ¡°Yes, the ¡®misplaced assets¡¯ have been¡­passed along. Why do you not just ask for our help stopping their attack?¡± ¡°Because I have no guarantee you wouldn¡¯t just destroy your competitor.¡± ¡°Ha, destroy you? If we wanted that, you would already be dead.¡± Something about the Arxur¡¯s tone sent a chill down my spine. That didn¡¯t sound like an empty threat; the reptile was certain that it could fulfill that goal if it desired. A predator¡¯s bluster wasn¡¯t usually so nonchalant and dismissive. Meier raised his eyebrows. ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± ¡°We squeezed Earth¡¯s location out of some cattle. The scholarly types. Learned a lot about your species¡­your violence,¡± Isif chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand, I¡¯m not saying this to threaten you. But that should prove we won¡¯t attack.¡± ¡°I¡­I see.¡± The human¡¯s complexion reverted to its ashen state, and concern flashed in his pupils. ¡°Why are you so interested in befriending us?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the most exciting thing to happen to this galaxy in a long time. We searched for other true sapients for centuries. It¡¯s a shame the prey found you before us.¡± The Secretary-General stared at the screen, unable to formulate a response. The excitement at finding fellow predators clearly wasn¡¯t mutual. The last thing the humans needed was another genocidal enemy scoping out Earth. That made it much tougher for this partnership to be a temporary stopgap. ¡°Don¡¯t look so glum. I¡¯m told the Federation tried to kill humanity in its nest; we are the same. That clingy rodent is more likely to harm you than us!¡± Isif declared. My eyes narrowed. ¡°I have never lifted a claw against humans, predator. You don¡¯t know me.¡± The Arxur curled its lip. ¡°Oh, but I do, dinner. You Federation hypocrites are all the same. Have a safe ride home, humans. I¡¯ll see you around.¡± The video call ended, and Meier helped me climb down from his back. The Secretary-General looked shaken to his core. That final revelation wormed into his skull, and escalated his concerns for his home. I hoped I hadn¡¯t aggravated the situation, but the way the reptilian spoke to me was maddening. That conversation hadn¡¯t inspired any optimism for Earth¡¯s future; at least, not in my book. It was dubious whether the gray would fulfill its stated bargain as well. Whatever the humans desired from that engagement, I hoped they got it. Chapter 47 Memory transcription subject: Captain Kalsim, Krakotl Alliance Command Date [standardized human time]: October 16, 2136 When deprived of sleep for days, the crew began to get a little jumpy. The Terran ambushes became more sporadic along the journey, but persisted all the same. The Krakotl fleet was left with no choice but to stay on constant alert. I focused on keeping the other officers rested, while I shouldered the brunt of the shifts. My personnel became run-down despite the adjustment. It was severe enough that I ordered Zarn to give essential crew members stimulants. The drugs left me wired enough that my wing wouldn¡¯t stop twitching, which was a nuisance. But with our arrival slated for today, the soldiers couldn¡¯t afford to be drowsy. Sharp wits were a necessity to clash with humans; perhaps that was the purpose of the ambushes all along. Yet another disruptor pulse had shaken us up on the outskirts of the Sol System. The jarring effects were becoming routine, as we all tried to clear the fog from our minds. My eyes felt like a Mazic was sitting on them, but I forced them to stay open. The predators wouldn¡¯t break us on my watch, not on the cusp of our destination. My gaze shifted to the viewport. ¡°XO, status report.¡± ¡°I¡¯m detecting sensor anomalies. The humans may be somewhere nearby, but it¡¯s tough to tell.¡± Thyon proved a godsend with his analytical mind. His skillset complimented my tactical understanding. ¡°We¡¯re already in the system¡¯s outer orbit. This is their last chance to strike.¡± The sensor readout revealed that we were less than a milliparsec from Earth. We anticipated the bulk of the Terran armada was waiting within Sol¡¯s inner reaches. I had no doubt the humans set up FTL interference throughout their system, so there would be no further hyperspace hops. The rest of the journey could be handled sublight. Our instruments picked up millions of planetesimals, which were mainly composed of ice. The circumstellar disc was a sprawling collection, which Federation scientists had noted as one of two debris planes. Our fleet filtered out all water-dominant objects, so they wouldn¡¯t drown out enemy movement. Where are the humans? If this is the border of their territory, you think they¡¯d send someone to greet us. ¡°Is there anything to be concerned about with this location? Any weapons hidden in the belt?¡± I squawked. The first officer cleared his throat. ¡°The objects are spread too far apart to pose a threat, sir¡­as visual indicates. I detect no mining activity or research stations.¡± ¡°There has to be something unusual,¡± I pressed. ¡°Humans don¡¯t just pick their spots at random.¡± ¡°All I notice is that they just powered down the FTL disruptors. Perhaps their primitive defenses are malfunctioning? We could shave a few hours from our travel time, if we can get in one more jump.¡± Suspicion filtered through my tired brain, and I urged myself to consider the circumstances. It seemed unlikely that all of humanity¡¯s defenses would collapse at the same time. The only reason they would halt the signal would be to allow their own ships through. But there were no unknown drive signatures on sensors. We should see any predators coming with ease. As if to mock my certainty, a massive chunk of ice blinked into existence amidst Krakotl ranks. It plowed into the heart of our formation, dwarfing the ships it steamrolled over. Panicked chatter barked over the radio, and our Federation allies scrambled to expend an orbital bomb on the object. We managed to crack the first planetesimal, but dozens more surfaced on several headings. My talons undid the sensors¡¯ filter, and hundreds of warp blips emerged on my screen. The predators predicted that we would filter out anything icy, which rendered their strike invisible to our instruments. I could appreciate the deviousness of their ploy; human creativity was leaps and bounds beyond the Arxur. I leaned over the comms panel. ¡°ALL FEDERATION VESSELS, deploy your FTL disruptors now!¡± The subspace indicators vanished, as enough of our allies complied with my order. Still, dozens of hijacked planetoids, twenty times the diameter of our craft, were enough to cause a headache. We needed to take evasive maneuvers if any were on trajectory for our position. Jala puffed out her chest with excitement. ¡°And so it begins. I want to be the one to push the button when we burn their cities!¡± There was no time to worry about her derangement. It didn¡¯t matter if she was the one dropping the payload, or if I handled it myself. As the one giving the orders, the burden of responsibility fell on me. I knew what a terrible deed we were about to commit; the mental images gnawed at my conscience. At least the creatures from past exterminations had no foreknowledge of their demise. I wondered how many humans¡¯ last thoughts would be of their families. Those unsightly hunters had more in common with us than most Krakotl would like to admit. Their desperation to survive and their collectivism resonated with our own. It is truly a shame that predators are prone to destruction and violence. There is only room for one of us in the galaxy, I reminded myself. This crew is sacrificing something of ourselves, so that the Federation has a chance to survive. Nonetheless, I respected how the hominids utilized every asset at their disposal. Dozens of Krakotl warships lie crushed or totaled around us; the Terrans never had to rear their ugly heads. One icy object was barreling toward our location, despite the pitiful attempts to obliterate it. The asteroid¡¯s magnitude left no doubts that our hull would implode, if it connected. ¡°The damn inbreds strapped a warp drive to a space rock. Who the fuck does that? Or even thinks to do that?!¡± Thyon spat. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. I hummed in thought. ¡°Someone who sees anything as a potential weapon. A predator much more dangerous than the Arxur.¡± The Farsul gritted his teeth. ¡°Glad you¡¯ve seen the light, Captain.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always ¡®seen the light.¡¯ Now quit with your snide remarks, and find us a way out of this mess!¡± Thyon jerked his floppy ears in disdain, before issuing new orders to navigations. The asteroid was propelled forward by its existing momentum. It was near enough that I could glimpse the imperfections on its surface. Distant sunlight glinted off the watery composite, and washed it in a serene, ultraviolet hue. That color would look a lot less beautiful smashed up against our plating. Our vessel executed a sharp turn, and rerouted power to acceleration. The state-of-the-art warship didn¡¯t seem to cover the space fast enough; it felt like a predator was nipping at our talons. My stomach somersaulted, as the projectile scraped by nearly atop us. We cleared the collision course with mere seconds to spare. The humans might¡¯ve hoped to incite panic, so that they could cow us through our instincts. We had to remember that the stakes were our entire civilization; our right to roam the galaxy in freedom and dignity. Quelling my nerves, I contemplated which weaponry could take the icy mass out. Careful placement of explosives should still conserve firepower for the main event. Movement flashed in the viewport¡¯s corner, a streaking blur of metal. My weary brain took a full second to process the new data. An allied vessel was gunning straight toward us; a head-on collision wasn¡¯t something either of us would survive. But the fools were preoccupied dodging their own asteroid, and seemed oblivious to our presence. ¡°Move the blasted ship!¡± I screeched. ¡°Can you not see we¡¯re going to crash?!¡± The navigations officer curled his neck with trepidation, as he frantically brought our nose upward. There was a brief scraping sound, from the friendly brushing our underbelly. The artificial gravity failed to compensate for another abrupt change. A forceful tug sucked us toward the rear of the bridge, and I lost my balance on my perch. My wings fluttered frantically. There wasn¡¯t enough time to gain proper lift, but I wanted to slow my fall. The air beneath my cyan feathers allowed me to drift, and I glided down the slanted gravity well. Other Krakotl also used shared instincts to cushion their fall. Thyon wasn¡¯t as fortunate; flight didn¡¯t exactly grace his tubby form. The Farsul¡¯s stout paws offered little traction, and his curved hindlegs made his bipedal stance¡­ precarious in the best circumstances. His jowls quivered with fear as he tumbled backward. There was a sickening crack from his head slamming against the support wall. ¡°Thyon! XO, you will answer when I speak to you! Give me some sign that you¡¯re alright,¡± I hollered. The first officer didn¡¯t respond. He was crumpled in a limp heap, with a concerning amount of blood pooling around him. What if the poor guy was dead? Regardless of his attitude, the last thing I wanted was to send him home in a body bag. Jala clicked her beak together in delight, and I shot her a warning look. She was elated that my second was knocked out of commission, since it cleared the return of her old post. It was bothersome that a person could derive pleasure from another¡¯s misfortune, but I suppose it was no different than Zarn relishing human suffering. Soldiers like them could perform their duties without remorse, at least. Focus on the battle, I chided myself. You cannot get distracted and let the humans surprise you again. Honor Thyon¡¯s wishes. The gravity adjustment kicked in at last, and my crew members scrambled back to their posts. The navigations officer rushed to level our heading. We were fortunate to escape with our frame intact, and only a few dozen allies taken out. The most imaginative strategist wouldn¡¯t have accounted for asteroids warping out of nowhere. I glided over to the downed first officer, containing any untoward displays of grief. His russet fur was matted with blood, and he was unresponsive to poking. My talons locked around his hind ankle, digging into the pulse point. Relief coursed through my veins, as I felt a faint heartbeat. ¡°Doctor Zarn!¡± I sent a transmission to the medical bay, praying that the spiteful Takkan had any healing aptitude. ¡°My security team is transporting the first officer to your lab. Serious head trauma, internal bleeding.¡± ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll attend to the necessary preparations, Captain,¡± Zarn replied. The security personnel carted the unconscious Farsul away, and I suppressed my concern. With neural trauma, the officer might be looking at permanent damage even if he was stabilized. There was no telling what timeframe to expect for Thyon¡¯s recovery, but I doubted he¡¯d be back within the mission¡¯s span. It hadn¡¯t been within my forecast to lose anyone this early in the mission. My attention reluctantly returned to the battlefield, where the Federation fleet was trying to regroup. Dormant Terran ships crept out from behind planetoids, and descended on any stragglers who strayed too far from the group. The chaos of the asteroids had broken our tight formation. Numbers were our primary advantage; we would be fine as long as we stuck together. They cannot stop all of us, or even a majority. Jala ordered a sizable contingent of our fleet to charge at the Terran raiders, to deter them from pressing their luck. I blinked in irritation, as she claimed that the command was authorized by me. Lying was not a quality I appreciated, especially when it was done to get her way quickly. Then again, perhaps it was better to let her make the time-sensitive decisions. ¡°Burn any humans that try to run! We have to kill every one of them!¡± Jala shrieked. The atmosphere was solemn, as her phraseology was a bit too honest. She projected a certain vindictiveness that needed to be tempered down. This mission couldn¡¯t be about inflicting suffering, or killing for killing¡¯s sake. That was not why I wanted my crew to think we were doing this. I tucked my wings behind my back. ¡°Don¡¯t let a single predator go, if you can stop it. The more humans that escape, the greater the chance they retain a viable population.¡± ¡°Why is that such a bad thing, sir?¡± an engineering assistant asked. ¡°There¡¯s two futures, son: the one where we survive, and the one where they do. When cancer metastasizes, it infects and consumes all healthy tissue nearby,¡± I answered. ¡°Is that what you want for the galaxy? Consider this an early detection¡­before it spreads to our heart.¡± A group of Terran fighters were blazing away, after punching at our weakest links. To my relief, my crew locked onto a pair of targets and chased them with plasma. Krakotl warships converged on the cluster like locusts; they sent those ¡°fearless hunters¡± running off like Venlil. The humans were surprisingly slippery, finding an escape route with minimal casualties. Their ships evaded with vaulting maneuvers, and a plethora of defensive countermeasures were built into their hardware. For all my knowledge of predators, I hadn¡¯t expected these ones to be so adept at fleeing. This was a positive sign, if they had so little courage. My eyes landed on the faint blue dot on the horizon, which the predatory opportunists were retreating toward. Humanity was poised to make their last stand; the poor saps would perish without any reason to be missed. We were close enough to Earth to detect thousands of ship contacts, fanned out as a protective ward. A smarter species would¡¯ve used those vessels to flee, if they knew of our arrival. That territorial nature does have its downsides. They¡¯d rather fight and die, just like we predicted. The first wave of Terran defenses were beaten, and I suspected that was the toughest stage of transit. That asteroid trick would only work once. We had a clean shot to the predator¡¯s home. Now, that small fleet was all that stood between us and orbital supremacy. We were so close to eliminating the menace that was humanity. Chapter 48 Memory transcription subject: Captain Kalsim, Krakotl Alliance Command Date [standardized human time]: October 17, 2136 Renewed energy surged through my veins, as the fleet coasted within striking distance of the human armada. This was the most important skirmish of our lives. The Terran forces were a ragtag bunch, consisting of a primary cluster of recycled Venlil vessels, a few of their own slow behemoths, and a handful that looked too small to host a proper crew. Our homogenous warships had the advantage of both conformity and technology. Scans of Earth offered some interesting insights, as we registered several million life signatures in underground structures. I conferred on this data with the fleet, and we agreed to nail those havens first. Human bunkers were not designed to withstand direct antimatter blasts. Once their key hideouts were demolished, major population centers were the second priority. ¡°Orion advance, ready your plasma guns on the Terran formation,¡± I chirped into the comms. ¡°Follow this five seconds later with a generous donation of missiles. Everyone will fire on my mark.¡± The radio crackled to life with a reply. ¡°How certain are we that we can defeat these predators?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a simple math equation. We all act together, and we have more guns than they have ships.¡± The Terrans held their position, as we coordinated our target locks. Jala aimed our railgun at a gargantuan warship, which already registered five others pinpointing it. Overkill wasn¡¯t the worst idea, to ensure that the largest enemies didn¡¯t survive. My sensors warned that our fleet was being target-locked in return, and a spurt of munitions were seconds from impact. ¡°FIRE!¡± I screeched. The lights show around me was a marvelous sight, with energy beams zipping between us and the humans. I watched as our target was sundered by various incisions, capping off the largest threat before it began. Other predator craft fell to the sheer onslaught; their numbers couldn¡¯t hold a candle to ours. We sustained some damage to our frontlines, though many vessels that were hit by the enemy were able to press on. The ships we selected to lead the way were Farsul armor-heavy vessels, by design. They didn¡¯t pack as much in terms of weaponry, but they could absorb more force than the standard craft. In other words, those craft shielded the rest of us. The surviving human vessels were either nursing grave wounds, or had pulled off lucky evasive maneuvers. I estimated we¡¯d taken out 40% of our opponents with the first strike; the other fronts must be enjoying similar success. The Krakotl fleet wasn¡¯t showing any mercy, and showered missiles at the predators. The hominids left a trail of interceptors behind them, desperately trying to muster some fight. This is almost unfair, ganging up on such a primitive species. No wonder they wouldn¡¯t engage directly; maybe it was as much pragmatism as cowardice. The enemy pilots seemed to realize they were falling back toward Earth¡¯s atmosphere. They had no choice but to turn and fight, or surrender orbital supremacy. Our allies were encouraged by their concession; we charged forward with righteous determination. I could feel my own crew¡¯s qualms about battling predators dissipating. I tossed my beak for emphasis. ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down. Predators will try anything if they¡¯re desperate enough.¡± ¡°Sir, the smaller craft are shooting kinetics and plasma at us, while charging at max speed. Thing is, I¡¯m not detecting any life signs,¡± Jala chittered. ¡°Have the humans found a way to hide from our sensors? They might be concealing some bunkers.¡± Confusion rippled through my plumage. ¡°I doubt even humans made advances against technology they barely understand. The pilots could have just ejected, and left the vacant ship on a collision course.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t listen to what I said. The craft are still firing on us, and making course corrections. There has to be a pilot!¡± she protested. My talons tightened around my perch. Those Terran ships didn¡¯t seem to be steering on a pre-set course. Before my eyes, one of them whirled out of the way of a plasma beam; it performed a total thrust reversal on a dime. I didn¡¯t know how anyone could calculate that fast, or how the lapse in gravity wouldn¡¯t cause a pilot to pass out. Hell, the g-force should crush an organic¡¯s skull. While predators in movies were nigh unkillable, that was not reality. Those maneuvers were impossible. The only conclusion was that those spacecraft were flying themselves, and killing based off some sort of algorithm. How could a computer ever learn strategy¡­and even if it could, who would risk implementing that function into its programming? I leaned over the comms. ¡°The smaller craft are fighting without human input. I believe they¡¯re ordered to crash into us at max velocity. FOCUS ON THEM!¡± Hundreds of railguns pivoted toward the threat, and a slew of missiles greeted the pilotless-craft as well. If our readings were correct, these robots seemed reliant on nuclear power. The plasma jets they unleashed at close range were tied to those systems. The humans had skipped right to inflicting the most damage possible. A single hit burned through even the Farsul ships¡¯ hardened exterior. It''s actually quite clever, to not have to worry about losing pilots. They don¡¯t have to fuss over containing reactions from weapons, or expending power on life support. The Terran automatons were decimated when we managed to connect, but they reacted quickly to our threats. We had to focus multiple warships on a single one, to make sure it couldn¡¯t calculate us to death. Several reached their targets, and rammed nose-first into the armored front line. Our hardiest ships took significant losses; the humans were determined to take them out of the equation. Jala singled out aggressive predator vessels, and provided suppressive fire for our allies. We advanced deeper into their territory, knowing human fervor would render them reckless. Their crater-pocked moon passed alongside us, a landmark of our goal. Defense satellites minced us with lasers and gunfire, but they were idle targets to be taken out. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. The predators were retreating in gradual increments, and their scattered formation was on the brink of collapse. These stalling attempts, inventive or not, were futile. In a few thousand kilometers, we could commence the orbital bombardment. ¡°Sir, the humans are broadcasting a message fleetwide. Should I discard it?¡± the comms officer asked. I sighed. ¡°Let their last words be heard. It¡¯s the right thing to do.¡± ¡°Federation fleet, we advise you to turn back now. We took the liberty of informing the Arxur of your departure.¡± The audio transmission had no video, but the booming voice was jarring even without a visual. ¡°If you return now, you might arrive in time to save your planets. You¡¯ll need the artillery you¡¯re going to expend on Earth. We will accept your surrender and allow you to return unimpeded.¡± A stunned silence swept across the bridge. Every crew member was undoubtedly recalling their home, and the people we left behind. Nishtal was our birth planet, a marshy paradise with floating cities and breathtaking algae blooms. It didn¡¯t surprise me that the humans would guarantee it fell alongside Earth; that was predatory spite. But the thought of returning to Nishtal, to see every stilt-tower and ceremonial nest obliterated, cracked a small piece of me. That wasn¡¯t even considering how the Arxur would ravage our population. What egoistic predator didn¡¯t take prizes of its hunts, after all? Friendly radio chatter cropped up again. ¡°The Arxur are coming for us? I¡¯m sorry for listening to one of those fiends, but we have to save our homes!¡± ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± another captain agreed. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we at least send a part of the fleet back? We never should have left Nishtal unguarded.¡± ¡°Take heart, my friends. The humans are bluffing; we have them scared shitless.¡± I didn¡¯t believe the primates were fibbing, but this mission had to be finished. Whatever the cost. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s possible to talk to the Arxur? The predators want to manipulate our empathy, and use it against us.¡± The last part was true, though I found it improbable they¡¯d stake that wager on a falsehood. The Terrans hoped they could wield our compassion for our brethren against us. They probably understood how we felt, seeing our homes vulnerable and under siege. This was a cost I could barely find the strength or the logic to commit to. Odds were, a few hours wouldn¡¯t make a difference on this scale. Our fleet would be disorganized, and short of ammo, whether we accomplished the objective or not. The question was whether any other species could survive through our sacrifice. ¡°But what if they are telling the truth?¡± came the retort across Federation channels. I lowered my eyes. ¡°Then we¡¯ll be out of here in a few hours. If the Terrans survive, they will just join forces with the Arxur. Humans are untenably violent, and they¡¯ll want revenge. There is no choice but to eradicate Earth.¡± The fleet rallied behind my words, finding their conviction restored. There was nothing to stop the humans from following our subspace trail, and unleashing their retribution on our cities. It was far too late now to walk back any attack; predators didn¡¯t forgive or relinquish grudges. The first bomber group barreled toward the line of Terran ships, who were behaving strangely. I watched as they backed away, and left massive gaps in their formation. Why were they giving our vessels a path to break through? Either they were extraordinarily cocky in anticipating our ¡®surrender¡¯, or this was a trap. Thousands of missiles slammed into our spacecraft seconds later, hailing from the direction of their moon. The explosives demolished any ships they touched; I was stunned to see radiation amidst the readings. These items could only take out one ship without shockwaves, but the missile contacts numbered half of our vessels. The fact that the predators stocked that many nukes on Luna¡­ Why do the humans have such an oversized supply of city-killers? What reason could they have to point them at their own world from above?! ¡°Deploy all missile countermeasures!¡± I shrieked into the comms. ¡°Destroy every structure on their moon. I¡¯m sure that has to be the last of it, but¡­¡± Just as the Federation fleet began compensating for the nuclear deluge, the humans deployed another staggering missile wave. This salvo was also in the thousands, begging the question of just how large their atomic cache was. No wonder our scientists thought the apes irradiated their world; it wasn¡¯t for lack of trying! Jala spotted a military complex near us, and dropped an antimatter bomb onto the lunar coordinates. As much as I hated to waste extermination supplies, I didn¡¯t question the necessity of stopping the nuclear assault. Every bomber who forged ahead was getting buried in radioactive warheads; there were only so many explosives we could shrug off at once. The Terran defenders camped by the orbital threshold, hurling plasma at anything that moved. Thousands of our ships had succumbed to the mindboggling missile count; we were still trying to swat the remnants away. With our numbers whittled down, the humans smelled blood. Our attack force suddenly seemed a bit more manageable. I flapped my wings in irritation. ¡°We have to find a way through the wall, and quickly. Any suggestions, Jala?¡± ¡°Well sir, there is a small gap by the northern polar cap. The predators are overextended,¡± my sociopathic second replied. I blinked. ¡°Good thinking. That is where we can break through, and pick our mark.¡± My mind wandered as I relayed assignments. The first item was delegating our quickest ships to rush through the enemy opening. Our entire lead bombing unit was atomized, so the swift cruisers were the obvious replacements. I figured the humans would try to stop any advance. The second our people started moving, we needed to block the predators from sealing the gap. Earth looked depressingly beautiful, as I studied the viewport. White clouds formed a veil over tan landmasses, which were divided by rich oceans. I was relieved that this skirmish was almost over. Savages or not, it was impossible not to feel sorry for the humans. There was exquisiteness and wonder in what they had built. And I knew there were plenty of us left to get the job done. ¡°It¡¯s been an honor serving with each of you. Let¡¯s finish this, so we can all go home,¡± I croaked over comms. Federation cruisers bolted toward a vacant space in the Terran formation, and pushed their engines past recommended limits. Our warship joined the masses surging forward; the walls rattled as we careened into position. The non-essential ships formed a metal shield between the cruisers and the humans gunning to intercept them. An angular Terran behemoth sauntered toward us, not even slowing down as we hovered in its path. My nav officer took evasive maneuvers, and ducked their uncontrolled plasma and missiles. The humans weren¡¯t taking the time to aim! I could almost hear the predators begging us to stop, and guilt tugged at my heart. The massive ship launched dozens of smaller craft from its hangar bay, but they were spliced up by our kinetics on arrival. Those scrawny fighters were easy pickings for us. The spacecraft carrier found itself target-locked by a murderous Jala. The female Krakotl showed no emotion as she directed a missile through a hangar, circumventing its armor. ¡°Yes!¡± She leapt up with enthusiasm, as the predator ship erupted into pieces. ¡°It¡¯s funny, isn¡¯t it? We¡¯re blocking them from getting to the real target¡­and these humans are forced to watch.¡± An appropriate somberness overtook the bridge, as the rest of us processed her words. There was nothing amusing about what we were slated to witness. It was difficult to remember that it was just business. Fifteen Federation cruisers slipped past the humans, with the timely help of the allied fleet. They crossed the final kilometers to orbital range, and scoped out the exposed planet below. I watched as the predators flung everything they had at the attackers, knowing full well they were out of reach. Time seemed to freeze around us; this was a moment that would reside in my nightmares. The payloads struck home after a painstaking eternity. Bright flashes dotted Earth¡¯s continents, and the anti-matter purification wiped away our first human targets. Chapter 49 Memory transcription subject: Slanek, Venlil Space Corps Date [standardized human time]: October 17, 2136 The Terran drone monitoring station was set aboard a massive boat, for some reason. I guessed it was because a moving target would be difficult for the Krakotl to nail from orbital range. More than likely, they would need to dive through the atmosphere to take us out. My friends had terrestrial aircraft and defenses waiting for that moment. The humans judged that I was better equipped for an oversight role, scanning communication channels for anything helpful. Despite his protests, Marcel was still sidelined due to injuries as well. It was a safe assumption that his assignment was more to calm me, or to jump in if I froze. There were dozens of other predators in the control room, each itching to be in the stars. Instead, we all watched the battle unfold from behind a computer monitor. As the first Federation bombers broke through, everyone realized how quickly our defense was falling apart. There was a seriousness I¡¯d never seen in humans, even in the darkest situations. Why couldn¡¯t they have fled Earth, like I told them to? ¡°Our satellites registered 42 impacts, some on major population centers.¡± General Jones addressed the station¡¯s crew in a solemn tone. ¡°I¡¯ve assigned each of you a local newsfeed to listen in on. We¡­need to keep track of which cities have been lost.¡± I watched as the American officer placed a handful of red pins on a map. Her drone program hadn¡¯t quite worked out every aspect of space warfare, but its hasty deployment was the only thing keeping us in the game now. Teaching the automated programs to differentiate between hundreds of alien ship classes, space debris, and subspace disruptions was no small feat, I was told. My red-haired friend opened a news stream on a side monitor, and traced a clawless hand across his facial scars. The image I saw out of my periphery made me want to grab my blinders, but I forced myself to look. It was an aerial view of rubble in all directions; a sprawling metropolis turned into a wasteland by antimatter. ¡°---of Mexico City and New York City rocked North America. The Raven Rock Bunker Complex has also been demolished, killing essential US personnel. However, no region has gone unscathed. Asia has sustained an unequal share of the detonations. Initial reports confirm mass devastation in Karachi, Tokyo, Dhaka, Shanghai, and Mumbai, several highly populous cities. The seat of the Chinese government, Beijing, is yet untouched, though it is expected to be a future target. On the European front, Switzerland¡¯s extensive bunker network has made it the target of multiple bombing deposits. Their entire population, as well as a million refugees from EU neighbors, are packed in various shelters. Meanwhile, the Turkish government denies reports of a hit to Istanbul, despite satellite imagery suggesting its fall. In the Southern hemisphere, contact has been lost with Sao Paolo, Lima, and Buenos Aires. Africa is reporting impacts to Kinshasa, Lagos, and Cairo, while Oceania mourns the fall of Sydney. Conservative casualty estimates are in the tens of millions, planetwide.¡± ¡°How can the Federation do this, Slanek? Why do we deserve to die?¡± Marcel¡¯s eyes watered, and his voice was a scratchy whisper. ¡°We¡¯re just people, like you¡­all we wanted was peace!¡± I pinned my ears against my head. ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry. I wish we could do more to help.¡± ¡°These are civilian hubs! There was no reason for any of this to happen¡­not even their own worlds under fire could make them stop. Millions are dead because of our eyes, because we¡¯re so fucking different to you.¡± Despite the anger in his words, I could see that my friend was on the brink of a breakdown. The UN fleet was being pummeled on all fronts, and every screen depicted ship explosions. My heart clenched as I realized Tyler might already be dead; the tall flesh-eater was signed onto a spacecraft carrier crew. Human artillery was depleted too, despite their unsanctimonious love of nuclear weapons. My resilient predator can¡¯t give up now, can he? It¡¯s like Marcel is admitting defeat. ¡°I know, Marc,¡± I said gently. ¡°Listen, no matter how much this hurts, we have to keep fighting until the last settlement falls. If we¡¯re gonna die today, we better take a lot of them with us.¡± Pure hatred glimmered in his hazel eyes. ¡°Oh, you didn¡¯t have to tell me that. If humanity glues itself back together, I hope we kill every last one of them.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t mean that, my friend. Know us Venlil are with you to the end. For whatever that¡¯s worth.¡± The Venlil only had a few hundred ships left in reserve, after donating the bulk of our fleet to humanity. Nonetheless, Governor Tarva ordered the majority of our remnants to Earth¡¯s defense. They were intermingled with human units now, playing supporting roles. There were less than fifty warships remaining behind at Venlil Prime. Both sides knew the Republic government sent more than we could spare. My gaze focused on one Venlil grouping, whose human front line had succumbed to a brazen Krakotl charge. The predators committed themselves a bit too heavily to stopping the first bombers, and still failed in that regard. The Republic ships banded together on instinct, which made them a larger target on sensors. I was stunned by how little the enemy hesitated to dispatch them. This Federation onslaught seemed just as predatory as the humans, if not more; it was like they didn¡¯t consider Venlil people anymore. We couldn¡¯t just freeze and rely on herd mentality, as our comrades were being murdered. ¡°Venlil support, you need to stay mobile,¡± Marcel growled into his headset, clearly noticing the same issue. ¡°Do not let yourself become a sitting target. Call for UN backup; your allies will find a way to help you if we can.¡± The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. A few Terran ships overheard the chatter, and ducked their engagements to help the Venlil grouping. The Republic¡¯s plasma aim was noticeably worse than the Federation¡¯s; the prey crews must be panicking. Even with my extra training, I would be terrified in their position. They were parked in the path of certain death. The Krakotl ships clashed with the battered UN reinforcements, while the Venlil threw in supporting missiles. The humans were flying like crazed maniacs, at least on the manned ships. I think the predators found the energy to protect us, because they realized our opponents would break through otherwise. We might be the ¡®weakest species in the galaxy¡¯, but at least it¡¯s extra ships to stand in the way. I should be with the other Venlil, fighting¡­ The humans were churning out explosives and gunfire, and the Venlil kept aiding from a safe distance. The Federation must''ve realized that those campers were prey-crewed vessels, not predators. Several enemies rerouted their trajectories to cruise through our timid offerings, instead of searching for an opening. The Terrans swerved to meet the hostiles, and concentrated plasma fire on the largest warships. Heavy Federation classes had the most explosives, so they were the priority. Earth¡¯s innocuous shape loomed behind the Venlil defenders. With armed vehicles barreling toward them, the urge to flee must be overwhelming. I donned my own headset, contemplating what Sara had taught me. ¡°Venlil ships, you are much stronger than you think you are. The Federation is wrong about us; we are not just the galaxy¡¯s laughingstock. Push past your limits! Hold the line!¡± Several Venlil were retreating before the Krakotl overtook them, but scrambled back into position. None of us wanted humanity¡¯s home to suffer further harm. Most had come to love the arboreal predators, and love was as good a motivation as hatred. My people clawed back more than the Krakotl expected, though the aggressors cut the Venlil ships down in droves. A few Federation craft slipped through on that front, as friendly forces succumbed to the larger assault. My heart sank when I saw nobody was chasing the leader bomber; the other Terran groups were too far away and otherwise occupied. About twenty missiles were fast-tracked to Earth, which I knew meant millions more casualties. That was a statistic too staggering to comprehend. If the Venlil didn¡¯t make a last stand, it would¡¯ve been a hundred detonations. It¡¯s about mitigating the damage at this point¡­and praying for a miracle. The Krakotl were clever, enough to allocate a few warships to guard their rear flank. The UN''s Gojid liberation fleet had attempted to hit them from behind, but found an armed unit waiting at the ready. Had the circumstances been less dire, I think the humans may have noted how the birds were a worthy foe. The Terran ship count was ticking down to 1000 on our readout; the early stages of the battle were catastrophic. The Federation still had several thousand vessels at their disposal, and pressed ahead with unchecked aggression. Our predators were running out of ships and tricks. They could only be so many places in the vastness of space at once. The enemy bombers trickled through in small groupings, and that meant the death toll continued to rise. I couldn¡¯t imagine how Marcel felt; the red-haired human was holding his head in his hands. He slapped my tail away, when I wrapped it around his wrist. Terran civilization, everything he ever knew, was slipping away, in the span of an hour. I jostled his arm again. ¡°Hey, Marcel, please help me. There¡¯s five hundred new contacts from the direction of your colony Mars. I don¡¯t know who to notify.¡± I was aware that I was supposed to alert General Jones, but I thought feeling useful might do my friend some good. The vegetarian needed to snap out of his misery, and turn his thoughts away from Nulia and Lucy. He must be feeling guilt for sending them to a bunker. Honorable predators should go down fighting, not wallowing in self-pity. ¡°Did you hear me?¡± I demanded. ¡°There¡¯s more ships inbound, of a standard Federation make.¡± ¡°A second wave of Federation monsters? Wasn¡¯t the first one enough?!¡± he spat. I couldn¡¯t blame him for that reaction. The Terrans had no spare manpower to allocate to a fresh armada. But there had to be some attempt to stop the newcomers, even if it was woefully insufficient. Seeing that my human wasn¡¯t going to be helpful, I flagged down General Jones. She studied the data for a full minute, poring over the details. The American officer frowned. ¡°It¡¯s difficult to lock on the signal, but it appears they¡¯re trying to hail us.¡± ¡°Shall I put it on the main screen?¡± an attendant asked. ¡°Yes, patch us through the interference. If the Feds are offering us a surrender, I think we have no choice but to accept it¡­unconditionally.¡± The occupants of the monitoring station turned our attention to the central video feed. General Jones positioned herself in front of a camera, a bitter look in her eyes. It was unclear why the Federation would reverse their stance on total extinction. Wasn¡¯t their only demand every human dead? A quadrupedal animal appeared on screen, and Jones¡¯ expression morphed to surprise. Those rounded ears and soft brown fur were Zurulian features. The captain shied away from the camera, clearly having never seen a human before. ¡°GODS, DON¡¯T EAT US! Please! Uh¡­I mean¡­¡± the Zurulian stammered. ¡°Don¡¯t shoot us?¡± Jones¡¯ lips curved down. ¡°What are you doing here? This is an active warzone.¡± ¡°Friendly! F-friendly! We¡¯ll leave.¡± The quadruped was struggling to string coherent thoughts together. I jumped out my seat, and wagged my tail at Jones in a ¡®Go away¡¯ gesture. The human general didn¡¯t take the hint, so I gave her leg an insistent shove. Understanding flashed in her eyes, and she ducked out of view of the camera. I flicked my ears reassuringly. ¡°Zurulian officer, please inform us of your intent. Nobody is going to hurt you.¡± ¡°Chauson...wanted¡­begged the prime minister to help humans. Unrelenting. He said they were nice, but t-they just look hungry to me! So hungry!¡± Hope flickered back into Jones¡¯ pupils. ¡°Wait a second. You¡¯re here to help us?¡± ¡°Why is it growling at me? Venlil, you¡¯ve got to get out of there!¡± I exhaled in frustration, and glanced at Marcel for support. My human¡¯s eyes were a million light-years away, red around the rims. His lips never moved, not even a forced snarl. That brokenness gave me the resolution I needed. ¡°That is just how humans talk, because they have deeper vocal ranges. There¡¯s nothing to be afraid of,¡± I said. ¡°We need urgent assistance at several locations. Help would be very much appreciated.¡± The Zurulian tilted his head. ¡°I know what my orders are, but won¡¯t these predators attack anything in sight? They¡¯re in aggression mode! And this is a quarter of our entire fleet. We¡¯re no military species.¡± ¡°Zurulian, we¡­we¡¯ve already lost millions of lives. Innocent lives.¡± A rare hint of emotion crept in Jones¡¯ voice, though she quickly steadied herself. ¡°I promise we want nothing more than to protect Earth. I will relay word that you¡¯re friendlies. Please, if you believe in peace, help us.¡± The quadruped¡¯s gaze darted to the viewport, where his formation was closing in on the Federation attackers. His expression was conflicted; I was worried that he might go against his orders. This captain acted predator-averse, and even showed disgust at the sight of a human. The call was terminated without any clarification. Terran ship numbers continued to dwindle, while the Zurulians sat and watched. General Jones sighed, and highlighted the new vessels as alien friendlies. That was a necessary gamble. The Federation had yet to notice the newcomers'' approach; I prayed that they would intercede on Earth¡¯s behalf. Chapter 50 Memory transcription subject: Captain Kalsim, Krakotl Alliance Command Date [standardized human time]: October 17, 2136 The predators¡¯ formation was disintegrating, and it looked likely we would secure victory within the hour. I considered broadcasting an apology to the surface, once Earth¡¯s space fleet was exhausted. The unfortunate civilians knew they were witnessing the last day of their civilization. Did the humans not deserve the solace of an explanation? There was a part of me that wondered if we could¡¯ve found another way. The issue was their growth and reproduction, which would be exponential if left unchecked. Maybe we could¡¯ve isolated any humans who surrendered on an abandoned world, sterilizing them to prohibit breeding. That way, the existing primates could live out the rest of their lifespan, without the option to prowl the stars. What if there was another path to achieve extinction, without the deaths of billions? Ah Kalsim¡­such thinking is counterproductive. ¡°Zarn, any update on Thyon?¡± I asked, hoping for a brief distraction. The doctor took several seconds to respond. ¡°The first officer is in a medically induced coma, but I¡¯ve managed to freeze the brain swelling. He¡¯ll live, though I can¡¯t predict the long-term effects, sir.¡± Some tension was lifted from my wings, with the assurance that the Farsul would survive. This entire crew needed a piece of good news. We were set to join the next bombing rush; all remaining Federation ships were partaking in this charge. This was the chance to strike down every last craft the humans had limping above-world. ¡°By the way, I¡¯ve quite enjoyed the show from my little window. I much preferred it when we thought all of these nasty creatures were dead,¡± Zarn added. ¡°Whatever your predator delusions, you should be proud of yourself, Captain.¡± I tossed my beak in disdain, not dignifying that statement with a response. Relations between myself and the Takkan practitioner would be much better if he kept his opinions quiet. My talons swiped through the screens, ensuring that our payloads were in working order. All systems were operational onboard; there was just a small dip in our shield capacity. Our vessel fell into the rear of the advance, and navigations increased our acceleration. We would have control over the final targets, which might require flexibility. My expertise would come in handy, assigning relative importance to locations. Why did it feel so wrong, to speak about Terran settlements in those terms? Thoughts of Nishtal¡¯s impending invasion weighed on my mind too. There might not be any home to go back to. Krakotl civilization would be the last casualty to Terran brutality, but that didn¡¯t ease the horror of it. We might be forgotten by the Federation within decades, just another species that fell to the Arxur. I hoped historians would appreciate our sacrifice. Alarms flashed on sensors, snapping me out of my torturous musings. Several allied vessels had been picked apart by precision strikes, right beside us. The rear flank was blindsided by hundreds of blips, who were darting in between our flotilla. The newcomers were trying to shove their way to the Terran fortifications. ¡°Ready weapons, and fire at anything we don¡¯t recognize!¡± I screeched. ¡°Where did these bastards come from? They¡¯re a little late if they¡¯re humans.¡± My comms technician shuffled nervously. ¡°I just finished decoding communications between a Terran command post and these vessels. The Zurulians sent military assistance.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got to be joking. The Zurulians have a fledgling, erroneous association with the humans. What have the predators ever done for them?¡± Jala snickered. ¡°Never mind that, Captain. I¡¯m pretty sure the Galactic Institute of Medicine and their twenty ships aren¡¯t going to tip the scales either way.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the point! Comms, I need to know these developments ahead of time.¡± ¡°He¡¯s right. Stars forbid the Yotul show up with a trebuchet next.¡± The sociopath feigned a swooning motion. ¡°Then we¡¯re really screwed!¡± I huffed in irritation, watching as our ship turned to face a Zurulian hostile. The quadrupeds gave us a wide berth, and dodged Jala¡¯s errant plasma beam. Several Federation captains were calling out conflicting orders on the comms, which led to disarray. Exhaustion was making it difficult to recall foreign military techniques, so I couldn¡¯t find solid advice to offer. The Terran fleet were advancing on our front lines, capitalizing on the breakdown of command. Cursing the Zurulian fools, I barked orders to pull back and regroup within the lunar orbit. This was a waste of precious time, that could be vital to the defense of our home. We weren¡¯t going to leave an extermination half-done. We¡¯ll get our bearings, and charge at Earth again. Perhaps we can still accomplish this quickly. The Federation reassembled, adjusting for the fresh reinforcements. The numerical advantage was still slanted to our side, and prey wouldn¡¯t fight half as well as a human. However, it might be difficult for the crew to fire on Zurulians. We had accepted that the Venlil were reduced to predatory thralls, but this race was a new convert. ¡°The Zurulians chose their side, and they chose wrong. I know it seems harsh to strike them down, but they put themselves here.¡± I surveyed the expressions of my crew, noting how distraught they looked. ¡°If the Arxur are truly attacking our homes, this might cost us our entire civilization. Everything is on the line; there is no time for bargaining.¡± Jala hissed in frustration, as she realized our missiles were depleted. Perhaps she shouldn¡¯t have been so liberal with their usage. The plasma railgun had recharged, but I wasn¡¯t sure how low our gas supply was running. We couldn¡¯t afford to have only kinetics at our disposal; discretion was required going forward. The Zurulian fleet fell in beside the humans, though they seemed wary of drawing too close. There was no basis for those fears; the risk of Terrans attacking their allies right now was negligible. These predators were too smart to betray useful assets, that Earth needed so desperately. They weren¡¯t just raving beasts. ¡°Sir, more unknown ships incoming! There¡¯s¡­¡± my comms technician trailed off. I blinked. ¡°Where from? How many? Speak!¡± ¡°T-thousands. The subspace trails are from all over the place¡­¡± My confusion intensified, and I attempted to stave off my sleep-deprived stupor. The humans didn¡¯t have many Federation allies; to my knowledge, only six could respond in time. Two of those partners were already here. The neutral powers had no intent of interfering either way, since it would simplify their stance if we succeeded. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. But no singular Federation race had that many ships at their beck and call. This had to be some sort of group or alliance. Maybe these were weaker species that had been coerced. Others might give into cheap tactics if their homeworlds were held hostage. That, or the humans had found a way to deceive our sensors. These contacts could be decoys meant to sow confusion. How would such a trick even work though? The comms analyst scratched her crown. ¡°Sir, we¡¯re picking up a looping transmission from this mystery fleet. It¡¯s directed toward Earth. Putting it on screen now.¡± My beak nearly split open, as the video feed materialized. Those slit pupils were the unmistakable identifier of the Arxur. I was uncertain whether their eye shape was solely for ambush hunting, or if they allowed the grays to stalk at dusk. It made human vision seem like love beacons by comparison. ¡°This is Chief Hunter Isif,¡± the reptile clicked. ¡°Forgive our tardiness, but we did request that you disable FTL disruptors multiple times. Hang in there, humans. We are here to help.¡± A few crewmates were sobbing from the beast''s projection. Even an extermination officer like myself was paralyzed by those dagger-like teeth, jutting from its truncated maw. The length of its gullet, visible as it spoke, was a ghastly sight. Why were the grays not laughing at the loss of life on Earth? Those demons delighted in death and suffering. They went out of their way to cause it. It didn¡¯t seem within their behavioral pattern to save a weaker sapient, even if that species were predators. ¡°I don¡¯t understand any of this. How are the Terrans responding?¡± I stammered. The comms technician pecked away at her station. ¡°L-lots of chatter from the human coalition. It doesn¡¯t appear their command was expecting the Arxur, though that could be staged for the benefit of their¡­less vile friends.¡± ¡°Shit! The Zurulians and the Venlil can¡¯t be happy about this, can they?¡± ¡°No, sir. The Zurulians are demanding to know why the Arxur are here, and the Venlil are asking why they were not informed.¡± ¡°The Terran response?¡± ¡°The humans claim they didn¡¯t invite the grays, but aren¡¯t in a position to reject their help. They suggest that their allies ¡®go with it¡¯, unless they¡¯d prefer to fight the reptilians too. Their response to the Arxur offered thanks, and insisted those two prey races are friendly.¡± Of course that¡¯s what the clever monkeys said. They excel in manipulation tactics, and they¡¯re using both parties. I leaned back on my perch, wondering if this would kill the Zurulians¡¯ ties to humanity. This should unmask the truth about the Earthlings'' long-term goals. Perhaps we could convince the other races to stand with us, but the time spent pleading with them would allow the Arxur to pounce. If the grays were genuine in their intention, the tide of this battle would turn decisively. The numerical edge was in the Terrans¡¯ favor, with these new additions. Not to mention the psychological impact the Arxur¡¯s presence had; many Federation vessels were panicking at the prospect. We had to break through to orbital range with haste. ¡°There¡¯s no escape route, and¡­we stand no chance against the grays. But we can make our deaths mean something to the galaxy,¡± I squawked on the fleet-wide frequency. ¡°We must get as many bombs off against Earth as possible. All Federation vessels, charge at max velocity!¡± The Krakotl and our allies bolted forward, right toward the waiting human alliance. The Zurulians hesitated, not firing on either party. The quadrupeds¡¯ reluctance to abet Arxur allies made them the obvious point of entry. Their railguns were powered up, but few of them acted even as we closed in. The Zurulians came to a decision, and dropped into defensive positions. Plasma arced straight toward us; I saw my life flash before my eyes. The beam sailed just off to our side, and obliterated the neighboring ally that was keeping pace with us. If their aim was half a degree different, that would¡¯ve been my vessel in tatters. There was no time to gawk at the wreckage left behind, with the Arxur swooping in on any stragglers. While I wasn¡¯t proud of the extermination itself, our sacrifice was valiant and honorable. The Krakotl fleet knew that most of us were about to die, but the captains had the commitment to finish the job. ¡°The Arxur are swallowing our rear flank, sir. Their ships are gaining on us faster than we can move,¡± Jala called out. ¡°Should we turn and stall them?¡± I puffed out my feathers. ¡°Absolutely not! Keep going!¡± According to sensors, the reptilians¡¯ maximum speed was much higher than we ever documented. I realized that they had been concealing their technological limits. Two gray bombers selected us as their quarry, and sent drive-tracking missiles in our direction. Jala shoved the nav officer out of the way, deploying a stream of interceptors in the nick of time. A Terran robot ship had also spotted us, and launched supercharged plasma at our position. We barreled through the Zurulian line with urgency; they were no longer of comparative importance. My sociopath rerouted all power from shields to the engine. The core was already overheating from exertion, before this stunt. The female Krakotl didn¡¯t quite manage to get ahead of the inbound plasma; it plowed into our aft compartment. Alarms began ringing overhead, while crewmates screeched in terror. My readout informed me that steering was offline. The engine was listed as a critical failure. We¡¯re stuck on a one-way ticket toward Earth. The ship is going to crash¡­assuming it doesn¡¯t get blown to bits first. ¡°All crew to escape shuttles!¡± I shrieked, as loud as I could. The personnel didn¡¯t need to be told twice, as the flapping of wings drowned everything out. I took a deep breath; it was up to me to finish the job. We were about thirty seconds from orbital distance, and these two bombs could cross a few million humans off the list. Jala began to abandon her perch, which earned a withering glare from me. ¡°Get back here! I know you want to save yourself, but the rest of the crew will kill you for being a ¡®predator.¡¯¡± I jabbed a talon at her, then pointed to the weapons station. ¡°You have no future, no place in society, without me. So you¡¯re going to stay right here until the job is done!¡± She hesitated, but was persuaded by my argument. The overhead power flickered out, as the engine began to melt nearby systems. The emergency lighting colored the floorboards a dim hue, and only essential functions were available. A plethora of enemies were still chasing our runaway ship. With our shield power rerouted away, there was no disincentive to use kinetics. Arxur bullets plowed through our armor, and the Terran automaton chipped in its own lead munitions. ¡°Requesting assistance in the medbay,¡± Zarn panted over the comms. ¡°I am unable to carry Thyon on my own¡­nor am I able to fly the emergency medical pod. Captain? Anyone?¡± I sighed. ¡°I will be there in a minute. Hold on, Doctor.¡± The Terran robot was recharging its weapons, but struggled to keep up with our unsafe speed. Fear burned through my veins. I offered a silent prayer, that we would survive long enough to complete the mission. It was a few more seconds until we could deploy the anti-matter bombs. The human contraption didn''t target us, from outside a reliable range. Arxur munitions were inflicting steady damage, but they hadn¡¯t caused any catastrophic explosions yet. We hobbled into orbital range, and established target locks on two Terran cities. Jala slammed her beak on the firing mechanism. I gave her a nod, and we fled from the bridge with urgency. The journey was a blur, as we swooped down the evacuation stairwell. Jala bowled through the door to the medbay, examining a pacing Zarn. The Takkan doctor had thrown some supplies in his designated shuttle. I was surprised he hadn¡¯t just left Thyon for dead. The unconscious Farsul had a clump of bandages around his head. It was painful to see him comatose on a cot. ¡°You took your time!¡± Zarn spat. I glared at him. ¡°We came as fast as we could. I think you of all people would want us to make sure the explosives made it to Earth.¡± The ship rocked around us, barely swallowing a hit from one of our enemies. There was no time for bickering, if we were to survive. The three of us shouldered Thyon¡¯s weight, and deposited him into the pod¡¯s rear seat. The doctor strapped the injured patient in, as Jala and I brought the shuttle online. The vibrations intensified around us, likely from our vessel entering Earth¡¯s atmosphere. Without heat shielding on the damaged areas, the main hull was going to be incinerated. Jala closed the exit hatch, and we jettisoned the shuttle. The controls would have to be learned on the fly. Cerulean skies surrounded us out the window, as we plummeted toward the ground below. The momentum from the ship¡¯s breakneck fall had carried over. I wrestled with the control column, and tried to steady us. Jala flung all power to thrusters, but it could only slow us down so quickly. No, no, no. We can¡¯t be stranded on a predator¡¯s planet. We have to get back up to our fleet¡­ Land was rushing up to meet us much too fast, even as our velocity lessened. Impact looked to be an inevitability; there was nothing I could do to prevent it. My body snapped back in the harness, and our shuttle¡¯s belly collided with foreign grass. Chapter 51 Memory transcription subject: Captain Kalsim, Krakotl Alliance Command Date [standardized human time]: October 17, 2136 Dry air buffeted my face, as we disembarked amidst tall grass. The shuttle crash was bound to attract attention from the humans. I imagined this place would be swarming with troops, if it was anywhere near a military base. We had no idea where we were, or how many predators were in the area. My breaths were strained as the three of us hauled Thyon¡¯s body across a savanna. Sparse trees dotted the vast plain, and a few beasts roamed the landscape. None of the orange predators zeroed in on us, but they were definitely something to avoid. I couldn¡¯t see any bipedal human shapes, but it was a matter of time before we ran into one. It¡¯s much easier to fly than to walk. We need to find some place to leave Thyon. A place to shelter¡­and to sleep would be nice. On our left, a bank of clay and sediment led down to a small pond. I was thirsty, but given that there were more bright-colored predators bathing in it, I¡¯d stick to our rations. With how tired I was, I didn¡¯t feel up to exterminating any threats now. ¡°This place is infested with predators. Only a few artificial structures,¡± Zarn grunted. I studied the doctor¡¯s grimace. ¡°I don¡¯t think humans cull their predator population at all. This is what happens when you don¡¯t have extermination officers.¡± ¡°Can you imagine living on a planet like this? What an uncivilized world.¡± This alien hellscape could be host to all kinds of nightmarish murder-beasts. The vicious creatures around us had lean, nimble forms, and fangs that put the sapient primates to shame. Most humans were unlikely to set up shop in predator-territory. It could be a very long walk to civilization, from this wilderness. After a brief pause, we began the laborious trek toward the far-off tree line. The expanse seemed to stretch for kilometers, with no sign of the nearest settlement. This region¡¯s heat was punishing, making me want to collapse in a puddle. No wonder the humans¡¯ fur had evolved away. ¡°We need to put this dead weight down. This Farsul intruder is going to get us all killed!¡± Jala spat. I glared at her. ¡°I don¡¯t leave my crew members to die. There¡¯s wild monstrosities everywhere, and the humans could do anything if they stumble across him.¡± ¡°So what? The rations would be better spent on people who can walk and fight.¡± ¡°Lives are not trading chips, Jala. Haven¡¯t you killed enough people today? I¡¯ll leave Thyon when there¡¯s an appropriate spot, hidden and secure.¡± A cave, or any kind of cover, would be a welcome sight. There was no locale devoid of predators to stash Thyon. Leaving him in the open, to be gnawed on by a cast of beasts, wasn¡¯t an option. It was unclear how much energy any of us had left; our flock might have to camp among the demons soon. I was relieved to spot a breaking point in the grass. There was an uneven dirt path, which had faint vehicle marks in its silt. That meant Terrans did stray to this region, from the safety of a metal cage. At least we could communicate with human predators; an isolated one could be threatened into giving us supplies or shelter. Zarn looked to me with watering eyes. ¡°Kalsim¡­captain¡­¡± The Takkan doctor heaved some strained breaths, and placed Thyon on the ground. He bent over, trying to catch his breath. Fear was swelling in his amber gaze. The realization that we were stuck on Earth, amidst livid humans, was settling in. ¡°Humans have definitely visited this place.¡± Jala scanned the red arch in front of us, with the prototype visual translator. ¡°The writing says ¡®Ranthambore Tiger Reserve¡¯¡­I¡¯m guessing those orange predators are ¡®Ranthambore tigers?¡¯¡± Alarm awakened my senses. ¡°Reserve, you say¡­like an area set aside for a specific purpose. The humans intended for this predator growth to happen, Jala?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± ¡°That is peculiar. Why would they want rival, stronger hunters on the loose?¡± Even the sociopath seemed stumped by my question. Such animals were not conducive to modern living. Maybe the humans wanted whatever prey the tigers prioritized for themselves, and snatched it away from them once the hard work was finished. It didn¡¯t make sense. There were much easier ways to feed their hunger, than by stealing from ferocious fiends. I was certain a species with guns could hunt without assistance. ¡°They like the chaos and the violence,¡± Zarn panted. ¡°This human war tribe could want to keep out dangerous visitors, especially their own kind. We might be in the most vicious nation on the planet!¡± I didn¡¯t know what the truth was, but I was going to assume it wasn¡¯t anywhere close to that. The doctor lacked crucial understanding about humans. Their society was too structured for a state entity to stoke chaos intentionally. It must be something more philosophical in nature. Given how many galactic religions were organized against predators, it could be that Terrans saw hunters as deities. The Krakotl¡¯s farming goddess, Inatala, brought plants to the universe to feed her children. Predators were considered a perversion of her natural order, who turned to Maltos, the god of violence, out of greed. Our reality was the eternal struggle of good and evil. I strayed from the faith once I became an extermination officer. The priesthood had a way of twisting the goddess¡¯ teachings; none of it matched with their written beliefs. Maltos wasn¡¯t an inhibitor of empathy, but merely an agent of destruction. We had seen that predators were violent and greedy, while not without some positive qualities. ¡°I think this is some kind of worship center,¡± I decided. ¡°Maybe somewhere to pray surrounded by carnage, for hunting success. Or for the expansion of war.¡± Jala chuckled. ¡°A religion devoted to bloodshed? How interesting.¡± ¡°It is interesting, actually. This is why I wanted to preserve their culture¡­because we understand their kind so little. We¡¯ve become enthralled with violence and killing ourselves, in trying to be pure.¡± The doctor curled his lip. ¡°A brutal race doesn¡¯t deserve any legacy for their culture. I¡¯m enthralled with the punishment of the wicked, not killing itself.¡± If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Your motives are rich with hatred. It poisons you,¡± I hissed. ¡°Now, let¡¯s get moving¡­before the sun finishes setting.¡± The group hobbled away from the reserve in uneasy silence. There was no telling where the road led, or what animalistic carnage lie ahead. A more spiritual Krakotl would see this as a temptation by Inatala. I had never intended to get up-close-and-personal with human territory; our mission was supposed to be impassive. Distant. This is a test to my soul, regardless of divine presence. We must face Earth¡¯s horrors, without surrendering our values. As we progressed past a clump of trees, my hearing detected a faint sniffling. It was accompanied by sporadic gasps, so I figured it must be a predator crying. Jala cued in on the sound as well, and drew her sidearm. The female Krakotl looked eager to kill or mock the beast. Sympathy tugged at my heart, and perhaps a bit of regret. If a human was mourning the devastation we caused, what right did we have to disturb it? Something told me I was outvoted though, so I raised my weapon. The flesh-eaters were too dangerous to leave on the prowl, while we were out in the open. If a single extermination was necessary to safeguard my people, so be it. I gestured to set the injured Farsul on the grass. ¡°Zarn, watch over Thyon, and alert us if any other predators are approaching.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see your extermination skills in action,¡± the doctor chuckled. Jala clicked her beak. ¡°His skills? Kalsim is soft on the humans. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m going to crack its skull. ¡°I expect you to be as silent as possible. We don¡¯t want it to know we¡¯re there, until we have it cornered. Also, let me ascertain some information before you off it.¡± ¡°What if I want to scare it?¡± the sociopath drawled. ¡°The human is not in a stable state of mind now. It could go into a fit of rage on a whim. Let¡¯s not push our luck; we just need its shelter.¡± The female Krakotl curled her neck in disdain, but took cautious hops forward. My feet glided across the leaves, and I took care to avoid any twigs. A fabric dome, supported by stakes in the earth, was established amidst a clearing. A single human was stretched out on a blanket; it appeared to be watching videos on a handheld device. Terror swelled in my chest, as my instincts urged me not to approach. The feeling subsided upon drawing closer; secondary observations swayed my emotions. This primate was of a lesser stature than indicated in Noah¡¯s data dump. Its skin seemed untouched by aging, and its register lacked the booming growl of males we had spoken to. If I had to hazard a guess, this human was an adolescent. Perhaps it was crying because it lost its parents; that would explain why it was alone, and had wandered to predator-infested territory. My thoughts began racing with unpleasant images. It took a great deal of effort to push them away. I stopped a few paces from its blanket. ¡°Put the electronic device down, and slide it to me. Don¡¯t even try to alert any¡­fellow beasts.¡± The human startled, and pointed its tear-stained eyes at me. Its lips parted with alarm; it flung the device toward me like it burned to the touch. Video footage was still playing on the screen, as predator anchors described the loss of life in a city called Bengaluru. I wondered if that was the kid¡¯s home. ¡°P-please, take whatever you want. Just leave me alone,¡± it whined. That begging was rather unbecoming of a predator. Maybe it hadn¡¯t become desensitized to bloodshed yet. I focused my gun barrel, careful not to keep my grip too close to the trigger. ¡°We just want to talk,¡± I lied. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± The beast swallowed. ¡°Arjun.¡± ¡°And your age? You don¡¯t look like a human adult.¡± ¡°I¡¯m 12. Uh, we¡¯re not grown-ups ¡®til we turn 18.¡± Jala traced her gun barrel across its furless chin, snickering as it shied away. The fear in its gaze twisted my heart; the little beast still had years left of adolescence. It looked harmless, helpless, even. I knew that was deceiving, but it still had an effect. Little predators become big predators, and reproduce exponentially, my mentor¡¯s voice said in my head. I stared at the shaking primate. ¡°Hey, eyes on me, Arjun. Why are you out here?¡± ¡°Dad thought it was a good place to hide. He said you wouldn¡¯t target the parks first,¡± Arjun croaked. ¡°If this is the end of the world¡­we could spend the last day outdoors. Together.¡± ¡°Alright. I know humans care for their children. Where is your father now?¡± ¡°My, uh¡ªmy dad is a wildlife photographer. He wanted to get some animal shots with the space battle overhead. It¡¯d be a damn good picture, if we¡­¡± ¡°If you survive.¡± The predator bobbed its head emphatically, and more tears streamed down its face. The kid¡¯s distress was apparent. It would be merciful if I limited the scope of my questions. I didn¡¯t want to prolong its suffering; Jala couldn¡¯t be allowed to botch the job or make a mess. Gosh, what if there was a way to curb a human¡¯s full-grown instincts? Pulling the trigger on Arjun¡­that extermination broke my heart already. It would grow into something terrible, but now, it was innocent. It wanted its father. I struggled to steady my voice. ¡°You¡¯re doing great. Can you just tell me what this place is? We were curious about the predatory ¡®wildlife.¡¯¡± ¡°National parks are like an animal sanctuary. We preserve species that are threatened, or have lost their natural habitats.¡± ¡°Why?! Those orange¡­tigers are menaces. They¡¯d eat children like you!¡± ¡°Tigers don¡¯t bother you unless you bother them. They¡¯re majestic animals. Lots of people tour this place, and there¡¯s resorts, campsites, hiking...¡± Disbelief flooded my veins, at the idea that humans wanted to stay in such a dangerous venue. To think that the locals went out of their way to preserve monsters! Arjun¡¯s tone had been reverent, but not religious. Did predators find thrills in challenging superior counterparts? I cleared my throat. ¡°Thanks. That¡¯s all we need.¡± ¡°Finally, the talking is over. So I can kill it?¡± Jala trilled. ¡°Er, well, it¡ª¡± Its binocular eyes pleaded with me. ¡°No! I helped you.¡± I stared at the colorful leaves on the ground, avoiding its gaze. The reds and oranges reminded me of a raging inferno, sparking across a pool of gasoline. The little pups squealed through it all, and their frail silhouettes writhed in agony. I felt like I was watching my handiwork from the truck bed again. When they looked at you with those big eyes, you wanted to help. But you didn¡¯t. You wouldn¡¯t. I couldn¡¯t help but feel that our mission had been wrong. The thoughts of how the predators tugged at my talons, playfully, was still a vibrant memory. Looking at Arjun, it was impossible not to recall that first extermination. Younglings didn¡¯t deserve merciless death. ¡°Captain Kalsim?¡± Jala squawked. I blinked. ¡°Leave the predator alive. It¡¯s not a threat.¡± ¡°Not a threat?¡± Zarn¡¯s voice made me startle, as I found him looming over my shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s an offshoot of flesh-eating barbarians. What kind of extermination officer are you?¡± ¡°Doctor, I told you to wait with Thyon!¡± ¡°Well, I was worried you¡¯d do exactly this, predator-lover. Jala, you don¡¯t have to listen to him. Kill that thing!¡± Arjun was curled up into a ball, shielding its head with an elbow. The female Krakotl¡¯s eyes twitched, and I could sense her temptation. I had to reel in the rebellious sadists, before I lost control. Admitting my actions were borne from sympathy would be suicide. ¡°I¡¯m no predator lover! How dare you?¡± I roared, shoving my beak in Zarn¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m a skilled extermination officer, while you¡¯re someone who sits on the sidelines. Talk is easy.¡± The doctor stiffened. ¡°You just said¡ª¡± ¡°That thing is the only bargaining chip we have. Humans value their children, so keeping it as a prisoner is the logical choice. Maybe we can make them trade us a spaceship. Food. Medicine, you arrogant fool!¡± The Takkan gulped nervously, and slunk back a few steps. He stole a glance at Arjun, before swishing his tail in defeat. Jala also scrutinized my enraged form. I met her stare for several seconds, goading her on. She lowered her weapon. ¡°Using their kids against them. As a shield, maybe! I like it.¡± ¡°I knew you would.¡± I exhaled a silent breath of relief, and turned to the doctor. ¡°Sedate this human, Zarn, like you did with Marcel. Adjust for weight. I need sleep, and I can¡¯t watch a ravenous predator.¡± The Takkan nodded, and filled a syringe with a light sedative dose. I watched which vial he grabbed, making sure he wasn¡¯t loading it with poison. The physician handed it over to me for administration. A quick jab plunged the needle into the human¡¯s neck; hopefully it was only a light pinch. It should knock Arjun out for a few hours. When I was rested and able to think again, I would be able to deal with the predator. There was no telling how long it would act obedient. The greater challenge would be restraining my companions from tormenting the child. We¡¯d failed to eradicate the Earthlings, and its continued survival was simply an admission of failure. There was no reason for a stranded crew to dole out needless death. Chapter 52 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, Federation Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: October 18, 2136 The UN fleet deposited me in a cell on Venlil Prime, and without warning, the predators stopped visiting me altogether. Based on the claw tallies on the wall, I calculated that it had been at least a week. The Venlil guards were colder than the humans. One of them spit in my evening gruel, and muttered a curse against my ¡®depraved soul.¡¯ Against all odds, I found myself missing Carlos and even Samantha. I kept busy by contemplating the Arxur¡¯s interrogation, and how to refute their absurd story. There had to be reconciliation between the Terrans and the Federation. It had required an unthinkable cost, but the Gojid government was swayed to the humans¡¯ corner. Unfortunately, Prime Minister Piri¡¯s death was confirmed by UN ground forces; her final transmission could only achieve so much. ¡°I offered to bargain with the Federation for them, but then, the humans abandoned me. They¡¯re just gone,¡± I mused aloud. If I strained on my hindlegs, I could peer between out the window to the capital below. Venlil Prime was a massive planet that dwarfed the likes of Earth and the cradle. By comparison, it had a shorter orbit and slightly higher gravity than the average world. Interestingly, much of its land-mass was inhospitable. Sunlight never touched half of its surface, leaving it too cold for plant and animal life. Its bright side had the opposite problem, too scorching hot to sustain water sources. There was only the thin space between extremes to build settlements. Venlil scientists searched for new ways to push the frontiers, with various methods to cool their planet. They manipulated atmospheric reflectivity with aerosols, built an artificial upwelling system in their ocean, and used cloud seeding to generate rainfall. It took colossal effort to keep the gears in motion. Not all species are blessed with a perfect home. If it weren¡¯t for sentiment, Venlil colonies are much more conducive to habitation. The sight of human predators walking about became more frequent, over the past few days. Many Venlil would give them a wide berth, or cross to the other side of the street. I wondered why Earth was suddenly sending so many people abroad. Such a widespread presence was a lot to ask of their friends. A pointed cough came from the other side of the cell door. ¡°Enjoying the view? Looks like you¡¯ve had plenty of time to study the intricacies of Venlil society.¡± I whirled around to see Samantha, with her auburn hair tied back in a knot. Her predatory eyes were unfocused, as though her mind was elsewhere. The anger in her voice bore a colder aspect than last time I saw her. My instincts pronounced her demeanor as highly threatening. Was there something I had done to infuriate the humans? Or worse, were they becoming corrupted by the Arxur? ¡°H-hello, Sam. I thought you guys had forgotten about me,¡± I answered. She bared her pearly fangs, eyes dilating in a flash. ¡°My friends call me Sam. You¡¯re not my friend.¡± ¡°Right. Sorry.¡± ¡°That you should be.¡± Bootsteps sounded behind Samantha, and I breathed a sigh of relief as I recognized Carlos. For a moment, I thought the female had snuck in alone to assault me. Everything about her stance screamed that she was thirsty for blood. Maybe it was simply not seeing a human in days, but I felt there was some substance to my inference. There was a jingling sound as the male guard slid keys into the door. The spark was gone from his brown eyes, and his subdued mannerisms were uncharacteristic. The last time I saw Carlos, he was ribbing me and striking down my thoughts at every turn. There was no sign of playful mockery or admonishment now. My spines bristled in alarm. ¡°What happened to you both? Something is wrong.¡± Carlos gave me a weary frown. ¡°Earth was attacked by the Federation. Over a billion dead.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t pretend like you care. You got what you wanted, Sovlin,¡± Samantha growled. Horror washed over me, and I sank back onto my bed. No wonder the humans were upset. I remembered what it felt like to watch the cradle burn, to grapple with the loss of my home and culture. Why did the Federation have to piss off the only species to defeat the Arxur? There was a time where I wanted to cripple the ¡®predators¡¯ breeding grounds¡¯; that derogative terminology still rang in my ears. When I turned myself in to UN custody, I was expecting to witness a brutal society. Instead, Earth amounted to decent people going about their daily existences. It was a structured planet, rich in life and culture. ¡°That¡¯s not what I want now.¡± I nibbled at my claws with anxiety, and tried to keep my expression submissive. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss. I¡­know what it¡¯s like to be in your paws.¡± Samantha clenched her fists. ¡°Of course you do. You caused your world¡¯s death, while trying to kill us. Just like the Krakotl.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. We brought it on ourselves, and I know that. We were horrible to humans, more so than any apology could ever excuse. Yet you showed mercy and compassion.¡± ¡°Fuck mercy. The rest of our fleet went home. But we get tethered to you, while Earth is under siege. How is that fair?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not, but I have no say in that. I can see you¡¯re hurting. Er, if it makes you feel better to quarrel with me, then I¡­encourage you to do so.¡± Samantha turned her back in disgust. There was no way for me to offer amends that would satisfy her. All the same, my concern for her mental health was escalating. I knew how grief could swallow a person without a proper outlet. I cast an inquisitive stare toward Carlos, looking for direction. The male guard¡¯s nostrils flared with pent-up frustration. Had the humans only visited to extol their anger on me? ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re both okay,¡± I added, breaking the icy silence. ¡°I hope some of Earth was able to hold out.¡± Carlos nodded. ¡°We drove them off¡­with help.¡± You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°Help? From the Venlil?¡± ¡°Sure. And other interested parties.¡± That is a vague descriptor. Who else would¡¯ve come to rescue humanity? Carlos waved for me to follow him, and the absence of his snarl was striking. It was like the guards had received a personality transplant. Both seemed infused with hatred and impassivity, though one was directing it at me more than the other. I was frightened of what their predatory emotions could compel them to do. Dark thoughts raced through my mind, as I tried to recall why I trusted these predators. Their heroism on the cattle ship seemed a distant memory. My eyes widened in alarm, at consideration of the rescued. That reminded me of the Gojids on Earth, cared for outside a large metropolis. ¡°What happened to the Gojid refugees?¡± I blurted. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if that¡¯s selfish, but I have to know¡­¡± The male guard sighed. ¡°The primary camp was brought to Venlil Prime, when we started moving human evacuees. Most are safe.¡± ¡°That is¡­positive news. How many humans did you evacuate from Earth?¡± ¡°Millions. We¡¯ve known the Venlil all of three months. Some people preferred to ride it out in a bunker, or were banking on us to rout their forces.¡± ¡°Stop talking to that racist, delusional prick like he¡¯s your pal!¡± Samantha spat. ¡°Carlos, I thought we had this conversation.¡± The olive-skinned human crossed his arms. ¡°I¡¯m being civil. There¡¯s a difference.¡± Not wanting to sow more division between the duo, I kept my other questions to myself. That did explain why the human presence had increased rapidly. The cynical part of me wondered if the predator influx resulted in a spike in crime. The primates posed an extraordinary threat when they were angry¡­and they had to be more prone to deviant behavior than Venlil. Carlos led the way past native wardens, and we stepped out into the capital¡¯s crisp air. The guards¡¯ strides seemed a bit strained from gravitational exertion. The difference on Venlil Prime wasn¡¯t enough to be significant, but the humans would tire quicker in physical activities. It was another reminder that they weren''t home. A pair of Gojids were waiting by a spacecraft outside, joined by several UN personnel. My eyes widened as I realized why they were familiar. It was the deaf youth, Talpin, and his sister, Berna. Both seemed to be in better spirits than the last time I saw them, and were carrying necessities. I can¡¯t believe I thought the humans were going to kill the kid, first time I saw him. We all shared that thought. ¡°Hello, Captain Sovlin.¡± A synthesized voice spoke the words in the Gojid tongue, but with a bit of human growl. Talpin must have been given an AI program with Terran phonemes installed. ¡°Why are you being kept in a prison? You are a hero to us all.¡± The young Gojid finished sliding his claws across a keyboard, and fixed me with an expectant look. I didn¡¯t want to recount my crimes in detail; then again, I wasn¡¯t sure how to begin translating my reply. At least Samantha seemed mollified by Talpin¡¯s presence. Perhaps it served as a reminder of her deaf brother. ¡°I deserve to be there. I made another person¡­a human, suffer,¡± I muttered. Talpin turned his pupils to a nearby human, and scanned the contortions of their fingers. His eyes widened. The adolescent struggled to believe that I could be involved with anything nefarious. His beige claws hovered over the keyboard for a moment, before he typed out a reply. ¡°Why?¡± came the synthesized question. ¡°Your deeds are spoken of in legend. You are a hero, a righteous man. You save lives.¡± I lowered my gaze. ¡°I¡¯m none of those things. I thought causing a predator pain would fix my problems.¡± Berna appeared stunned as well. ¡°You sound like you¡¯re talking about torture, Sovlin. That¡¯s¡­vile. The humans are sweet, sensitive¡­generous.¡± I blinked in agreement, lowering my gaze. The predators beside Talpin projected fondness toward him, but I could see their jaws tightening as they listened to me. At least if Berna spread the word about Marcel, my people would squash the myth of my heroism. I deserved to have my legacy tarnished, and to be remembered for the sum of my crimes. Talpin tapped at his keyboard. ¡°How could the humans treat you so kindly?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Ask them,¡± I answered. The UN volunteer beside him thought for a moment, before launching into an emphatic reply. The human translator seemed passionate about whatever she was conveying. The deaf Gojid looked impressed at what was passed on, and nodded in acceptance. He shot me a disdainful look. I cast a nervous glance at Samantha. ¡°You speak ¡®sign language.¡¯ What did she tell him?¡± The guard flashed her teeth. ¡°That you deserve to live with what you¡¯ve done. That human discipline doesn¡¯t stoop to your level.¡± Well, that was a recurring sentiment when predators spoke of me. What I didn¡¯t understand was why the guards brought me to meet Talpin and Berna. It looked like the two Gojids were about to depart on a spaceship. After my disclosure, I doubted they¡¯d want a send-off from me. ¡°I don¡¯t want to travel anywhere with him.¡± Talpin waved his claws emphatically at the predators. ¡°Not if he tortured a human. He is a disgrace to our kind.¡± Berna curled her lip. ¡°I second the notion. We both owe humanity our lives.¡± My confusion intensified, and I shot Carlos a questioning look. Talpin seemed to think I was accompanying them on a trip, but I didn¡¯t have an inkling what he was referring to. Where were the humans taking them? Was I actually involved? ¡°Sovlin is the perfect person to pass on several messages for us. He can get you two through the door with those Kolshian bastards.¡± The male guard tossed his shoulders in a noncommittal gesture. ¡°He¡¯s also the one some Federation fuckwits might believe about the Gojid refugees and the war.¡± That was a good omen if the humans still wanted peace and dialogue. Maybe the attack on Earth hadn¡¯t completely pushed them to the Arxur side, as improbable as that seemed. These Terran predators had a merciful side, and I hoped we could appeal to that. It didn¡¯t sound like the entirety of the Federation was involved; the neutrals had minded their own business. There had to be some people that could convert to Terran advocacy. Other races didn¡¯t have to end up like the Gojids. Warmth filled my chest. ¡°A messenger? I¡¯d be happy to testify on your behalf, and broker peace with your enemies. I know about remediation¡ª¡± Samantha scowled. ¡°Peace is not an option anymore. Frankly, I¡¯d declare war on all of the skeptics now, but we can¡¯t fight 300 species at once. At least, not yet. We¡¯re going to purge the 24 who attacked us, followed by the 14 others who voted for war.¡± ¡°W-what? That¡¯s the message?¡± I gasped. Carlos shook his head. ¡°No; I¡¯ll get to that in a minute. Firstly, we need someone who can look into several items for us.¡± ¡°Read this. We had it printed in your tongue, extra special for you,¡± the female guard sneered. My shaking claws accepted the pamphlet, terrified at what the predators had inscribed. The paper nearly slipped from my grasp at once; mournful tears pooled in my eyes. Recel was dead¡­killed by his own government for siding with humanity. I had mentored the Kolshian since he was a child, and shepherded his development. His advice on the bridge, combined with his honor, was steadfast. I wanted him commanding my ship in my absence. It pained me that our last interactions were him viewing me as a monster. My vision burned, and I dabbed at the wetness with my fur. The humans wanted to uncover why the Kolshians would resort to murder. It was unclear whether any future violence was planned against pro-human factions, but the predators weren''t taking threats lightly. Not after Earth. The Terrans don¡¯t want species reaching out with false friendship. They want anyone who plots against them exposed. Humiliated. Why would the scholarly Commonwealth be so opposed to humanity''s diplomatic outreach? I was itching to demand Chief Nikonus¡¯ reasons for myself. He came across as a fair leader, reasonable to a fault. I would¡¯ve considered him the kind who would give predators a fair shake. ¡°Look into the Kolshian matter for us, and find documentation of first contact with the Arxur. See what you can dig up,¡± Carlos growled. Samantha crossed her arms. ¡°We need to know who¡¯s complicit in every scheme against us and our allies. Who is worth sparing¡­who started this predator hatred and why.¡± The male guard narrowed his eyes. ¡°Our governments believe that you feel remorse, that you¡¯re not a flight risk. This is what we need from you, Sovlin.¡± ¡°Okay. And the message?¡± I stammered. ¡°You implied there was a statement to deliver.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s easy. Tell the Federation we¡¯re done contacting or negotiating with them. They never raised a finger to stop the attack on Earth. Let the neutrals know that they either reach out to condemn this terrorist act, or they can prepare for total war.¡± That message sent a chill through my blood; the other Gojids looked horrified as well. I needed to find a more tactful way of phrasing that flagrant threat, if there was to be peace with any species. The humans could rack up a lot of collateral damage, in seeking revenge for their Earth. Chapter 53 Memory transcription subject: UN Secretary-General Elias Meier Date [standardized human time]: October 18, 2136 There was something uncivilized stirring in my soul, as heartbreaking images flooded in from Earth. Seeing historic cities pounded into rubble, and hearing tales of incalculable devastation was a gut-wrenching blow. It had been a mere three months since the first contact mission. In that span, twenty-five species had taken concrete actions to genocide human civilians, without the slightest provocation. Grappling with my own actions¡­my own failure weighed heavily upon me. I was responsible for mankind¡¯s future, and I hadn¡¯t used every option at our disposal. What if there was something else I could¡¯ve done? Was I a coward for abandoning Earth, especially to bargain with the metaphorical devil? It would take years to rebuild our homeworld. 112 bombs had detonated on its surface, churning up contaminants and killing more than a billion. Reversing the atmospheric pollution would be a gruesome challenge, and we would witness more casualties in the aftermath. Strange how it wasn¡¯t humans who leveled our planet. I always thought it would be us who were our undoing. ¡°Elias? We¡¯re docking at the luxury resort on Titan station in 60 seconds.¡± Dr. Kuemper, the current Secretary of Alien Affairs, tapped my shoulder. ¡°Are you going to be up to this? You look unwell.¡± My first thought was always diplomacy in the past; brutal warfare was something that I thought best relegated to our ancestors. It should feel monstrous for a pacifist leader, to long to see our enemies¡¯ worlds desolated down to their cores. But now, I couldn¡¯t see myself restraining the generals; their path seemed the only way. I craved the Federation¡¯s destruction as an organization. Regardless of the understanding that a small percentage were involved in the attack, their bigotry was incompatible with our survival. How many species had aided us? A mere two, excluding the Arxur¡¯s unexpected arrival. The Zurulians were the only new race I cared to bargain with, in the aftermath. The words of friendship other diplomats spoke proved to be empty. None of them backed us when it came down to it. The bystanders felt every bit as sinister as the Krakotl and their pals in this moment. ¡°Your head has to be in this, Elias, no matter how impossible that is,¡± Kuemper said gently. ¡°We can¡¯t afford any mishaps, when ten thousand Arxur ships are still in the Sol system.¡± I met her eyes. ¡°I never meant for them to come here. This wasn¡¯t what¡ª¡± ¡°The grays already knew where Earth was; you couldn¡¯t have known that. For what it¡¯s worth, they did save our asses.¡± Staving off my self-pity, my thoughts returned to the urgent matters at hand. The Arxur decimated the Krakotl strike force with an excess of arrivals. It was concerning that the reptiles had so many vessels in this sector. Chief Hunter Isif kept his fleet in orbit to protect us from secondary attacks, but I couldn¡¯t help but to think they were scrutinizing us. The unpleasant reality was that the reptiles could plunder or conquer Earth now, if they wanted. We were vulnerable, and the heavy losses left military defenses sparse. The Dominion¡¯s philosophy was still reprehensible to me, a far cry from the UN¡¯s modicum of equality. However, at this point, we had to keep the Arxur sated at all costs. So when Isif requested an audience with me by name, I chartered the first ship I could find off Venlil Prime. Governor Tarva, bless her heart, squeaked out an offer to join me, but I wasn¡¯t going to place her in the line of fire. The Arxur hunter understood our inability to accommodate him on Earth. He agreed to wait in Titan¡¯s travel lodging for my arrival. I don¡¯t like rolling out the red carpet for someone who called the Venlil a delicacy and referred to Tarva as dinner. I¡¯d like to punch him in the nose for saying that. ¡°Kuemper, do you think that the Arxur are capable of societal change?¡± I asked, as our ship completed its landing protocol. ¡°If, let¡¯s say, they had a stable, non-sapient food source?¡± The former-SETI employee tilted her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. The grays weren¡¯t always like this, but they altered their gene pool¡­I don¡¯t know if they still have art. Whether they indulge in empathy.¡± ¡°That is the mystery. By the way, can you set up a comms link with the Zurulian fleet in 15 minutes? We have some damage control on that front.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do that, after I hear that you¡¯re alright, from your own lips. You need to hear yourself say it.¡± ¡°I am fine. Once these alien visitors are handled, it¡¯s time to bring every government together. Then, to rally the people behind our banner¡­and remind them not to give up.¡± My shoes clicked on the decadent marble floor, and the crystal overhang reflected the colors of the rainbow from above. A glass viewport stretched the length of the lobby, complete with interactive holograms and exquisite telescopes. I observed a surreal view of Saturn, as I passed the vacated concierge desk. This was considered the nicest hotel in space; for the sake of Earth¡¯s survivors, I hoped the Arxur agreed. I felt awkward approaching the suite given to Isif. There was no question that the reptile could snap me in half with his jaws, if he desired. Given the aggressivity the Arxur were prone to, and how they detested weakness, this was gambling with my welfare. But with humanity¡¯s precarious position, someone had to pacify the baby-killers. I rapped my knuckles against the door. ¡°Hello?¡± My voice couldn¡¯t have sounded more uncertain, and I cursed my nerves. The door creaked open; a pair of slit pupils surveyed me from the pitch-black interior. Isif didn¡¯t have any lights on, which added to my unease. He towered over me by at least a foot and a half, showing teeth longer than my finger. The alien¡¯s tongue flittered. ¡°Elias Meier. Two names, yes? We meet in person; come in.¡± I clasped both hands behind my back, and attempted to keep my strides even. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I noticed three other Arxur scattered about the living room. It was a safe assumption that they were advisors, servants, or military personnel. Perhaps it was a mistake to come alone, or even conveyed that I lacked support. ¡°Thanks for your military assistance,¡± I croaked, pawing at my dry throat. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, do you have any water nearby?¡± Isif tossed a water bottle at me, and I barely reacted in time to catch it. The liquid was lukewarm, but I chugged it with gratitude. The grays seemed to be dissecting my every move, like a specimen under a microscope. There was never a plan for formal first contact with the Arxur; I wasn¡¯t sure where to begin. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. We were supposed to be using the grays to get the Krakotl off our back. Now¡­ ¡°Would you like our assistance with rescue efforts? Human command indicated that your ground residents may react poorly to us walking the streets,¡± Isif growled. I scratched my head in discomfort. ¡°Er, I suggest asking each nation specifically. I¡¯m sure some would accept the offer¡­and I appreciate it very much. Thank you, from us all, the people of Earth are in your debt and¡ª¡± The Arxur curled his lip. ¡°Hey, relax. You¡¯ve gone through a lot, human. Don¡¯t worry about offending us; I prefer honesty.¡± ¡°Right. Well, many people did not have a favorable view of your species prior to this. Myself included. I don¡¯t imagine that will change overnight, especially with xenophobia abounding.¡± Isif¡¯s eyes glittered in the darkness, narrowing to the point that they were hardly open. His nostrils flared, and he seemed to meditate on a scent for a second. His grin intensified; I wondered if he could smell my nervousness. The chief hunter¡¯s gaze moved to the holopad clipped to my belt. ¡°We wish to access your system¡¯s internet,¡± the reptile continued, in a polite rumble. ¡°My scientists here requested documentation of your hunting and domestication, specifically. It would also answer if your research is¡­remotely professional.¡± I nodded. ¡°Alright. Though we¡¯re quite different types of predators, er, I have no issue with sharing those search results.¡± My holopad made its way into my hands, and I punched the keyword ¡®domestication¡¯ into a search engine. An online encyclopedia article popped up as the top result, which should be sufficient. Unless I deemed it a necessity, I was going to try to conceal our persistence hunting ancestry. It might make the Arxur view us as a serious threat, due to our ability to weather a war of attrition. Isif snatched the device from my grip. The hunter must be quite eager to learn about us; I wasn¡¯t sure whether that was a positive sign or not. Perhaps the Dominion was assessing whether we shared their child-munching fervor. They could also be checking if we were on board with culling our ¡®weaker¡¯ population. Had I just tipped them off, by admitting our disdain for them? ¡°Fascinating. So humans did use animals for labor and livestock purposes, like us,¡± he murmured. ¡°However, you keep ¡®pets¡¯ too. Lesser beings coddled for entertainment and companionship, in return for emotional benefits to their ¡®owners¡¯. This is a normal practice?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°This behavior is derived from a pack predator¡¯s social needs, I would presume. And you care for these pets like they are part of your tribe, I assume?¡± ¡°Usually. Many humans struggle with living alone.¡± ¡°An opposite to how we tire of company in swift fashion. Your affinity for the Venlil stems from this pet category, does it not?¡± It took a great effort to refrain from a reflexive denial. I would never classify sapient beings, especially our friends, as animalistic playthings. But if the Arxur could view the Venlil as mere pets, that would be an upgrade to cattle consideration. It might make the reptiles willing to facilitate the release of the Venlil captives. Remember, the grays might require a ¡®predatory¡¯ basis to accept our claims. Whatever concessions must be made to stall, to convince them we¡¯re on the same side¡­just do it. ¡°Yes. Humans love adopting companion animals,¡± I grumbled. Isif glared at his advisors. ¡°Satisfied about the Venlil? I told you that humans are just social predators, and those animals are a misapplication of their evolution.¡± An Arxur scientist coughed uneasily. ¡°Humans are the first documented pack predator sapients, sir. It was reasonable to ask why.¡± ¡°You¡¯re dismissed. Wander until you are summoned, so that Elias Meier and I may talk in private. There are discussion matters that are above your clearance level.¡± The reptilian subordinates swished their tails, and slunk off in obedience. Isif watched them depart, exhaling a hearty sigh. He pressed my holopad back into my hands, and searched my gaze with his own. There was a certain trepidation in his dark orbs. He waited in silence for a full minute, clearly apprehensive of prying ears. I studied the alien¡¯s mannerisms with curiosity. Was the chief hunter expecting mutiny from his own ranks? How disciplined was Arxur command? Something told me his private divulgence would be enlightening, as to what he expected from humanity. ¡°I¡¯m sure you intend for Earth to repay your assistance with some form of compensation,¡± I said. Isif bared his fangs. ¡°Oh, you will, Elias Meier, but not today. In the future.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t follow.¡± ¡°The fact is, you don¡¯t like that we keep the prey sapients as food. That is your entire issue with us; it violates your moral code. I¡¯m not blind.¡± This commander could not realize we had backed the Federation with full-throated support. We didn¡¯t want the Dominion classing the UN as an enemy now. I tried to maintain my best poker face, though the Arxur seemed to see through my neutral expression. My silence must have confirmed his suspicions, but what could I say? I shrugged. ¡°We¡¯re different. Humans, well¡ª¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t bred out your empathetic people. I thought¡­you could help us attain an alternative food source.¡± Isif¡¯s voice was hardly more than a whisper, and he looked jumpy. ¡°That is why I sent our entire sector fleet to your aid. My species could have a better future, someday, with your guidance. Beyond war and cruelty.¡± ¡°What?! A week ago, you gave me a speech about what a delicacy the Venlil are. Called our beloved ally ¡®dinner,¡¯¡± I hissed. The reptile sighed. ¡°Tarva had some spunk, for prey, actually. Don¡¯t be unreasonable. I was recording that transmission in front of my crew, and also sending it home. I like my head attached to my body, human.¡± My eyes widened. It wasn¡¯t a shock that the Arxur Dominion executed anyone who spoke out against their policies. However, it was encouraging news if some high-ranking officers didn¡¯t toe the party line. None of our captives saw any issue with the atrocities; they had boasted about how sophisticated their ideology was. Cattle ships could be stocked with the true believers. Not the best sample size, I suppose. ¡°So you don¡¯t support your race¡¯s farming practices?¡± I pressed. A growl rumbled in Isif¡¯s throat. ¡°I¡¯d prefer food that doesn¡¯t talk. This war has gone on long enough, and your¡­allies have shown me that some of them could accept predators. If we¡¯re reduced to our animal instincts, we¡¯re no different than the Federation.¡± ¡°I concur on the instincts. Fine, I¡¯ll bite. Why are you telling me this?¡± ¡°So that you understand that I¡¯m on your side, and you¡¯ll be more forthcoming with the future compensation. If you don¡¯t push your luck, I might be able to bargain for the release of more friends.¡± That was enough to pique my interest. Liberating any captive Zurulians might make them a bit more forgiving of our Arxur saviors. Humanity had to reward the ¡®teddy bears¡¯ for their fealty somehow; they sent aid without any history between our worlds. It also meant that Isif might follow through with the Venlil deal. I still clung to the hope that one day, we could end all sapient farms. No matter what the Federation had done to our two species, eating and torturing children wasn¡¯t the answer. Downplaying or excusing atrocities wasn¡¯t going to bring back London or Los Angeles. Mankind was better than that. I cracked my knuckles. ¡°How on Earth are you going to sell mercy to your government?¡± ¡°Simple; not phrasing it as treasonous ¡®mercy,¡¯¡± Isif chuckled. ¡°Just stating it as reclaiming the farming glory of our ancestors. Talking about how simple prey breed quicker. I work within the powers that be.¡± ¡°Clever thinking. I¡¯ll do what I can to uphold our bargain, though our production capacity is limited now.¡± ¡°Human, I¡¯m understanding. Rational. Don¡¯t starve your people for this Venlil deal. What''s important is that we''re allies in the long run.¡± This Arxur wasn¡¯t a feral creature that saw hunting as life¡¯s sole joy. There was an empathetic capability in his concern for human life, and that weariness of the war he was born into. He projected an aura of sincerity, in contrast to their reputation. That was more than I saw in the Krakotl and their ilk. I wondered what this predator race would have been, without outside interference. ¡°Thanks, Isif. If you are certain you can control your people, I¡¯ll find amenable places for you to direct your assistance,¡± I whispered. Humor flashed in his eyes. ¡°Anything for a friend. Though I presume you don¡¯t want me to share our food stash?¡± I hesitated. ¡°Actually, if you have extra herbivore feed, it might be edible to us. We¡¯re omnivores.¡± ¡°Ha, you are leaf-lickers! Duly noted. I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡± This encounter went better than I anticipated, but unpleasantries were still ahead with the Zurulian call. Even if Isif had given us grounds to work with, a Federation and Arxur confrontation was a powder keg. I didn¡¯t want it going off in the Sol system. Humanity had to find a way to smooth the ruffled fur, and keep two polar opposite species on our side. Chapter 54 Memory transcription subject: UN Secretary-General Elias Meier Date [standardized human time]: October 18, 2136 After bidding farewell to the Arxur commander, I made my way to the conference hall. This hotel was once a primary site for technological conventions, expensive weddings, and even celebrity events. Now, while the catering and d¨¦cor was missing, it was still a lavish enough venue to field a call to the Zurulians. My headquarters on Earth probably didn¡¯t exist anymore; the government needed a temporary base of operations. Secretary Kuemper extended invitations to every world leader, with the option to attend virtually. Many would be unable to procure space transportation, while others wouldn¡¯t want to leave during a crisis. ¡°Sir, the Zurulian ambassador is waiting on a secure channel,¡± Kuemper offered. I straightened my posture. ¡°Good. Patch him through.¡± The adorable face that appeared on screen was enough to soften my demeanor. Chauson¡¯s brown fur looked fluffy as a cloud, and remained just as shaggy around his cub-like ears. The side-facing eyes made him look like an anxious teddy bear. I suspected that visage would fill most humans with the urge to scoop them up and hug them. The Zurulian narrowed his eyes. I stifled a giggle at how stern he was trying to look; the expression was almost comical. That would be an inappropriate reaction, given how they felt about the Arxur¡¯s arrival. It would be preferable to keep these cute aliens as allies. ¡°This is Secretary-General Meier. Thank you for taking our call, and for your timely assistance,¡± I offered. ¡°I am sorry for what happened to Earth.¡± Chauson pawed at his nose, a forlorn twinkle in his eyes. ¡°But, my colleagues and I have some concerns. I believe you didn¡¯t invite the Arxur¡­but you haven¡¯t tried to push them away.¡± ¡°The consequences of aggravating the grays would be severe, and inadvisable with our current readiness. Candidly, we need the help. There isn¡¯t exactly an outpouring of aid from the galactic community.¡± The Zurulian began licking his paw, which his species did when thinking. The absent-minded grooming was distracting. I couldn¡¯t stop my lips from curving up, despite knowing it was a hostile gesture to their brains. The cuteness was melting away even my practiced composure. ¡°There is something amusing about not having aid for your planet, Mr. Meier?¡± Chauson yipped. I shook my head quickly. ¡°No, not at all, Ambassador. My apologies.¡± ¡°Right. I¡¯ve talked the Zurulian commanders into writing a more favorable report. We¡¯re going to do our best to neutralize the headlines, but I¡¯d still expect incendiary accusations.¡± ¡°I understand¡­and thank you for trusting us.¡± It wouldn¡¯t surprise me if certain media outlets ran with the ¡®predators scheming together¡¯ narrative. Having the Arxur in our court was the fuel Federation factions needed to turn on us, but I didn¡¯t care. Humanity was done crawling through mud to appease paranoid bigots. Species were either for us or against us, and they needed to decide which side pronto. In the long run, our Zurulian neighbors looked to be decent friends. I couldn¡¯t imagine their fleet¡¯s thought process when the Arxur arrived; it would be understandable if they left at the sight of grays and humans fighting side-by-side. The fact that the quadrupeds stayed meant it was worth justifying our position. ¡°It¡¯s the least I could do,¡± Chauson purred. ¡°We want to help with the rescue efforts¡­we have thousands of hospital ships in the system you call Proxima Centauri. That¡¯s where I am now. Our military may be unimpressive, but our doctors are second to none.¡± ¡°Medical assistance would be appreciated, Ambassador. Please, send them at your earliest convenience.¡± My voice took on a pleading lilt, contemplating Earth¡¯s desperation. ¡°If there¡¯s any information you need about human biology...¡± ¡°The Venlil data has given us a baseline. But the issue is sending unarmed civilians into an Arxur occupation. I want to help you, but how do I authorize that order?¡± ¡°You want me to get rid of the grays first.¡± ¡°Yes, for our safety.¡± ¡°Chauson, with respect, they haven¡¯t attacked a single one of your ships so far.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure that the monsters who snack on our cubs have benevolent intentions toward the Zurulian race. I should invite them over for dinner.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. Human lives are¡ª¡± ¡°What about our lives? These are good, selfless people.¡± With emergency services down in most metropolitan areas, there was nobody to respond to medical calls. Anyone who suffered a heart attack, or sustained serious injuries was on their own. I would prefer Zurulian medics tending to our people, rather than famished Arxur. That said, Isif¡¯s forces were the only protection Earth had right now; we needed both of their offerings. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°As I said, I am unwilling to aggravate the Arxur now,¡± I replied. ¡°But I¡¯m confident this commander will not attack your doctors.¡± Chauson bared his tiny teeth. ¡°You can¡¯t be confident enough. The Arxur are not trustworthy; they¡¯re sapient-eating fiends.¡± ¡°I know. But there are good people on Earth that need your help, and I believe the grays will stand down if asked. Please, trust my judgment, this one time.¡± ¡°Oh¡­dammit, human. I¡¯ll send the medical ships, but if anything happens to them, this is the last Zurulian aid you¡¯re getting. We¡¯re not expendable.¡± I inwardly cursed this gamble. ¡°Thank you. Kuemper, please contact the Chief Hunter. Let him know the inbound fleet are rescue workers, and are not to be harmed.¡± The Secretary of Alien Affairs departed with haste. The Zurulian scientist began pacing in a nervous daze, as he sent a transmission to his men. Humanity would remember the quadrupeds¡¯ heroism for generations; I didn¡¯t know how we could thank them enough. A close-knit alliance might form out of this tragedy. What am I going to do about the other ¡®friendly¡¯ diplomats? They showed just how much they care for predator lives. A bipedal sapient popped up in front of the camera, as though my thoughts summoned him. His coarse pelt was the tone of a red fox, and his face had some white markings. I racked my brain, identifying him as a Yotul. It was all I could do not to launch into a tirade against his inaction. What was Ambassador Laulo doing with Chauson? ¡°I¡¯m sorry about Earth too,¡± the marsupial barked. ¡°Humans have been the only ones that treated us as equals, rather than a charity case.¡± I narrowed my eyes, and forced myself to maintain a level tone. ¡°The Zurulians didn¡¯t mention we had company. What can I do for you?¡± ¡°I just want you to know we do care about what happened to humanity. Stars, I feel stupid saying this out loud. I really wish we could¡¯ve helped like Chauson.¡± ¡°Those words are easy to say, aren¡¯t they? Why didn¡¯t the Yotul raise a claw?¡± The Zurulian ambassador watched in silence, flicking his ears in discomfort. I urged myself to rein in my fury, for his sake. This wasn¡¯t a discussion to have in front of our newest allies; holding the bystanders accountable could alienate our neighbors. Laulo averted his gaze. ¡°We don¡¯t have our own fleet yet to send you, so, ah, I guess we¡¯re useless to you. We¡¯re the newest uplifts¡­guess you think we¡¯re worthless primitives now too.¡± I mulled over his explanation in silence. That did alter my perspective, if the Yotul hadn¡¯t developed any military assets to mobilize. It didn¡¯t sound like the Federation had done anything more than dump technology in their lap, and expect them to figure it out. Perhaps the apologetic sentiment was worth something. ¡°Anyhow, I scrounged up millions of volunteers to help you rebuild,¡± the uplift grumbled. ¡°We have lots of untapped resources, and it¡¯s labor if you want it. We¡¯d¡­need external transport to get to Earth. I¡¯m sorry that my offer is so¡­underwhelming.¡± I raised my hands in reassurance. ¡°We would love any help you¡¯re willing to extend. Aid doesn¡¯t have to come in a military form, Laulo. Maybe we can teach you a thing or two about our engineering.¡± ¡°Really? You would do that?¡± ¡°Of course. We¡¯re still new to Federation technology ourselves. The two of us can figure out their secrets together.¡± The Yotul¡¯s expression was the image of relief, as he squeezed his eyes shut. I felt sorry for the poor guy, if he was expecting to be rebuked for technological deficiencies. Perhaps this exchange was reason enough for me to move the goalposts. Anyone who offered assistance would be in my good graces, whether it was military or not. Some of our allies might¡¯ve been too scared to fight, which could be fixed. They might¡¯ve been too far away, or didn¡¯t have spare military resources. Chauson gave the uplift a friendly nudge. ¡°You can ask us for help too. I knew I was right to bring you along.¡± ¡°I apologize if I snapped at you, Laulo¡­it¡¯s been a difficult 48 hours,¡± I muttered. ¡°Have you guys heard anything from the other human-allied races?¡± The Zurulian sighed. ¡°No, I¡¯m afraid not.¡± I pursed my lips. If no additional species expressed the slightest concern for our predicament, that lessened the possibility of extenuating circumstances. According to my sources, the Mazics and the Sivkits hadn¡¯t been partial to us. Maybe the absent races had blamed us for killing their diplomats because of our ¡°predatory compulsions.¡± Should I even bother reaching out to any of them? My throat felt dry. ¡°Well, I appreciate both of you. Please, keep in touch if you have any concerns.¡± Chauson waved a paw. ¡°Wait, Meier? I know now may not be the right time, but there was an idea I¡¯d like to mention at least.¡± ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°The Zurulians and the Yotul are both interested in a human exposure program,¡± Laulo chimed in. ¡°Like you did with the Venlil at first contact.¡± Chauson flicked his ears. ¡°Obviously, some civilians are going to be sharply exposed with rescue efforts. But I still think it¡¯s important to foster understanding and discussion, in a controlled environment.¡± I nodded. ¡°We¡¯d be amenable to that idea, though any human candidates will carry emotional baggage after this attack. I¡¯ll see what I can do to set that up.¡± ¡°Excellent. Take care, Meier, and let me know our hospital fleet¡¯s status regularly.¡± The Zurulian terminated the call, and I flopped down on a chair with exhaustion. Human participation in an exchange program shouldn¡¯t be an issue, given how cute our helpers were. A few friends in the galaxy was a silver lining. The future ahead of us was going to be rife with war and suffering; we needed to maintain some positive relations to stay sane. I fished out my holopad, and contemplated the address I was livestreaming tonight. My original speech was mired with blame and bitterness, focused on revenge. There was room for such sentiment, but that was also how the Arxur ended up with such a warped ideology. What humanity needed was hope. The first words spilled from my fingers in a burst of inspiration. To the people of planet Earth, who have been preyed upon by an unreasonable enemy. I know you are grieving the innocent blood that has been spilled this week. You feel hurt and anger, for the loved ones taken away too soon. I share every scrap of your pain. What I want you to know is that humanity will endure, and that we are not alone. Not only do we have each other, but we have friends who stand with us. The Zurulians and the Venlil fought with us, and gave us back a sliver of optimism for a better life among the stars. It is time to unite with everyone who believes in our ideals; to stand as a single species with a single purpose. Together, we will go for the Federation¡¯s throat, relentless in the face of injustice. We will bring our enemies and our persecutors to their knees, if it takes millennia to rectify this vendetta. Humanity calls for atonement¡­for our right to exist. When we are done, the galaxy shall know what a hunter is. My lips curved up with malice. The speech required some tweaking, but it carried the suitable degree of vengefulness. Governor Tarva would be relieved that I tempered the prior message down a notch. If humanity could unify for the purpose of destruction, then the Federation would have a genuine reason to fear us. There would be a reckoning for Earth, and I didn¡¯t know that their organization would survive it. Chapter 55 Memory transcription subject: Captain Kalsim, Krakotl Alliance Command Date [standardized human time]: October 18, 2136 Darkness had fallen over the reserve, when I peeked out from the tent. Sleep had instilled new energy in my veins. There was a slim hope of escaping Earth, if we could keep away from human search parties. Our posse needed to figure out our next move, and how to transport the predator kid without harming it. A muffled whine echoed from behind me. I twisted around to see Arjun, bound in tight rope from head to toe. It must¡¯ve woken before me, and been struggling to break free. Several layers of tape had been slapped over its mouth, wasting medical gauze. I assumed Zarn didn¡¯t want to hear a human speak. Swallowing my nerves, I approached it. ¡°Shh, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m going to have to rip the tape off. Close your eyes.¡± How could Doctor Zarn treat it like a thoughtless animal? Predators or not, humans were feeling sapients. The level of bindings was both excessive and unnecessary. Something as simple as tying a bell around its leg would suffice; it didn¡¯t seem fast or stealthy. The predator child squeezed its eyes shut. I yanked the adhesive off as quickly as I could, and winced at the grimace on its features. The skin by its lip carried a red patch behind. The creature refrained from biting me with its slobbery canines, which was a relief. I set to work untangling the series of knots. What happened if Arjun tried to take me by surprise, once it was loose? It could go for my gun before I knew what hit me. I was within grappling distance, and its reflexes must be quicker than mine. The last of the rope came untangled, and the human wriggled out of its entrapments. My gaze drifted to my sidearm. I took a few steps back, and barely resisted the urge to draw a weapon. The kid had faced enough hardship these past few days; it needed someone to be civilized to it. The watery look in its eyes¡­the poor thing is terrified. There¡¯s no question these wretches have feelings. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that they did that to you, Arjun. Are you okay?¡± I asked gently. It sniffled. ¡°The only reason you¡¯re not killing me is because you think they¡¯ll trade resources for me. I heard how you talked about me.¡± ¡°That stopped Zarn and Jala from shooting you, didn¡¯t it? I would¡¯ve let you go. Trust me, I want to get you back to your family safely.¡± ¡°That¡¯s bullshit! Those two aliens are evil. If you want me released, then help me get out of here!¡± I was beginning to regret taking the tape off this thing¡¯s mouth. That combative shouting wasn¡¯t helping anyone. It needed to keep its voice down, or Zarn would realize I was trying to console a human. However, expecting an aggressive predator to keep its head was a bit overambitious. Holding this child to Krakotl sensibility standards would be unfair. ¡°I need the doctor cooperating.¡± My feathers puffed out with irritation. ¡°My friend with the bandages will die without him. He¡¯s a good person¡­smart, witty.¡± The predator bared its teeth. ¡°None of you are good people. You killed millions indiscriminately, and you liked it.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. I had to choose between hundreds of civilizations and yours. It was a terrible decision, but a necessity for the continuance of life. Every step of the way, I tried to minimize human suffering.¡± ¡°By dropping bombs on cities? Do you hear yourself?¡± ¡°To the very last moment we approached Earth, I was trying to think of another way. My own crew hates that I treat your kind with dignity, and that I offer predators surrender.¡± ¡°Then your crew are assholes.¡± Arjun¡¯s voice sounded hoarse, and its lips looked dry. How had Zarn expected it to drink water with its mouth taped shut? The Takkan doctor hadn¡¯t even left rations nearby. It probably would make that hateful ¡°expert¡± giddy if it died of dehydration. I fished through my own rations, making sure never to turn my back on the human. It would be foolish to leave myself vulnerable to pouncing or strangulation. The child watched with interest as I procured a canteen. It gulped down a bit more than I¡¯d like, before handing the canister back. ¡°Jala is the other Krakotl you saw. Her brain doesn¡¯t feel empathy or fear,¡± I said. ¡°She can¡¯t help that she¡¯s vicious, any more than you can.¡± In fact, Arjun is much more capable of compassion. It has tried to appeal to my morality several times. It cares for more than its own life. The beast scowled. ¡°Humans are not vicious. You¡¯re brainwashed, Kalsim! We have lives, families, schools¡­jokes, songs, and games, just like you.¡± ¡°I am sorry for all the beauty you¡¯ve lost, but that doesn¡¯t change the truth. Tell me that you can¡¯t see humans killing or enslaving weaker cultures. That you wouldn¡¯t happily take our worlds away, and reduce us to playthings.¡± ¡°What? That¡¯s not our plan. We would never do that.¡± ¡°Yet you¡¯ve done these things to your own kind. And we are alien, not human. You¡¯ll build your empire off our backs, one way or another. It¡¯s in your DNA, passed from your ancestors to little ones like you. That¡­your growth is the threat.¡± Arjun clenched its fists in indignation, but was distracted by its stomach growling. Racking my brain, I tried to recall what Noah shared about human needs. The speaker claimed that their diet was primarily vegetation, and that they could live without meat. That meant this adolescent could consume our food without issue. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. My talons retrieved a slab of dried tree bark. ¡°Here. Stop arguing with me and eat this.¡± ¡°Um, that doesn¡¯t look like my food.¡± Arjun eyed the offering suspiciously. It took a hesitant nibble, then spit the bite out. ¡°That is bitter¡­gross!¡± ¡°I¡¯m giving you my rations so you don¡¯t starve. It doesn¡¯t have to taste like your delectable, blood-filled cuisine.¡± The kid made a disgusted face, but swallowed several bites. The gagging sound it made seemed rather dramatic. You¡¯d think it was expelling its lungs, or that I had fed it a corrosive poison. This ruckus was going to ensure Zarn and Jala checked on us. Few Krakotl would¡¯ve gone out of their way to ensure a predator¡¯s welfare. Arjun didn¡¯t understand why its planet was attacked, but I didn¡¯t blame it for that. It was emotionally distressed, and unable to see these matters with objectivity. Maybe the youth would come to know that I protected it, in time. The Takkan doctor sauntered in, wielding a pistol. ¡°Good grief, Kalsim. You¡¯ve let it loose, and you¡¯re feeding it?¡± ¡°Tree bark. We don¡¯t want it to lose its mind and gorge on Thyon¡¯s corpse,¡± I said. ¡°Speaking of which, where is the first officer?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t change the fucking subject. So now, instead of being bartered for supplies, this human is using up precious resources and manpower?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a temporary loss. We don¡¯t want to offer up the kid as a walking skeleton.¡± ¡°Why the hell not? If you keep its stomach empty, the humans will be under more of a time constraint to get it back. That¡¯s assuming predators care at all.¡± Arjun shoved the last of the bark in its mouth, inching away from Zarn. Its cheeks were tear-stained, but absolute hatred shone in its pupils as well. I couldn¡¯t imagine how overwhelming the predatory chemicals flowing through its veins were. The doctor¡¯s lack of compassion was staggering; with how cold his suggestion of starvation was, you would think he had Jala¡¯s disorder. I fixed the Takkan with a glare. ¡°First off, we would encourage the humans to treat us the same in kind. This predator doesn¡¯t deserve to suffer for existing. It has suffered enough pain and heartache today.¡± The physician swished his tail. ¡°You¡¯re oh-so-worried about its feigned emotions. Why do you care what it feels?¡± ¡°Fuck you! I¡¯m not an it,¡± the human growled. Zarn charged the kid, rearing back with his firearm. The doctor trembled with anger, as he swung the gun toward its head. The predator¡¯s binocular gaze widened in alarm. I couldn¡¯t let it be beaten to a pulp for speaking its mind, when all it had done was complain about our language. Arjun had a family and a future out there, which was jeopardized by the Takkan¡¯s malice. The more I considered our conversation, its intelligence was impressive for a child. Granted, it would help propagate the survival of the human race. But that seemed a likely probability no matter what, so what did harming it achieve? I don¡¯t want to see it in pain¡­or worse, end up like Thyon. Without realizing I had moved, I stretched my wing in the strike¡¯s path. Zarn was committed to the blow by the time I obstructed his angle. The metal gun connected with my soft tissue, while the human cowered behind a feathery shield. Pain flared down my left appendage, resonating to the bone. The throbbing sensation was nauseating, and a single glance told me it was broken. ¡°Shit! You broke my wing,¡± I screeched, doubling over in anguish. ¡°What if that had been Arjun¡¯s head? You could¡¯ve cracked his skull!¡± The doctor leveled his gun barrel at me. ¡°His?¡± My eyes widened, as I realized my slip of the tongue. I shook my head, trying to filter away any positive assessments of Arjun. The kid was lying prone on the floor, and its eyes were bulging. If their tools and pack were taken away, humans weren¡¯t competent predators. I was the only one that could protect this beast. Zarn¡¯s concentration waned, as a squawking Jala landed behind him. I took the opportunity to wrench the gun from his grip with my good wing. Ironically, I could use his services to patch the broken bone up. The pain intensified with the slightest movements or vibrations; the Takkan hadn¡¯t even flinched at assaulting me. I brandished the firearm awkwardly. ¡°Mutiny is punishable by death, unless the captain is deemed unfit for command. Why shouldn¡¯t I carry out your sentence?¡± ¡°Kalsim, p-put the gun down,¡± the doctor stammered. ¡°You¡¯re being unreasonable.¡± ¡°I am unreasonable?! Then what on Nishtal do I call you?¡± Jala issued a hearty laugh. ¡°What did I miss?¡± The female Krakotl¡¯s eyes darted behind him, and she drew her own firearm. Arjun had capitalized on the chaos, making a break for the exit. The human skidded to a halt, once the armed sociopath blocked its path. After witnessing how slippery Terran forces were, I really should¡¯ve been paying more attention to it. I hope Jala doesn¡¯t make any hasty decisions here. ¡°Zarn proved himself a threat to crew safety and this mission.¡± I lowered the pistol, and noted the contempt in the doctor¡¯s eyes. ¡°But he¡¯s not going to disobey orders again, is he?¡± The Takkan sighed. ¡°No¡­sir.¡± ¡°Your wing isn¡¯t supposed to bend like that, Kalsim,¡± Jala chuckled. I struggled to ignore the searing pain. ¡°Tell me something I don¡¯t know¡­ah, go on, laugh at my misfortune later. Is there something you need?¡± ¡°I circled the perimeter from the skies, and spotted a human a few clicks away. It¡¯s heading toward our position¡­and it¡¯s armed.¡± Arjun mustered a feral snarl. ¡°Dad.¡± Panic swelled in my chest, at the thought of Terrans converging on our position. Confronting Arjun¡¯s father was an option, but we didn¡¯t know that it was alone. The ¡®photographer¡¯ might notice that something was wrong, and alert authorities. Humans were dangerous without the element of surprise; it was unclear whether our small posse could survive direct combat. It would be in our best interest to leave the kid, and that was what my conscience demanded. However, that plan wouldn¡¯t be popular with my companions. With a crippled wing, taking on Jala and Zarn was an incredible risk. Both could aim guns without difficulty, and a flightworthy Krakotl could maneuver freely. More importantly, the doctor¡¯s incapacitation would damn Thyon. That was the main reason I couldn¡¯t punish this mutiny. The Farsul¡¯s life took precedence over Arjun¡¯s welfare, plain and simple. I had to keep this together until Thyon regained consciousness. ¡°It¡¯s time to move,¡± I decided. ¡°Where is your patient, Zarn?¡± The doctor scowled. ¡°Thyon is safe. Jala crafted a pulley system, and put him up in a nearby tree. Predators won¡¯t get to him there, though I can¡¯t speak for humans finding him.¡± ¡°Good. We need to hurry, before dozens of full-grown beasts descend on us. We¡¯ll come back as soon as human activity cools off.¡± Jala began collecting our supplies, as well as anything Arjun had that was useful. I steered the kid out into the open, trying to be gentle with my gun prodding. Intimidating it wasn¡¯t my desire, but we needed to move quickly. There was no time for a diplomatic approach. Arjun looked around in desperation, as we staggered out of the encampment. I knew it wanted to be rescued. That pleading gaze reminded me of the burning pups, praying to be saved from their extermination. Why did it have to jog up those memories, with every expression? I thought I was past that guilt. ¡°DAD! HELP!¡± the kid screamed. ¡°They¡¯re¡ª¡± I clapped my good wing over its mouth. ¡°You idiot! Are you trying to get yourself killed?¡± Zarn passed me a roll of medical gauze, a conceited glint in his eyes. I could hear the words ¡®told you so¡¯ from the smug doctor. He scowled at the human, tracing a toe over his own throat slowly. The child swallowed, and I suppose it understood the gesture. I applied a single layer of tape, and offered a sympathetic pat. The predator hadn¡¯t left much choice other than to gag it. Not only could that wailing cry have alerted its father, but it could¡¯ve drawn attention from forest beasts. That squashed all hopes of Arjun¡¯s guardian accepting the disappearance as a tragic accident. Its suspicions were going to be elevated, and its protective instincts would seek answers. Our entourage was about to find out exactly how good humans were at tracking. Chapter 56 Memory transcription subject: Captain Kalsim, Krakotl Alliance Command Date [standardized human time]: October 18, 2136 The leafy ground crunched underfoot, as we steered the Terran prisoner across the park. I was certain Arjun was purposefully stomping on brittle patches. The kid wanted to make as much noise as possible, in an attempt to summon others of its kind. It didn¡¯t matter how much of a ruckus it made, or if it dragged its feet. With how slow humans plodded along, we had at least an hour of walking between us and the returning father. It would tire after sustained exertion, and be forced to retrieve a vehicle to close that distance. That left time to snack and hydrate. I ambled along on weary legs. ¡°How do you land animals walk everywhere? I wish I still could fly, Zarn.¡± ¡°And I wish I could exsanguinate that thing of yours. It would die in minutes if I sliced that big artery on its neck,¡± the doctor muttered. Jala chuckled. ¡°Do you think its eyes would stay open after we axed its head? Or maybe they would¡­pop right out of its skull?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not killing it!¡± I snapped. ¡°Life, even tainted life, is sacred. True exterminators do not kill for fun or for laughs.¡± Zarn pulled a scalpel from his bag, and inspected the reflective metal. The Takkan must be considering how it would slice through predator skin. I wondered why he hated humans, when his species¡¯ government voted to be their allies. What left him so certain that social hunters had no emotions or benefits? I tried to focus on our travels, knowing we couldn¡¯t rest before Arjun¡¯s father did. The kid¡¯s skin was damp, but the strain to its breathing was minimal. We had been walking in the afternoon heat for an hour, and its legs weren¡¯t fully grown. It should be panting and stumbling with exhaustion. What regiment has this human hatchling been through? Its little lungs must be on fire. We need to rest, for its sake, soon. Additionally, there had been a surprising lack of predator sightings in the forest environment. Something must have picked up our scent by now, but none of them had investigated further. Did other hunters fear the apex humans? The primates shouldn¡¯t scare wild beasts with their unimpressive forms. ¡°Mmm! Kmsm!¡± Arjun jerked backward, and howled against the tape. ¡°Hmm!!¡± I cursed as the kid clipped my broken wing. ¡°Did I tell you to stop walking? Er, I mean, we¡¯ll rest in a few minutes¡­you¡¯re almost there.¡± It continued screaming beneath the gag, and its binocular eyes were almost hysterical. If something frightened a predator, that gave me pause. There must be a reason it refused to walk, unless this was a time-wasting trick. The fear looked strikingly real though, so I was inclined to believe the antics. A blood-curdling hiss permeated the air, and movement flashed across the leafy ground. A brown creature uncoiled its scaly body, lifting its head toward us. A forked tongue waggled from its mouth like a seesaw. The way it slithered forward was alien and unnerving; there were no legs that I could see. That¡¯s a prey animal¡­it has side-facing eyes, I decided. The poor thing must be trying to scare off the predator, flattening its neck like that. I can¡¯t believe that works on a sapient human. The alarm in Arjun¡¯s gaze intensified, and beads of sweat surfaced on its skin. We would¡¯ve stepped on the reptile, if the kid hadn¡¯t flailed about. Why was it so terrified of a crippled animal? The tiger¡¯s bite was much more petrifying than this thing. The human seemed to forget about the gun to its back, and bolted away with impossible energy. That mad dash reminded me of Federation species in a mindless stampede. Maybe these frail primates incorporated some prey instincts into their hardware, to compensate for their weakness. Jala lined up her gun barrel. ¡°Better learn how to fly real quick, Arjun.¡± My eyes widened. ¡°Don¡¯t shoot it!¡± ¡°You¡¯re no fun. I¡¯m not just letting that scrawny beast go!¡± The sociopath was airborne before I could stop her, and bore down on Arjun with powerful flaps. She swiped her talons across its shoulder, carving twin gashes into its flesh. The human yelped. It lost its balance from the blow, and toppled to the ground. Jala¡¯s takeoff aggravated the hissing animal, which hadn¡¯t blinked a single time. Shouldn¡¯t it calm down now that the predator was gone? Zarn seemed to feel bad for it, since the sight of Arjun had traumatized it. He wanted to show it we weren¡¯t like the humans. The doctor reached out to give it a comforting pat. ¡°Nobody¡¯s going to hunt you, sweetie. Did those nasty apes eat your babies? I¡ª¡± The panicked animal was still in fending-off-predators mode. It was worked up in a frenzy, desperate and aggressive to any movements. Zarn was oblivious to the opening of its mouth. It bit the doctor with tiny teeth, and he grabbed his arm in pain. My gun was readied within a second, and I dispatched a shot through its head. I cursed the Takkan for making me shoot a non-sapient victim to Terran incursions. To make matters worse, any nearby humans would hear that reverberation. ¡°You had to try to touch a terrified, helpless prey animal,¡± I sighed. Zarn inspected the two tiny puncture marks. ¡°I just wanted to soothe it, Kalsim. Let me disinfect the wound. Barely a scratch.¡± My pupils swiveled toward Arjun, who had ripped the tape off its own mouth. Jala was looming over it, and pecked at its earlobe to draw a reaction. I rushed over to intervene, pushing the female Krakotl away from the downed kid. My curiosity demanded an explanation for the freakout. ¡°That was irresponsible of you to run off. You startled that poor animal,¡± I grumbled. ¡°All that panic, for a rudimentary threat display?¡± Arjun gawked at the marks on Zarn¡¯s gray skin. ¡°The snake bit you? Listen Kalsim, if you don¡¯t get him to a human medic, he¡¯s going to die. Painfully.¡± ¡°Die? I¡¯m not falling for that,¡± the doctor scoffed. ¡°Our species actually knows how to treat infections.¡± ¡°We have penicillin too, Doctor Psycho. Do you have no concept of venom? You¡¯re going to be paralyzed and unable to breathe¡­in an hour.¡± This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°It does burn quite a bit, Captain, but I have painkillers. Besides, if I was actually poisoned, this human would want me to die and languish. That¡¯s all they¡¯re capable of wanting!¡± My eyes narrowed, as Zarn confessed to localized pain. His arm did look rather swollen near the puncture wounds. Then again, a medical professional should recognize the signs of blood poisoning. I hoped he wouldn¡¯t brush off Arjun¡¯s warning just because a human passed it along. We do need to keep moving, urgently. I¡¯ll monitor Zarn¡¯s symptoms, and if it gets worse, I¡¯ll figure something out. ¡°Let¡¯s get in a few more minutes of walking, and we¡¯ll settle down,¡± I said. ¡°We can disinfect your wound, and Arjun¡¯s¡­incisions.¡± The predator kid flexed its shoulder with a wince. The crimson blood staining its artificial pelt was drying. It pursed its lips like it wanted to argue, but I waved it along at gunpoint. The human shuffled ahead in silence, not wanting the tape reapplied. The tree cover thinned out, and we pressed ahead for several monotonous minutes. I remained on the lookout for snakes, just in case. It didn¡¯t make sense why Arjun would help its tormentor. Also, if snakes were really that dangerous and frightening, why hadn¡¯t humans exterminated them? Zarn sucked in a sharp breath, facial muscles contorting. His pace had begun to lag several steps behind ours. He touched the affected area with the other paw, and screamed in a high register. Tears trickled from his eyes. ¡°GAH! My b-blood is on fire,¡± he squealed. The Takkan slumped against the base of a tree, writhing in agony. Arjun¡¯s eyebrows twitched, as though it was in pain itself. Perhaps I had underestimated the scope of human empathy. The best we could hope for, after this failed mission, was that their murders were less sadistic than Arxur hunts. ¡°Make it stop!¡± Zarn shrieked. Jala puffed out her feathers. ¡°Shut up! You¡¯re giving away our location.¡± ¡°It hurts so bad. HELP ME! It¡¯s like acid¡­it¡¯s¡­¡± The female Krakotl retrieved the medical tape, and I slapped it out of her grip with the good wing. She wasn¡¯t going to shut Zarn up, like an animal, while he was in anguish. Losing the doctor was unacceptable; his services were needed for a fine officer¡¯s survival. Arjun knelt on its knee, and coaxed the Takkan into a prone position. I knew Zarn was out of it, when he didn¡¯t resist the beast¡¯s contact. The predator was remarkably gentle with its motions. It showed decency to an enemy that did not deserve it. Just like my officers said I had, where humans were involved. I¡¯m glad I treated their kind with respect. That I didn¡¯t make them suffer, and I didn¡¯t enjoy their deaths. ¡°Kalsim! We need to get help,¡± Arjun pleaded. The doctor¡¯s grip tightened around a grass clump. ¡°Get lost, predator. You j-just want to watch my suffering up close. You¡¯re lapping it up¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to watch anyone die. You¡¯re the one who wanted to watch humans suffer up close.¡± ¡°No. Wounded prey smells good, right? Wait to get your pickings until I¡¯m dead.¡± ¡°We never wanted to eat you. I¡¯m a vegetarian! It¡¯s part of my religion¡­to show compassion for animals.¡± My eyes widened at its proclamation. The predator had to be joking. It was Federation religions that dictated that preying on animals was greedy, bloodthirsty, and evil. Natural-born hunters would never follow any ideology that demonized their own existence. How did that make the slightest sense? ¡°I thought humans were interesting,¡± Jala clicked. ¡°But they¡¯re pathetic, just like everyone else. Cowering in the face of danger¡­religions about compassion¡­crying over people that are dead like it¡¯s so sad.¡± I glared at her. ¡°As I¡¯ve told you from the beginning, humans have selective empathy. Our knowledge of them is evolving, but their expansionism is incompatible with peace.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled, Jala, they¡¯re b-brutal. Cunning and manipulative,¡± Zarn gasped. ¡°Their history¡­is one of conquest and invasions. Humans cook up new ways to kill each other¡­always.¡± The doctor howled through gritted teeth, as a spasm rippled down the afflicted limb. His pained cry morphed into a full-throated scream. Arjun wordlessly poured some water on the Takkan¡¯s head, trying to cool his burning skin. Somehow, I trusted the predator not to finish him off; my attention shifted to finding an effective painkiller. Before I realized what was happening, a deafening gunshot echoed behind me. Jala was hovering over Zarn, a crazed look in her eyes. The physician¡¯s body went slack, as blood gushed from his temple. The human gaped as the corpse brushed its leg. I aimed my sidearm at the sociopath. ¡°What did you do?! DROP YOUR WEAPON!¡± ¡°That¡¯s precisely how to shut someone up,¡± she chirped. ¡°Enough of your games, Kalsim. We do this my way now.¡± ¡°Drop. The. GUN!!¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, you hated Zarn. He was making too much noise; the predator said he was going to die anyway. Plus, you would¡¯ve had us stay here and listen to him scream.¡± ¡°This is your last warning.¡± ¡°The human is slowing us down too, and it will actively work against us at every turn. I¡¯m doing you a favor. Make your choice: me or Arjun.¡± Jala swiveled her pistol toward the predator kid, who seemed stunned by Zarn¡¯s death. Arjun had never seen a creature die in front of it, had it? The words it said about compassion for animals reminded me of my extermination philosophy. We both killed when it was necessary, and contained our damage to the rightful sources. Against all odds, I appreciated this predator¡¯s way of life. It was honorable and empathetic enough, not yet lost to its destructive instincts. I had more in common with this prowler than Jala. There was some attachment to it¡­to him, in that I didn¡¯t want to watch him die in front of me. I squeezed the trigger, and a succinct pop indicated a successful shot. Shock flashed in the sociopath¡¯s eyes, before her body crashed alongside Zarn¡¯s. The gun slipped from my grasp in a daze. Had I really just lost both able-bodied crew in the span of a minute? Arjun scrambled to his feet, scooping up the weapon. He didn¡¯t point it at me, for some reason. Blue Takkan blood was spattered alongside his own scarlet shade. The little predator flopped down beside the doctor¡¯s satchel. ¡°You¡¯re hurt. We need to t-treat your wounds, and find your father,¡± I stammered. The human didn¡¯t respond, and merely got to work patching up his own injuries. My instincts should¡¯ve created an uproar, over my proximity to an armed predator. However, I couldn¡¯t process fear through the shock. This world of death and wilderness, Earth, could not be my reality. I zoned out, staring into the distance. My story would come full circle, if it was ended by the predator I chose to spare. Quite a poetic conclusion¡­for turning my back on my occupation. The three Federation castaways could lie unburied, in this infested land, for all eternity. Thyon is unconscious and abandoned, in this predatory hell. Snap out of it, Kalsim. There was a slight cracking sound from above, which broke my trance. Before I could glance up, something rough brushed against my throat. The next thing I knew, rope cinched around my throat in a suffocating knot. My body was yanked upward, and I found myself standing on empty space. I instinctively tried to loosen the noose, as my entire mass dangled in its secure embrace. My wings attempted to tread air; searing, all-encompassing pain lanced down the broken bone. Generating lift was impossible. ¡°Son!¡± a thunderous voice barked from above. ¡°Get out of here, and call for help. MARCOS is looking for these fuckers.¡± How had Arjun¡¯s father gotten here so soon? There was no way a human predator could¡¯ve closed the distance without running. But running that long was impossible, unless their endurance was nigh divine. The kid hadn¡¯t tired at all either¡­oh, sweet Inatala. Arjun palmed his black hair. ¡°Tell me you regret what your species did, Kalsim. Please.¡± ¡°Regret? Sure¡­I always did,¡± I croaked. ¡°But it¡­was the only way. To secure a future. I did my d-duty.¡± The human youngling watched as my oxygen supply dissipated. His vicious eyes watered. I knew he was thinking about Bengaluru, contemplating how my orders leveled dozens of cities like it. The poor thing never understood the bleak necessity. A constricting pain centered around my larynx, and my field of vision began to diminish. Awareness was receding, like sinking into a vast ocean. Struggling didn¡¯t seem important anymore. I felt like I lived a good life, a meaningful one¡­ ¡°Cut Kalsim down, Dad, please!¡± Arjun¡¯s voice sounded as though it came from underwater. ¡°He saved my life from the other two, multiple times. I don¡¯t want him killed.¡± The adult human growled a reply I didn¡¯t register. Its voice was charged with bellowing savagery, a preview of what Arjun would sound like at full maturity. I didn¡¯t want to see him transform into an unstable beast, constantly beleaguered by the need to chase. That sickening development was the reason why pups were supposed to be exterminated. The kid offered a plea that was incoherent, as my eyes fluttered shut with grim realization. The rope released its grip, and I plummeted back to the earth with a muted sensation. The little predator poked at my beak, but I couldn¡¯t move a muscle. The world faded away, leaving me helpless at the paws of the warlike monsters. Chapter 57 Memory transcription subject: Slanek, Venlil Space Corps Date [standardized human time]: October 18, 2136 Marcel leaned over the destroyer¡¯s railing, allowing the saltwater to splash his face. The predator¡¯s eyes stared where the towering skyline of New York City had once been. His loved ones were in one of the nearby bunkers, perhaps buried beneath a mountain of rubble. The human resolved to search for Nulia and Lucy, but I feared his reaction if they weren¡¯t found alive. The American military sent most available service members to the remnants of its largest city, once the environment was deemed safe. Rescue prospects weren¡¯t promising for the main hubs, so efforts would be focused on the city outskirts. With the traditional naval ports and space docking sites pulverized, the boat would allow alien visitors to touch down. My skin crawled at the thought of the Arxur landing on Earth. I remembered what the grays had done on the bombed-out cradle; it terrified me that they might get a taste for human flesh. What if the survivors, like Marcel, were rounded up onto a cattle ship? The thought of him being caged or tortured again filled me with despair. Minutes from now, those monsters were going to be walking onto this very deck. I couldn¡¯t stop focusing on that image; every instinct compelled me to hurl myself overboard. The Terrans were in no condition to protect me. I didn¡¯t believe for a second that those emotionless predators were genuinely here to help. The red-haired human studied his reflection in the water. ¡°Shit. Do you remember the first time we chatted online, Slanek?¡± ¡°You said, ¡®Hello.¡¯ I sat at my keyboard for two hours, trying to envision your true intent,¡± I muttered. ¡°I was terrified to talk to a predator.¡± ¡°Wait, that¡¯s why you didn¡¯t answer right away? I mean, I was nervous too, but more about fucking up first contact.¡± ¡°Marc, all I could think was, what have I done? After several bouts of crying, multiple drafted messages to Republic emergency services to drop out of the program¡­¡± ¡°You asked me, with no context or greeting, what I saw when I looked in the mirror.¡± Marcel didn¡¯t finish the anecdote, instead tilting his head in consideration. At the time, the human answered, A mouth, a nose, two eyes and ears. I¡¯d be concerned if that changed. The horrors of my imagination evaporated with laughter. I felt guilty that I had been so preoccupied with his appearance in the beginning. The worry creases on his forehead aged him by a decade, as did the blemish of the scars on his cheek. By comparison, my friend¡¯s paralyzing gaze had been full of life, with that snarl he couldn¡¯t contain. I wanted to remember the humans as that optimistic race; affectionate and carefree. Whatever compromises our beloved predators had to make, I wouldn¡¯t let them change my perspective. ¡°I see a survivor.¡± Swallowing my nerves, I propped myself over the railing. My gray fur was a matted mess, and my slender ears were pinned in terror. ¡°T-two of them, actually. Please, don¡¯t let the Arxur eat me.¡± He ruffled the stray tuft on my head. ¡°I¡¯m scared too, buddy. I have nightmares about them eating that immobilized Gojid¡­then, eating you or Nulia. Is it wrong to admit that?¡± ¡°No. Your f-feelings are important too. You¡¯re just really good at acting strong.¡± ¡°Key word, acting.¡± An angular craft rocketed down from the cloud cover, and I squeezed my tail around the human¡¯s wrist. The curvature of the ship¡¯s belly suggested it was stocked with missiles; it was brimming with weaponry from every angle. The engine roared as it completed its atmospheric descent, following the Terran glide slope. The Arxur vessel slammed onto the open deck, and our personnel eyed it warily. There¡¯s a human sniper watching them from the mast. I wonder if the grays noticed¡­better hope my friends can react quicker than those demons can snap me in half. Paralyzing terror coursed through my bloodstream, as dozens of Arxur lumbered out into the open. They lugged some supply crates onto the deck, and waved for the humans to collect them. Terran personnel scurried over to sort through the offerings. I could see in the primates¡¯ eyes that they were concerned about opening up a cattle ¡®gift.¡¯ One Arxur was directing the others, with the cracked skin around its eyes suggesting its age. Its nostrils flared with obvious hunger, entranced by the whiff of Venlil in the breeze. Ghastly reptilian eyes snapped my way, and yellowed teeth flared in a ferocious snarl. Why had Marcel¡¯s benign canines ever frightened me? The enemy commander began ambling toward us. It leaned forward as it walked, poised to drop into a primal lunge in a heartbeat. Its pupils were darker than the frigid side of Venlil Prime, and its drab scales glistened like obsidian. I could see the saliva coagulating around its lips. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Slanek. I¡¯m right here,¡± Marcel growled. My heart hammered so furiously that I swayed on my feet; the human caught me with steady hands. All thoughts were shutting down, like a hard reset to the noggin. Every conscious impulse screamed to propel myself into the ocean, but my brain signals weren¡¯t registering. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. I sank my claws into the human¡¯s forearm, whimpering like wounded prey. Tears flowed down my face, dripping onto his pale skin. Marcel massaged my scruff, and tried to stop me from shaking uncontrollably. His gentle touch wasn¡¯t enough to counter an Arxur, standing right across from me. How could we have ever considered such an abomination sapient? It was the spitting image of death itself. Nothing motivated it, other than its appetite and its cruelty. ¡°Greetings. I¡¯m going to assume you¡¯re in charge, since you have a Venlil¡­attached.¡± The Arxur¡¯s warm breath hit me on the cheek, as it spoke in a reverberating roar. ¡°My name is Chief Hunter Isif. We understand this was the United Nations headquarters, so I decided to accompany this landing party.¡± Marcel cleared his throat. ¡°What can I do for you?¡± A faint sliver of awareness crept back in. I didn¡¯t understand why my human wouldn¡¯t point this monster toward the actual officers¡­and far away from us. I wanted to study the vegetarian¡¯s expression, but I couldn¡¯t turn my eyes away from the Arxur. It hadn¡¯t stopped staring at me from the moment it approached. ¡°Requesting permission to set up emergency housing. I can have structures and basic amenities organized in a day,¡± Isif barked. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯ll be an issue,¡± the red-haired human said. ¡°If you¡¯re aiding search-and-rescue, would you come with me to a neighborhood called Midwood? The people in those bunkers are a UN priority.¡± ¡°Gladly. I¡¯ll pick several of my finest to accompany you.¡± ¡°Oh, and tell your soldiers not to desecrate any human bodies.¡± ¡°Cut it out. We don¡¯t eat each other, whatever the Federation told you. So why would any of us want to eat humans?¡± The chief hunter¡¯s eyes lingered on me, the actualization of every nightmare I ever had. My spine pressed back against Marcel¡¯s chest, using his muscular form for support. Every muscle in my body felt weak as jelly, and my nerves were overstimulated beyond salvaging. I wanted to crawl under a rock, and never show my face again. The Arxur sighed, slinking off with a swish of its tail. It conversed with some Terran personnel for a moment, then issued emphatic orders. Several grays filed into a human ¡°helicopter¡±, a strange aircraft that had twin blades on its roof. The racket stung my ears, as the propeller revved to life. ¡°Okay. I don¡¯t expect you to come with me, Slanek.¡± Marcel released a forceful exhale, and set me back on my paws. ¡°But getting to my family can¡¯t wait¡­I have to know.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re hitching a ride with the child-eating predators?! What will Nulia think if she is alive?¡± I spat. ¡°You just said you have nightmares about those things devouring her.¡± ¡°Using the Arxur will get me there quickest. I¡¯m sorry. There¡¯s no line I won¡¯t cross¡­I have nothing to live for without them.¡± ¡°What about me? I care about you. After what we¡¯ve been through together¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make this about you, buddy. I get why Sovlin losing his family broke him now. If they¡¯re dead, so am I.¡± ¡°Marcel, p-please¡ª¡± ¡°Go home, Slanek. I hope you succeed in all your future aspirations. Thank you for giving a predator like me a chance.¡± The red-haired human shouldered his rifle and duffel bag, and limped over to the waiting helicopter. Those hazel eyes never so much as glanced back; his slender fingers were curled into a fist. Recollections of my predator, starving and beaten, darted through my mind. I could see those same hands pressed up against the glass, as he reached out with the last of his strength. Marcel tried to protect me in his final moments too, through unimaginable pain. I can¡¯t let him throw his life away. I remembered how helpless I felt, watching the vegetarian held at gunpoint. The pain in his eyes had been like glass shards in my heart. The thought of never speaking to him again, and learning that the Arxur chopped him up into little pieces¡­it filled me with the same despair. How did my Terran friend expect me to abandon him to a senseless fate? Riding along on this suicide misadventure was out of the question though. Marcel wasn¡¯t engaged in proper thinking right now; he needed someone to drill some sense into him. Humans were significantly weaker than the Arxur, so he¡¯d be helpless when they ambushed him. ¡°Damn you!¡± I scampered after the hobbling human, who was only a few paces from the chopper. ¡°I nursed you back from death¡¯s door, went with you to a Gojid warzone, and stayed here when we all thought your Earth was going to be glassed to the core!¡± Marcel clambered up into the chopper. ¡°You¡¯ve done enough. Go away, Slanek; get lost.¡± ¡°And go home, like none of this happened? I¡¯m telling you, as your friend, not to do this. I need you safe and alive, and I don¡¯t care if that¡¯s ¡®making this about me.¡¯¡± I bounded the last several steps, and hurled myself at the human¡¯s leg in desperation. My hindlegs scrabbled for traction on the floor; I struggled with all my might to pull the bulky predator off the helicopter. Marcel panted, and shook me off with a grunt. The Arxur passengers watched with amusement. The human set his supplies on an empty seat, adjacent to the cockpit. Chief Hunter Isif was ordering the Terran pilot he¡¯d borrowed to take off. I had to get my friend out of here now. With panicked desperation, I yanked at his injured arm. Marcel could forgive me for the pain that caused later. It was the only way to mitigate his superior strength, and save him from his own recklessness. ¡°Shit!¡± he cursed. ¡°Get the fuck off of me.¡± The vegetarian¡¯s eyes dilated with frustration, and his cheeks turned that flushed shade of red that unnerved me. His teeth bared with obvious hostility; that was no human smile causing his jaw to tremble. I wasn¡¯t about to be scared away by growling, even if it made my throat go dry. He was never going to hurt me. Marcel pried my claws off of him with predatory strength; his typical gentleness was gone. I mewled in protest, but the human clenched his fingers into my scruff. He carried me toward the exit in cold silence, and seemed ready to toss me outside. My legs flailed about in desperation, but the struggling didn¡¯t have much effect. The helicopter rose the first few feet off the ground. Chief Hunter Isif retreated from the cockpit, and darted between Marcel and the exit. The Arxur commander slid the door shut, sealing off the escape route for both of us. Its eyes widened in confusion, as it noticed me dangling like a pup from the human¡¯s hands. ¡°Take a seat. There¡¯s room for you and the animal,¡± it snarled. ¡°Per the map overlay, this should be a short ride.¡± The aircraft was ascending rapidly, now above the mast in altitude. My heart sank in my chest, compounded by sheer panic. Jumping from this height would be suicide, though it might be better than being turned into cattle. Not only had I failed to get Marcel away from these monsters, but I had ended up escapeless with him. The red-haired human adjusted his grip, bringing me into the normal carrying position. I burrowed my head against his shirt, and he patted me with a sigh. Isif watched with keen interest, as the Terran settled in to his chosen seat. The vegetarian placed my shaking body on his lap, and turned my chin toward the window with a delicate push. I was certain the other Arxur were gaping at us, and salivating at the flesh on my skeleton. My hope was that my presence would stop the grays from eating Marcel; Venlil were a juicier target, after all. That didn¡¯t lessen the dread in my heart. There was nothing worse than being trapped, hundreds of feet above the ground, with feral carnivores. Chapter 58 Memory transcription subject: Slanek, Venlil Space Corps Date [standardized human time]: October 18, 2136 The tension was palpable, as the Arxur occupants studied Marcel in silence. I gathered that the human didn¡¯t want to engage with them either. The predatory savagery from the cradle plagued my recollection, and the chilling screams of the unfortunate Gojids echoed on loop. It would be all too easy for the grays to gut either of us, with the swipe of their fangs. Chief Hunter Isif dropped into the seat right next to us; the monster was inches away from me. It disregarded the shift in Marcel¡¯s body language. The human had leaned away, though there wasn¡¯t anywhere to go in a helicopter cabin. I got the impression his concern was for me, rather than himself. After the attack on Earth, it¡¯s like he doesn¡¯t care what happens to him. If I wasn¡¯t about to be carved up, I¡¯d insist he seek help. Isif bared its teeth ferociously. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve introduced myself. What¡¯s your name, Venlil?¡± Its voice was a discordant snarl, amplifying humanity¡¯s typical rumble by a thousandfold. A pathetic squeak escaped my throat, and I sobbed into Marcel¡¯s shirt. The vegetarian stroked my ear with patience, unfazed by the salty wetness soaking the fabric. I didn¡¯t know how even a persistence predator could be so calm in the face of such an eyesore. That scaly demon was sensory hell. I¡¯d rather be hunted by Marcel¡¯s kind for hours, than look at Isif for another second. ¡°Okay. That was the response I expected,¡± the Arxur sighed. ¡°What are you called, human?¡± My human stiffened. ¡°Marcel Fraser, but just Marcel is fine. The Venlil here, his name is Slanek.¡± ¡°I knew you hadn¡¯t lost your voice, Marcel. Slanek is here on Tarva¡¯s behalf, yes?¡± My ears perked up in alarm. How did Isif even know that name?! That must mean the Arxur were targeting the governor, or had other nefarious plans for her. I refused to believe the humans would betray us by turning over intel on the Republic. Marcel offered a curt head shake. ¡°Slanek is a fighter pilot. We¡¯re training him to be a proper soldier.¡± ¡°Ha! Good one¡­as if this specimen could fight.¡± Isif¡¯s eyes glittered with decadent mirth, before the expression dissolved. ¡°Oh Prophet. You¡¯re serious, aren¡¯t you?¡± The red-haired human glared at the floor, not answering the reptile. It was clear my friend had little interest in the conversation; I think he only entertained the first question to get the commander to leave me alone. The monstrous predator gave up, and turned its focus to the window. Our helicopter drifted above a sea of rubble, which stretched to the horizon. Building husks lingered as statues to a fallen world, and fires were splashed across the landscape. The ground was covered in a thick coating of soot; this looked like the aftermath of an Arxur raid. My heart sank in my chest, as I realized how dire the outlook was for Marcel¡¯s family. The human pilot guided our craft toward the designated neighborhood. Chief Hunter Isif craned its neck, and narrowed its disgusting eyes with solemnness. I didn¡¯t understand what game it was playing, trying to make nice with the humans. It must have some dastardly plan at work. The Arxur commander maintained the brooding expression, as we touched down. It ordered the other grays to sweep the area for survivors, and accrue intel for their government. Marcel rose to his feet to follow them, but Isif blocked the human¡¯s path. The scaly monster gestured to the devastation behind it. ¡°What do you think of what the Federation did, Slanek?¡± the Chief Hunter growled. My ears laid flat against my skull. ¡°I t-think¡­ it looks a lot like what you do.¡± A sharp glint flashed in its eyes. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s a good answer. You think our species is an instrument of evil, yet you admit your friends are no different.¡± ¡°The F-federation are¡­monsters. Not friends. But they don¡¯t eat people.¡± ¡°Because they don¡¯t have to. You all want my kind wiped from existence. Hell, you probably wish I¡¯d drop dead right now. Do you even see us as people?¡± ¡°After everything you¡¯ve done, you¡¯ll never be people, to anyone!¡± My sudden outburst took me by surprise. Marcel¡®s fingers tensed around my scruff, and his stance shifted to a defensive posture. That commentary placed my human in a precarious situation. My money wasn¡¯t on the wounded, squishy primate if this turned physical. I should¡¯ve never boarded this aircraft to begin with. The Arxur raised the ridges above its eyes, and turned around with a sigh. Isif somehow restrained its aggression; the pointed huff emanated disappointment. It drew its sidearm, before shuffling into the ruins of New York. Marcel followed with a bit of hesitancy. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what Slanek said, Chief Hunter. Any sapient is a person, no matter what they¡¯ve done.¡± ¡°Is that so, human?¡± the reptile grumbled. ¡°Look, our race has become a shell of itself over the centuries. I wish it wasn¡¯t like this.¡± My eyes widened in surprise. Polite concessions, lamenting their current status, wasn¡¯t what I expected it to say. For an emotionless predator, it was doing an excellent job at emulating regret. The fear eased enough for me to wonder what it had to gain from this act. The Arxur never attempted to converse with prey, as a rule. ¡°Why are you so cruel and merciless?¡± The words spewed from my mouth in a rambling fervor. ¡°Why did you kill my brother, and bomb my planet, and eat people alive while they were running¡­¡± Its nostrils flared. ¡°Ah yes, it¡¯s well-documented that I did all those things personally. I¡¯m a busy guy, I get around.¡± ¡°Your species! D-don¡¯t mock me, demon. There¡¯s no good reason your breed are that cruel and morally deficient.¡± ¡°The Federation are the reason we¡¯re starving. Cruelty was and is a defense mechanism, in my view. I¡¯m not excusing it; I¡¯m answering your insults.¡± ¡°Defense mechanism. How so?!¡± ¡°It was needed as a way to cope with what we had to do to survive. We¡¯re also fighting a war of extinction, while vastly outnumbered, so it serves psychological purposes to¡­encourage recorded sadism. The Federation loses because they¡¯re afraid.¡± The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. The Arxur crested a mountain of rubble, and Marcel escorted us atop the debris too. One human was crawling through the street, with serious burns across her extremities. Her breathing came in ragged gasps, and the sight of peeling flesh made me wince. Two Zurulian medics had arrived on the scene already; the Americans must¡¯ve directed them to a separate landing site from the grays. A young volunteer rushed to the burn victim¡¯s side, repeating soothing words. The other quadruped kept a wide berth from the aggrieved human, and trembled in terror. ¡°Wilen, I need a dose of painkillers and antiseptics now,¡± the youthful Zurulian chimed in. Wilen flicked his ears in skepticism. ¡°We know nothing about these predators, other than that the Arxur like them. Our government has gone mad, Fraysa. I can¡¯t get close to this thing!¡± Isif¡¯s scowl intensified. The hunter gripped its sidearm with malicious intent. Rich hunger danced in its gaze, and it shared an enraged glance with Marcel. For once, I agreed with the monster; we couldn¡¯t let the medics dilly dally with an agonized human. Fraysa rounded on her partner. ¡°What we know, is the humans haven¡¯t done anything wrong. They sought peace, and were brutally attacked for it. Also, the Venlil and our ambassador adore them.¡± ¡°But they¡¯re predators! I¡¯m here for the Venl¡ª¡± ¡°No! We don¡¯t play god, and pick and choose who we help. We save lives indiscriminately. Get with that, or get the fuck out of my sight.¡± The injured human watched with glassy eyes. Wilen lowered his head, before crouching at Fraysa¡¯s side. He began applying wet dressings and antiseptics, while his partner tended to the pain. The Zurulians then prepped a transport to their hospital ship. Isif lowered its gun, and watched as the quadrupeds strained to lift the human. The Arxur marched down to the site, swishing its tail in a display of dominance. The Zurulians dropped the patient, when they saw the gray skulking toward them. I was worried the abomination had regained its appetite too. Maybe it likes charred flesh, like Tyler did. It could see the Terran burn victim as the perfect meal¡­oh stars. The Chief Hunter lifted the primate onto the gurney, and fastened the straps in seconds. It backed away, and growled to get the medics¡¯ attention. Fraysa was wielding a syringe in her mouth, pointing it as if a shot of painkillers would stop the murderous demon. ¡°Stay back!¡± The female Zurulian quivered, and seemed aghast at the sight of my human behind the gray. ¡°Human¡­and Venlil, please! Help us! It¡¯s kidnapping my patient.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not kidnapping the human. I put her on the stretcher so you can move her for evac,¡± Isif growled. ¡°If I was hostile, trust me, you would know. I¡¯m subtle as a sledgehammer.¡± Marcel trundled up beside the Arxur. ¡°The last Federation physician I met wanted me dissected. Our doctors pledge to do no harm. It¡¯s a relief to see someone mirror the sentiment of the Hippocratic Oath.¡± Wilen squinted at the vegetarian. ¡°You¡¯re¡­that human named Marcel, from Noah¡¯s video. I recognize you.¡± ¡°Shit,¡± Fraysa squeaked. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what they did to you. Your treatment w-went against every, um, ethical principle¡­that we stand for.¡± The Chief Hunter inspected the red-haired human with confused eyes. The demonic predator mouthed the name ¡®Noah¡¯ to itself, and noted something on its holopad. I think it wanted to ask what happened to my friend. Obviously, a feral animal that loathed weakness would mock his traumatic experience. Marcel pointed a hand to the stretcher; the Zurulians sidled up to the patient hesitantly. Isif slunk beside them, moving the brunt of the weight. The medics shuffled in a terrified stupor, and our oddball group traversed the ruins. It was sad to see Earth like this, having witnessed this city in its sprawling glory days ago. It took several minutes to reach the Zurulian hospital ship, which was hovering over a decimated roadway. We glimpsed rows of beds in its loading bay, and my human¡¯s eyes widened with hope. Panicked shouts echoed from the ship¡¯s occupants at the reptile sighting. The Chief Hunter ducked its head, perhaps to seem less threatening. The Arxur pulled away, and more Zurulian medics hurried over to lug the patient onboard. Fraysa and Wilen bore delirious eyes, which suggested the fear was overstimulating them. That little excursion must have been psychological torment to them. ¡°Have you rescued a Gojid child¡­hopefully with a human female?¡± my human growled. Wilen blinked. ¡°What?¡± ¡°A Gojid! You know, spiky, brown-furred, big claws. WHERE IS SHE?!¡± The Zurulians cowered at Marcel¡¯s roar, and their hackle fur stood on end. I swatted my tail at his chin, warning him to calm down. His desperation was something I recognized, but these medics didn¡¯t understand humans yet. They probably thought he was about to go on a rampage. ¡°Marc is very upset¡­and loud, but he¡¯s harmless,¡± I hissed. ¡°Please, just tell us if you¡¯ve seen a Gojid.¡± Fraysa drew a shaky breath. ¡°No. Only humans here.¡± ¡°I can check with our groups in the other cities,¡± Wilen added hurriedly. ¡°Maybe Berlin, Toronto, Bangkok, or Manila? B-big predator dwellings there.¡± Marcel slumped his shoulders in defeat. ¡°No. They were here.¡± ¡°They? Oh¡­I see.¡± Understanding flashed in Isif¡¯s pupils. ¡°Why don¡¯t we search for your packmates at their last location? These Zurulians could help us look around.¡± The human nodded, blinking away tears. The Arxur focused on his watery eyes, and gave him a rough tail slap on the arm. If I didn¡¯t know better, I would think it was a poor attempt at comfort. A species devoid of empathy was mimicking the trait, of course. Isif was clearly awkward and unpracticed at that falsified aspect. Fraysa¡¯s gaze softened, and she shared a glance with her partner. ¡°We¡¯ll help you search.¡± ¡°But I¡¯d prepare for the likeliest possibility. As a predator, you should be logical about the situation,¡± Wilen said. ¡°Wilen, he clearly grasps the extent of the dead! There¡¯s nothing logical about this. Where are we going, Marcel?¡± The red-haired primate browsed his holopad, and searched for a location via GPS. The local terrain was unrecognizable, so I doubted he could distinguish Nulia¡¯s bunker from any other scrap heap. The device pinpointed a location a quarter-mile from the hospital ship. All I could see there was a thick hill of concrete. Anything living must be crushed beneath that. It¡¯s likely the bunker collapsed from the pressure. Marcel could barely put pressure on his injured leg, but he staggered ahead for the minutes-long trek. I could feel the human¡¯s grief expanding with every step; my predator was cracking right alongside the buildings of New York. It hurt to see my friend, who I believed could withstand any emotion, crumbling. His distress frightened me as much as the hideous Arxur flanking us. Marcel reached the selected debris mound, and I dismounted onto my own paws. This must be the fallout shelter his family relocated to. The human hurled himself on all fours, flinging the smallest rocks behind him in a frenzy. An animalistic grunt reverberated from his chest, as he strained against his arm injury to tug a massive rock chunk. Chief Hunter Isif pressed its shoulder against the debris, and moved it enough to leave a tiny gap. Marcel pawed at the scraps below, trying to catch a glimpse of the shelter. He dug furiously with his flimsy fingers. Blood streamed from his dust-caked nails, but that only quickened his scrabbling. ¡°LUCY! NULIA!¡± he wailed, in the highest-pitched voice I¡¯d heard him use. There was no reply from beneath the ruins. Through choking sobs, my friend returned to parsing rocks with his hands. His fingers were drenched in crimson fluid. Sympathy clasped my heart with a vice-like grip, and I tackled him in a desperate hug. ¡°Marc, stop it. You¡¯re hurting yourself,¡± I pleaded. Fraysa placed a cautious paw on his neck. ¡°That¡¯s enough. We¡¯ll excavate the bodies, and make sure they get a proper burial by your customs. I promise.¡± The human collapsed atop the wreckage, and pressed an eye against the opening. He screamed incoherently, punching the rubble in outrage. I watched the life leave his sweet countenance; even the gushing tears dried up. My friend was unresponsive to any prodding. Wilen dabbed at his eyes, affected by the extent of the predator¡¯s raw emotions. I recognized that realization, as he decided humans were sapient. Anyone who saw this display as a performance had to be heartless. There must be countless others across Earth in such a state. I nuzzled his leg. ¡°Step aside and rest, please. Let the doctors disinfect your wounds.¡± ¡°Why?!¡± my human croaked. ¡°They¡¯ve taken everything. Oh Slanek, put me out of my mis¡ª¡± ¡°Mawsle!!¡± a childish voice cried, faintly audible. ¡°Where have you been? It¡¯s really dark down here, and I don¡¯t like the dark.¡± Marcel¡¯s head snapped up. ¡°You¡¯re¡­alive? I¡¯m coming, darling. Just hold on! We¡¯re working as fast as we can.¡± ¡°But I want to go somewhere safe now! Somewhere monsters won¡¯t find me or pick on your eyes. Don¡¯t leave me here, Mawzy!¡± ¡°Never. I¡¯m right here.¡± A chorus of human growls joined Nulia, as they realized rescuers were above. Relief coursed through my veins; against all odds, some of the bunker withstood the blast. Chief Hunter Isif radioed to send heavy machinery to our coordinates, and withdrew with a fierce snarl. Untrustworthy as it was, I couldn¡¯t deny it¡¯d been helpful so far. Amidst the chaos and devastation on Earth, it was a relief to save a few human lives from the ashes. Chapter 59 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, Federation Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: October 20, 2136 The United Nations had only scratched the surface of species in the Federation, having meaningful interactions with a small percentage. The Krakotl and Farsul received the most fanfare in the anti-predator coalition, but 24 total species had participated in Earth¡¯s attack. Of those, 17 committed only a minority of their forces. One of those was the Harchen, a reptile species famed for their natural camouflage. The waddling prey bipeds were half a human¡¯s height, and could morph their skin into a multitude of alluring colors. Their species was a stellar average in most fields, notable for a few media franchises and software start-ups. Thus, all they had in common with the Arxur was animal class. My decision to wander into Harchen territory looked dicey though, in an obvious Venlil ship. Given their hostile relations with Earth, I doubted they¡¯d welcome us with open arms. That was why I weaponized the humans¡¯ stealth tactics to remain hidden. Their cunning strategies, deployed against Gojid border outposts long ago, had become useful in ironic fashion. Our ship leapt between high-gravity spots, until we lurked behind a satellite of the Blissful Modernity. It was a wealthy colony which housed media conglomerates and tech companies. Most importantly, it was the home of an investigative reporter I wanted to recruit. Her stories were hard-hitting, and she was steadfast to the facts; whatever they may be. ¡°Why are we here, Sovlin?¡± The deaf Talpin demanded through his synthesizer. ¡°You are escaping with the Harchen, a Terran enemy. You still want to kill the humans for being predators?¡± Berna, his sister, flicked her claws. ¡°Countless people died on Earth, you monster. How can you turn your back on them?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to pick up a journalist named Cilany, who I trust, in the shuttle,¡± I replied. ¡°You¡¯re going to wait here, where no one can see you. In and out, then we head to Aafa.¡± ¡°This ¡®Cilany¡¯ must have an interest in protecting her planet. Her species is hostile to the humans,¡± the female Gojid returned. ¡°There are other journalists in the galaxy¡­hell, thousands on Aafa. We don¡¯t need an enemy.¡± ¡°The media figures who can be impartial to humans are few. Cilany¡¯s the one who exposed the Sivkits for turning away millions of refugees a year, and dissected their unsustainable colonizing practices. Though, it was outing the Krakotl military for prolific extortion that got her famous.¡± ¡°How does any of that connect her to you?¡± ¡°Because I was the anonymous source for both stories.¡± Gunboat diplomacy wouldn¡¯t retrieve intelligence, whatever my UN guards had thought. Berna and Talpin objected to my plan, but they were missing the big picture of our Kolshian excursion. Mouthpieces were little good without the means to spread their message around. Besides, investigating the Federation was something that mandated professional assistance. Sensors indicated a large ship presence around the Blissful Modernity, perhaps the Harchen anticipating a human counterattack. Scanning for subspace readings or life signs wasn¡¯t an option in our precarious stealth mode; the situation would be clearer once I got a visual. The escape pod was cramped on the inside, but I wriggled through the emergency hatch nonetheless. My hope was that this Venlil-sized four-seater would escape detection. Here you go, Sovlin. Fly through a waiting armada¡­and then, you have to get back up here too. This was a remarkably bad idea. My surroundings became visible on the viewport, as I coasted out from behind a solar station. The Harchen colony glistened a dusty brown, and lacked any signs of native vegetation. Hundreds of warships were centered around the planet, which set alarm bells off in my head. The prey reptiles never had this many heavy craft on stand-by, for a minor colony. After fiddling with the buttons, I magnified an orbiting warship on screen. The breath was sucked from my lungs. That clunky, explosive-laden death machine was an Arxur bomber, and it was surrounded by many brethren. It wasn¡¯t being challenged by any Harchen vessels, despite the fact that most of their fleet stayed at home. Had the Harchen¡¯s involvement in the attack on Earth left their colonies vulnerable? Perhaps they had to ration their defenses to the most populated areas without complete numbers. It was also possible local coordination was too poor to resist a full-fledged assault. Regardless, something must¡¯ve caught the grays¡¯ eyes. The emergency channel crackled to life, when I switched on the radio. ¡°Requesting immediate assistance from any Harchen vessels in the vicinity. Harchen Command¡­do you copy? Our evacuation ships are being slaughtered!¡± There was a brief pause, before a terse reply came through. ¡°We can¡¯t divert assets from Fahl. The Arxur are trying to lure us away from the homeworld, since their head-on approach failed. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°B-but you can¡¯t just leave us here! Send a few ships to cover evacuation, please!¡± ¡°Blissful Modernity, you¡¯re not the priority. I suggest you broadcast the Chant of Remembrance planetwide, to secure your passage to the afterlife. Good luck.¡± The Chant of Remembrance was a traditional folk-song that the Harchen used as a last rite. That was one way of saying that the entire colony was going to be sacrificed. If I attempted to land on the surface, I might get blown out of the sky, or gunned down on foot by the Arxur. Worse yet, I could be herded onto a cattle ship. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Overall, this was becoming a worse idea by the second. Berna and Talpin could be spotted in the main ship at any moment, or be left without a pilot to complete the journey. The humans needed our testimony to reach the Federation. The fate of the galaxy hinged on the reception of my plea. But if I was ever a good captain, I had to try to rescue an old friend from the Arxur incursion. What kind of man stood idly by as innocent civilians were butchered? The Harchen people didn¡¯t deserve this, however complicit their government was in Earth¡¯s bombing. I wondered if the Terrans still understood that. ¡°You just land by the Blissful Network¡¯s office, run in, rescue Cilany, and take off,¡± I told myself. ¡°This will be fine. Nobody will notice a tiny escape pod amidst an orbital bombardment.¡± I plotted a descent course for the address. My shuttle snuck past the grays, as they focused on decimating the landmass. Arxur looked for visuals of escape craft from the surface, not suicidal rescuers. They probably relied on sensor data too. Our stealthy approach gave me a chance to land, but the return trip was another matter. The shuttle blazed into the thin atmosphere, rattling from the external force. Fiery missiles streaked down alongside me. They were a relentless barrage meant to inflict high casualties. The people on the ground knew that it was raining death, and their escape chances were close to none. Would the humans come to the rescue, if they were here? I asked myself. Samantha spoke like she wanted this to happen, but I can¡¯t believe she truly meant that ¡°purge¡± line. The Harchen ground enlarged on the screen, with a smoky mist fogging the air. Precise explosions targeted a few city blocks, smiting residential areas and infrastructure. The Arxur wanted to flush any civilians from their homes, so the cattle collectors would have an easy time. It was a page out of a playbook we¡¯d seen many times. ¡°Landing complete. Initiating shutdown sequence,¡± my pod¡¯s computer announced. I scrambled out of the shuttle, gun in paws. The polluted oxygen sent me into a coughing fit, and my eyes watered. Mushroom clouds dotted the horizon like treetops. The sole relief was that there were no lanky Arxur silhouettes in the vicinity, although I could hear gruesome screams in the distance. The press building was still intact, and that was a positive sign in itself. Stampeding wasn¡¯t a viable instinct, when bombs were going off on every corner. The ¡®runners¡¯ were likely half-eaten corpses by now, but some people must¡¯ve sheltered in place. I had to hope my reporter friend was one of them. Autopilot kicked in, as I sprinted up the emergency stairwell. There were no signs of footsteps, electricity, or chatter. My prayer was that the Arxur hadn¡¯t swept this building already. I doubled over, once I stumbled onto the third floor; the steep ascent left me winded. Terrified screams followed my entry. ¡°DON¡¯T EAT US! We¡¯re r-reptiles like¡­oh.¡± Cilany gasped. ¡°Sovlin? What the hell are you doing here?¡± My gaze swept the room. There were four Harchen reporters hiding under desks, quivering in terror. One was holding a seat cushion over his throat, as if that would protect him from an Arxur¡¯s teeth. I relaxed my gun, and gestured toward the stairwell door. ¡°No time. Come with me¡­I parked a shuttle outside. You can all fit if you squeeze together,¡± I growled. Cilany blinked in confusion. ¡°Not so fast. We¡¯ve heard you¡¯re a human prisoner, and that you were mentally unstable before. Why and how are you here? I won¡¯t be a predator¡¯s test subject.¡± ¡°The humans sent me to Aafa as a messenger, and you can see I¡¯m in good condition. I need your help. You¡¯ll have every opportunity to stay with the Kolshians.¡± ¡°Prove you¡¯re not re-educated, Sovlin. They could¡¯ve turned you into a mindless minion. Doing their bidding, advancing their agenda.¡± The other Harchen reporters watched with apprehension, though they inched toward the exit. I respected that Cilany hadn¡¯t changed her skeptical ways, but these questions were wasting time. She was too inquisitive for her own good. From the tone of her rhetoric, I wondered if she had bought into the anti-human propaganda. ¡°Their sickening eyes made my spines bristle for days. I thought the humans would torture me, and lay waste to any civilization they crossed paths with.¡± I chewed my claws with impatience. ¡°I believed every empathetic act they did had an ulterior motive; I wanted them all dead. And I remember it all, unlike a brainwashed individual.¡± Cilany climbed to her feet. ¡°So why would we help humans send a message? After what they did to us?¡± ¡°What they did to you?! You attacked their home, unprovoked. It¡¯s the Arxur attacking you now. They¡¯re not affiliated.¡± ¡°This is a coordinated bombardment against every species in our coalition¡­ at least, those that we can make contact with. Someone had to tip the grays off days ago. Are you sure about that unaffiliated claim, Sovlin?¡± Shock coursed through my veins. The other coalition members were under siege too? A specific attack against the races who targeted Earth led to some dark conclusions. If these raids weren¡¯t spontaneous acts of violence, then maybe the Gojid cradle¡­no. The humans were kind to noncombatants on the cradle, imperiling their own lives for our welfare. Terran rules of warfare disallowed attacks against civilians. Those soldiers fought tooth and nail to protect our cities, and cared for our refugees with the utmost kindness. I couldn¡¯t believe that they would set such a plan in motion, but who else would¡¯ve contacted the grays? The humans were very interested in negotiating with the Arxur, during that last interrogation. It¡¯s possible they reached out, I decided. Protector help us, if they jumped sides out of desperation. Cilany shuddered. ¡°You know the Terrans talk to the grays; I can see it in your eyes.¡± ¡°The humans were pursuing diplomatic avenues, but they also despised what the Arxur did to our worlds. It has to be an accident if they shared this,¡± I sighed. ¡°All I care about is the honest truth¡­and you might not like what that truth is. I can¡¯t help you spread human deceit. Not even to save my life.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t about humans, Cilly. I¡¯m here because the Federation are killing each other, over how they voted. It¡¯s going to doom us all. Just please, come with me now, and take a look at the facts. That¡¯s it.¡± Fear shone in the female Harchen¡¯s eyes momentarily, and her skin morphed into the beige shade of the walls. I took that as a sign that she was camouflaging to head out. The other staffers had no qualms scampering down the stairwell ahead of me. They¡¯d take their chances with an unstable, predator-tainted Gojid over an Arxur slaughter fleet. Terrified shrieks echoed from the first Harchen staffers to exit the building. They turned back, tripping in their haste back up the stairwell. I gestured for them to quiet down, and raised my gun. There must be an Arxur cattle squad or an eaten Harchen in sight, which meant we needed to depart quickly. I peeked my head out the door. Horror brought my spines to full bristle, as I saw five grays leaning against the escape pod. The vicious predators were waiting for the prey to wander into their grasp; my stationary shuttle must¡¯ve been sighted along their route. The hunters seemed delighted by the unexpected appearance of a Gojid; I suppose that was a rare meal, post-cradle. There was no way I could shoot all of them, especially with their superior reflexes. Running was impossible too, since my shuttle was our ticket off this rock. Had I just brought the Harchen to their deaths? My brain froze in terror for a split second, sealing my fate. One Arxur pounced from all fours, and dragged me by the arm out into the open. Saliva coated my fur in a sticky dousing, as its monstrous fangs pierced my skin. My initiative for the humans was going to end with me as a predator¡¯s meal. Chapter 60 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, Federation Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: October 20, 2136 The feeling of teeth in my shoulder produced a sharp pain. The joint was about ripped from the socket, as I was dragged across the asphalt. I wriggled in the predator¡¯s jaws, punching its snout to release its grip. The stabbing of my long claws drew blood, and it tossed me onto the ground with a shake of its head. My body slammed against our metallic shuttle; all I could see was stars. The pounding of my heart was a nauseating experience. This must be what my family felt as they were toyed with, before being turned into a screaming meal. I couldn¡¯t give these Arxur cattle fiends the satisfaction of screaming or crying. Maybe it was worth some sort of plea, to get them to spare the Harchen. The sole option that crossed my mind was to invoke the humans. They were the only ones the grays had a remote respect for. If the primates had directed the Arxur Dominion to this vulnerable civilian populace, perhaps they would abandon anything the Terrans allegedly claimed. ¡°S-stop!¡± I squealed. ¡°I¡¯m a human slave, on a mission to expose t-the Federation¡¯s lies. When they killed your c-cattle like you say¡­they w-want¡­want to get t-the details for you!¡± To my amazement, the gray paused in its stalking position. ¡°The humans did claim the Gojid homeworld, and we recognized their stake. I can smell them on your fur. But where are our fellow predators, if you¡¯re their property? They wouldn¡¯t set you free.¡± ¡°T-they have my family,¡± I sobbed, with fake despondency. ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever they want¡­even if it¡¯s harmful to the Federation!¡± Confusion flashed in Cilany¡¯s eyes. The Harchen reporter knew my family was long-deceased, so that lie wouldn¡¯t fool her. I didn¡¯t understand why the prey reptiles hadn¡¯t made a run for it yet. There were no good options, but stalling the Arxur gave them a small window of escape. The bloodied predator flashed a snarl. ¡°Clever. But why are you on this world? With those who attacked Earth?¡± ¡°These Harchen are p-priority assets for the humans. I don¡¯t ask questions¡­but I¡¯m s-sure it¡¯s for a good reason. Let us leave, please.¡± The grays conferred for a moment, and inspected a smoking section of the shuttle hood. I couldn¡¯t believe they were listening to any of my bullshit. There was a brief flicker of hope, that we might fall under Terran immunity. Plopping myself upright, I nursed the wounded arm with a ginger touch. Talking to them is revolting, but the Arxur just confirmed that this assault is retaliation for Earth. Cilany was right. What have the humans done?! ¡°We¡¯ll let you leave as a token of good faith, slave. We mangled your engine though, so you¡¯ll need to find another way off world,¡± the Arxur spokes-monster decided. ¡°But the Harchen stay. I think you are disobeying your orders, to save our enemies.¡± The prey reptiles scampered back into the stairwell, only to find themselves blocked by a laughing gray. A single beast must¡¯ve landed on the roof, cutting off any escape. They intended to flush the Harchen out into the street, one way or another. My eyes widened in horror, as the grays herded them into a cage. ¡°Stop! T-the humans want these four as media tools, really,¡± I pleaded. The vicious predator snorted. ¡°The humans want all of them dead. On that matter, it just so happens our interests align.¡± I wondered whether the Terrans would enjoy the sight of the panicked Harchen reporters, sealed together in a degrading heap. My imprisoners would despise this raid, wouldn¡¯t they? The cage door slammed shut, and the Arxur gestured for me to scurry off. It would be easy to save myself, but I couldn¡¯t watch cattle be hauled away. My gaze darted over to my gun, which had fallen into the dirt. Odds were, I could only get off a shot or two, before the grays mowed me down with prejudice. I had to try something to rescue these Harchen, no matter how suicidal. It was a matter of waiting for the Arxur to lose focus, and accepting that I was about to die. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± a throaty snarl echoed from my right. Carlos stomped across the road, clad head-to-toe in protective pelts. A flashlight was mounted to his helmet, and his binocular eyes hid behind a glass visor. A massive gun rested across his muscular forearm. I was never so elated to see a flesh-eating predator in my life. But what the hell is my guard doing here? I don¡¯t even know that he won¡¯t leave the Harchen to their fate. Or worse, laugh about it. The human stopped a few paces from the Arxur posse, and crossed his arms in a formidable stance. The talkative gray, who must be the unit leader, sized up the omnivore. It narrowed its eyes with blazing ferocity, challenging Carlos¡¯ will. I didn¡¯t know how the UN soldier faced that stare. The reptilian predator bared its fangs. ¡°Your slave wants to help these Harchen escape. It is using its subjugation as a cover, claiming this is done on your orders.¡± Carlos¡¯ pupils flicked to the cramped cage. ¡°You heard Sovlin and his true orders correctly; he¡¯s an obedient servant. We want to send a message to the Federation, and these are the right individuals for the job. Simple.¡± A relieved sigh escaped my lips. I was grateful that the human backed me up, after I deviated our flight path to recruit Terran enemies. He might take these Harchen prisoner or even execute them, but he wouldn¡¯t eat them. His kind wasn¡¯t like the grays. At worst, I could reason with him, and make sense of the questionable things he might do. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Why can¡¯t you find another ¡®pet?¡¯¡± the gray hissed. ¡°We did all the work, and we claimed this batch. These prey are of no particular importance¡­no different than thousands like them, with the same qualifications!¡± Carlos shuffled closer. ¡°Our personnel selections are made off of data, simulations, and the best strategic minds on Earth. Are you questioning our judgment?!¡± ¡°Yes. I am.¡± ¡°Say it again, you fucking coward!¡± ¡°I am questioning the judgment of weak, na?ve primitives. You haven¡¯t a clue what you¡¯re doing, or what it means to survive in this galaxy!¡± The human rose up on his toes, and pressed his slender nose inches from the Arxur¡¯s maw. The gray straightened, as Carlos tried to match its height. It breathed a deafening snarl at the UN soldier, but he wouldn¡¯t back down. Defiance glowed in the primate¡¯s eyes, despite being outclassed. ¡°I could snap your puny neck with a single bite!¡± the Arxur roared. Carlos jabbed his gun barrel into its stomach. ¡°And I could blow your intestines apart, with a single finger. But we¡¯re on the same side, so why don¡¯t we work this out another way?¡± ¡°Hmmph. A contest of strength. You fight me one-on-one, without those overcompensating weapons of yours. If you win, you can have these Harchen.¡± ¡°I¡¯m game, if you¡¯ll agree not to bite. Unless you think you¡¯re too weak to fight without¡­overcompensating fangs?¡± ¡°Oh, let¡¯s do this. I¡¯m going to beat the snot out of you, human!¡± The Terran soldier backed away, and tucked his rifle off to the side. He raised his clawless paws in front of his face, forming white-knuckled fists. What was to stop the gray from executing him, now that he was disarmed? Luckily for Carlos, it was itching to release its aggression. The Arxur lunged at the human with a blunt swipe, which was barely dodged. It lashed out with a tail sweep, knocking the guard off his feet. The monster whirled around with quick jabs, which the primate blocked with an elbow. Carlos rolled out of the way, and scrambled back to a standing position. He looked slow and toothless compared to the reptilian, not managing a single swing of his own. Carlos scurried backward, and tried to deflect the oncoming barrage. Sweat glistened on his olive skin; tears showed in his artificial pelts. The Arxur aimed a jab at his abdomen, but the human danced away on nimble feet. While he was focused on the claws, it swung its snout at him with force. The truncated maw nailed the guard right in the chest, and sent him flying backward. The poor guy is getting his ass handed to him. Why did he think this was a good idea to negotiate? Damn humans and their aggression. Carlos sucked in a wheezing breath, but hopped back to his paws. The gray charged at him once more, and the human pummeled it in the nostrils. It shrugged off the punch with a snort. The UN guard attempted to deliver a kick, but the reptilian caught his frail leg. It snickered as the human flailed, hopping on one leg. ¡°This isn¡¯t even a fight.¡± The Arxur tugged the primate¡¯s ankle, and knocked him onto his rump. It dragged him through the dirt for several paces. ¡°We may treat you like equals, but you don¡¯t make demands of us. You don¡¯t intimidate anyone.¡± Carlos kicked its clasped paw with his other leg, wriggling free. ¡°You¡­haven¡¯t¡­beaten¡­¡± ¡°Stay down, weakling. I¡¯ve kicked the shit out of you. Know when to admit defeat; basic humility would do you good.¡± The human began to rise, only to be nailed across the mouth by a tail lash. Crimson blood bubbled on his lip, and he spit the liquid into the dirt. He rolled onto his back, watching as the Arxur gloated in its victory. His hand darted to his head, wrenching the flashlight off his headgear. He shone it inches from its left pupil. The Arxur shrieked as the brightness flooded its gaze, blinking. Carlos popped back up on wobbly legs, and staggered in grappling range. The human drove his knee into its stomach, before tackling it with all of his weight. He rolled off to the side, and wrapped an elbow around its neck. The gray struggled to break loose, but its oxygen supply was dwindling. ¡°Game, set, and match. Tap out,¡± Carlos gurgled. The gray palmed at the human¡¯s elbow with feeble swats, its hideous eyes bulging. Carlos released his grip with a toothy snarl. It coughed several times, caressing its throat. The creature struggled to get back to its feet, and the Terran helped it stand. ¡°You¡­cheated,¡± it sputtered. ¡°No weapons.¡± The UN guard shrugged. ¡°I didn¡¯t use a weapon. Just an illumination device.¡± ¡°You broke the spirit of our sparring, which is cheating to my eyes. You show little respect to your allies, and you¡¯re lucky I like irreverence. Take the damn Harchen; it¡¯s a whopping four cattle.¡± The Arxur slunk off with narrowed gazes, as their leader hobbled away. True to their word, the demons left the Harchen¡¯s cage behind. The relief that flooded my veins was indescribable, though my hammering heart wouldn¡¯t pipe down. I raced over to the human, and flung my arms around him with choking sobs. Carlos stiffened, and pulled my paws off him. ¡°Uh, yeah. Don¡¯t do that, man.¡± ¡°S-sorry. I¡¯m just really grateful for your help,¡± I muttered. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Keeping an eye on you, obviously. We were concerned about your little pit stop, and followed you down here. I would appreciate if you¡¯d not go around calling yourself a slave in the future.¡± ¡°It was improvisation. Can¡¯t argue with results.¡± ¡°Speaking of improvisation, you put the whole mission at risk with this little stunt. The fuck were you thinking?!¡± ¡°It was supposed to be a brief, easy trip. I wanted someone I knew, a friend, on the team. I¡¯ve dealt with enough people who hate me in recent weeks.¡± ¡°Whatever. Let¡¯s get your friends out of there. Hope they understand we¡¯re the only ride out. If they run off, I¡¯m not going to stop the grays from nabbing them next time.¡± The human unclasped the cage door, and watched as the Harchen tumbled out. Cilany inspected the predator with petrified eyes. Her comrades seemed repulsed by Carlos¡¯ lumbering form too, squealing as they returned his stare. The journalists¡¯ eyes darted to the side, as though they wanted to run. ¡°D-did you tell the Arxur to attack us?¡± Cilany blurted. Carlos narrowed his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know; that¡¯s above my clearance level. If we did, it was likely to deter your forces from attacking us. The UN wouldn¡¯t want this to happen.¡± I slumped my shoulders. ¡°Not even people like Samantha? Wouldn¡¯t she want the Harchen to feel the same losses as Earth?¡± An indignant cough came from an abandoned vehicle behind us. Upon closer inspection, the female human was stretched out behind cover. A thin rifle barrel with a glass ornament was propped on the ground. She must¡¯ve been monitoring the interaction the entire time, and watching Carlos¡¯ back in case his confrontation went awry. ¡°I don¡¯t believe people deserve to die for what they are. That¡¯s the Federation,¡± she growled. ¡°If an individual renounces their government, I¡¯m sure Earth would welcome them with open arms. Now the ones responsible, complicit, or indifferent¡ª¡± Carlos cleared his throat. ¡°We parked a few blocks away. Somewhere we wouldn¡¯t be visible to the whole world, Sovlin. Stick close guys, and follow us.¡± The human retraced his route with delicate bootsteps. His rifle was ready if any Arxur crawled out of the woodwork, and Samantha fell in at his side. The predator guards forged the path for the Harchen journalists, ignoring their hesitance. It was remarkable to see the vengeful primates, aiding a species that partook in the attack days prior. Chapter 61 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, Federation Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: October 20, 2136 Bombs continued to crater the industrial city, as we wandered through back alleyways. I tried to place myself in the humans¡¯ mindset. It was brave, remarkably so, to wander this Harchen colony sporting a predatory appearance. Any frazzled prey soldiers would be happy to take a potshot at an invading flesh-eater, not differentiating the primates from the Arxur. The truth was, I knew so little about Samantha and Carlos as people. What compelled them to land amidst an orbital bombardment, on a world that bore nothing but hostile intent? Whether they assumed I was a fugitive or not, the Terran guards had no idea what awaited them here. They had no backup, and were outnumbered. The Harchen government thinks humans are a blight to be mopped up. If extermination officers here got their toes on them¡­well, it might make my treatment of Marcel look like summer camp. Footsteps scurried ahead of us, with no way of telling if the source was Arxur or Harchen. Yet the primates showed no signs of distress, plodding along their intended path in silence. I was stunned that Samantha hadn¡¯t berated the journalists for their species¡¯ actions; she had been all too quick to lose her temper with me. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything to draw attention to yourselves.¡± Carlos wiggled ahead on his stomach, the stealthy movements of a hunter inching up on prey. ¡°A Harchen patrol of seven or so with, uh, flamethrowers? In metallic suits? Shit, looks like they have thermal cameras.¡± My eyes narrowed. ¡°Extermination officers.¡± ¡°Great. And they¡¯re gonna see us as soon as they look this way,¡± the male guard huffed. The Harchen journalists¡¯ expression seemed torn between excitement and trepidation. No doubt they were second-guessing the decision to escape with the humans; they just figured it was their only chance. I don¡¯t think they¡¯d shed any tears over seeing my guards burned to a crisp, even if the predators saved their lives. ¡°What¡¯s with the flamethrowers?¡± Samantha growled. I chewed at my claws. ¡°You don¡¯t want to know.¡± The humans signaled a course to flank the exterminators with their hands, and crept ahead. We peeked out behind the wall, just in time to see an Arxur death squad charging the Harchen. The prey reptiles crept back from the rabid beasts, and lured them forward. Gasoline spurted from the lampposts at their cue, the built-in predator deterrent for our settlements. The oncoming Arxur were doused head-to-toe, and paused with alarm. The Harchen exterminators flung a match in the gas, spared from the effect by the flameproof garments. The screams were on another level; happiness fluttered in my heart, finally seeing the grays taste a bit of suffering. That was the agonized death these cattle collectors deserved! That was what I wished I could dole out to them for years. Carlos and Samantha looked horrified, however, watching the burning Arxur flail about. I guess I couldn¡¯t blame them, since that was what the officers would do to their kind too. The Harchen exterminators chased the grays with flamethrowers, and steered them away from any source of water. My heart twisted, as I thought about them putting the humans down like normal predators. ¡°Well, now I see what the flamethrowers are for,¡± the female guard sighed. ¡°Must you burn predators at the stake? It¡¯s the worst way to die.¡± I tossed my head in a noncommittal gesture. ¡°It cleanses the affected area. Not just of any offspring or other dens, but also any traces of their filth. I don¡¯t want to step in fecal matter that used to be an animal¡­no offense.¡± Cilany nodded in agreement. ¡°What if your traces and fluids get in the water supply? Or half-eaten carcasses you leave behind attract more predators? Gross.¡± ¡°¡®You¡¯, as in humans?!¡± Samantha hissed. ¡°God forbid you might inhale some predator molecules on the wind. Carlos and I should be put down at once!¡± The male human pursed his lips, leaning back against a wall. Sadness glowed in his eyes as he listened to the conversation, and I don¡¯t think he had the words to express it. For the first time in my life, I thought about whether animals deserved agonizing deaths. Why couldn¡¯t we put a bullet in the ones we saw, and then torch them? Terran presence was a contaminating factor, by technicality; I could only imagine the reactions of Venlil extermination officers. Nothing ill-fated had come from me breathing the same air as predators, or eating plants grown in infested Earth soil. Our species had survived in eras where hunters left their excretions in the landscape, inhabiting every corner of our planets. The humans have shown us a different side of nature, even if some of it is disgusting. Suffering for what they were born as is wrong. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Carlos. Your life has no value to them, and they¡¯ll have no qualms about killing you,¡± I said. ¡°That said, I didn¡¯t mean that you were filth. I mean, you need to shower, but¡­¡± He snorted. ¡°You¡¯re an asshole.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re a sweaty, bloody mess of a predator. If they could burn off just those grimy pelts and that outer-skin part, that might be okay.¡± The human flashed his teeth, and I hoped that was the friendly version of their snarl. Perhaps this wasn¡¯t the safest choice for cheering him up, but from what I¡¯d seen, teasing was good for their mental state. If I had misread those cues, the guard might be socking me in the jaw in a second; my spines bristled with unease. Terran behavior sure was an illusive concept to gauge. Cilany gaped in alarm, at the sight of the predator¡¯s fangs on display. She seemed concerned for my safety, especially after I riled up the primate. The Harchen shriveled away in disgust, as he wiped the sweat off his neck with a towel. The male human wrapped the grimy rag around my neck, chuckling at my mortified expression. He looked pleased with himself. ¡°Sometimes, I almost like you, Sovlin,¡± Carlos growled. ¡°Okay, we have to get across the square. Let¡¯s take these fuckers out, and don¡¯t walk under any street-lamps.¡± My reporter friend shared a glance with her colleagues. ¡°You¡¯re killing them?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, are we supposed to let them fry us alive? Move out, and keep to cover.¡± The human soldiers lined up their rifles, and marched out as a pair. The Harchen exterminators hadn¡¯t heard our chatter over the Arxur screams; they were leaving no chances of a gray living to fight another day. One officer was waddling toward us, pursuing a blackened cattle soldier that had collapsed on the street. Her head snapped up as she spotted our heat signatures, and she pointed at us. ¡°MORE PREDATORS! Humans, with hostages,¡± she spat. ¡°Light them up!¡± Carlos cleared his throat. ¡°Shit, there¡¯s no cover. Uh, maybe we can use you all as bargaining chips? Just pretend, of course. They won¡¯t shoot us with you leading, surely¡­¡± Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Oh, they¡¯ll nail us too if they can¡¯t free us. Better dead than to be your cattle,¡± I sighed. ¡°Though I imagine our deaths will be¡­quicker.¡± Samantha rolled her eyes. ¡°Yes, real sapients don¡¯t deserve to burn alive. But predators don¡¯t feel anything, right? We were destined to be firewood; it¡¯s just perfect.¡± ¡°Well, I for one like you guys not exterminated, so hurry up and find a hiding spot. Try the buildings.¡± Carlos attempted to kick down an apartment door, but couldn¡¯t get the metal base to budge. He took a running start at the frame, and fell back with frustration. Samantha fired several bursts at the Harchen exterminators, covering for her partner. The enemy responded with their sidearms, while lighting the street ablaze in all directions. The Terran male glanced for another entry, before gesturing to retreat to the alleyway. The two humans ducked back into cover, their heavy breathing unpleasant to the ear. The Harchen journalists ran away from the confrontation; I chased after them with frustration. Thinking quickly, I wrestled the gun out of a burned Arxur¡¯s paws. ¡°Get the fuck back here!¡± I fired several shots at a balcony just above their heads, and watched as those four dropped to the floor in unison. ¡°We need to get off this world, before the cattle squads finish up shop, or we¡¯re all fucking dead!¡± Cilany raised her limbs. ¡°Exactly. Sovlin, that area is on fire and the predators are shooting their guns at Harchen. I was trying to trust you, because you¡¯ve never steered me wrong before. But we need a new plan.¡± ¡°There is no other plan!¡± ¡°Yes¡­there is. The humans are distracted by the exterminators; let¡¯s go take their ship. We know it¡¯s close by, and there¡¯s not much time.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not leaving them! Those two you see back there saved hundreds of Gojid lives from the Arxur, and now, they¡¯re trying to save you. I care about them¡­don¡¯t you get it?¡± The female journalist¡¯s skin morphed into a bright-orange, mirroring the tone of the flames. Her pupils surveyed mine for several moments, and I realized my eyes were watering at the thought of my guards on fire. Slumping her shoulders in defeat, she scampered back toward the hiding humans. Her colleagues followed her lead; it was clear the close-knit team didn¡¯t want to separate. Seven exterminators charged through the alleyway, buffeting flames at the dumpster the humans crouched behind. Samantha unloaded a clip as suppressive fire, but she was cornered. Carlos cursed as his lower pelt sparked, and orange light danced across his kneecap. On instinct, he leapt up and shook his leg. An exterminator lined up their sidearm, ignoring the human¡¯s pleading shout of ¡®Wait!¡¯ I needed to get a few paces closer to make the shot; there was no time. Fear glistened in Carlos eyes, as he tripped onto the street in a sprawled-out position. The fire had spread to his boots, and was making quick work of his pelt. I didn¡¯t want to see the predator die, but how¡­ Cilany emitted a high-pitched scream, and distracted the exterminators for a split second. I sprinted with the last of my energy, pulling the trigger at the gun-wielder. My first shot nailed the Harchen in the shoulder; the second one was a perfect rocket to the brain. Two officers whirled around, spewing fire at me. I grabbed my reporter friend, and we tumbled back behind a building wall. ¡°If we don¡¯t all die now, that is the second time I¡¯ve saved Carlos¡¯ life,¡± I muttered. ¡°I knew you wouldn¡¯t leave them.¡± Cilany shook her head. ¡°I came back for you, Sovlin, not them. Every second we spend here is time we¡¯re still on the Arxur¡¯s radar. I hope hideous predators, with a monstrous history, are worth that to you.¡± ¡°Those hideous predators are people, like us. Just watch them, how they act under pressure¡­you¡¯ll see.¡± Carlos tried to ignore the flames, shooting his sidearm despite the blinding panic. The male human only connected with a single Harchen, by way of ricochet. Most of his wild rounds ended up in a wall, missing his target by a wide margin. The primal terror of being set ablaze must be overwhelming his brain. That unbearable heat on his lower extremities, and watching it spread¡­I couldn¡¯t imagine. Samantha was a one-woman harbinger of death, rolling out from behind the dumpster with fury. Her green eyes glowed with hunger; I could see the predator energy buzzing through her veins. She grabbed the flamethrower from the downed exterminator, and decided to give the officers a taste of their own medicine. The Harchen formation wavered; they weren¡¯t used to predators wielding their devices. The extermination officers had flameproof gear to avoid this eventuality, but two sported tears in their suits from today¡¯s engagements. Samantha switched to her sidearm, as the panicked professionals bumbled into each other. She dished out two head shots, before diving back behind the dumpster. That left three extermination officers on the prowl. While watching the human duo take out the majority of their comrades, they forgot all about the rogue Gojid prisoner. I popped back out from behind the wall, and sprayed gunfire with my claw locked on the trigger. Two Harchen figures toppled to the ground; Samantha didn¡¯t hesitate to terminate the final one. ¡°Carlos? You good?¡± I questioned. Several grunts came from the alley. ¡°Fuck! Help me.¡± The human¡¯s pant leg had almost completely burned away, little more than tatters. He kicked off his scorching boot, and his face contorted in a mask of pain. Those silly artificial pelts saved him from serious nerve damage, in all likelihood, but we needed to put him out quick. I tugged that sweaty towel off my neck, slapping it on his ankle. The flames began to dissipate as I smothered them, and the human rolled around to put out the embers. Samantha hustled over with a water bottle, breathing a sigh of relief at the sight of her partner unharmed. He rubbed the reddened skin on his leg, and struggled to his feet. His limbs trembled as he tried to stand; the female guard supported him with a gentle touch. Carlos closed his eyes. ¡°Thanks, Sovlin¡­and company. Let¡¯s get out of here. I think I¡¯ve had enough for one day.¡± Samantha studied me in silence, with a little less venom than usual. The glint of surprise hung in her eyes. I figured she had expected me to abandon them when push came to shove. The curt predator didn¡¯t resist my aid, when I propped myself under Carlos¡¯ other arm. She flashed pearly fangs, and gave me a small nod. ¡°I see what you meant about their behavior. These humans help each other, even when one is weakened,¡± Cilany noted. ¡°And you don¡¯t seem alarmed by their snarls at all. That makes them capable of earning trust, attachment¡­loyalty.¡± My nostrils flared with indignation. ¡°And it makes you wonder why so many species tried to kill them, without giving them a chance. Assuming they have malevolent intentions, purely based on looks, is a recipe for disaster. It¡¯s not right.¡± ¡°Before you jump to conclusions¡­I need a deeper dive into human history, and everything the Federation has on pre-space flight predators. I¡¯d like to interview the pale, angry one there. That ape isn¡¯t hiding their emotions; they would make a good contrast with Noah¡¯s polished speech.¡± ¡°The angry human has a name,¡± Samantha snapped. ¡°Unless you just want to refer to me as ¡®it.¡¯¡± ¡°Fascinating. Why is this one like this?¡± Carlos limped ahead, clinging to my neck. ¡°Sam¡¯s family was in Melbourne. Everyone she cares about, her relatives, her husband, presumed dead. No chance to say good-bye. Her home, off the map. Write that: us predators grieve our families too.¡± I suspected the worst case when she visited me on Venlil Prime, exuding hostility. Samantha never shared much about her life, but she had imparted to Talpin that her brother was deaf. Her fondness had been unmistakable, with how thorough her offense was to the suggestion of him being killed. It was the first inkling I ever got of how tight Terran family units were. But the husband tidbit took me by surprise. Carlos hadn¡¯t mentioned any progeny, though perhaps she planned on starting a family in the future. I had no idea that humans mated for life; I always thought that predators bred for breeding¡¯s sake. It sounded like they coupled for purposes beyond producing viable offspring. Of course, humans were capable of love, but their familial obsession always seemed to be the kids. For predators, shouldn¡¯t procreation be a competitive selection process, driven by impulse? Parenting roles are a way of protecting offspring from rival mates¡­or so I thought. Poor Sam. The female human lowered her eyes. ¡°That wasn¡¯t your fucking place to share, Carlos. If you want to smear me for wanting revenge, Harchen, I couldn''t care less. Just keep your racist thoughts to yourself.¡± ¡°Now listen, if there is something more to your kind, I¡¯m trying to unearth it. But I must start with your problematic Arxur ties,¡± Cilany explained. ¡°I also wonder how far humans will go, after the attack. It¡¯s strange that you freed us, Sam, since it¡¯s counterintuitive to your revenge.¡± ¡°Revenge isn¡¯t about blind genocide. Now how about less chatter, more walking?¡± Our posse trudged across the square, vigilant for any other activity. If any of my old crew saw me now, with a predator clinging to my body, they would have a conniption. Those arms built from the digestion of flesh felt warm and heavy, yet I wasn¡¯t disgusted by their touch. The emotional connection we established was hardly different than any other soldiers I¡¯d served with. I wanted the humans to like me¡­to forgive me. We staggered onto the Terrans¡¯ ship with exhaustion, and the Harchen journalists skittered aboard close behind. Cilany was surveying the humans with interest; I could see the makings of a story brewing in her mind. Our little band was going to leave no stone unturned investigating the Federation. With a team of inquisitive individuals at my side, it was time to get the answers the predators desired. Chapter 62 Memory transcription subject: Governor Tarva of the Venlil Republic Date [standardized human time]: October 22, 2136 The fact that the Arxur came to Earth¡¯s rescue caused less of an uproar than I expected. It became a fact that was conveniently ignored by my government at large; instead, we celebrated the brave Venlil who hurled themselves in the Krakotl¡¯s path. Many talking heads were happy to sell the narrative that the grays were taken for fools, assuming the newest predators shared their wickedness. The general public were unaware of the looming deadline to trade for our cattle victims. That ticking hourglass was on my mind, as I accompanied Noah to the United Nations¡¯ remembrance speech. The event was open to human refugees; I hoped that I could find the strength to treat the upset primates with kindness. The shock of the heartbreaking images on Earth was beginning to wane, but my soul still ached for our friends. It was terrible to see an innocent species suffering without cause. ¡°This has all been so sudden, and I know you¡¯ve had pushback from your opponents. Have we outstayed our welcome here, Tarva?¡± Noah asked. I pressed my cheek against his forearm. ¡°Never. There¡¯s a few people that want you shipped off our world, soon as possible, but they¡¯re a minority. I¡¯ll always fight for you.¡± ¡°Fight, huh? All that¡¯s left is fighting. My pops used to say space was our ticket to a better future. I¡¯m glad he didn¡¯t see me fuck it all up. How disappointed he must be, if he¡¯s watching from the afterlife.¡± ¡°Oh sweetheart, I¡¯m sure he¡¯d be so proud of you, and the man you are. There was nothing else you could¡¯ve said to the Federation. What happened to Earth has nothing to do with your speech. Nothing, you hear me?¡± ¡°I appreciate you saying that. I do. And if you don¡¯t mind me saying so, you look beautiful today.¡± I had no idea how to respond to such a forward remark, coming from a human, but it did warm my heart. The dynamic between Noah, an alien predator, and myself was not something to address at this particular moment. Clearing my throat awkwardly, I tried to track down Elias Meier. Earth¡¯s chief diplomat proceeded with grace in the past, but a nudge toward sensibility might be necessary. It was my hope that he lacked conviction in any violent rhetoric he touted. The last time I saw the Secretary-General was when word of Earth¡¯s devastation reached Venlil Prime. The fact that their militaries tallied such a miserable failure, and left their home at the Arxur¡¯s mercy, morphed the dignitary into someone else. The distraught Meier had promised to ¡®rend every enemy from limb to limb¡¯, before rushing off for an audience with that ghastly Chief Hunter. I hadn¡¯t been sure he¡¯d survive an encounter with a predator that openly called me ¡®dinner¡¯ in our brief encounter. But the gray-haired human here now, mingling with alien dignitaries, was the person I knew. Meier had spent his lifetime building relationships with unique cultures. The only aspect he was unaccustomed to was the constant terror prey felt. But he was mindful enough, careful not to show his teeth to non-Venlil. His hands were kept in his pockets, to avoid gesticulating. ¡°¡ªglad you asked about the Arxur,¡± Meier was saying to Cupo. ¡°When I spoke with them, face-to-face, their hotel room was pitch black. I couldn¡¯t make out much of anything, other than a massive shadow looming over me. There¡¯s a group of them, lying in wait, sizing me up like a cut of meat.¡± ¡°And you still went in?! When you wanted to run away?¡± the Mazic president asked. ¡°What choice did I have? Our instincts are nothing compared to yours, but I was thoroughly creeped out. I do hope that you can forgive us for accepting their t¨ºte-¨¤-t¨ºte¡­with ten thousand warships surrounding Earth, a dialogue felt much more palatable than subjugation.¡± The other Federation representatives were crowding the Secretary-General, eavesdropping. It was a relief, and a bit of a surprise, to see him conversing with those who didn¡¯t aid Earth. That smooth-tongued dialogue seeking the Mazic¡¯s forgiveness, not the other way around, was stunning. I had expected him to launch into accusations over the indifference of their allies. The way Meier was acting a week ago, I thought Earth was going to isolate from everyone but us and the Zurulians. I don¡¯t know what made him come to his senses, but this is a positive sign. Cupo stepped forward on all four paws, shadowing the human leader with his bulky stature. I snorted with amusement, as I noticed Elias shuffle back. He tried to play it off as fidgeting, but the predator seemed nervous about the Mazic¡¯s size. I don¡¯t think the sand-colored mammal realized the Terrans were equally intimidated by him. The Earthborn diplomats were well aware that a single kick of panic could cause serious skeletal damage. ¡°I appreciate your explanation, but it still leaves me worried that you¡¯re turning on us,¡± Cupo said. Meier coughed pointedly. ¡°There¡¯s a billion dead humans, and nothing will ever be the same again. Humanity stood alone, apart from the kindness of the Venlil, the Zurulians, and yes, the Arxur. Perhaps there would have been other options, if we received more help from our neighbors.¡± ¡°I have never been dishonest with you: I don¡¯t trust you. I think humans should be given a chance, because you are our only hope. But placing my people in harm¡¯s way for predators, when that friendship is still a hypothetical, is unthinkable. Let alone raising arms against known sapients, who share centuries of partnered history with us.¡± The Mazic tensed as he breathed out the last word, expecting the predator to fly into a rage. The other alien diplomats listened with interest, perhaps because they held similar reasons. The Secretary-General¡¯s pupils darted around, and his lips curved down with disdain. Was it my imagination, or did his hair look whiter than last I saw him? ¡°That¡¯s valid. It would have been easy for you to choose them over us, when it came down to the wire. I suppose doing nothing is a concession of itself,¡± Meier growled. Cupo blinked in surprise. ¡°What? I expected you to disown us.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not why I¡¯m here. Humanity, under UN leadership, will found our own Federation. I want as many members in our alliance as possible. I¡¯ve started a project, with promising results, to weed out alien fear responses. The Mazics are one of the races I think have the most potential; you could lead this initiative.¡± ¡°This would require leaving the current Federation? I would want to retain membership in both¡­if I¡¯d even roll in the dirt with you at all.¡± Tossa, the Nevok diplomat, flicked her cream-colored ears. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do anything that causes further risk to our trading networks.¡± ¡°We can discuss this on a case-by-case basis,¡± Meier said. ¡°What I need right now is for each of you to step up, and bring the thousands of Gojid refugees we saved to shelters. Their colonies are also without a government and supplies; who knows how long the Arxur recognize our ¡®claim¡¯ to them. We no longer have the power to do anything about that.¡± Cupo flapped his big ears. ¡°I can handle that, predator. The Gojids deserve help.¡± ¡°Good. Beyond that, we politely request that you send aid shipments to Earth. Anything you can spare out of generosity to get us back on our feet. I hate having to beg so plainly, but my cities were turned into irradiated soup.¡± If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. The Secretary-General¡¯s eyes darted over to the Sivkit ambassador, who had leapt into a wastebin at the first sight of humans. Perhaps it was time to confront her on her skittishness, though that would require a more private setting. While Meier was on the topic of aid shipments, this was the perfect time to slip to his side unnoticed. The Nevok ambassador pounced on Elias¡¯ perceived weakness, and was rattling off a laundry list of terms. Tossa had attempted to barter for ownership of Luna and the asteroid belt, in the wake of the attack; this was an obvious nonstarter for the United Nations. This time, she was offering to manufacture ships and airdrop food in exchange for trade exclusivity. That was her true goal: to stop the Fissan Compact from landing advantageous deals. The Fissans often undercut the Nevok¡¯s prices, and their trade war has spiraled to new heights. The fact that both of them reached out to actual predators, solely to screw the other over¡­ Halmina, the Fissan representative, pointed her horn in a threatening manner. ¡°I landed here two days ago, after our first representative died, and you¡¯re trying to fuck me over? Human Meier, I¡¯ll give you a month¡¯s worth of food shipments free, with no strings attached. Just don¡¯t agree to that.¡± ¡°Predators, the Fissans¡¯ll steal anything proprietary right under your noses,¡± Tossa hissed. ¡°Do you want a species known for corporate espionage on your turf? Accessing military blueprints at the first opportunity?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t steal your technology. We built it better and cheaper, and you can¡¯t accept that. You used your monopoly to rip people off, so you can¡¯t stand competition.¡± ¡°We turn a profit, which we deserve for the hard work of our brilliant engineers. You upstarts might as well be uplifts, with shoddy¡ª" ¡°SHUT UP!¡± Noah roared. ¡°Is now the time for your stupid feuds? What about Earth? If you want shit from humanity down the road, try helping us for the sake of helping us.¡± The tension that fell over the conference hall was so thick, that you could cut it with a knife. Sivkit ambassador Axsely was banging her head against the wastebin, wailing at the predatory outburst. The representatives were lucky the media cameras weren¡¯t rolling, and that the human refugee audience hadn¡¯t been allowed in the auditorium yet. Meier scratched his head with discomfort. ¡°Well, I agree with him. A little charity and unity would be nice. I find the behavior of capitalizing on our misfortune rather, shall I say, predatory?¡± The Nevok recoiled in shock, floored by a literal flesh-eater directing that insult at her. Halmina at least had the decency to look shameful, pawing at the mane on her long neck. Something flashed in Noah¡¯s eyes as he inspected her silver horn; he muttered something about Fissans ¡®only needing hooves.¡¯ I was beginning to wonder if my friend was losing it. Meier glanced at a wristband, then gestured for everyone to find their position. He curled his lip at Axsely¡¯s trash-can hideout, and pushed the squealing grazer into a backroom. The auditorium doors were unlocked for public entry, and human spectators shoved their way inside. It blew my mind to see this many predators in one spot, on my own planet. I leaned over to the Secretary-General¡¯s ear. ¡°I want to talk to you, friend. You deserve an overview of how we¡¯re treating your refugees.¡± ¡°Not right now, Governor, but I have urgent information on the Arxur. You won¡¯t believe what Isif actually said,¡± he replied. The gray-haired primate¡¯s eyes flitted to the entryway, and widened in alarm. I wondered what spooked him about the incoming Terran refugees. There was nothing to make any of these people look more predatory than the others. If someone tried to charge the Secretary-General, I¡¯m sure his bodyguards would intercept them. It seemed paranoid to travel with armed soldiers nearby at all times, but humans were poor at assessing danger. ¡°Tarva, where the hell is the event security?¡± Meier hissed, through gritted teeth. ¡°There are a lot of important figures in one place.¡± I snorted. ¡°You actually think people would march through that door, and attack a public gathering?¡± ¡°I¡­yes, I do. Damnit, you told us this was a secure venue! Get every diplomat to leave, only a few at a time. We don¡¯t want to incite panic.¡± ¡°You think danger is lurking around every corner. Humans are safe here, Elias. I¡¯ve guaranteed that nobody will try to exterminate your packs.¡± ¡°You misunderstand; I¡¯m worried for you. Any of us are capable of violence when pushed. You¡¯re dealing with humans who have lost everything, and are looking for anyone to blame. Especially aliens, and especially the UN, understand?¡± My focus turned to the incoming humans. Many were holding printed images of their cities or loved ones, and their predator eyes were stained with tears. Several Terrans were comforting each other, with light embraces or hand squeezes. These people looked devastated and heartbroken, nothing like angry beasts planning to maul the fluffy aliens. Regardless, it wasn¡¯t like Venlil executed the attack. However, the level of jumpiness Meier was displaying was going to interfere with his speaking ability. If he required muscle to assuage his paranoia, it was better than seeming unstable on a live broadcast. Who would be cruel enough to target an event with such a gut-wrenching focus? I hadn¡¯t thought Elias a man with delusions of grandeur, but maybe the recent power bestowed in him had gone to his head. The purpose of this was to console the hurting humans, and honor Earth¡¯s memory. Even I know these predators don¡¯t just attack out of hunger. ¡°We¡¯ll postpone the ceremony, if you insist,¡± I whispered. ¡°But you can tell it to our Federation guests.¡± Elias sped off. The human exchanged words with the Fissans and the Paltans; they were the only two to send a replacement for the deceased ambassadors. Perhaps the Takkans, Dossur, and Thafki were weighing their options¡­or they doubted the predators¡¯ message. Regardless, the Secretary-General made it a priority to evacuate the newcomers first. I suppose he didn¡¯t want to risk them losing another diplomat to a violent end. Whatever Meier told the duo, it scared them sufficiently. Fearful expressions stretched across the aliens¡¯ faces, and they bolted from the auditorium without hesitation. Was that predacious delivery necessary? I glared at the human, willing him to be more tactful. Cupo stomped up to the UN leader. ¡°What are you up to? Is there a reason two ambassadors spoke with you, and immediately saw themselves out?¡± ¡°Keep your voice down!¡± Meier hissed. ¡°You damn predators always keep me in the dark! We¡¯re in danger, aren¡¯t we? I am sick of having threats concealed right in front of my trunk!¡± Nervous chatter swelled from the primarily-human audience, as the Mazic president made a scene. The fire alarm was activated by a bystander, and visceral screams echoed through the sprinkler-doused room. Several Terrans made a beeline for the exit, pushing and shoving each other to get out. It seemed like the predators were verging on a stampede, which I didn¡¯t know was within their capability. ¡°THE BACKPACK! It¡¯s blinking!¡± A human¡¯s thunderous voice permeated the chaos. ¡°Run!¡± Ambassador Noah wrapped an arm around my shoulders, and hurried me toward our emergency exit. I had no idea what had just happened, but it was tugging at my own panicky instincts. Through the chemical fog, I worried that someone was going to get trampled in this madness. Elias was irresponsible. We should¡¯ve just proceeded with the speech, instead of¡ª A deafening blast rocked my eardrums, and the subsequent shockwave sent me and Noah flying. The impact rattled me down to the bone marrow, making every nerve tingle. Vision slipped away, and my addled brain could only register an incessant ringing. Pain flared in my tail. Something sharp, like a needle or a glass shard, had impaled itself in the bushy appendage. I coughed weakly, trying to move my arms. My pupils flicked out toward the sitting area, where a charcoal-colored mist shrouded the vicinity. Humans closest to the blast area were soaked in blood, and some seemed to be missing limbs. Their open mouths suggested they were screaming for help. I still couldn¡¯t hear anything but high-pitched reverberations. Meier crawled over, his attire caked in dust. The aged predator was sporting cuts across his wrinkled forehead, but his eyes were something alien. I¡¯d never seen a human in combat mode in person; that dilated stare jolted some life into my veins. My brain recognized him as an animal, with the erratic eye movements and strained breathing. The Secretary-General stopped adjacent to me, and jostled the shoulder of a facedown human. Horror flooded my chest, as I realized it was Noah beside me. Elias punched at the Ambassador¡¯s chest several times, until glassy brown eyes blinked open. The elder Terran slapped the astronaut across the cheek, trying to snap him awake. Meier¡¯s gaze searched for other survivors, before resting on me. His lips moved, but I could only make out hints of the sound. I think he was telling me to run away. The only reason I suppressed my fear of the adrenaline-fueled predator, was concern for Noah. That worry was a sickening knot in my stomach; I needed to see him stand up. ¡°T¡­va,¡± the human ambassador croaked. ¡°Get¡­here.¡± I had no idea if he was saying get out of here, or get over here, but I took it as the latter. My paws rushed over to his side, and his glazed eyes drifted to my tail. Horror flashed in his pupils; concern crossed Meier¡¯s taut grimace as well. The injury must be worse than I thought, but I decided not to look. I didn¡¯t want to pass out now. Noah struggled upright, fueled by worry for me. His hands steered me onward, and his wobbly steps became more certain. My mind hadn¡¯t yet processed that humans had attacked their own remembrance ceremony. Right now, I prayed that there wouldn¡¯t be a follow-up strike from whatever deranged predator plotted this. Chapter 63 Memory transcription subject: Governor Tarva of the Venlil Republic Date [standardized human time]: October 22, 2136 When the humans began their cultural exchange, they shared the blemishes of their history. The Satellite Wars almost sent the powerful nations back to the Stone Age, by their own words. Federation researchers also documented the senseless atrocities of a prior era, and noted the uncanny resemblance to Arxur brutality. It had been difficult for me to picture the Earthlings acting so violent toward each other; those moral people killing millions of their race was unimaginable. The scale of bloodshed today forced me to reckon with that truth. I knew in my heart what the predators were capable of, but I hadn¡¯t wanted to accept it. Sweeping their history under the rug, in favor of the empathy tests and the charitable acts toward us, was easier. Talking with Noah and Meier made me want to believe they¡¯d changed as a species. Maybe even your human friends could act out of aggression; you¡¯ve seen outbursts from both. They restrain it because of learned morality¡­empathy. But does Noah ever fantasize about killing people, just a tiny bit? ¡°Keep walking, Tarva.¡± The Terran ambassador placed a trembling hand on my shoulder, and made me jump. ¡°You can¡¯t go into shock. We need to get you to a hospital. Please, please, stay with me!¡± Tears soaked my cheek fur. ¡°W-where are the other alien diplomats?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll look for them. But Tarva needs a tourniquet, Williams,¡± Meier growled. ¡°Yeah, I agree. Listen Tarva, if anything happens¡­I want you to know that I love you,¡± Noah whispered. ¡°You don¡¯t have to say it, or feel it, back. I¡¯m going to protect you.¡± The chocolate-skinned predator scooped me up into his arms, passion alight in his binocular gaze. His visage became fuzzy; I felt cold, despite the warmth of his body. Saline swelled around his eyes, as he ripped his shirt sleeve off with his bare fingers. His nails had turned gray from grime and soot, and orange blood was smeared across his chest. There was a lot of it, sourced from my tail. Knowing the aggression hardwired into his genome should have struck sense into me. Humans were coded to be destructive and violent. Still, the fondness in my heart cried out louder than ever. My Noah was a little hot under the collar, but only when faced with injustice. I trusted him with my life; I couldn¡¯t make myself regret befriending the Terrans. ¡°I love¡­you too,¡± I croaked. The human¡¯s lips quivered, torn between a smile and sorrow. He wrapped the cloth around my tail tightly, and blinding pain rocketed up my spine. It felt like he was amputating the limb, wrenching it from my body with an iron fist. I yowled in agony, burying my face in his chest. His brow furrowed, as he finished tying the knot. The astronaut patted my head. ¡°It¡¯s done now, I¡¯m sorry. I had to stop the bleeding. You¡¯re going to be fine.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if I am. This was¡­an isolated incident. Right?¡± I whimpered. ¡°Honestly, we¡¯ve had tragedies like this happen on Earth before, though it¡¯s rare. All I can ask is that you don¡¯t judge us by our worst individuals. This is why the Federation wants us all dead. Most humans would never do something like this. You know that.¡± ¡°But what¡­kind of¡­monster would?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know who did this, or their motives. They¡¯re sick, with grief or some disorder. Anything I say is speculation, but we¡¯re going to hunt the bastard down. Er, pardon my word choice.¡± If this was a drastic action borne of anger, human emotions needed to be monitored under a microscope. I had tried to normalize the predators¡¯ stay, and welcome them like any other class of refugees. But if there could be mass carnage any time a lone Terran was upset, I didn¡¯t know how safe it was to integrate them into our society. What other venues could be targets of senseless violence? How many Venlil lives could be lost? My vision began to dim, as the fear chemicals lending energy tapered off. Ambassador Noah lunged at me with bared teeth, catching himself a hair short of my face. He released an incoherent roar in my direction. The feel of the predator¡¯s warm breath on my lips, and the sight of maddened eyes inches from my face, sent flight cocktails coursing through my veins. Electricity jerked at my muscle fibers. Instincts propelled me upright, and sent me stumbling away blindly. It took me several seconds to realize Noah was intending to startle me awake. Triggering my flight response had jolted me back to consciousness, though that might not last long. I collided with Meier, who had his back turned to me. ¡°Shit! Watch where¡­Tarva. Noah, you need to get her out of here!¡± the Secretary-General spat. The human leader had thrown caution to the wind, pressing his shoulder by a downed Cupo¡¯s side. The Mazic was bleeding from several places, including a mutilated leg. I appreciated Meier¡¯s efforts, but he was going to be crushed if Cupo fell. The old primate couldn¡¯t support a creature several times his weight. ¡°Leave him, Elias. You can¡¯t carry him. Come with us,¡± I coughed. Cupo flared his trunk. ¡°I am conscious, Tarva! I don¡¯t want to die, enough that I¡¯m letting a predator touch me. My skin is crawling.¡± The gray-haired human gritted his teeth. ¡°Nobody else is going to die on my watch. We have to help the big guy up¡­give him a fighting chance.¡± Ambassador Noah frowned, before kneeling beside the Secretary-General. The two humans pushed Cupo off his side, and hoisted him back to his round feet. The Mazic teetered on his legs for a moment, but the predators strained with the last of their might. I noticed scarlet fluid dripping through Noah¡¯s short mane. The sand-colored mammal swayed, as he fixed a glare on the human. ¡°What the fuck happened, predator? You predicted this, so you clearly know.¡± ¡°Oh, get to a hospital, President Cupo. I¡¯m going to look for Tossa and Axsely,¡± Elias growled. ¡°Let me help. I can carry them,¡± the Mazic president offered. ¡°In your condition? Just go; I¡¯ll deal with it.¡± ¡°My eyes work just fine. You¡¯re not going to cover up these deaths. I won¡¯t leave until we find the Nevok, at least.¡± Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Whatever. Look around, be my guest.¡± Cupo glanced in every direction, before pointing his trunk at the arctic-colored biped on the floor. Elias released an audible gasp, and raced to the Nevok¡¯s side. His slender fingers crept to the pulse point above Tossa¡¯s hoof. His binocular eyes closed, and he shook his head with a defeated expression. There was nothing but gore among the human spectators, with many primates dead or dying. First responders were nowhere to be seen; we were alone in this mess. The Mazic president took a final look at the decimated auditorium, before trundling over to the nearest exit. I imagined he would blame Meier for this catastrophe for a long time. I limped over to the backroom where Axsely was, ignoring Noah beckoning me to the exit. Ironically, the Sivkit¡¯s cowardice in the trashcan left her more sheltered from the blast than anyone. Her fluffy white form was huddling in the receptacle, unconscious. The rise and fall of her chest was visible, so I assumed she passed out from terror. Meier was right behind me, and picked the Sivkit diplomat up with haste. That was not going to end well, if she woke up carried by a predator. Noah pointed us toward the side exit with a scowl on his face. Fighting off dizziness, I sandwiched myself between the two humans. All strength dissipated, as the duo ushered me through an exterior door. The shivering was unbearable, and my paws were becoming heavy as concrete. ¡°I want¡­I¡¯m ready to sleep. So c-cold,¡± I gasped at Noah. ¡°Please, don¡¯t scare me again.¡± The human grimaced. ¡°We¡¯re almost there. Just stay awake a little longer, okay?¡± A shaken UN bodyguard brought a bright-red kit over to Elias, who deferred it to Noah. The Secretary-General couldn¡¯t administer first aid while his hands were full with the Sivkit. The astronaut popped open the lid, and pried out the fattest syringe I¡¯d ever seen. Before I could wince at the size of the needle, he jabbed it against my neck. An adrenaline surge caused my limbs to convulse, and I fell over, gasping. My heart feels like someone is squeezing it inside my ribcage. Sure hope my atrium doesn¡¯t burst¡­ The hormones did the trick to stabilize my blood pressure, and I tried to get a grip on my surroundings. Rough shouts stemmed from a throng of humans by the main entrance, who were barely kept at bay by armored UN personnel. Those soldiers seemed to have been shipped by the truckload, in a hurry. Judging by the signs and vulgar language, the gathered refugees were protesting Elias Meier¡¯s arrival. I heard about this gathering, since its organizers did apply for and receive a legal permit. However, the Terran demonstrators had moved away from the designated area in the wake of the attack. Some were pushing toward the scene of the blast, though I had no idea whether it was to help or to finish off the survivors. Others were escalating to violence, charging at the UN officers and throwing objects. What chance would Venlil police have of containing these animals? A few predators were setting fire to glass bottles, then hurling them at their surroundings. Historic rowhouses lit up like kindling, once the picturesque shutters were swallowed by flames. Before my eyes, the Terrans climbed up the hood of a UN vehicle, and began swinging a bat at the windshield. Surely these humans realized that didn¡¯t accomplish anything? It was terrifying to see their destruction spiraling out of control; this violence must not be as isolated of an incident as I hoped. ¡°I thought you were an intelligent species. What is this?!¡± I cried. My shriek drew the attention of the mob, who began jeering at Meier in particular. Several lobbed accusations about Earth, and they overran the UN crowd control with renewed focus. Rocks, bricks, and other blunt objects were thrown with intent to injure; Noah herded me off with a rough grip. I hadn¡¯t felt this terrified of humans since first contact. I had no idea what motivated these creatures, or if they could even be reasoned with at all. As much as I loved the first contact team, allowing Terran refugees onto Venlil Prime was a mistake. We were going to have to get the current populace off-world, if they would still heed our commands at all. I would warn my advisors to implement stringent psych evaluations for any arriving humans. This was wholly unacceptable. These predators here had no care for who they might hurt, and today¡¯s death toll had to be in the dozens. I didn¡¯t want to judge humanity by their worst individuals. People like Meier and Noah did not deserve to die for their deranged cohorts; blanket condemnation was not the answer. But the Venlil Republic just learned the hard way that we needed to be more selective in which predators we dealt with. Meier¡¯s eyes darted around. ¡°We¡¯re going to restore order and fix this, Tarva. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± ¡°Bad things happen when a lot of angry humans get together. This will pass,¡± Noah said. Glass shattered inches from my heels, and my flight instincts bubbled back to the forefront. Coupled with the given adrenaline, I found myself running at full speed. The screeching sound of tires on asphalt met my ears. A black sedan careened down the narrow streets, with no regard for any protestors in the path. The crowd parted at the last minute, raving and discombobulated. The Secretary-General pointed toward the car. ¡°Run, get in!¡± This vehicle had an actual driver, who seemed to be switching between autopilot and manual steering. They popped open the side door, leaving our posse to clear the final few feet. I prayed that we would be able to escape from these beasts. This was what it felt like to be hunted by pack predators, and there was no hope of humans tiring from the chase. Noah positioned his body behind me, and shielded me from the projectiles sailing at us. A broken bottle nailed Meier in the back of the head, which earned cheers from the crowd. Another human protestor wrested a gun away from a UN peacekeeper; they began firing at the figurehead''s center of mass, without hesitation. The UN leader clutched at his abdomen, and staggered toward the car. He dumped the Sivkit over the threshold, somehow maintaining his grip. The elder human collapsed in a splayed position, which suggested the concerning severity of his injuries. I prayed to any deity listening that nothing had connected with my astronaut. Noah gave me a forceful push to the shoulders, sending me tumbling into the backseat. He dove in on top of me, and tugged the door shut. The driver floored it away from the mob at max velocity. The Terran ambassador sighed in relief, before he turned his eyes to the Secretary-General. Multiple bullets had pierced through his stomach, and the leader was gasping like a fish out of water. Blood was oozing onto the floorboards, draining away with a steady flow. I realized with dismay that Meier might need hospital care more urgently than me. It took a second to roll him over, so that I could stare into his dazed eyes. The human tried to sit up, but fell back with a weak groan. My paw raced beneath his neck, and propped up his skull. Elias¡¯ eyelids fluttered. ¡°Tarva¡­Chief Hunter Isif wants to help us.¡± ¡°Stop talking. That¡¯s not important right now,¡± I said. ¡°It is. I want you to make peace with the Arxur. Please, let¡­that be my legacy.¡± The primate drew a shaky breath, and cued in on the hesitancy in my eyes. I didn¡¯t want to argue with a man who was fading in my arms; it was obvious he wanted those negotiations to work, at any cost. Perhaps it was true that Isif aimed to help humanity, the only other predators in the galaxy. But that gray had outright stated that Venlil were lesser animals, a ¡°delicacy¡± that he felt entitled to. That wasn¡¯t an open invitation to civil relations. ¡°What Isif said to you was theatrics. So he wouldn¡¯t be executed,¡± Meier coughed. ¡°He wants¡­to end sapient farming and the war. Need¡­better future. Likes your spirit. Told me so.¡± I blinked several times. ¡°And you trust i¡ªer, him?¡± ¡°Why¡­would¡­lie? At his mercy.¡± Meier¡¯s eyelids sealed shut, as his irises rolled back in his head. Noah pried a packet of human blood from the glovebox, and began feeding it into the Secretary-General¡¯s veins. The vehicle was less than a minute from the hospital, but every millisecond seemed like an eternity. My own weakness was creeping back in, while the UN leader¡¯s breathing grew more faint. I didn¡¯t know if I could honor that request, despite Elias framing it as a last wish. As much as I respected his discernment, the likeliest answer was that the Arxur hunter was manipulating human empathy. Isif knew the Venlil Republic wanted nothing to do with him; his species had enjoyed every second of the war. Even if the Federation had starved the grays, they used that as a free pass to slaughter everyone without exception. The tires squealed, and we veered over to the hospital¡¯s entrance. Squeaky voices alerted the other staff that an injured predator was on-site, followed by recognition of this particular human. My mind was far away, when Noah placed me onto a stretcher. Unconsciousness took hold, as Venlil paramedics rushed two planetary leaders to critical care. Chapter 64 Memory transcription subject: Captain Kalsim, Krakotl Alliance Command Date [standardized human time]: October 22, 2136 The line between dream and consciousness grew blurry; I slipped between waking moments in delirium. Whatever drugs I was given seemed designed to keep me out of it, but there were brief flashes of humans putting my wing back into place. Rumbling voices cascaded around me, and filled me with the urge to claw my way to the surface. The vivid dreams left my brain in anguish. My near-death experience had turned decades of rotten memories into a jumbled casserole. There had been one nightmarish case where we found an elderly Krakotl, ripped apart in her backyard. With a cruel sense of humor, my dream state decided to re-enact the scene. Standing over the rotting corpse, and seeing the innards tugged from her stomach, was the abyssal image of evil. Extermination officers were supposed to act in time to prevent these occurrences. I could feel a sour taste swell in my beak. It was followed by a scorching sensation, as I regurgitated my meager lunch. My partners insisted on immediately torching the area; this body was defiled beyond burial salvaging. The victim¡¯s family would understand. Some faint remembrance told me that this was the case that made me transfer to the military. We never found the predator. I looked¡­obsessed¡­ran down every lead. ¡°Over here!¡± a voice hissed on the wind. My wings flapped with urgency, and I sailed off in the direction of the call. All I wanted was to fry the animal that would commit this heinous deed. This had been the only predator I ever hated; my standard practice was to refrain from emotional judgments. It wasn¡¯t a hunter¡¯s fault for being born, but the existence of whatever did this was offensive to me as the Arxur. The scenery blended together with that dreamlike passage of time; the abrupt change wasn¡¯t jarring in the moment. Without warning, I was buffeted down by a brutal gust of wind. The forest clearing around me looked quite familiar, and my instincts screamed that something wasn¡¯t right. There was a neon fabric dome, a sapient-built structure which tickled something in my mind. Invisible forces tugged the entrance flap open, as though inviting me in. I inched closer, despite wanting to back away, on legs that felt like concrete pylons. Violet Krakotl blood formed a thin trail across the grass, which returned a sliver of my resolve. A predator like this could not be allowed to reproduce under any circumstances. The bravado it had, to waltz into our settlements, meant it was a true abomination. My eyes were not prepared for the sight that awaited. Inside, there crouched a lanky, brown-skinned creature, which I recognized as an adult human. The predator was chowing down on a Krakotl¡¯s gullet, and blood was smeared on its chin. How had an alien sapient gotten out here? It looked up as I entered, with feathers jammed between bloodied canines. Those brown eyes, with that awful pleading quality still present, belonged to Arjun. This must be that kid, all grown up, and now as ugly as the rest of his freakish race. ¡°Humans are not vicious,¡± Arjun whined, in the childish register that didn¡¯t match its development. ¡°You¡¯re brainwashed, Kalsim!¡± I tried to raise my flamethrower, but my wings wouldn¡¯t move. The predator bared its teeth, inching closer. I should¡¯ve killed that conniving demon while I had the chance. It didn¡¯t matter that humans were capable of empathy, when it was a selective concept that could be turned off like a light switch. What a curse, to be given the gift of sapience, yet to have such an atrocious form¡­ The hideous monster sprang forward. Its unrivaled endurance meant that its bloodlust would never be sated. Any compassion was overridden by an instinct much stronger; that was what their history told us would happen, all along. The Federation needed to kill as many humans as possible, but I had forgotten that. Its clawless fingers pressed into my throat, and all I could hear was the pounding of my heart. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± I shrieked, snapping upright. ¡°SAVAGES!¡± My head spun, and I realized I was in a ventilated building. The cool metal beneath my spine suggested I was on some sort of operating table; at least, I hoped that was what the tiny knives were for. My wing was bound in some sort of plaster, and gauze was wrapped around my aching neck. This must be somewhere amidst the predator-infested lands of Earth. The realization that it was a dream provided immeasurable relief. Thinking about the details, it was a senseless nightmare. Social hunters wouldn¡¯t wander and pick us off alone. Still, I couldn¡¯t help feeling uneasy at that peek of the future. It was tough to picture the human kid devolving, and encroaching on Federation worlds with his brethren. I slid my talons off the table, clicking around on wobbly feet. Why had Arjun¡¯s father listened to its son¡¯s plea to spare me? Weren¡¯t the primates furious about the cities we destroyed? Arjun didn¡¯t deserve to suffer, but maybe I should¡¯ve put him down. If I knew humans were such brutal hunters, their compassion wouldn¡¯t have swayed me. Those drawn-out methods are far worse than the Arxur¡¯s. With a bit of hesitancy, I tested the door handle; it was unlocked. The humans kept their structures more sanitary than I expected, from creatures accustomed to constant blood and death. There wasn¡¯t any reek of predation, or biological markers left to intimidate me. Perhaps the Terrans realized I showed mercy to their kind, and stayed their hand? They were a cogent species, not the non-sapient terror I saw in my nightmare. Still, I felt like I should be bound or caged. Maybe the primates were testing whether I could be enslaved? That was the only reason I could fathom why they¡¯d patched me up. Thoughts of Thyon, the only surviving member of my party, raced through my mind. It begged the question of how long I¡¯d been out, and whether that ¡®MARCOS¡¯ faction had sniped him. As I turned into a wider area, a gun was jabbed inches from my face. An adult human watched with a neutral expression, but I could see the hunger that lurked in those pupils. The alien predator looked like the result of a disastrous lab experiment, with its exposed face and glistening skin. I felt sorry for the prey races like the snake, that had to deal with these things marching around. ¡°What was that noise? You¡¯re going to kill me?¡± Its eyes glowed in the middling light, and its dry lips tensed. That must be a cue that it wanted blood to wet them. ¡°I encourage you to try, bird.¡± I squeezed my eyes shut. ¡°W-was¡­n-nightmare. T-there¡¯s¡­no point to k-killing you now. We failed.¡± ¡°Kalsim thinks we¡¯re going to conquer them, Dad,¡± Arjun offered from atop a footstool. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll have the chance, kiddo. The grays beat us to the punch, or so I hear.¡± Solemnness clasped my heart, as I thought of the undefended Nishtal. The Arxur wouldn¡¯t pass up a golden opportunity, if it was brought to their attention. There hadn¡¯t been time to dwell on the reptiles¡¯ arrival at Earth, but it told us a lot about the humans. The fact that the Terrans were a feeling people, who cared for each other, hadn¡¯t stopped them from jumping in bed with their antithesis. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°You are dangerous, and still I have shown you mercy, time and again. My home is gone. Do what you think you must, human,¡± I grumbled. The father peeled back its plump lip. ¡°The name¡¯s Manoj. You have a sick idea of mercy, but my son is alive because of you. That¡¯s the only reason I¡¯m not ending you myself, got it?¡± ¡°I see. It is difficult to look a sapient in the eye and kill it¡­Manoj. Even for one of your spawn. What happens to me doesn¡¯t matter; I won¡¯t resist the execution squad.¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, resist a little. I got wildlife doctors to treat you and your pal, with some reluctance. They gave in eventually, on the condition that I turn you over to UN forces once you¡¯re stable.¡± ¡°Wait. My pal?¡± ¡°Arjun told me where to find him¡­pure genius hiding spot. Look under the bedsheet, behind me.¡± The full-grown human was positioned just right to obstruct my vision. On closer inspection, the tubes and wires behind the predator were attached to the Farsul officer. Horror coursed through my veins; Thyon was missing an arm. The jagged edges around his shoulder stump suggested teeth had sawed it off. Manoj must¡¯ve gotten too hungry around the injured officer, and experienced a lapse in its control. I know it must tough for a predator to stitch together a wounded prey animal, who was in a coma¡­but my gosh. ¡°You ate Thyon?!¡± I checked both of my wings in a squawking panic. The human scalpels could¡¯ve shaved off tiny flesh bits, in fractions that I hadn¡¯t noticed. ¡°You¡¯re just like the Arxur!¡± Manoj snorted. ¡°Damn, you¡¯re a fucking idiot. Human teeth aren¡¯t big enough, certainly not to do that so cleanly.¡± ¡°That¡­yes, you¡¯re right, predator. Then you fed him to the tigers, I suppose?¡± ¡°Actually, it was leopards that got him. Same family as tigers, but with spots instead of stripes. Would¡¯ve had nothing left but crumbs, except that I showed up when it was picking at him. Arjun was upset about it, else I would¡¯ve let nature run its course.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying. We placed him in a tree; there¡¯s no way land predators could¡¯ve gotten to him!¡± Manoj pulled up a clip on its holopad, with a snarl borne of cruel amusement. The human set the device down on a table, and I leaned over it hesitantly. A massive beast with a mottled pelt was walking up a vertical trunk, defying gravity with ease. Sinister forepaws hugged the bark¡¯s circumference, while its hindlegs moved like it was ascending ladder rungs. The predator¡¯s speed quickened without warning, and its hindlegs pushed off. It leapt onto a branch in an adjacent tree, faster than any land-walker should be able to. I suppose these leopards were more than capable of scaling greenery in a blink. The only reason I could conjure why the Terrans kept such a beast alive, was their arboreal roots. That aerial terrorization might be relatable to them. Manoj had shown me that they were quite willing to scale forest trunks themselves. The tiger reserve makes sense now. The humans respect this family of animals, because they recognize the bestial common ground. The adult predator leaned back. ¡°So, we reduced the drugs keeping Thyon in a medically induced coma. He¡¯s already starting to stir¡­this should be good.¡± ¡°I assumed you would want revenge, Manoj, and I know it¡¯s just how humans are. But please, take it out on me. I gave the orders, I deserve your wrath. All Thyon wanted was to stop predators from hitting any more worlds. He couldn¡¯t sleep at night, knowing there was another Arxur out there.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not the Arxur.¡± ¡°Nobody understands that but me. I always saw your redemptive qualities, and how unique humans were. I wish that was enough¡­we both know co-existence wasn¡¯t an option. I¡¯m sorry that it had to be like this, truly.¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t have to be like this at all. We wanted peace, to fight alongside you¡­and you committed genocide against us for it.¡± ¡°I wonder if there could have been another way. Human conquest is as inevitable as your growth. There are no future generations, for any other race, with you alive.¡± The human¡¯s scowl was growing more visceral by the second. I wondered if it was reconsidering its promise to Arjun to spare me. My exterminator training faltered, as its narrowed eyes bore into my skull. A fearful squawk bubbled in my throat, but I fought to ground myself. Beneath its anger, pain manifested in its increasingly hostile posture. The skin of its hands was tight around the bone knobs, which suggested waning control. My thoughts wandered to how Arjun had appealed to my morality, and claimed Terran religions called for natural compassion. I reminded myself that those emotions were genuine; they didn¡¯t just disappear at adulthood. This father, monstrous as it was, resisted murderous urges in favor of its bond with its son. Perhaps if I appealed to that side, and continued to treat this ghastly beast with dignity, I could save Thyon. ¡°Extermination officer is a dangerous job, where you¡¯re always on call. Not good for settling down, so I never had kids,¡± I stammered. ¡°I have killed a lot more living beings than I like to recall. But I have to believe that somewhere, for how we slowed Earth¡¯s expansion, there¡¯s a hatching who will live to adulthood.¡± A low rumble emanated from Manoj. ¡°There¡¯s millions of children, on both worlds, who are dead right now because you tried to kill us. All for our eye placement?!¡± ¡°Human, your eye placement is a symptom of a bigger problem. Predators do have forward-facing eyes, but it¡¯s much deeper than that. That¡¯s like saying a virus must be eradicated for its spike proteins¡­its actions, the infection and spread, are the issue.¡± The adult human adjusted a rectangular object, which appeared to be a video camera. A red light blinked by the lens, and I guessed I was being recorded. That was a sensible action for intelligence purposes. Manoj bared its yellowed teeth, approaching me with shuffling steps. It traced an oily finger across my beak with a chuckle, before pointing my nose toward the camera. ¡°Say hello to the people of planet Earth,¡± the predator sneered. ¡°You¡¯re being broadcasted to social media right now, wherever the internet still functions. Look the eventual millions who¡¯ll see this in the eye, and repeat your little virus line.¡± I squeezed my eyes shut. ¡°You¡¯re angry. I don¡¯t hate humans for what they are. It wasn¡¯t personal, it¡¯s just the reality of the situation.¡± ¡°It sure felt personal, drumstick. I happened to find footage floating around from the UN raids: a Krakotl transmission sent to a downed ship. Those pink markings on this fella¡¯s beak look awful similar to yours, don¡¯t they?¡± The Terran pulled up another video on its holopad. I recognized my own visage on the feed. An allied ship must¡¯ve intercepted the hail we sent to the downed human, who had shown us a picture of its family. Pity swelled in my throat, as I thought of the offspring in its image. Those three primates had looked younger than Arjun, and now were left without a parent. For all I knew, they died in the bombings, and that UN pilot had sacrificed itself in vain. ¡°Surrender yourself to our custody, peacefully, and I¡¯ll see that you survive.¡± The cadence of my voice was overlaid by static interference. ¡°You can ensure that your culture is remembered.¡± Manoj offered a chilling grin, its alien features giving off contradicting signals. ¡°That¡¯s your mercy, Kalsim? A perfect view of the destruction of your planet, your culture, and everyone you cared about. Meanwhile, you¡¯re a prisoner among people who want your kind exterminated, forever. An exhibit in a twisted museum.¡± ¡°I wanted someone to study your culture. I wanted you to be remembered.¡± ¡°Fuck you. We could execute you, and that decision won¡¯t be up to me. But my suggestion, people of Earth? Let¡¯s give him the same ¡®mercy¡¯ he offered one of ours. Let him witness the destruction of Nishtal in HD, while we keep him locked up¡­to document Krakotl culture.¡± My eyes shifted to the floor. There was never such an undercurrent of cruelty in my offerings. I had been trying to minimize their suffering, while Manoj aimed to twist the knife. Krakotl culture was well-documented by every Federation race, so it was not in jeopardy of vanishing from the records. There was no point to that existence! The humans viewing this video would demand a more violent end for me, wouldn¡¯t they? A motor revved outside the compound, and predatory shouts rippled through the air. Those must be the UN soldiers picking me up. I shot a final glance at Arjun, who was watching me with interest. The human kid raised a clawless hand as we locked eyes. Perhaps this was some gesture of farewell, like the tail signals of many species. The foresight of Arjun as a human adult floated through my mind again. I doubted I would ever see him again, but if I did, he would be something unrecognizable. These creatures grew out of the tolerable phase much too quick. Fighting off tears, I lifted my uninjured wing at him. The explosive noise of a door flying off its hinges pierced the air; Terrans couldn¡¯t do anything quietly. ¡°Good-bye, little predator,¡± I whispered. ¡°Don¡¯t go scaring any more snakes.¡± Dark fabric enveloped my head before I knew what was happening. Pure terror coursed through my veins, at the sheer number of humans I sensed around me. This was the largest concentration of predators I¡¯d dealt with in my life. Part of me hoped that they would take me as a meal, instead of skewing my mercy into a revenge fantasy. Chapter 65 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, Federation Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: October 23, 2136 By my assessment, the humans¡¯ shuttle was barely FTL-worthy; it would be lucky to defeat a solar sail in combat. I was certain their craft choice was designed to tail me with minimal risk of detection. Now, it wasn¡¯t like I was going to forget they were on my tail, so I didn¡¯t see the point of stealthy monitorization. With Carlos requiring medical oversight, we persuaded the predators to dock with us. The Terran shuttle squeezed into the escape pod bay, with little room to spare. The Harchen journalists were floored to see the accommodations the Terrans had whipped up for the deaf Talpin. I imagined the Federation would be shocked as well; there was a reason the humans chose these Gojids to represent our refugees. That painted a different picture of the cradle invasion, apart from the story of vicious annihilation circulating now. Samantha and Carlos were still unwilling to land on Aafa in person, after their ambassador was ¡®held hostage¡¯ for weeks. I¡¯m sure the attempted murder wasn¡¯t an enticement either; my guards valued staying in one piece. My expectation was that the humans would detach in their shuttle, once we got close enough. Their little clunker would either hide out until our hopeful return, or they would find their own way back. My read was that they weren¡¯t eager to stay around the Federation hub. I know what I¡¯m going to tell the representatives about the humans. But I don¡¯t know how to justify my own actions, with Marcel. The low hum of the ship¡¯s engines pulsed into my paws, as I slunk around the humans¡¯ personal effects. Samantha had left an unlocked holopad unattended, and I was gripped by the compulsion to scour their internet. We wouldn¡¯t have access to the live network, hundreds of star systems away from Sol, but there was an archive of what existed before our departure. The guilt drumming away in my skull wondered what the Federation was told about Marcel. I breathed the words aloud, as I typed in a search bar. ¡°Marcel, human tortured by Gojid.¡± My heart seized, scrolling through the results that turned up. After everything I had learned about the Terrans, it made my sins even more terrible. The thought that a predator could share such similarities with us, and that they could truly be our friends, had been fantastical at the time. Why had I not even considered, for a second, that the human captive was innocent? I tapped a video result that claimed to have been shown to the Federation. My claws landed themselves in my mouth, and I chewed with more intensity than ever. Marcel was feeding a prey animal, while a speaker called ¡°Noah¡± elaborated on his veterinary aspirations. It was tough to see the life in his hazel irises, the same ones I had seen pleading with me in agony. How could I ever come to terms with the fact that I tormented an herbivore human, who found his joy through saving animals? The images switched to close-up images of Marcel¡¯s wounds. It broke my heart to see how famished the human looked, and to think about his misery. Tears swelled in my eyes, and mucus oozed from my nose. A few choking sobs came out, as the full weight of self-hatred slammed down on me again. Samantha had been right, when she told Carlos I didn¡¯t deserve cordiality. A clawless hand swiped the holopad away from me. ¡°Dear God, Sovlin. Why would you do that to yourself?¡± ¡°Sam, that¡¯s not the worst thing he could¡¯ve sought out on the internet. Perhaps we should be happy,¡± Carlos chimed in. I jumped out of the chair, wiping my eyes on the back of my paw. Samantha¡¯s auburn hair looked disheveled, and my woefulness transitioned to concern. I hadn¡¯t seen the female eat anything, which was compounding a lack of self-care and sleep. The reason why she was grief-stricken was obvious now. We had to be certain she wouldn¡¯t make any hasty decisions, with such a tenuous mental state. ¡°W-what¡­is the worst thing, Carlos? Predation? Xenophobia?¡± I asked. The male guard snorted. ¡°No. Forget about it. You¡¯re going to give the holopad back to Sam, and promise never to tinker with our things again.¡± ¡°Sorry, I needed to remember what I¡¯ve done. I was starting to feel¡­almost normal, with you and the Harchen. It felt like I was with my old crew, but that life is gone. I don¡¯t deserve happiness.¡± ¡°It¡¯s time to move on, Sovlin.¡± Samantha showed a rare hint of sympathy, curling her lips in a way that didn¡¯t seem hostile. The female predator looked lethargic and downcast. ¡°You can honor Marcel by doing something good when you land on Aafa today.¡± ¡°But I¡ª¡± ¡°You fucked up, bad. That was then, and this is now. I¡¯ve decided that there¡¯s something worthwhile in you, and so has the UN. You have no right to let us down.¡± My paws relinquished my grip on the holopad, and I allowed the alien hunters to steer me out to the common area. Somehow, Samantha¡¯s rough words were comforting. She reminded me I had a purpose here far beyond myself. Every living creature on this side of the galaxy, Slanek, Marcel, my guards, the Gojid refugees, was depending on me. The entire Federation would be disbanded and slaughtered, if I didn¡¯t disprove the Arxurs¡¯ deceit with conclusive evidence. It would be a travesty for them to flip the script, and masquerade as the original ¡®victims¡¯ in this mess. Whatever my past failings were, penance wasn¡¯t as important as stopping the humans from forging this unholy alliance. I need to save the Terrans from vengeful temptation. The species who liberated a cattle ship, and bashed Arxur prisoners over the head, is still in there. Finding justice for my first officer¡¯s death was an urgent consideration too. Recel lost his life, per the humans¡¯ dossier, after helping Marcel escape my clutches. The Kolshian Commonwealth had proved themselves a menace to the Federation, and our forums of diplomacy. Someone needed to put an end to their treachery, before more innocents turned up dead. This was personal to me now, and I wanted to see the masterminds hang. The Harchen journalists were dotted across the common area, with scribbles and notes strewn everywhere. Cilany looked concerned, as she noticed my sniffling and bleary eyes. I knew the journalists were worried the predators were intimidating me, or throwing their weight around. It was all I could do to delay any interrogation of Samantha, with her fragile state. The humans needed to talk over their history soon, unless they wanted it covered in an unfavorable light. ¡°Cilany, has your team located any pertinent information?¡± I asked. The short reptile drummed her toes on a table. ¡°If I give you the rundown, are the predators finally going to answer my questions?¡± Samantha bared her teeth. ¡°You¡¯re not in any position of power here. This is our mission, and I¡¯m not your lab rat.¡± ¡°Your¡­what? The translator mangled that idiom. A rodent in a lab?¡± I repeated. ¡°For animal testing. To develop drugs, or research behaviors.¡± Every prey sapient in the room gaped at the primate, and even I failed to mask my horror. Humans ran unethical experimentation on captured animals, treating them like expendable subjects? That was not an empathetic practice; there was no defense for wide-scale cruelty. It was implied that there were no safeguards to mitigate the suffering, either. ¡°Okay, all of you, quit it with that look!¡± Carlos leapt to Samantha¡¯s rescue, rounding on me with a glare. ¡°How else do you develop medicines to cure diseases, and uncover the side effects before giving it to your own people?¡± Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Cell cultures, Harchen tissue samples, microdosing, and computer models. Murder-free,¡± Cilany said. My spines bristled from the predators¡¯ anger. ¡°L-like any civilized culture. We don¡¯t treat animals as our toys.¡± The female guard bit her lip. ¡°Human¡­no, sapient lives take precedence over everything else. I¡¯d sacrifice a million animals to save one person¡­person I¡­¡± As much as I wanted to push back against Sam¡¯s statement, it was tough to argue with someone who looked so broken. If I believed it was my only option, there were no sacrifices I wouldn¡¯t make to bring back my family. Humans rushing disease cures might have come to the same conclusions. I tucked away a mental note to give the predators some simulations that could put an end to that barbarism. The Harchen reporter blinked in disgust. ¡°There are better ways! That¡¯s not science.¡± ¡°On the plus side, at least the humans do try to heal their people,¡± I told Cilany. ¡°When I first captured Marcel, I didn¡¯t even think they had medicine. He moved away from my sedative needle, like he was scared of doctors.¡± Carlos slapped his forehead. ¡°Sovlin, maybe we just don¡¯t like needles? Between the sight of blood and the pain, it¡¯s not a carnival ride.¡± ¡°Sorry¡­we¡¯re off to a terrible start. I don¡¯t see why these reporters can¡¯t get along with you. Work this out, for your sake. This is your chance to justify yourselves to the galaxy, humans.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve done nothing to you! Why do we need to justify anything?¡± Samantha spat. ¡°I know you don¡¯t want to, but it¡¯s about time someone listened to your side of the story. Don¡¯t you think? There¡¯s a lot at stake here, especially if more races decide to come after you.¡± The two predators shared a glance, as the Harchen scrutinized their mannerisms. They both gave a grudging nod, and settled down into their seats. I offered a silent prayer that Cilany would go gentle on Samantha. If I saw that human showing signs of distress or a breakdown, I was going to intervene. Her welfare was more important than any media coverage. ¡°You first, Cilany,¡± Carlos growled. ¡°The Federation d-dumped a lot of footage from their initial discovery of humanity, to undermine Noah¡¯s message.¡± The reptile¡¯s skin camouflaged with the blue ship walls, as the predators leaned toward her. She was brave, to face them so early on. ¡°I found a clip from their discussion¡­that unanimous vote to destroy your species, almost two centuries ago. Look.¡± The male guard knitted his brow in confusion. I could sense him biting back a retort, since that wasn¡¯t the information the UN was looking for. Part of him must be curious to observe how humanity had been discussed as heartless monsters. If the Gojids had been sentenced to death before escaping our world, I¡¯d want to hear those proceedings. The Harchen reporter tossed a video onto a projector, and my own eyes turned to the screen. I¡¯d never seen this footage. Humanity had been little more than a historical footnote, with a few graduates like Zarn diving into the Federation¡¯s observations. Why had the vote passed without a single objection? What could be that terrible? A Venlil male spoke at his station. ¡°T-those monsters are our neighbors. If FTL ever f-falls into their lap, we¡¯ll be the first ones dead! It won¡¯t be your species turned to carrion! Hurry up and k-kill them all!¡± ¡°Governor Mulnek is correct. From what we¡¯ve seen, humans are barely sapient. True sapients don¡¯t develop the weapons they have; chemicals, diseases, bombs, even early satellites,¡± the Farsul representative added. ¡°Thank you, Ambassador Royon. Can you picture those savage apes making it a day in the Federation? They¡¯d eat us, the first chance they get. I shudder to think of Venlil coming across those¡­things.¡± Anger returned to Samantha¡¯s gaze, and her hands curled up into a fist. Knowing how close human-Venlil relations had become, I could imagine the damage this footage would do. At least, to my knowledge, Governor Tarva had been forthcoming with the United Nations on her species¡¯ role in that era. It wasn¡¯t her doing, so the Terrans shouldn¡¯t have a gripe with her. The Venlil pushed everyone away to save the predator scientists. It makes me wonder what that first contact team said, to make Tarva walk back her distress signal. To renounce her species¡¯ stance. Carlos threw his hands in the air. ¡°Even the Venlil spewed that vitriol?¡± ¡°Hurry up and kill them all? Savage apes?¡± Samantha echoed. ¡°Quit pouting, and listen. This is the important part,¡± the Harchen reporter hissed. Royon tossed her head, on screen. ¡°The humans have a lot in common with you-know-who. We once believed that predators can have feelings, but we learned that lesson the hard way. The Arxur faked plenty of things, from artistry to passivity. We saw how trying to make them one of us turned out.¡± Cilany paused the feed. ¡°Did you catch that? The historian species of the Federation, claims the Arxur faked feelings. Given the context, that implies they showed signs of emotional intelligence, before first contact. I mean, the Arxur had artwork?!¡± ¡°The last part was what caught my attention. I don¡¯t like the way they said ¡®make them one of us,¡¯¡± Samantha growled. The humans were much too eager to spin everything into evidence for the Arxur¡¯s tale. I understood why they resented the Federation, as Carlos put in perspective long ago. The way those ancient leaders spoke about the predators made my skin crawl. I hoped it hadn¡¯t been so flagrant, when this Noah figure came to them. All the same, the Terran guards were reading too much into one sentence from a stressed diplomat. ¡°It¡¯s referencing the Federation¡¯s uplift of the Arxur. We tried to welcome them into the galaxy, and that started this mess!¡± I spat. Samantha glared at me. ¡°Then why did they say ¡®one of us¡¯? That meant turning them into prey!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have enough evidence to reach a determination,¡± Cilany sighed. ¡°It is difficult to unearth much footage from the Arxur era. I really don¡¯t understand how records can be lost, in the digital age.¡± ¡°Someone has something to hide. Judging by this dialogue, it¡¯s become more and more distorted over the years.¡± Carlos bobbed his head. ¡°The people who voted to kill us were much more informed about the war¡¯s origins. That¡¯s useful to know. Good work, Cilany.¡± My spines bristled with irritation, as I realized the Harchen reporter wasn¡¯t challenging the premise at all. This must be some misguided efforts at appeasement; she didn¡¯t understand that the Terrans weren¡¯t looking for a lackey. This endeavor was too important to insinuate that the Arxur were angelic victims. Creative ability surprised me, but I was certain what passed for ¡®art¡¯ in their culture were war photos and hunting manuals. They were a sociopathic species to the core, and that was a well-documented fact. ¡°We uphold our bargains, Harchen,¡± Samantha offered. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m surprised that you¡¯re taking this seriously. I¡¯ll let you ask us one thing about humanity, but tone down the racism?¡± The reporter flicked her tongue. ¡°I want to know about your species¡¯ heroes¡­your collective dreams¡­your moral codes. How did they start, and are they universal? Do humans disagree on ethical issues? Uh¡­that¡¯s not one question, sorry.¡± Surprise flashed in both of the predators¡¯ eyes, and I noticed their postures relax. Carlos studied Cilany with newfound interest, perhaps reassessing her journalistic acumen. Her query was a question I was interested in myself. If I read the cues right, Terrans possessed an internal conscience, and could use it to steer their worst instincts. Samantha leaned back, crossing her legs. ¡°I¡¯ll answer as much about that subject as you want. Thank you, for taking an interest in the real humanity.¡± ¡°Tell her about your international laws,¡± I interjected. ¡°Humans have codified rights, even for criminals like me. They let a hospital ship pass to save active enemies, when I fought them at our border outposts.¡± Carlos bared his teeth. ¡°That¡¯s not an awful idea, for once, Sovlin. For all that talk about warfare, we¡¯ve built rules signed by every modern nation, to prohibit attacks on civilian populations. To ensure that combatants receive humane treatment.¡± ¡°Rights the Federation denied us,¡± Samantha noted. ¡°You could sum up human morality in one statement; we call it the Golden Rule. Do unto others as you wish to be done unto you.¡± The Harchen reporter palmed her chin in thought. Traces of fear lingered in her gaze, but I could tell she was listening to their words. That was a lot more than most people would attempt. I¡¯m glad that I was right about her giving them an honest shot. Cilany squinted at the duo. ¡°Does that still apply?¡± ¡°To anyone willing to return the courtesy, sure. But humanity isn¡¯t itching to be the galaxy¡¯s punching bag,¡± Samantha replied. ¡°The Federation broke that rule first.¡± ¡°Sam, if I can call you that, the way we all have talked about you is terrible. The public discourse is hateful, and your personal losses resonate with me. I can¡¯t imagine what I¡¯d do in your paws. My species was a part of that.¡± The female predator sniffled. ¡°There¡¯s nothing any of us can do about that now. Let¡¯s talk about heroes, shall we? You might be interested in some ancient mythology¡­how early and modern humans made sense of the world.¡± Cilany hesitantly rose to her feet, and dragged her chair alongside the humans. I could see the tears swelling her eyes, alongside the acceleration of her breathing. Her slender arms were shaking, but she situated herself by the humans. She reached out with a trembling appendage, offering Samantha a tissue. The UN guard took it deftly, and dabbed at her eyes. ¡°I¡­I¡¯d like that. Let me tell your stories,¡± the Harchen replied. A glimmer of hope crept into those green eyes, reminding me of the humanity that came to the galaxy with righteous zeal. Those people were still in there, despite their heartache. I had to believe it was possible to mend our rifts, and to steer them from the path of destruction. Those lost on Earth couldn¡¯t be brought back, but my predator friends didn¡¯t have to die with them. Samantha wove a yarn of supernatural fantasies, early scientists, and ambitious explorers seeking trade routes. Carlos added his own tales of monster slayers and fictional kings, with their own honor code. Terran legends sounded grandiose and heroic, from their lips. They elevated their greatest champions as guardians and pioneers, who advanced civilization at personal risk. The contrast with the legacy of conquest and subjugation Zarn put forward was striking. The prey reptile shivered from prolonged exposure to humans, absorbing the descriptions of their early history. All it took was active listening, to keep the predators talking. I mused to myself that this was how it should have been; this was the peace that could have been reality. Chapter 66 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, Federation Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: October 24, 2136 The human soldiers detached in their shuttle, well before we entered Kolshian territory. No doubt, the predators wanted to avoid being picked up by sensor readings. If patrol ships asked us to account for all detected lifeforms, it would be impossible to hide their presence. Our concerns were validated by the harsh reception we received on descent toward Aafa. Gunships sidled up to us at full speed, and relayed demands to power down our engines. ¡°Venlil vessel, you are not welcome on Federation grounds.¡± The Kolshian¡¯s Chief Nikonus was broadcasting a hail on military frequencies, with a glare that rivaled human ferocity. ¡°I let your beasts speak once, and that was an error on my part. The Gojid cradle, the Krakotl army, and dozens of worlds have perished because of that little misstep.¡± I accepted the transmission, striking my serious pose. ¡°This is Captain Sovlin from the Gojid attachment of the Federation fleet. I am here to request asylum for our refugees.¡± ¡°Do the humans think we¡¯re idiots? There¡¯s six other signatures on board, and you were a known predator prisoner.¡± Nikonus bobbed his indigo tentacles in irritation. ¡°By law, Venlil visitors should be held as enemies of state, for raising arms against other prey races.¡± I waved for the Harchen reporters to step into the field of view, while Talpin and Berna filtered in on my other side. The deaf Gojid wielded a device that could approximate subtitles, and was growing livid from the dialogue. He began punching away at his speech synthesizer, but I flicked my claws in warning. If the Kolshian Commonwealth realized our Terran-sympathizing alignment, there might not be an opportunity to land on Aafa. It was an uphill battle to convince them we were friendlies already. You¡¯d think this roll call would assuage their doubts, but they seem to be expecting predator trickery. News of the assault on Earth has reached the wider galaxy; they know the Venlil fought by humanity. The tension was palpable, as my scans confirmed that the Kolshians kept their weapons powered up. I had no idea if they¡¯d deny us passage or attack us outright, since nobody had shown any concern for the suffering Gojids. The Federation had abandoned my people thus far; there had been no aid shipments or reinforcements at our borders. Not one friend would go toe-to-toe with either predator for us. Anger bubbled inside my chest, but I pushed it down. ¡°Search us all you want. I rescued these Harchen personnel from an Arxur attack; we have useful intelligence. You¡¯re adding to their trauma also, if you care.¡± ¡°Hmph. What are they hiding on your ship then? Bombs? Bioweapons?¡± the Kolshian demanded. I struggled to keep my voice steady. ¡°The Venlil were able to secure my release, and move some Gojid refugees to their territories. I¡¯ll be happy to discuss the details before the Federation representatives¡­whoever is here, gracious Chief Nikonus.¡± ¡°Let the Harchen speak. I recognize a renowned journalist when I see one, Cilany.¡± ¡°I want to know about the Federation¡¯s response to this multilateral attack, and your plans to deal with these human predators,¡± the journalist said, without hesitation. ¡°Fahl is barely holding, and there¡¯s a refugee crisis brewing on your borders. The people want answers. My people want answers.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t give you the right to barge in here without clearance. You¡¯re disrupting important proceedings!¡± ¡°This is important too, Chief Nikonus.¡± The Kolshian breathed a heavy sigh, brushing a tentacle across his forehead. These ship frequencies were often monitored by various media outlets, and I¡¯d hope it¡¯d still generate bad publicity if they turned non-Venlil away. Cilany and I felt that Nikonus owed us the truth, even if we entered his territory on false pretenses. A trace of my former bravado flared in my chest. The old Captain Sovlin wouldn¡¯t have been turned away from a mission objective by anyone. I plotted in a landing course for the governance center, and ignored the target-lock icons on screen. We would be through Aafa¡¯s silky atmosphere long before Nikonus gave a kill order; nothing involving bureaucrats happened quickly. ¡°What are you doing, Sovlin? Have you lost your mind?¡± the Kolshian leader hissed. ¡°Fire away. You wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± I chuckled, noting the irony. Those were the same words I told Tarva responding to her distress signal, right before the Venlil threw missiles in my face. ¡°Shooting down asylum-seekers would have the wondrous consequence of raining debris on college students. I will speak my piece, and I don¡¯t care if you like it.¡± Nikonus¡¯ bulbous eyes stretched wide. ¡°Are you trying to start a war? This is rash and impulsive, unbecoming of a Federation officer.¡± ¡°What have I got to lose? My cradle is dead, and I¡¯m one of the last survivors of a dying species. It¡¯s time someone let us Gojids speak for ourselves; we don¡¯t even get that courtesy.¡± The Kolshian waved a tentacle in a dismissive gesture, and forwarded an open hangar location. It was all I could do to slow to a safe landing velocity. Berna and Talpin seemed terrified of my flying; the two of them had found their way back to their harnessed seats. Our ship ducked the spaceport overhang with an inch to spare. FTL traffic control gawked from the observation room, as I careened down while firing reverse thrusters. Our massive ship slid into the docking port like a plug into a socket. Kolshian soldiers rushed across the terminal, flooding from the connector tunnel to the governance hall. They bore weapons designed to hamper any human predators that magically popped into existence, including heavy guns and strobe lights. I laughed to myself, appreciating how absurd this reaction was. Perhaps these extermination officer wannabes will try to arrest me. I doubt they liked that stunt I pulled¡­but the humans would think it¡¯s hilarious, I noted. Protector, those predators get humor. The Kolshians rigged explosive charges by the exit hatch, before we could disembark of our own volition. They entered with gun muzzles ready, and hollered orders at all of us. My spines bristled at their intimidation, but the fear didn¡¯t reach my brain. I struck a bored pose as they pressed a rifle to my temple, pushing it away with a light claw tap. Meanwhile, the Harchen reporters and Gojid refugees had dropped to the floor in terror. ¡°Your hospitality needs some work,¡± I remarked. ¡°That¡¯s no way to welcome guests.¡± The Kolshian soldiers shared a glance, incredulous at my derangement. They swept every corner of our ship, including inside storage cabinets. Amusement flared up once more, as I thought about Carlos folded up like a suitcase to fit in a drawer half his size. Several glares latched onto me, and I was flung to the floor by a rough tentacle. It took an inordinate amount of time for their ¡®thorough¡¯ search, but our hosts became satisfied that humans weren¡¯t lying in wait. The Commonwealth guards waved to stand up, and ushered us out the door. The eight-sided landing pad had an array of stores and offices built into its walls. Flashing signs directed ambassadorial attach¨¦s to the governance hall, written in several languages (including the artificially-created ¡®Common¡¯, which was only used by pretentious diplomats). The general public were welcome to Federation proceedings as spectators, but they weren¡¯t cleared to land here. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Media personnel hurried out from the connector tunnel, just as we cleared the terminal¡¯s threshold. They seemed disappointed to find the unannounced arrival was a few Gojids and Harchen. Whatever an outlet¡¯s stance on humanity, the ¡®predators sell¡¯ mantra was true. Journalists captured footage of us with our Kolshian escort, with a few calling Cilany and I by name. I avoided eye contact, and kept my lips sealed. ¡°Cilany, Harchen ambassador Raila will welcome you, to hear your report on Fahl.¡± A Kolshian soldier turned to me, radiating contempt. ¡°She is in crucial talks with undecided Federation members now, so you need to show some patience, Sovlin.¡± I kept a placid expression, though I knew our neutral faction could not turn on humanity. ¡°Of course, we¡¯ll wait outside until she¡¯s ready. Would you show us there, please?¡± The Kolshian beckoned with a cerulean tentacle, steering us through winding corridors. Our journey ventured away from the massive auditorium, where state business was conducted. Architects on Aafa seemed to derive joy from constructing floor plans that looked like mazes; it was a wonder we didn¡¯t get lost. Perhaps a simpleton like me couldn¡¯t understand ¡°beauty¡±, but I wished the humans would gut the whole place. Terran layouts were always neat and orderly. We reached an escalator that transported us to a basement. A subway train waited for us, and whisked us below the street to the ambassadorial offices. I didn¡¯t understand why the diplomatic living arrangements were in the hall¡¯s premises, while the workspaces were separate. I suppose this was the only way to provide every species with spacious accommodations. The Kolshian soldiers steered us into a lobby, once we arrived at the station. An elevator ride to the twelfth floor was the last step of our journey, and I yawned to express annoyance. Judging by the iconography of Inatala, with flowers in her beak, this must be the Krakotl¡¯s home. Closed doors sealed off a conference room, which I yearned to break into. This is my chance to speak to the Federation; the ones that can still turn back. I have to impress the need to appease humanity. I sprinted toward the meeting area, catching the Kolshians by surprise. A soldier placed a tentacle on my shoulder, and my spines extended further. In a flash of outrage, my claws scratched gashes into his soft skin. Cilany gasped at my violent assault, but I had no intention of waiting. This was too important to let some grunt stand in our way. The Kolshians drew their guns, no doubt worried that the human predators had corrupted me. The Harchen reporter leapt in their path, and waved her arms to compensate for her short stature. I burst into the assembly; dozens of pupils darted in my direction. Ambassador Jerulim squawked angrily. ¡°What on Nishtal is this interruption? From the man who pushed the bleeding hearts into the humans¡¯ arms, because poor Marcel.¡± ¡°What Captain Sovlin did to that human was wholly cruel and unnecessary; whatever side of the aisle you¡¯re on,¡± Chief Nikonus returned. ¡°It¡¯s a predator, just like Noah was. You traitors use their names, which is validating the whole premise of personhood. What¡¯s next: an Arxur speaker named Huggable?¡± A female Mazic flared her trunk. ¡°Noah is obviously a monster, even he realized that. But his arguments were sound. We don¡¯t have the luxury of trusting our gut. Fret not Jerulim, everyone recognizes the image of evil when it¡¯s right in front of them.¡± ¡°Do they? That¡¯s why you¡¯re the only allied race that came to this meeting?!¡± Farsul ambassador Darq tossed her floppy ears. ¡°They won¡¯t meet with you because you physically attacked anyone who sided with humanity last time.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve apologized for that¡­I¡¯m willing to talk to everyone now, though you don¡¯t deserve it. What I did was the only sensible reaction to heresy!¡± A clamor of voices rose in disharmony, leveling accusations and shouting conflicting views. I was horrified that these were our leaders; they had the emotional maturity of misbehaving children. The good news was that I didn¡¯t need to fake diplomatic aplomb. If talking the loudest was the only way to get through to them, that was right up my alley. ¡°I AM SPEAKING NOW!¡± My roar shook my vocal chords, as I leapt onto the table to draw attention. ¡°Jerulim, I think your army is gone, so you have nothing to throw your weight around with. That¡¯s why you¡¯re talking.¡± The Krakotl ambassador craned his neck in irritation. ¡°You have no right¡ª¡± ¡°Protector, you make more senseless noise than a stampede! The undecided voters here, most notably the Sulean and Iftali Alliance, are likely leaning toward war with the humans. This is all based on the cradle¡¯s fall, but nobody here was actually there but me! Are the Gojids nothing more than a talking point to you, without our own voice? We served this Federation for six centuries!¡± Chief Nikonus cleared his throat. ¡°The Federation respects the contributions of the Gojidi Union, who worked tirelessly in our defense throughout this war. The Kolshian Commonwealth was saddened by the tragedy that befell your people. That said, we already got the details from Doctor Zarn of the Takkan Coalition; your doctor.¡± ¡°Zarn? He said that all humans deserved to die from the moment we laid eyes on Marcel¡­much like the Krakotl ambassador with this Noah. What you need to know, is that Prime Minister Piri and I saw empirical and irrefutable evidence that flipped our stance. My question is, does anyone care what really happened?¡± ¡°Of course we care. Go ahead, Captain,¡± the Sulean observer interjected. ¡°The simple fact is, the humans never attacked a single civilian or even medical target. We were gearing up for an attack on Earth, so they took out our military capabilities to stop us. The Arxur took advantage of the lapse in fortification, and started bombing everything in sight. Terran military personnel risked their lives to evac our people.¡± Jerulim puffed out his chest. ¡°The predators were just collecting their own cattle.¡± It didn¡¯t surprise me that the Federation assumed our refugees were livestock, but that was why Talpin was here. The Kolshian soldiers stood steadfast at the door, forming an organic wall between my posse and the diplomats. Hearing the Krakotl¡¯s claim, Berna barreled over a guard with a headbutt; her brother was close behind. Cilany slipped through the dazed soldiers, though the other Harchen journalists weren¡¯t as quick to act. ¡°Talpin is deaf, and he can attest that humans treat him with dignity. One of my guards had a deaf brother too; they don¡¯t discard their own like the Arxur,¡± I retorted. ¡°I thought I was going to suffer in Terran custody, but my victim claimed that ¡®wasn¡¯t who he was.¡¯ The UN gave me a second chance.¡± The Harchen ambassador, Raila, turned to Cilany. ¡°Enough predator apologetics. Was Fahl holding?¡± The reporter wiggled her toes. ¡°Yes, but the Arxur claimed the raid was retribution for Earth. The humans seem to have them under some level of control. That can either be really good, or really bad.¡± ¡°They¡¯re working together? Officially?¡± Jerulim shrieked. ¡°I told you!¡± I shook my head. ¡°The Arxur are lying to the humans to gain their alliance, because they recognize their potential. I was on the bridge of a Terran warship when they returned, and took back the cradle. They won against an enemy we can¡¯t hold a candle to, with three months FTL experience and primitive ships. They boarded a cattle ship so methodically, that the grays surrendered.¡± Disbelieving expressions swept across the room, at the thought of those raging monsters giving up mid-fight. Even Cilany had difficulty absorbing that tidbit. While it was common knowledge that Gojid territory had fallen to predators, the situation was more complex than that. That battle was the moment I recognized how well humanity could harness their instincts. They had better control on their neural wiring than any of us. Cilany blinked. ¡°Is that why the grays decided to honor humanity¡¯s claim to Gojids? Respect?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, or care, what goes through the minds of those savages. I care about the empathetic primates who eat fruit and have protective instincts. My Federation friends, don¡¯t you understand the importance of appeasing humanity? You¡¯re forcing a species much smarter and more tactical into the grays¡¯ arms.¡± Chief Nikonus leaned back. ¡°Appeasement was always my plan, and people like Jerulim thought they knew better. Have the two predators wear each other down¡­then, it will be much easier to clean up the survivors. If they want to duke it out, why make them turn their guns on us?¡± My jaw almost dropped to the floor. Using the humans to destroy the Arxur, then mopping up their remnants, was the cold, calculating idea I¡¯d expect from a predator. The United Nations deserved to be shown genuine kindness; it was all I could do to keep my mouth shut. After cooperating through an alliance, these people would get attached to the Terrans eventually. There would be time to give the primates a proper warning, if they didn¡¯t see through the fa?ade from the start. This might be the only way to save the Federation. I want humanity to survive, but I can¡¯t feed every race in the galaxy to the grays to achieve that. ¡°The humans want to know where every race stands; that was their message,¡± I said. ¡°Make your decision, and contact the United Nations. Well, those of you that haven¡¯t already fucked your species over.¡± Raila wiggled her toes in discomfort. ¡°We joined the attack on Earth, and I can¡¯t say I regret that. I regret that it failed.¡± Cilany glared at the Harchen ambassador. ¡°You should be ashamed of yourself. Surrender unconditionally, and beg their forgiveness. We can¡¯t hold out if the grays send reinforcements¡­once they finish up with defenseless Nishtal.¡± ¡°This is a wake-up call,¡± I growled. ¡°Nobody who openly opposed the humans has survived, assuming the 24 attackers fall to the Arxur. All that matters is that we survive, but it¡¯s your choice. Go with our last chance at survival¡­or push the predators into the grays¡¯ arms.¡± Agreement glittered in the eyes of the Kolshian chief, and a contemplative silence swept through the room. I hoped my argument was more compelling than the humans¡¯ vengeful demands. My trust in the Federation¡¯s decision-making was gone, where predators were involved. After decades of faithful service, this plea was a final effort to save the species I pledged to defend. Chapter 67 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, Federation Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: October 24, 2136 The meeting in the Krakotl ambassador¡¯s office was adjourned, and would reconvene tomorrow morning. My arrival had disrupted the proceedings from reaching a consensus, but I was glad I had said my part. News took a long time to travel at interstellar distances, and the Federation representatives were making decisions based on outdated and incomplete information. With that step checked off, I could focus on acquiring the evidence of Arxur first contact. It was peculiar that the records weren¡¯t publicly available, but the Arxur had engaged in planetwide wars. Documentation of such brutality could be traumatizing to watch, so it might be best kept under lock and key. Graphic content should be reserved for the highest-ranking officials; the general public didn¡¯t need to live with the full scope of their nightmarish deeds. How would the humans feel if people were traumatized by their own footage? Carlos and Sam should be more open-minded. Chief Nikonus was one of the last to leave Jerulim¡¯s meeting, shooting daggers at the Krakotl ambassador. Supposedly, the avian had divebombed the Kolshian leader while he announced vote results. I was surprised that Krakotl Alliance personnel weren¡¯t removed from Federation activities, after not respecting member sovereignty. Their bullying methods were something I¡¯d noticed for years. The Krakotl were pioneers of all aggressive countermeasures we use. They were crucial to our war efforts, I reminded myself. Kolshian soldiers crowded us as the leaders departed, and I wondered if we were bound for a cell. Trespassing charges could be levied against all of us, with some validity. My captain¡¯s rank was still active, to the best of my knowledge; disobeying orders could have me stripped of all credentials. Cilany didn¡¯t seem concerned by our insubordination, though. She was flagging down Nikonus as soon as he rose from his chair. ¡°I stand by my request for answers on the refugee crisis, Chief Nikonus!¡± the Harchen reporter shouted. ¡°The Federation¡¯s disagreement, and violence toward each other, has left people with no faith in their government.¡± The elderly Kolshian ambled toward the exit. ¡°Am I to worry about the people¡¯s faith now?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a matter of time before someone, maybe at my publication, runs with the info I have. It would be extremely damaging to the Federation. Trust me, you need to sit down with me, if you want to maintain stability.¡± Nikonus paused. The reporter seemed to have struck a nerve with that last comment, and left him wondering what dirt she had on the Federation. He didn¡¯t know that much of it was silly speculation, combined with predator lies. I suppose he was thinking more about the killing of Federation diplomats, assuming that plot was government-backed. ¡°In my office. Go quietly,¡± he decided. The Kolshian guards shoved us forward on their leader¡¯s order, digging a rifle butt into my shoulder. I walked at a brisk pace for a few steps, then came to an abrupt halt. The soldier tailgating me cursed as he ran into my spines, and was left with prickle wounds all over his form. It was all I could do to stifle a chuckle; I could transport myself to the elevator without hovering grunts. The lift descended to the lowest floor, which housed the original suite belonging to the Kolshians. The Commonwealth d¨¦cor referenced their aquatic roots, with massive saltwater tanks lining the walls. Rows of seaweed were planted on the floor, while floating lilies formed the upper layer. I wondered what the humans would think of placing marine habitats indoors. They¡¯d probably think it was as stupid as I did. Nikonus signaled for his guards to stay outside, and he sealed the doors once we entered his office. Next came a polite tentacle gesture toward a sofa. I was happy to sit down after vaulting onto a table, and walking all across the governance complex. Berna shared a glance with Talpin. ¡°Humans are wonderful caretakers, Nikonus. They have nurturing instincts that rival our own.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll skip the niceties. You two were brought here to sway votes, and I have little time for mind games,¡± the Chief said. Talpin pounded away at his synthesizer. ¡°Damn you! We want the Federation to offer us asylum. Why haven¡¯t you done anything for us?¡± ¡°The predators could¡¯ve sent you to their friends, the Paltans; they take the most refugees of anyone in the galaxy. We would be happy to coordinate with them.¡± ¡°The Paltans are on the opposite side of Federation space, and you know that. They¡¯re a month of travel time away!¡± Berna spat. The Kolshian chief stood, and walked to the door with brisk strides. He whispered something to the guards, who dragged the refugees out by the arm. Outrage pumped through my blood, but I managed to keep silent. All they did was beseech Federation aid. It was sad when enemy predators had gone above and beyond to help us, and our allies thought us an inconvenience. Nikonus settled back down behind his desk. ¡°I will not be guilt-tripped into bringing human spies to live with us! Cilany, what is it that you think you know about the Federation?¡± ¡°I have witnesses who say that you gave the voters for diplomatic relations faulty ships. Forensic evidence confirms their tale,¡± Cilany hissed. ¡°You set out to kill Federation diplomats in cold blood, just for speaking with the predators. Furthermore, you made the Takkan representative disappear, because he saw your plot.¡± ¡°Bold, yet foolish, accusations. A person who did such things could make you disappear too, my dear.¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t contact my people within a few days, that story will be run as it is. Simply with the tagline; reporter vanishes after questioning Kolshian misconduct. A cover-up would confirm your guilt, but I want to help make this go away. You need Sovlin and I to protect the Federation¡¯s interests. You know we¡¯d pick you all over those ugly predators.¡± Chief Nikonus scrunched up his face at the word ugly; perhaps he was wondering if we shared the same view of the furless Kolshians. But their aquatic skin was easy on the eyes, and they didn¡¯t have the paralyzing stereoscopic vision. The bizarre thing about humans was they had small patches of hair, in random places. Regardless, a Harchen individual wouldn¡¯t curl her lip at hairless beings, when her race had no fur either. We better hope Cilany¡¯s response makes him talk. She just gave our Kolshian host a good reason to dispose of us too. ¡°How much do you know?¡± Nikonus asked. Cilany flicked her tongue in anticipation. ¡°Everything. I know you deleted the first contact files from the records. The Arxur have emotional intelligence and artwork. The Federation saw those traits in humans, when we observed them the first time, but only recorded the negative attributes. I get that you wanted Recel dead for treason. Why didn¡¯t you just execute him and the Terran ambassador on Aafa?¡± I waited for a denial to tumble from the Kolshian¡¯s mouth, but the troubled glint in his eyes worried me. His pupils darted toward the door, as though he was considering summoning the guards. Chills ran up my spines; there was something off about his reaction. Slander against the Federation should draw a vehement response. Nikonus¡¯ bulbous eyes narrowed. ¡°The people recognize me as a reasonable leader, who gave a predator the chance to speak. Gunning down a pleading representative, in front of cameras, makes people question our morality. The exact reason that what Sovlin did is a terrible look. Everyone said I was more than fair to Noah. I even fed and provided for the human.¡± Determination sparkled in Cilany¡¯s gaze. ¡°You didn¡¯t fully answer my question. Also, why wait until the diplomats were out of Kolshian territory for the shuttle malfunction?¡± ¡°Out of sensor range. Everyone, including their governments, would assume the predator killed them. Nobody saw what happened, and the people don¡¯t need to know.¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°Why not? Because you hate humans, and never intended for them to get a real chance?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t hate humans, but their diplomatic efforts cannot succeed. Look at the disaster that is the Venlil. How many civilians want to see humans attending our meetings; walking these grounds, living here? Also, our people would start asking questions about predators that we don¡¯t want them to ask.¡± Unease swirled around in my belly, as those last words registered with me. This Kolshian chief must be going senile in his old age. Perhaps I was reading basic paranoia as something more, because the humans kept whispering theories in my ears. Cilany palmed her chin. ¡°Federation citizens shouldn¡¯t ask questions about how first contact with the Arxur really went? We have it on good faith that you starved the grays to death.¡± ¡°You must not run that storyline!¡± the Chief hissed, leaping from his seat. ¡°It would do irreparable damage to general morale¡­and it¡¯s not the whole truth. You¡¯re a good journalist, Cilany, not someone who lives on shock value. Any reporter worth their salt isn¡¯t trying to disintegrate the Federation.¡± Dizziness corkscrewed up my body, and I fought back the urge to scream. A ringing sensation drowned out all auditory signals; the tempest of emotions made me want to pass out. The shock was the strongest, as my mind began unraveling. The Kolshian bat couldn¡¯t have just said what I heard. The Arxur were the ones who attacked us, because they were the Arxur! My entire worldview was shattered in an instant. The anger over what happened to my family, knowing that the Federation were responsible¡­it was unspeakable. What I wanted to believe was that humans were unique predators, while the Arxur were demonic monsters. It was difficult to accept that my entire life was based on a lie. Saying that the starvation tale wasn¡¯t the whole truth, meant that it had some veracity to it. I hadn¡¯t even been listening to what ¡®Coth¡¯ said during its interrogation, because an Arxur¡¯s words didn¡¯t matter. The only thing I cared about was if the humans had made it scream. The grays deserved to suffer for eating my family alive. Why couldn¡¯t the damn Terrans see that? ¡°WHAT DID YOU DO?!¡± I charged across the desk at Nikonus, and my vision blurred from rage. My claws were by his throat before I knew it, pinning him against the chair. ¡°You move an inch and I¡¯ll tug your esophagus through your jawbone!¡± The Kolshian blinked. ¡°C-calm down. You are quite unstable, Sovlin; your monkey pals have done a number on you.¡± ¡°FUCK YOU! They¡¯re not monkeys, any more than you¡¯re an ectolan. It¡¯s a distant evolutionary link, a term you use to desapientize them. Start talking your heart out, or I¡¯ll carve you up.¡± Cilany tugged at my arm. ¡°Please stop; you¡¯re scaring me. Nikonus is cooperating. Don¡¯t you want to hear what he has to say?¡± No, I don¡¯t. We came here to stop a human-Arxur alliance, not add fuel to the fire. Maybe we should cover this up, so our people survive. ¡°The Arxur say that you tried to make them allergic to meat.¡± I took a deep breath, and backed away from the Kolshian. ¡°I didn¡¯t understand what it was saying, but I think it meant they starve without flesh.¡± ¡°You talked to a gray?¡± Nikonus¡¯ voice leapt up an octave, before he collected himself. ¡°I¡¯m disappointed in you, Sovlin. You used to be a good officer¡­now, you¡¯re a complete disgrace. Your family would be disgusted with the company you keep.¡± ¡°You know nothing about my family. TALK, JUST FUCKING TALK, NOW!¡± While my words were still charged with anger, conscious thought crept in. The logical side of me realized how dangerous it was to publish this. Whatever really happened, we were in a war of extinction; there couldn¡¯t afford to be any doubt. Narrative clarity is what gave the Federation conviction. Without it, we would start losing worlds faster than ever, and face divisions within our own ranks. The Kolshian sighed. ¡°There were three of us who laid out the groundwork for the Federation. When Kolshian explorers came in contact with the Farsul, more than a thousand years ago, the galaxy was young. We were the first in this sector to escape our gravity well. You know about the founding of this institution, but I reiterate it just in case.¡± ¡°The Krakotl were the third,¡± Cilany offered. ¡°Yes, they were a problem from the start; aggressive, disagreeable. We tried to identify the problem, and why they were so ill-equipped for spacefaring. We learned they were scavengers, who would occasionally go for fish as well. We were more level-headed because we¡¯re herbivores.¡± My jaw almost hit the floor, as I tried to digest this information. The Krakotl, a race I had cooperated with throughout my career, consumed meat a thousand years ago? It was tough to believe that they¡¯d hidden that fact from everyone else. Thinking of them as predators didn¡¯t compute in my brain. By the Protector, they had side-facing eyes¡­and a religion against flesh-eating beasts. My endearment to the humans was all that stopped me from wanting the birds removed from the Federation. Flesh-eaters deserved a chance, and we had managed to coexist for centuries. I didn¡¯t understand what Nikonus¡¯ ¡°scavenger¡± descriptor meant, but the Kolshians must¡¯ve put an unholy amount of time into predator research. ¡°We gave them a choice: take our cure, or we would wipe them out with a bioweapon. It was an easy choice for them. We brought them to be re-educated in camps, and the new religions were the algae on the fruit mash. They had to hate predators, or they¡¯d find a way to revert back.¡± Cilany bore an aghast expression. ¡°You invented the Cult of Inatala?¡± ¡°Beliefs, religious or not, are the best way to control people. We planted fake archaeological texts, and rewrote their history. They¡¯ve become a productive race. Harder to control now, but the cultural changes stuck. They have an enemy¡­a purpose.¡± ¡°Do the Krakotl have any idea what was done to them?¡± ¡°The Krakotl don¡¯t know this, obviously¡­that would be cruel, Cilany. It¡¯s a closely-guarded secret of the highest-ranking Farsul and Kolshians. The process is down to a science, more subtle these days. We keep peace, and give grotesque races a chance at normalcy.¡± ¡°Races? Plural?¡± I echoed. A sadistic glint surfaced in his pupils, though it was gone a second later. Perhaps Nikonus sensed how much this narrative hurt me. I had no idea how to feel about the Krakotl being a ¡°cured¡± race; it clearly hadn¡¯t ended their aggression, given their intimidation tactics. Still, it would be cruel for Jerulim to learn about this past. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll get to that. We learned a hard lesson about giving full-on predator races the same chance; hunting and scavenging are different. Hunting, being an actual predator, means unchecked war and violence,¡± he explained. ¡°The grays asked us for help with their food problem, then refused to try herbivory. Their arrogance is why they starved.¡± Cilany narrowed her eyes. ¡°You also killed their cattle to be sure.¡± ¡°They¡¯ve shouted that one from the rooftops before. Blatantly untrue. We don¡¯t kill herbivore animals¡­ we¡¯re not predators. That¡¯s just absurd!¡± I swallowed in discomfort. ¡°There¡¯s others in the Federation that used to eat meat? You said you¡¯d get to that.¡± ¡°Oh Sovlin, I already told you. For the small minority of species who don¡¯t find herbivory alone, we teach them the right way. Doesn¡¯t the religion against predators sound familiar?¡± Something clicked in my brain, as the prevalence of the Great Protector faith flashed through my mind. The Federation encouraged it as an ¡°emblem of Gojid culture¡±¡­no, that couldn¡¯t be right. I wasn¡¯t a predator! The thought of eating meat sickened me, and our government had been the first to take action against Earth. The damn Kolshian looked so sure of himself though; somehow, my heart knew he was telling the truth. I sank to my knees, and stared at my lengthy claws in horror. The ancestors in my genes ate carcasses. My body was conditioned for that. Acid surged in my throat, before I puked all over Nikonus¡¯ feet. The Kolshian leader massaged my neck. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s alright. We fixed your species¡­one of the most successful conversions. Chalk it up as something you have in common with the upright apes.¡± The self-hatred was on the same level as when I realized my mistake with Marcel. Cilany was giving me the petrified look she gave Carlos, like I was a monster. All I wanted was to escape from my body; there was no way I could control predator instincts I didn¡¯t know I had. This was a nightmare of unimaginable proportions. ¡°No. You¡¯re lying,¡± I whimpered. ¡°I am not. See, Cilany? It¡¯s cruel.¡± The reporter¡¯s eyes watered. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say. This is a lot at once.¡± I crumpled into a ball, letting my tears drip to the floor. A faint thought wondered how the humans would react, but I didn¡¯t have the energy for hypotheticals. Everyone I ever knew and loved¡­myself and my family¡­were abominations. Not only had the Federation done what the Arxur said, but our members were corrupted. My perennial allegiance was gone. What did Gojid history actually look like? What elements of our culture had been wiped away? I didn¡¯t know how we¡¯d begin to figure that out, with the cradle gone. It wasn¡¯t clear who we were, or how to retain a cohesive identity. The humans, for all their goodwill, couldn¡¯t help us in this regard. Nikonus leaned forward. ¡°Now, you see why it¡¯s important to protect these secrets. People like the Gojids can live in peace from their past. We¡¯ve made it possible for them to walk among us, without threatening stability. We saved them.¡± ¡°What you did is wrong,¡± Cilany whispered, shooting a glance at me. ¡°You¡¯ve been conducting genetic engineering, on innocent species, at¡­I don¡¯t even know how large a scale. Your actions are going to kill us all, between the Arxur and the humans!¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t learned a thing here. If you publish any of this, I¡¯ll shoot it down as a wild fabrication. There¡¯s no proof. Nobody would believe you.¡± The Harchen chuckled bitterly, and pointed to her notepad. A tiny camera was taped to the top, blinking yellow. My gaze focused on the lens, a desperate plea for help. I wondered if the humans were watching this livestream now, from their shuttle. The Kolshian¡¯s eyes widened with horror, and he slapped a tentacle over his mouth. Cilany cleared her throat. ¡°They don¡¯t have to believe me. You just told everyone yourself.¡± Nikonus bared his teeth. ¡°What?! Short-sighted bitch! You have no idea what you¡¯ve just done. I should have you both shot!¡± ¡°Ha, execute us on video. Go ahead. The truth is out there, and you can¡¯t take it back.¡± There was a certainty in her words, and she knelt beside me without hesitation. I let her help me stand, grateful for the support. Kindness for the Gojids might be on permanent hiatus, now that we were outed as predators. Nausea lingered around the notion of my species eating meat. It would take years to make sense of this interaction. I didn¡¯t know that Cilany was right to broadcast any of this, even with the lies and manipulation we¡¯d uncovered. Regardless, nobody could¡¯ve known the content Nikonus would divulge. It would be curious to see how the Federation¡¯s citizens reacted to our interview. The humans were destined to side with the Arxur now, so what mattered was the time we had left. Chapter 68 Memory transcription subject: Governor Tarva of the Venlil Republic Date [standardized human time]: October 24, 2136 Wrapped in warm bedsheets, I emerged into a groggy wakefulness. It took a second to identify my surroundings as a hospital room, and another to recall how I ended up here. A human was reclining in a chair, with wire-rimmed glasses over her eyes and dark curls falling over her face. That was Sara Rosario, browsing something on her holopad. ¡°Sara?¡± I gargled. Her rosy lips curved up in a smile, and she switched off her reading materials. The predator sprang up from her seat in a heartbeat, pressing a water glass to my lips. I didn¡¯t understand why she was here, but it was good to see a familiar face. The scientist hadn¡¯t made contact with my office since Earth¡¯s fall; I was worried about her. Sara placed a hand on my shoulder. ¡°Stay down. Your body has been through quite a shock. I don¡¯t know how to say this¡­¡± I watched in silence as the human bit her lip, a gesture that suggested discomfort. She removed her glasses, and set them on the bedside table. The intensity of those forward-facing eyes, observing every little detail, was mesmerizing. I tried to signal with an ear flick that it was okay to be direct. ¡°That was a ¡®go ahead¡¯, right? Well, I¡¯m afraid your tail had to be amputated, Tarva,¡± the scientist sighed. ¡°If it was lacerated a few inches higher, you would have spinal damage. The good news is you can walk and return to normal activities.¡± I lowered my eyes, taking a moment to process the news. ¡°I¡­suspected as much, seeing the look on Noah¡¯s face. But so much of our non-verbal communication is with tail signals. It¡¯s like your fingers.¡± ¡°I know, and we want to help. I¡¯ve gotten in touch with some great people on Earth, who¡¯ve created prosthetics for animals.¡± Sara offered a comforting smile. ¡°It¡¯ll take some getting used to, but the prototype I ordered for you is cutting-edge; it¡¯ll respond to your brain signals. We¡¯d have it ready quicker, but our manufacturing is scrambled.¡± My thoughts turned back to the maimed human attendees. It could¡¯ve been much worse for me, as there had to be a vast number of casualties. My heart ached at the thought of more dead Terrans. I still couldn¡¯t understand why anyone would do such a thing. Even predators killed for a reason; knowing why this happened would offer solace. Explaining an event to my government and my citizens, which no doubt had been sensationalized by the media, would be a challenge. The Venlil populace must be freaked out; the smooth-sailing months of first contact lulled us into feeling safe around humans. This would give the exterminators backing for their vehement objections to the ¡®infestation.¡¯ I leaned back against the pillow. ¡°I hope I didn¡¯t say anything harsh about humans. My memory is¡­a bit fuzzy on the details.¡± ¡°That¡¯s natural. Your brain is protecting itself,¡± she responded. ¡°You were badly injured and in shock, and what you went through would traumatize a lot of humans too. If you¡¯re scared of me now, I¡¯ll leave; I understand the event is fresh.¡± ¡°No, please stay, I¡­just feel sad. I really wanted to see humanity succeed. You¡¯re my predators, my friends, my snarling guardians. What happened, Sara? I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°You know we react differently than you. You might¡¯ve heard us reference our flight-or-fight response, as opposed to your flight-alone instincts. When crowds panic for you, there¡¯s stampedes; we can have those too. But if a human group is agitated with our fight side¡­¡± Understanding dawned on me, and I exhaled a shuddering laugh. Sara raised an eyebrow in a quizzical gesture. The fact that it was a predator¡¯s stampede, not any murderous undercurrent, took a weight off my shoulders. Everyone would be able to grasp how personal agency became hazy in those situations. The humans are just like us, a more aggressive version of us. Of course, the Terrans felt like we did during an Arxur raid. They were threatened by a genocidal enemy, one they couldn¡¯t hope to fight or dissuade. Every second on Venlil Prime, they were scared for their lives and for their entire species. Combine that with grief, and even stalwart predators would lose their refinement. The bomb¡¯s chaos made fear-driven anger spill over; it was the mere culmination of a horrendous week for humanity. ¡°If it¡¯s like a stampede, then it¡¯ll make sense to any Venlil that things got out of hand. I must issue a statement to the public, and see that charges aren¡¯t pressed. We know what it¡¯s like to lose control,¡± I reassured her. ¡°What? There¡¯s no excuse for violence!¡± Sara¡¯s lips moved in a frenzy, as though she couldn¡¯t say the words fast enough. ¡°I was helping you understand the behavior, not exonerating it. Humans are expected to control ourselves, no matter how extreme the circumstances. Many people are hurt or dead; that¡¯s never acceptable.¡± ¡°It was awful, I do recall. Noah took a long time to stand¡­wait, where is Noah?¡± The female scientist lifted a bouquet of Earth-borne flowers from the table, and brought them over to me. They were an intricate cone of petals, bearing a rich shade of red. Unless this was a human gesture of condolences, I assumed those were left as a gift from Noah. I was still puzzled why he wasn¡¯t present, but I took the alien plants with gratitude. ¡°Noah sat by your side all night, refused to let any doctors look at him. The blast gave him a minor concussion; I had to talk some sense into him, tell him to rest up,¡± Sara said. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯d want him to take care of himself. But he bought you these first¡­said he hoped they¡¯d cheer you up.¡± I flicked my ears. ¡°What about Meier?¡± The human¡¯s thin smile fell in a heartbeat, like I¡¯d asked her something terrible. There was the knowing glint in her eyes; it was the pitiful look of someone who couldn¡¯t bring herself to say the words. Sharing the worst news was difficult, when it was bound to enact a heavy toll on another person. Tears swelled around my irises, long before she found her voice. Sara averted her eyes. ¡°The Secretary-General is dead. He bled out on the operating table¡­too many organs ruptured. Gunshot wounds to the abdomen are nasty. I¡¯m sorry.¡± I pulled the blanket over my face, in an attempt to smother the grief. Elias Meier had dedicated himself to virtue and the pursuit of peace to the last. Every temptation pushed him the opposite direction, but he was true to his beliefs. He steered humanity toward its best attributes; I counted on him to make hard decisions for everyone¡¯s benefit. The Secretary-General was always kind to us, and bent over backward for our partnership to succeed. Elias will be missed. He was a true leader, willing to do whatever was necessary. He dreamed big; there was so much he could¡¯ve offered humanity. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°The Venlil doctors completed a brain scan post-mortem, at the forceful request of extermination officers,¡± the female human continued. ¡°They wanted data to distinguish ¡®good ones¡¯ from ¡®human animals.¡¯ Analysis of our thoughts, weaknesses, and anatomy. Tarva, I don¡¯t like the sound of that.¡± My head poked out from the blanket. ¡°What? They¡¯re not in charge. Get General Kam over there, and make sure nobody else touches him!¡± ¡°Kam cleared them out for us, soon as the UN got wind of it. Lots of people don¡¯t trust humans, after¡­well, the bomber of the assembly released their call-to-arms. We don¡¯t know how to allay the general fear. We¡¯re doing everything we can to identify the culprit, but that might take time.¡± Sara lowered herself onto the edge of the bed, bringing her holopad into view. A human wearing a mask was recording themselves on video. Something about the way this one leaned forward with aggression screamed predator. There were no identifying features visible, so this could be any Terran I passed. The surroundings were dark, leaving no way of discerning the location either. Even the voice was distorted by some filter, which made the words throatier than an Arxur¡¯s cadence. ¡°Our leaders have been putting alien interests before ours. They dragged humanity into a war we have no business being a part of, without getting the full picture. Elias Meier¡¯s death is the first step in putting things right. He failed to defend Earth, while capitulating to the creatures who put us down. He, and everyone like him, are responsible for the billions dead.¡± The predator finished the first segment of their claim; that boastful attitude resembled happiness, while taking credit for the dead human leader. How could that seem like an achievement to anyone? Behind the mask, the speaker was expressionless as they continued. But the accusatory finger wag they threw in was decisive, ripe with anger. ¡°It is time we have a government that puts humanity first! We are a superior species, more than the mindless animals that populate this galaxy. It¡¯s time we claim our rightful mantle. Justice and retribution are due, not the peace groveling Meier sought, to our detriment. He was weak, in the face of continual attacks. He was soft, in the face of ultimatums. A senile traitor to mankind.¡± The anonymous Terran breathed an aggravated sigh, losing steam for a moment. They collected their thoughts, and refocused on the camera. Despite not being able to see the ferocious eyes, I could feel their gaze cutting through me like a blade. This predator was unstable, polluted by hatred and blame. ¡°From now on, we must make sure that any human who appeases alien-interests has no safe haven. The officials must be replaced by force if necessary. We will not allow anyone to apologize for our nature anymore. Any aliens who side against us must be treated as enemies. Now is the time to take action, my fellow man. Make your voices heard, and show no mercy! Death to the Federation!¡± My eyes stretched wide, after the verbose speech concluded on a morbid note. I had no idea that humans had such scorn for the Secretary-General. And for the crime of wanting peace, of all things? The attack on Earth wasn¡¯t his fault; blaming Meier for not pulling out a miracle was preposterous. Honestly, the predators were fortunate their planet survived at all. There was a reason Venlil wanted to gloss over the necessary intervention of the Arxur. We didn¡¯t want to associate our friends, humanity, with the race of savage tormentors. I doubted many people would be open to considering that the Federation started the war, besides me. My hesitation existed because our predators had been slapped in the face, time and again. I understood how Terrans might think the Arxur were the lesser evil, after recent suffering skewed their view. The grays were the ones who showed interest in diplomacy, and came to Earth¡¯s rescue in their darkest hour. I couldn¡¯t fault my friends for questioning their loyalties. Still, it was jarring to hear a human murderer call for violent acts against the Federation and the UN. I heaved an anxious sigh. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard one of your people talk like that. Is that what, well, predator disease looks like in predators?¡± ¡°Uh, I guess? Most humans are normal as can be, harmless unless harmed.¡± Sara scratched her scalp, and hunched her shoulders with discomfort. ¡°Our outliers are more extreme, because we have more of an inherent ability for violence. I apologize for the supremacist rhetoric that individual broadcasted.¡± ¡°Not your fault. I¡¯ll happily agree that you¡¯re a superior species in many ways. But ¡®mindless animals¡¯ sounds like it could come verbatim from an Arxur. Oh, uh¡­I need to get out of here, now.¡± Sara pushed me back, as I swung my legs over the bedside. My brain had blotted out Meier¡¯s last request upon waking, likely because my subconscious wanted to avoid the task. The Secretary-General had known his survival odds were negligible. Freeing the Venlil cattle was what he wished to be his legacy. Elias claimed that the nightmarish Chief Hunter aspired to end the war and sapient farming. It was quite possible the Secretary-General was projecting his own dreams. That human wouldn¡¯t have intended for me to get hurt, of course. He had little concept of how manipulative and deceitful Arxur were. It was tough to tell where calculation ended, and authenticity began. The hateful words Meier touted as theatrics, a stunt by Isif to avoid execution, had convinced me well enough. There hadn¡¯t been a moment¡¯s hesitation when he called me lesser and an ¡®animal¡¯, much like the human bomber. The fact that the first parallel that popped into my mind was a Terran mass murderer wasn¡¯t a good sign. Did I trust the Secretary-General¡¯s judgment enough to go through with this? It wasn¡¯t like I actually heard what Isif told Meier for myself, to make my own judgment. It¡¯s down to whether I believe an obligate child-eater could want peace. ¡°Stop kicking me! Governor, you¡¯re not going anywhere!¡± the scientist objected. ¡°You¡¯re just tiring yourself out.¡± I flicked my ears. ¡°The Venlil cattle exchange has to go through, and Meier isn¡¯t here to finish it. This can¡¯t wait; I have no idea who your new leader is, or what they¡¯ll do. Elias begged me to speak to Isif¡­I respect him too much not to try.¡± ¡°Isif? The Arxur¡¯s commander in this sector?! Meier shouldn¡¯t have requested that, especially with your personal history.¡± ¡°Despite that, if an Arxur truly wanted peace, I am willing to try. It¡¯s its¡­his intentions I¡¯m concerned about. Our history with them doesn¡¯t offer any indication of empathy.¡± ¡°But you know they¡¯ve shown it to humans.¡± ¡°Or at least mimicked it. The mere thought of Isif makes me shudder, and want to crawl under the bed. Damnit, I¡¯m going, before I change my mind. I just have to release a statement to the Venlil people first, for your sake.¡± Sara knitted her coarse brows together, and raised a finger in the Terran ¡®one second¡¯ gesture. She retrieved a wheelchair from the corner, moving me into it before I could protest. How weak and frail did the human think I was? I could walk on my own! Getting used to the lack of balance from my missing tail, before I faceplanted with Isif, was important. ¡°I¡¯m coming with you, and it¡¯s not a debate. Noah¡¯s not the only one who can disregard his welfare,¡± she quipped. I squirmed as the chair rolled out of the room. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that. The work you¡¯re doing with the Venlil soldiers is important.¡± ¡°You¡¯re more important. Besides, I thought you¡¯d want someone you knew as your liaison. I¡¯m here as the interim ambassador, and also as an old friend who owes her life to you. Isif is less likely to harm you with a human around, so I¡¯m coming.¡± ¡°Well, alright, if you insist. The two of us have a lot of catching up to do, Sara. I haven¡¯t seen you since the exchange program.¡± ¡°Heh, you were gone to Aafa for over a month with lover boy. I hate politics, anyways. Your diplomatic functions bore me to death, if I¡¯m honest. I¡¯ll be a poor ambassador for that stuff.¡± ¡°Likewise, doing your work¡­all the data and analyzing, would bore me silly. But your curiosity was one of the first things that made me sense a kindred spirit in humans. I know how much research excites you.¡± ¡°Oh, the science going on now is everything I¡¯ve dreamed of. We¡¯re mapping the Venlil genome, testing fear responses, and writing theses about your sociology and ecology. Full study might take centuries, but the breakthroughs we¡¯re making are priceless! Suffice to say, I¡¯m happy manning the projects and lecture circuits.¡± It didn¡¯t escape my notice that Sara avoided mentioning the Arxur as a topic of interest, despite their commonalities with humans. Something told me that she was afraid of Isif too; the grays¡¯ actions had sickened her from the start. Her unease made me feel a bit better about my soul-crushing dread. What good could come of this meeting Elias wanted, beyond a bitter agreement? I wasn¡¯t sure it was possible to have a meaningful conversation, with creatures that thrived on cruelty. At least sailing off into the night would reassure the Venlil. Visiting Earth would be a public display of trust in humanity, to back my issued statement. If the masses knew the reason for my voyage, it would undermine the soothing explanation about human stampedes. They would spit on Elias Meier¡¯s corpse for broaching the topic, and despise me for negotiating with vile monsters. It wasn¡¯t clear how we would disguise the methods used to save any Venlil cattle. This was going to be a precarious situation to manage, from an optics perspective. Chapter 69 Memory transcription subject: Governor Tarva of the Venlil Republic Date [standardized human time]: October 25, 2136 This wasn¡¯t how I imagined my first visit to Earth; communicating with a disorganized UN via hail that went unanswered for minutes. The humans on the line were terse at first, but there was a drastic shift in tone after they realized who I was. It made me feel guilty to be landing, while they were on edge and reeling from the attacks. The poor Terran governments were still trying to clean up the aftermath. It was stunning to see the sprawling oceans from above. This was not the image of a predator hellscape the Federation depicted; pictures didn¡¯t do Earth¡¯s serenity justice. The humans were blessed with a gorgeous homeworld. Perhaps this is why they were obsessed with studying their environment and caring for animal life, despite their pre-ordained role as killers. When I asked to be pointed to Chief Hunter Isif, we were referred to a base outside New York City. My heart ached, as I recalled that was once the UN¡¯s headquarters. Our ship was granted immediate clearance by the regional powers, and the American tribe heaped on apologies that they couldn¡¯t scramble a proper welcome. It did surprise me that the US radio operator politely said she ¡®hoped I wasn¡¯t here to stir up trouble.¡¯ Our predator friends really didn¡¯t want to piss off the Arxur. A green-and-brown pelted human waited outside the ship, with a contingent behind them. ¡°Governor Tarva, we¡¯re honored by your visit. Please, let us know if there¡¯s anything you need.¡± The soldier snapped a hand to their forehead, and the others behind mirrored the cue. I didn¡¯t understand what this gesture meant, but it seemed respectful. It was difficult to discern every human cue, since their body language varied so drastically from the rest of the galaxy. I wished once again that they had tails to make it easier. Sara sensed my confusion, and leaned by my ear. ¡°That¡¯s a salute. It¡¯s a military gesture of respect; they¡¯re welcoming you as one of their own.¡± ¡°Uh, thanks? Do I do it back?¡± I asked. The American soldier chuckled. ¡°Sure, you can if you want.¡± I raised my paw awkwardly, pressing the pad down against my ear. The humans had a good-natured laugh at my discomfort, and the leader extended a clawless hand in greeting. Recognizing that invitation as the primary human introductory gesture, a show of non-hostility, I placed my paw in their hand. Those fingers tightened in a vicelike grip for a moment, before breaking away. ¡°Chief Hunter Isif is in the mobile unit there with the excessive, um, decorative weapon displays. We¡¯re surprised, and slightly concerned, by your request, Governor,¡± the spokesperson growled. ¡°That said, we¡¯re happy to acquiesce any ask by our oldest alien ally. Would you like an escort?¡± I flicked my ears. ¡°No, thank you. Though, perhaps you could wait outside, in case I need, er, help?¡± The soldier nodded, and stepped out my way. Sara trailed behind me with delicate footsteps, taking awhile to survey the devastation. The horror was plain on her face, as she saw the razed skyline; this place had once been a teeming mass of Terran civilization. The grand architecture and the homes of millions were obliterated in the bombing, which left the population center in disarray. I had no idea if Isif had been told to expect us, but he hadn¡¯t left any grays waiting outside. The door wasn¡¯t left ajar as an invitation either. That set me more on edge than I already was, escalating the knot of fear in my stomach. Perhaps the Chief Hunter wasn¡¯t at all interested in talks with a lesser species, and was lying inside in ambush. What was I thinking? My feet came to a halt by the door, standing stationary. ¡°N-no, I d-don¡¯t want to.¡± Sara placed a hand on my shoulder. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this. We can turn back. I¡¯m sure the American military would be happy to go through the dog-and-pony show, even in their current state.¡± ¡°T-the what? I¡­help me walk in.¡± ¡°You¡¯re asking me to carry you? That¡¯ll probably be a bad look.¡± ¡°Ugh, n-never mind. You¡¯re r-right.¡± Sucking in a gasping breath, I slammed my paw down on the door handle. The room was pitch-black, despite it being midday; the Arxur had placed blackout curtains over every window. A single lamp was turned on in the corner, illuminating Isif¡¯s silhouette. The predator was massive, with a girth that put the weightiest humans to shame. That was due to his hardy skeleton and abdominal muscles. The rough scales were visible on his spine, since he had dropped to all fours. He¡­it was on the floor with a Gojid child in its mouth. The beast was snacking on the poor little thing, who was wailing her head off. ¡°WHOA! AAAHHH!¡± she shrieked. My horror turned to confusion, as I realized Chief Hunter Isif was spinning around in circles. Upon closer inspection, the Arxur had its¡­his teeth gripping the child¡¯s scruff. He hadn¡¯t even drawn blood, despite being able to taste her flesh. There were no signs of drool around his lips, or dilation in his slit pupils either. If I didn¡¯t know better, I¡¯d think the prey kid was enjoying this. She was moving her arms up and down, like a bird¡¯s wings. The hunter stopped moving his paws, and set the child down on the floor. The Gojid giggled, bouncing on her haunches. ¡°Again, Siffy!! Faster this time!¡± she cheered. The Arxur issued a bone-chilling growl that set my fur on end. ¡°My name is not Siffy. Siffy is harder to say than Isif!¡± ¡°But Siffy is a better name. It¡¯s super cute!¡± ¡°Cute? Why you leaf-licking demon¡­take it back.¡± ¡°No! I don¡¯t listen to you!¡± ¡°You came into my cabin, so you will listen to me. Don¡¯t make me roar at you, Nulia!¡± ¡°Yes, roar! Roar at that Venlil! It¡¯ll be funny!¡± The Arxur whipped around, lacking peripheral vision like the humans. Isif had been distracted with Nulia, likely from resisting his urges to wolf her down; he hadn¡¯t noticed my entrance. I locked my limbs as his gaze landed on me. The last thing I wanted was to tremble and bray, but tears welled in my eyes nonetheless. That thing looks so hungry, like he¡¯s sizing me up. Those jerky pupil movements¡­how did I ever think Noah was scary? This was a mistake. ¡°Tarva? Venlil governor?¡± Isif growled, his voice laced with surprise. ¡°Come in, please. I¡­need help with the brat.¡± Nulia poked her claws against his fangs. ¡°See, Siffy is nice, Tawva. He looks like the bad monsters, but he rescued us. He¡¯s not gonna eat anyone.¡± ¡°Quit sticking your grubby claws in my mouth! How would you like someone doing that to you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have the snarling teeth. You do. Mawsle doesn¡¯t care at all.¡± ¡°If Marcel is happy to be poked and prodded, that¡¯s his business. It¡¯s obvious he doesn¡¯t discipline you at all.¡± My eyes widened, as I picked up on the word Marcel. Perhaps that was a common male name for humans, since the odds that the tortured predator was here were astronomical. The Arxur flared his nostrils, and picked Nulia up by the scruff. He stalked past me, returning to a bipedal stance. A human male limped up the stairs, with only stubble on his scalp. There was panic in his hazel eyes, along with a nasty pair of scars on his cheek. That was, in fact, the same wounds I¡¯d seen on the half-dead human. His jaw dropped as he saw the Arxur toting the Gojid. The Terran lunged forward, snatching Nulia away with shaking hands. Marcel bared his teeth, eyebrows slanted down. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking everywhere for you! What were you thinking, wandering into an Arxur¡¯s lodgings?! You¡¯re lucky that¡­ugh, I¡¯ll tell you later.¡± If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°Marcel!¡± I squeaked. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you up and about.¡± A reddish eyebrow arched in confusion. ¡°Governor Tarva? I don¡¯t believe we¡¯re acquainted, so I presume¡­well.¡± Sara nodded her agreement. ¡°We both were there when you were wheeled in. It¡¯s wonderful to see you made a full recovery.¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t got that far yet. Still working on getting my head right, and I¡¯m not ashamed about it. Anyways, Nulia has been naughty and is going to be grounded. Take care, guys.¡± ¡°No! Why are you so mean? Stupid Mawsle!¡± the Gojid wailed. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything! I hate you!¡± The red-haired human snorted, pursing his lips with displeasure. It was nice to see him in good spirits, though I wondered how he wound up as the caretaker for a Gojid. Terran predators seemed more than willing to bond with anything cute or young. I was just relieved to see Marcel¡¯s trauma hadn¡¯t turned him against aliens. Slanek must¡¯ve been helpful on that front. ¡°Bah, humans are soft, aren¡¯t they? If I talked to my mother like that, she would¡¯ve cracked my skull,¡± Isif rumbled. ¡°That¡¯s sad.¡± I turned around to face him, using all of my strength to meet his gaze. ¡°T-there¡¯s nothing powerful about hurting someone¡­who can¡¯t fight back.¡± ¡°I suppose, as we say, it¡¯s the weakling who seeks the slow-running prey. Tarva, this war proves nothing. Where is the pride of the hunt? The entire Federation is slow-running prey, far as I¡¯m concerned.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not prey. W-we shouldn¡¯t have to be running at all. We¡¯re people¡­not your f-food.¡± The Arxur closed his maw, studying me with interest. There was a hint of surprise in the pupils, perhaps even some grudging respect. I¡¯d never looked at a gray¡¯s visage as anything more than a mindless predator. A smidge of thought and emotion was in there, even if it all went toward cruel intelligence. Whatever I expected from Isif, it wasn¡¯t playing with a Gojid child. He has some self-control, even if it¡¯s taxed now. Sara clasped her fingers together. ¡°Prey is demeaning. If the Governor doesn¡¯t want to accept that label anymore, power to her. I know I¡¯d like to have people stop calling me ¡®predator.¡¯¡± I ducked my head. ¡°I¡¯m working on that, but it slips out when I¡¯m s-scared.¡± ¡°Tarva, you don¡¯t call me a ¡®gray¡¯, I¡¯ll drop the word ¡®prey.¡¯ Such a stupid name,¡± Isif hissed. ¡°Your fur is gray, and they don¡¯t call you that. Fair, yes?¡± I plopped myself on the couch. ¡°Fair.¡± ¡°You are fascinating. I do see why the humans think you have potential. You reined in your fear faster than any pr¡­herbivore I¡¯ve seen. You talk to me.¡± ¡°B-because I want to understand. I understand what an obligate carnivore is now. I know that you can eat fruit feasts and starve. What I don¡¯t understand is why you didn¡¯t try to stop this¡­or make it quick.¡± The Arxur walked slowly, his form lumbering through the shadows. I could imagine the Federation never looked at such monstrosities as truly sapient. These weren¡¯t the social humans, whose common ancestors included tree-dwelling frugivores. Isif had bony claws that could tear through skeletal muscle, and yellow teeth that curved out of his jaw. He was the perfect killing machine. Sara was uninterested in sitting; she preferred to stay on her feet. The gray paused by the couch, eyeing the open spot next to me. His tail lashed the cushion, and waited for a reaction. A predator I had screaming nightmares about was so close, staring me down. I could feel his rank breath on my neck. My heart pushed against my rib cage, leaving me with the urge to clutch my chest. Those flaring nostrils must be picking up my nutritious blood. If I understood how scent worked, he could taste me on the breeze. I was certain he could smell the fear chemicals, coursing through my scrawny frame. My breathing was becoming erratic, despite my efforts to measure it. Isif leaned back. ¡°I am trying to make this war stop. Some idiots from your side started this all. It doesn¡¯t matter much now; they¡¯re dead. Neither of us are responsible for what our species did.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a Chief Hunter. That¡¯s not a powerless grunt,¡± Sara interjected. ¡°I¡¯m one person. The fighting was necessary. The cost of the Federation winning the war was higher than us winning, until now. Venlil are curious¡­accepting predators. An anomaly.¡± I hugged my knees to my chest. ¡°D-do the Arxur even h-have a society¡­to lose? What are you?¡± The Chief Hunter retrieved a holopad from an armrest. The device had grips carved into the back, which were clearly meant to suit an Arxur¡¯s claws. He pounded at a keyboard that seemed to have an alphabet of random slashes, and a low growl rumbled in his throat. The predator picked out a single image, turning it to me. The picture looked like a village of modest huts, separated from each other by sizable distances. The Arxur might as well have installed chasms between themselves and their neighbors. There was no electricity visible inside the dwellings, since the nocturnal grays preferred darkness. I guessed they¡¯d only use power for appliances. Surprisingly, there were no carcasses hanging outside, and no blood on the overgrown grass. All roads seemed to converge on the woods, where the activity ticked up. Bulky grays were fighting in pavilions, while younger ones practiced stalking alone on wobbly pedestals. It figured that their playing was all hunting and violence. The humans at least have the decency to mask their predation. They would never think about hunting for fun. Isif bared his teeth. ¡°That¡¯s our homeworld, the warm spheroid we call Wriss. That means Rock, loosely. Most people work on the farms, in Betterment, in shipping and manufacturing, or in the military. The government assigns rations based on merit.¡± ¡°Sapient rations. All you ever ate.¡± ¡°The alternative is to starve. I do not wish to die that way. You do not know what it is to be hungry, to live with pains and cravings.¡± ¡°I would rather starve than eat people.¡± ¡°That¡¯s easy to say when you¡¯re content and sated, is it not? Ask your human friends what they are like when deprived of food. They eat each other, in extreme cases!¡± My eyes shifted to Sara, who flinched. The human scientist brought a fist to her lips, coughing awkwardly. The thought of my predator friends eating their own kind made my stomach flip. I hadn¡¯t thought they¡¯d munch on Venlil, let alone other Terrans. Was the Arxur mistaken? ¡°Cannibalism is taboo, and very rare,¡± she managed. ¡°People¡­many humans will do anything to survive. As Isif said, it¡¯s usually in extreme cases, with no other food for an extended time.¡± ¡°T-that¡¯s appalling! That¡¯s worse than predatory.¡± ¡°Of course it is. But Venlil steal food from each other during your famines. Eating human flesh sickens us, and that is an awful decision to make. Your body can¡¯t function without food and water. It¡¯s a biological requirement.¡± It was still fresh in my memory, how outraged Sara was when she learned of the Venlil cattle. I recalled how widespread fury and disgust took root across Earth, when they discovered our plight. Yet now, the scientist was downplaying the consumption of sapients; her own race. Was starvation the only excuse predator races needed to cast aside their morals? Isif curled his lip. ¡°Arxur have such cases too. Also rare for us. Many people are desperate now, but it¡¯s punishable by execution. The diseases are too dangerous, so the Dominion, well, made examples.¡± ¡°What? Diseases?¡± I squeaked. Sara buried her face in her hands. ¡°Prion diseases¡­transmitted through faulty proteins. Always lethal. Beyond the moral issues, that¡¯s a good incentive for us not to, um, eat human flesh.¡± There¡¯s communicable diseases that can only spread through predation?! It¡¯s a wonder the omnivore humans haven¡¯t all gone vegetarian. It was tough to reconcile the disconnect between the civilized humans I knew, and the worrisome practices I continued to uncover from any that were ¡°desperate.¡± This exchange made me feel a lot less certain on Terrans never eating Venlil, a qualifier I had believed with all my heart. These two alien predators who had more in common than I¡¯d like to admit. I knew Elias Meier hid a lot from us under his regime, but the extent of the omissions was startling. Isif tilted his head. ¡°You could help humanity now, Tarva. Unless you think they deserve to choose between eating their dead, or starving to death alongside their kin.¡± ¡°I am helping. I love them still,¡± I said, wiping a frightful tear away. ¡°But I¡¯ve given them everything I can spare, and then some.¡± ¡°No, you have not. You know of their lab-grown meat, which the humans conveniently avoided divulging to me. That is the prize catch, don¡¯t you see? Grow enough to satisfy our cattle deal, because your friends can¡¯t afford to give their scraps away. Then, you can send surplus food to Earth; fill some empty bellies.¡± ¡°You¡¯re insane. You think Venlil would ever grow flesh as predator food? The backlash I would get¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a small price to free millions of Venlil, without the animal killing you pretend your paws are clean of. You¡¯re a hunting-challenged species, but it¡¯s truly no different than cell cultures.¡± ¡°Hunting-challenged species¡± was a roundabout way of calling Venlil prey. I tried to swish my tail in irritation, but the missing appendage was unresponsive. It was surprising the Arxur hadn¡¯t commented on the amputated stump. He didn¡¯t question why Elias Meier wasn¡¯t present either, so I suppose he¡¯d learned of the bombing. Isif was correct that it was only cell cultures and lab work, but growing carcasses was a tough pill to swallow. It felt like a betrayal of everything the Federation believed in¡­like we were selling ourselves out. Mixed emotions played at my human companion¡¯s face, as though she was debating whether to agree with him. Putting our industrial capacity to manufacturing dead bodies¡­yikes, I thought to myself. The Venlil extermination officers will say it¡¯s a slippery-slope to enabling wildlife murder. They might be right. Sara bit her lip. ¡°While that would be helpful, I don¡¯t want to pressure the Governor. Growing predator food for you, and even for us, would sicken her.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it is not a savory thought, when she finds everything about Arxur abhorrent. But it is never wrong to do what you must to survive, and for the greater good,¡± Isif growled. I blinked. ¡°I don¡¯t know if we can get past the stigma.¡± ¡°Think of it this way. If you had grown meat for us from the start, how many Federation lives would not have been lost? How many years of pain would¡¯ve been avoided? I ask myself those questions about the Arxur, and it helps me speak to you. My pride and my culture say I do not need your kind, but the stigma is inconsequential. It is illogical.¡± ¡°I know it¡¯s illogical.¡± I thought about the feral predator¡¯s words, and how my daughter could still be alive. Would I not grow flesh in a heartbeat, if it stopped the Arxur from bombing Venlil schools? ¡°I¡¯ll¡­try to get it through. Rush it, even. I won¡¯t make any promises, but let¡¯s plan for the exchange five weeks from today.¡± The Chief Hunter rose from the couch, attempting to give a polite tail swish. It came across as a rapid lash, but I recognized it as an effort to communicate in our terms. I couldn¡¯t believe how insightful that dialogue was, and how polished the gray was. Because of the humans, the Venlil took the first step to repairing the rift between predator and prey. It remained to be seen if this cattle plot the United Nations dreamt up ended in disaster. Chapter 70 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, Federation Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: October 27, 2136 The overall reaction to the news on Aafa was pure pandemonium. I believed that the Kolshian public as a whole had no idea about any of this; they were livid with their own government for keeping predator species alive. Leaders of every planet rushed to the airwaves to broadcast statements, with a few withdrawing all ties to any converted race. The Krakotl ambassador barricaded himself in his quarters, and reportedly called in airstrikes on his own holdout worlds. The avian commanders would not adhere to this order, which drove him further into a rage. After leading the raid on Earth, it was too much for them to process that they were the first sapient flesh-eaters. Chief Nikonus did not resign his post, and instead, attempted to appease the angered members. The Kolshians had been the leading force among races that sought a military alliance with Earth. A new coalition was organized to threaten anyone who left the Federation, or reached out to humanity. Tens of thousands of ships were brought on preemptive standby. But the neutral factions were the interesting ones to observe. The divide became skewed in the humans¡¯ favor, as the Federation turned on each other. Of the non-converted neutrals, those with close ties to presumed omnivores were the likeliest to offer aid. The Sulean and Iftali Alliance, a government consisting of two sapient species from the same world, were the first to announce their support for Earth. The Iftalis¡¯ religion based on dietary purity led to unpleasant conclusions. I hadn¡¯t come to terms with being a predator, or a ¡®scavenger¡¯ as Nikonus had put it. Cilany worked tirelessly to spin a tale of victimhood, but I didn¡¯t feel oppressed. Perhaps the Kolshians were right, that they¡¯d turned the Gojids into something worth saving. We were a better species for not eating meat, and never knowing that temptation. What would the humans say? Is it wrong to feel that this cure was a cure¡­that I¡¯m a disease? Right now, I was engaging in my first interaction with the Federation in days. The Mazic and Dossur ambassadors were present as Terran-allied parties. The other attendees, the Harchen and Tilfish representatives, were both partial contributors to the annihilation fleet. The meeting location was outside of Aafa, on an abandoned station. It was difficult to focus on the conversation, but I was needed here to guess at humanity¡¯s desires. Quipa, the Mazic vice president, flared her trunk. ¡°We¡¯ve known contaminated species like the Gojids and the Tilfish for centuries. I can¡¯t believe that they all were harboring bloodlust in secret for so long. That¡¯s solid evidence that humans might, just might, be genuine allies.¡± ¡°I had no idea about any of this. I thought just like any of you. I¡¯m still disgusted by predators,¡± I mumbled, in a dazed voice. Harchen ambassador Raila ignored me, focusing on Cilany. ¡°This has given me a new perspective on humanity. They¡¯re predators, but they¡¯re open about it¡­not hiding among us.¡± ¡°We only contributed about 100 ships. The Federation brainwashed us into thinking predators needed to be destroyed.¡± The Tilfish representative, Dwirl, was an insectoid being, with mandibles and a black exoskeleton. ¡°The Kolshians won¡¯t help us, or acknowledge us now. We can¡¯t predict what they¡¯ll do to our people next, but the only species that might¡¯ve helped us is set on our heels.¡± ¡°Surrender. They might kill you, but who really cares now? I don¡¯t,¡± I sighed. The Harchen reporter glowered at me, floored by my brusqueness. I suppose I had crossed a line with that remark. Still, my sympathy for a species that wanted to kill humanity, right up until it was their ass on the line, was dwindling. Everything felt hollow since the revelation; we were all a lot of hypocrites. I just wanted to hurt something¡­which I guessed was the buried predator talking. You¡¯re a monster, Sovlin, in so many ways. You are disgusting. ¡°The humans themselves said revenge wasn¡¯t about blind genocide! Get a grip,¡± Cilany hissed. I chewed my claws. ¡°Sorry. I just understand that the Arxur are going to kill us all, and the humans? They¡¯d be well within their rights to tell us all to fuck off.¡± The Harchen reporter glanced at her holopad, as though she was waiting for someone. I noticed that she had been rather apprehensive around me, since Nikonus told her the truth. Writing off my temper as a poor attitude wasn¡¯t simple anymore. We had known each other for years, and now, it was as if we were strangers. My ears detected a faint sound, like the patter of rain on a rooftop. Instead of coming from above, the light vibrations echoed through the floor. Something bipedal was attempting stealthy movement. My reptile friend showed visible relief, as she picked up on it too. That suggested it wasn¡¯t Kolshian soldiers here to knock us off. Two human figures clicked open the door, and turned their backs to us. They must be checking that nobody had followed them. The predators were covered head-to-toe in full body armor, with helmets that concealed their features. I could tell from the slight limp in the male¡¯s step that it was Carlos covering the rear. The slender predator, likely Samantha, made a high-pitched sound. It sounded similar to a bird whistle, and was followed by a hand wave. A Takkan male ducked out from behind a corner, receiving the coast clear message. I was shocked at the condition he was in; there were gashes and contusions all across his silver hide. ¡°What did you do to him?¡± Quipa shrieked, with a trunk flare. ¡°Who invited you lot?!¡± Cilany raised an arm. ¡°I invited them!¡± Carlos inhaled sharply, tightening his fingers around his gun. ¡°That¡¯s the Takkan ambassador, jailed and mistreated by the Kolshians. We broke him out, while cantankerous Sovlin was snooping around.¡± ¡°Uh, sorry. Old habit,¡± the Mazic responded. ¡°It¡¯s¡­good to see you, predators?¡± Ambassador Raila was frozen at the sight of the predators. The humans were twice the height of an average Harchen, before gear bulked them up. She held a pen out in front of her with stiff arms, as if that would ward off gun-toting primates. To be fair, she was probably leaving this station in their custody or in a body bag. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Dwirl took a different approach, and clicked his mandibles in a submissive note. He scuttled forward on his black, jointed legs, which connected to his rotund thorax. The Tilfish shook as he threw himself at the humans¡¯ feet. His antennae quivered and his beady eyes fixed on them, waiting for a reaction. Carlos jumped backward with apparent fright, and barely kept his twitchy finger off the trigger. Samantha shook her head, muttering curses and denials. A shudder rippled down her back, while her legs seemed unsteady. The predators¡¯ response was bizarre, something I hadn¡¯t seen from them. Were the humans afraid? They¡¯d never shown any fear of aliens, not since I¡¯d known them. Hell, both of these soldiers had gone up against the worst the galaxy had to offer. Carlos was eager to go toe-to-toe with an Arxur, throwing himself in its face without hesitation. Samantha jumped out amidst flames to turn the tables on exterminators. What in the Protector has gotten into them? This is almost comical, that an insect species is what elicited fear from them. ¡°Dwirl, back up. I think you¡¯re scaring them,¡± I growled. Carlos took a shaky breath. ¡°More like freaking me the fuck out.¡± ¡°I second that. Totally creepy, man,¡± Samantha added. ¡°Cilany, a little warning next time?!¡± Cilany looked bewildered. ¡°Warning for what?¡± The human predators watched warily, as the Tilfish shuffled back on his spindly legs. The Takkan representative was happy to take a seat, but the Terrans were hesitant to enter. Their posture, which was fluid and graceful under normal circumstances, had gone rigid as a board. They beckoned to me and Cilany, while swallowing more often than usual. The other representatives stared, as the Harchen journalist and I jogged up to the predators. The UN soldiers pulled us aside, keeping their voices hushed. Their body language suggested tension, and they kept shooting glances at the Tilfish. It was threat assessment; they wanted to be certain he hadn¡¯t moved. ¡°First off, great work with Nikonus, both of you. More on that later.¡± Samantha cleared her throat. ¡°So, uh, many humans find bugs and crawly things unnerving, or outright disgusting. I¡¯m not sure I can talk to¡­whatever that is.¡± ¡°Seriously? You¡¯re afraid of them, not the Arxur?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t judge me! The deadliest animal on our planet is a tiny little insect called a mosquito. Worse than all those predators you hate,¡± the human female hissed. Carlos nodded. ¡°Also, where Sam lives, there¡¯s spiders everywhere that are fucking deadly too. We evolved to be afraid of them because they¡¯re venomous.¡± I leaned back in understanding. ¡°They¡¯re your natural predators? That¡¯s¡­kinda hilarious, to be honest. See, now you know how we feel, talking to you.¡± ¡°Oh, fuck you, Sovlin.¡± I could sense the female¡¯s narrowed eyes, beneath her suit. ¡°Give us a briefing on that¡­Dwirl, you called it. I need a moment.¡± I tucked knowledge of the predators¡¯ weakness away. This was the first time I¡¯d ever seen their fearful reactions, and I hoped the humans could fight the irrationality. By the Protector¡¯s blessing, they hadn¡¯t even referred to the child-eating Arxur as a depersonalized ¡®it.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t clear how they¡¯d react to an enemy species that set off internal alarms. Cilany piped up, with a bashful expression. ¡°Dwirl¡¯s species is called the Tilfish. They¡¯re one of the modified races, we think. They were the smallest contributor to the attack on Earth, with a mere hundred ships.¡± ¡°They attacked us? So we can kill them all with a clear conscience; thank the Lord,¡± Samantha mumbled. Carlos crossed his arms. ¡°I doubt they¡¯re all complicit. Everyone wanted to kill us because we looked creepy, Sam. Let¡¯s¡­not be like that. I¡¯m good, now¡­so let¡¯s talk to the giant spider-ant thing before making decisions.¡± The female predator snorted. ¡°Sure, why not? Just another Friday with the Peacekeepers. See space, meet exciting new people, they said. It¡¯ll be fun, they said.¡± Samantha shook her head, and strode into the room with careful steps. She seemed to be mapping an exit route if needed. Neither human took a seat by the table; there was no doubt the assembled representatives had noticed their jumpiness. I hoped the Terrans could get it together. Perhaps it would be best to force Dwirl to leave the proceedings, before someone got hurt. Alar, the Dossur diplomat, chittered from atop the table. Hailing from the most diminutive species in the galaxy, the size gap was a difficult hurdle to overcome. The Dossur hadn¡¯t believed humanity¡¯s tale about their representative¡¯s death, and broke off relations with Earth. However, after Nikonus affirmed Kolshian culpability on tape, the rodents were back at the bargaining table. ¡°Now that is adorable,¡± Carlos decided. ¡°Look at those little ginger mouse ears! Hi!¡± Alar shuddered at the predator¡¯s roar. ¡°G-g¡­no, no! Please!! No eat, n-no eat!¡± ¡°You want to step outside, buddy?¡± I asked gently. The rodent scurried away at once, and the humans slumped their shoulders. ¡°You¡¯re a lot bigger than him. Take heart, though¡­the Dossur are one of your original allies.¡± The male soldier sighed. ¡°He is tiny. So much for¡ª¡± ¡°Excuse me! Oh supreme predators, I beseech your mercy humbly. I apologize for my unworthy display earlier.¡± Dwirl clicked his mandibles with adoration, but had the good sense to keep his distance this time. ¡°I will see that all 1500 of our ships are turned over to you; anything we h-have, including our territory, is yours. Please accept the Tilfish¡¯s unconditional surrender. Just let my people live!¡± Samantha rubbed the back of her neck, a self-soothing gesture. ¡°Yes, we will pass along your surrender. Deliver your ships to the Sol system, and await our decision. We¡¯re under no obligation to show you mercy, bug.¡± The Tilfish adopted a mournful expression, but didn¡¯t argue with the human¡¯s curt reply. If the predators were thinking straight, they¡¯d see the pragmatism of accepting that offer. Assimilating the insectoids¡¯ ships into their decimated armada would help them get back into the war. It would also set a precedent, so other enemies might surrender without a fight. ¡°Ignore my counterpart. Humanity recognizes your surrender, and will give the civilian presence full consideration,¡± Carlos cut in. ¡°Sam, I hate what they did to us, but the Federation has these people indoctrinated. They¡¯re not all bad. Look at Cilany, versus her race.¡± The reporter tilted her head. ¡°Thanks?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. I extend the same offer to your ambassador, for your sake, Cilany. Perhaps Raila has a bit more¡­regret now than she did on your recording.¡± ¡°Yes, h-how terribly sad about Earth! Very sad indeed,¡± the Harchen politician agreed. The humans tilted their heads. Even without seeing their expressions, I could tell they found that response less than convincing. It was easy to visualize the sourness on Sam¡¯s face, as she cracked her knuckles slowly. Regardless of their instincts toward the Tilfish, Dwirl¡¯s groveling surrender landed better than Raila¡¯s lukewarm act. The Harchen ambassador is lucky there¡¯s other species here that the humans don¡¯t want to chase off. Carlos sighed. ¡°Humanity plans to go on the offensive, before something else is done to us. Can we count on support from our friends?¡± Quipa flared her trunk. ¡°We¡¯ll send some of our military, and organize every ally we can. The Dossur won¡¯t be useful, but you¡¯re welcome to ask. Us Mazics will lend our ships and our army to your command. And, I¡¯m sure the Takkan can clear the air with his government too.¡± ¡°I agree, it¡¯s time to take the fight to the Federation. We are not their toys!¡± the liberated Takkan spat. ¡°Humanity can lead us out of this darkness. They will. They must.¡± My spines bristled at the thought of war. ¡°The Sulean and Iftalis are rapidly coordinating dozens of neutrals to loan to Earth, but the Federation is going to hit them hard, soon. There¡¯s no turning back, humans. I trust you to do things the right way, even if you don¡¯t trust yourselves.¡± The two predators shared a glance, and the assembled species scrutinized their mannerisms. I contemplated how humans were the only purpose I had left. Serving my debt to their kind was all that kept a wretch like me going; this was about vindicating an innocent race. None of my personal history mattered anymore, since everything I ever believed was a lie. Samantha cleared her throat. ¡°Time to go home. Come along, Sovlin¡­and Cilany, if you want. There¡¯s a lot of plans to be hatched.¡± War was a terrifying prospect, though the humans didn¡¯t share my trepidation. They were eager to have a shot at actualizing revenge. The Terran resurgence could be swift and decisive, if they turned a few species¡¯ scraps into a proper army. There was nobody else that could lead us into the future, or influence the Arxur at all. The fate of billions rested with the predators¡¯ next actions. Chapter 71 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, United Nations Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: November 27, 2136 The United Nations extended me an official plea deal, which my lawyer was quick to secure. I was to serve with the Terran military for at least five years, as penance for my debt. The fact was, someone of my sickening proclivities was useful to them, and I knew a lot about Federation ships. Outlining a species¡¯ military tendencies and technological weaknesses was my specialty. The humans had cobbled together a fleet, from the offerings that trickled in from dozens of planet-states. The Harchen and Tilfish surrendered their assets, and sent aid shipments as a peace offering; the predators were still deliberating what to do with them. However, neutral parties contributed the bulk of the vessels, along with a few old allies. The Terrans rushed the integration of millions of Federation servicemen into their ranks, after a mere week of anti-instinct training. Most aliens aboard this vessel were still acclimatizing to predators. Ambitious as ever, the Terrans launched defensive and offensive operations simultaneously. But in fairness to their overzealous military, it was a mercy that they diverted resources to bail out the Mazics. The Kolshian-led force marching on their homeworld, Khoa, was enough to steamroll any fortifications. My role was as the resident expert on Federation tactics; I knew the terrain and local sensitivities better than my primate allies. Captain Monahan scanned the bridge with her observant gaze. ¡°All hands are on deck. FTL disruptors are still in full force, so we¡¯re going in the old-fashioned way. ETA to Khoa less than 30 minutes. Settle in at the sensors station, Sovlin.¡± I¡¯d worked with just about every race over the years. Now, we were setting sail to fight people I once thought friends. It didn¡¯t put a good feeling in my stomach, but the masterminds needed to answer for their crimes. The Kolshians and the Farsul were the ones who set the predator hatred in motion; they bore responsibility for what had transpired on Earth. ¡°I don¡¯t belong with humans¡­ma¡¯am,¡± came my subdued reply. ¡°Your crew deserves better. I¡¯m surprised you requested me back.¡± ¡°Frankly? You¡¯re an idiot in many ways, but you know a thing or two about alien tactics. Having someone who can identify anomalies and ship types, in real time, is useful.¡± ¡°Glad I can do something right.¡± ¡°Cut the crap. Romero and Harris were brought aboard for your welfare. They¡¯re waiting for you, yes, with other people. Don¡¯t be shy. Get your ass to your post.¡± It took a colossal effort to walk across the aisle, and settle in at the weapons post. Samantha was sipping at a steaming drink, and bore the vacant look of someone whose mind was elsewhere. Carlos was focused on the battle readout, barely acknowledging my stare. I wondered how the humans came to terms with their monstrous side, when I just couldn¡¯t get past mine. Sapients aren¡¯t supposed to be like us. Who the fuck am I now? My gaze drifted to the unfamiliar human, who was leading the weapons¡¯ station. This male was one of the tallest humans I¡¯d seen, with a few inches on even Carlos. The predator sported lean muscles across his upper body, and had coarse hair the color of sand. A Yotul was seated alongside the Terran, reviewing the button functionality. ¡°Hello,¡± I offered. Binocular eyes darted over to me, a rich blue. ¡°I was told we had a Gojid here! I served on the cradle, actually, with one of a few Venlil that joined us. I would have never guessed you guys were omnivores too.¡± The Terrans were the only species that didn¡¯t think we were freaks, after the broadcast. They welcomed the news of past omnivores, rejoicing that they weren¡¯t alone in their preferences. But while I¡¯d come around to humanity¡¯s cause, the last thing I wanted was to be a predator. It was a lonely status, full of grisly practices and animalism. How could I be in the same class as an Arxur? Carlos coughed. ¡°Don¡¯t bring that up. They were raised from birth to hate meat-eaters; told there was nothing worse. Our buddy here¡¯s had a rough time of it.¡± ¡°Right, my bad,¡± the stranger agreed. ¡°Anyhow, I¡¯m Tyler Cardona, and this is my partner from the Yotul exchange program, Onso. The last month has been pretty shit, but I was stoked to get accepted to that initiative.¡± Onso flicked his reddish ears. ¡°Ha. Tyler wouldn¡¯t even eat around me, when we first met. It was like he was scared to talk about Earth.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t see how the Venlil I was with reacted. Slanek, that was his name; he puked his guts out and had a breakdown from a few beef crumbles in my MRE.¡± My spines bristled in alarm, as the name Slanek reached my ears. It was as though someone dumped a bucket of ice-cold water on my head. If this Tyler knew the Venlil, he likely knew Marcel by extension. The red-haired human had mentioned he¡¯d served on the cradle, and spoke about the tragedies that unfolded. Protector, it was just my luck to get stuck serving under one of his buddies. I was fortunate Tyler didn¡¯t realize who I was. For this particular human, my crimes were a personal attack on someone he cared about. I shot Sam and Carlos a pleading look, imploring them not to pipe up. Perhaps it was necessary to ask Captain Monahan for a transfer, although her reaction would be one of displeasure. Put simply, my identity could interfere with station performance, if it came to light. ¡°By the way, isn¡¯t this a sick ride? I couldn¡¯t pass up a chance to serve on one of the few human craft left in service,¡± the sand-haired Terran continued, giving the desk an enthusiastic slap. ¡°Captain requested me because I¡¯m an expert on the fear-suppression program. You hear that, Onso? Expert.¡± ¡°Quit the yapping. Will you let the newcomers get a word in? What¡¯s your name, Gojid?¡± Onso asked. I narrowed my eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t have one.¡± Tyler snorted. ¡°Of course you do! Don¡¯t make me pry it out of your buddies. What¡¯s your problem?¡± ¡°My problem is you talk too much, and we¡¯re about to go into battle. Even Onso notices you can¡¯t keep a lid on it. So kindly, shut the fuck up.¡± The smile vanished from the sensor officer¡¯s face, and he shot his Yotul pal an incredulous look. His features took on a scowl, as he turned back to me. I squirmed under his paralyzing glare, knowing my words were too harsh. It wasn¡¯t my intent to offend the big guy, but opening up to him wasn¡¯t an option. It wasn¡¯t wise to advertise my identity to humans in general, let alone a packmate of Marcel. A dangerous growl rumbled in his throat. ¡°I am an officer of this ship. You don¡¯t get to speak to me like that.¡± ¡°Hey Tyler, I know he¡¯s being an ass. He takes awhile to open up to humans,¡± Carlos jumped in. ¡°Please, cut him a break this once? Just let him settle in first, and warm up to you in his own time.¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°Whatever. But it better not happen again. You want all work, no play? Start analyzing the subspace data, and plotting intercept vectors. Give me a list of potential targets, as soon as enemies are in sight.¡± I lowered my eyes. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Samantha sipped at her bean drink, momentary interest in her eyes. The female human and I had been getting along better since Cilany¡¯s rescue. All the same, I wondered if she¡¯d turn me in to Tyler down the line. After this battle, I had to get myself transferred to a different station; weapons would be more up my alley anyways. With a great deal of effort, I zeroed in on the sensor data. The subspace trails we could detect were faint, coming from the direction of Aafa. We had assumed the enemy would beat us here by a few hours. Visual contact was needed to assess the drive signatures, and determine how many species we were up against. I worried just how far the Federation would go, with their organization fracturing. The Mazics needed to hold out a little longer. I cleared my throat. ¡°No sign of friendly activity. The fact that there¡¯s no outbound trails suggests the skirmish is ongoing. Good news.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± Tyler asked, in a gruff voice. ¡°The Federation would send word home, if they¡¯d achieved victory. We need to get a comm link with the Mazics¡­make sure their planetary defenses don¡¯t start picking us off.¡± The sensors officer relayed the message to Captain Monahan, who nodded in agreement. She issued orders to a Fissan at the comms station, which was where most prey had been relegated. The alien crew members were doing their jobs seamlessly so far, but humans were best suited for high-stress roles. Nobody else had the ability to block out fear, like it wasn¡¯t even there. Onso tampered with the viewport settings, straining on his digitigrade legs. The Yotul looked more comfortable with the technology than I expected. Perhaps Tyler had taught him the modern ways, somehow? The blond human hadn¡¯t shown any concern with leaving a primitive novice unattended. It was a wonder those two found any common ground for friendship. I pored over the subspace trails, and fed the data to the computer for analysis. The AI took several seconds to extrapolate optimal paths, once I input Khoa as the primary target. It was likely the Federation would take a conservative approach, in case of a human ambush. Predators were predictable, but the same could be said of prey¡­the normal races. That meant we might be able to spot a lookout ship. If we can take them out before they relay useful data, that¡¯s ideal. The less information the enemy has, the better. I leaned over to Onso. ¡°Search for recon ships on the viewport. We want to take out their eyes.¡± ¡°Apologize to Tyler first,¡± the Yotul barked. ¡°This is not the time for petty squabbles! We¡¯re soldiers, not daycare workers. Do you want to lose ships and lives because you¡¯re mad at me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to work with you.¡± ¡°The feeling is mutual. Now isn¡¯t the time to disrupt the captain, but I¡¯ll request a transfer when this is over. We have to work together, this once, because what you want and what you get are two different things. Start the fucking scan already, if you know how.¡± The uplift bared his teeth, and I noted the fur on his hackles rising. He saw I had no problem with my human guards, which suggested my issue with his friend was personal. Truth be told, every part of me wanted to give Tyler a rambling apology, for all my transgressions. If he wanted a piece of me, I¡¯d be happy to let him throw some well-placed haymakers. But at this moment, coming clean was the worst thing I could do; it would interfere with the mission. Tyler narrowed his eyes. ¡°Is there a problem¡­again?¡± ¡°The Gojid thinks he can order me around. He¡¯s insufferable,¡± Onso grumbled. Samantha exhaled a flustered breath. ¡°He only said to search for scout ships. The Feds will take more caution than usual, I imagine.¡± ¡°If he¡¯s giving solid advice, go with it,¡± the tall officer said. ¡°Onso, I know you¡¯re sticking up for me, but there¡¯s too much at stake to be arguing now. I can look out for myself, okay?¡± The Yotul pinned his ears back, before shifting the viewport at maximum magnification. Idle asteroids greeted us from the circumstellar disc, but nothing was of particular interest. In the meantime, our comms station had established contact with the Mazics. They sounded uncharacteristically happy to be on the line with the human fleet. Carlos leaned close to my ear. ¡°You could just make up a name, man. What about Vinny?¡± I scrunched my nose with distaste, ignoring his suggestion. That would just leave Tyler infuriated that I¡¯d deceived him, when someone called me by my real name. Onso released an excited yip beside us, and brought a small shuttle into focus. Its emissions were too minuscule to appear on sensors, without someone telling the computer where to look. Our ship¡¯s weapons revved to life, poised to decimate the first enemy contact. The humans had the forethought to charge the railgun in transit; there were no haphazard actions in this fleet. Captain Monahan barely finished giving the kill order, before a bolt of death streaked across the sky. The predators were dialed in for this mission, mechanical in their calculation. There were no cheers in the bridge, as the enemy scout erupted into fiery shrapnel. The Terrans were itching to fight, but the thrill of combat was lost with Earth. Perhaps the somberness was because they didn¡¯t want to fail to defend Khoa, and relive what happened to their own home. Human empathy often was more of a nuisance to them than a boon. It¡¯s just a few minutes before the entire Federation fleet is in view. We¡¯re through the belt, and soon, it¡¯s show time. Samantha sucked in a sharp breath. ¡°There! That faint emerald dot must be Khoa.¡± My gaze shifted to the viewport. The sharp-eyed human must have distinguished the planet from the bountiful stars around us. White blips flashed near it, which were signs of the Mazics and the Federation exchanging fire. Donating several ship units to Earth¡¯s crusade had depleted local resources. It was likely the friendlies were stalling for time, in the hopes of a predator rescue. The fact that the Mazics withstood the volume of enemies we saw in transit was miraculous. The humans knew time was of the essence. Captain Monahan ordered navigations to push the throttle past recommended output. Our fleet surged ahead, stone-colored armors rattling from the acceleration. I turned back to my data feed, and watched as new information trickled in. The computer continued tagging friendlies, while racking up a separate tally of enemies. The number of hostiles stalled around two thousand, whereas the estimate I¡¯d pulled from subspace readings was five times that number. The machine wasn¡¯t counting any more contacts though, so it must be mistaken. The Mazics weren¡¯t martial geniuses; they couldn¡¯t have taken down that many ships. Also, there wasn¡¯t enough debris detected for that many casualties. ¡°Where are the rest of the Federation ships? Onso, don¡¯t tell me you applied sensor filters by mistake,¡± I grumbled. The Yotul snarled with indignation. ¡°There are no filters on, dumbass. The ships are there, on your readout, accounted for!¡± Tyler pursed his lips. ¡°What do you mean by the rest of them?¡± ¡°The level of overlap, in the subspace readings,¡± I replied. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be that messy unless there was a lot of activity. I¡¯m talking several times the number you see under the hostile designation¡­sir.¡± The tall officer stroked the stubbly whiskers on his chin. He parsed through the data himself, and his expression grew deadly serious. Urgency flashed in his dark pupils, before he signaled our captain. Those predator instincts could draw tactical conclusions much faster than my own; humans acted before we even determined the problem. Actually, why didn¡¯t I have those instincts? Had those reflexes been written out of my genes by Kolshian experimenters, or a flesh deficiency? My eyes narrowed, before I turned my attention back to the bridge activity. ¡°It¡¯s a trap!¡± Tyler¡¯s skin morphed into a flushed shade of red, as blood pooled in his cheeks. Veins bulged from his temples, and his canines were bared in visceral alarm. ¡°Captain, look for contacts on our six! They¡¯re hiding out there somewhere.¡± Monahan redirected power to shields, before relaying that conclusion to the fleet. The Terran ships undertook a gradual banking maneuver, ignoring bewildered chatter from the Mazics. The captain inspected the nearest astronomical bodies, and cross-referenced them with her star chart. After a long pause, she pointed to a rocky planet. There was nothing I saw but a cratered surface. However, at this point, I trusted the predators¡¯ refined instincts. Our commander likely singled it out, because that¡¯s where she would¡¯ve hidden a fleet with the roles reversed. Perhaps empathy wasn¡¯t a complete hindrance on the battlefield. Samantha squinted. ¡°The attack on Khoa was just bait. It¡¯s not worth it to subdue a single breakaway species. They want to keep our military crippled, and take out the Federation ¡®traitors¡¯ at the same time.¡± As if expressing agreement with her words, an array of ships zipped out from behind the gravimetric body. The Federation must¡¯ve realized the element of surprise was lost, so that forced a head-on confrontation with the human fleet. Had they really saved an abundance of fresh reinforcements for us? The predators brought their fleet into a defensive formation, as the first munitions were lobbed in our direction. The Kolshians must believe numbers tipped the scales in their favor; the Terrans hadn¡¯t held out the last time there was a disproportionate balance. This was a test of whether our rebuilt military could hold a candle to an ancient power. Chapter 72 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, United Nations Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: November 27, 2136 The Federation ambush fleet moseyed forward, with a faint semblance of strategy. The enemy were sticking in groups of four, so that the predators couldn¡¯t pick off lone vessels with their superior wit. Our opponents were also coordinating attacks on targets, aiming to gun down hapless humans with deadly crossfires. A standard UN vessel would be ripped apart from both sides before they knew what hit them. The leading Terran ships had their shields obliterated in a few seconds; the plasma onslaught decimated exposed hulls. Any ordinary species would choose a desperate retreat, and regroup in an advantageous location. But instead, there was an icy calm across the bridge, at least, from the human crew. The Fissan on comms was whinnying in terror, the Venlil advisors were crying, and the Yotul at my station¡­was doing his job without issue. That was a surprise. ¡°Deploying tactical drones. Stay on the move!¡± a predatory voice on the radio barked. The spacecraft carriers had a limited supply of autonomous craft, which were a Terran novelty. Unfortunately, most ¡°drones¡± were lost during the defense of Earth; restocking the reserves was a challenge, with the manufacturing delays. Since humans were the only ones who possessed the innovation, and weren¡¯t keen on giving away their secrets, their newfound allies couldn¡¯t help on that front. The predators trust no one, not truly. I can¡¯t say I blame them. But even the few dozen drones we had at our disposal were a useful tool. They could undertake the riskiest maneuvers, without any concern for life and limb. The enemy was likely blindsided by the unmanned vessels, so they weren¡¯t equipped to deal with them. Manual targeting was a requisite, because the automatons were much smaller than standard ships. The drones twirled through the sky, changing direction on a dime. There was no worrying about whether inertial dampeners could keep up, with no crew aboard. Pinning down the nimble craft proved a challenge for prey operators, in real time. The Federation lobbed plasma at the inbound contacts, but the unmanned vehicles simply veered off at ninety-degree angles. The enemy hesitated, uncertain how to proceed. Captain Monahan nodded to the weapons station. ¡°Ready our armor-piercing missiles. Wait for the drones to land a few punches, and fire.¡± Our spacecraft cruised ahead, falling in beside two lightweight gunships that appeared to be Tilfish impounds. The Terrans had outfitted the seized vessels with kinetic turrets on the hull. I wasn¡¯t sure what impact that weaponry would have against shields. The humans should know efficacy was why plasma dominated space, despite the higher energy demands. The drones coasted onward, anticipating Federation blows through predictive abilities. Perhaps the humans programmed algorithms to monitor power output and radio chatter. These robotic creations were a marvel of engineering, regardless. Whatever anyone said about the predators, nobody could doubt their wicked intelligence. Our handful of automated craft flew circles around the larger forces, drawing within striking distance. The craft swooped in across the Federation¡¯s front lines, and unloaded missiles from close range. Detonations buffeted the metal exteriors, crippling shields. With inhuman response time, the drones transitioned to a deluge of kinetics and mini-missiles. ¡°Hey, Gojid. Find us some targets,¡± Tyler snarled. I monitored the sensor data, finding the ship groupings with the most sustained damage. The Federation army was hurling munitions at the drones in a blind frenzy; the enemy hoped the deluge would cut off escape. Brute force proved enough to whittle down our unmanned charge, by a significant margin. We had just a few seconds to capitalize on the discombobulation. Scanning the readout, my eyes turned to a Federation bunch just out of range. This enemy squadron had lost a ship to the drones already, judging by the hefty debris. The remaining trio were slowed by an aged bomber with an inefficient drive signature; that meant they couldn¡¯t pull off sudden movements. A lack of evasive abilities offered an easy mark for the humans. I highlighted those three ships on the map. ¡°There. You take out the faster escorts with a one-two punch, then that bomber is sitting prey.¡± ¡°Good call. We¡¯re saving the weapons station a lot of guesswork,¡± Tyler responded. The sensors officer passed along the information, before turning back to me. There was a gleam of interest in his eyes, which was something I didn¡¯t want to encourage. Perhaps I was doing a little too well with my orders, for an alien? Our strike force converged on the target, accelerating with malicious intent. The UN¡¯s adopted gunships brought up our flanks, while we lined up a Federation cruiser. Our nemesis spotted our target-lock, and adjusted their course in an evasion attempt. We sent missiles barreling toward them all the same. The trio deployed copious interceptors, leaving no chance of our warheads slipping through. As we reloaded for another missile volley, the UN gunship pair swooped in to ramp up the pressure. Our Terran allies got near enough for a closer look, then added their own explosives to the mix. The Federation took those out with no problem as well. The humans¡¯ love for bombs was well-known to the galaxy, so that sparked the inclusion of a hefty stock of countermeasures. But peculiarities on the sensor readings drew a second glance from me. The gunships¡¯ missiles were counteracted, but the Federation ships were hedged within the blast radius. Shields should have absorbed the negligible hit; yet according to my screen, the shield capacity had vanished. Upon their destruction, the human explosives seemed to have generated a magnetic field. Captain Monahan beckoned to the weapon station. ¡°Shields are down¡­likely temporary. Hit them with kinetics now!¡± The UN gunships must¡¯ve been expecting the shield collapse too. Their turrets flickered to life, peppering enemy hulls with bullets. The kinetics ripped through the Federation¡¯s armor, like it was wallpaper being peeled away. Our vessel contributed with well-placed strikes to the engine compartment. The hostiles were reduced to slag, trapped in the wake of their own drive failures. ¡°What just happened?¡± I breathed. Onso wagged his tail, watching the viewport. ¡°Ha, those fuckers got scienced! To put it plainly, we disrupted the shield current with magnetoresistance.¡± My gaze darted over to Samantha, who bobbed her shoulders in confusion. How did an uplift understand a concept the Federation never thought of? Hell, it was beyond my own scientific knowledge, and I was a seasoned veteran. That uneducated Yotul must be parroting what the humans said. The predators just rendered shields obsolete, which meant bullets were relevant again. Because of Earth¡¯s bloody history, human militaries already excelled in kinetics. This development increased my confidence that we could tackle the larger fleet. It would be surprising if the Federation could recover from the shock of our strategy. I think I¡¯m looking at the most advanced military in the galaxy, I mused with a tinge of fear. Yet humanity are in their spacefaring infancy. I chewed at my claws. ¡°This is all new to me. Carlos, Sam, did you know this was going to happen?¡± Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°I knew they picked a fight with the wrong people,¡± Samantha chimed in. ¡°The Kolshians are the ringleaders; they wanted this. They¡¯re going to be the first to pay.¡± Carlos snorted. ¡°Funny thing is, the aquatic bastards don¡¯t have much choice but to fight. They can¡¯t play both sides anymore. That plan, to pit us against the grays and mop up the winner, is toast thanks to Cilany.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m talking about the shields, you bloodthirsty beasts. That little¡­magnet bomb or whatever? It¡¯s revolutionary.¡± ¡°Yeah, the ugly fucks aren¡¯t damage sponges anymore,¡± Tyler interjected, uninvited. ¡°We can one-hit them, and not have to recharge that blasted plasma gun. Never liked the concept myself.¡± I snapped my head back to the viewport, giving the officer the cold shoulder. Out of my peripheral vision, it was plain to see his hand curl into a fist. The predator was seething from my continued insults; his commentary may have been a peace offering. This tension was all my fault, but I didn¡¯t know what to do about our mutual acquaintance. Carlos jabbed an elbow into my shoulder, shaking his head in warning. I mimicked the humans¡¯ noncommittal gesture, by rolling my shoulders back. The male guard hissed in displeasure, before waving a hand dismissively. I wished Tyler would keep this all business, since there was a battle to focus on. Our craft pivoted toward the heart of the action, as Monahan coordinated each station like a symphony conductor. Everyone piped up with input when prompted, and the humans put their hunting instincts to good use. The predators sensed weakness, which meant they wouldn¡¯t give the Federation a minute to breathe. The enemy was falling back toward the ambush site, condensing into a panicked wall. I squinted at the sensors. ¡°The enemy just dropped about ten percent of their fleet. That anti-shield mechanism is proving catastrophic.¡± Tyler scowled. ¡°Catastrophic¡­?¡± ¡°Catastrophic, sir,¡± I grunted, through gritted teeth. ¡°Retreat is probable, if more imminent losses are in the cards. We need to inflict serious damage, fast.¡± ¡°Captain¡¯s already working on that. Your analysis is spot on, but shit, you¡¯re a real hardass. I bet you¡¯re fun at parties.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember what fun is, or what it¡¯s like to be happy. Not since the Arxur ate my family alive, while they screamed over a video call. Humans always try to make me talk about my past, so now you know!¡± ¡°Hey, settle down! Officer Cardona had nothing to do with that,¡± Samantha hissed. ¡°I¡­I couldn¡¯t make myself hang up. But there was nothing I could do¡­I didn¡¯t say anything! Do you know how many times my daughter called my name? ¡®Help me, Daddy. Please, it hurts.¡¯ FUCK!¡± The pain was still as fresh as the day it happened, like a knife cutting through my sternum. Everyone at our station gawked at me, including the feisty Yotul and my guards. Tyler was quiet, leaning over his console in thought. He scratched his sandy hair, perhaps envisioning my story. The hostility ebbed out of his posture, replaced by a pitying frown. Shit, why did I say that? I don¡¯t want his pity, and I don¡¯t like talking about my losses. Stop thinking about Marcel, you worthless predator. Tears swelled in my eyes, and I pressed a paw to my mouth to stifle the choking sobs. After years of keeping it all bottled up, Cilany¡¯s revelation had me losing my mind. I was just like the demons that ate my little girl. Why couldn¡¯t I help her, if the shared malevolence was true? To top it off, instead of defending innocents in her memory, I had helped the Arxur get a leg up in the war. Carlos gave my neck a soothing pat, just above my bristling spines. ¡°I told them you needed a psych eval. You¡¯re not well.¡± ¡°I agree. I don¡¯t know who the hell cleared you for combat, when it¡¯s obvious you¡¯re unfit for duty.¡± Tyler took a deep breath, and met my eyes. ¡°My condolences for what happened to you, truly. But I think it¡¯s best that you¡¯re removed from this post.¡± I glowered at the officer. ¡°I can do my job, and well. Helping humans is all I have left! Just skip social hour and I¡¯ll be fine, damnit. Er, please¡­sir.¡± The sandy-haired human turned to the viewport, watching as the Terran fleet charged the enemy. There wasn¡¯t time to get a replacement for me; plasma would be flying at us any second. For all my flaws, I was more competent than most aliens. Captain Monahan even admitted I was a knowledgeable addition to the crew. ¡°We need to inflict serious damage? Find us the path of least resistance into missile range,¡± Tyler decided. ¡°Keep an eye on the surviving drones.¡± I wiped the snot from my nose. ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± The Federation enemies on screen were retreating, conceding space bit by bit. Our opponents hoped to keep some distance between us with cycles of railgun fire. They knew if we got close enough, they were finished. Despite our recent progress, a direct plasma hit was more than capable of chewing through a UN vessel. Keeping human predators at bay was easier said than done; danger served more as an incentive than discouragement. Our drone force was in tatters, but the remnants limped forward to clear the path. The Terran fleet used them as a buffer, distracting the railguns. Automatons were a new variable for the Federation, and those bastards hated the unknown. Therefore, the prey focused an inordinate amount of fire on the robots. The Mazics were still duking it out with the initial force behind us, churning up carnage around Khoa. That predicament was another reason for the UN to expedite the initiative; the humans charged enemy ranks with fervor. A few hostiles began to target the manned craft, once we got too close for their liking. Plasma descended on our position at magnificent velocities, with one beam clipping our belly. The ship floorboards rocked beneath my feet, and the shields struggled to absorb the shave. Propulsion was wonky for a moment, while the fluorescent lights flickered overhead. The Federation must¡¯ve realized their volley connected with us, because target-locks lit up my screen. One enemy¡¯s energy output dipped slightly, which raised my spines. ¡°BANK! NOW, OR WE¡¯RE DEAD!¡± I roared. Navigations struggled to get our systems responsive again. At Captain Monahan¡¯s order, the humans diverted power from comms, weapons, and most importantly, shields. Our safeguards weren¡¯t going to withstand another blast regardless, but it was awful to have all defenses stripped away. Every second our craft sat idle felt like an eternity. A burst of light zipped across the sky like a lightning bolt, and I squeezed my eyes shut. There was a part of me that was relieved to be on the way out; stewing in my emotions had become too exhausting. Besides, the world would be better off without a predator like me. The downside of my imminent demise was the humans that would perish alongside me. Maybe there¡¯s an afterlife. Maybe I can see my family again¡­and so can Sam. Our thrusters sputtered to life, coughing out the surplus energy. Our ship lurched to the side, with inertial dampeners cushioning the sharp turns by a fraction. We almost veered into an allied ship, who swerved from our path with a second to spare. The plasma beam whisked by our haunches, culminating in a narrow miss. ¡°Well, would the sensors station like to command this ship? Any more unsanctioned orders for my crew?¡± Captain Monahan chuckled. I drew a shuddering breath. ¡°Have your drones and lighter craft feint to the near flank, then bank center at the last moment. The Federation don¡¯t react like humans.¡± ¡°That was a rhetorical question. Though, I like your idea. We could afford to mix up our playbook¡­keep them on their toes.¡± The human captain huddled over her microphone, though I couldn¡¯t tell what she said to our allies. The pack predators were able to act in harmony amidst chaos; their precision and teamwork were unrivaled. The Terran fleet fanned out, and coordinated return plasma fire. Ferocious lights shone around us, with the radiance of a supernova. The counterstrike put a muzzle on the Federation¡¯s offense, for a moment. Hundreds of Terran ships plunged toward their right flank, spitting munitions to sell the maneuver. We had sustained minimal losses to our fleet, and still had enough willpower to march ahead. All we needed was for the enemy to commit, before we could spring the magnetic field on our true mark. The cornered prey felt vulnerable, on the fringes of their formation. Several vessels reversed course and huddled together for safety, as the avalanche of human weaponry continued. There were the faulty instincts at work again. Convinced of the Terran targets, the Federation arranged their fire to push us away from the flank. ¡°Throw both gravity missiles we¡¯ve got at them, then follow up with our nuclear warhead. After that¡­spew kinetics at anything that survives!¡± Monahan barked. The bridge crew leapt to carry out her orders, and the restabilized propulsions had us bank sharply. The UN advance hooked back at a retreating angle, and we glided perpendicular to the enemy wall. Weapons readied their new targets, before we snaked into the formation¡¯s heart. It was easy to picture the startled Federation crew, frozen in terror. A cascade of missiles drove their way into our nemesis¡¯ soft spot; sensor data showed shields faltering and armor disintegrating. The battlefield fell into complete disorder, as the predators lunged forward for the kill. Kinetics spliced up shaken ships, and clean plasma dispatched any that limped along. The Federation hurled a few stray munitions at us, with a dying whimper. The fools had no time to assess targets, and in their fearful state, a drunk toddler could aim better. I doubted most of them had close-range weapons or interceptors ready. The humans humiliated the traditional craft, besting them with savage cunning. With the ambush backfiring so horrifically, our enemies could have but one collective thought. Reeling from the loss of another thousand vessels, the Federation spacecraft banked away for a full retreat. But the Mazics were still engaged in the fight of their lives behind us, with the lesser contingent. The enemy bombers were almost within orbital range. All that was left now was for the humans to secure Khoa, restoring order for its rightful inhabitants. Chapter 73 Memory transcription subject: Slanek, Venlil Space Corps Date [standardized human time]: November 27, 2136 The shuttle was crammed full of predators, so much so, that several humans were standing throughout the bumpy ride. I was lucky that I could curl up in Marcel¡¯s lap; the red-haired vegetarian had a steely glint in his eyes. I hadn¡¯t seen this much apprehension in him, not even during the Gojid cradle¡¯s chaos. Something about the Tilfish seemed to inspire fear in Terrans, without an apparent reason. The superocean was visible on the horizon, as we descended on the sole continent of planet Sillis. The Terran pilots appeared to be half-expecting the natives to shoot our transport down. The United Nations had officially accepted the Tilfish surrender, today; this was the start of bringing their territory under human control. It was possible that we¡¯d see combat, but on paper, our interactions should be restricted to civilian policing. Marcel grew restless after Earth¡¯s raid, especially once he heard that my redeployment was requested. There was no hesitation from me, to put in formal consent papers to the Venlil government. Oddly enough, I¡¯d begun to feel comfortable around the rowdy predators; living in close quarters with grown beasts was the new normal. The anti-instinct training made me feel empowered for the first time in my life, and I wanted to prove that I was a changed man. It is awesome that my buddy has recovered, and decided to come with me. After what the Krakotl did, retiring on the homefront is out of the question. I cleared my throat. ¡°What do you think about races like the Tilfish being predators, Marc? We haven¡¯t really talked about it.¡± ¡°It makes a lot more sense than everyone but us and the grays being obligate herbivores,¡± Marcel growled. ¡°But, they¡¯re not predators, Slanek. And it doesn¡¯t change the fact that they participated in the murder of a billion people.¡± I straightened my blinders with a paw. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s possible to reverse the cure though. Humans already started studying the Gojid genome.¡± When Cilany¡¯s broadcast arrived back on Earth, it was plastered across every news feed. Terran discussion panels had mixed opinions on alien victimhood, but the ¡°cure¡± was something all of them lambasted. The Kolshians found themselves vying for public enemy number one. Even the more xenophobic humans considered allying with any converted race that would take the fight to Aafa. Whatever ties the Venlil still had to the Federation, the conspiracy reframed our stance. How could the Federation mastermind such a heinous crime, as altering species¡¯ identity, for centuries? None of their atrocities had ever been defensible, in my eyes, but I had believed their intentions were good. Every act of bigotry was an attempt to protect their citizens from a malevolent enemy. Marcel inspected my far-away expression. ¡°Do you feel sorry for the cured races?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. There¡¯s some things about humans that bother me, but I tried to accept you,¡± I said. ¡°What right do I have to impose my evolution on you? To erase your history and beliefs? These species lost everything that makes them¡­well, themselves.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s a cultural genocide that was thoroughly executed, without anyone¡¯s knowledge or consent. I shudder to think what would¡¯ve happened to humanity, if they found us before the Arxur.¡± I couldn¡¯t imagine the predators, reduced to terrified prey; stripped of the resilience and aggression that defined them. It wasn¡¯t clear to me if violent instincts could be written out of the human genome, or how the Kolshians might¡¯ve worked around the binocular eyes. Would cultural indoctrination stick to such a strong-willed species? The Terran transport touched down on a landing pad, following Tilfish signals. I was relieved that we¡¯d set this spacecraft on the ground, rather than jumping out of it. The UN troops unloaded, grimacing as wind gusts buffeted their faces. Sillis was known for its stormy, tumultuous weather, which was fueled by the panthalassa. A lone Tilfish waited for us, scuttling back and forth with anxiety. ¡°H-hello, humans. I brought¡­gifts.¡± The insectoid gestured with one of her six legs to fruit baskets, which included local jams and preserves. She cowed her glistening head, as several Terrans trained guns on her. Her antennae quivered, anticipating her swift demise. The poor thing was surrounded by predators; forward-facing eyes were angled at her in all directions. Why did her species send her here alone? This is cruel. ¡°Thanks for the gifts. Who are you?¡± I asked. Tears bordered her smooth eyes. ¡°I¡¯m¡­G-General Birla. Ambassador D-Dwirl made me come. I am the only one¡­who, uh, v-voted against¡­Earth attack¡­¡± The UN soldiers relaxed, but shared a few rattled glances of their own. Several were huddling near the shuttle, distancing themselves from Birla. The faint hairs on Marcel¡¯s arm stood upright, and he ruffled my ears for comfort. I coaxed him forward, bringing us across from the Tilfish. ¡°Slanek, what are you doing?¡± the human hissed. My ears pinned back. ¡°Face your fears, right? That¡¯s what I did with you. This is no different.¡± General Birla bent lower to the ground, unable to look the human in the eye. A ripple passed through Marcel¡¯s throat, before he narrowed his pupils. The human extended a trembling hand, keeping his palm flat. The Tilfish must¡¯ve been briefed on Terran mannerisms, because she placed a delicate leg atop his fingers. ¡°Well, at least someone on this rock has a conscience,¡± the vegetarian wheezed, jerking his arm back. ¡°Where can we set up shop? With any luck, the ground occupation will get rolled back soon.¡± Birla flicked her antennae in the city¡¯s direction. ¡°F-follow me. Please. The¡ªthere¡¯s a few things you should know.¡± Marcel tucked his hands behind his back, trying to look formal as the squad leader. The medals on his chest were recent adornments. The new Secretary-General issued them to anyone wounded in defense of Earth or the cradle. I couldn¡¯t think of anyone who deserved a commendation more than my friend. ¡°Go on, he¡¯s listening,¡± I chimed in. ¡°Is there something to be concerned about, General?¡± Birla clicked her mandibles. ¡°We¡¯re¡­having t-trouble with unrest and dissidents. M-mass protests¡­many people don¡¯t want a human invasion.¡± Marcel raised his eyebrows. ¡°That doesn¡¯t surprise me at all. How bad is it?¡± ¡°The exterminators pulled t-together some rogue generals. They¡¯re offering a bounty for every human killed. We¡¯d deal with it, but the surrendering members complied with your disarmament demands.¡± Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°And the anti-human factions didn¡¯t hand over their weapons, leaving your government with no way to stop them.¡± ¡°Exactly. L-look, not every p-protestor is violent¡­there¡¯s demonstrations everywhere, like I said. I don¡¯t know if you allow such things, b-but¡­¡± ¡°Last I checked, the UN affirms the right to free speech. But we may impose martial law, until things settle down.¡± The Tilfish general shuddered with relief, before climbing onto a monorail train. The insectoid retreated to the furthest corner as the Terrans piled in, and automated doors sealed us in the tight space. Marcel ensured that all equipment was brought aboard, before leaning against a wall. I nuzzled his elbow, desperate for attention. The human smiled, as he tickled my chin. ¡°You are still adorable, Slanek. You could get away with anything.¡± ¡°Anything?¡± I repeated, with a devious ear flick. ¡°What if I told the Tilfish that you want to give her a belly rub?¡± ¡°No! You little shit¡­you wouldn¡¯t.¡± I didn¡¯t respond, turning to the window with a contented stare. Marcel withdrew his hand, crossing his arms with an irritated huff. The vegetarian noted the mirth in my eyes, as the supersonic train hurtled along. But the playfulness seeped out of my demeanor, once I caught glimpses of the chaos. Judging by the corpses in the streets, stampeding began prior to our arrival. The human soldiers peered out the windows, though the carnage was an unfocused blur. Bringing a predator military to a homeworld inspired panic, especially for the stated purpose of an occupation. The grisly sight reminded me of the cradle, when we rescued Nulia. Whatever the Tilfish once were, this is not hunter behavior. The public sure isn¡¯t lumping themselves in with humans. General Birla twisted her antennae, scrutinizing the predators¡¯ responses. I half-expected Marcel to stop the train, and rush off to help the victims. Instead, the red-haired human pursed his lips with discomfort. Our top priority was subduing the populace, and making the area safe for Terran travel. The train glided to its stopping point, a terminal which emptied into a city square. The humans continued to gawk at the scenery, while clutching their guns tighter. Tilfish protestors were packed into the square; the ones that hadn¡¯t fled the settlement came out as a welcoming party. Insect bodies spanned as far as the eye could see. ¡°Good grief. We¡¯ve got to get them to disperse,¡± Marcel muttered. ¡°A gathering of this size, in our faces¡­¡± The vegetarian conferred with several comrades, before the grunts began assembling equipment. I hoped there was non-lethal weaponry in their cache. These were civilians exercising sapient rights Earth validated. It would disappoint me if humanity began their reign by squashing all expression. General Birla clicked her mandibles. ¡°You n-need a way through the crowd? We s-saved armored vehicles for you. Please¡­n-no massacre.¡± ¡°Will humans even fit in your trucks?¡± Marcel asked, with raised eyebrows. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine your sitting arrangements are meant for us. These train seats look like step-stools with six tiny holes inserted.¡± ¡°We replaced t-the upholstery with biped-designed seats. Like we use with Venlil or Kolshian guests.¡± The Terran soldiers lugged some sort of speaker out of the train. The predators clambered atop a vehicle¡¯s hood, and secured the acoustic device to the roof. Marcel hopped into the flatbed, which I took as my cue to follow. These trucks were not self-driving like the ones on Earth; another human moved behind the wheel. Tilfish protestors jeered at the sight of us. Several individuals sported homemade exterminator gear; lighters and matches were among ¡°weapons¡± I saw. My human shouted for every friendly to stay behind the truck, before bringing a microphone to his mouth. ¡°Please return to your homes,¡± Marcel barked. ¡°Martial law is in effect until further notice. Public gatherings are not permitted until the United Nations has secured the area. Locally-sanctioned curfews will be enforced.¡± ¡°Die, predator scum!¡± a voice shrieked. More followed in quick succession. ¡°We¡¯re not like you, no matter what any Kolshian says!¡± ¡°I will not be your cattle.¡± ¡°Human filth don¡¯t belong on Sillis. BURN!¡± Chants of ¡®Burn¡¯ swept across the gathering, and the agitated protestors closed on our position. This was no longer about sapient rights; the situation changed the second they threatened my friends. Nobody was going to torch my human alive. The thought of him suffering again twisted my heart. The blinders were helpful in narrowing the scope of the incident. I focused on compartmentalizing my emotions, listing the facts to myself. We were the ones with guns, backed by a predator army. Even if the situation worsened, all I needed to do was pick off a single target. You can do this, Slanek. Your fear does not control your actions. You want to protect Marc. I raised my gun with a steady grip, but Marcel¡¯s eyes widened in alarm. He pushed the barrel down with a palm, shaking his head. My ears pinned back, not sure why the human stopped me from defending myself. Wasn¡¯t that what they wanted me to do? ¡°Killing should be a last resort,¡± the vegetarian hissed. ¡°Always. Life is a precious thing. Non-lethal options are going to be exhausted first.¡± Marcel fiddled with the settings on his speaker. There was nothing audible to my sensitive ears, but waves of Tilfish halted in their tracks. The insects began clutching audio sensors, and some vomited. The device must be concentrating amplified sound in a narrow beam; none of the humans behind the truck were affected. There was the verdict: Terrans weaponized everything. Marcel, as gentle as he was, had planned for the eventuality of disorder from the beginning. I imagined he¡¯d also brought other tools in case the sonic attack didn¡¯t work. The predators always had a backup plan or a contingency, since I¡¯d worked with them. UN soldiers began firing grenades into the crowd, which drew a cacophony of screams. But rather than maiming the civilians, it dispersed a milky gas into the air. I wondered if it was a sleeping vapor, at first. The effects kicked in almost immediately, leaving Tilfish crying and coughing. Blinded, several staggered out of the gas cloud in a loopy panic. I winced with sympathy at the collapsed bodies, recognizing that they were in severe pain. Perhaps the unruly Tilfish would take this as proof of human cruelty, but I saw it for what it was. It was an attempt to incapacitate a hostile group, without any desire to kill civilians. These measures flourished on Earth, due to the violence of Terran stampedes. Marcel cleared his throat. ¡°Please disperse. We do not wish to arrest or harm anyone. A designated time will be set to air grievances in a civilized manner.¡± The vegetarian spoke in an impassive voice, like this was an ordinary decree. Some Tilfish heeded his warning this time, trying to escape the jam-packed square. The agonizing weapons must¡¯ve made them rethink swarming the predator¡¯s locale. The humans took the crowd¡¯s disorientation as a chance to push forward. Our vehicles rolled ahead, with a line of soldiers leading the way. UN guards in stampede gear began grabbing a few Tilfish, and wrangled them into custody. Unwilling insects were hauled away from their friends, shrieking and writhing. Marcel repeated his warning about the planet being under Terran control. The sight of advancing predators, bulked up from head-to-toe, was enough to spark flight responses in all but the boldest few. With the civilians flushed out of our immediate vicinity, we could find a campsite. ¡°You are efficient,¡± General Birla decided. ¡°Much more organized than the grays. And you took p-prisoners...¡± Humor flickered in my human¡¯s eyes. ¡°We¡¯re not going to execute people off the streets, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re implying. Our job is to stabilize the region, and integrate Sillis as a UN vassal.¡± ¡°What does our planet look like under your rule? I w-worry about being beholden to predators. Especially if¡­we are what they say. We might, uh, regress.¡± ¡°Annexation comes with certain rights and privileges, unlike total war. We¡¯re not forcing anyone to modify their lifestyle or beliefs.¡± For all the baseless fears, of human predation being contagious, not a single Venlil in the exchange program developed an appetite for murder. What I had been forced to do was broaden my horizons. Earth was untamed and dangerous; the perilous environment helped me modify my beliefs. The idea of controlling my instincts, and tolerating some risk, became palatable. I achieved feats I didn¡¯t know were possible, for someone of a meek disposition. Humans challenged my preconceptions at every turn. Their friendship and their empathy, how my bond with Marcel was close as family¡­that impacted me more than binocular eyes ever could. ¡°Getting paired with Marcel is the best thing that ever happened to me,¡± I said. ¡°He is patient and kind. You can trust him.¡± The human bared his teeth. ¡°Thanks, buddy. We make a good team.¡± Our exchange hadn¡¯t convinced the Tilfish general, but I saw hope in her story. A single official had the conviction to stand up for the predators; to believe that they deserved to live. Sillis had been relinquished without a drop of bloodshed so far. Even if it was a disproportionate balance, some civilians could come around. Marcel outlined plans for humanity to cement a foothold in the city, and gather a tally of its populace. The masses were in shock from Cilany¡¯s interview; they needed help deriving meaning. We¡¯d spend a few days getting settled, before we reclaimed rogue areas. Havens for anti-human extermination officers and military leaders were the real issue. Clearing those territories might be where the Terrans summoned their lethal arsenal. The United Nations would have this newly-conquered world brought to heel, one way or another. --- Chapter 74 Memory transcription subject: Governor Tarva of the Venlil Republic Date [standardized human time]: November 28, 2136 It shouldn¡¯t have been complicated for species to denounce the Federation¡¯s actions. The issue was that some saw the gene rewrites as merciful, and couldn¡¯t pinpoint the moral conundrum. The United Nations opened their doors to former omnivores, launching genetic research and sharing biology lessons. As the Venlil always did, we placed our full support behind the predators¡¯ actions. Launching the lab-grown meat initiative proved easy, with some quick thinking from Terran diplomats. Human refugees worked the operation, and passed it off as a desperate attempt to feed Earth. It was announced later that the predators were selflessly handing over their food supply, in a deal they brokered with the Arxur. I wasn¡¯t involved at all, so the political blowback might pass over me. If this exchange goes smoothly, humanity will be able to say that they rescued millions of Venlil. Using frozen cell samples from Earth, we¡¯d churned up enough meat for the trade. It was a sickening process, but I reminded myself of the cause. The Terrans facilitated the release of Arxur prisoners from the cradle as well; our side of the bargain was upheld. I was stuck waiting anxiously for the results, with Noah and Sara. Hospitals across the habitable zone were prepping for the influx of patients. Many humans volunteered to help the rescued Venlil, but they were ordered to wear full concealment gear at all times. We didn¡¯t want the former cattle assuming they were transferred from one predator¡¯s custody to another. Sara squeezed my shoulders reassuringly. ¡°Your people will be here any minute. We have no reason to assume that Isif will betray us.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about trusting an Arxur,¡± Noah growled. ¡°True herbivores like the Venlil must have a lower status than ever, with the recent news. The Dominion could decree that they belong as cattle.¡± I took a shuddering breath. ¡°Noah is right. Why hasn¡¯t General Kam communicated anything? Did the grays attack us?¡± With uncanny timing, my holopad buzzed in my grip. It appeared to be the Venlil military frequency, with the right encryption and validations. My prosthetic tail bunched up with anticipation, and I tried for a placid expression. News of a successful rescue would be a welcome sound. The face that flickered onto the vid screen was no Venlil though. It was the scaly visage of an Arxur, with slit pupils directed on camera. Fear rippled through my veins; I wondered why we were being contacted by a reptilian. It took a substantial effort to soothe myself, reminding my brain that the predator couldn¡¯t attack through a holopad. Once I got my bearings, I used a chipped tooth to identify the creature as Isif. ¡°C-chief Hunter?¡± My voice sounded more like a question, but I managed to gasp out the words. ¡°Was there something wrong with the parcel? T-the humans meted out the allot¡ª¡± The Arxur leaned back. ¡°No, everything went smoothly. The liberated cattle were sent to an abandoned colony, where your people picked them up. Your transports are approaching Venlil Prime now, so I would make preparations.¡± ¡°Okay¡­good. How did you access this c-channel? And why?¡± ¡°Study and observation. Venlil ships have poor security protocol. I mean no insult, it¡¯s a simple fact. Anyways, I wished to thank you for your cooperation.¡± The reptilian growled with discomfort, avoiding eye contact. It was clear he¡¯d never extended gratitude before. Assuming he spoke the truth, it was a relief to hear that everything had gone according to plan. I was nervous about announcing the result to the public; the humans needed to dress the news up with a meticulous brush. ¡°I j-just wanted¡­to free my people. No sapient creature deserves to live like that,¡± I stuttered. Isif curled his lip. ¡°I have never liked what we do. The news from Aafa, you know what I¡¯m referring to, is a gut punch. Some in the Dominion are moving the goalposts to what qualifies as a predator, but not everyone is alright with eating ¡®true sapients.¡¯ Not my words.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t seem torn up about your diet.¡± ¡°I already believed that we were eating ¡®true sapients¡¯, Governor. I must dissociate myself from such matters. When there is no choice, responsibility cannot be assigned. It did surprise me that the Arxur are not the first victims¡­but it does not impact my judgment.¡± ¡°Victims? The Arxur?¡± ¡°One can be both a victim and an oppressor. Your kind, my kind, we are alike in that way. Life is complex.¡± The Arxur scanned the camera frame, noting the humans in the background. Outrage flashed in his eyes, as he saw the obfuscating gear. Nobody forced Noah and Sara to hide; the United Nations agreed that freed cattle wouldn¡¯t befriend predators. They chose to help the traumatized souls despite those hurdles. ¡°I confess, I had another reason for this call. Secretary-General Zhao is not a man of words,¡± Isif growled. ¡°I knew if I contacted Tarva, I could cut through the red tape. Get on the line with UN diplomats, yes?¡± Sara shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m a scientist, who happened to be on the first contact team. My expertise is biology and environmental science, not politics.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the Venlil ambassador, but only because I led the first contact mission. No one expected to chat with extraterrestrial life. I¡¯m not trained for this either,¡± Noah agreed. The Arxur lashed his tail. ¡°Noah and Sara¡­I know of you both, and I do not care about your experience levels. Humanity¡¯s handling of the subjugated worlds is shaving scales back on Wriss, not in a good way. Claiming Tilfish territory as your jurisdiction, and demanding that we stand down?¡± ¡°The Tilfish surrendered to us,¡± Noah retorted. ¡°The Arxur shouldn¡¯t be attacking anyone on our side.¡± Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. The Chief Hunter flared his nostrils, and threw a sideways glance at me for support. I offered a submissive tail swish. The last thing I wanted was to get involved in a dispute between humanity and the Arxur. That said, I was surprised that the United Nations hadn¡¯t allowed their carnivore ¡°friends¡± to finish the glassing. Sworn enemies weren¡¯t worth a deadly confrontation with the grays. Isif¡¯s eyes narrowed to intimidating slits. ¡°Let me restate the issue. I am in charge of only one sector, and by taking Sillis, you pissed off another Chief Hunter. One who¡¯s not as forgiving, charming, and flexible as myself.¡± Noah jabbed a finger at the screen. ¡°Tell that commander conquering a surrendered state is the human way. We do things differently.¡± "Try again. I need a convincing reason not to ignore your tactless decree. We could finish the orbital campaign, regardless of human presence. For the life of me, I do not see a reason to spare someone who attempted your extinction. We should kill the Tilfish, and the Harchen too.¡± ¡°Glassing resources, that could be under our control, is just wasteful. Whether you want a planet for food, precious metals, labor, or fuel, conquest keeps everything at your disposal, forever. We are willing to provide the Arxur with compensation¡­a slice of the pie.¡± ¡°Not to mention, the Tilfish are former omnivores. The more data we have on the Kolshian¡¯s ¡®cure¡¯, the more we can learn about the Arxur¡¯s history,¡± Sara chimed in. ¡°We can protect ourselves, in case the Federation attempts to use biological warfare again.¡± The Chief Hunter scrutinized the humans for several seconds. Earth needed to discover a way to reverse the modifications, if only to safeguard themselves. Helping altered species recover their natural state was a bonus. ¡°Duly noted. I will convey your desire for a larger, sustainable catch,¡± Isif said. ¡°Take care. Good luck with your rescue, Governor Tarva.¡± I flicked my new tail. ¡°I l-look forward to our next conversation, C-Chief Hunter Isif.¡± The Arxur ended the transmission, and I fell back into Noah¡¯s strong arms for comfort. With the cattle en route to the hospital, I had to pull myself together quickly. Anything that would shatter the impression of safety had to be concealed. The humans understood this program was about those poor souls¡­millions of them. We¡¯ve never done anything on this scale. Reintegrating these broken Venlil might be more difficult than the exchange part. Multiple transports docked at the drop-off area of the hospital. Venlil medical professionals barked orders, with an assertiveness that might¡¯ve come from humans. Even the rescues without visible injuries were brought to a hospital room, for check-ups and therapy. Noah and Sara checked their gear, as we heard gurneys rolling down the hallway. The Venlil pair that were rolled into our room were a sorry sight; sympathy stabbed at my heart. Their fur was mangy and matted, soot-colored from grime accrual. Both of their eyes were glassy, unresponsive to any stimuli. I could see brands torched into their neck, similar to the script I¡¯d seen on Isif¡¯s keyboard. Noah and Sara rushed to lift each Venlil onto a bed. The first patient screamed at their touch. The predators flinched from the noise, before massaging her neck with calming intent. They hoisted the rescue onto the mattress, affected by her pitiful bleats. The two Terrans fluffed the pillow, and swaddled her in a blanket like a baby. ¡°You¡¯re safe now,¡± Sara whispered. ¡°We¡¯re coming right back.¡± The humans walked to the other rescue assigned to us, a male. They made sure to approach head-on, forgetting that our peripheral vision was expansive. The Venlil shook as they picked him up, digging his claws into Sara¡¯s hair. The Terran scientist disregarded the poking sensation, and stroked his pinned-back ears gently. ¡°This is home, Venlil Prime. We can reunite you with your families.¡± Noah spoke in a higher voice than normal, trying not to growl. ¡°We¡¯re going to help you. Can you tell me your names?¡± The male rescue shuddered. ¡°One¡­f-five¡­¡± ¡°No, that is not your name. You¡¯re not a number; you¡¯re a person. With hopes, dreams, and a future.¡± ¡°I t-think I¡­used to b-be called¡­Glim. Glim.¡± The Terrans dipped their heads, and Sara scrawled the name on his bedside chart. She retrieved a water glass, tensing as Glim lapped the liquid like an animal. I sprang into action, offering water to the female Venlil. She was rocking back and forth in the blankets, teary eyes sealed shut. It must be overwhelming, to return to society after so long. I retrieved a brush, and began to untangle her curly fur. It reminded me of how I used to comb my daughter¡¯s neck, while her father packed her lunch for school. Forcing that memory away, I got to work on the testy knots. The rescued Venlil went stiff as a board, sinking back into a listless state. ¡°You can rest if you want. You¡¯re safe, really,¡± I murmured. Her eyes reflected the harsh, artificial light. ¡°I k-know you. V-venlil ambassador T-tarva. I know you¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I am Tarva. I¡¯m the homeworld governor now. I¡¯d love to hear your name.¡± ¡°Haysi. W-we met¡­you probably don¡¯t r-remember. I ran the Venlil Museum of History, used to ask you for F-Federation grants. Yes¡­that¡¯s right. It¡¯s like t-that was someone else.¡± That did strike a faint recollection from my mind. Noah¡¯s breath hitched, belying his concern. Perhaps that was in reaction to her strained voice, which sounded raw from disuse. Her words lacked the warm cadence of the Venlil dialect. ¡°Haysi, I¡¯m glad that we met again. That person was you, not anybody else,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m sure the Museum would love to have you back, when you get better. You¡¯re going to get better.¡± It was touching to see how patient the predators were, with empathy on par with my own. Sara followed my example, untangling Glim¡¯s pelt. A wash would do the two Venlil good, allowing them to feel sapient again. The Arxur had stripped these poor souls of their dignity, and a little grooming might return some normalcy. Noah knelt by Glim¡¯s bed, squeezing his paw gently. ¡°What was your old profession, buddy? Maybe we can get you back in the field too.¡± ¡°D-dangerous¡­how I got captured,¡± the Venlil stammered. ¡°Colony work, I t-think.¡± ¡°We¡¯re starting our own colonies now. Sent out a few ark ships after, er, never mind. Do you remember the specifics of your work? ¡°P-preparing untamed areas for habitation. Extermination officer.¡± The human ambassador jerked back, like Glim had struck him in the chin. Sara paused at the brushing task, and processed the new information. If this individual was someone who killed predators before his capture, there was no reason to think Arxur mistreatment changed his stance. I could imagine Glim¡¯s absolute horror, when he realized who he was speaking to. For a second, I thought both humans were going to abandon the assignment. The two of them would feel uncomfortable, at best, caring for a predator-killer. It would make sense if the Terrans requested a transfer, and found someone more suitable to work with. Noah took several deep breaths, before rising to his full height. ¡°Extermination officer, huh? That¡¯s a controversial profession, these days,¡± the human said. Glim squinted. ¡°Controversial? W-why?¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about it. We¡¯ll fill you in on recent events later, but there¡¯s no need to rush your readjustment.¡± The extermination officer seemed unsatisfied with that answer, but he didn¡¯t press Noah further. It was a positive sign to see a spark of interest, however fleeting. Curiosity would give the rescues back their agency. But I could only imagine their reactions, when they discovered our close alliance with predator neighbors. Predator neighbors who were supposed to be dead. And were written off as warlike monsters. ¡°Who are you? W-why do you cover your face?¡± Haysi squeaked. ¡°I don¡¯t recognize you.¡± Sara cleared her throat. ¡°We¡¯re, um, Gaians. This mask is a cultural thing, as is the attire. We made first contact with the Venlil Republic four months ago.¡± ¡°You discovered FTL on your own? Before the Federation found you?¡± ¡°Yes. Sort of.¡± Both Venlil studied the ¡®Gaians¡¯ with confusion. Any intelligent being would notice the pieces weren¡¯t adding up. As much as I wanted to welcome the former cattle back to our society, the humans presented a challenge. It was difficult enough for normal Republic citizens to tolerate our unique friends. I hoped the Terrans could find a way to keep the truth under wraps, for the time being. Chapter 75 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, United Nations Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: November 28, 2136 An observer that only witnessed the clash between the Federation coalition and the humans wouldn¡¯t notice the Kolshians¡¯ strength. But watching Commonwealth heavyweights scrap with the Mazics, it was clear they knew more about martial policy than they let on. Their fleet stayed on the move, with tactics that bordered on predatory. One ship would distract a defending vessel, while others flanked it and cut it off from its allies. The Mazics had several disadvantages, to make matters worse. They were tied to the defense of Khoa, similar to humanity¡¯s pitfall while protecting Earth. Their ships were also large and slow-moving, as they had to be spacious enough to accommodate the bulky mammals. Speedy cruisers, like Slanek and Marcel¡¯s patrol boat, didn¡¯t exist in their arsenal. Tyler straightened his jacket. ¡°Gojid, what¡¯s the situation? Friendly casualties?¡± ¡°The Kolshians managed some lucky hits with the ambush fleet. Our tally¡¯s down about a hundred, give or take.¡± ¡°I should¡¯ve clarified. I was asking about the Mazics. Optically, it looks like they¡¯re getting overrun on the viewport.¡± ¡°Good news? The enemy were holding back, until we got here. Needed to drag this on long enough to lure us in. But the Mazics are getting their teeth kicked in, sir. Point defenses are inoperable on both lunar satellites, and their ship count is bleeding.¡± Onso maneuvered the viewport, while his reddish ears pricked up. Our warship was blazing toward Khoa¡¯s orbit with the rest of the UN fleet. The lush vegetation across the planet was mixed with city lights, without any ashen patches. Sensors confirmed what my eyes told me, with no signs of residue from a bomb. The six billion souls on world were safe, for now. However, Federation vessels were encroaching on the Mazic¡¯s inner sanctum. Friendly resistance had become negligible, the marker of an overwhelming defeat. Escape pods were jettisoned from a few craft, but the Kolshians pounced on any they saw. It was bizarre to watch a true herbivore receive predator treatment, just for defecting. I hope Venlil Prime is heavily fortified. They must be viewed as the biggest traitors of all¡­the ones to blame for humanity¡¯s survival. Tyler bit his lip. ¡°This reminds me of Earth. We were powerless to stop them. When our air was venting, and the captain ordered us to abandon ship¡­I knew we lost. I¡ª¡± ¡°You thought it was the end of humanity,¡± Onso finished. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Me too. Makes me nostalgic for the cradle, and that was a fucking warzone.¡± Carlos nodded. ¡°It was all simpler then. Sam and I were stationed at the Hague during the cradle landing.¡± ¡°Yeah, guard duty was better than playing war crime bingo,¡± Samantha snorted. ¡°Wonder if we¡¯re ever going to fry¡­sorry, try those bird bastards. Freudian slip.¡± Something flashed in the sandy-haired officer¡¯s eyes. Tyler¡¯s gaze darted over to me, and lingered for a long moment. The tall guy swallowed hard, looking rather distracted. The Yotul seemed clueless to his friend¡¯s deliberation, but I wondered if Marcel¡¯s packmate had stumbled upon my identity. My guards¡¯ previous post implied they would¡¯ve at least sighted Gojid criminals. Carlos pinched his nose. ¡°Where are you going to find an impartial jury? Or a legal defender?¡± ¡°Do the dumplings even deserve a trial at all?¡± The female guard bared her teeth, darkness swirling in her green eyes. ¡°I think they should commit suicide¡­you know, by bullet to the back of the head.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t execute POWs! Sam, sometimes I really hope you¡¯re being facetious.¡± ¡°Yeah, my bad, I guess the rights of murderers are a priority. A billion civvies dead is just a statistic, right?¡± As the UN guards bickered, Captain Monahan did a sweep of the bridge. Every station was in smooth order, ready for another bout of battle. Both the Kolshians and the Mazics had noticed our approach; friendlies were flooding our comms station with pleas. It must be difficult for humans to sort out which regions carried the highest importance. ¡°Do we have an intercept course¡­Gojid?¡± Tyler opened and clenched his fist, glowering at his console. ¡°Or should I say, Sovlin.¡± I blinked. ¡°Um, sir¡­¡± ¡°DO YOUR JOB! We¡¯ll deal with this later.¡± My heart leapt up into my throat, and fear slowed my thought process. Humans hadn¡¯t caused spine bristling in awhile, but my brain knew Tyler was a threat. I never meant for the sandy-haired officer to identify me. All I wanted was to help the UN win this battle, and achieve retribution. Samantha and Carlos abandoned their squabble. The male guard tensed up, in case Tyler moved to assault me. While I was grateful that he was willing to protect me, I didn¡¯t want his interference. A beating from Marcel¡¯s packmate was the least I deserved; if anything, I wished the herbivore human had struck me during his visit. Onso gawked at me. ¡°You two know each other?¡± ¡°Not¡ª¡± ¡°Did I authorize you to chat?¡± Tyler snarled. ¡°Where the fuck are those intercept routes?¡± The Yotul ducked his head. ¡°S-sorry, my friend. I¡¯ve never seen you act like this¡­it¡¯s making me uncomfortable.¡± ¡°Not you. You can talk as much as you want, Onso. I need a distraction from this chucklefuck.¡± Tyler squeezed his eyes shut, but his knuckles were turning white. I don¡¯t think the big guy realized he was granting a peek of his canines. Captain Monahan drifted past the sensors station, and worry creases lined her forehead. Our commander must¡¯ve picked up on the tension, because she hovered by us for an extra second. ¡°Status report.¡± Monahan cleared her throat, rapping the desk. ¡°Got anything for navigations? I¡¯m concerned we might be too late for Khoa.¡± Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. I squinted at the readout, and chewed at my claws. ¡°N-no viable intercept courses. We can¡¯t get there in time. S-several Federation ships are minutes from orbital range.¡± ¡°What if the Mazics stop them, or slow them down?¡± ¡°Ma¡¯am, the Mazics are all but dead in the water. I used to¡­believe the Federation would never bomb their own. I fear that¡¯s wishful thinking these days.¡± The Terran captain meandered back to her chair, with a thoughtful expression. My gaze focused on the viewport, trying to block out Tyler¡¯s sideways looks. If nobody was removing me from my duties, I wasn¡¯t going to broach the topic. A predator like myself could be helpful to Khoa¡¯s defense; this was the only way I could justify my existence. Our warship cruised ahead, well above recommended acceleration. The engines were going to be burned out, when all was said and done. The humans accepted serious risks to save innocent lives; I don¡¯t know how I didn¡¯t see their compassion from the start. The predators intended to stand up for the Mazics, even if on paper, it was too late. Farsul armor-heavy ships hung back, determining where to insert their presence. The vessels nipped at the heels of any Mazic stragglers, and executed flanking maneuvers with ease. I wondered if these would become the standard Federation model, given the new variables. Humanity¡¯s shield-breakers wouldn¡¯t be as powerful against armored craft. Those kinetic railguns better have a lot left in the tank. It¡¯ll be like biting on granite, if not. Mazic assistance calls continued to register on Terran bandwidths. The amount had dipped, which correlated with rapid casualties on sensors. The Federation was on a bombing trajectory, unimpeded; only a few hundred defenders were left. Concern was visible on the faces of many human crew members. Onso yipped with indignation. ¡°Five vessels of Farsul make, forming a barricade in our path. Should we slow down?¡± ¡°No. We should speed up,¡± Tyler growled. ¡°I guarantee, our nerve¡¯s a hell of a lot stronger than theirs.¡± Samantha grinned. ¡°That¡¯s not saying much. But I¡¯m all for painting a bullseye on their back.¡± Converted Tilfish gunships, now decked out in UN insignia, hugged our sides. The allied duo broke with our pace, and threw a little extra into the throttle. The Farsul vessels were waiting to put up an ionic barrier. They must¡¯ve noticed the magnetic bombs; it didn¡¯t make sense to establish fortifications that would be knocked out. Fortunately, our warship still toted our plasma railgun. The five hostiles waited for the tell-tale energy spike, before raising shields. Between the exorbitant armor and the well-timed barrier, our target shrugged off the blast. I could see a gash in the hull plating, but the enemy could seal off the compartment. Terran gunships went after the damaged foe, but the other Farsul condensed around their weakest link. Armor tailored to kinetics was the predators¡¯ match; these ships were designed to function past shield failures. I wasn¡¯t sure how even the humans could thwart these measures. If combat dragged on, it would waste precious time for the Mazic homeworld. Onso shoved me out of the way. ¡°We have to reach Khoa. I¡¯m going to take a look, since Gojid Sovlin hasn¡¯t done anything useful.¡± My first instinct was to challenge the primitive; this wasn¡¯t the time to make a fool of himself. Did the uplift think he could join a predator exchange program, and magically qualify for tactical roles? Fighting wars in the third dimension was a far cry from tilling fields. Humans, of all species, should understand how behind the times Onso was. I couldn¡¯t believe he was anything more than the ship mascot. The only reason I bit my tongue was to avoid provoking Tyler further. It was the officer¡¯s job to intervene here, despite any notion of friendship. However, the Yotul was correct on my inefficacy. Tyler recognizing me weighed on my psyche, and guilt made it difficult to conjure up tactics. Perhaps asking for a transfer couldn¡¯t wait for the battle¡¯s conclusion. Once the marsupial floundered for a bit, I could hand the station over to Carlos and Sam. ¡°Do ramming tactics work? We could clip them on the side; velocity and mass are in our favor,¡± Onso said. ¡°Long as we don¡¯t strike them head-on, we should remain operational.¡± Tyler stroked his chin. ¡°Navigations will need to find a perfect angle. We don¡¯t want to knock out any vital functions.¡± ¡°Well, we don¡¯t even have to take these Farsul out. They¡¯re stationary, they won¡¯t catch us if we pass them. Just need to shove the bastards aside.¡± The sensors officer relayed the findings to Monahan, who brought the nav station into the loop. Our warship drifted toward a Farsul ship¡¯s flank; the course adjustment was incremental. The Terran gunships took the lead, distracting our opponents with kinetics. It hadn¡¯t taken humans long to discover how atrocious prey were at multitasking. Our tail was angled away from the target; that was an attempt to keep the engine secure. Despite my skepticism on an uplift¡¯s capabilities, Onso was quick-thinking. I wondered if he had predator disease, with such a knack for violence. It was one thing with human hunters¡­but genuine herbivores weren¡¯t meant for aggression. Are Yotul doctors even trained in signs of predator disease? Do they screen for it in children at all? Carlos tugged me into a seat, as our collision was imminent. The male guard looked nervous, listening to crash alarms on the PA. In contrast, Samantha¡¯s eyes smoldered with venom; she showed little concern for her welfare. That predator was a kindred spirit in many ways, having lost enough to seek vengeance at any cost. Our spacecraft broadsided the enemy, hurling it out of our path. The impact sent a jolt through our frame, and my head whipped forward. A harness sucked me back into my seat; I hadn¡¯t even noticed Carlos fasten it. Several predators seemed disoriented by the crash, but navigations managed to retain control. Onso howled with delight. ¡°You guys are insane! I can¡¯t believe that worked!¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t believe it worked, then why the fuck did you suggest it?¡± I groaned. Tyler glared at me, eyes stony. ¡°You did great, Onso. If I didn¡¯t need you on the viewport, I¡¯d stick you in that spiky bastard¡¯s place now.¡± Not wishing to respond, my gaze shifted out the viewport. The Farsul craft was torn asunder, with its armor caved in from the wreck. The engine had given out as well, leaving it immobile. Momentum flung the enemy well out of position, and likely incapacitated the occupants. I couldn¡¯t imagine inertial dampeners kept up with that drastic shift. The humans didn¡¯t stop to admire their handiwork, with Khoa within reach. There were no conflicts in the nearby vicinity. Mazic friendlies had vanished from the sensor data, after their final stand. Our comms station had gone quiet long ago, aside from the occasional status request from the surface. I didn¡¯t want to guess at the casualty count. Captain Monahan was expressionless, presiding over the bridge. How could she retain such stoicism, knowing the imminent tragedy ahead? Humanity had raced to the Mazics¡¯ defense, and wrought havoc on the Federation assailants. Our victory was convincing and swift, enough so to rout the ambush fleet from shock. Hostiles reached orbital position all the same, and left the predators with no good options. I could see the Kolshians hovering above the green orb, poised to drop their payloads. This homeworld had been stripped of its defenses, and the army was in shambles. We could kill every last enemy, but I didn¡¯t see a way to stop bombs from striking the planet. ¡°Predator fleet, come in.¡± The voice crackling over the radio was unmistakably Kolshian. ¡°Change your vector now, or we will drop antimatter weapons on the planet. This is your only warning.¡± Murmurs rippled across the bridge, but Monahan raised a hand for silence. UN Command¡¯s orders to take up a holding pattern were immediate; human empathy wouldn¡¯t permit them to sacrifice civilians. Was allowing the Federation to subdue the Mazics a good alternative though? It would turn a valuable ally into a puppet state. The United Nations agreed upon our captain¡¯s name, when she offered to handle communications. Our battle-tested ship, unfortunately, carried seniority within the hodgepodge Terran fleet. The humans¡¯ original constructions were gutted during the Krakotl invasion; surviving craft were few and far between. Qualified officers were in limited supply as well. Our captain''s position was unenviable, in my view. I wasn¡¯t sure what room there was to negotiate with those tentacled liars, or what an acceptable outcome was. More baffling was that the Kolshians spoke to the human military at all. It was a blessing the predators didn''t request my input. Monahan pressed a microphone to her lips. ¡°Federation attackers, we¡¯ve halted our advance. We¡¯d like to talk. Let¡¯s find a resolution that doesn¡¯t involve innocent bloodshed, alright?¡± The captain signaled to the comms station, and the technicians extended a hail. All we could do was wait for the Kolshians'' response; predatory might wouldn¡¯t save the day here. A single bomb hitting a Mazic metropolis would kill millions, which forced us to the bargaining table. It was time to see how crafty humans were in endeavors beyond fighting. Chapter 76 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, United Nations Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: November 28, 2136 The human fleet maintained their positions, while the Mazic homeworld sat in a precarious spot. Our hail was still transmitting, though the enemy hadn¡¯t picked up. An evacuation transport soared out of the atmosphere, scrambling civilians to safety. The Kolshians nailed the spacecraft with plasma, and aimed it just right to take it out of commission. It seemed that they weren¡¯t trying to decimate it, after all. Captain Monahan¡¯s nostrils flared with agitation. ¡°Federation coalition, you fire on civilian targets again, and our ceasefire is over. We will not tolerate such actions.¡± A violet Kolshian blinked onto a holoscreen. ¡°You¡¯re not going to sacrifice the Mazics, for victory and glory? Are you actually clever enough not to show your heartless side?¡± ¡°I question who the heartless ones are, when you¡¯re the ones threatening a civilian populace. I couldn¡¯t care less about victory; we¡¯re here to save lives. That¡¯s what humans stand for.¡± The enemy commander paced back and forth, unfazed by the visual of a predator. His crew was a homogenous blend of Kolshians, rather than including aliens. The emerald surface of Khoa was visible in their viewport, along with three target locks on the sensor readout. If I didn¡¯t know better, I would think the Commonwealth officer didn¡¯t know what to do. He waved a tentacle. ¡°Damn it. We never wanted to kill them; we wanted to kill you. This fight wasn¡¯t supposed to happen like this.¡± ¡°Tell me something I haven¡¯t heard before,¡± Samantha grumbled beside me. Tyler glowered at her. ¡°Silence!¡± Luckily, my guard¡¯s quip wasn¡¯t picked up on the call; one wrong word could end in catastrophe for the civilians. I was relieved to hear the Kolshians didn¡¯t want to initiate the bombing. At least there was some morality among their ranks, however low the bar was. The Terran captain took the incendiary statement in stride, and curved her lips down. ¡°Well, why don¡¯t you fight us then? What is it that you want?¡± Monahan demanded. The Kolshian¡¯s eyes bulged. ¡°We want you to stop gaining power, predators. Nikonus is right; you show no restraint in your wars. Your aggression is the Krakotl¡¯s, a hundredfold.¡± ¡°And your solution to this perception is untampered aggression of your own? I guarantee, if you bomb Khoa, you¡¯re going to give more species reasons to leave the Federation. You can¡¯t undo millions of deaths. That blood will be on your conscience forever.¡± ¡°Then back off. You won¡¯t; you¡¯re too proud.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do that. Especially given your history of changing species, irreversibly.¡± ¡°So which city should I bomb first, predator? I hear Tlinio has a high industrial capacity¡­shame it¡¯s a bustling civilian hub too.¡± The predator captain had her hands behind her back, but I could see her nails digging into her palm. That indignation was something I shared, hearing such callous threats against the planet. It reminded me of the Arxur¡¯s disregard for civilians; the Kolshians might¡¯ve studied hunters a bit too much. Bartering with lives was dishonorable. Monahan bared her teeth, and slanted her eyebrows. ¡°That¡¯s your prerogative. But when humanity reaches Aafa¡ªand we will, we¡¯ll glass one Kolshian city for every bomb you drop here. Blood for blood. Should we start with the School of the Flora, or do you have a substitute in mind?¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°Shut up. If you surrender now, we¡¯ll treat your lot under our rules of warfare; as prisoners with fair treatment. Trust me, because of those unrestrained wars you saw, you want us to apply the Geneva Conventions. It¡¯s going to be a bad day for you if we decide those are no longer applicable.¡± I recalled my lawyer¡¯s explanation, regarding the UN¡¯s prohibition of torture. I was curious what other crimes and devices the Earthlings banished in those agreements. It was a safe bet that contraptions humans thought too depraved for use, were beyond the realms of our nightmares. All predators were prone to unfathomable cruelty; that was why I¡¯d been able to torture Marcel with such viciousness. Humans are capable of everything the Arxur have done. They choose not to¡­but nobody wants to see them go fully unhinged. Fear flashed in the Kolshian commander¡¯s golden eyes. The intensity in Monahan¡¯s hungry gaze brought extra weight to her threat; it was like staring into the countenance of death. That unyielding scowl was an assertion of dominance, whether done consciously or not. I found it difficult to shrug off her animosity, though it wasn¡¯t directed at me. ¡°I¡¯d r-rather die than see any of my men surrender to you. As for Aafa, you wouldn¡¯t flaunt your cruelty while masquerading for the prey,¡± the Kolshian hissed. Monahan bobbed her shoulders. ¡°You¡¯re confused. Either we¡¯re aggressive predators that can¡¯t control ourselves, or we do show restraint. Pick one.¡± ¡°I¡­you¡¯re twisting my words! Alien freak.¡± ¡°I have no time for petty insults. What is an acceptable way to get you far, far away from this system? That¡¯s what we all want.¡± The Commonwealth officer sported a stricken expression. Hatred sparkled in his eyes, and he stole a glance back at his bridge crew. No captain wanted to watch their subordinates die. I always felt responsible when my plans went awry, and casualties ensued; decisions traced back to the commander. The Kolshian saw in the underlings¡¯ faces, how much they longed to escape from the predators. The prospect of being hunted by humans terrified them; Terrans were too methodical to outwit. The Arxur could get sloppy due to their food aspirations, but the primates treated war like a mathematical equation. They sought the simplest solution to render the enemy dead. ¡°Let 1500 of our ships leave, and don¡¯t attempt to pursue them. A few hundred of us will stay behind,¡± the enemy leader decided. ¡°You so much as scan us, I will order Khoa bombed with the remainder.¡± Monahan straightened. ¡°A smart decision. You don¡¯t want to lose so many ships, with all the souls aboard. The UN will allow you to flee; that¡¯s acceptable to my parameters.¡± Onso scoured the viewport, as ship activity picked up around the planet. The Terran fleet opened avenues for enemy departures, and made no efforts to engage them. The more hostiles we cleared out of the area, the lower the maximum casualties were. This was a step in the right direction, as far as I was concerned. The Yotul shook his head. ¡°Should I prepare for pursuit? We can¡¯t just let those bastards leave.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll wait for the captain¡¯s orders, but I imagine we¡¯ll honor our word. It sets a good precedent, to be able to negotiate,¡± Tyler answered. Carlos shot a glance at Sam. ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking, but it would be nice to have options on the table. Maybe they¡¯ll even start letting us surrender, giving us sapient rights.¡± Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. The female human snorted. ¡°Dream on. They like us better dead.¡± ¡°Sometimes, I think the Federation likes us better dead too. But the truth is, they don¡¯t care about us at all,¡± Onso spat. ¡°Did you know they offered to destroy our railroads and steamboats?¡± My eyes narrowed, at the uplift¡¯s distortion of events. The Federation weren¡¯t my favorite faction anymore, but clearing out obsolete technology was helpful. I didn¡¯t understand why the humans were giving him sympathetic looks. Disgust crossed Tyler¡¯s expression, and Carlos wrinkled his nose as well. I chewed at my claws. ¡°Well, you don¡¯t need them anymore. You¡¯re stuck in the past, Onso. No reason to keep relics around.¡± Onso curled his lip. ¡°That¡¯s what they said! They called it a celebration, as they demolished our shipyards. Maybe we still like the things we built.¡± ¡°But the Federation¡¯s tech is better. Is this about pride?¡± ¡°Pride is not seeking your own identity. Fuck you!¡± Carlos swatted my neck. ¡°Erasing someone¡¯s culture and beliefs is a form of genocide. I¡¯d think you of all people would understand that, Sovlin.¡± Tyler glared at me, before storming off to comfort Onso. The mention of my name was enough to make his blood boil; the wedge between us hadn¡¯t been dealt with. My wrongdoing wasn¡¯t his fault, and it had never been my intent to disrupt his work. When the current crisis was resolved, I owed the tall human an apology. The fleeing Kolshians had put some distance between themselves and Khoa, while rushing to escape the FTL-disruptors¡¯ range. I imagined they were looking over their shoulder for pursuing predators. None of them eased up on the accelerator, since being the herd¡¯s straggler was a death sentence. But the humans resisted the urge to chase; they rarely succumbed to hunter desires. Terrans can conduct themselves like normal people, despite their deficits. It never ceases to impress me. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡± Captain Monahan turned her back to the camera, gazing at the stars. ¡°We never had to fight. We could work to make something better.¡± ¡°Quit it with your lies. Counting colonies, 34 worlds have been wiped out since we met you. And you¡¯ve been here for four months,¡± the Kolshian muttered. ¡°We didn¡¯t start, or even bomb, any of those. It¡¯s not our fault everyone keeps attacking us, and abandoning your defenses.¡± ¡°You¡¯re in kahoots with the Arxur¡­pulling the strings even. You wouldn¡¯t attract them if you weren¡¯t rotten to the core. Humans enjoy killing, for all your empathy.¡± ¡°I enjoy stopping bad people from hurting others. Nobody else has to die today. Certainly not innocent hostages, because you hate us. On our honor, we¡¯ll let you all leave unharmed.¡± The Kolshian shifted with discomfort; it was clear he mistrusted the human¡¯s proposition. Several of the ships he left behind were making a break for it, without waiting for orders. Flighty captains weren¡¯t going to give the predators time to change their mind. It left a sour taste in my mouth, to see the enemy getting away. ¡°On your honor?¡± The Kolshian flailed with exasperation. ¡°What good does that do me? Predators deceive.¡± Monahan snorted. ¡°So do ¡®prey¡¯¡­look at you. I haven¡¯t lied to you once, nor has the human race. Please, think of the Mazics.¡± ¡°I¡­I¡¯m not a murderer. I don¡¯t want to kill children¡­herbivores. Shit, your trick is working. We¡¯ll leave.¡± The video feed switched off before the human could respond. The Kolshian ships glided away from Khoa¡¯s vulnerable surface, maintaining their formation. The Terran fleet honored the non-aggression pact, rather than confronting the enemy. The predators were here to save their allies, first and foremost. The human crew offered a rousing applause for Captain Monahan, which took the aliens by surprise. I was accustomed to the predators¡¯ noise level, after living around them for months. Bringing a Terran nearby was a fast way to dismantle peace and quiet. The poor Fissan on comms bucked in agitation, and the Venlil observers covered their sensitive ears. Onso delighted in the ruckus, however, with his primitive sensibilities. The Yotul began yipping and jumping around, like an animal. Monahan allowed the cacophony for a moment, before shouting orders to pipe down. Silence overtook the bridge in an instant. The Terran captain sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s not pat ourselves on the back yet. This was a good day for us, but I promise, the Mazics won¡¯t look back as fondly. Comms, hail Khoa.¡± The beige mammal on screen answered with immediacy. His eyes were frantic, as though he¡¯d fallen over himself to respond. Upon closer inspection, I recognized the older male as President Cupo. The Mazic leader seemed alarmed to be at the predator fleet¡¯s mercy. Their defenses were laid bare, and the poor guy was frazzled from the assault too. ¡°Greetings,¡± Monahan said politely. ¡°Do you require any aid? We¡¯re happy to assist with search and rescue. There¡¯s a civilian hauler immobilized in orbit, for starters.¡± Cupo flared his trunk. ¡°N-no, thank you. We can handle it. What payment can I offer you, humans? We¡¯ll give you whatever you want.¡± ¡°Payment? We don¡¯t want anything from you. Humanity came to your aid because we¡¯re allies. You¡¯re part of our ¡®pack¡¯ now, as I imagine you would put it.¡± The Mazic was silent for a long time. Something resembling regret flickered in his gaze, though it was gone a second later. The leader composed himself, and turned back to the camera. He appeared isolated, in a vast bunker with only a single aide. ¡°I never trusted humanity. I wasn¡¯t willing to risk my people to help Earth,¡± Cupo said. ¡°Even with Cilany¡¯s revelation, I only committed resources to your team because I saw the Federation was a sinking ship. Now, you protected us, and I am¡­sorry. Please, let us repay your aid.¡± The Terran captain chuckled. ¡°All is forgiven, President Cupo. Your choices were relatively tame, compared to the genocidal maniacs in the Federation.¡± ¡°Oh human, I stood beside those people for years. It was wonderful, all herbivores working together, in perfect harmony. How did nobody see the truth? I should have.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t blame yourself. We all see what we want to see. Just like people read evil into us, and cherry-pick our worst moments. Because that¡¯s what they¡¯re looking for.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve had to grovel and scrape for every friend you have, human, but not anymore. The Mazic Presidium will never forget your heroism. I¡¯ll set aside my best scientists to support your colonization efforts, and you can have the pick of our abandoned worlds. Unless you mind being so close to us.¡± ¡°Not one bit. The United Nations would love to cooperate going forward.¡± My ears swiveled away from the dialogue, and I padded away from the sensors station. Pronounced footsteps followed at once, and a shadow fell over my form. Without looking, I knew it was Tyler lurking behind me; he was stalking me with predatory intent. Fear pulsated through my ribcage, and my spines bristled to the point of discomfort. Swallowing, I ambled into the mess hall and swiveled around. The sensors officer¡¯s chiseled jawline was rigid, suggesting the human wanted to bite me. His teeth were ill-suited for that, but the subconscious tell was there. Those blue eyes glittered like ice, scorching into my vulnerable areas. I cleared my throat. ¡°Sir, I¡¯m sorry for my initial behavior. I panicked when you said Slanek, and I didn¡¯t want to disrupt¡ª¡± A fist rammed into my snout, before I could flinch. Tyler¡¯s punch carried phenomenal power, as his calcified bones connected with my skin. I caressed my bleeding nostrils, and the human snaked an elbow around my neck. His knee lurched up into my stomach, knocking out the breath. I doubled over, but the predator¡¯s grip kept me from collapsing. Pain overwhelmed my senses, and my conscious mind relished it. Control was slipping away, however, as instinctive panic suppressed my faculties. It took the last of my lucidity to refrain from swiping back. Tyler tightened his hold on my neck, before hurling me into a cabinet. I slammed against the upholstery, crumpling in a ball. The human marched ahead with effortless strides, and hovered over me. My heart was on the brink of bursting, seeing his malicious snarl. ¡°This is what it feels like to be physically beaten, and powerless to fight back. You did that to Marcel for a week!¡± the Terran officer spat. ¡°I¡­know¡­¡± I coughed out the blood that trickled into my mouth. ¡°I h-hate¡­myself for it. Only¡­didn¡¯t k-kill myself¡­so h-humans could have justice.¡± The predator watched me crawl on the floor, before extending a rough hand. I accepted his paw, allowing him to pull me to my feet. Rather than resuming the slugfest, Tyler helped me to a chair. He retrieved a paper towel from the sink, and pressed it to my nose. The primate stepped back. ¡°You want to die?¡± ¡°Sure, but I¡¯m a c-coward.¡± Tears swelled in my eyes, and rolled down in rivulets. ¡°Turns out I¡¯m terrible at getting myself killed, and¡­at picking out the monsters who hurt my family. It w-wasn¡¯t Marcel, but any predator sufficed.¡± ¡°Shit man. Did you ever get treatment for PTSD? What you went through was pretty fucked up. You should¡¯ve never been in a commanding position to begin with.¡± ¡°T-treatment for what? That didn¡¯t translate.¡± ¡°¡­I see. You should talk to a therapist; I know a good one. It¡¯s what Marcel would want.¡± Tyler decided our spat was finished, and left me to nurse my wounds. Was mental treatment what Marcel would really want for me? My thoughts harkened back to my cell on Earth, and the red-haired human mocking my inability to cope. I was beginning to believe that he realized self-contempt was the worst punishment. Didn¡¯t he want me to live with this misery, until death¡¯s sweet release? But Tyler knows him personally. If he says Marcel would want to help me¡­ With Khoa¡¯s rescue, I saw that humans stood for the preservation of life. Perhaps that extended to someone like myself, despite my past. It terrified me to explore my predator side; losing my identity had been devastating. How could anyone grapple with their entire life being a lie? There was one certainty, one absolute truth, in my universe now. It was that humans were the only ones that could stitch this galaxy back together. Chapter 77 Memory transcription subject: Slanek, Venlil Space Corps Date [standardized human time]: November 29, 2136 Dawn crept over the horizon, bringing light to Sillis¡¯ supercontinent. Human forces milled near a water tower, which marked the border of a small settlement. Tilfish extermination officers were holding the populace hostage, and that eliminated the option of bombing this region. Our current plan was to flush the resistance out. My heart pounded, as I rode with Marcel to the rendezvous point. The redhead had warned me that military canines were part of this operation. Fear of non-sapient predators seemed impossible to get over, but I was determined to try. Tyler had texted me videos of his dog, after the battle of Earth; it was clear the two species shared a bond. If the awful beasts are important to humans, I have to try. Being a ghastly predator doesn¡¯t inherently make an animal bad. Marcel hopped out of our truck, and I bounded after him. The oxygen-rich environment helped numb my fear, which was a blessing. The dog was sitting among the UN pack, panting with its slobbery tongue. Its soulless eyes pinpointed me, and its ears perked up malevolently. That wasn¡¯t even addressing the rotund fangs! ¡°Are you alright, Slanek? You look like you¡¯re about to faint,¡± the vegetarian growled. My tail drooped between my legs. ¡°J-just¡­peachy.¡± ¡°He¡¯s friendly, bud. These are the most domesticated animals on Earth. Hell, they were known as ¡®man¡¯s best friend¡¯¡­before we met Venlil, of course.¡± At this point, I knew the Terrans originally recruited dogs to track down prey. The non-sapients had a sublime sense of smell, but that also meant this mutt could detect my terror. Still, this introduction was something that had to be done. Marcel had to see that I accepted his hunting ancestry. Maybe it would put my predator phobia to bed for good. I offered a silent plea to the universe, that I wouldn¡¯t get swallowed whole. My paws carried me closer, and I focused on one step at a time. Every impulse pleaded to run, but I centered my thoughts around Marcel. This time, Slanek was not going to be a liability. If the animal went wild, the humans would protect me; it was their pet, after all. The hideous creature eyeballed me upon approach, and I extended a shaking paw. The monster sniffed, nostrils quivering with hunger. It opened its mouth again, and its tongue snaked toward me. Slobber coagulated on my arm fur, causing me to recoil. Its human handlers offered words of encouragement. Marcel grinned. ¡°See, he likes you! Want to pet him?¡± I gulped, not wanting to let my human down. The terror had taken the form of a migraine; the pain was a wedge expanding beneath my eyes. The dog scrutinized me, a menacing glint in its pupils. It was sizing me up, waiting to catch me off-guard. My training taught me to ground myself, and focus on controlling my breathing. I reached to touch its skull, and felt its coarse pelt against my paw pads. The vile predator released a guttural grunt, which reverberated in its chest. The malicious bark made me spring back, and collide with Marcel. Was the sable demon going to eat me? It must have decided I was prey! The mongrel stood quickly, wagging its tail. It nosed around in the dirt, before grabbing a stick in its jaw. It pranced over to me, and dropped the twig at my feet. Globs of saliva foamed on the bark, which suggested it had worked up an appetite. The creature emitted a high-pitched whine, as I stared dumbfounded. Marcel stooped over, and passed the stick to me. ¡°Throw it. Tell Dino to fetch!¡± ¡°D-dino?¡± I questioned. ¡°That¡¯s his name. C¡¯mon, let the pupper have some fun!¡± I made a mental note to inquire about the name¡¯s origin later. My throw was pitiful, landing just a few feet from where we stood. Dino scampered after it, and snapped the twig off the ground. Relief flooded my chest, as I realized this was play-hunting. The game was predatory, but it meant the dog wasn¡¯t hunting me. However, it was a little bone-chilling, to consider why dogs would retrieve objects for humans. In the ancient days, this would¡¯ve been a dead carcass dropped at its owner¡¯s feet. Was it tagging along with the soldiers to hunt the Tilfish? Would it chase them down, and report back to the Terrans with the catch? All as the primates lavished it with ¡°Good boy¡± praises¡­ ¡°That was awesome, Slanek!¡± Marcel clapped me on the back. ¡°You¡¯d create quite the stir on our internet, if they saw this.¡± ¡°Huh. I g-guess predators¡­don¡¯t eat everything in sight.¡± ¡°Do you chow down on every leaf you see? Anyhow, I want to hear you say that you¡¯re good to come with us.¡± ¡°Where you go, I go. D-don¡¯t worry.¡± The blinders kept the dog out of my vision, as we clambered into a transport. Many humans were grinning at me, and I did my best imitation of a smile. The sight cracked the soldiers up; it was nice to lift their mood, even at my expense. Terrans didn¡¯t snarl as much as they used to, ever since a tenth of their population was lost. No amount of Venlil ¡®cuteness¡¯ would change that reality. Dino plopped itself beside my paws, resting its thick skull on the floor. The beast appeared tranquil, but its ears were pricked up and alert. I didn¡¯t like its chosen proximity to me, and I found myself praying that Marcel would intervene. The vegetarian merely tousled the dog¡¯s ears, the way he did with me. Active combat was preferable to this situation; at least I was equipped to handle that peril. Our vehicle procession didn¡¯t get far, since the Tilfish holdouts had anticipated UN intervention. Spikes were laid across the main road, and fallen trees had been hauled over the path as well. Side routes were jammed with barricades as well. Humans couldn¡¯t drag those away without heavy machinery; it would take an eternity to await equipment. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. It might¡¯ve been possible to drive off-road, but footpaths had been coated in gasoline. A Tilfish could set the route ablaze, the second the UN made a move. Any open land had been accounted for as well; parks and green spaces had been flooded by local aqueducts. Even if Terran trucks could wade through the water, the muddy earth risked trapping their tires. Marcel nudged me out of the vehicle. ¡°Stay alert, Slanek. The exterminators left one route into the city; foot traffic across the roads.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a trap waiting for sure. You won¡¯t have the element of surprise,¡± I said. ¡°Thankfully, we have recon drones to scout ahead. We¡¯re not going in dark. The dog is great at picking up explosives, too.¡± Dino placed its nose on the road, sprinting ahead of the humans. I hoped the dog was running off for good. If it became a wild predator, terrorizing the local populace, maybe the Terrans would stop bringing their kind on missions. No predator soldiers made an effort to stop its departure, which suggested the mutt was more trouble than it was worth. The UN infantry readied their weapons, and surveyed the area with alertness. I mimicked their movements, though the dwellings nearby seemed vacated. Thermal feeds were relayed to their holopads, granting us their drones¡¯ vision. Tilfish were scattered throughout the town square, with many taking refuge in the extermination office. Judging by their location, I assumed those were hostiles. Enemy patrols also wandered the streets, policing the citizenry. The populace was small enough to monitor, and residents had been confined to their homes. That made it easier to differentiate between combatants and hostages; it was best if the innocents remained inside. Hunting down every last hostile would be a challenge regardless, since their forces were spread out across the landscape. I trundled ahead, jogging to match the humans¡¯ pace. We weaved around the obstacles placed in our path, and climbed over a few lengthier objects. The persistence predators were tireless as they moved, but my body ached from the strenuous activity. I noticed Marcel favoring the leg he¡¯d been shot in, so I decided not to ask for a ride. ¡°Are you okay?¡± I asked. Marcel gritted his teeth. ¡°My conditioning¡¯s not¡­peak, after being injured for months. Recovering from Sovlin¡¯s fun room was hard enough. Gotta get my fitness back up¡­rebuild strength in this leg.¡± ¡°That makes sense. We lose strength if we¡¯re sedentary too. Our scientists think that Venlil physical activity has declined alongside the native predator population. Fitness isn¡¯t as important without threats.¡± ¡°That¡¯s probably right. Likewise, a predator¡¯s¡­our fitness correlates to our participation in hunting. Which we don¡¯t do anymore.¡± A resounding bark jolted us out of the conversation. Dino sat beside a crate of black powder, which bore the insignia of mining companies. A fuse was attached, but the device hadn¡¯t been triggered yet. The Tilfish must be waiting for humans to pass by. It was the extermination officers¡¯ humor, to weaponize a predator¡¯s tactics against them. The dog¡¯s handler whistled, and it came running back with eagerness. I guess the mutt wasn¡¯t keen on escaping after all; the primates had it under their spell. Come to think of it, even a feral predator wouldn¡¯t run away from an easy source of flesh. Terrans must keep control with generous helpings of food. It¡¯s playing along, because it¡¯s learned that humans reward it handsomely. But the second they run out of food, it¡¯ll eat them alive. Whatever my thoughts on Dino¡¯s motives, it was impressive that humans trained a beast to detect weaponry. Its scouting potential was valuable to our foray, and its sensory abilities made the journey safer. Powder explosives were primitive compared to the Terran arsenal, but I still didn¡¯t want to stroll past one. Once our troops were clear of the blast, a UN soldier flung a match at the canister. It erupted with a puff of smoke, churning up the nearby dirt. Marcel waved a hand, and the combat-ready primates pressed on. There had to be Tilfish enemies in close proximity, if they planned to trigger a blast. Terran drones circled back to our position, searching for hiding hostiles. Marcel whistled. ¡°Come out unarmed; this is over! We see you. Yes, you right there.¡± Our surveillance had yet to locate any Tilfish, but the bluff fooled the unseen assailants. A trio of insects scuttled out of a burrow, and opened gunfire. I snapped my firearm in their direction, focusing on lining up the sights. After a split-second of concentration, I depressed the trigger. My bullet pierced through an insect¡¯s skull, ejecting brain matter from the wound. The humans reacted swiftly as well, unleashing a string of kinetics. The enemy hit two of our men before we shot back, but wandering out into the open spelled their demise. Predators didn¡¯t miss a clear, unobstructed target, and this scuffle was no exception to that rule. I drew a shuddering breath. ¡°T-that was my first kill.¡± Sympathy flashed in Marcel¡¯s hazel eyes. ¡°The first time is the hardest. If it¡¯s any consolation, we¡¯ve all been there¡­I still remember mine.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re human.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. Unless you¡¯re a sociopath, taking a life is something you wrestle with. You feel like you¡¯ve changed¡­and you have changed, Slanek. Just remember what you¡¯re fighting for.¡± The Terran brigade marched toward the town square. I was certain the extermination office was our first target, so this was no time to get emotional. My participation was for my friend¡¯s sake; the why was something I had no qualms over. Every bit of training was so that I could be effective, and prove to the galaxy that Venlil weren¡¯t a laughingstock. Finding the route to the exterminators¡¯ workplace was easy; all we had to do was follow the trail of posters. Several predators stopped to scan visual translators near bulletins. The human likeness, often an unflattering caricature, was visible on many of them. It was obvious the predator-killing guild took particular offense to their presence. Marcel inspected one, shaking his head as he read the translation. The caption asked, Do these look like arboreal eyes to you? A human was clutching silverware, as they stared at a Krakotl on a plate. It looked accurate to Earth cutlery, which was a nice touch. The artist¡¯s rendition had their mane sticking up in all directions, exaggerated fangs curving out of closed lips, and veins popping in dilated eyes. I ambled further ahead, and tapped a different poster. It depicted Gojids in a pen, cowering away from a human hand. Earth¡¯s silhouette was superimposed in the background, with a foreboding red glow encircling the planet. The tagline read, Asylum for all. The refugees themselves could confirm the conditions weren¡¯t nefarious; cattle ships belonged only to the Arxur. The one posted by the entrance at least had a basis in reality. It depicted an actual photograph of human soldiers dropping from the sky, as Gojid stampede victims littered the ground. Coming to a city near YOU, the propaganda proclaimed. The subtext listed an exterminator recruiting URL, specifically for volunteers to resist a UN invasion. ¡°I don¡¯t think they like us, Slanek,¡± Marcel growled. ¡°No clue where I got that impression from, though.¡± I took cover, waiting for humans to breach the door. ¡°You have an uncanny resemblance to the one munching on the Krakotl. Is that your long-lost twin?¡± ¡°Funny, I was thinking it looked more like your mother.¡± ¡°Hey¡­we¡¯re going to settle this after the battle!¡± My predator snarled, revealing his pearly fangs. The UN soldiers exchanged hand signals by the entrance, before setting a breach charge. The blast rocked the door off its hinges, and the humans stalked into the building. There were a few rifle bursts, as the Terrans picked off the Tilfish in the entryway. I shouldered my own gun, and slunk into the lobby. Smoke clouded the air, wisps visible in the dimly-lit environment. The predators were inspecting a layout of the building; their first step was to seal off exits. We knew where the bulk of the enemies were located, thanks to the drones. It was a matter of our success clearing them out. The humans were closing in on the rogue exterminators, and I pitied the fools who dared to fight back. Chapter 78 Memory transcription subject: Slanek, Venlil Space Corps Date [standardized human time]: November 29, 2136 The extermination office featured a modest array of cubicles, past the lobby. There were more employment opportunities than hunting predators. Call centers had to be operational around the clock, and another set of pencil-pushers checked web reports. Other workers researched infestations, identifying potential culprits and their method of survival. These briefings prepared the officers for a job¡¯s challenges. The humans peered around the entrance, before a brave few slid into a cubicle. No gunfire was unleashed at our appearance, so the rest of us took positions. Marcel produced a pocket-sized drone, and the device silently soared into the air. It glided over rows of cubicles, searching for any heat signatures. The miniature robot stopped near a window, and zoomed in on two Tilfish. The predators crept forward, with the same silence their ancestors used to hunt creatures twice their size. Dino mimicked their focus, as its handler whispered something to it. The dog seated itself, and I took my opportunity to distance myself. The gun felt light as a feather in my grip; it stayed pointed right at the hiding spot. Marcel poked his gun over the cubicle wall, and his comrades also shoved scopes at the Tilfish. Their mandibles clicked with terror, surprised by the primates¡¯ stealth. They bent their heads in a gesture of submission. Large predators shouldn¡¯t be able to approach without audible cues, yet humans could suppress their footsteps so well. ¡°Please don¡¯t shoot us!¡± an insectoid clicked. ¡°We¡¯re just IT workers¡­we surrender!¡± Marcel jerked his gun skyward. ¡°Stand up. Walk toward the window.¡± The Tilfish scuttled back, though their compound eyes lingered on the predators. My human shouted demands to turn around, but the enemy hesitated to comply. Something was odd about their posture, and I couldn¡¯t chalk it up to fear. Their appendages seemed folded to conceal an object. Marcel approached to search the workers; his hazel eyes were narrowed to slits. The Tilfish¡¯s thoraxes twitched, poised to strike out. Without any consideration, I lunged at one of them. The insect I tackled bucked under my grip, and kicked its cohort in the process. I clung on for dear life, reaching for whatever was in its clutches. The humans noticed the downed one was wielding a gun; that ¡°IT worker¡± was scrambling to right himself. Multiple bullets incised the hostile¡¯s exoskeleton, before he could enact his plans. Marcel pointed his firearm at the one I was riding, but he couldn¡¯t get a clean shot. The Tilfish had latched on to my forepaw, which prevented me from dismounting. I screeched, as the Tilfish slammed me against the wall. Adrenaline surged through my veins like a drug. My free arm shot toward his lens-like eyes, and I sank tiny claws into the smooth flesh. He howled in pain, loosening his grip on my other paw. My body crashed to the floor with a thud, knocking the wind from my lungs. The predators pumped the Tilfish full of lead, before he could try anything else. Some blood splattered onto my fur, painting yellow splotches across my chest. Every muscle in my body quivered, as horror washed over me. I crawled back toward the humans, and struggled to my feet. Several primates helped wipe the blood off, checking me for injuries. ¡°Slanek, for the love of God, why did you not shoot those Tilfish?¡± Marcel grunted. I straightened my head fur. ¡°W-well. I saw them reaching for a weapon.¡± ¡°I understand that. My question stands.¡± ¡°I¡­don¡¯t know. L-let¡¯s get moving.¡± Terran soldiers swept the room, verifying that other Tilfish hadn¡¯t stowed away. We progressed to an interior stairwell, which led to the upper floor. The armory was tucked by the landing, but it had been emptied of guns and flamethrowers. The exterminators found a use for every weapon in their possession. I hugged the wall alongside Marcel, using his presence to ground me. Every instinct suggested to hyperventilate, and dwell on the bloodshed I¡¯d kickstarted. But giving into those thoughts wouldn¡¯t facilitate my survival; it would hinder the UN¡¯s mission too. These Tilfish needed to die, because they were a threat to Earth. There was nothing else to consider. These rebels were the strongest advocates for joining that genocidal raid, I imagine. They¡¯re responsible for billions dead. The predators were hesitant to climb the stairwell. There had been dozens of life signatures in this building, so the bulk were waiting on the top floor. Per the tactics UN training drilled into me, this was a chokepoint. It was advantageous to defenders, and forced assailants to cover multiple angles. Grenades weren¡¯t a viable option, with their tendency to roll back on us. ¡°Is there another way up?¡± I whispered. Marcel shrugged. ¡°We could just blow this place to kingdom come, but the brass doesn¡¯t want collateral. There¡¯s no telling if there¡¯s hostages ¡®til we sweep the premises.¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t suggest dropping out of the sky. That is the human way, as I recall.¡± ¡°Intel suggests this faction has surface-to-air capabilities. Attaining a ladder is possible, but the roof is likely booby-trapped anyways. These fellas seem to want us to come to them.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. They¡¯re basically a cult, and they¡¯re cornered. They could be planning to take us down with them.¡± My human turned his gun skyward, and inched back-first toward the stairs. He popped off several shots from a sharp angle, which connected with one Tilfish. Judging by the alarmed chatter, there were six or seven defenders perched above us. The insects leaned over the railing, and rained fire on the redhead. Tension crossed Marcel¡¯s scarred face, as he ducked back under the alcove. The humans waited for the enemy to deplete ammunition, knowing they weren¡¯t conservative in its usage. My friend peeked back out, and was joined by a pair of comrades. The trio offered suppressive fire, as the Terran troops hustled up the stairs. I swallowed my nerves, which reminded me what an easy target I was. If these humans could bear the risk, so could I; this was about trusting their plan. My feet sprinted up two stairs at a time, and I joined our squad mid-way up. We had a better line of sight from this angle, which allowed us to bombard the Tilfish. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. One human dropped beside me, and another released a strained yelp. This charge was a strategical blunder, but it was the lesser evil of our options. We were hoping to scale the incline as quickly as possible. Though I was too frazzled to aim, I got off several blind shots. Whether or not my bullets contributed, the exterminators were gunned down in seconds. Panting heavily, I labored up the rest of the stairs. The predators tended to our wounded, lugging both to the top. One¡¯s binocular eyes were glassy, suggesting they were already gone. My eyes shot back to Marcel, who was the first to engage the Tilfish. Relief clamped at my heart, when I saw him hobbling up behind me. His brazenness could¡¯ve gotten him killed! Marcel tested the door. ¡°Easy now. We¡¯re going to sustain losses, Slanek. We can¡¯t let that distract us¡­we all know the risks.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything?¡± I squeaked. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to. You wear your emotions all over your face.¡± I rubbed my temples, trying to fight off a nagging headache. Dino bounded up the stairs, and began sniffing at my legs. The dog¡¯s presence was the last straw, in a situation that was stressful already. Why couldn¡¯t the damn beast leave me alone? Wasn¡¯t it enough that I was in imminent danger from bullets? The humans departed the stairwell onto the second floor, and a slew of gunfire welcomed them. I bolted away from Dino; getting shot was preferrable to his creepy drooling. This appeared to be some sort of break room, with lounge stools, tables, and a mini-kitchen in the area. The Tilfish had condensed the lounge chairs into fortifications, and upturned tables for cover too. Our position was a barren bottleneck, which was by design. Glass shattered to my left, as the window was nailed by errant bullets. Shards glinted on the floor, and reflected the sunlight pouring in. I suddenly wished I had goofy paw coverings, like the humans. My feet weren¡¯t fleshy like theirs, but pads wouldn¡¯t stop me from impaling myself. Guess the only place to hide is by the cabinets to my right. Already lots of humans cramming in there though; need somewhere less crowded. Keeping as far away from the broken window as possible, I scampered across to the opposite end of the room. Bullets whizzed past my head, and took out several humans who tailed me. A handful of us reached the other side, where an arch opened up into a parallel corridor. Further down, there were a set of doors marked with a ¡°Biohazard¡± symbol. I assumed that was where prey remains, and predator experimentation were housed. Bootsteps closed in on my position, rough and unsteady. Marcel dived through the archway, flashing his teeth at me. He huddled against the wall, and predator chemicals caused his eyes to dilate. The vegetarian sucked in several breaths, while Tilfish gunfire peppered the plaster around us. I risked a brief glance at my paw pads, which seemed clear of glass. UN soldiers retreated to the stairwell, as bullets decimated their position. My side advance was secure against a support wall, for now, but the firefight had ground to an impasse. The Tilfish exterminators needed to be flushed from their shelter, before we incurred more losses. I propped my gun up against my chest. ¡°Those bastards think they can hunker down. What about grenades now?¡± ¡°I thought you¡¯d never ask,¡± the Terran chuckled. Several soldiers readied grenades, calculating the perfect moment to strike. Human predation was methodical, a far cry from mindless chasing. Their discipline kept their units functioning as well-oiled machines. If I was opposing them, efficiency would be more frightening than an animalistic frenzy. Terrans were much less likely to make mistakes than the Arxur. I was grateful to be on their team. If first contact had gone differently, the Venlil would have been the first ones fighting them. We would¡¯ve never had the exchange program, which meant I¡¯d still see humans as monsters. What fate would befall Earth, had Sovlin gotten his mitts on the Odyssey astronauts? My friend would be dead too, and¡­I might¡¯ve helped kill him. I shook my head, not wanting to think about dreadful causalities. The predators clattered explosives across the floor, which arrived at the Tilfish fortifications. Marcel wouldn¡¯t let me carry grenades, since my throwing ability was negligible. Human arm torsion was effortless, in contrast; hunting with spears forced their ancestors to evolve precision. Enemy screams followed the grenades, as the detonations tore any shelter apart. This time, I understood that humans would capitalize on the chaos. My legs propelled me back into the room, forsaking the corridor¡¯s refuge. A few Tilfish retained their guns, but most hostiles languished on the floor. Buttery blood washed across the tile, with spatter reaching up onto the walls. The Terrans strode up to the barricades; Dino darted into the heart of the action as well. The dog subdued any Tilfish who were rising, while the humans¡¯ picked off writhing targets. UN soldiers admired the heap of bug corpses, poking a few to ensure they were dead. Our ranks sustained some damage in the fray, but we got the better end of the bargain. Marcel shuffled into the corridor. ¡°So, that door we saw. I¡¯ve learned the Federation warning symbols, and the last thing we need is them springing some ¡®cure¡¯ on us. Are they testing bioweapons here?¡± ¡°Highly unlikely. Consider where we are. It¡¯s marked biohazard because of predator contamination. You are predator contamination, lots of it, so I doubt you care.¡± ¡°You never know, Slanek. Contact with some animal¡¯s saliva might turn me into a superpredator, with claws and horns.¡± ¡°I¡¯d be more worried about that with Dino than you. You ready to end this?¡± The redhead nodded. I mulled over how their teasing behavior had rubbed off on me; sarcasm had never featured in my lexicon so regularly. It did seem like a healthy way of expressing stress, especially in extreme situations. Bantering with my predator distracted me from the nauseating fear. Upon closer inspection, the biohazard door was left ajar. Marcel nudged it with his foot, eliciting a mournful creak. The human made gagging noises, and tugged his shirt over his nose. I wasn¡¯t sure what his reaction pertained to, given my lack of smell. Was the air laced with some poison? ¡°Bleh! That acrid smell¡­¡± Marcel coughed. My gaze darted to the floor, and the source of his discomfort revealed itself. A thin coating of brownish liquid amassed, like a wading pool. The gasoline was discernible upon entry, even with blinders on. Did the exterminators think humans would trample through a blaze zone? Most sapients avoided burning alive where possible. I swished my tail with disgust. ¡°Petrol. There must be a few Tilfish camped inside, waiting to set it off.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have time for this. Playing timberwood¡¯s not on my agenda.¡± The human¡¯s teeth protruded with malevolence, as he acquired a match. ¡°How about a little role reversal? Surprise, fuckers!¡± After lighting the object in his hand, Marcel dropped the spark into the gasoline rim. Orange fire snaked across the liquid, and leapt onto any secondary fuel: walls, furniture, and Tilfish alike. My human turned his back on the inferno, and strolled back to the stairwell. While the exterminators achieved their self-immolation plan, we needed to double-time it out of here. The UN troops jogged past the break room¡¯s body trail, and skipped down the stairwell. Their longer legs allowed them to retrace their steps quickly. I lagged behind them a bit, but my friend circled back for me. Marcel scooped me up in strong arms, ignoring his own exhaustion. The human was a good herdmate; he always looked out for my welfare. I know he¡¯d never leave me behind, come stampede or high water. It was a quick journey, cuddling against his muscular form. We hustled past the cubicles and the lobby, before bursting into fresh air. The blaze had gained intensity, as it battered the upper windows. I spotted Tilfish silhouettes thrashing about, enveloped by smoke and debris. Perhaps it was unwise that the professionals made their workshop flammable by design. ¡°Guard each exit,¡± Marcel barked. ¡°Those exterminators¡¯ll either burn alive, or they¡¯ll try to evacuate. Unless they come out surrendering, shoot any you see.¡± Dino¡¯s quadrupedal form was visible among our ranks. The dog strayed from its handler, and opted to harass me again. In a rare moment of bravery, I shoved its snout away. It offered a pitiful whine, before curling up at my feet nonetheless. Its brown eyes never left me, as it thumped its tail a single time. Why wouldn¡¯t it leave me alone? It was for Marcel¡¯s sake that I didn¡¯t chase it off with my gun. I hated that mutt, just as much as the humans adored it. Once we cleared the neighborhoods of rogue patrols, this mission would be complete. I couldn¡¯t wait to achieve victory, so I could get myself far away from the feral predator. Chapter 79 Memory transcription subject: Governor Tarva of the Venlil Republic Date [standardized human time]: November 29, 2136 Venlil resources were spread thin, with millions of rescues taxing our resources. Volunteers worked to exhaustion, and human refugees chipped in as much as anyone. The predators¡¯ assistance was appreciated, but we had to monitor their interactions with the former cattle. I was certain they didn¡¯t mean any harm. However, the primates often didn¡¯t realize how terrifying their basic mannerisms could be. All it took was one Terran reacting with aggression, or lifting their mask at the wrong time. If their secret got out within this facility, I could imagine how the rescues would take the news. Would a former exterminator like Glim accept that our closest ally was a predator race? Could Haysi grasp the Federation¡¯s misdeeds, after studying our idyllic relations in history? Hey, just so you know, one of every ten races are flesh-eaters, I imagined myself saying. Oh, and our neighbors are predators; we¡¯re allied in their war against the Federation. With the Arxur too. This was a delicate situation, regardless of outside intervention. A large chunk of these Venlil were raised in captivity, and lacked any understanding of our modern society. Their language and higher thinking functions were rudimentary at best. The Arxur hadn¡¯t exposed them to other aliens, or offered any welfare services. ¡°Governor? It¡¯s your move,¡± Sara said. Haysi was laying on her stomach, inspecting the ¡°Jenga¡± tower. The former historian had come out of her shell; it was good to see her taking an interest in the Terrans¡¯ culture. Noah and Sara kept their answers vague, which failed to sate her curiosity. The humans brought this block game with them today, and used it as an introduction to their recreation. My claw tapped a loose piece near the center, and I coaxed it out of its spot. The tower quivered a bit, which sparked my nerves. The Venlil rescues leaned in with interest, alertness in their eyes. Satisfied that the structure would hold, I set the plank atop it. Noah rubbed his hands together. ¡°Wonderfully done. My turn!¡± ¡°Dear stars!¡± Glim flinched back, and shot the human a wary glance. ¡°H-how did your voice go that deep, Noah?¡± ¡°Uh, I have a bit of a cough,¡± the ambassador muttered, clearing his throat. ¡°Making it very throaty; I apologize.¡± Noah avoided turning toward Glim, which would indicate binocular vision. The predator¡¯s emotions were invisible under his mask, but the Venlil exterminator¡¯s confusion was apparent. Male humans¡¯ speech had a growling texture, which added weight to their voices. This was in stark contrast to our squeaky pitch. The UN ambassador jabbed his hand forward with no tact, and yanked a piece from the bottom. The Jenga tower toppled over, crashing to the floor. I suspected Noah had lost the game on purpose, to distract Glim. The astronaut excused himself, and sped out of the room. He realized how close he was to blowing his cover. Glim tilted his head. ¡°You Gaians are a strange species, Sara. Noah did not seem sick to me, this entire time.¡± ¡°Ah, Noah tries to play tough. I bet he¡¯s doctored himself up on cough syrup,¡± the Terran scientist responded. ¡°Something about you bothers me. It might just be that I can¡¯t read you. If you aren¡¯t comfortable taking your masks off, I¡¯d like to at least see an anatomical diagram of your species.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll look into acquiring that for you.¡± ¡°Will you?¡± ¡°That tone. What are you implying, Glim?¡± The male Venlil pinned his ears back, and swished his tail with irritation. I feared that he¡¯d already guessed the ¡°Gaians¡± were predators. However, the fact that he was irked, rather than afraid, suggested he might not have the answers yet. The former exterminator¡¯s attitude was worsening by the day though. It¡¯s positive that his spirit hasn¡¯t been crushed, but he¡¯s becoming a problem. Maybe he needs to be isolated from humans. ¡°I heard from my family for the first time in years, yet you¡¯re limiting contact to pre-recorded messages. You won¡¯t let us watch TV for entertainment, or have access to the internet,¡± Glim growled. ¡°You avoid every question we ask you. There¡¯s something you don¡¯t want us to know.¡± Sara raised her hands. ¡°That¡¯s not fair¡ª" ¡°This isn¡¯t fair! I¡¯m still in captivity in my home, here with my own people. Dodgy aliens seem to be running the show. You won¡¯t even let us go outside to get a breath of fresh air!¡± Haysi was listening in silence. ¡°Sara. T-the museum. I w-want to¡­visit.¡± Alarm coursed through my veins, as I knew we couldn¡¯t honor their requests. Humans appeared in every form of media, including fiction, and were a popular subject on our internet. Outside of these walls, Glim and Haysi would encounter Terran refugees. Millions of them remained on Venlil Prime, so they could be walking around unmasked anywhere. Sara adjusted her facial garb. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if you feel that our restrictions are unfair. We have no idea what your timetable is to readjust, and we¡¯d like to take things slowly. Better safe than sorry.¡± ¡°Sensory overload might awaken negative emotions, and slow down your recovery. Discussion of the war is everywhere too,¡± I chimed in. ¡°Maybe you two recover faster than others, but several of your counterparts are shattered. Our goals are set with the average Venlil in mind.¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Haysi narrowed her eyes. ¡°H-how did you even free us anyways, Tarva? W-why would the¡­grays let us go?¡± ¡°The Gaians negotiated your release.¡± ¡°What could the Gaians have that t-the Arxur would want?¡± ¡°Strength,¡± Noah¡¯s voice rumbled behind me. ¡°Resources.¡± Glim¡¯s pupils snapped back to the doorway. Noah returned with a bowl of fruit, and made a point of grabbing a piece. He raised his full-face mask just enough to eat the food, though his canines were still obscured. The two Venlil studied his furless chin, and his snack choice. The exterminator seemed to relax a little. Consuming plants should halt predator suspicions, for now. The Terran ambassador offered the fruit to the Venlil, who snagged a few pieces for themselves. He waved a berry-picking hand, and ushered the rescues back to their room. It was a clear attempt to avoid further questions; we had to find a way to give them some of what they wanted. Haysi hugged Sara, as the scientist tucked her into bed. The female predator patted the Venlil gently, returning the affectionate gesture. The historian had no clue who her caretaker was; compassion was a trait we once reserved for prey. Until we met humans, we assumed predators were incapable of empathy. Glim shied away, when Noah tried to adjust his blanket. The exterminator¡¯s skeptical look had intensified, following the ambassador¡¯s answer about the Arxur. Strength the grays would respect was something to be feared, and not a quality prey should possess. Likewise, the only resources that interested the Dominion was food. ¡°What d-did you mean by strength and resources?¡± the male rescue stuttered. Noah withdrew to the doorway. ¡°We defend ourselves, and we¡¯re proactive about it. We can find a scientific solution to anything¡­manufacture anything, even the unsavory stuff the Arxur want.¡± ¡°The Arxur w-want cattle¡­to eat¡­and killing tools.¡± ¡°We did what was needed, to get you back. We¡¯re going to protect the Venlil from now on.¡± Haysi whined. ¡°You c-can¡¯t protect us from them. Nobody can. Y-you¡¯re na?ve.¡± Noah shoved his hands into his pockets, but pride exuded from his posture. There was a hunter¡¯s grace in his stride; the way he strutted, arching his spine, asserted dominance. Even with the mask on, I could sense his vicious snarl. The human wouldn¡¯t stand for Earth¡¯s prowess being called into question. ¡°Oh Haysi, we already beat the Arxur once. The Federation¡¯s only victory, in hundreds of years, was because of us,¡± Noah stated. ¡°Have some faith.¡± Sara shook her head, slashing her hand in front of her throat. I scurried up to him, and tugged at his wrist. My beloved needed to adjust his behavior, because that speech wasn¡¯t prey-like at all. Usually, Noah was more sensitive to our sensibilities. Perhaps it was Glim¡¯s profession, goading him into boastfulness? I dragged the human down the hallway, out of earshot of the rescues. Noah allowed himself to be maneuvered; there was no way I could move him, without his cooperation. After checking my periphery, to see if either Venlil followed us, I took a deep breath. It was important that I used a hushed voice, to avoid prying ears. ¡°Why would you tell them that?¡± I hissed. ¡°Your species found FTL months ago, and now you¡¯re telling them you singlehandedly defeated the Arxur. How will they conclude that primitives did that?¡± Sara crossed her arms. ¡°Tarva is right. These Venlil aren¡¯t ready for the facts. Remember what sort of reactions we get, from normal people? The exchange programs? Aafa?¡± Noah sighed, throwing his hands in the air. ¡°Maybe we should get the truth over with, instead of dodging their questions and locking them up. Glim was an exterminator. Any deceit will make him double down on his pre-existing beliefs.¡± ¡°Hold your horses. I know they¡¯re going to find out eventually, but they¡¯ve been here two days. You¡¯d be compromising the identity of all of our people.¡± ¡°Glim and Haysi are strong-willed. We could break it to them, in pieces. They deserve to know who Venlil Prime¡¯s closest ally really is.¡± ¡°And w-who is that?¡± a voice squeaked behind us. ¡°Who¡­are you r-really?¡± The Terrans swiveled around to face Haysi, an instinctive reaction. Their uncanny tendency, to look right at a target, tipped off the historian. It was the sign of narrow vision, to snap around a full ninety degrees. I could see fear flash in her eyes. She had realized the truth, or at least part of it. Haysi backed away, tail drooping between her legs. Sara raised her hands, and took a careful step forward. The female Venlil shrieked, before bolting down the hallway. I could hear her nails scrabbling on the tile, as she slipped in haste to get away. The sounds of crying were audible too, amidst the screams. The poor thing just realized she hugged a predator. Oh dear. I positioned myself in Noah¡¯s path, stopping him from following. ¡°Don¡¯t chase her! You¡¯re just going to make it worse.¡± The ambassador cursed. ¡°What do we do? We can¡¯t just sit around. She¡¯s going to start a panic!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll notify the Venlil doctors, and get someone to calm her down. We should check on Glim now. He must¡¯ve heard the commotion.¡± ¡°Yeah, Haysi wasn¡¯t exactly subtle,¡± Sara said. ¡°Come on, Noah. We don¡¯t need both our patients freaking out.¡± The humans raced back into the hospital room. Sara gasped with horror, and Noah¡¯s breathing accelerated to a panicked pace. Catching up to the primates, I saw that both beds were empty. Haysi was obviously long gone, so our goal was to minimize the damage. Glim was nowhere to be found either, though. The Terran astronauts started scouring the room, since we hadn¡¯t seen the exterminator exit. They crawled on the floor, searching under the beds first. Under different circumstances, it would¡¯ve been amusing to see a human wriggle under tight spaces. But at the moment, my sole thought was locating our Venlil charges. My gaze landed on the walls and the ceiling, browsing for any clues. A food cart had been moved right under an air duct; the grate was pried open too. A clump of gray hair floated down onto my face, and I shouted for the humans¡¯ attention. Glim must¡¯ve used this passage to mount an escape. Sara whistled. ¡°Dang, we got a little Houdini here. If he wasn¡¯t an exterminator, I¡¯d be impressed.¡± The predators couldn¡¯t fit into the crawl space, and I wasn¡¯t planning to go in there myself. We must operate under the assumption that Glim fled the premises. There was no telling where he would go, and family were his only known associates. Perhaps we should start with relatives¡¯ residences, or extermination offices. ¡°We have to find Glim. He¡¯s a danger to himself, and any human he comes across,¡± I said. ¡°The world has changed since he¡¯s been gone.¡± Noah ripped his mask off. ¡°This is a fucking disaster. It wasn¡¯t supposed to go like this!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s keep our heads. What¡¯s done is done,¡± Sara offered. ¡°Tarva, do you want us to call in a UN manhunt?¡± ¡°Manhunt? I thought you d-didn¡¯t hunt sapients.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an expression. For a search party, to capture a deviant.¡± ¡°I s-see. If you think it will bring him in safely, do it. I c-can ask the public for help too.¡± Noah sighed. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. We¡¯ll do what we can. I¡¯m sorry.¡± The two predators wandered off to make calls, while I fiddled with my holopad. The hospital lockdown should have been tighter, but I never intended to imprison these people. They were supposed to be eased back into the citizenry, and learn the truth gradually. Human volunteers had signed on to give each rescue proper care, rather than to complicate matters. Perhaps their involvement was unwise, but we couldn¡¯t handle the cattle influx alone. It seemed like a good idea, to give the predators a worthy cause. Most Terran refugees wanted something noble to occupy their day. The predators needed to track Glim and Haysi down, and bring them around to our side. Hopefully, in time, both Venlil would understand the humans were here to help. Chapter 80 Memory transcription subject: Governor Tarva of the Venlil Republic Date [standardized human time]: November 29, 2136 The hospital was placed on lockdown, until every crevice was accounted for. Haysi was found barricaded in a janitor¡¯s closet, requiring human volunteers to bust down the door. Venlil took charge of the situation from there, and escorted the historian back to proper lodgings. The predators stayed away, since the female rescue was inconsolable with them nearby. Sara decided to give Haysi space, but asked Venlil helpers to leave a holopad in the room. The Terran scientist posited that a call was the best chance to plead her case. However, our most pressing priority was Glim; the exterminator was nowhere to be found. I could only imagine his reaction to what lurked outside these premises. The UN has sent out search parties, but they¡¯ve found nothing. We need to help. At my request, a Venlil driver arrived to ferry us to the local extermination office. Noah suggested to start the search with Glim¡¯s guild, and I agreed with his reasoning. However, barging into that venue with two famous humans would be awkward. UN representatives usually stayed out of the exterminators¡¯ way; that avoidance was a two-way street. ¡°Noah, I¡¯m begging you, please don¡¯t stir up any trouble. We just want to find Glim,¡± I said. The human snorted. ¡°I¡¯ll try. But I hate those people, and I won¡¯t lie about it. I wish you¡¯d dismantle their office.¡± ¡°Change happens slowly. I understand about obligate carnivores now; it¡¯s not their fault. Still, I can¡¯t take the risk of Venlil being hunted on the street.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying to let predators roam your settlements! Even we wouldn¡¯t, er, mostly. But driving entire species to extinction, burning them alive¡­¡± ¡°If you find an animal that you can guarantee won¡¯t attack us, I¡¯ll spare it. But lesser creatures don¡¯t have your agency or restraint¡­and I can¡¯t take chances. Now stop lecturing me. I never tell you what to do on your planet!¡± Sara raised an eyebrow at our spat. The female human muttered something about ecological damage, and I pretended not to hear. While her personality was less confrontational, she had railed against exterminations to any scientific outlet that would listen. Her latest attempts included examples of human farmers enacting similar measures, and discussions of zoonotic diseases. ¡°Look, I¡¯m sorry for lashing out,¡± I sighed. ¡°But it can feel like humans are bossing the Venlil around, in our own backyard. We¡¯re different than you, and the past few months have been a massive culture shock. I¡¯ve shaken things up enough.¡± Sara forced a smile. ¡°We both understand that change doesn¡¯t happen overnight, and that you can only rock the boat so much. Right, Noah?¡± The male human struck a sullen pose, but nodded. ¡°Sorry, Tarva. No problems with the exterminators; I promise.¡± Noah opened the car door for me, while Sara occupied the front seat. It was a bit disturbing that the predators¡¯ referred to that position as ¡°shotgun.¡± Was it a standard practice to gun down passerbys, when motor vehicles were first invented on Earth? I didn¡¯t understand why the preferrable seat was associated with a weapon. Sara rotated a holopad in her hands, a sad look in her eyes. I could see she wanted to contact Haysi, but was afraid of worsening the situation. Our car sped off down the road, and I whacked my prosthetic tail against her seat. Her gaze darted back over her shoulder, locking with mine. Though their interactions spanned a day, it was apparent the human and Haysi had grown attached. ¡°Put your mask on, and try to talk to Haysi. I bet she¡¯s scared silly, and losing any newfound hope of freedom,¡± I whispered. ¡°You can¡¯t hurt her through a call, right?¡± The Terran scientist twisted her dark curls. ¡°I don¡¯t know. The way she looked at us¡­¡± ¡°I looked at you the same way when we first met, and now here I am, using Noah as a pillow. It¡¯s worth a shot with Haysi. Have a little faith in her.¡± Sara took a deep breath, and slipped her face covering back on. The ¡®Gaian¡¯ extended a video call to Haysi¡¯s device, waiting with bated breath. The request went unanswered for agonizing seconds, and rang until reaching the default voicemail. It seemed the Venlil rescue wasn¡¯t in a talking mood. The scientist was quiet for a long moment, swallowing hard. The human steadied her face in the frame, and dialed the number once more. I waved in the background, hoping the preview would make Haysi curious. The voicemail began to play again, before coming to an abrupt halt. A timid Venlil face appeared on screen. ¡°Venlil Prime has f-fallen. I¡­should be¡­resigned t-to this. Why did you have¡­to give me hope?¡± ¡°Haysi, please, just hear me out. We¡¯re here because our home was attacked. Our largest cities are destroyed,¡± Sara pleaded. ¡°Governor Tarva was kind enough to take Gaian refugees, so we offered to help you as a way to give back. It¡¯s not what you think.¡± ¡°I t-trusted you.¡± ¡°I am sorry you found out like this. The truth is, my species has forward-facing eyes, and we¡¯re territorial. Because of those two things, everyone assumes we¡¯re like the Arxur. Including the Arxur.¡± ¡°M-mask.¡± ¡°We wore the masks because we didn¡¯t want to scare you. We¡¯re aware how Venlil react to us. It wasn¡¯t meant as deception.¡± ¡°No. T-take the mask off.¡± Sara lowered her head, before reaching for the straps. She pulled the mask over her skull, and straightened her dark hair. The Venlil historian froze at the predatory creature on screen. The Terran scientist¡¯s eyebrows knitted together with concern. Perhaps it was my imagination, but her binocular eyes seemed to tear up too. Haysi pressed a paw to her mouth, squeaking incoherently. I could see her swoon on her feet, as the current of fear almost swept her away. When the rescue snapped out of her stupor, she lunged for the holopad. It was a blur of panicked motion, a scramble to terminate the call. There wasn¡¯t a good-bye, or even a vocalization of her fear. Well, that went poorly. Now our historian friend has a face to put with the nightmare. With Haysi disconnecting, Sara cast a blank stare at her own reflection. I unclipped my seatbelt, hugging the predator from behind. Her lips curved upward, and she squeezed my paw. Noah offered a sympathetic smile, as he met his coworker¡¯s eyes. These two humans were my closest friends; I didn¡¯t want to see them hurt by Venlil. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Are you okay, Sara?¡± I signaled ¡®I love you¡¯ with my prosthetic, hoping the scientist had learned a bit of our tail language. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡± She offered a grateful nod. ¡°I feel terrible for adding to Haysi¡¯s trauma. Now, I¡¯m just another monster to her. What she went through with the Arxur¡­she doesn¡¯t need anything else to fear.¡± ¡°These people have serious issues, that have nothing to do with humans. You¡¯re part of our society now. They¡¯d have to learn to deal with you, regardless.¡± Noah sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know if we can ask them to deal with predators. It feels wrong. We remind them of a deeply traumatic experience.¡± ¡°Exactly. We have no right to force ourselves into their lives,¡± Sara agreed. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a decision they can make for themselves,¡± I said. ¡°Humans have been an immense help for this program, and you did nothing wrong. Venlil infrastructure would collapse without you chipping in.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the least we could do, Tarva. We want the best for these people. Nobody deserves to be treated like an animal.¡± The shriek of a siren pierced the air, as our vehicle neared the extermination office. Venlil wearing flameproof attire stood in a flatbed, with other equipment tucked behind them. A chill crept down my spine, wondering what they were responding to. Was there really a major infestation, so close to the capital? Government affairs might have to be placed on temporary hiatus, or moved to an emergency bunker. The humans gazed out the window, expressions tinged with apprehension. Our stop was a building full of professionals, whose sole purpose was to wipe out predators. There was a reason I¡¯d tried to keep the guild from interacting with UN personnel. The strongest opposition to the Terrans came from within exterminator ranks; Venlil Prime was a staging ground for their political statements. When refugees from Earth first arrived, most ¡®predator sightings¡¯ turned out to be humans. Terrans were involved in isolated cases of petty crime, though nothing beyond Venlil malfeasance. Vandalism, assault, and robbery weren¡¯t constructs of the primates. However, witnesses had a tendency to phone exterminators about Terran criminals, rather than standard police. It was a miracle that none of the confrontations ended with a toasted human, so far. I told the exterminators to defer details of human cases to police. To use guns, not flamethrowers, if necessary and unavoidable. The question is if everyone listens¡­ Sara grimaced. ¡°Do you really think Glim is here?¡± ¡°Could be. Only one way to find out,¡± Noah answered. I swished my prosthetic tail in agreement. ¡°This wasn¡¯t where Glim worked, but it would be a familiar place. Noah told him that exterminator was a controversial profession; he might seek answers from the guild.¡± The chocolate-skinned human exited the vehicle, and I wriggled out behind him. The Terran ambassador took my paw in his hand, bringing me close. Sara fell in beside us as well, with a tentative smile. It was clear the predators wanted to show unity, since exterminators would be less hostile to their governor. Then again, I wasn¡¯t a popular figure to their guild. The exterminator¡¯s workplace was modest from the outside. The stucco exterior was painted a neutral gray, which made the octagonal building look like a smokestack. The front door bore a ¡°Now hiring¡± sign, along with a list of dangerous Earth animals to report. Some of the images sent a shudder down my spine; still, I was relieved to see that humans weren¡¯t on this montage. A Venlil was seated at the welcome desk, and she looked up as we entered the building. Her eyes widened at the two humans in her lobby. ¡°Ambassador Noah, Science Officer Sara, and Governor Tarva?¡± The Venlil exhaled in confusion, though she didn¡¯t seem afraid. ¡°This is a surprise. I¡¯m Volek, with the public relations department. I¡¯ll be happy to arrange a tour, if you¡¯ll wait a moment.¡± Noah scrunched his nose. ¡°You¡¯re used to seeing humans?¡± ¡°Of course. This is the capital of Venlil Prime, where most human refugees live. Many stop by to challenge or protest our work, and we hope they leave educated on the necessity of our services. We even hired a few Terrans for pest control: an interesting concept, by the way.¡± ¡°Hold on, Volek. You don¡¯t want us all dead?¡± Sara asked. ¡°Not unless a specific human starts hunting here¡­ah, don¡¯t worry about that. I¡¯m sure that won¡¯t happen, right? We¡¯re a progressive office, so we¡¯ve terminated any employees who discriminate against you. This month, we also implemented a total ban on flamethrowers against infant animals!¡± The Terran astronauts looked flabbergasted, at a loss for words. Even I hadn¡¯t heard that the extermination officers were recruiting human employees, and scaling back incendiary devices. Perhaps co-existence between the guild and the predators was possible. It just would take time for other Venlil outposts to fall in line. Noah shoved his hands in his pockets. ¡°Where was the truck we saw going?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get me started. We¡¯ve told you people time and again not to bring your pets, and humans still sneak them in!¡± Volek flailed her tail in an animated gesture, before calming down. ¡°Another report of a ¡®cat¡¯ loose on a street. Those things are monstrosities!¡± ¡°Wait. What is a cat?¡± I chimed in. ¡°One of the most invasive, destructive predators on Earth. If you get humans to be open, they¡¯ll admit that cats have driven multiple species extinct. That felines hunt for fun, and are still common pets.¡± My eyes widened in horror. The United Nations obscured the human penchant for entertainment animals during first contact; it only became known after widespread interactions with Terran civilians. Noah insisted the practice was about companionship and pack-bonding, with non-sapients. However, this cat didn¡¯t sound anything like the innocuous descriptors he assigned to pets. My expression morphed into a scowl. ¡°Are you kidding me, Noah? Is this true?¡± ¡°Pretty accurate, yeah,¡± he grumbled. Sara scratched her head. ¡°I¡¯m not even going to argue whether cats are a problem. Our own ecologists agree with Volek.¡± ¡°Then why do you keep them as pets?!¡± ¡°Because they¡¯re cute and cuddly?¡± Noah offered. I huffed in irritation. ¡°I hate you.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Volek gathered up some pamphlets, and acted bored by the response to the cat rationale. Noah¡¯s answer must be standard for a human; it was baffling that our friends saw dangerous predators as cute. It defied all self-preservation that primates should possess. If their ancestors were prey, shouldn¡¯t their instincts spark wariness of feral beasts? ¡°Here you go,¡± the exterminator said, passing the brochures out. ¡°It¡¯s a full explanation of the scope of our operations.¡± Noah took a step back. ¡°Thanks, Volek? Listen, we¡¯re just here to ask you a few questions.¡± ¡°Happy to answer! Before you ask about me, I joined the guild ten years ago. We have a job that not many people want to do, but we know how integral we are to protecting our loved ones and our homes. Animal suffering is not the goal¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, we¡¯ve gotten off-topic here. That¡¯s completely on us. We¡¯re looking for someone.¡± The Terran ambassador swiped at his holopad, showing Volek a recent photograph of Glim. The public relations specialist studied the image, and her pupils lingered on his neck brand. Realization flashed in her gaze, as she put the pieces together. The cattle exchange was a publicized success story, with the credit attributed to Secretary-General Zhao. Volek flicked her ears. ¡°I don¡¯t recognize him. This, um, rescue escaped? Why would you think he¡¯s here?¡± ¡°Because Glim used to be an extermination officer,¡± Sara replied. ¡°I don¡¯t know how much he suspected us, but it was enough to run off. There¡¯s no telling where he is, or what he¡¯ll do.¡± I cleared my throat. ¡°Even if he¡¯s not here now, it¡¯s possible he¡¯ll turn up. We¡¯d appreciate your help.¡± ¡°Absolutely, I understand. I¡¯d like a copy of your contact information, and that photo,¡± Volek said. ¡°If any of our people see him, we¡¯ll notify you.¡± Noah nodded. ¡°Thank you. I guess we¡¯re back at square one.¡± The Venlil straightened her tail, imploring the humans to wait. She scanned a map on her holodisplay, and zoomed in on the hospital. From there, the exterminator obtained a route to the closest public transportation. I watched with interest, as she selected a tram station. Volek pointed with her tail. ¡°If I were you, I would ask around here. Lots of people on the run try to get as far away as possible. But nobody is going to make it far on foot, of course; a mile is a miracle. Assuming Glim knows the capital¡¯s layout, he might look for public transit.¡± ¡°That¡¯s actually a good idea. Thanks,¡± Noah said. Sara cleared her throat. ¡°Volek, how did you arrive at that conclusion so fast?¡± ¡°We track a few people ourselves. Investigating reports of predator disease, you know.¡± The male human gritted his teeth. ¡°Yes, we do know. Let¡¯s get going, Tarva.¡± The Terrans departed the office, and we hustled back toward our vehicle. A few pedestrians spotted the most famous humans leaving the extermination headquarters. Noah and Sara paid no mind to the holopad photos taken of them. Both were used to stares, whenever they made an appearance. The three of us hopped into the car, and set a course for the train station. If we didn¡¯t locate Glim soon, he could wind up anywhere on the planet. The rescue would become untraceable, a needle in a vast haystack. Perhaps he would reunite with the less ¡°progressive¡± extermination sects. It wasn¡¯t in humanity¡¯s best interest to let a wild card slip away. Chapter 81 Memory transcription subject: Captain Kalsim, Krakotl Alliance Command Date [standardized human time]: November 29, 2136 Total isolation was enough to drive any social creature to insanity. The humans deposited me in a musty cell, lacking any windows or light. There was nothing to occupy myself with besides tallying each meal on the wall with my talons. Seventy-five notches were carved into the stone, and I¡¯d ran a wing over each one a hundred times. My wing, which had been broken by the charming Doctor Zarn, was fully healed now. I screamed at the predators to take my cast off when they brought my last meal. To their credit, the monstrosities did take me to a ¡®doctor¡¯, whose dark pupils gleamed with disdain. Humans spoke empty words of a trial, but I knew that was mere posturing. The social hunters¡¯ compassion was absent, when I was around. Visual and auditory hallucinations plagued me, as sheer boredom set in. I had too much time to meditate on the bombing of Earth, and how Arjun might be hunting in the ruins of a city. My thoughts also drifted to what Manoj and the soldiers had done with Thyon, my first officer, in his injured state. The poor Farsul was probably rotting in a cell too, with no clue what had transpired during the battle. One second, Thyon bumped his head on my ship. The next one, he woke up missing an arm, in the predators¡¯ prison. Despite the primal fear their appearance instilled, I relished when UN soldiers barged into the room. The predators would occasionally drag me to cells with bright lights and loud noises; the guards didn¡¯t want to get their hands dirty. The worst action they took themselves was blasting me with frigid water from a hose, laughing as I ran from it. If footage of them beating a prisoner came to light, it would reveal too much to their plaything allies. Drenching me in ice-water could be passed off as a beast¡¯s bathing methods. At least when the predators indulged in sadistic fun, I felt something. Humans just didn¡¯t understand how I tried to minimize their suffering; how I only made the necessary sacrifices for the greater good. ¡°GET UP AND COME WITH US! NOW!¡± The door creaked open, flooding my sensitive eyes with artificial light. ¡°Move it, you fucking bird-brain! Do you think we have all day?¡± A contingent of humans amassed in my cell. They yanked me to my feet, and pulled at the chain wrapped around my ankle. I stumbled along, straining to remember their redemptive attributes. The beasts were capable of rudimentary compassion; they were just angry about their cultural losses. Resisting their hunger around me likely increased their aggression. ¡°Cheer up, Chirpy. Today¡¯s your lucky day,¡± a predator sneered. ¡°You have a visitor.¡± My beak parted with hope. ¡°Arjun?¡± The UN wardens gave me rough shoves down the corridor, herding me into a visiting area. The space was dusty from disuse, and each metal table was unoccupied. Humanity had no intent of allowing our families to get in touch; not that anyone from Nishtal was alive, in all likelihood. Sacrificing my own world was what truly haunted me, in those endless hours alone. A group of Terran dignitaries escorted a Harchen into the area, and my heart sank with disappointment. A traitorous impulse wanted Arjun to check on me, to reassure me that he was still fighting his battle with hunger. I knew the predator kid would become cruel eventually, but I didn¡¯t want him to devolve so young. The Harchen visitor was carrying camera equipment, and wearing a badge with Terran scribbles on it. Oddly enough, the humans¡¯ demeanor was mostly friendly, apart from their toothy snarls. The primates weren¡¯t coercing the short reptile along; a black-haired man jabbered to her about restaurants in the area. I caught the words ¡°Zurulian-Italian fusion¡± in the human¡¯s sales pitch. Why was this prey creature treated to such cordiality? Was she a traitor to her race? The Harchen extended a paw to the chatty human, who grasped it in his own. ¡°Listen Zhao, if I see something here that isn¡¯t right, I¡¯m going to report on it. I won¡¯t hide the truth, just because it might hurt your organization.¡± ¡°We¡¯d respect you less if you became a mouthpiece, Cilany,¡± the human answered. ¡°There¡¯s a reason the UN granted you citizenship. You gave us the people responsible for this mess.¡± ¡°Mr. Secretary-General, I simply believe that everyone has the right to self-determination. I¡¯ll be watching what you do to Fahl closely. Serving us up to the Arxur was a cold move. Now, you¡¯re occupying us.¡± ¡°You can thank the little birdie over there for that. We warned Kalsim, and he kept going¡­lied to his own people to convince them. He wanted to kill us, more than he wanted to defend his home. Actions have consequences.¡± ¡°I understand. Still, I hope that you don¡¯t plan to gamble with civilian populaces in the future, Zhao.¡± ¡°Plan on it? No. But a hundred human lives are worth more than a hundred million aliens, in my book.¡± Cilany narrowed her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s the kind of rhetoric that worries me. Let¡¯s just get this interview finished.¡± The Harchen¡¯s yellow skin looked flaky around the neckline, which suggested she was about to shed. From what I¡¯d overheard of her conversation, the humans had gained control of Fahl and its subsidiaries. The Arxur did the dirty work, then the primates swooped in to conquer the planet. It was exactly what I predicted to Arjun; Terrans would replicate their subjugation practices from Earth, if given the chance. Was Nishtal being forced into the predators¡¯ empire at this moment? Were Krakotl citizens enslaved to serve the power-hungry humans? I wasn¡¯t sure if that was a worse fate than the Arxur finishing us off. At least it would send a message to the galaxy, that Terrans hadn¡¯t changed a bit. Humanity needs damage control. This Harchen would know what to say to prey allies, better than a predator could guess at. Perhaps this Cilany figure achieved preferential treatment by aiding Earth¡¯s propaganda efforts. It wasn¡¯t clear what else a reporter could offer. I couldn¡¯t believe she would sell her own planet out so easily. The Harchen established her camera setup, before turning to me. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Cilany tilted her head. ¡°Captain Kalsim. How are you doing?¡± ¡°Been better. The humans never plan on giving me that farcical trial, and it wouldn¡¯t matter if they did,¡± I grumbled. ¡°Actually, your trial is scheduled for later this week. Humanity¡¯s Federation allies agreed to listen to your case alongside predator judges¡­and they got a Venlil lawyer for you. It¡¯s expected to be an easy conviction, though. Regardless of sympathy for Earth, you sentenced your own planets to death too.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re here to slander me in the court of public opinion.¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m working on a story analyzing the Kolshians¡¯ first victims, and I couldn¡¯t think of a better POW to get a quote from. After recent events, do you stand by your infamous comparison between predators and viruses?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry? The Kolshians¡¯ first victims? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, but I¡¯m not interested in a hit piece on the Commonwealth.¡± The reporter¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Wait, the humans haven¡¯t told you? About Nikonus¡¯ confession?¡± I tossed my beak in a noncommittal gesture, and Cilany reached for her holopad. The words I told Manoj and the Terran internet, regarding humanity¡¯s infectious potential, stood the test of time. Predators¡¯ higher functions were inadequate against all-encompassing bloodlust; it wasn¡¯t their fault for caving to their wiring. What information could make me recant the truth? The Harchen slid a holopad over to me, with a video clip cued up. The Kolshian presider was a familiar countenance on screen. The wrinkles on his gelatinous features likened him to a pruned berry. Why was Secretary-General Zhao listening in, and baring his teeth as I watched? I didn¡¯t understand what the purpose of politics was to me, from a jail cell. My mistrust of the reporter was growing, but this was my first social interaction in weeks. If I didn¡¯t play along for a bit, the humans would toss me back in an empty cell. My gaze shifted down to the holopad, and I decided to listen. Even from prison, I could still perform my duty to refute predatory narratives. Nikonus recounted the Federation¡¯s origin tale briefly, from his aquarium-lined office on Aafa. He only mentioned the Farsul¡¯s role, at first. Cilany chimed in with the third founding species: the Krakotl. The Kolshian indulged in a long-winded response, and clarified why my kind were a problem. ¡°¡­ill-equipped for spacefaring. We learned they were scavengers, who would occasionally go for fish as well.¡± Shock coursed through my veins, and I struggled to suppress an emotional response. The leader¡¯s statement didn¡¯t seem coerced; there were no signs of human presence in the footage. If anything, Nikonus¡¯ tone was smug and gloating, a wholly authentic admission. The talons that I used for grasping objects took on a darker appearance. The horror intensified its assault; eating meat conflicted with every value in my psyche. The Kolshian wouldn¡¯t stop speaking, as much as I wanted his words to cease. He proclaimed that the Krakotl were threatened into submission, before a genetic cure was distributed. The Farsul States¡¯ work was thorough too, with revisions to history, fossil records, and education. How could that statement be true? My life was dedicated to wiping predators off the face of Nishtal. Bloodlust never fogged my mind, even when dealing with abhorrent creatures. Killing clung to my conscience with a heavy grip, and I hated the necessity of my profession. ¡°Kalsim!¡± Cilany hissed. ¡°You look like you¡¯re going to be sick. Do you need a minute?¡± I flapped my wings with discomfort. ¡°N-no. I, um, can¡¯t imagine Krakotl as¡­predators. But it¡¯s wrong to hate a creature for existing, like I always said. If we were born that way, it¡¯s no more our fault than it is for the humans¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re not angry with Nikonus?¡± ¡°I find their success impressive. If co-existence with us was improbable, the Kolshians did the right thing. It wasn¡¯t personal¡­it was necessary. T-they avoided the unpleasantry of killing a sapient species.¡± Zhao crossed his arms in the background, and his expression hardened. I puffed out my feathers, trying to swallow the nausea. It didn¡¯t compute with my brain that Krakotl were like the humans. I should be grateful to the Kolshians, for saving me from squandering my sapience. My musings turned to what I had done to Earth, not knowing there was a viable alternative. Chief Nikonus should¡¯ve told us the truth sooner. Throughout the battle, my conscience had wrestled with non-lethal solutions to the Terran menace. Preserving the positive aspects of their culture was on my mind from the beginning. Predators or not, the humans aren¡¯t all bad. But I thought such a vicious history mandated their extinction. It broke my heart to realize that bombing Terran civilians could¡¯ve been avoided. Humanity should¡¯ve been offered the cure, which took bloodthirsty instincts out of the equation. What if humans could be herbivores? We didn¡¯t need to eradicate them, if a conversion was negotiated. Tears streamed down my face, at the scale of the unnecessary death. Arjun and Manoj haunted my thoughts. The father suppressed its instincts out of affection for the child. Was that not a sliver of good? Was that not proof that humans could have been saved¡­and could have made the right choice? Guilt tightened my throat. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, humans. Killing your people was never something I wanted to do. I wish I knew¡­I would¡¯ve given you the option to take the cure. I just didn¡¯t realize there was another option for dealing with predators.¡± ¡°The humans came in peace in their natural state, Kalsim,¡± Cilany said. ¡°That was the other option.¡± ¡°D-do they really want peace? Then¡­listen Zhao, your people could still take the cure, and end this. You could be rid of your sordid appetite, for good. Prove you won¡¯t be a t-threat¡­or relapse.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to be cured of my culture and personality.¡± Zhao¡¯s growl was measured, and he waved to the guards to return me to my cell. ¡°But thanks for asking.¡± The chain yanked at my ankle, and for the first time in weeks, I resisted. An extermination officer understood that predators killed by nature. In a human¡¯s addled state, this ¡®Secretary-General¡¯ didn¡¯t want to relinquish his hunting prowess. I had the chance to make him see how much better off the Krakotl were post-conversion. I wasn¡¯t born solely to spread death anymore. The Kolshians¡¯ medicine granted us a purpose, and a chance at developing values. The Krakotl Alliance owed the precursors a thousand years of true civilization¡­of survival. To return to our predatory past would mean being nothing but beasts. ¡°Take the cure! The Venlil would want you to do it! Who wants to be a predator anyways? Are you scared of being ruled by compassion?!¡± I squawked. Zhao bared his teeth. ¡°You¡¯re the one scared of your own shadow. Of simply being yourself¡­your natural self. It¡®s actually sad.¡± ¡°Your natural self is an instrument of death! Your depravity is a menace to the galactic community. It¡¯s why you¡¯re a pawn to the Arxur! YOU NEED TO REPENT!¡± ¡°Goodbye, Kalsim. We¡¯ll see you in court.¡± The UN soldiers dragged me across the floor, and I screeched in protest. If there was a chance at saving the predators, they needed to give themselves a chance. All we asked was to conform to standards of decency, and pull their better side to the forefront. Cilany¡¯s camera had filmed my desperate plea, at least. I hoped some human viewers were more reasonable than Zhao. This was likely the last the public would hear from me; I knew my trial would conclude with a harsh execution. Death would be welcome, as opposed to remaining in the Terrans¡¯ custody. For the unnecessary genocide of a species, without exhausting other options, execution was an apt punishment. I had tried to show the Terrans mercy, but I hadn¡¯t shown them the mercy that was gifted to my kind. In hindsight, the raid was a mistake. Other Krakotl might think of us as predators still, but Terran sadism was beneath our modern sensibilities. There was nothing to be ashamed of, in breaking the shackles of bloodlust. My heart ached solely for Earth, knowing that my cleansing had been misguided. We had more in common with the primates than even I thought. Then again, if the humans would reject help, maybe they deserved the fate they¡¯d been given. The Kolshians and the Farsul were experts in conversions, right? Nikonus would¡¯ve intervened in our raid, had a cure been a possibility. The Farsul outright participated in our strike; there had to be a reason for that. Simply put, a Terran¡¯s ¡®good side¡¯ must not exist in large enough quantities to salvage. The truth wasn¡¯t always an easy pill to swallow. Chapter 82 Memory transcription subject: Glim, Venlil Rescue Date [standardized human time]: November 29, 2136 Compartmentalizing emotions was the only way to survive an Arxur farm. When you were subjected to unspeakable conditions, your logical brain dissociated to protect itself. There was no hope of escape on Wriss, and the predatory Arxur didn¡¯t show mercy. Screamers and runners got killed first; we all learned that catatonic responses were the best way to indulge instincts. Yesterday was an unusual reprieve from the squalor. The first oddity I remembered was the Arxur herding us into the cattle ships; the gray pilots emanated particular disdain. I thought our destination was a slaughterhouse. The next thing I knew, Noah had me in his warm arms. His sleek mask was jet black, and spit my reflection back at me. The Venlil that stared back was filthy, with empty eyes and old scars. Am I going to be Glim, or the string of numbers I recited to the Gaian? Once it sank in that I was on Venlil Prime, the degrading years felt like they happened to someone else. Captivity became a nightmare I had memorized in vivid detail. My mind focused on the masked aliens, as a distraction from the flashbacks. Noah and Sara were an enigma for me to unravel. Even beneath the garments, their muscular, tailless form attracted attention. Concentrating on them tickled something in the back of my mind. The longer I looked, the more I felt like a child watching shadows move in my closet. There was something not right with the cues hitting my visual receptors. Additionally, the Gaians behaved as though this program was their brainchild, and were elusive on basic questions. That suggested their interference wasn¡¯t benign as they disclosed. To top it off, Governor Tarva answered the greatest mystery of all: why the Arxur released us. She claimed that the Gaians negotiated our release¡­with the predators! Noah¡¯s voice shook with a throaty growl, when he boasted of his species¡¯ strength. The instincts I¡¯d suppressed on Wriss were rekindled, once the male alien went to tuck me in. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Why would the Gaians trigger my instincts?¡± I muttered, as the caretaker left the room. ¡°These aliens have been nice to us, mostly. We saw them eat fruit.¡± Haysi flung off the bed covers. ¡°I¡¯m just tired of their games. Beating the Arxur¡¯s not possible¡­.t-they don¡¯t need to lie to us.¡± ¡°You know, I didn¡¯t feel like they were lying. Noah spoke with conviction, and t-the g-grays did get rid of us for some reason. Nobody challenged his story.¡± ¡°B-but the Arxur were made to k-kill. They¡¯re unstoppable in c-combat.¡± ¡°I know, Haysi. Something¡¯s rotten with this place. Have you noticed how these Gaians are the ones trapping us here?¡± ¡°Trapping? Glim, we¡¯re safe at home, and they¡¯re providing for us. Like Sara said, they¡¯re just taking things slow, for our sake.¡± ¡°All I want¡­is to see my family. It would be beneficial for my health, I guarantee any doctor would agree. Why wouldn¡¯t these aliens allow it?!¡± ¡°The aliens must be busy, but I¡¯ll ask nicely for you. Maybe Tarva can set up a call.¡± The former historian hopped out of the bed, and scurried out into the hallway. I had a feeling Noah and Sara wouldn¡¯t comply with any requests. These aliens were gentle during our upkeep, but then spewed dishonesty in the next breath. The few answers they gave us, such as inventing FTL before the Federation discovered them, made no sense. The biggest fib of all was the mask. In my estimation, no species could wear full-face shields in daily life. How was that practice suitable for eating, or searching for mates? Watching Noah lift it to insert fruit cemented my point. The Gaian¡¯s posture had been odd, as though his hand was positioned to hide his teeth. I¡¯m going to find a way out of here. I¡¯m not an Arxur¡¯s number anymore; I won¡¯t be treated as a slave by non-predators too! A ceiling vent caught my eyes, though I wasn¡¯t tall enough to reach it. Thinking quickly, I shoved a food cart beneath the opening. Haysi screamed in the background, which spurred me to rush my escape. I grabbed the scissors Sara had used to trim our overgrown pelts. Perhaps the instrument could be used to dislodge the grate. I wedged the blade under a loose screw, and popped the bolt out of its socket. Pulling with all my might, I wrenched the vent out of its sealed position. Voices echoed nearby, with my name among the words spoken. Cool metal hugged my shallow ribcage, as I slithered into the crawlspace. Claustrophobia kicked in at once; the narrow space brought back unwelcome memories. It was like being packed in a cattle pen, all over again. The enclosure was so dense with Venlil that I couldn¡¯t breathe, but I managed to settle down on the caky dirt to sleep. Wailing noises flooded my ears, and my paws were twisted together. ¡°Lesser creatures,¡± an Arxur guard mused. ¡°Drop a fleck of a leaf in there, and they dive on it as one.¡± Its comrade snorted. ¡°Animals in an animal¡¯s place. It¡¯s a shame their pups can¡¯t be eaten twice. They scream so wonderfully.¡± All I could manage was to drag myself forward with my paws, and hold an internal wail down. Images of the grays dragging pups away flashed through my mind. Their yellow fangs were on full display, as they stomped through the pen and scanned us. Their forward-facing eyes landed near me, triangular slits on alert. I wondered if I was the prize they¡¯d eat ¡®fresh¡¯ today. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be prey!¡± I squealed. ¡°Make it stop! PLEASE!¡± My forehead connected with a wall, and I winced at the sudden pain. There was no telling how long I¡¯d been moving in a trance¡­likely a couple minutes. Another grate sat before me, with crisp airflow; I kicked the metal out with my hindlegs. There was a short drop down to a dumpster, which acted as a step to the outdoors. I flung myself prone on the grass, wiggling my claws between blades. Having our sun on my back, and pressing my face into the greenery, I knew that I was home. Laughter spilled from my throat, as I tore up clumps of dirt with my claws. This was all I wanted those Gaians to give us; a proper reunion with Venlil Prime and our loved ones. Now, it¡¯s time to secure the latter. I never thought I¡¯d see my family again. Will they even recognize me? My paws steered me to a courtyard, where alien caretakers were eating their lunch. Two Gaians sat with their backs to me, munching on slices of bread. The purple liquid between the grains was the color of Krakotl blood. The aliens were not wearing their masks with each other, confirming my theory. ¡°¡­millions of people, who haven¡¯t been home in years.¡± The Gaian¡¯s voice reverberated in his chest, projecting aggression. The harsh barks were like a dagger to my heart. ¡°The Venlil who were born in captivity, they are utterly convinced they¡¯re animals. One asked me why we took them from the Arxur. So calmly and, I¡­¡± The other Gaian shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s so sad, Kyle. To think that¡¯s all those poor Venlil have known! I can¡¯t imagine what they¡¯re feeling.¡± ¡°These are cases of extreme trauma, with no clinical precedent. I don¡¯t mean to sound like a pessimist, but I¡¯d imagine at least forty percent of the Venlil here never recover enough to live on their own.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t sustain a program like this forever. Humanity bit off more than we can chew here. After we win the war, our allies are going to have to take some of the load.¡± ¡°But Federation psychology is a joke, Tanner. Humans have the best ideas on treating trauma and providing therapy.¡± ¡°There¡¯s only so much we can do; we have our own problems. I don¡¯t mean to sound heartless, this just sounds like a losing battle.¡± Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡°If we can help half of these people get on their feet, that¡¯s not a losing battle. We¡¯re morally obligated to help the Venlil, of all species. I¡¯d be dead back in Johannesburg without them.¡± Their cadence sounded like it came from a teenage Arxur. Deeper voices evolved to convey power, and to frighten other animals into submission. The latter effect was taking hold of me, but my curiosity was still kicking. This was my chance to see a Gaian¡¯s anatomical features, of which Sara refused to provide diagrams. I tuned out their gravelly chatter, and slunk behind some bushes to get a better angle. At first, I caught only a glimpse of their temples, and didn¡¯t process why that was incorrect. Further inspection lent the full picture. Sockets sat above their furless cheeks, and were smushed up against their nose. Of course, not a sliver of their eyes had been visible from the side¡­ Panic exploded in my sternum, searing into my lungs like smoke inhalation. These Gaians¡¯ pupils faced directly ahead, without any peripheral tilt. Their irises were encompassed by a white shell, which made the pupil movements jerkier and more noticeable. I could read distinct hunger as if it were spelled out. What kind of mammal had no pigment in their scleras, and a shaven face? An involuntary shudder rolled down my spine; these predators were abominations of the worst kind. Even an Arxur would cower at such a sight! I couldn¡¯t believe that such a vicious creature was hiding under Noah¡¯s mask. That was Noah, who sat next to me for Jenga¡­who reminded me I had a name. We¡¯re not free at all. Venlil Prime has been conquered by predators, I realized. The Arxur transferred us to the custody of a species just like them. The Gaians weren¡¯t capable of compassion, and shouldn¡¯t tend to traumatized creatures like us. Governor Tarva must¡¯ve convinced them it was beneficial to their diet. Perhaps these hunters allowed sapient cattle to live normal existences, until their number was drawn. Happy Venlil meant a well-fed entr¨¦e, and unforced reproduction¡­ ¡°If this w-world is a comfortable cattle pen, that means the Gaians might stay away from the cities,¡± I whispered. ¡°I¡¯ve got to find my family¡­learn how this happened.¡± My legs started running, despite the weakness from years of being penned. Sobbing from despair, I sprinted through the parking lot. There was an occasional glance to ensure the Gaians weren¡¯t giving chase. All I could picture was Noah¡¯s white-cloaked eyes, glistening with hunger and cruelty beneath its mask. Maybe it started growling and left the Jenga game, because its appetite was stirred. Predators existed to root out weakness, and to specialize in death and brutality. Their defining instinct was aggression, and their ¡®philosophy¡¯ was survival of the fittest. The rescues¡­our delicacy must have tantalized them, from the start. Governor Tarva had done excellent at masking her fear, but that spoke wonders about how long these things had been defiling my world. Venlil Prime¡¯s capital design was circular, with buildings further from the governor¡¯s mansion spread out in increasingly wider arcs. Most residences were in the larger bands, whereas businesses were part of the inner rings. If our facility was the main hospital, it¡¯d be centralized to service the whole district. A block away from the facility, that was why I encountered dive bars and hotels, alongside increased foot traffic. Maybe there was a place to seek refuge in this commercial plaza. The panic was beginning to subside, but I needed time to process my responses. For one, what happened to other¡­¡®controversial¡¯ exterminators? Answers were next on my agenda; it wasn¡¯t clear if any Venlil were resisting the predators. I staggered into a local brewery, spotting mounted holoscreens through the window. The establishment wasn¡¯t busy, but a Venlil bartender looked up as I entered. Perhaps she could lend me her holopad, so I could call my aunt. Aunt Thima took me in after my mother died, and parented me to adulthood. If anyone would tell me the truth of the Venlil collapse, it would be her. The bartender perked her ears up. ¡°Hello, good sir! What can I interest you in? Our special today is grapefruit-flavored malt liquor; authentic predator taste in a Venlil drink!¡± I gaped at her for several seconds, throwing a terrified glance at the tap spouts behind the counter. The bar¡¯s patrons were giving me odd looks, as they noticed my emaciated ribs. My feet suddenly felt unsteady, and I sank into a bar stool. The barkeep pinned her ears back in concern, before handing me a glass of water. I lapped down the liquid. ¡°T-thanks, bartender. P-predator taste, you said?¡± ¡°Yep! The human farms nearby are making a pretty credit with ¡®exotic¡¯ fruits,¡± she replied cheerily. ¡°Most of the crops go back to Earth, but Venlil businesses buy up the leftovers.¡± I caressed the empty water glass, trying to process her unabashed explanation. This ¡®human¡¯ word was one I¡¯d caught first from the snacking Gaians, and now in reference to predator farms¡­whatever that meant. Maybe their species name wasn¡¯t Gaian; it must be human. If they¡¯d lied about everything else, why wouldn¡¯t the moniker be false? The fact that predators grew fruit was odd, but Noah and the lunching humans had shown that they varied their diet with plants. Any surplus growth could go to the cattle; I assumed they had a sizable population on their world. Why would Venlil businesses market cattle-feed beverages though? What ghastly price was needed to ¡®buy¡¯ fruit from a hunter? ¡°You trade with them? Are you insane?¡± I hissed. ¡°I won¡¯t tolerate racism in this establishment.¡± The bartender bared her teeth at me, and swiped my glass away. ¡°I sponsored a human refugee, bless his heart; he was part of a group from a Terran orphanage. The poor thing was so young, and so eager to please. A hard life made harder.¡± ¡°Refugee? I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Everyone knows why humans came here. What they lost. Are you okay, sir?¡± ¡°Uh, f-fine. Sorry, just having a rough day.¡± The barkeep looked unconvinced, but she returned to wiping down the counters. I decided I wouldn¡¯t be asking this delusional employee for a communications device. She¡¯d probably report me to my ¡®Gaian¡¯ overlords just as soon. However, I could access the television broadcasts that Noah refused to let us see. That would reveal the propaganda these humans were forcefeeding the masses. A male Venlil, captioned with the name ¡®General Kam¡¯, was speaking on a holoscreen. The audio was muted, but a subtitles ticker rolled underneath his picture. The feed occasionally switched over to an anchor, or some B-roll video. I leaned forward, curious to see how much of our culture survived. ¡°¡­the humans have amassed an unlikely group of allies, so I don¡¯t see why the odds are against us. It¡¯s the Kolshians and the Federation who lack unity. I¡¯m proud to stand with Governor Tarva, in throwing off Federation tyranny. I have nothing but praise for the Secretary-General, and how effective Earth has been on the offensive,¡± Kam was saying. The anchor¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°But don¡¯t you think humanity is spreading their forces too thin? The Terran military is taking on engagements at Khoa, Sillis, Fahl, and other undisclosed operations. Per sources close to Tarva, the Arxur are becoming restless.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re asking why we don¡¯t hit Aafa right away, it¡¯s because humans are patient hunters. We have to trust our friends. The Arxur, believe it or not, are invaluable in supplementing our fleet.¡± Horror flooded my chest, as I listened to the matter-of-fact discussions of a galaxywide war. The media was a state-run television channel now, where our generals surfaced to brag about the predators¡¯ conquest. General Kam was spinning this narrative of friendship, while talking about conflict with the entire Federation. These humans must be forcing us to be slaves for their militaries. I palmed my head in defeat. ¡°Hey, bartender¡­w-what happened to that predator ¡®refugee?¡®¡± ¡°I¡¯m working on adopting him. We barely have enough to make ends meet, even with the government stipends,¡± the Venlil barkeep replied. ¡°But I can give him love and support. Humans need a nurturing environment. They¡¯re simple creatures, really.¡± ¡°You think you can raise a monster as a prey child?! Put it under your roof like a Venlil?! It doesn¡¯t want your love. It wants to EAT YOU!¡± ¡°How dare you speak like that about my son! You¡¯re disgusting. Get the fuck out of my bar.¡± Other customers murmured in agreement, shooting looks of loathing at me. I wasn¡¯t sure how the predators got these Venlil on their side, but they must possess some crafty indoctrination methods. Noah and Sara were starting to work their witchery on us, back at the program. It was a good thing I escaped before that settled in. Signs of predator contamination were all around me, as I staggered out of the bar. One human was intermingling with a group of Venlil, and bared its teeth during the conversation. None of my people seemed fazed by the pointed canines, which were an obvious threat display. This level of pacification was absurd¡­it was like Venlil instincts were erased. There was little the demons hadn¡¯t touched. An advertising poster read ¡®Escape from the Cradle¡¯, and featured a star-studded cast¡­mixed with predator scribbles. A ¡®Gaian¡¯ was pictured in a shuttle next to Venlil movie star Mava, who was famous in my day. How could a film star act out scenes alongside a beast? Why would the human lead agree to pose with tears running down its face? Faint music drifted to my ears, an upbeat strumming pattern that flowed into a string of notes. I breathed a sigh of relief, and scampered toward the sound. This was a chance to get away from any humans, since predators would view emotional expression as a foolish endeavor. Prying an honest assessment from Venlil skeptics would need to be done out of bestial earshot. ¡°Cool song,¡± I practiced to myself. ¡°Can I please borrow your holopad? The predators are hunting me.¡± I rounded the street bend, and almost jumped out of my skin. A group of Venlil were huddled around a scruffy Gaian; the predator was moving its dexterous fingers along a fretboard. The taut strings curved to its will, and passion simmered in its eyes. It was seated atop an amplifier, which was capturing its input. The beast hit a few high-pitched notes with its clawless digits, before dropping back to chords. The human leaned in to the microphone, and released an in-tune bellow in its language. The words translated as an impassioned declaration of belief and emotion. It was belting out notes well above its standard intonation too. I was too dumbfounded by the predator¡¯s emotional howl to panic. The electric tune sounded pleasant, and its growling voice was surprisingly melodic. Not to mention the hopeful message of the words. If it was going to write music, shouldn¡¯t the song be a rage-filled exaltation of war? This sounded like Venlil radio fodder. It was apparent there was no getting away from these monsters in the city. Overwhelmed to my core, I set off in search of public transit. What I wanted was time with my family, before Noah and Sara recaptured me. I had to get out of here, and get to my home prior to the humans. Chapter 83 Memory transcription subject: Glim, Venlil Rescue Date [standardized human time]: November 29, 2136 Public transit on Venlil Prime was always behind schedule, and this tram station was no exception. I was stuck waiting for the next ride out. It was wonderful to see so many people walking around, in a bustling environment. There was still life in their eyes, hope that the humans hadn¡¯t quenched yet. Part of me wished I didn¡¯t know the truth of the ¡°Gaians.¡± Would they ever have told us their identity at all? Happiness wasn¡¯t the worst thing to dupe myself into believing. It killed me to know that another predator species existed, one that was more warlike than the Arxur¡­ We were all doomed to a life of servitude and torment; no amount of rumination would fix that. Many cattle grew resigned to that reality, after dealing with the Arxur on a daily basis. But the exterminator in me craved a way to turn the tables. Colonies we landed on had infestations that were out of control too; so much that we mixed orbital actions with paws-on-the-ground. Could I accept that our home was beyond cleansing? My thoughts wandered to Haysi, and whether her well-being was intact after my escape. When I was crawling up into the airduct, her shrill scream had permeated the vicinity. It wasn¡¯t clear what the Gaians had done, to elicit such a fear response. Perhaps they dropped their ¡®mask-wearing herbivore¡¯ routine. Forget Haysi now, I decided. You need to monitor every predator in the area. My cursory head-count was five humans, though I was rechecking the area every minute. It was a matter of time before a predator singled me out; I was sorry-looking and isolated from the herd. Few other Venlil paid any mind to the Gaians, and no signs of stampede behavior emerged. I hoped this train arrived soon. There was a breath of sanity in my surroundings, as I noticed a mother with three kids carve a wide berth around a human. The predator was entranced with its holopad, and didn¡¯t even look up at the delicacies. I could picture it flashing its teeth as the pups screamed, and using its meaty paws to crush their fragile bones. ¡°Excuse me, mind if I sit here?¡± a chirpy voice asked. A royal-blue Krakotl was eyeing my bench seat, and I flicked my tail in a ¡®Go ahead¡¯ gesture. My eyes never left the nearest human, who was talking animatedly into a device. The avian ruffled her feathers, before following my gaze toward the predator. A strange emotion swirled in her pupils, almost like sorrow. The bird sighed. ¡°Still afraid of humans, are you? I¡¯m nervous to approach them myself. I was born on Venlil Prime, but I feel like they¡¯d blame me for¡­you know.¡± I measured my response. ¡°I¡¯ve been gone for a long time, and, er, w-woke up in the hospital yesterday. I don¡¯t know why the predators are here. Everyone gets mad at me for acting normal toward them.¡± ¡°Oh dear. That¡¯s not good. So you got into an accident before Noah and Sara showed up?¡± My eyes widened with alarm, as I recognized the names of my slavemasters. Their concealing masks were etched into my memory. Noah¡¯s boasts about the human ability to ¡®manufacture anything¡¯ stuck with me too. Those were not the words of a species that had moral qualms over bargaining with the Arxur. ¡°C-come again. Those names. Who are Noah and Sara?¡± I squeaked. The Krakotl tilted her head. ¡°The two astronauts piloting humanity¡¯s first FTL ship. Everyone was hiding in bunkers for hours when they showed up. But they came in peace, my friend. Noah and Sara bent over backwards to prove they were harmless.¡± ¡°They are not harmless! I know t-this Noah and Sara¡­and Tarva, personally.¡± ¡°What?! No, you don¡¯t. This isn¡¯t a funny joke, man, and I don¡¯t appreciate¡ª¡± ¡°S-sorry. I¡¯m not messing with you, I swear¡­please, I need the truth. I just, um¡­have a head injury? Maybe I¡¯m misremembering.¡± The avian squinted, scrutinizing me for several seconds. I didn¡¯t back away from her direct stare, and tucked my ears back in a pleading gesture. This Krakotl had to understand sincerity, when it was plastered all over my features. None of her explanation made sense, but I had to hear this fabrication for myself. Unless the names were an uncanny coincidence, Noah and Sara were the first to scout our home as their hunting ground. Could any Venlil actually believe a predator came in peace? My firsthand experience was ripe with displays of aggression; I could still hear the Arxur calling us animals. My neck brand tingled, as I remembered them pressing a rod to my throat. Their eyes sparkled at my screams, but it was too hot to quiet myself. It felt like they were injecting molten lava into my skin. The restraints stopped me from thrashing, as an Arxur licked the newly-charred skin for fun. ¡°Please stop lying,¡± I pleaded, in a broken voice. ¡°I heard the television, t-talking about war with the Federation. I know humans conquered us.¡± The Krakotl squawked with alarm. ¡°The Venlil are the closest allies humanity has! Humans adore you; just look around. That war started because the Federation has been gene-modding dozens of species, without their consent. Anyone who doesn¡¯t fit their mold of a model herbivore gets ¡®cured.¡¯¡± ¡°I beg your pardon? That¡¯s a total falsification. Humans lie, if that¡¯s your source; I would know.¡± ¡°The Kolshian chief admitted it from the Federation summit, buddy. Also, my species spearheaded an orbital raid on the human homeworld, unprovoked. Killed a billion civilians, and that¡¯s why they have so many refugees still here. It makes me ashamed to be a Krakotl.¡± Of course the Federation tried to exterminate those monsters. Good for them, I thought. But what¡¯s with this genetic tampering? The light-rail train coasted into the station, and an automated voice announced that passengers should begin boarding. The Krakotl hopped off of the bench, leaving me to march after her. There was no telling how much of this story, if any, was true. However, she believed it with all of her heart. That meant the predators might¡¯ve sold these falsehoods to the Venlil too. I jostled the avian¡¯s wing. ¡°Hey, wait up! How many Venlil¡­d-do you think they¡¯ve eaten so far?¡± ¡°Zero,¡± she replied, settling into a window seat. ¡°Humans don¡¯t eat sapients, and they see you as part of their pack.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really trying to say it¡¯s zero? I know it''s a non-zero number. Has the whole world gone mad?¡± ¡°Yes, I guess it has. That¡¯s enough questions. I don¡¯t want the humans to think I¡¯m one of those Krakotl¡­they probably do already.¡± My gaze turned to the train cabin, as two ¡®Gaians¡¯ boarded together. Silent curses echoed through my mind, at the thought of having to ride with them. There was safety in numbers, since we had enough Venlil to form a herd. Still, I was hoping none of the predators would tag along for our voyage. It made me queasy to picture them ravaging the tram. One human gazed directly at our seat for a long moment. My heart leapt further into my throat, before I realized that its pupils were on my Krakotl seatmate instead. The shaven beast seemed to be testing the bird, as it arched the hair over its nasty eyes. My avian partner raised a wing slightly, and lowered her head to appease the Gaians. The Krakotl Alliance attacking the predators¡¯ birthplace must have a shred of truth to it. That destructive event explained the ubiquitous invasion of our home; Gaians had been forced to flee their lair. It also meant humans weren¡¯t as strong as Noah claimed. There was hope for the Federation to put them down yet. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Attention please. This line is now departing for Tonalu City. Enjoy a safe ride, and please come back soon! The train doors started to seal, and I relaxed a bit. That was before I caught the blur of motion in my periphery, as a panicked human chased the tram. At first, I assigned menial lateness to the beast¡¯s actions. Its brown eyes simmered with determination, and it flailed its arms at the conductor. ¡°STOP THE TRAIN!¡± the Gaian roared. ¡°WE NEED TO SEARCH YOU!¡± The Krakotl beside me gasped. ¡°Sweet Ina¡­ah, not supposed to say that anymore. That¡¯s Ambassador Noah!¡± Excited chatter circulated through the train, and several Venlil flung themselves against the windows to film the incident. You would think it was a superstar celebrity, not an alien hunter. Noah¡¯s lean torso made its pose intimidating, and its thin scalp gave it a hardened look. Its forward-facing irises popped against their white backdrop. I could picture it speaking in a falsetto voice, as it squeezed my paw. That was the vicious face it had been hiding. Governor Tarva plodded up calmly beside it, with a curly-haired human next to her. The female ¡®Gaian¡¯ had thick eyebrows, which accentuated her wildness. Her mane was a total catastrophe, puffing out like windblown grass. We apologize for this delay. Please remain seated as we speak with the Terran ambassador. ¡°No!¡± I screamed. ¡°K-keep going!¡± My avian seatmate flexed her talons. ¡°You¡¯re crying. What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I wanna see my family! I CAN¡¯T DO THIS ANYMORE!¡± Governor Tarva heard my commotion, and pointed toward the source with her metal tail. Noah waved at the conductor, as the reopened doors granted it entry. It prowled down the aisle, searching with singular intent. I leaned back against the Krakotl in terror, shaking from head to toe. This was like being captured by the Arxur all over again. My team had descended a canyon, cleaning up native predators there. The region could become an abscess for a fledgling colony otherwise. It was supposed to be a simple job, but none of us realized we weren¡¯t alone. The Arxur snuck a ship in under nightfall, and landed practically atop my unit. We all knew it was better to die than to be captured. I scrambled to the truck to get my firearm, along with every Venlil that didn¡¯t freeze. The grays were faster, covering ground with animalistic fervor. A tranquilizer dart embedded in my neck, pricking into my flesh. Sheer terror washed over me, because I knew what the darkness entailed. ¡°Glim! Tarva heard your voice.¡± The male Gaian worked its way down the aisle, and turned its head from side-to-side. ¡°We¡¯re all worried about you. Let us help you.¡± I glared at Noah¡¯s lumbering form. ¡°T-this time, I¡¯ll get it right. D-death before c-capture.¡± I climbed over a number of seats, whacking disgruntled passengers with my tail. Noah spotted my haphazard escape, and chased after me. The human asked for passengers to intervene. Nearby Venlil didn¡¯t hesitate to attempt a takedown. Two of my own people grabbed at me, as I made it to the emergency hatch. My hindlegs kicked one assailant in the teeth, and I shook off the other with a sudden tug. My claws slid under the lever, pulling the panel open. I dove out the window like I was trying to land on my stomach. The bulky predator took one look at the gap, before settling for the rear exit. My belly flop knocked the wind out of me, but adrenaline pushed me upright. I sprinted with all of my energy, heading in the opposite direction from Noah. Holopads captured my flight in real time. ¡°GLIM! Our eyes are¡­arboreal!¡± the Gaian panted. ¡°Helps¡­judge¡­branch distances!¡± The predator sounded out of breath, which meant it might give up the pursuit soon. I ignored its words, and hoisted myself up a flight of stairs. The human was quick despite its size, able to track me excellently. Tree-dwellers wouldn¡¯t have such a knack for land pursuit, or such wide pupils. Why is it still trying to lie? All it does is lie! Noah crested the stairs on my tail. ¡°And the canines¡­aren¡¯t¡­for meat eating! They¡¯re for fighting over mates.¡± ¡°That¡¯s better?¡± I screamed. ¡°To you, yes! They¡¯ve shrunk, from our ancestors¡­we don¡¯t even do the mate-fighting bit now. Uh, not the biting part.¡± I shoved my way by startled pedestrians, and Noah apologized as it followed. Several Venlil stared at the human chasing a rescue; we were creating quite a spectacle. Risking a glance over my shoulder, I saw sweat beads on its skin. The burning of its legs affected it less than me, though. The predator was close on my heels, and outrunning it seemed a physical impossibility. I waited until right when its shadow dropped to a lunging stance, before doubling back. Noah tripped over itself, as I slithered between its lanky legs. The alien found its footing, and reversed its direction. I¡¯d managed to put a few paces between us again, but I hadn¡¯t figured out my final act of defiance. Glim was not a number; Noah had been right, ironically. It wasn¡¯t worth living as a monster¡¯s cattle in a new place. I hopped onto the stair railing, and slid down. Gravity deposited me back in the terminal. The human didn¡¯t risk the quick descent, when the banister wasn¡¯t meant to hold its weight. It was skipping steps all the same, bounding down three at a time. Acid seared through my leg muscles, but I willed myself onward. That tireless thing hit the ground at blinding speed too. ¡°I wanted to tell you¡­about us!¡± Noah called. ¡°You deserve to feel safe.¡± Its footsteps pounded against the concrete, and I bolted behind the stopped train¡¯s caboose. Several passengers shouted pleas and exclamations. The Krakotl I¡¯d been talking to tried to swoop down on me, but failed to catch an air current. Tarva and Sara simply watched the madness unfold with agape expressions. I mounted another platform, as the rumble of an incoming train greeted my ears. The vehicle¡¯s front side was visible, and I hoped that its weight would render me dead on impact. My legs stumbled, but I forced a few more steps out of them. Noah¡¯s shadow stretched over me again; I could hear its ragged pants. Turning into the train¡¯s motion, I flung myself forward with desperate finality. My body hurtled headlong into a collision; we all knew being captured was the worse option. The human gasped in horror, and made a lunging dive with outstretched arms. It didn¡¯t want its meal to get pulverized. Thin fingers dug into my scruff, twisting into the soft flesh. Noah skidded on its knees, and contorted its body to tug me back. Its arm was nearly wrested from the socket, but it retained its grip. My forward momentum came to an abrupt halt, and I landed with my snout inches shy of the passing tram. Tears streamed down my face, and I slumped my head in defeat. My body flailed weakly, but Noah had no difficulty restraining me. It was a superior creature in size and strength. I yipped in panic, swinging my claws at its face. The human shrugged off my frenzied blow, which barely nicked its skin. ¡°Easy, easy! You¡¯re safe now, I told you.¡± Noah¡¯s nimble digits began kneading my scruff, and it gently brought me against its chest. ¡°We wanted to tell you everything slowly. This is my fault, and I¡¯m sorry.¡± I could feel its heart hammering, and the erratic rise and fall of its chest. The predator refused to let go, as it took a moment to catch its breath. Tarva and Sara hurried over, which caused its lips to curve up. It lifted its catch to show them; I fell limp in its arms with hopelessness. The female human passed a holopad to her counterpart, while the Venlil leader gawked. ¡°Noah! Are you okay?¡± the Venlil Governor asked, with a concerned head-tilt. Noah nodded. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve got Glim from here; we need a road trip. Maybe you guys could take care of Haysi?¡± ¡°Of course. Her reaction left a lot to be desired,¡± Sara muttered. My muscles quivered with fear, as every rumble of the predator¡¯s chest rippled into my body. Noah strolled over to the help desk, earning open stares from several Venlil. Its sinewy arms were unwavering, though it hadn¡¯t hurt me yet. I was trapped in its clutches, and I knew its ¡®road trip¡¯ was to a slaughterhouse. Noah poked my neck with its nails. ¡°Brighten up, Glim! Looks like the train to Celgel Falls arrives any minute. You were getting on the wrong one.¡± I was speechless, but my chest shook with a despairing sob. The human stared with its binocular pupils, and its eyebrows pressed together. It wasn¡¯t clear why the predator kept trying to engage me. Both of us knew the truth of this encounter. ¡°Your Aunt Thima moved to Celgel a year ago, according to our records. You want to see her, right?¡± Noah pressed. My ears perked slightly. ¡°T-t-t¡­th¡­Thima?¡± ¡°Yeah! A nice family reunion. I¡¯m going to tag along to make sure you don¡¯t hurt yourself, any other Venlil, or some poor Gaian out for a stroll.¡± ¡°H-human. N-not¡­Gaian.¡± ¡°No, Gaian wasn¡¯t a lie. We have lots of names, Glim: Terran, human, Earthling, mankind, and Gaian. Gaian is just one of the lesser-known ones. Call us whatever you like¡­not predator, I hope.¡± The predator delicately extended my wrist, and pressed the holopad it obtained from Sara against my claws. When I didn¡¯t snatch the device away, Noah physically bent my toes around it. The Terran released its own grip on the electronic, after checking for several seconds that I wouldn¡¯t drop it. ¡°It¡¯s yours. Examine the facts for yourself,¡± the beast growled. ¡°First contact, the peer-reviewed human empathy tests, my speech to the Federation, and our rescue of the cradle from the Arxur. That¡¯s where I¡¯d ask you to start.¡± I eyed the device. ¡°W-what?¡± ¡°You can see everything about us: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Our modern culture, our evolution and aggression, the extent of the Federation¡¯s lies, how we grow meat in lab vats rather than hunting. Some of it might shock or scare you, but it¡¯s all the truth.¡± ¡°M-monster. P-predator.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry you feel that way. Listen, after you spend awhile with your family, I¡¯m taking you back to the facility.¡± ¡°NO! NOT C-CATTLE!¡± The Venlil screaming at the top of his lungs attracted more attention, and Noah blinked in frustration. I could sense the predator¡¯s patience waning, so I hushed myself to avoid its ire. Perhaps these lies were kinder than the Arxur¡¯s torment and degradation. Humans were different in that regard. The alien beast heaved a sigh. ¡°You need treatment. But if you never want to see a human again, just say so once we get back. You will never hear from me or any Terran volunteers again; not inside those walls.¡± ¡°I¡­w-want¡­never,¡± I croaked. ¡°Okay. It¡¯s your choice. I¡¯m just asking you to research honestly first. You can lock in your decision when we¡®re back, and ask me anything you like on the ride.¡± Noah boarded the arriving train with caution, while I was still trapped in its arms. The holopad beckoned to me, as a hint of curiosity crept in. The words ¡®human empathy¡¯ typed themselves, without conscious effort. It was an absurd notion, but I was interested to discover what supposed evidence existed. Playing along with the Gaians¡¯ game was harmless. A predator¡¯s kindness couldn¡¯t be that convincing, after all. Chapter 84 Memory transcription subject: Chief Hunter Isif, Arxur Dominion Sector Fleet Date [standardized human time]: November 30, 2136 My shuttle descended on our spy station, piloted by automatic landing functions. This was the same clandestine facility that Secretary-General Meier approached prior to Earth¡¯s attack. Perhaps the Dominion should¡¯ve relocated the outpost, but the brass scoffed at the notion that any prey would dare to strike it. I knew that the Terrans wouldn¡¯t hesitate to hit us where it hurt, though, should we ever clash. Stations like this one were essential to sectorwide command and intelligence. The rig had its own state-of-the-art FTL comms network, which had been painstakingly routed back to Wriss. The relay functioned across hundreds of light-years, by leeching off Federation infrastructure as well. I was careful not to tip my claw when I communicated with the humans; I trusted them to watch their own self-interest foremost. The Federation don¡¯t bother establishing costly networks, because it¡¯s the first thing we wipe out. I don¡¯t need to give the humans vulnerable targets. The shuttle dropped onto a landing pedestal; I wasted no time disembarking. Ceremonial armor clung to my form, and a decorative sword had been placed in a scabbard. It was time to act out Isif the fanatic. Some low-ranking grunt had refused her Gojid rations, and then ejected the food out an airlock. The Dominion wished to make an example of her. Guards bared their teeth as I strutted into a central holding area. The prisoner was dangling from wrist-restraints, bleeding from several gashes. It could be my head on a pike, just as easily; there was reason I treaded with such care. Those ungrateful humans, who reclaimed the very worlds they told us to attack, were making me regret my risks for them. Earth wasn¡¯t bargaining from a position of strength. ¡°Your death will be swift and decisive.¡± I shoved my snout into the inmate¡¯s face, and stared right into her pupils. The Arxur guards watched with amusement. ¡°Live like prey, and die like prey.¡± I scanned my form into the virtual interface, and watched as several holograms popped up around me. Chief Hunter Shaza was a welcome attendee, since I needed to stop her from reclaiming Sillis the orbital way. There were plentiful examples of conquest in human history; however, the UN¡¯s lack of slavery and brutality led me to conclude this was different. Terran mercy had gone haywire at the worst time. The Prophet-Descendant of the Betterment Office, Giznel, was presiding over the trial. I¡¯d branded myself as one of the true believers, and earned his favor among chief hunters. There was a reason I was assigned to the juiciest sector, with weak targets like Venlil and Zurulians. The question was if he suspected my treasonous intent, with how fervently I defended Earth. Human carelessness was jeopardizing my zealous persona. ¡°Chief Hunter Isif! Raise your condemnation for your empire,¡± Giznel stated. ¡°Begin when you are ready.¡± My pupils scanned the battered prisoner. ¡°What is our birthright, hallowed Prophet? Arxur stand atop the food chain, and the animals populating other worlds exist to suit our whims. The accused mocks our very existence.¡± There was no option to show mercy to her. Betterment has eyes and ears everywhere. They¡¯d question me not seeking the death penalty. ¡°She, whose name has been revoked for treason, disgraces this military. Food is a precious commodity, due to the Federation¡¯s butchery of our cattle,¡± I continued. ¡°What right does a lowly underling have to dispose of food in an airlock? Food which could¡¯ve fed a worthy mouth!¡± I narrowed my eyes, slapping my tail across her snout. Hardened gray skin was pierced by my scales, which added to her array of marks. The Arxur restrained her yelps, as she knew such weakness would lessen slim hopes of Betterment sparing her. Not that there was any chance the Prophet-Descendant would forgive a capital offense. Giznel yawned in boredom. ¡°The punishment you seek, meritorious Isif?¡± ¡°Death! None who oppose the Arxur shall stand,¡± I snarled. ¡°I wish to strike this thief down with my own claws, here and now.¡± ¡°Very well. I concur with the Chief Hunter¡¯s assessment. Accused, any last words for your honor?¡± The prisoner released a wet cough. ¡°The Gojids are people¡­true sapients. They ate meat like us. How can you still treat them as cattle?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll defer that question to you, Isif,¡± the Prophet-Descendant chuckled. Sapient consumption was a requisite for our survival; I¡¯d come to terms with that years ago. Sure, the Gojid jerky I¡¯d eaten with my crew hadn¡¯t gone down as easily, with the thought of Nulia calling me Siffy. Food that didn¡¯t emit playful giggles, and wasn¡¯t capable of higher reasoning was preferable. Still, there was nothing I could do about our current practices. My actions saved a lot more prey than one sliced-and-diced Gojid. My tail lashed in faux irritation. ¡°The entire ideal of Betterment is that the strong cull the weak. The prey are still prey based on their actions; how they snivel, and piss themselves over any challenge. These are not the behaviors of true sapients! Even if they once were cogent, that bears no relevance on today.¡± ¡°Well said. Go ahead; split that traitor¡¯s throat,¡± Giznel said. I stalked around the prisoner, arching the ridges on my spine. Fear glistened in her eyes, which caused my adrenaline to hum. It felt good to be in control, and to have a release for my pent-up aggression. Of course, I didn¡¯t really want to complete this execution, but my primal side liked it. The humans and the Venlil would label me a monster, if they witnessed me strike a prisoner down in cold blood. They didn¡¯t understand the confines of my system. The chatty Terrans had entire rituals with lawyers, and testimonies that could drag on for weeks. Here, Betterment¡¯s determination was the difference between innocence and guilt; made without a word edgewise. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Chief Hunter Shaza curled her lip. ¡°I don¡¯t see any blood. What are you waiting for?¡± ¡°Can a man not savor his kill anymore? I was hoping she¡¯d beg,¡± I growled coldly. My claws slashed across the soft flesh, and scarlet blood spurted between my digits. The Arxur prisoner sagged in her restraints, with gurgling noises escaping her maw. Fluid frothed up to her teeth, and her eyes lolled. The truth was, this wasn¡¯t the first, the tenth, or even the hundredth person I¡¯d killed in the name of survival. It got easier every time; the sympathy I felt became muted. As a cruelty-deficient individual, I learned to fake dominant traits from a young age. A televised execution was when I realized that most people didn¡¯t wince at screaming cattle, or cry when their family members died. That voice was always there, no matter how much logic I employed. Watching the humans glamorize kind acts, I wondered what Arxur society was like when empathy abounded. Maybe it could¡¯ve been the Venlil buddying up to us. Though, ones like Slanek are too emotional for even my liking. ¡°They die too quickly.¡± I turned to face the holograms, waving my bloodstained claws. ¡°Shaza, I bring word from the humans.¡± The female Chief Hunter grinned. ¡°How can you be so right about the Gojids being weak, yet you fail to apply that to the humans?¡± ¡°Humans are not sniveling prey. They are destructive and prideful, to their own detriment at times. Don¡¯t let their pudgy appearance fool you. They bested us in combat, unlike any other race.¡± ¡°Their prey-like interactions with each other sicken me.¡± ¡°You are mistaking prey-like for social. Empathy is not a defect in pack predators, though humans must learn to temper such tendencies. Still, they are apex predators on their world.¡± Giznel narrowed his eyes. ¡°Humans understand cruelty and aggression. They need the same push Betterment gave us.¡± The Terrans had figures much like our Laznel in their history; I¡¯d done research on a holopad I found in New York¡¯s wreckage. Every herbivore alien questioned how such a leader could rise, but the primates already knew that answer. Their modern populace feared that becoming a reality again. Presently, humanity demonized ¡®predatory¡¯ attitudes; they detested an equivalent to the Northwest Bloc resurfacing. Imposing Betterment on the Terrans was an awful idea, but I wasn¡¯t going to voice that opinion. Perhaps in the future, Earth would take in defective Arxur as refugees. The Dominion sentenced anyone lesser to death, so they might be amenable to lending ¡®slaves¡¯ to Earth. It wasn¡¯t like Wriss had a use for condemned weaklings. Would humanity even want my people on their world? Some UN personnel looked at us like we were diseased animals. Secretary-General Meier wouldn¡¯t have taken much convincing, but alien goals weren¡¯t on Zhao¡¯s agenda. Every action had to lend a direct benefit to Earth, or advance their war efforts. I yearned for the original leader and his calming ideology. Chief Hunter Shaza scowled. ¡°This human message better be good, Isif. Why did they claim two territories under Arxur siege?¡± ¡°The United Nations sees conquest as a way to obtain the entire planet as our catch,¡± I responded. ¡°They believe in maximizing resources, and are willing to negotiate a deal. Human interference was meant as aid.¡± ¡°Aid? Terran commanders messaged my ships, demanding that we back off. Their claim of Sillis, then Fahl, was a bold-faced attempt to swipe our prize!¡± ¡°I agree with Shaza. Humans are proving ungrateful, despite how Isif saved their Earth.¡± Giznel¡¯s fangs protruded with disdain. ¡°We attacked these worlds to enact their vengeance, while their own military floundered. We shouldn¡¯t negotiate for what is ours already.¡± ¡°Of course, Your Savageness. Humanity were tactless,¡± I agreed hastily. ¡°Going orbital on their army seems unwise though. Predators must stay united, until the Federation is eradicated.¡± Shaza snorted. ¡°Ah, yes. The Federation that humanity is pulling their alliance members from?¡± ¡°Pets. Not allies. If you¡¯re tricked by lies tailored for prey¡­¡± The female Arxur stiffened with indignation, and her holographic tail blurred with motion. The Prophet-Descendant scrutinized us both closely, spending an extra second on me. Perhaps I¡¯d painted myself too much in Earth¡¯s camp. A proper Chief Hunter should want to bash the humans¡¯ nose in; humility wouldn¡¯t be the worst thing to teach them, regardless. ¡°I want Fahl and Sillis in our control, by the end of the week. I don¡¯t care how you do it, Shaza. You and Isif settle that part among yourselves,¡± Giznel decided. Shaza¡¯s eyes gleamed with triumph. ¡°Yes, Great One. As you wish.¡± ¡°It will be settled. I am fully committed to our glory,¡± I managed. The Chief Hunter tossed her head in gloating, as Giznel left the holopad call. The prisoner body sat at my feet throughout this exchange, which I hope bolstered my tough exterior. Shaza had near-full autonomy over her sector, except for the rare case of Betterment¡¯s direct orders. People of our rank merely filed reports, and had thousands of ships to do their bidding. Human generals were chained by comparison, with more oversight and rules to adhere to. I understood what they meant by war crimes now, though I couldn¡¯t believe my eyes. What value was artwork in the middle of combat?! Why wouldn¡¯t an army take out medics that were limiting enemy casualties? It was a miracle that Zhao hadn¡¯t elected to shed this softness. But I suppose their docility was why I believed they could pioneer a better future. Perhaps I could take another crack at the United Nations, or persuade Shaza of their value to our cause. Pride was important to an Arxur¡¯s culture, especially given how concessions would be framed. The long-term value of social allies needed to be put in a way a brute could understand. ¡°Hear me out, Shaza. I will explain to you why tolerating humans benefits our cause, despite their irritating emotions,¡± I growled. ¡°Every good hunter should have the facts before drafting a plan.¡± The Chief Hunter swished her tail. ¡°I¡¯ve had enough talking for today. There¡¯s only so much social blabbering one can take.¡± ¡°Of course, this discourse has dragged on too long. My patience is also tested,¡± I lied. ¡°Opposing opinions are grating, and solitude would be welcome. Just one more thing.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°We need to have this conversation, in person. Your attack may be detrimental to the Dominion¡¯s long-term success. Allow me to present the military pros and cons, at a location of your choice. The decision will be yours.¡± Shaza presented her fangs in a warning gesture, though the details were grainy in the hologram. I responded by dropping into a hunting crouch; cowing before a threat was admitting defeat. The humans were the only way I saw the war ending, and leaving us with a non-sapient meat supply. As idiotic as the leaf-lickers could be, I couldn¡¯t allow our tensions to escalate. ¡°I respect an elderly¡­I mean, veteran general enough to entertain your speech.¡± A snicker shook her sides. ¡°Stop by the cloaked farm habitat just inside my sector; it¡¯s a day¡¯s travel from your post. You can have a tour of a modern operation.¡± ¡°Age means surviving combat and nature¡¯s assassination attempts. If you¡¯re lucky, it will come to you as well,¡± I replied. ¡°Enough of your platitudes. Will you travel to the farm or not?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll be there.¡± Chief Hunter Shaza terminated the call, and I stormed back to my shuttle. Tolerating her condescending attitude, and groveling on the humans¡¯ behalf wasn¡¯t a thrilling prospect. I couldn¡¯t even wash the death from my body. Cleaning the blood off my claws would suggest that I wasn¡¯t proud of my kill. A day of warp travel would allow me to process options, and play out various scenarios in my mind. Why couldn¡¯t the humans just let two species who assaulted them perish? It would be much easier for all parties involved. Chapter 85 Memory transcription subject: Chief Hunter Isif, Arxur Dominion Sector Fleet Date [standardized human time]: December 1, 2136 The Earth-borne holopad in my possession was alien hardware; Dominion resources weren¡¯t equipped to track it. I made sure the device was well-encrypted, and could pass it off as top-secret research if asked about it. It allowed me to monitor anonymous Arxur forums, where anger and sedition were brewing. Betterment¡¯s grip on Wriss had waned, as word of Federation omnivores circled back home. Many citizens saw other meat-eaters as victims, of the same predator hatred that crippled us. The converts were genuine sapients, distorted by the enemy. Those revelations didn¡¯t inspire faith in our diet, nor did the Dominion¡¯s inability to reform. Starvation is a good motivator for unrest. These forums have been safe spots for talks of the food alternatives raised by Terrans¡¯ existence. ¡°The humans are the predators we want to be,¡± I read one comment aloud. ¡°Perhaps our resistance movement could be officially recognized. Their support would lend us legitimacy.¡± My shuttle was on a landing approach to the farm habitat; I digested the reminder of my purpose quickly. The humans were our hope at changing the status quo, and they were the only aliens who saw us as people. Our carnivory made alliances unobtainable with most of the galaxy. There was a reason our search for true life persisted through the centuries. As long as we were isolated and starving, individuals like Shaza and Giznel would maintain power. Our plight was how Betterment retained control, stirring up perpetual hatred. The Federation caused our predicament, after all. Draconian measures (as humans would say) were necessary, and lesser individuals hindered our collective welfare. The holopad was tucked back into a drawer, as docking protocols were completed. I disembarked to the hangar bay, and Chief Hunter Shaza greeted me. The fattened guards flanking her were indicative of our cattle-rich location. Farms were coveted postings, awarded based on bloodlines. This cushy detail was one reserved for those whose genes were desirable. ¡°Shaza! You look absolutely vicious,¡± I barked. The Chief Hunter narrowed her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t get flirtatious, Isif. This is a professional visit.¡± ¡°I merely respect a worthy adversary. The feeling is mutual, yes?¡± ¡°Indeed, I suppose we can spare a minute for pleasantries. A tour is¡­mandatory, for another sector¡¯s lead hunter. Cattle farms are a delight.¡± ¡°Nothing like a satisfactory meal at the ready. Shall we proceed?¡± The female Arxur stalked forward, her torso positioned at a sharp angle. I mimicked her lunging posture, and ensured that my ¡°elderly¡± pace kept up with hers. This farm habitat was the pride of Shaza¡¯s sector, with its compact design. Rather than the traditional pens with overhead guard walkways, her design utilized crawlspace trapdoors for retrieval. Arxur could monitor prey from viewing panes, and administer negative feedback with a button array. The hangar spilled into a narrow hallway, with cattle pens visible on both sides. The enclosure to my left housed Harchen, who were in poor condition. I could see flaky scales peeling off their hides, and their sunken eyes in a listless daze. These reptiles were lethargic, having lost the will to move around. It was pitiful to see a sapient mind reduced to a husk. Harchen territory was the closest to this facility, but that didn¡¯t stop Shaza from ferrying in other livestock. To the right, I could see the newest species in her domain, the Yotul; exotic by all accounts. The smooth-skulled marsupials showed a bit of life, though I saw glassiness in their eyes. These uplifts played no part in what happened to our people, and supposedly hadn¡¯t latched onto the fear ideology yet. I worked with the marsupials on Earth, so I knew they sided with humans because they felt ostracized. Active hostilities between the Arxur and friendly prey were unnecessary. There was a truce ongoing since the Battle of Earth, extended to the three species that offered aid. However, unlike the Zurulians and Venlil, the Yotul weren¡¯t in my domain. I couldn¡¯t stop Shaza from renouncing my pact. Most Chief Hunters are accepting any human allies as Arxur allies, despite Betterment¡¯s official silence. But Shaza sees no reason not to round up primitive herbivores. I forced a look of disinterest. ¡°How do the Yotul taste? They don¡¯t look like anything special.¡± ¡°The taste is quite strong¡­stays in your mouth for awhile. Dry too,¡± Shaza replied. ¡°The flavor profile is not my favorite, but some of the guards like it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure the underlings have simpler palates than us.¡± ¡°Isif, the masses will eat what they¡¯re given. The important thing is how well the Yotul breed. Our herd here will gather data to determine their viability.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to match Sivkits or Zurulians.¡± ¡°Or the Venlil? How could you give them up?¡± ¡°Calculated risk.¡± Skepticism flared in her amber eyes, but the Chief Hunter continued our walk in silence. I kept my gaze ahead, not wanting to look at the cramped Yotul pen. That defective voice was restless after interacting with the helpers on Earth. I was relieved there hadn¡¯t been any ¡°gracious¡± offers to sample the product. My mind was elsewhere as Shaza guided me through the guard quarters, a Krakotl aviary, and two more Harchen pens. If this was the crowning achievement of Arxur society, what scathing commentary did that drum up about our people? Billions of sapients were in similar misery, and cognizant of their continued suffering. It was a fate deserved by no one. The Chief Hunter led me into the kitchen facilities, where corpses dangled from the ceiling. The scent of a gutted Harchen struck my nostrils, an aroma that tickled my olfactory glands. My body was conditioned to associate certain blood types with meals. Saliva production and eye dilation were involuntary responses; I could hear my stomach rumbling, despite being well-fed. How did humans suppress intrusive instincts without any discomfort? I wasn¡¯t an animal, of course; I wasn¡¯t going to strike down an herbivore just because they were bleeding. That didn¡¯t mean my nostrils wouldn¡¯t have their interest piqued. However, on Earth¡¯s internet, the impulses they discussed toward the prey had¡­nothing to do with sudden hunger. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°So our second-to-last stop. This is where we process food,¡± Shaza narrated. ¡°Is this the part where you get to addressing Fahl and Sillis?¡± I lashed my tail. ¡°Two territories which belong to us. I agree that we should get them back. However, it¡¯s in our best interest to attempt loathsome diplomacy for their recovery.¡± ¡°Why are you so keen on appeasing these weaker predators? They shouldn¡¯t get away with blatant insults.¡± ¡°Ha¡­at least humans aren¡¯t so dreadfully boring, yes? They did offer compensation for their overreach. They see our raids as wasteful of resources, and view this as a chance to build a decadent empire.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want their leftovers, Isif. I want them to get out of the fucking way!¡± Shaza exhaled a frustrated breath, and sank her serrated fangs into her lower maw. The hostility in her gaze suggested a different approach was required; this was about personal pride more than resources. This sector¡¯s Chief Hunter didn¡¯t care if humans could supply more goods than us. No percentage of the haul would be sufficient to allow their incursion. Humans bossing us around and calling the shots exacerbated the situation. They¡¯re lucky they didn¡¯t get nuked then and there. ¡°You ask why I tolerate such things, Shaza,¡± I sighed. ¡°The truth is, I want to keep Earth¡¯s guns pointed at the Federation. I¡¯m using humans to make the Dominion the supreme, unchallenged power.¡± ¡°Using humans? I was under the impression they¡¯re using you.¡± ¡°The UN are clueless to our aims, because Zhao is blind and on the warpath. Earth¡¯s silly coddling is causing the prey to collapse! Meanwhile, their manpower performs the heavy lifting against the main Federation factions.¡± ¡°Their manpower, riddled with lesser creatures. Even their own ships are tribute from the Venlil; the weak, sniveling knock-kneed prey. Humans are bungling everything.¡± ¡°Nothing is bungled. They¡¯ll do anything for victory, and pitting the animals against each other¡­it¡¯s brilliant. Our enemies will be destroyed without us lifting a claw.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying you really want to use them to fight the war for us?¡± ¡°Precisely. Our victory has been delayed for long enough; for centuries. What are Fahl and Sillis compared to bringing down the entire house?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t need humans to destroy the Federation though. We aren¡¯t weak. We aren¡¯t dependent on others.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that we cannot do it ourselves. It¡¯s about preserving our strength for a worthy adversary; the Federation doesn¡¯t contain enjoyable foes. Let someone else take out the trash.¡± Shaza issued a low chuckle, and stalked past an icebox of Krakotl carcasses. Fresh prey was preferrable, but not always possible during military operations. It was inefficient to build cattle enclosures into every warship and garrison. Larger ships could accommodate active livestock, but this facility was suited to ration exportation too. I could see that my words caused the Chief Hunter to reconsider her strategy. The humans could be framed as efficient soldier-slaves, who didn¡¯t require oversight. At worst, the Terran advance softened Federation defenses, and pulled species away from the enemy coalition. As purely a numbers game, the tactical benefit was obvious. My nose distracted me again, as we wandered into a hangar beside the butchery. Adjustable tunnels of barbed wire sat beside docking ports, built to load or unload cattle. This must be the shipping department, where any new catch was processed. It also provided a way to ship living prey out to the fleet, for fresh consumption. Shaza cleared her throat. ¡°Your idea is clever, but humans can¡¯t believe they have authority over us. Their soldiers need a kick in the teeth. It¡¯s unbecoming of an Arxur commander to surrender territory, without a fight!¡± ¡°If dignity¡¯s worth more than our overall success, then your mind is set.¡± My pupils darted over to a barbed wire enclosure, where the tangy aroma originated. Zurulians were crammed into the unloading area, mewling pitifully. ¡°Wait. Why do you have prey from my sector?!¡± ¡°Relax, Isif. Some idiot volunteers went speeding off on a medical ship to rescue Krakotl civilians. We intercepted them, and brought them here.¡± Shaza shouldn¡¯t be capturing human-allied species at all! This jeopardizes everything I worked on; the UN are pressing for me to barter these guys¡¯ release as well. Thoughts of Zurulian medics in New York ran through my mind. There was a unique earnestness in their efforts to save human patients. The little furballs were dedicated to preserving life, even those of people they believed were monsters. What other species would fly unarmed medical ships into an Arxur occupation? Emotional concerns warred with my logic. I knew that my only objective should be talking Shaza down, but I felt sick to my stomach. Despite how good their scent was, my defective voice couldn¡¯t bear to see friendlies shipped off to slaughter. My interactions made their personhood all too real, not a harsh fact I pushed aside with ease. One Zurulian was sobbing, with despondent paws pressed against the wire. Her stomach quaked, and green blood was smeared across her little nose. The pleading quality in her eyes paralyzed me; I couldn¡¯t bring myself to ignore the herbivores¡¯ plight. My position gave me leeway to induce a more favorable outcome, so a bartering attempt was logical. Persuasion wasn¡¯t working on Shaza, anyways. My objectives shifted in a heartbeat, to a species more worthy of salvation than the Tilfish or the Harchen. The humans would have to deal with the war they¡¯d brought upon themselves. My throat was dry. ¡°I see. Well, on the topic of injured pride, I will not press further on Fahl and Sillis. But I can¡¯t leave this facility without a consolation prize.¡± ¡°So you admit defeat? What is it you want from me?¡± the female Arxur hissed. ¡°A few of those Zurulians. Humans claim they make great ¡®pets¡¯, and I¡¯d like to test that for myself. I¡¯ve been devoid of amusement for too long. I can always carve them up once I¡¯m bored.¡± ¡°Tsk tsk. That¡¯s an odd request, though I¡¯d like to see them scrubbing your tail scales. I¡¯ll grant your wish, Isif. Are two prime specimens sufficient?¡± ¡°Three is what I had in mind. Humans keep more at hand, but these will dish out enough whining for one Arxur. Oh, and¡­I¡¯d like the crying one specifically. It¡¯s a prime example of what makes these animals lesser.¡± The Chief Hunter bared her teeth, and snatched the tear-stained Zurulian with haste. She deposited the quadruped into a scratchy sack, indifferent to any yelps. Tilting her head, she picked out two more prizes: a young, healthy Zurulian of each sex. Shaza dragged the cattle bag across the floor, and whispered for her guards to bring it to my ship. I breathed a sigh of relief, as I realized the layout subtly brought us back to our starting point. My landing hangar was next to the shipping facility, which allowed for a swift exit. The hosting Arxur were all but rushing me off. Chief Hunter Shaza displayed ostensible irritation, weary of my visit. My social tolerance was higher than most Arxur¡¯s, but this specific company did not suit my tastes. There was no reason to prolong my travels. I offered a tepid farewell, and boarded my craft without delay. The bag of Zurulians had been thrown on the floor, like it was any other junk. The herbivores screamed their heads off, and flopped around inside the sack. I ignored the parcel, lumbering up to the cockpit. Jetting away from the farm habitat was done with a few buttons, and a course was set for my territory. Unease swelled in my chest, as I realized how rash my snatch-and grab was. What significance did three cattle have in the big picture? I crouched over the Zurulian package. ¡°What on Wriss am I going to do with these guys? Any normal Arxur will think I¡¯m mad.¡± My paw reached into the sack, scooping the warm bundles out. The Zurulians wriggled and squeaked at my touch, before bolting away. I watched as they disappeared into crevices and supply closets; the fools didn¡¯t realize I could sniff them out with ease. The Terrans must have endless patience to coddle such antics. ¡°I just saved your lives. I¡¯m not going through a song and dance to prove myself!¡± I snarled. Stalking back to the cockpit, my destination switched to Earth. The humans could deal with these Zurulian ¡®pets¡¯, and also learn the consequences of their mercy. The United Nations should be warned of Shaza¡¯s intent. However, flagrant interference would sever my ties to the Dominion; I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted to openly oppose my people. As much as I longed for societal overhaul, Arxur resistance was in its infancy. A two-front war was a steep task for primitive omnivores. It wasn¡¯t clear whether the empathetic humans could be trusted to pull their weight, or support our cause. Sticking my neck out wasn¡¯t worth it without future rewards. Perhaps it was best to let Sillis and Fahl slip back into Dominion possession. Chapter 86 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, United Nations Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: December 1, 2136 Activity quieted down among our fleet, following the resounding victory at Khoa. The UN focused on menial affairs, for now. A small contingent of scout ships detached to survey potential colonies, and a few patrollers ensured the Federation didn¡¯t get another crack at the Mazics. Without a fleet of their own, Cupo¡¯s Presidium was reliant on human protection. Most Terran ships circled back to our mobile repair units, which had camped a few light-years from the battleground. Our vessel docked for routine maintenance, but that lasted mere hours. Once the all-clear was given, we were sent with a small group on a patrol route. The United Nations was likely to assign us a new target, after Earth sorted out their next priorities. ¡°I¡¯m not sure this is a good idea, Sovlin,¡± Samantha said from my side. ¡°Why would Officer Cardona invite you to his quarters?¡± I bobbed my shoulders, mirroring a human ¡®shrug.¡¯ ¡°Only one way to find out. The real question is why you ordered Carlos not to accompany us.¡± ¡°Tyler and Carlos almost came to blows, when he saw what happened to your face. Truly a hard fall.¡± ¡°Accidents happen.¡± Carlos had rounded on Tyler in the rec lounge, after I sought out a medical touchup. The blood gushing from my nose wasn¡¯t ebbing, and my paper towel hadn¡¯t helped. The male guard¡¯s biceps rippled beneath their green markings, as he roared at his superior officer. I believe his exact words were, ¡°Does beating up a depressed alien make you feel like a man?!¡± Tyler hadn¡¯t responded, and tried to ignore my friend. Onso took notice of my facial damage too; there was a tinge of fear, when he looked at his buddy. That wariness was unusual, for the nigh-feral Yotul. He might¡¯ve decided there was a scrap of truth in humans initiating violence. Captain Monahan got wind of the incident, as other UN soldiers broke up the altercation. I issued a full denial, when she summoned me to the bridge. My fibs didn¡¯t fool her at all, especially when Officer Cardona offered little in his own defense. The commander was obviously frustrated, as she poked holes in my story. Why did I have wounds all over my body, if I¡¯d slipped headfirst into a cabinet? There had to be another reason I was nursing my ribcage. Monahan announced her disappointment in Tyler, before assigning him to indefinite latrine duty. Days had passed since his beatdown, but the holopad invite to his quarters came out of nowhere. Perhaps he blamed me for not offering a more robust denial? The blond officer must be angry about receiving punishment for his actions. Samantha crossed her arms. ¡°Ah, yes, accidents happen. And leave finger marks on your throat?¡± ¡°¡­you can see that through my fur?¡± I groaned. ¡°The doctor did at the infirmary.¡± ¡°Then your doctor exaggerated. You know how you humans are; very over the top.¡± The female guard huffed in irritation, fixing me with a disdainful glare. Her narrowed eyes once would¡¯ve filled me with terror, but now, I recognized the scowls as part of her snarky attitude. Her venomous tongue was a defense mechanism, in my opinion; Samantha never offered any commentary on the loss of her husband. Maybe that stoicism was how humans were supposed to grieve, though I didn¡¯t believe that. I tapped my claws against Tyler¡¯s door. Several crewmates that passed us in the hall whispered to each other; my identity must¡¯ve gotten around. According to Samantha, my role in Cilany¡¯s interview had earned me some favor on Earth. But I didn¡¯t deserve humans¡¯ pity, and I was thankful that Officer Cardona dished out retribution at last. Onso opened the door. ¡°Harris, Sovlin! Come in.¡± ¡°Not until you tell us why we¡¯re here,¡± Samantha hissed. ¡°Oh, cut it out, Sam¡­don¡¯t be like that!¡± I swatted her elbow with the blunt side of my claws. ¡°I¡¯m going in, with or without you.¡± ¡°What, so you can take another accidental tumble?! Get in a nasty fight with a rug?¡± Tyler¡¯s angular face peered over a couch. ¡°Hey, we¡¯re all cool; it¡¯s square. Onso and I are playing a badass video game. I thought you¡¯d get a kick out of it, Sovlin.¡± Confusion swelled in my chest, as the tall human waved a black object in his hand. Why would Marcel¡¯s packmate invite me over to play some television game? I trudged inside, despite suspecting an ambush. Samantha rolled her eyes; at least I could count on her not intervening in a ¡®rug tussle.¡¯ There was no visible malice in Tyler¡¯s blue irises. Onso must¡¯ve been briefed on who I was, since he didn¡¯t question our past anymore. The uplift knew that I¡¯d deserved whatever beating the human doled out, and then some. Guilt clawed at my chest, as I joined the Terran officer on the couch. A trace of fear lingered too, my instinctive phobia of violent predators. Tyler threw me into those cabinets like I weighed nothing. It was quite terror-inducing. A menu screen appeared on the television, with the words ¡®Start Campaign¡¯ selected by Onso. The Yotul looked awkward juggling the ¡®controller¡¯, which was designed for long fingers rather than stubby toes. The uplift used his tail to hold it, and had both paws hovering over a side. Samantha accepted a device from Tyler, and passed one to me. The female human placed a pillow in my lap, balancing the controller atop it. I tucked my paws on both sides, thankful for my slender claws to poke at buttons. It wasn¡¯t clear how predatory these games were, or if the blond Terran was attempting to traumatize me. Onso explained the button functions, while a loading screen played. I tried to listen, but I was distracted by his human partner¡¯s posture. Tyler stared ahead with intensity, and leaned forward on the couch. The predator¡¯s knuckles squeezed around his controller, as though he wanted to constrict it. ¡°What is this?¡± I asked, unable to stay silent. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why I¡¯m here.¡± Tyler blinked. ¡°You can go if you want. This is a first-person shooter game called The Clash of Proxima, co-op mode. I modded the human enemies with Arxur bodies. Thought it¡¯d help you, to gun down the grays like you want.¡± ¡°What? You know what happened to his kid. You think he wants to play a game about the Arxur?!¡± Samantha spat. ¡°A game about killing them? Fuck yeah.¡± I¡¯d been hellbent to get my claws on an Arxur, and extract as much suffering as possible for years. I wanted to look one in the eyes, and relish ending its miserable existence. A simulation was the closest thing I could get to that reality. Tyler was right; that did sound like fun, or at least a cathartic experience. I bared my teeth. ¡°I like this game already. Especially if the predator bastards scream.¡± The revelation that the Kolshians deployed their cure against the Arxur did nothing to quell my revenge fantasies. If anyone deserved a slow death, it was a filthy gray beast. Starvation didn¡¯t excuse the torture videos of our pups they mailed to Federation worlds¡­and how they ate my own family alive, bit by bit. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. The humans would never dream of such a thing, no matter how dire their circumstances. The necessity of hunting us was something I could see, if a flesh-eater was deprived of their prey. But the level of sadism the Arxur showed had nothing to do with necessity. It sickened me that the UN coordinated with them, but I understood that Earth had been surrounded and defenseless. Samantha heaved an exasperated sigh. ¡°I hope this is the easy difficulty, Tyler. You¡¯re just going to annoy him if he dies nonstop.¡± ¡°Sovlin¡¯s gotta learn somehow!¡± the male predator replied. The game deposited us outside of a space station, and the graphical rendition was admirable. Tyler and Samantha¡¯s characters moved forward at the front, while Onso and I crept after them. Arxur bodies were crouched inside, spewing bullets upon our entry. Rage flowed into my wrists, and I depressed the fire button. Crimson streaks moved across my split-screen, which I suppose symbolized wounds to a red-blooded Terran. A bar decreased over my character¡¯s head. Onso and I were shooting in a daze, while the humans ducked behind cover. It was frightening how sharp their reflexes and multitasking were in combat. The Terrans did most of the work gunning down the Arxur. It felt satisfying when my own bullets hit one representation, but a part of me was concerned about the lifelike blood splatter. Perhaps the Earthlings did crave death and violence? This shouldn¡¯t be an activity of mass appeal. I decided to attempt a conversational tone. ¡°So human games involve battle recreations¡­and killing people?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a power fantasy, obviously,¡± Tyler replied. ¡°Everything is a competition for us. Why not fight in a way that no one gets hurt?¡± ¡°But you people want to fight, enough to seek it out for fun.¡± ¡°Not just fighting. We want to win, Sovlin. There¡¯s a difference. Doesn¡¯t a part of you want to crush the Arxur? Vanquish them?¡± ¡°The Arxur, yes¡­but you said these enemies are normally other humans.¡± ¡°Old habits die hard. We fought wars for thousands of years. It¡¯s how we are, man.¡± ¡°So it feels good, Tyler? To kill your own kind?¡± The blond human was silent, pursing his lips with disquiet. A chill ran down my spine, as I noticed Samantha shaking her head at Tyler. That implied that the answer was affirmative, and I could see why she wouldn¡¯t want that broadcasted. Our game characters moved ahead, while I wondered how humans controlled such instincts. Terrans have empathy. I suppose that¡¯s the only thing keeping them from the Arxur¡¯s lows. Onso yipped excitedly. ¡°Charging at an enemy feels good. Driving them off, kicking them in the teeth, showing your strength. That¡¯s what Tyler means.¡± ¡°As I¡¯ve told you before, charging at hostiles with no strategy gets you killed,¡± the human officer sighed. ¡°In both real life and the game.¡± ¡°Hold up, uplift,¡± I barked. ¡°You¡¯d play a game killing other Yotul?¡± The marsupial flicked his ears. ¡°Sure. We defended territorial claims for years. Harsh winters come, and there¡¯s not enough grains stashed for everyone. You take, or you¡¯re taken from.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­twisted. You¡¯re an herbivore, fighting among your own people?¡± ¡°Competition is normal, and you fuckers told us it¡¯s not. Nature is indifferent to any of our morals. The Gojids probably did the same thing, before the tentacled-freaks remade you.¡± Onso¡¯s right. We ate meat, so Gojids are fucked-up monsters too. I have no right to judge his people or humanity. Gunfire sound effects snapped me away from my rumination. More enemies camped in the next area, and the Arxur began pinning us down. My heart rate skyrocketed, as if it was genuine combat. I crouched by a barrel just in time, and retained a few slivers of health. This enemy AI was merciless, an accurate approximation of the real grays. The Yotul wasn¡¯t so quick to find cover. Onso held down the sprint blocker, and seemed keen to melee the enemies. His health bar was depleted within a second, and his humanoid character crumpled to the ground. The primitive jabbed at several buttons, prompting the avatar to rise. Onso grew incensed by his death, and ignored Tyler calling his name. The uplift curled his lip, rage smoldering in his eyes. He released an incoherent howl, and flung the controller in a blind fury. A cracking sound reverberated through the air, as the device crashed into a wall. Tyler paused the game. ¡°What the fuck, Onso? That¡¯s the third controller you¡¯ve thrown!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a stupid game!¡± the Yotul screeched. ¡°These levels are impossible!¡± ¡°I think we¡¯re not playing together anymore.¡± ¡°What? No! I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s just so¡­GAH!¡± ¡°You said you¡¯d try harder, buddy. You can¡¯t just break things because you¡¯re mad.¡± ¡°Unless it¡¯s Sovlin¡¯s face,¡± Samantha chimed in helpfully. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have done that, but I¡¯m not going to apologize. Marcel is a good dude, and he didn¡¯t deserve a shock collar around his neck. What¡¯s one punch compared to that?¡± My spines bristled. ¡°I agree with him, Sam. More people should treat me like the monster I am. Please, let it go.¡± Tyler gave me a rough pat on the shoulder; I flinched instinctively. The blond human switched off his console, and took the controller from my grip. It was disappointing not to have another crack at the Arxur. The game should¡¯ve allowed us to best and trample them with ease; it wasn¡¯t fun to strategize. More importantly, I wasn¡¯t sure what Tyler was playing at. The big guy resented me, for a well-established reason. Even Onso should¡¯ve sided against me, but the exchange duo were acting cordial. This gaming session was crafted as an outlet for my anger. Though, the fact that predators constantly used it for that purpose, was a jarring admission. I¡¯d begun to think of Terrans as normal people, who weren¡¯t a threat to innocents. Perhaps the truth wasn¡¯t so simple, despite their rich sentimentality. It was odd to hear a human speaking of their aggression in candid terms. Billions of predators on one world, craving a fight at all times, and trying to hold themselves together¡­I didn¡¯t know how they functioned. That goes a long way to explaining the Federation¡¯s observations. I can see why they find other ways to get that out of their system now. ¡°Well, let me clean up the controller shards first,¡± Tyler grumbled, ¡°but Onso and I¡¯ll head to the mess hall in a few minutes. You¡¯re both welcome to join us.¡± I chewed at my claws. ¡°You should enjoy your meal. I don¡¯t want to sour it for you.¡± ¡°Sovlin, I forgave you. It¡¯s all water under the bridge now. You haven¡¯t reached out for therapy, so I decided you needed a pal in the interim.¡± ¡°You¡­want to befriend me? Why would you do that?¡± ¡°Because I think you deserve a second chance. No more knuckle sandwiches from me, promise. You¡¯ve suffered enough.¡± Samantha bared her teeth. ¡°Sovlin¡¯s down on himself more than ever. Tell him being an omnivore doesn¡¯t make him unworthy of happiness.¡± ¡°Well duh. I don¡¯t think I deserve pain and misery, and I¡¯m an omnivore.¡± The humans missed the point, as usual. Their tenuous grasp on their instincts was something they managed, so that they wouldn¡¯t commit heinous deeds. There was no telling what savagery Gojids were capable of; eating corpses was monstrous enough. My predatory side had shown with Marcel¡¯s torture, which even Recel likened to the Arxur. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m glad you guys have my back,¡± I fibbed. ¡°That¡¯s what humans are for! Besides, there might not be a lot of happy days left.¡± Tyler ushered me to the door, wearing a sad smile. ¡°So enjoy the down time while it lasts.¡± ¡°Uh, hold up. What is that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°The brass detected anomalous movement in the Arxur fleet. We¡¯re going to shadow their vector. Tail a few light-years behind them, in case they try anything.¡± ¡°What are you¡­expecting them to try?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know. But our leader had a falling out with them, and they know the UN isn¡¯t at full strength. It¡¯s possible they¡¯ll attack our garrisons on Fahl or Sillis. That¡¯s a prelude to war.¡± The thought of the Terrans squaring off with the Arxur brought me considerable relief. After Cilany¡¯s interview, the primates had every reason to stick to the monsters¡¯ side. It was miraculous they kept diplomatic avenues open for prey that defected. I mean, according to Tyler, humans weren¡¯t content with peace in the best conditions. Perhaps the same degeneracy runs through the Gojids¡¯ contaminated genes. Like Onso said, we might¡¯ve been similar primitives. Species like us needed the humans¡¯ help with just about every issue. If Earth could get back to exacting aggression on ugly child-eaters, that would inspire my optimism about the galactic future. It would also bring our predators back to the morals their society once cherished. Any indication that the Arxur were an enemy was one I would seize. Eagerness thrummed in my chest. ¡°So humans will beat the grays. You should have as soon as Earth was clear, just like you did at the cradle.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not so simple. The Arxur have been concealing their full capabilities; our intelligence is blind,¡± Tyler explained. ¡°They have numbers, technology, and bases across the galaxy. Our prospects in a serious conflict don¡¯t look good.¡± Samantha snorted. ¡°And we¡¯re already fighting the vegan cultists, better known as the Federation. Us versus the universe, battle royale.¡± ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not that dire. We have allies. 33 open allies, counting the Thafki and the Gojids.¡± ¡°We¡¯re your friends!¡± Onso yipped. ¡°Together, we¡¯re unlocking the secrets of physics, and kicking ass!¡± ¡°Hell yeah, I¡¯m glad someone¡¯s ready for trouble. I want to be sure you¡¯re fit for duty too, Sovlin.¡± I flicked my claws threateningly. ¡°I¡¯m fit to fight the Arxur. I¡¯m fit to do a whole lot more than that. Any time, any place.¡± Tyler shot me a concerned look, while Samantha boasted her signature smirk. The door clicked shut behind us, leaving me to wander toward the mess hall. The predator ship felt cold and empty, like the uncanny stillness at the eye of a cyclone. This could be the last moment of sanity for a lengthy duration. With greater challenges looming, it was nice to patch up relations with my human superior. In-fighting wasn¡¯t a luxury our underdog coalition could afford. Chapter 87 Memory transcription subject: Glim, Venlil Rescue Date [standardized human time]: December 1, 2136 The half-day train journey kickstarted my confinement with the human. The more time passed, the less I was convinced that we were in Celgel Falls to see Aunt Thima. We stopped off at a hotel for rest, until the Venlil government brought us a car and a driver. It was clear Noah had our authorities at its beck and call. I was impressed with how well the Gaian could control its instincts, and with how thorough its propaganda was. Reading about secret predators within the Federation was jaw-dropping; that rattled my worldview to the core. It was lunacy for the Kolshians to think flesh-eaters could be tamed! Any credibility the Terrans had gained was their fault. Human behavior did prove curious, especially rescue footage of the Gojids. That was negated by the fact that they invaded the cradle; Earth was the aggressor in the conflict. A lackluster excuse about Prime Minister Piri staging an assault was their cover for their warmongering. It was an opportunity to conquer the lesser races, and begin an empire. But as a former exterminator, I couldn¡¯t say I didn¡¯t feel a sliver of doubt. Gaians broke a lot of rules that I¡¯d known since birth, whether they were lying or not. I hadn¡¯t worked up the courage to ask Noah any questions yet. However, there were a lot of answers I wanted to hear, when the beast was forced to cook up spontaneous retorts. Maybe I¡¯m not in imminent danger of being devoured. Unless we¡¯re going to a slaughterhouse. ¡°¡­giving Haysi space. She hasn¡¯t been eating or drinking, and I think Sara visiting would be a trigger,¡± Tarva was speaking to Noah, through a video call. The human pursed its lips. ¡°We should give Haysi as much time as she needs. If she¡¯s not even voicing her concerns, she¡¯s not ready. Glim is trouble, but at least his mind is still there.¡± ¡°Just be careful, Noah. This isn¡¯t the capital; it¡¯s a rural area, where Venlil aren¡¯t as open-minded. They don¡¯t regularly interact with humans. You¡¯re not exactly incognito either.¡± ¡°Are you worried about me? A monstrous predator like me can scare off a few fanatics.¡± ¡°Please, try not to scare anyone! The footage of you chasing Glim is making the rounds, and let¡¯s just say¡­it¡¯s a bad look. ¡®Human ambassador hunts Venlil cattle in train station.¡¯¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t like that! Glim could¡¯ve hurt someone. I had to stop him.¡± ¡°I know, Noah. I like to be involved with things myself, but maybe we shouldn¡¯t have gotten wrapped up in this at all. We¡¯re too high profile to be ordinary helpers.¡± The Gaian scowled. ¡°It was your idea to sponsor a Venlil in the first place. You said it was good PR to ¡®do our part.¡¯¡± ¡°And you said you wanted to. Does it really matter whose fault it is?¡± Governor Tarva hissed. ¡°No. I just don¡¯t want your media team to toss me under the bus.¡± ¡°Stars, I hate all of your idioms. ¡®Kill two birds with one stone.¡¯ ¡®Cut to the chase.¡¯ ¡®Stabbed in the back.¡¯ Are there any that aren¡¯t about being maimed or killed?¡± ¡°One or two.¡± ¡°You¡¯re infuriating. We¡¯ll settle this later. Just be safe, okay?¡± Noah bared its teeth to itself, as the Venlil leader abandoned the call. I studied the Gaian for a long moment, and considered the adoration in Tarva¡¯s eyes. That emotion looked like love, but I didn¡¯t understand how such strong feelings could arise toward a monster. Perhaps I should regard the beast with gendered pronouns, like he was a person. Earth¡¯s presence was less nefarious than Wriss¡¯s Dominion, from what I could tell. The empathy tests were convincing, since it was difficult to fool scientists on a neurochemical level. Why had Noah lied to us though? His actions hadn¡¯t been innocuous, conning and misleading us. The Gaian ambassador was ignoring my presence, for now; I was certain he was avoiding direct eye contact. His focus drifted to a sign in the distance, which read ¡®Celgel Retirement Home.¡¯ His hand reached for a visor, and he pressed it across his paralyzing pupils. I wondered what that accomplished, when every Venlil here knew of his predatory identity. ¡°W-why do you w-wear your visor out here?¡± I gasped out. The human palmed his chin. ¡°Because, these are elderly Venlil. I don¡¯t want to give anyone a heart attack. Any Venlil over 65 weren¡¯t allowed in the exchange program, to avoid cardiac episodes.¡± ¡°T-thima¡­is how old? I don¡¯t know h-how many¡­years¡ª¡± ¡°She¡¯s 74, Glim. You were gone for 11 years.¡± ¡°No¡­that¡¯s not p-possible.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I hate to spring this on you, but your aunt¡¯s memory is fading. She¡¯s in the late stages of dementia.¡± My gaze shifted to the rural landscape, which stretched to the horizon opposite the assisted living facility. A family reunion where Thima forgot me hadn¡¯t been in my imaginings. I was saddened that I hadn¡¯t been there to help, and to visit her. Had her mind deteriorated because she was alone? Noah hesitated, before moving a hand slowly. His fingers hovered over my wrist for several seconds, giving me a chance to pull away. The Gaian empathetically squeezed my forearm, like a Venlil would with their tail; his touch was delicate and frail. It was clear he was leaving the option for me to withdraw, since I knew from the train station that he was much stronger. There were several things I¡¯d read that weighed on my mind; I couldn¡¯t succumb to believing the narrative. The humans were allies with the child-eating Arxur, even if they¡¯d used that alignment to liberate Venlil captives. Their current objective was unraveling the Federation, and they were bestial hunters too. Apparently, Terran aggression had been documented by observers, prior to first contact. I can¡¯t remember learning about them in school, other than vaguely as an extinct predator race, I mused. The internet claims they¡¯ve had over 10,000 battles in their history. ¡°H-hundreds of wars in just the century¡­after your w-world war. The first one,¡± I whined. ¡°How c-could you ever¡­k-keep peace?¡± Noah was quiet for several seconds. ¡°We have to grow the fuck up. Humans want peace, yet we¡¯ve only ever known competition. It doesn¡¯t come naturally, but we¡¯re starting to act like a united planet.¡± ¡°V-venlil, always¡­at peace.¡± ¡°I doubt that. The Kolshian gentling took hold, and the Farsul sanitized your past. I think you used to be feisty herbivores, until they convinced you of your weakness.¡± ¡°And¡­if we¡¯re n-not s-strong?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll teach you. We¡¯ll protect you, with a fierceness you¡¯ve never seen before.¡± Noah¡¯s lips curved up, and I dissociated myself from the rush of fear. Perhaps the constant snarling betrayed his deceit, since the gesture came off as subconscious. The human rushed to cover his mouth, like he knew he¡¯d done something wrong. If threat displays were intuitive, that explained the full-face masks at the hospital. I recalled how the Arxur would snarl just looking at us, licking their lips with appetite. Sapient predators used their teeth to assert dominance in conversation too, from what I could tell. The guards would flash fangs when contesting a particular catch, or boasting of their hunts. The Gaians possessed the same urges. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. The Venlil driver parked the car outside the nursing home, and Noah opened the door. I felt paralyzed, befuddled by the paradoxical humans. It wasn¡¯t clear what to think of them. Their motives were ambiguous, and their mannerisms flipped between hostility and sympathy on a dime. ¡°Smiling, or ¡®snarling¡¯ as you say, is a submissive gesture in primates. I understand it is not so for other animals,¡± Noah sighed. I coaxed myself out of the car. ¡°N-nonsense. H-how can t-teeth¡­baring¡­¡± ¡°Be friendly? It¡¯s about their position. Teeth apart, jaw tension, and lips curled back; that¡¯s actual hostility. But teeth together and lips relaxed shows we¡¯re not about to attack.¡± ¡°S-so it¡¯s saying you don¡¯t want to bite?¡± And predators need to communicate that constantly?! The Gaian ambassador nodded. ¡°Exactly. Venlil don¡¯t understand the subtle difference. The few that try to replicate it usually just look constipated, man.¡± I chuckled, in spite of myself. ¡°You h-have these¡­answers well-rehearsed.¡± ¡°I¡¯m used to explaining everything we do. If I¡¯d explained us better in my speech, a billion people wouldn¡¯t have died. Since then, I sifted through our evolution pretty thoroughly.¡± Noah¡¯s voice turned scratchy, and his ensuing cough sounded a bit congested. Did the Gaian consider himself responsible for the extermination attempt? He¡¯d stated Earth¡¯s case pretty well, for five minutes broken up by hecklers; guns had been trained on him the whole time too. A non-predator would¡¯ve frozen in fear. The fact that he gave anyone pause, over exterminating warlike horrors, is miraculous. Nobody in his position could¡¯ve done better. The human pawed at his nose, before opening the door to the lobby. He gagged at once, and muttered something about ¡°disinfectant smell.¡± A middle-aged Venlil sat at a reception desk, startling at our appearance. Her eyes went wide with fear, and her ears pinned back. She snapped out of it enough to tap a notice with her tail. A sign was taped to the desk, reading ¡°No Humans Permitted¡± in several scripts. The Gaian crossed his arms, and leaned back with an intimidating frown. I observed the tightness of his jaw and the slant of his eyebrows; this was genuine hostility. It was worryingly easy to decipher the predator¡¯s mouth contortions, once told what to look for. Noah sighed. ¡°See, Glim? Still think we run the show here?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. You put up with a lot,¡± I muttered. ¡°W-what¡­you c-can¡¯t be here,¡± the Venlil receptionist stammered. ¡°You need to leave! T-the human, anyway.¡± The Gaian lifted his visor. ¡°I think you¡¯ll make an exception for the Terran ambassador. I have powerful friends.¡± ¡°There¡¯s s-security footage! Are you g-going¡­going to attack us to get t-through? You¡¯re trespassing.¡± ¡°Glim wants to visit his Aunt Thima. Make that happen, and we¡¯ll leave.¡± ¡°N-no. You¡¯re not welcome here, Noah.¡± The veins in the Gaian¡¯s neck bulged, and his fingers clenched tighter. His lips curled back to his pink gums, while his eyes dilated. So that was what a primate¡¯s aggressive snarl looked like. I skittered back, remembering Noah¡¯s warning about intent to bite. I didn¡¯t want to be within snacking distance. My inner exterminator agreed that humans shouldn¡¯t be prowling our streets, and wished for their non-existence. But my sentimental side remembered Noah tucking me in, and playing games with Haysi and I. If the predator was emulating empathy, he deserved an award. There was more to this conqueror than my Arxur tormentors. The Venlil receptionist wasn¡¯t backing down from her statement, and was gaining more confidence by the second. She bared her own teeth, reaching for a phone. Perhaps this employee intended to dial exterminators. I was increasingly worried about the Gaian biting this individual. ¡°Don¡¯t talk to Noah like that!¡± A Zurulian nurse trotted into the room, and glared at the receptionist. ¡°Please, forgive Carliva; she doesn¡¯t think highly of your kind.¡± ¡°Those flesh-beasts drain our resources, and our taxes go to their meat factories! They set up their encampments anywhere, and litter our big cities. Some of them don¡¯t even work!¡± the Venlil snapped back. ¡°Earth got bombed to oblivion. Those humans lost family members and everything they own. Wouldn¡¯t you be grieving too?¡± The quadruped flicked her ears, and Carliva slunk off with a look of loathing. The Zurulian nurse shook her head, before approaching Noah with cautious steps. The Gaian refitted his visor, and clasped his hands behind his back. He dipped his head, perhaps to show appreciation. ¡°Please listen, Ambassador Noah. I can¡¯t allow you to interact with our patients,¡± the nurse said. Noah hissed in exasperation. ¡°What?! I thought you were on my side!¡± ¡°I am. Many of our residents have memory problems, and wouldn¡¯t know what a human is. A scare at their advanced age could be deadly. You don¡¯t want to kill someone, do you?¡± ¡°Of course not. But Glim¡¯s been an Arxur captive for a decade. He needs to see his Aunt Thima.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t I take Glim to her room, and you wait here? Then you leave after, without any unwanted incidents.¡± The predator paced for a few seconds, startling the Zurulian. Even with the visor on, I could sense his unnatural eyes on me. Noah was considering whether I¡¯d run off at the first opportunity, which was a high possibility. He must be feigning deliberation to seem reasonable. Why would he let me out of his sight? The human went to great lengths to track my escape, and hunted me in a public venue. He wouldn¡¯t release his catch. ¡°Okay. Thanks for helping us, Nurse.¡± The Gaian sat in a chair, which was comically small for him. ¡°I trust you, Glim. The question is if you trust me.¡± I withheld a disbelieving hiss, and tried to make sense of my sudden release. Of course I didn¡¯t trust a predator, after years as a cattle captive! Besides, his introduction started with deceit, which eliminated any chance of mutual trust. Concealing all information about his kind didn¡¯t inspire positive thoughts. Noah had done an admirable job of swaying me, when I scorned any nuance originally. But our first encounter proved he was a trickster. I followed the Zurulian down a hallway, and relaxed as the Gaian didn¡¯t follow us. This was a pristine opportunity to escape captivity; I could evade detection better in this less-integrated town. The Zurulian stopped outside one door, and gestured for me to enter. My ears perked up with hope, as I crept into the room. Thima wheezed on her side, and her facial fur was starkly snow white. The glassiness in her eyes reminded me of cattle Venlil; drool was running down her chin. An old sitcom played on a TV, which she blankly watched. ¡°Thima?¡± I whispered. My aunt screeched. ¡°HELP! There¡¯s a s-strange man in my room!¡± ¡°It¡¯s me, Glim. I came to visit you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not Glim. Glim was captured by the Arxur.¡± ¡°Y-yes, that was true for 11 years. The humans traded for me. See the neck brand?¡± ¡°Human? What kind of species name is that?¡± ¡°The aliens, Thima¡­the predators. They returned me, your nephew.¡± ¡°Lies! I want you gone. You¡¯re not Glim!¡± ¡°S-stop playing. Don¡¯t you recognize my voice?¡± Aunt Thima glowered at me, before wailing for assistance. She began unplugging the wires from her arms in a fit, and knocked her drinking water from the nightstand. I gaped in horror, as the one person who loved me wanted me gone. Tears swelled in my eyes, and I rushed out of the room. The Zurulian medic yelled at me to calm down, but my feet were moving on their own. I was blind to my direction and my surroundings; the facility was a blur. There was nothing left here on Venlil Prime, not even my family. The world had changed too much to process. All I wanted was for Thima to hold me, and whisper that it was alright. My paws wrapped around something warm, and I clung on for dear life. Sobs rattled my body, so I pressed my face into a synthetic fabric. My hugging support tensed beneath my arms, and fleshy appendages tapped my back. I let go with horror, as I realized where I¡®d run. My instincts went back to the predator for comfort. Noah massaged my neck. ¡°Shhh. It¡¯s okay. You¡¯re okay.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like!¡± I screamed. ¡°Actually, I do. My dad had Alzheimer¡¯s. I¡¯d visit him every weekend, and he didn¡¯t remember who I was. He¡¯d tell me about his little boy, Noah, who wanted to be an astronaut¡­and I¡¯d just smile.¡± ¡°But I¡­needed T-Thima. Take me back to the facility! Take me back. Anywhere but here.¡± ¡°I know it¡¯s hard, but it¡¯s not her fault. Are you sure you want to leave?¡± ¡°Please, get me out of here. I can¡¯t lose anyone else. That¡¯s not Thima anymore.¡± ¡°You don''t mean that. Sometimes, she remembers and she¡¯s there, Glim. Tarva¡¯s people got her to record those messages for you. She was glad you¡¯re home.¡± The Gaian picked me up, a stoic expression on his face. My profession had always taught me that predators should be eradicated, but this was the nicest hunter I¡¯d ever encountered. For some reason, my subconscious felt bonded to Noah. He was a steady presence, when everything else was crumbling. I couldn¡¯t ignore the evidence from our travels either. The way the Venlil receptionist spoke to my caretaker was irreverent and hostile. Judging from Tarva¡¯s phone call, it sounded like open criticism was allowed on the internet too. Those attitudes wouldn¡¯t be allowed to circulate, if humans conquered our home. Furthermore, the oblivious Gaians at lunch had been discussing morals and sympathy. They had no way of knowing anyone was listening. With my exposure to the Arxur, I knew how different those pitying attitudes were. The grays considered keeping us as prey to be our rightful state, and they flaunted it. ¡°Glim, can you talk to Haysi?¡± Noah slid back into the car, and removed his visor. ¡°You could help us explain it to the other refugees, better than we did for you.¡± Tears dripped down my cheeks. ¡°I don¡¯t know. M-maybe.¡± ¡°Okay. And do you still want me to drop contact with you, when we get back?¡± The Gaian stiffened, sucking in a sharp breath. It was as if the ambassador was bracing himself for rejection; that implied it would cause him pain if I answered in the negative. Noah¡¯s body language betrayed that he cared what I thought of him. The torrent of fear since first contact seemed to have taken its toll. ¡°I don¡¯t think that will be necessary,¡± I croaked. The human curved his lips. ¡°Good. I haven¡¯t taught you the half of our body language.¡± My gaze darted out the window, and a shudder crept down my spine. I, of all Venlil, shouldn¡¯t be trusting of a lying predator, but I was giving Noah a second chance. Human charisma had swayed my feelings a bit too much. Chapter 88 Memory transcription subject: Chief Hunter Isif, Arxur Dominion Sector Fleet Date [standardized human time]: December 3, 2136 The Sol System underwent a serious overhaul, since my last visit. Earth¡¯s defenses had been insufficient to ward off enemy vessels, and humanity wished to ensure such defeat never happened again. I marveled at the sheer manpower they must¡¯ve dedicated to reconstruction. According to my sensor data, the humans placed habitats as far out as the ¡®Oort Cloud.¡¯ It was impossible to spot the roughshod stations on the viewport. Their super-black paint absorbed almost all light, and their emissions were the only giveaway. A lesser mind might mistake the gravitational disturbances for an astronomical phenomenon. I would assume the UN mimicked our cloaked stations, but they couldn¡¯t have developed the technology so quickly. Terrans devised those blueprints on their own. Humans detected my ship among the icy fragments, and nailed me with enough FTL-disruptors to fry an army. Nimble fighters raced out to join me, taking up flank positions. Visual contact confirmed to Terran scouts that the incoming vessel was of Arxur make, but that didn¡¯t ease their suspicions. Perhaps they assumed the next Dominion visit wouldn¡¯t be on friendly terms. The Terran craft had me target-locked, and circled my ship with contemplative intent. Surely their generals realized that despite our solitary nature, our ships wouldn¡¯t venture off alone to attack. My mission was diplomatic in nature; I was debating how thoroughly to betray my people. There was also the issue of the three Zurulians, who wouldn¡¯t come out when I left drinking water. They must be dehydrated and delirious by now. I hailed the cloaked habitat, hoping humanity wouldn¡¯t make any rash decisions. It was unclear if they¡¯d appreciate the tip-off, that their hideout wasn¡¯t undetectable. An honest appraisal seemed helpful by my standards, but it could also wound Terran pride. That concept meant more to the Dominion than Elias Meier; however, M¨ªngz¨¦ Zhao was not as even-keel. ¡°You are trespassing in the Sol system, but you know that already.¡± A female human with a dust-colored bowl cut appeared on screen. I recognized her as General Jones, the drone program¡¯s lead. ¡°To what do we owe the¡­pleasure?¡± I bared my teeth. ¡°Humans do not wish to continue open relations? Have you forgotten what we did for you so soon?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t expect the Arxur back here, keeping tabs on us. I know a warship when I see one, and I certainly don¡¯t like it gunning for Earth. Why do you feel entitled to roam our home system?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m Chief Hunter Isif. You know, the single reason your species is still alive today. The one who gave you an army, sent food to your cities, pulled your dying from the rubble, and traded you the Venlil.¡± ¡°¡­I see. My nation thanked you, and housed you. That doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re going to lord your aid over humanity forever. You must use proper diplomatic channels, like everyone else.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve gone through your channels, and received a dismissive statement from Zhao. That¡¯s unacceptable. I¡¯ve earned some gratitude, if not respect.¡± ¡°What are you going to do, sue us?¡± Malice glimmered in General Jones¡¯ eyes, and a defiant smirk tugged at her lips. Fury swelled in my chest, threatening to spill into a roar. I was able to contain it to a growl, but I couldn¡¯t believe what ingrates the humans were. The United Nations hadn¡¯t been this flippant with me in the past, even after Meier¡¯s death. Why the sudden hostility? I came to help humanity, but now, I don¡¯t know whether they deserve it. Perhaps there was some truth to Shaza¡¯s claim that the Terrans needed a kick in the teeth. If she took their bold-faced antagonism down a notch, that would be beneficial to my goals. Earth¡¯s government warranted a reminder of their precarious position. I was less certain that I could rely on their leaders than ever. Still, humans were the only predators who wanted to end sapient farming. Their lab-grown meat had the power to feed us, and to weaken Betterment¡¯s grip on Arxur society. Terrans must see reason again, when I reminded them we were on the same side. Meier understood how I defended humanity, and kept Giznel off their back. Concerns still hounded me over the three Zurulians, hiding on my ship. I¡¯d risked my cover on impulse, and I couldn¡¯t have them die after ferrying them here. It was worth brushing off the insult, so that my defective voice would settle down. However, I¡¯d like to hear General Jones issue an apology, down the line. Her contemptful look was grating at my patience. ¡°I¡¯m your only ally in the Dominion. The intelligence I can offer you is worth your time,¡± I hissed. The primate cleared her throat. ¡°You have something you want to share? Then spit it out.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll only speak to Zhao. I rule this entire sector: your sector. I directly interact with our government, and keep them off your backs. I deserve to look my equal in the eye, yes?¡± ¡°Well, tough luck. The Secretary-General is unavailable.¡± ¡°Then so am I. You haven¡¯t even forwarded the request to him. If your leader can¡¯t spare a minute on a call, I can¡¯t be bothered to share my thoughts.¡± ¡°I said he¡¯s unavailable. I will apprise Zhao of any intel you divulge to us.¡± ¡°I want a personal chat, human! Are you fucking dense?¡± Jones slanted her eyebrows. ¡°How dare¡ª¡± ¡°How dare YOU!¡± I roared. ¡°If it was important¡­if I was Tarva, Zhao would make time. Hell, Tarva herself was more diplomatic than you people!¡± The UN fighters still coasted alongside me, and I barely refrained from target-locking them. I was mistaken to think of humanity as a friend; they would always consider us second-class to the prey. The option to storm off, and communicate with Venlil Prime instead, grew more appealing by the minute. If the Terrans hadn¡¯t disrupted my FTL capabilities, I would¡¯ve left in a huff. There was no logical reason the humans would confront an Arxur ally, and spit in his face. Perhaps their vengeance had driven them mad; it was clear they were obsessed with Sol¡¯s military defenses. Another possibility was that this American general was superseding the chain of command. She could be seeking to claim my intel for her nation alone. Was that it? Was Jones shutting Zhao out of the loop, as a power play? Coups weren¡¯t unheard of, back when unrest plagued Wriss; rulers could change by the week. The drone mastermind might resent that she was snubbed for Secretary-General, in favor of a general from a rival state. Undermining Zhao¡¯s regime would fashion the Americans as an appealing alternative. The ostensible status was that humans quieted all clannish tendencies, under threat of extinction. The United Nations supposedly helped them work together against aliens. But I wasn¡¯t sure Earth¡¯s tribes had laid old grudges to rest. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. General Jones tapped a few buttons, before sitting in silence for a minute. ¡°Be careful what you wish for, Isif. The Secretary-General will speak with you.¡± I was a bit relieved that the American-led forces hadn¡¯t done anything rash. Humans were bold enough to try to capture me, and convince me to talk through other means. From what I read on my holopad, their interrogation methods could surpass even Arxur creativity. If I¡¯d shared those tidbits with Giznel, he¡¯d respect their cruelty. A human male appeared on screen, dressed in formal attire. His skin was warm and tan, while his hair was styled as a black crew cut. Forehead wrinkles indicated he was middle-aged, likely with several decades in the service. Anger oozed from his taut grimace; even his shoulders were forward, asserting dominance. ¡°Mr. Secretary-General, it¡¯s an honor.¡± I forced a placid expression, and dipped my head. ¡°I intended for us to meet much sooner. A shame, yes?¡± Zhao¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. ¡°Well, you have my full attention now. I suppose that is what you wanted.¡± ¡°It is? That American general was stalling me from contacting you. I fear she may be watching out for her national interests, at your world¡¯s expense.¡± ¡°General Jones and I have an understanding. National interests mean nothing, with human interests under constant threat. That threat is extinction, and it pays no mind to borders. We cannot afford squabbles.¡± ¡°But Jones would not pass along my call.¡± ¡°Because I told her not to. I was already listening the entire time, you know.¡± My eyes narrowed with outrage, and I lashed my tail. This Secretary-General would blow me off, when I came to Sol to protect his forces? For pack predators with ubiquitous empathy, they had a lousy way of showing it. Who was I kidding, to think humans would help defective Arxur? Dominion rebellion meant nothing to their self-oriented agenda. I knew Terrans still cared about the Venlil, like their own pack. The new Secretary-General also lauded the other races that aided Earth, yet sported contempt for the Arxur. Furthermore, they launched new ¡®exchange programs¡¯ with the Yotul and Zurulians, while welcoming defecting herbivores to their alliance. The ever-patient humans found the resolve to train the quaking prey! To my amazement, those efforts were getting results. Obligate carnivores just aren¡¯t convenient to their new empire¡­is that it? Or maybe they cannot forgive our crimes¡­ I gritted my teeth. ¡°What have I ever done to you? I helped you and asked nothing in return. I could¡¯ve conquered Earth, but I treated you as equals.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the only reason I haven¡¯t ordered Jones to capture you, Isif,¡± Zhao said. ¡°With what we know today, you¡¯re no friend of humanity. Listen carefully and tell your boss; we are not supporting agendas that go against our interests.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Our interests are the same!¡± ¡°We both know that¡¯s not true. You were adamant about Fahl and Sillis being glassed, and humanity following your every command. We are not your puppets.¡± ¡°What? You¡¯ve gone mad, Zhao. The Dominion knows you are weak, and they won¡¯t tolerate your interference. I¡¯m trying to keep weak predators alive into the future!¡± ¡°Weak? We are not weak. We are young, and growing exponentially.¡± I hissed in exasperation. ¡°Then give yourselves time to grow. Fahl and Sillis do not help your¡­human first agenda, am I right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about the principle of encouraging our enemies to surrender. Besides, if we forked over the Tilfish and the Harchen worlds without a fight, it would cement this ¡®human weakness¡¯ in your minds. I will not set that precedent. The Arxur shall respect us.¡± Secretary-General Zhao cast an unwavering glare at the screen. As much as I wanted to unload on him, my departure from Sol required humanity lifting their FTL disruptors. Securing a ride out might require groveling; politeness was mandatory for my request to leave. But at this point, I had no intent of passing along Shaza¡¯s plans to Earth. It felt like a betrayal, that the UN would dismiss my high-risk friendship with humanity. How could Terrans say our interests weren¡¯t aligned, unless they were unwilling to help us? I thought we both sought a better future, and a change in the Arxur government. My defective voice wanted the hominids to like me, and accept me as one of their peers. A delirious scream echoed behind me, and my head whipped around. One of the Zurulians had climbed atop a table, in the camera¡¯s backdrop. It was the one who¡¯d been crying in the cage, though she looked worse for wear. Her lips were dry from dehydration, and her eyes were half-closed with fatigue. I could see desperation glitter in her pupils. ¡°H-human! Help us¡­p-please,¡± she croaked, in a ragged voice. The Secretary-General leaned forward in his chair, and his eyes widened with alarm. His jaw clenched shortly after, as he recognized the Zurulian¡¯s paltry condition. While I appreciated that Zhao loathed our cattle practices, the quadrupeds¡¯ deterioration wasn¡¯t my fault. I¡¯d risked my hide to rescue them, and I had provided for them. Was I supposed to flush them out at gunpoint, to drink water? ¡°So that¡¯s why there are four life signatures on your ship.¡± The Terran¡¯s voice was low and charged with fury. I noticed his hands typing at a holopad, likely communicating with Jones¡¯ forces. ¡°You¡¯re using our friends as bargaining chips? You¡¯d commit acts of terrorism in the Sol System?!¡± I shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s not like that! I brought them here so you could send them home.¡± ¡°Yeah, right; conveniently forgot to mention their presence, huh? Is that your food for this week? Filthy croc.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it! I will fucking rip you from limb-to-limb, you puny branch-swinger! I will carve out your itsy-bitsy canines¡­and embed them on my armor as a prize!¡± ¡°You won¡¯t be doing anything. I was planning to catch-and-release you, but you¡¯re better taken out of the equation. The United Nations will be bringing you into custody, Isif.¡± I tried to attempt evasive maneuvers, but the UN blew out my propulsions with a single hit. My weapons system was malfunctioning, and I found the glitch rather coincidental. The Terran fighters flanking me used mechanisms to latch on to my hull seamlessly. Sparks flew behind me, as humans began breaching into the cabin. The Zurulians bounded up to the noise, yipping for aid. The world took on a red hue, and anger overflowed into my consciousness. Feeling the need to attack something, I swung my claws at my dashboard. Electricity arced through the air, as I tore a chunk of metal out of the pedestal. Adrenaline led me to blindly throw the debris, and it nearly landed atop the Zurulians. Realizing I¡¯d almost harmed them snapped me back to lucidity, though I was still steaming. Why is Zhao doing this? I was a valuable asset to him, from a logistical standpoint. The Secretary-General leaned in to another holopad. ¡°This is a high-value prisoner. Bring him in, alive! I want to know what he knows.¡± ¡°You¡¯re making a mistake!¡± I roared. ¡°Why are you doing this?!¡± ¡°For one, you¡¯ve learned too much about Earth¡¯s revamps. The element of surprise is important, if worse comes to worst. An enemy Chief Hunter can¡¯t ruin that for us.¡± ¡°Enemy? Meier knew I¡¯m not your enemy. We want the same fucking thing, Zhao.¡± ¡°Meier was na?ve. He couldn¡¯t see an enemy if they were holding him at gunpoint.¡± I curled my lip with disdain. ¡°You don¡¯t believe I¡¯m an ally, just because I¡¯m an Arxur.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t believe you¡¯re an ally, because we¡¯ve¡­obtained Arxur reports. Including Shaza¡¯s partial transcript of your visit.¡± I leaned back on my haunches. Understanding dawned on me, as I realized that the United Nations had tapped into our communications network. Meier understood how I played things up for effect, but that knowledge hadn¡¯t been passed on to his successor. Perhaps my acting was a bit too superb, if it fooled the very people I was protecting. My offense over Terran aggression was gone, once there was some basis for their behavior. This was all a misunderstanding; it should be easy for me to clear things up. Of course Earth wouldn¡¯t welcome someone who claimed to be using them in a war. It didn¡¯t help that I insulted Zhao in my speech, though such rhetoric was tailored for a different audience. ¡°What is it you think that I said?¡± I hissed. ¡°¡®I¡¯m using humans to make the Dominion the supreme, unchallenged power.¡¯ Oh, what about this one? ¡®The UN are clueless to our aims, because Zhao is blind and on the warpath.¡¯¡± ¡°You can¡¯t take that at face value. Read between the lines! You¡¯re intelligent. I was trying to talk Shaza down¡­she wants to nuke your prizes, with your forces still there.¡± ¡°We know that. And we know your rationale against an attack was ¡®Not yet, save our strength.¡¯¡± A metallic section of the wall toppled inward, and Terran soldiers stalked inside. The primates almost tripped over the Zurulians, who ran toward their entry point. The humans rounded on me in formation, wearing goggles over their eyes. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, I sunk to my knees and raised my paws in surrender. ¡°Why would you tell me you know all this? You¡¯re tipping your hand,¡± I growled. The Secretary-General sported a malevolent grin. ¡°Because you¡¯re never going to tell your people any of it.¡± A dart embedded itself in my neck, and I plucked it out on instinct. My head felt a bit woozy, before I lost my balance. The humans crept closer, readying more sedatives in case the dosage was inadequate. My eyes fluttered, and my vision shrank to a pinhole. There was no hope of talking my way out of this situation¡­and it wasn¡¯t the Dominion who did me in like I imagined. My undoing was assisting alien predators, who never planned for me to leave the Sol system again. Chapter 89 Memory transcription subject: Slanek, Venlil Space Corps Date [standardized human time]: December 3, 2136 The dark thoughts didn¡¯t catch up to me until we circled back to our main base, within the Tilfish metropolis. During combat, the survival instincts humans drilled into me prevailed. Emotion was something to be shut down, because it would interfere with our mission. But alone with Marcel now, I began to worry what the Terrans had awakened within me. There must be a reason I hadn¡¯t written my parents, since our deployment to the Cradle. I had every opportunity to send a message home to Venlil Prime, yet I neglected the task of telling my folks I was okay. What kind of son would leave them in the dark, while bouncing between war zones with predators? They had just buried their other child; my brother had perished in combat with the Arxur not long ago. I powered through during the battle, but images of that Tilfish falling lifeless haunted my mind. The scariest part was that I hardly felt anything over pulling the trigger. Marcel said, to paraphrase, that only a sociopath wouldn¡¯t feel conflicted over their first kill. Why did I feel proud, when the dust settled? What if my family thought I had become a predator, when they saw how much I¡¯d changed? Taking a life should¡¯ve rattled me more. Yet I feel only hatred for those who would threaten the humans¡­just a pit of rage. Marcel penned a letter home every day, since FTL comms couldn¡¯t reach Earth. The red-haired human was manning the UN supply tent, as we waited out our shift. Our locale was open for public grievances, as promised. Unfortunately, for the second day in a row, nobody wandered into a predator encampment. The humans needed to find a different way to connect with Sillis¡¯ populace. Marcel smacked the paper he¡¯d written. ¡°How does this sound? ¡®The UN specifically sought out people with a love of insects and arachnids. Hell, entomologists are shortlisted for the diplomatic corps. Guess they couldn¡¯t find enough bug-lovers, because I¡¯m stuck here.¡¯¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re running out of things to tell her. You¡¯ve already talked about your discomfort,¡± I remarked. ¡°No, this one is about how they¡¯re selecting people. Slanek, we didn¡¯t have to be here. Humans and Tilfish share that feeling of ¡®Stay the fuck away from me.¡¯ A mutual agreement to that end could¡¯ve avoided this shit.¡± ¡°I think such an agreement would be wrong too. We felt that same way about humans. Was the exchange program a mistake?¡± ¡°No¡­of course not! We¡¯re nightmares to the Tilfish, and they¡¯re nightmares to us. I just meant we didn¡¯t have to kill each other over it. Avoidance was possible.¡± ¡°But when we cleared the rogue settlement, that wasn¡¯t avoidable. Didn¡¯t we have to kill them, Marc? Didn¡¯t you like cleaning up the neighborhood patrols?¡± The Terran stared at me for a long moment. ¡°I don¡¯t like killing anyone. I told you at the protest; it¡¯s a last resort.¡± ¡°Life is precious, right? You humans just shut the kill switch on and off as you please.¡± ¡°What the fuck are you on about?¡± ¡°It¡¯s easy for you to commingle violence and empathy! Your emotions never run amok, but they¡¯re never absent either. Maybe Venlil instincts exist for a reason¡­because we shouldn¡¯t flip that switch.¡± Marcel placed his letter down, and his mouth fell into an o-shape. The human inspected me with piercing eyes, scanning my mannerisms with ease. This was my closest friend in the universe; it was like he could peer into my soul. Doubts racked my mind, along with shame and fear. What if the training from Sara¡¯s instinct program had gone too far? Was I turning into someone I didn¡¯t want to become? ¡°Slanek, are you okay?¡± the Terran asked. I slumped my shoulders. ¡°Violence should sicken me...I¡¯m a Venlil, a timid one at that. I blew someone¡¯s head off! But I can¡¯t make myself feel guilty.¡± ¡°Easy buddy. There¡¯s no right way to process your experience. You were focused on surviving, and now you¡¯re confused. Because you feel like you had to¡­because you think our mission is justified.¡± ¡°I regret that I had to kill them, but I don¡¯t wish they were still alive!¡± The alien leaned back on his haunches, running a hand through his auburn hair. I could see Marcel¡¯s scarred face contort, as he contemplated what I said. My human must be horrified by these words, though his kind were excellent at masking negative reactions. Scathing judgments must be running through his brain at this second; I wasn¡¯t the innocent Venlil he¡¯d befriended. I remember how proud Marcel had been at my first combat simulator, and how fervently my human encouraged me. He¡¯d warned me not to change myself, certainly not for his sake. Now, I saw the changes he was referring to. The program taught me to manage my fears, but I¡¯d lost my identity along the way. A soldier without empathy was no more trustworthy than a coward. I¡¯m still a liability to Marcel, just in a different way. He deserves a better Venlil as his buddy. The vegetarian chuckled, and shook his head. ¡°Hey, I set a building on fire, because I hate the exterminators. It¡¯s okay to hate those sadistic fucks.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a more aggressive species.¡± ¡°Times are changing, Slanek. Upbringing plays a large part in¡ª¡± Mandibles clacked outside the supply tent, and a young Tilfish scuttled through the flap. Marcel instinctively tugged his legs back at the child¡¯s approach, and forgot our conversation. It was a bit amusing how the human forgot to breathe. How could this soldier endure a shootout with dozens of insectoids, but a close-up kid mortified him? The Tilfish child moved a leg along Marcel¡¯s arm with curiosity; I think the sleeve cuffs baffled our visitor. The red-haired human gulped, and made a visible attempt to relax. His pale hand fished into a drawer, and for a moment, I feared he was grabbing a gun. Perhaps I should¡¯ve stepped in, instead of having a chuckle at his instincts. Marcel secured a small stick beneath his fingers, which had a circular object resting atop it. He undid a wrapper over the sphere, and held it out to the Tilfish. The child giggled, accepting the gift. His compound eyes studied the specimen, not understanding its purpose. ¡°That¡¯s a lollipop, son. You suck on the red circle; it¡¯s sugar.¡± The human spoke in a gentle voice, though it was fraught with discomfort. ¡°Just don¡¯t eat the stick. That¡¯s not food.¡± If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Thank you!¡± the Tilfish squealed. ¡°I¡¯m Virnt. Wanna be friends?¡± ¡°Sure! I¡¯m Marcel. You¡¯re a brave little guy, aren¡¯t you? You know, my daughter, Nulia, loves sweets too.¡± I flicked my ear in amusement. ¡°Wait a second. Marc, you brought candy just to give to Tilfish children? The ones that creep you out?¡± ¡°Of course I did! You really don¡¯t know me at all, do you?¡± ¡°And you brought Venlil plushies on the cradle for Nulia.¡± ¡°That¡­wasn¡¯t for Nulia. Is that judgment I hear, Slanek?¡± Virnt pawed at Marcel¡¯s leg, asking to be picked up. The human shivered, but helped the child onto his lap. His hand drifted atop the insectoid¡¯s exoskeleton. His cheeks were ashen with visible disgust; Terrans acted like Tilfish carried some lethal disease. The fear wasn¡¯t founded on being eaten alive. Despite the comparisons, it wasn¡¯t the same brand as our instincts toward them. General Birla staggered into the tent, antennae flailing with fear. Her mandibles clicked, at the sight of Virnt cuddling with the predator. I gauged from her stricken demeanor that this was her son. Her six legs blurred with motion, and she snatched the youngling away from Marcel. The kid squeaked in protest, clinging to the lollipop. The insectoid held her son close for a long time, and Marcel watched with a casual stare. As the sole Tilfish general to vote against Earth¡¯s raid, Birla must have had her reasons to spare the hunters. But it was clear from our brief interactions that she feared what the Terrans would do to Sillis. Certainly Birla can see how sweet Marcel was being, I mused. And how hard he works against his own instincts. Birla straightened her antennae. ¡°I told you never to t-touch the humans! I also told you to wait outside the t-tent until I got permission.¡± ¡°Humma is nice. Very nice humma. We¡¯re friends!¡± Virnt clicked. ¡°Humans do NOT like us. I explained this to you twice. Soldier Marcel, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine, really¡­please, don¡¯t tell the little guy that. I don¡¯t mind,¡± the vegetarian said. ¡°I¡¯ve visited human units across the Mercantile region. I can see plainly that you do mind us.¡± ¡°What do you mean? Have we done something wrong, General?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the predators here, but¡­you¡¯re afraid of us too. There¡¯s always someone who gets startled, and even a few that scream like prey. I don¡¯t want you to hurt Virnt out of fear.¡± Marcel narrowed his eyes. ¡°I was never going to hurt him. I¡¯m sorry if I overstepped, giving him that treat.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m just trying to understand humans. Everything I learn adds more questions. What about us alarms you so much?¡± ¡°Er, on our world, insects indicate rotting food and contamination. We see Tilfish as harbingers of disease. My brain screams to get you away, as fast as possible. But I know you¡¯re not a threat, and I¡¯m sorry that I feel that way toward you.¡± General Birla was silent for a long moment, before releasing Virnt from her grasp. The Tilfish child bounced back to the human, and nuzzled his warm leg. I expected the Terran¡¯s shudder this time. Marcel¡¯s biological responses made sense from an evolutionary perspective, especially through the lens of ancient predation. Meat stores must attract disease-carrying insects frequently. This wasn¡¯t exactly the insight I hoped to extract from the Terran. Because of the incursion, Marcel hadn¡¯t fully addressed my personal concerns. I did feel better having the truth off my chest, but I hadn¡¯t spilled my familial distancing. Part of me wondered what the human was saying about upbringing. Had I branched off so far from my roots, that I was unrecognizable to other Venlil? ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯m afraid of you too,¡± Birla sighed. ¡°That¡¯s why I voted against hitting Earth. There wasn¡¯t an argument for it that wasn¡¯t speculative¡­based in fear.¡± Marcel pursed his lips. ¡°Fear comes from the imagination, not reality. I sure hope I¡¯m not as terrible as you imagined.¡± ¡°No. If you¡¯re wondering why I¡¯m here, it¡¯s because I wanted to talk to you. It¡¯s obvious how much your Venlil adores you, and I know who you two are. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard that before.¡± ¡°Unfortunately. Everyone who tuned into Noah¡¯s speech¡­trillions of aliens saw me at the worst moment of my life.¡± ¡°S-sorry. That was insensitive of me. I shouldn¡¯t have brought that up.¡± The red-haired human took the empty lollipop stick away from Virnt, and dropped it in a trash bin. I was curious to try one of those sweets myself, though it might sound childish to ask. Marcel misinterpreted my stare, and beckoned with a finger. I mewled as I approached, and pressed my ear against his nice nails. The Terran soldier smiled. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Birla. If you¡¯re here to talk about something serious, I must ask why you brought your son.¡± ¡°Virnt likes the ¡®hummas¡¯ on TV. Thinks you¡¯re fun¡­and squishy? I let him tag along, since it might make him stop asking about you. I don¡¯t want him reported for predator disease, even if I, um, see the signs too.¡± I tilted my head. ¡°That is a serious prognosis. You should get him screened soon. No normal child isn¡¯t scared of predators, at least a little.¡± ¡°Slanek!¡± Marcel hissed. ¡°Predator disease is your catch-all term for anything outside ¡®herd normals.¡¯ You want this kid electroshocked for being curious about humans?!¡± ¡°No¡­I just think it¡¯s in the community¡¯s interest to be vigilant. Birla is his mother, and she admittedly sees the signs.¡± ¡°We are going to have a long talk about this in private. General, there¡¯s nothing wrong with Virnt. Don¡¯t let any bigots tell you otherwise.¡± ¡°Humma likes me!¡± the Tilfish child cheered. ¡°Yeah, I sure do, kiddo.¡± Sorrow tugged at Marcel¡¯s expression, spilling into the occasional pointed look at me. I saw a glimmer of protectiveness in his gaze, while Virnt played with his bootlaces. The human was more judgmental over suggesting a medical screening, than my admission about my first kill. It was like my best friend thought I wanted to hurt a child! It¡¯s sad that some people are a danger to society. We can help a few of them¡­if we catch it early. The vegetarian swallowed. ¡°Anyhow, to business. What can I do for you, Birla?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard reports of UN divisions picking up and leaving in a hurry. Many Tilfish see it as a victory, driving off human invaders. But I know there¡¯s something more going on,¡± she explained. ¡°I haven¡¯t a clue what you¡¯re talking about. Nobody here¡¯s left.¡± ¡°It seems the units in the big cities are the last to leave. It¡¯s like the UN wants their departure to go unnoticed. If I¡¯m right, I expect them to pull you guys out within the hour.¡± ¡°Is that so? I told you we hoped a ground occupation wouldn¡¯t last long. Maybe the UN is stepping back now.¡± My ears perked up with hope; General Birla had no reason to lie about Terran actions. Did that mean the predators were moving us somewhere else? It was clear that the locals didn¡¯t want us on Sillis, so a hands-off approach might be best. The humans didn¡¯t want to be here longer than was necessary anyways. ¡°All UN personnel, please proceed immediately to your evacuation zone.¡± A monotone human voice poured through the PA system, with impeccable timing. ¡°Do not use public transit, or contact the natives. Avoid combat engagements if possible. Orbital threat level is severe.¡± Birla¡¯s antennae flailed. ¡°W-what? Orbital threat level? Are¡­are you airstriking us into s-submission?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± Marcel growled. ¡°That message is referring to an external threat. It can only be the grays, to merit such a hasty response.¡± ¡°The Arxur? No! We s-surrendered to you to s-stop their genocide, and you¡¯re just leaving us to die? What about t-the Tilfish down here?¡± ¡°I hear what you¡¯re saying. If evacuating civilians isn¡¯t a primary directive, then our escape must hinge on not being slowed down at all. The UN could be expecting an attack within the hour.¡± ¡°B-broadcast a message for civilians to get to bunkers, at least. P-please!¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­sure we will. Come with us, Birla. We¡¯re getting out of here.¡± Fear returned to my bloodstream, as I noted the eerie similarities to the cradle. To say those memories rattled me was an understatement. But if Marcel and I escaped that chaos, there was no reason we couldn¡¯t do it again. At least this time, the bombs hadn¡¯t started falling yet. Back then, we hadn¡¯t known the Arxur arrived until Gojid settlements were being leveled. With no time to waste, we cleared out of the tent quickly. The Tilfish general followed Marcel, who was toting Virnt into his arms. I hurried after them, and the human only glanced back a single time. The vegetarian must be livider about my ¡®predator disease¡¯ comments than I thought. Why would he let a small disagreement cause a rift between us? ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Marc,¡± I offered timidly. Marcel sighed. ¡°You¡¯re only sorry because I¡¯m pissed. I¡¯ll accept your apology when you know why you¡¯re sorry.¡± Distant flashes twinkled on Sillis¡¯ largest moon, which I assumed housed planetary defenses. It was uncanny to see a full-fledged battle, reduced to white and orange dots amidst blackness. Ships must be clashing overhead, as the UN fleet fought to restrain the enemy. It put into perspective the staggering distance between us and a higher-orbit engagement. Explosions continued to flood the sky, with increasing frequency. I wondered if any stargazing civilians had noticed the indicators; the nighttime was a microcosm of death. A ticking clock was hiding in plain sight, marking our dwindling time to get off this world. I hoped the humans fared better in Sillis¡¯ initial defense than the catastrophe of the cradle. Chapter 90 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, United Nations Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: December 3, 2136 Once the Arxur arrived at Sillis, the humans¡¯ usage of FTL disruptors was strategic. The blocking effects were limited to upper orbit, and that allowed our fleet to travel further out. While the enemy was knocked to real speed, we were still zipping through subspace. The Terran warships were patient and dutiful in following the grays, all the way from Khoa. Stalking the reptilians across vast distances showcased the UN¡¯s predatory roots. Our shadow fleet emerged from FTL travel, just shy of the active disruptor zones. A gap of light-years had been bridged in minutes, and our signatures were muddled by the Arxur¡¯s own wakes. Their fleet size was around ten thousand strong, and ours paled by comparison. But humanity had a few tricks on standby, and we hoped to make the child-eaters suffer. From the sensors station, Onso and I parsed through the grays¡¯ transmissions. A female reptile was taunting the humans, by mocking their defensive line. This was wondrous confirmation that the Arxur were officially enemies of Earth. Sillis had been expecting the attack, judging by their organized formation. However, the evac shuttles leaving the surface suggested their notice was limited. ¡°Sovlin, you¡¯re up!¡± Tyler snapped his fingers together, which made me wince. I was unfamiliar with the painful-looking gesture. ¡°We¡¯re going for a pincer movement. Your task is to make sure that none of them escape. As a secondary job, watch for target-locks and inbound fire.¡± I snapped upright. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± ¡°Onso, Captain Monahan was impressed with your thinking. I want you to brainstorm aggressive options; keep them ready and up-to-date. That¡¯ll be on top of managing the viewport.¡± ¡°You got it!¡± the Yotul yipped. ¡°Harris and Romero, scan for any noteworthy signals from the surface. We need to have a full grasp of the situation as it progresses.¡± Carlos frowned with disdain. ¡°Understood¡­sir.¡± ¡°Great. Sounds fun,¡± Samantha said dryly. With our tasks dished out, the sensors station was focused on the battlefield. The Terrans delegated duties with impeccable organization; there were dozens of moving parts on the bridge. Back in my days as captain, I¡¯d never had such an efficient crew. Humans could always do more than us with less manpower. Their snap decisions were better than the Federation¡¯s months of planning. I remember what Tyler said about humans craving victory and domination. Maybe that reprehensible drive is what gives them the edge. But this wasn¡¯t the Kolshian fleet we¡¯d dismantled with ease, nor was it the small raiding band that hit the cradle. This was every Arxur ship in a hundred light-year radius, meant as a show of force. It was impressive enough to put my spines at full bristle. Seeing the monsters swarming Sillis, I decided they¡¯d been holding back against the Federation. A vendetta against any particular world would ensure its death. Why wouldn¡¯t the Dominion vanquish us all, if they had the decisive edge? Perhaps such a move would force us to unify further¡­or to flee. Chasing their food source off would crush hunting opportunities, and render swaths of space preyless. The balance was hitting the Federation enough to keep us scared. They didn¡¯t want us to believe we could win, but they didn¡¯t encourage the idea that all was lost either. ¡°The sensor overlap didn¡¯t confuse them long enough. We¡¯re quite visible,¡± Onso said. ¡°Look at the viewport¡­their rear flank is pivoting.¡± Captain Monahan glowered at the screen. ¡°Sensors, how bad are the numbers?¡± ¡°The UN garrison on Sillis has about a thousand and a half ships, minus civvies and transports,¡± I replied. ¡°Then, there¡¯s a thousand of us from the shadow unit.¡± ¡°Understood. We¡¯re making our move, people. Fire our weapons right behind the shield-breakers. We only get one chance at a first strike.¡± That was our hope: that the grays didn¡¯t know about our shield developments. One-hits were still unlikely, since Arxur ships had significant armor beneath ionic barriers. This trick wouldn¡¯t rattle them for as long as the Kolshians. However, even a demon would derive some confusion from shield outages. We¡¯d have to see how many bullets their plating could absorb. Testing our enemies¡¯ defenses fell to the human gunships. The UN commenced its electromagnetic ambush with a literal bang, by hurling missiles into the Arxur¡¯s midst. Each detonation tossed out shrapnel, though most explosives were stopped en route. Crucially, the volleys blasted away the shields of nearby grays. This proved the magnet-bomb¡¯s effectiveness against all current ships, not just the Federation armada. ¡°Let¡¯s give them something to chew on,¡± Monahan growled. The Terran crew members dipped into our new cache of bullets without hesitation. A relentless spray of our munitions rippled across the Arxur¡¯s rear flank. Kinetics punched holes in their steel plating, with other UN ships chipping in. Armor-piercing shells chewed through 80 centimeters of steel alloys like it was nothing. It seemed the Terrans had figured out the Arxur¡¯s specifications, and tailored their weapons accordingly. Humans traded in firing speed for sheer power; from the results, their choice seemed justified. I was appalled that the Earthborne predators devised bullets which could puncture that deeply. Why had they crafted so many killing abominations for intraspecies wars? The grays¡¯ evasive maneuvers were nigh instantaneous, as though rehearsed. Rather than bumbling into each other like the Federation, the Arxur communicated to avoid collisions. They turned sharply across our flight path, and were aided by a small turn radius. The enemy¡¯s mobility presented an added layer of difficulty for human targeting systems. Sensors confirm hits on about 400 hostiles. That¡¯s solid, but not as much as I hoped. It was then that the planetary defenses revealed themselves on Sillis¡¯ moon; lights decorated the lunar body, near its volcanic centers. Fearsome lasers pounded the grays, concentrated strikes that melted the hardiest ships. The Tilfish¡¯s orbital constructions had been hastily reassembled, after most infrastructure was lost to the post-Earth raids. With each crackle from the moon, the Arxur weaved in different patterns. Their bombers initiated twists through the air, and changed orientations on a dime. A small posse swooped toward the lunar body, dodging attempted strikes with wild flying. I could see the glimmer in the humans¡¯ eyes, acknowledging a skilled foe. Even if they wouldn¡¯t vocalize it, the Terrans respected the grays¡¯ quick adaptation. ¡°T-there¡¯s about three thousand fighters, whipping around to face us. A few hundred going for the moon, and the rest¡­¡± I muttered. ¡°Focused on the defenders and the planet,¡± Onso finished. Tyler cleared his throat. ¡°How many enemy casualties? Visually, it¡­doesn¡¯t look too convincing.¡± ¡°A bit shy of a thousand, per the sensors.¡± I chewed at my claws, and stared at the oncoming formation. ¡°I see a worrying pattern here, fighting every battle outnumbered.¡± Samantha flashed her teeth. ¡°He wasn¡¯t quizzing your pattern recognition skills. Taking on the entire galaxy has its drawbacks, obviously.¡± ¡°Right. I know you said not to let the fuckers escape¡­but unless you reasonably think you can win, it¡¯s us who need to pull back,¡± I offered. Tyler raised an eyebrow. ¡°Without even meeting them head-on?¡± ¡°Five attempted target-locks on us already. Do you think we can survive that? The grays are gunning for the Terran-made ships, not the Federation retrofits.¡± The blond human narrowed his icy eyes, and jogged over to the captain. Monahan was on the comms with the rest of our fleet, plotting our overarching strategy. The Arxur ships sailed closer, and I could make out their signature twin railguns. That one-two punch could hammer a target on both sides, ensuring serious damage. It also made evasion a steep task, at the cost of splitting power output. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. On the opposite side of the battlefield, I could see the Arxur firing a hefty barrage at the UN defenders. Several grays feinted toward the planet, hoping that the humans would be reckless to prevent orbital strikes. However, our goal was to mitigate the damage rather than stop it altogether. The Terrans had no intent of throwing a key battle for the Tilfish inhabitants. It was a small sacrifice to halt the Arxur¡¯s aggression, in the scope of the galaxy. Humans were logical when it came down to their survival, and they hadn¡¯t forgotten the Tilfish¡¯s part in the Krakotl coalition. That was why I expected Captain Monahan to second my assessment, pulling back before we could sustain heavy damage. ¡°Reverse thrust at full power! We¡¯re going to clear our FTL disruptor zone,¡± Monahan barked. ¡°Drones will run interference on the Arxur¡¯s targeting systems.¡± I could see the automated craft gunning forward, and snaking through the enemy ranks to confuse their systems. That move hindered the grays from lining us up, whenever the drones obstructed their shot. The Arxur must be guffawing at our cowardice, as we receded through the night sky. Smaller Terran ships were pushing a considerable fraction of light speed, leading the retreat. The other human wing, defending Sillis, spit out a few shots before surrendering their posts. They dove into the planet¡¯s atmosphere for cover, and conceded orbital range to the Arxur. The UN was sacrificing the very target they sought to protect altogether! This concession spit in the face of military doctrine; then again, the ¡°defenders¡¯ disadvantage¡± was linked to being tied down. The Terrans¡¯ only objective was to best the grays in combat, and I suppose that meant regrouping elsewhere. Arxur bombers were mopping up the planetary defenses on Sillis¡¯ moon, with no friendlies assigned to its defense. The lunar bases succumbed after chucking a few bombs; it was a last-ditch attempt to take some hostiles with them. Seemingly, humanity was losing a battle for the first time since Earth. ¡°We¡¯re out of range of the FTL disruptors!¡± I yelled to Tyler, in a breathy voice. ¡°M-might be able to stall enough to jump out.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not jumping anywhere!¡± Captain Monahan snapped her chin toward my shouting, with dilated eyes the size of moons. ¡°Our goal is to cover the rear contingent as they warp out.¡± Officer Cardona skipped back to his post. ¡°Yep. Change of plans, Gojid. You see any ship target-locking the ships in warp prep, you let me know.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. May¡­may I ask why we¡¯re not all warping out?¡± I questioned. ¡°Skipper says those ships are going to warp back here in staggered intervals. Something about FTL keeping the enemy paranoid. The rest of us¡­our goal is to maintain a stalemate, and keep the grays¡¯ attention.¡± A third of our shadow fleet, which was already lacking in numbers, had retreated well behind our main formation. I could see UN breakaways spooling up their drives on sensors, and plotting warp paths in a stationary limbo. The process generated a gravitational disturbance that was tough to miss. Guarding ships that were out of the fray seemed like a foolish task. Perhaps my prior assessment, that humans were the most advanced military in the galaxy¡­perhaps it was premature. The Arxur had swatted away the drones, though a few automatons were still harassing them. Unlike the Kolshians, the grays excelled at manual targeting. The foul predators¡¯ reflexes took over, and defied all predictability from Terran algorithms. There was no rhyme or reason, just their impulse at the current moment. Spontaneity couldn¡¯t be simulated or projected, not even by a human contraption. Despite the daunting odds, it was up to our manned craft to hold them back. Terran warships tested the waters with a few plasma beams, though my particular craft held our fire. Two behemoth carriers opened their bellies, and spawned a number of UN fighters. Without enemy shielding, perhaps their nimble dogfighting stood a chance. Onso flicked his ears at Tyler. ¡°Do the fighters have plasma weaponry?¡± ¡°A few do. The ones molded from patrol boats have small plasma rounds,¡± the human answered. ¡°Overall, we prefer kinetics. Why?¡± ¡°We should blind the bastards up-close. Throw it right in their face¡ªer, I mean, viewport.¡± ¡°That could be a good supplementary play. I¡¯ll pass that along, buddy.¡± The Arxur had extreme light sensitivity, due to their forward-facing pupils. For some reason, humans were not as susceptible to these tactics; Noah¡¯s greeting party made them aware of the idea, though. Shining a bunch of plasma flares right at the grays might work in a space setting too. The initial foray didn¡¯t appear to be going well; momentum had swung in the enemy¡¯s favor. The Terrans¡¯ smaller craft weren¡¯t faring well against the heavyweights. Dominion bombers powered up coaxial railguns, and took out fighters by the dozen. Even without shielding, tiny kinetic-based ships weren¡¯t getting the job done. Onso¡¯s tip must¡¯ve been relayed to the charging fighters, because a few human ships went for a pass. These must be the boats with plasma munitions. Their turrets unloaded at much shorter ranges, and with less power than a railgun. However, their firing speed allowed them to spew energy bolts one after the other. The grays¡¯ relied on optical reflexes, but in this instance, that was an exploitable weakness. Blinding plasma streaked across their field of vision, and left their ships heedless to incoming munitions. The Arxur were forced to backpedal, dampening their breakneck pace. That was fortuitous for us, since our stalled ships still needed time to achieve warp. Monahan signaled to weapons and navigations. ¡°Move forward! I want us in missile range, yesterday! Fire the railgun while we¡¯re advancing.¡± The lights dimmed on the bridge, as our railgun projected molten munitions toward the Arxur. The carnivores were disoriented, and unable to enact evasive maneuvers. Our warship¡¯s beam sundered one enemy with its scorching power, and left it as a lifeless husk. Fittingly, its crew was doomed to slow suffocation. Others in our fleet surged forward, using aggression to keep the enemy at bay. Fighter allies capitalized on the blinding too, dispensing their kinetic haul. This was our primary stand, buying precious seconds for the Terrans¡¯ elusive plan. If we could whittle the enemy down to a more manageable ratio, that was a bonus. It was possible we¡¯d lose our own hides, should we falter. It was that very sentiment that the primates greeted with impassivity. The aliens on the bridge found our eyes drawn to certain humans; there was something new in the predators¡¯ gaze. It looked like acceptance¡­because they knew high casualties were probable. How could they be so calm? There¡¯s more in their war-brain than the dominating urge, the call of predator instincts. Self-sacrifice for a comrade comes naturally to humans. The Arxur attempted to shirk our advance, but we adjusted our vectors to match them. Our opponents had shaken off the blinding tactic, and refocused on UN ships that were warping out. My orders plainly stated that their destruction could not happen. I highlighted several vessels on my sensors, ones who were trying to establish target-locks on the warp group. Tyler took the cue, without any explanation. ¡°Here¡¯s our targets! Bury them!¡± Each UN warship picked their mark, and we began swapping missiles with the grays. One enemy projectile was arcing a bit too close for comfort, but we intercepted it first. Our own success rate was also paltry, with the Dominion bombers picking off numerous warheads. At least it distracted them from the vulnerable warpers, for a moment. I glanced at my sensors readout, feeling my stomach flip from nerves. We couldn¡¯t protect sitting targets much longer; the Arxur¡¯s numbers were far more than we could hope to restrain. Hostile bombers, fresh from demolishing Sillis¡¯ moon, were joining up as reinforcements. Our last trick had been executed, and now, this was a straight-up brawl. In hindsight, the Terrans should¡¯ve withheld a sect of the shadow fleet from the beginning. But the main ambush was supposed to be deadlier, and we expected to scatter the enemy. I figured the reason our ship lingered was because the brass realized every craft couldn¡¯t escape. Someone had to guard the jump point. Captain Monahan stomped her foot empathically. ¡°Do not let the Arxur get anything off at the rear flank!¡± ¡°They¡¯re aiming for us too! There¡¯s a target-lock on our ship!¡± I called out. ¡°Dammit. If we try to evade, they get an opening. Shoot them first!¡± A weapons tech coughed. ¡°There¡¯s no time to calibrate¡­¡± ¡°Eyeball it! Give me a Hail Mary.¡± The Terrans identified the ship target-locking us, and swiveled the railgun in its direction. With the vastness of space, it normally took several seconds to align the sights and set the coordinates. The technician squinted through one binocular eye, as though that would enhance her predator instincts. She jerked the railgun on target, and scrolled across the viewport quickly. I knew the task was impossible, given that humans didn¡¯t possess omnipotence. Picking something that looked about right wasn¡¯t enough; it had to be perfect. Dozens of factors went into a successful kill. Bungling a single one, such as our ship¡¯s vector, their distance, and their future location, would cause a hopeless miss. Not even an apex predator could ¡®eyeball¡¯ that in a second. ¡°Carlos? Sam? I¡¯m¡­glad I got to know you,¡± I croaked. Samantha sighed. ¡°There¡¯s no other racist war criminal I¡¯d rather spend my last moments with.¡± Carlos chuckled to himself. ¡°Likewise. We saved each other¡¯s ass a few times, huh?¡± ¡°Yeah. Mostly me saving you,¡± I snorted. The plasma railgun had released its ¡®Hail Mary¡¯, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to watch. Why spend my last seconds dwelling on our failure? Perhaps I understood the acceptance in the predators¡¯ eyes earlier. Everyone aboard this vessel knew we could wind up dead, and we endured that risk. Monahan could¡¯ve dodged our target-lock, yet the captain put the mission first. I didn¡¯t understand why the Terrans had their eyes glued to the viewport. That impossible hope persisted in them to the last, unwilling to acknowledge reality. But there was no sense in crushing their childish optimism, in their last moments. The loss of my friends, of Marcel¡¯s packmate, and even primitive Onso weighed on my heart. The last emotion I felt was grief. Claps, whoops, and cheers sounded across the bridge, which startled me half to death. Onso focused the viewport on a shattered vessel, which must¡¯ve taken a hit to the drive column. I glanced at my sensors, and saw the target-lock was gone. That was not possible, even for a predator; the odds were astronomical! There was no way any living being could land such a shot. ¡°We¡¯re alive! We fucking made it!¡± Tyler hollered. I exhaled a shaky breath. Humanity had sustained a few losses, but our warship wasn¡¯t among them. Miraculously, our stall tactics had delayed the enemy for enough time. Dots from the rear contingent vanished off sensors, one after the other. Those UN ships warped out in a hurry, and I had no clue where they¡¯d gone. The humans succeeded in getting a few players out of the system. Now, we were stuck here, and we had to find a way to survive. Chapter 91 Memory transcription subject: Slanek, Venlil Space Corps Date [standardized human time]: December 3, 2136 The bombs began falling within minutes. From our vantage point, the explosions were mere smoky blips on the horizon. Orange pops illuminated the night like wildfire, but I knew they were destructive strikes against Sillis¡¯ supercontinent. How had the Arxur gotten within orbital range so quickly? Why had the human defenders been unable to slow them down at all? Terror chilled my fur, as I guessed the UN was no longer challenging the front flank at all. The streaks in the sky were further out now, judging by their diminished luminance. There was no indication on our radio chatter that we¡¯d sustained catastrophic losses; I believed in my predators too strongly to accept that the defensive line was wiped out upon arrival. That left me to believe¡­the Terrans chose a strategic retreat. ¡°I think the blue helmets above abandoned us.¡± Marcel¡¯s hazel eyes were bulging, as he held Virnt against his chest. ¡°Birla, do you know the quickest way to the spaceport?¡± The Tilfish general scuttled forward anxiously. ¡°W-what? You¡¯re not d-defending the planet at all?! So you are just leaving us to d-die¡­¡± ¡°General, honestly, I don¡¯t think Sillis is our concern. The UN wants the best fighting chances. It seems they¡¯re taking up a position elsewhere.¡± ¡°T-there¡¯s billions of civilians. K-kids¡­¡± ¡°There were kids on Earth too!¡± Marcel snapped, before drawing a shaky breath. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I know the Tilfish populace had nothing to do with it, but I get us not wanting to lose more human lives.¡± Honestly, my friend¡¯s anger made perfect sense; the emotional distress was visible in his eyes. It was unreasonable to expect the humans to fight tooth-and-nail for an enemy, even if they¡¯d done so on the cradle. The difference was that the Gojidi Union was stopped, before they could deal any damage to Earth. Even I harbored a grudge against the Tilfish, for the heartache the raid caused. General Birla hadn¡¯t seen human cities buried in rubble, and predators burned half-alive. She hadn¡¯t watched massive soldiers drop to their knees, sobbing brokenly. After the vengefulness that surfaced in the following week, I would¡¯ve pegged the Terrans to glass this planet themselves. It was merciful that cooler heads found reasons to accept a surrender at all. ¡°P-please, Marcel. I know you, and all of humanity, have suffered. But how can you let children die?¡± Birla pleaded. The human covered Virnt¡¯s antennae carefully. ¡°Funny. I remember wondering aloud how the Federation could slaughter us¡­saying those exact words to Slanek. Just like you are implying about us. If it was my call, Birla, I would save as many lives as I could.¡± ¡°Then save some of us. However many you can!¡± ¡°I am. I¡¯m saving you and Virnt!¡± Marcel placed the Tilfish child atop his helmet, adding another adornment to his cranium. Virnt had been quiet, ever since the bombs started falling. I doubted he understood the gravity of the situation, but at the least, the kid recognized our demeanor shifts. The young insectoid¡¯s eyes lit up briefly from his new perch. ¡°So high! Humma is tall as a mountain,¡± Virnt giggled. My best friend quickened his steps. ¡°We¡¯re about to be much higher. Because Birla is taking us to the spaceport, right? And we¡¯re gonna evacuate?¡± The Tilfish general cleared her throat. ¡°Yes. Follow me.¡± Birla scuttled through a nearby alley, and my human followed. I hustled after them, though my legs weren¡¯t as durable as theirs. Marcel glanced back at me briefly, and I gave him the most ¡°adorable¡± head-tilt I could muster. His response was an exasperated sigh, before barking to pick up the pace. If my groveling couldn¡¯t melt his frigid act, our relationship was in dire straits. The human had never shut me out, since the beginning of the exchange program. Now, out of the blue, we weren¡¯t on speaking terms? It was unfair to push me away, especially when our lives were in imminent peril. Hell, it was almost manipulative. All I did was advise Birla to take Virnt to a medical professional, like any reasonable person. To make a hopeless situation worse, a bone-chilling bark reverberated behind me. I knew without looking that the guttural cry belonged to Dino. The slobbery dog had a habit of waiting outside my tent, and seeking me out during its downtime. The humans allowed it to roam the base wherever it pleased, without a care for who it bothered. Of course, its handler couldn¡¯t have collected it for the evacuation. It had to be breathing down my haunches during a raid. Birla screamed. ¡°P-predator! R-run!¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay! Dino, SIT!¡± Marcel bellowed. The filthy mutt whined, and lowered its rump to the ground. Its sable tail thrashed the pavement, while its brown eyes studied me. The pink tongue lolling out of its mouth was covered in saliva flecks. It was a relief the dog obeyed, with how it had been barreling down on our position. The demon could sprint faster than a human, while sharing their tirelessness. Dogs are persistence predators too, aren¡¯t they? I realized. That¡¯s why the humans favor them¡­and once used them for hunting. ¡°Slanek, the dog¡¯s with you.¡± The human¡¯s low voice made it clear there was no room for argument. ¡°Unless you want to be difficult?¡± I drew a shuddering breath. ¡°I¡¯m n-not the one being difficult. Dino seems nicer than you right now.¡± That last statement wasn¡¯t quite heartfelt, but I wouldn¡¯t give Marcel the satisfaction of seeing my discomfort. The dog bounded along at my side, and I tried not to focus on its monstrous presence. Birla seemed wary of the beast, though Virnt was testing out the word ¡®dog¡¯ with giddiness. The longer I observed the Tilfish child, the more I thought something wasn¡¯t right with his wiring. Marcel had his service weapon drawn, and eyed Tilfish civilians we passed warily. The human was aware of our present vulnerability to a rebel attack. This city¡¯s populace resented us more, after we gassed and deafened them at their initial protest. My friend was the one who ordered the curfew, so they might have particular disdain for him. Birla steered us past factories and storage units, keeping her own eyes peeled. The Tilfish general was avoiding crowded areas where possible; I hoped that wasn¡¯t at the expense of time. Arxur landing parties crested above us, and skirted the occasional anti-air fire. Humans weren¡¯t putting much pressure on them, with their focus on evacuation. ¡°Arxur units are arriving in most major cities. If your location hasn¡¯t been bombed yet, that means hostiles inbound,¡± a gravelly voice said over the radio. ¡°All evacuation shuttles need to be off the ground in ten minutes.¡± Marcel¡¯s eyes darted around. ¡°Shit! Are we going to make it?¡± ¡°With time to spare,¡± Birla answered. ¡°Cut through the incubator facility here, and it¡¯ll just take a few minutes. Saves a lot of time not to go around.¡± ¡°Good. I¡¯m sure glad you¡¯re here.¡± The Tilfish general didn¡¯t return the compliment. She ducked into a circular building, which took up an entire block with its daunting size. Virnt leaned over Marcel¡¯s forehead and started playing with his helmet straps. The Terran scolded his passenger, ordering the little one to remain still. The kid fell limp with a sad look. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Tilfish geneticists protested the intrusion, though they quickly retreated when Marcel¡¯s gun pivoted. I knew this place was sacred to an egg-laying species; it was where they raised their offspring to hatching day. Teams of medical professionals were dedicated to maintaining the ideal conditions, and saving any younglings that hatched early. The Harchen and the Krakotl were protective of such institutions too. It was rare any egg-laying race trusted a mammalian species to wander their fragile safehouses. All it took was one clueless sapient messing with an egg to burst its bubble. I can only imagine how these Tilfish feel about a predator soldier, taking a shortcut through here. Not to mention Dino mucking up the place! We strode past an observation room, partitioned off down the hallway. Marcel studied the x-rays monitoring each egg¡¯s health, and his facial features softened. He took a second to peer at the orange pods through the incubator glass. Labels were affixed to every specimen, identifying the parents. The human slowly digested that those globs were someone¡¯s kid. Birla cleared her throat. ¡°T-there¡¯s¡­no time to s-snack. Let¡¯s go?¡± ¡°You think I wanted to eat them?!¡± Marcel hissed. ¡°I was just curious. I¡¯ve never seen anything like this.¡± ¡°Sorry. Your expression turned very weird.¡± ¡°I was imagining Virnt as an egg, and¡­wondering how many you, um, lay at once.¡± ¡°Twenty or thirty. Y-your eyes went very wide. Is that, er, normal?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just surprised. That is a lot. Where are Virnt¡¯s siblings?¡± ¡°Thrown away!¡± the child cheered. ¡°I¡¯m the chosen one.¡± Disbelief flashed in Marcel¡¯s hazel eyes, after absorbing Virnt¡¯s decree. The Tilfish general flicked her antennae, and the human took the hint to move along. We turned into a lengthy walkway, chasing off more staffers. My lungs ached from keeping up with the Terran; Dino¡¯s nightmarish presence wasn¡¯t helping me breathe either. Birla sighed. ¡°Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have told Virnt the honest answer.¡± ¡°You¡­throw your eggs away?¡± Marcel asked, in a voice that crept an octave higher. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to respond to that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that; please, let me explain. These days, most Tilfish decide how many children they want to have. 20 is a lot, like you said, and all at once¡­it¡¯s a tall order.¡± ¡°Yeah, I see why parents wouldn¡¯t sign up for that. So you decided you wanted one kid, Birla?¡± ¡°Virnt is the lucky one, like he said! You see, we used to hold an average of about five eggs kept. Ever since first contact, more people wanted 1 or 2¡­like the other races.¡± ¡°Ha. It must¡¯ve looked like other species had it easy, compared to you.¡± ¡°Indeed. With technology nowadays, we can pick which eggs are most viable early on. Doctors run tests to avoid defects, and they can find positive traits too. Virnt was predisposed to intelligence, so I chose him.¡± Birla led us past a spacious laboratory, and explained its features quickly. Microscopes and testing machines lined the room, along with bins of Tilfish eggs. This gave Marcel a visual of how large a litter was; honestly, each jar looked like one of those gumball machines on Earth. I doubted humans could handle that many offspring. I couldn¡¯t imagine juggling twenty newborns at once; the Venlil devoted ample time rearing a single child. It wouldn¡¯t surprise me if the Tilfish had to abandon their weakest young in the past. How else would the herd survive, without sacrifices? That was a lot of mouths to feed, prior to the post-scarcity era. It made it somewhat understandable why they became omnivores. ¡°Exit out the rear door up ahead, and cross the street. We almost made it to the spaceport,¡± Birla clicked. Virnt bounced on the Terran¡¯s helmet. ¡°Awesome! To space with humma!¡± The tour had been a welcome distraction from the Arxur raid transpiring outdoors. Inside this stone building, I couldn¡¯t see the explosions peppering the skyline. But it was time to endure the final chaos, and face our grisly reality once more. Marcel slunk forward with caution, leading the way to the exit. The paranoid predator still hadn¡¯t lowered his gun. Dino¡¯s ears perked up, and the beast projected a fearsome bark. The sudden noise, thunderous and throaty, nearly made me tip over from fright. The dog¡¯s hackle fur rose, and it began outright growling. I knew it all along; the vile predator was going to attack at random! I could feel my insides twisting, and my legs turning into paste. ¡°What is it, boy?¡± Marcel paused at the door, and turned his head toward the canine. ¡°You hear something?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­r-ravenous. It¡¯s gone feral!¡± I screamed. My best friend bit his lip with displeasure, holding back some snide remark. Dino cemented its insanity further, belting out a series of harsh barks. Marcel inched several steps back, and held up a hand for us to wait. Because of a dog¡¯s hunger fit, my human was wasting precious time! I¡¯m so sick of this non-sapient thing. It¡¯s dangerous, and I¡¯m tired of the Terrans treating it like a pack member. A dangerous thought crept into my mind, and I unclipped my sidearm. This was the perfect chance to put Dino down. It wouldn¡¯t win me any favor with Marcel, but I was already out of his good graces. I coaxed my weapon up, and lined the sights on the animal. Its outburst gave me a suitable reason to be rid of it, at last. Marcel was oblivious to my extermination plot; his gaze was following Dino¡¯s stare. Shadowy shapes moved up to the door, and I jerked my gun away from the dog. Its growling was drowned out by the sound of shattering glass. Gunfire tore through the door¡¯s opaque frame, and lanced into the room. The human sprinted back toward our position, holding onto Virnt. ¡°Arxur hostiles!¡± Marcel roared, terrifying Birla with his pitch. ¡°Is there another exit?¡± The grays shouldered through the broken frame, and took aim at anything that moved. This was a logical first stop on the raid, with an easy stash of eggs here; thousands of them. Unlike the ones helping in New York, these demons were here to wreak havoc. The fact that Marcel felt the need to tack ¡®hostiles¡¯ after Arxur¡­it was an insult to the Venlil¡¯s suffering. I forced my claw onto the trigger. My bullet sailed in the direction of the grays, but it didn¡¯t connect with the monsters. Marcel¡¯s hand was on my shoulder in an instant. The human pushed me to the ground, and slid behind a chair. It warmed my petrified heart, to know that he¡¯d still protect me in a battle. Dino charged at the monstrosities, and sank its fangs into an Arxur thigh. The dog brought down the gray with ease, like it was wrangling a prey creature. One Dominion soldier attempted to rescue its colleague. However, the hasty shot missed the dog, and went through the downed Arxur¡¯s stomach instead. The ugly mutt¡¯s charge had bought us time to regroup. If it hadn¡¯t detected the Arxur raiders, we would¡¯ve been gunned down the second we stepped outside. Those vicious growls might¡¯ve been a warning for us, just like Marcel assumed. I felt a tinge of regret for almost shooting it, though I shoved that emotion down. ¡°BIRLA!¡± Marcel waved a hand in front of the general¡¯s face. ¡°Is there another exit?!¡± The female Tilfish swallowed. ¡°T-there¡¯s an emergency exit, t-to our left.¡± ¡°Good. We move on three.¡± The human whistled to the dog, before popping shots off at the Arxur to cover its retreat. The animal came running at Marcel¡¯s summons, and returned itself to my side. Dino was fresh out of close combat, sniffing my paw a bit too eagerly with its predatory snout. I ignored the beast, but I tried to suppress my innate resentment. The grays dusted themselves off from the dog attack, and peppered our cover with bullets. The foam upholstery wasn¡¯t built to survive an assault; it was riddled with holes in seconds. This wasn¡¯t an actual shelter that could ward off the Arxur savages. Marcel gave the signal to move, and I indulged my instinct to run with gratitude. The human dispensed a few hasty shots, giving us time to move. He lingered behind, all the while drawing the Arxur¡¯s attention. Out of my peripheral vision, I saw one monster buckle to the floor. My legs bolted for a side corridor, while my tail found itself drooping again. Birla and I pressed up against the wall, with Dino skipping at our heels. It brought immeasurable relief to be huddled at a more secure location. However, that sensation was fleeting when I remembered the human. My eyes searched for him, and found his lanky form still crouched behind the chair. Marcel had taken out another gray, but their raiding party could afford a few losses. The human was surrounded, and would be mowed down the instant he stood up. His hands cupped Virnt against his chest, gentle affection in his gaze. An unimaginable sense of loss gripped my heart, when I realized the primate was pinned down. The thought of anything hurting Marc makes me weak at the knees. He¡¯s someone I love being around, and who I trust above all others. ¡°My human deserves to make it out of here,¡± I muttered to myself. My shaking paws became still, as that motivation spurred a return to my training. I poked my head out from behind the wall, and shouted for the Arxur¡¯s attention. Marcel widened his eyes, gesturing at his throat. There was no chance I¡¯d let such a wonderful soul sacrifice himself for my sake! I did my best imitation of an injured squeal, fully earning the grays¡¯ attention. The human stuffed Virnt in his helmet, and bolted toward my position. Barely aiming, I lobbed several shots at the Arxur. My newfound bravery fizzled out, as dozens of gluttonous pupils trained on me. The enemy guns swiveled away from their fellow predator, and landed on the weak Venlil. Pain lanced through my shoulder, like the muscles were torn from my arm. I fell backward as white-hot agony overwhelmed my senses. The Arxur nailed me with a bullet; did that mean I was dying? My panic intensified when sharp teeth pressed against my scruff. Dino dragged me behind the wall, and planted a slobbery lick on my mouth. I screeched in disgust. ¡°AWAY! G-gross.¡± Marcel slid across the floor. ¡°Slanek? No, no¡­are you okay? Answer me!¡± ¡°Leave. Please, just go. You have to get to your shuttle.¡± The vegetarian tapped a wristband, which offered a readout of Terran numbers. It was illegible to my eyes, but I sensed that the information wasn¡¯t a positive sight. A sad smile crossed his scarred face, and he breathed a half-hearted sigh. He deferred my firearm to Birla, before kneeling beside me. ¡°The countdown is at zero. Our evacuation ships already left.¡± Marcel hoisted me to my feet, and draped my good arm around his neck. ¡°We¡¯re stuck here.¡± Utter defeat crushed my spirit, realizing we were stranded on a forsaken world. So this was how the unlucky soldiers felt on the cradle, fighting a hopeless fight. There was no escape from Sillis, and no humans coming back for us. With the Arxur swarming every settlement, our deaths were all but a guarantee. Chapter 92 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, United Nations Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: December 3, 2136 The shadow fleet disengaged from any direct confrontation with the Arxur. After protecting the warpers, aggression was not suitable to our survival. Padding the distance between us and the enemy was our first priority. Lighter Terran ships acted as a buffer, and drew the grays¡¯ attention with hit-and-run tactics. A gradual retreat occurred without substantive strikes from the arboreal predators. From the fleetwide chatter, it sounded like the UN planned to sink their heels in for days. I didn¡¯t understand how prolonging this conflict¡¯s duration helped our cause. How long could any sapient maintain combat readiness for? Perhaps the humans were willing to drop dead of exhaustion if the grays bit the bullet too. There¡¯s also the question of our warp fleet, and if they¡¯re coming back. Humans don¡¯t desert out of cowardice, do they? I trusted that the Terrans had a plan at work, and that military flightiness was uncommon on Earth. There had never been a chance of holding Sillis, which was presently encircled by Arxur ships. This was about proving that humanity wouldn¡¯t go down with a whimper; the grays would have to claw for every nanoparsec. Tyler clapped his Yotul pal on the shoulder. ¡°Get us a quick visual on this asteroid. Shift back in the grays¡¯ direction afterward.¡± A space rock was making a pass close to Sillis (in astronomical terms) concurrent with the battle. The United Nations selected it as our cover to hunker down. This oblong body was conducive to defensive positioning, and it prevented the Arxur from targeting us at a distance. The grays were still following us into the great beyond, unwilling to let us escape. We needed a chance to outfox them. To ensure our fortress held, we also deployed short-range FTL disruptors. The last thing humanity needed was for the enemy to warp in on our haunches, and mow us down without warning. Curiously, the Arxur hadn¡¯t enacted a similar barrier to stop our vessels from trying the same thing. Dominion ships might not possess anti-FTL capabilities, since no foe had the gumption to drop atop them before. Arxur craft had fanned out around the asteroid, attempting to swallow it whole. I got a brief glimpse of the crater-pocked surface, as Onso focused the viewport. Captain Monahan positioned us with a sightline around the asteroid, while keeping the ship frame nestled in its shadow. The Terran fleet unleashed a slew of kinetics alongside us. There was no rest for the weary during this fray. I cleared my throat. ¡°It appears that several grays have got their shields back up-and-running. We could use another round of shield-breakers, sir.¡± ¡°Already on it. Thankfully, our gunships stocked more than we expected to use,¡± Tyler replied. ¡°Okay, but why the fuck are the grays tailing us away from the target?¡± Carlos¡¯ head snapped up from his transmission feed, and skepticism flashed in his eyes. ¡°Isn¡¯t their objective to take Sillis?¡± ¡°I think their objective is to teach us a lesson. Humans are a target because of Sillis, but it¡¯s hardly about the territory anymore.¡± I flexed my claws. ¡°That¡¯s a good thing. The Arxur should force us to make the first move. Instead, they waltz right into our gunfire.¡± My eyes darted back to the sensors screen. Per the captain¡¯s directive, I highlighted the specific ships taking the widest vectors to flank us. Those contacts would have optimal shot angles, and needed to be dispatched swiftly. Repelling the Arxur¡¯s encroachment was going to be an arduous affair. Electromagnetic missiles were ejected by the UN gunships, slotting into the enemy ranks. Unfortunately, we knew now that these wouldn¡¯t cook their shielding mechanisms forever. Our weapons station took the downed defenses as a cue; humans could crank out kinetics in a hurry. I hoped I¡¯d selected the correct targets to give us an edge. Perfectly-timed bullets drowned one Arxur bomber, which was strafing aggressively to the near flank. Predator technicians swiveled our main turret to a new target without hesitation. The focus in a human¡¯s eye still chilled me, since it revealed how singular their fixation on death could be. I wondered if such a dark ability was dormant within the Gojid genome, waiting to be awakened. ¡°Sovlin! You¡¯ve gone very quiet. Don¡¯t zone out on me again!¡± Tyler snapped. Samantha crossed her arms. ¡°Oh, I bet he¡¯s having one of his ¡®woe is me¡¯ moments.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to claw your tongue out.¡± I shot her a grouchy glare, before refocusing on my data. ¡°Nothing to report, sir. But my eyes are peeled.¡± The Terran fleet had room to maneuver behind the asteroid¡¯s berth, whenever the grays got too close for comfort. Our reverse thrusters kicked into gear, steering us away from overzealous attackers. There was a fine line between defending ourselves and getting overrun. This wasn¡¯t a mission of lofty ideals, like most I¡¯d undertaken with the predators. This was about survival¡­and sticking around. The Arxur can afford a couple dozen losses, if it means pinning our fleet down. Looks like they managed to land a few hits against us already. The Dominion was applying pressure from all angles. A new wave of enemies crested over the asteroid¡¯s peak, utilizing the third dimension. Plasma fire buffeted down on us, and the UN hastily matched the grays¡¯ heading. My screen warned me of several target-locks, which left our vessel in a precarious position. We were climbing right into the firing line, where the Arxur wanted us. ¡°Change course now! We need evasive maneuvers!¡± I bellowed. Monahan bared her teeth. ¡°Drop our speed as quickly as possible, then gun it the way we came.¡± Navigations brought us to a stall, ratcheting down from the steep climb. Power was diverted to slowing us down, and a bit of resistance slipped through the inertial dampeners. Our nose dipped back in the direction we came from, and I got a good look at our Terran allies. Several friendlies were retreating from the asteroid altogether, ditching any confrontation. Onso spun the viewport toward the space below, allowing us to plot a safe course. An Arxur vessel blasted plasma toward us, right as we kicked the ship into overdrive. Navigations sent us into a barrel roll, and it was unclear if erratic movements would be enough. The energy beam sizzled past our former location, whiskers away from singeing our tail. That was a bit too close for comfort; even the human crew realized the severity of this fight. Arxur were closing in on us from three directions, and their numbers overwhelmed our limited forces. The asteroid wasn¡¯t large enough for us to spread out and mitigate fire. Not even ¡°fellow predators¡± could avoid getting cornered by a conquest fleet. Monahan frowned. ¡°The UN just ordered a retreat. We¡¯re moving further away from Sillis, as quickly as possible. Time to find somewhere else to squat.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Onso hissed. ¡°We¡¯re falling back again? We might as well flee the system!¡± ¡°Knock it off!¡± Tyler nudged the Yotul with an elbow, chastising his impudence. ¡°If the Captain tells you to fly the ship into a red dwarf, you fucking do it.¡± ¡°This is dishonorable. If a Yotul herd was this outgunned, we¡¯d concede the territory.¡± I shot him a smoldering stare. ¡°And pray, what happens when you ¡®concede the territory?¡¯ What do the Arxur know of honor?¡± ¡°Nobody in this galaxy is honorable, including your ¡®benevolent¡¯ Federation. I thought humans had pride! We didn¡¯t defend Sillis, and we¡¯re not defending ourselves now.¡± ¡°Some of us trust the predators¡¯ plan, uplift. We¡¯re taking as many grays with us as possible. Suck it up.¡± The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Tyler curled his fist. ¡°ENOUGH! Mind your stations and focus, before we all get pulverized.¡± The Terran fleet had split up on several vectors, and forced the enemy to divide their pursuit as well. It was strange to see humans limping off like prey, licking their wounds. Our ship count was bleeding off dozens, as the Arxur got free potshots at our tails. Nearby UN vessels were picked off on the viewport, leaving debris in our vicinity. The falling comrades encouraged our warship to pick up the pace; it was the stragglers that were most vulnerable. With caution thrown to the wind, we sped off well beyond the recommended velocity. Despite how our reserves were running thin, the humans dished out a generous serving of missiles. Forcing the Arxur to intercept explosives distracted them from slaughtering us, though any damage sustained was surface-level. I didn¡¯t care if I lived or I died, but there were others on this ship who retained meaning in their lives. Perhaps I¡¯d been too harsh on Onso, who had a point about fleeing the system. This beatdown was a disappointing result for the Terrans, and I failed to see any grand scheme coming together. It could be human pride, refusing to admit defeat. I would sacrifice myself to kill a few grays, but what about Sam and Carlos? It might be time to cut our losses, instead of seeing innocent humans suffer. Plasma beams sizzled around us by the hundred. It didn¡¯t appear that humanity was putting up much of a fight; we were running for our lives. Should we escape the current chase, inviting another round was tantamount to suicide. Command¡¯s idea of stretching this out for days was a bizarre fantasy. Hell, we¡¯d be lucky to take out a tenth of the Arxur fleet. A powerful jolt shook the ship, as a beam connected with our rear quarters. My teeth rattled against my jaw bone, and I felt my brain lurch against my skull. Many human crew on their feet stumbled or hit the deck. Checking my datafeed, I saw that enough energy had seeped through the shields; there was a tear in our hull plating. Thankfully, key systems were unharmed, but the affected compartment would need to be sealed off. Tyler narrowed his eyes. ¡°Sovlin, report.¡± ¡°Hull integrity is intact, sir. Damage is non-critical, but I suggest lowering our pace pronto. Our power needs to be invested in shields!¡± I pleaded. ¡°No can do. The quicker we get out of dodge, the better.¡± ¡°With all due respect, we were lucky to survive that hit. The Arxur will want to finish us off now.¡± ¡°Your concern is noted. What¡¯s the status of the human fleet overall?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve lost about 200 ships in this push. Combine that with the losses we took out of the gate, and the warpers¡­we¡¯re barely fielding 400 ships. Not to mention, our forces split up now.¡± ¡°Any good news? C¡¯mon, man. I hope the enemy has a bloodied nose too.¡± ¡°And the Arxur ship count¡­the ones fighting us, anyways, is still hovering above 2000. Candidly, warping our ships out was stupid. It made the odds even worse.¡± ¡°So we¡¯re just fucked,¡± Onso growled. ¡°We sent away fighting resources, and we¡¯re fucked.¡± Carlos forced a tepid smile. ¡°It¡¯s not over? Humans have come back from worse.¡± I diverted my attention from the bleak odds, and studied the predators one final time. To think that in my first encounter with them, I had thought them brutal deceivers that enslaved the Venlil. My words to Zarn, that humans must be irredeemable, couldn¡¯t have been further from the truth. The prey aliens working alongside violent hunters was the good news Tyler asked for. How could I explain that bonding and empathy were the positives? With Arxur munitions blitzing out around us, all I thought was how glad I was that humanity were in the picture. One battle loss wouldn¡¯t define our future; this was just a setback in the predators¡¯ scheme. My eyes drifted to the viewport, and watched the grays speeding after us. Out of my periphery, I saw inbound subspace trails flash on my sensors screen. Terran ships blinked into existence a split-second later, and nipped at the Arxur¡¯s right flank. They¡¯d emerged from subspace without warning; the short jump left little time for detection. Munitions battered the enemy¡¯s exposed side, hitting them from a perpendicular angle. The crazed humans had emerged from FTL already firing! ¡°Ambush the ambushers,¡± I muttered appreciatively. ¡°But there¡¯s not very many of them. Only twelve circled back?¡± Looking closer at my screen, I reminded myself that the UN fleet had split up. The Arxur were forced to separate their numbers to follow each group, and that increased susceptibility to ambushes. More Terran vessels assisted other posses, simultaneous to our own rescue. That still didn¡¯t account for the three-hundred ships that abandoned us; I counted less than a third of that tally in this jump. The Arxur ships swiveled around to face the surprise attackers, and focused on mowing them down with prejudice. The distraction allowed us to make a getaway, but Captain Monahan was ordering navigations to reverse course. The humans saw this as an opportunity to strike back, and our shadow fleet began advancing on the larger enemy. Captain Monahan clasped her hands behind her back. ¡°Find me some soft targets! The distracted ones, the clueless ones, the damaged ones: whatever works!¡± I flicked my claws in acknowledgement, and leaned toward the viewport with focus. The Dominion had regained their bearings, with our small ambush no longer posing a threat. The filthy beasts decided that our manpower was inadequate, and I was inclined to agree with their assessment. However, just as the enemy turned to mop up the assailants, the humans pounced again. A new wave emerged without any heads-up, this time surfacing on the rear flank. The primates weren¡¯t holding anything back, unloading every munition type at their disposal. Opening another angle of attack caused disruption on two sides, and the Arxur¡¯s organization suffered a rare lapse. Each Terran ambusher was scoring multiple casualties, while instilling widespread confusion. The shadow fleet found new life, as we charged in to help our allies. I highlighted a heavily-damaged enemy for weapons to sweep up, growling with satisfaction. The numbers were still slanted against us, but the atmosphere on the bridge had shifted drastically. Our tiny band was making the enemy fall over themselves to shoot us. Furthermore, the psychological advantage of paranoia couldn¡¯t be understated. It was like walking through a predator-infested forest as a Gojid, and expecting a fanged beast to pop out of every bush. The Arxur had no clue whether there would be a third or a fourth attack. Warpers could come from any direction, including above or below. The galaxy¡¯s apex predators were left chasing ghosts! ¡°All of the grays are on their heels, sir. I say we just hit whoever¡¯s easiest to line up,¡± I chuckled. Tyler dipped his head, before informing weapons to fire freely. I confirmed with my sensors readout that a hundred warpers still hadn¡¯t returned; there had to be one more ambush coming. My prediction was that it would come from above, since Terrans hadn¡¯t utilized the third dimension yet. Any unoccupied Arxur were keeping wary guns trained at the sky, rather than at our battered fleet. It seemed that the monsters shared my speculation. But humans weren¡¯t prone to predictability, as evidenced by the ships¡¯ actual appearance. Their warp point was either predator derangement or instinctual brilliancy; my jaw almost hit the floor. Sleek silver bodies were birthed from the void, and their play wasn¡¯t to swoop in on any sensible heading. The psychotic primates warped out right in the middle of the Arxur fleet. Those vessels are surrounded by enemies, with no possible escape! They have no time to orient themselves either¡­it¡¯s a miracle if they don¡¯t crash. The last Terran warpers spread themselves out amid Arxur ranks, and took no time to collect themselves. Ruthless in victory¡¯s pursuit, these primates emptied their missile bays upon re-entry. The grays were adept at intercepting projectiles, but this was an unexpected barrage at point-blank range. From where only friendly ships had been, humans were ramming missiles down their throats. The Arxur had stopped coordinating with their comrades, and hurled blind fire at the infiltrators instead. That tactic did connect with some Terran interlopers, but friendly fire was a more common outcome. The weapons station prepared our own explosives with renewed vigor. We knew the grays were preoccupied, so this was our best chance of dodging their defenses. Captain Monahan snarled at the viewport. ¡°Give it everything we¡¯ve got! We need to finish them.¡± The grays¡¯ ship count had been sliced in half, since the ambush commenced. The shadow fleet was dishing out considerable damage, with alternating plasma and kinetics. The warpers padded our numbers, and sailed with a recklessness that was unmistakably human. No other species could wreak such havoc with so few assets. It was akin to a blood frenzy, with humans chucking armor-piercing shells to increase their kills. The Arxur had no shields to resist the onslaught, and their numbers were evening out with ours. These grays were in a desperate retreat; it had taken a heavy toll to stave off our ambush. Granted, there were more enemies camped at Sillis, but this fight was becoming level. Our plasma railgun got off a few volleys, and complimented our diverse explosives. The ambush had been swift and decisive; the Arxur were torn apart from their heart. A few hundred enemies hobbled off in shell-shock, and sought protection from Sillis¡¯ raiders. The impossible speed at which this turnaround transpired had my head spinning. What sane race would trap themselves with their enemies? The results were undeniable, but no prey military could replicate human efficacy. It was astounding how Terrans conjured up novel tactics with ease, showing off unparalleled cunning. I couldn¡¯t reconcile the caring species I knew with the deviousness they honed in battle. Onso gawked at the viewport. ¡°I misspoke. Humans are standing up for themselves¡­quite well.¡± ¡°That¡¯s who we are. We¡¯re the ones who run out of bullets, and fix bayonets,¡± Carlos rumbled. ¡°We don¡¯t go down without a fight.¡± I chewed at my claws. ¡°You would never surrender?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. I said not without resisting¡­and not to a merciless enemy. Certainly not to them.¡± ¡°The grays don¡¯t put their prisoners in luxury spas,¡± Samantha quipped. ¡°Predator or not, I wouldn¡¯t want to be their plaything.¡± The Terran fleet mulled around our current location; pursuit of the Arxur wasn¡¯t an objective. Considerable enemies were amassed by Sillis, with an initial tally of six thousand strong. The UN defensive line was a mere quarter of that, so it was unclear how the Earthlings could terminate the siege. It wouldn¡¯t be possible to pull warp tricks within the FTL-disruption boundary, either. This engagement proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that the UN was not weak; the Arxur would respect the primates¡¯ forces in the future. But the Terrans had to decide whether it was worth it to liberate Sillis. Our position was ripe with disadvantages, and we might not have much energy left in the tank. If humans truly didn¡¯t go down without a fight, perhaps it was time to ¡®fix bayonets.¡¯ We¡¯d need a lot more cunning and spite in a hurry. Chapter 93 Memory transcription subject: Chief Hunter Isif, Arxur Dominion Sector Fleet Date [standardized human time]: December 4, 2136 Once the Terrans realized I was awake, intelligence officers interrogated me from outside my cell. I spilled more than I should have perhaps, given how little Zhao cared for saving the Arxur. Cooperation with the humans was the only way to prove I was on their side. It was foolish to assume that their government could discern my intentions, after chaos ravaged their power structures. But I couldn¡¯t stop thinking of Elias Meier, and his devotion to a better future. There had to be other humans out there who understood me; I just needed to discover a way to reach them. One of mankind¡¯s most interesting aspects was their branching opinions. Someone had to understand that the reasoning, dictating that I was an enemy, was flawed. My actions should speak my intentions. If the Zurulians explained their story, it would at least prove that I was NOT planning on eating them. My acute hearing dialed in on footsteps down the hall, and I put on a collected exterior. It was a shame anger had gotten the better of me; I shouldn¡¯t have threatened the Secretary-General, no matter how heated our dialogue was. That certainly didn¡¯t prove that I was a peaceable guy. The Terran interrogators had taken those threats seriously, and kept outside of the cell. After all, they couldn¡¯t muzzle me if they wanted me to talk, right? The humans knew that I could kill them with a single bite. I wished I could prove that I was a predator of their caliber, not an animal like the prey believed. This newcomer approaching my cell would peer through the window like all the rest; I was a museum exhibit as much as a prisoner. ¡°Hello?¡± I raised my voice, hoping this human could hear me. ¡°I am not your enemy. How do I prove that?¡± My cell door clanged open, and an American general wearing camouflage strode in. The dust-colored hair suggested this was General Jones; she seemed unconcerned by my presence. There were no restraints to keep me from lunging at her, or overpowering her. Interest sparked in my brain, as she turned her back to me. The lack of fear was a stark difference from my earlier visitors. The primate moved a chair up beneath a camera, and hopped atop the support. Jones switched the recording device off, her flimsy fingers finding the buttons with ease. Why did she not want this interaction on tape? Her demeanor didn¡¯t suggest that she intended to torture me; that would be inadvisable in my unfettered state. Confidence shone in Jones¡¯ green eyes, as she seated herself right across from me. I kept my maw closed tightly, and listened for her eventual declaration. The human leaned forward, lowering her voice to a hushed whisper. ¡°Isif, I tried to get you to leave. I didn¡¯t want to bring you in like this,¡± Jones said. My nostrils flared. ¡°What? You knew this would happen?¡± ¡°You and Zhao both acted exactly as I predicted. You have a lot in common, but I digress. I don¡¯t have much time, so I¡¯m going to make this quick.¡± ¡°Good. I¡¯m listening.¡± ¡°I wanted to establish contact with you for awhile, but you must not talk to Earth so directly in the future. You are going to get yourself killed. Honestly, it¡¯s a good thing that we can have a proper conversation in here.¡± I studied the human with narrowed eyes. This was quite different from her hostility on the call, when she rebuked me at every turn. Jones spoke as though she was already aware that I was an asset. It made no sense why she¡¯d allowed my capture, if that were true. Nonetheless, this message returned a glimmer of hope. ¡°Killed? No, human, I¡¯m good at what I do. I¡¯ve managed not to wind up dead for decades,¡± I growled. Jones flashed her teeth. ¡°Oh Isif, we both know you¡¯re not subtle. You have a conversation with Shaza, and then immediately go to Earth? How would you explain that if an Arxur followed your trail?¡± ¡°I would say I threatened you at length to turn over Sillis.¡± ¡°For all you know, Shaza bugged your ship. You¡¯re her rival, and she might suspect your motives already. She tells Giznel you¡¯re lying, and bam, you¡¯re dead.¡± ¡°I see your point.¡± ¡°Shit, I¡¯m glad you didn¡¯t say anything self-incriminating on our hail. I was trying to stop you from spilling the beans. For your sake, Isif, I will suggest ways to contact us on the down low, going forward.¡± The Terran general extended her hand, and dropped a tooth extension on the table. Jones pointed to her weak canines, then at my snout. I considered what she was asking for a moment, before popping the crown onto my chipped tooth. The Dominion considered it weakness to fix fangs, since those marks were hunting souvenirs. However, I could worry about that aspect at another time. Jones leaned back in her seat. ¡°There¡¯s a hard drive inside that crown. Dead drop locations and codes; as well as a full lesson on spycraft.¡± ¡°So then¡­you know I¡¯m an asset. Was all this really necessary?¡± I huffed. ¡°I¡¯m afraid so. The amount of folks on Earth who know you¡¯re a human sympathizer? I can count them on two hands, and they¡¯re all part of ¡®Five Eyes.¡¯ It¡¯s better that way.¡± ¡°I do not know what you¡¯re referring to. But if I understand, the Secretary-General doesn¡¯t know about me? You don¡¯t trust Zhao?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not so simple. Zhao would want to keep records of your role, accessible to a lot more eyes, and he would demand that we keep tabs on you. He might risk your welfare for short-term gain, or even blackmail you into going further than you are willing. Whereas I¡­see your full value.¡± I narrowed my eyes to slits. ¡°I¡¯m not some Venlil that can be pushed around. I¡¯d like to see him try to ¡®blackmail¡¯ me. Besides, would it be such a bad thing to have my allegiance documented?¡± ¡°The less people who know your true loyalties, the better. We don¡¯t know how many breaches occurred while Arxur roamed Earth, or whether the Dominion can access our databases. I¡¯m protecting you from our insufficiency, because I know we can¡¯t safeguard you yet.¡± ¡°And this is why Meier did not speak of me?¡± ¡°Well, I can¡¯t exactly ask him that, Isif. But Meier was always a big picture guy, and I¡¯d wager he clued at least one person in. Someone he trusted.¡± I lashed my tail against the floor, taking a moment to process her words. If Secretary-General Zhao was oblivious to my actual agenda, that meant he was serious about locking me up forever. That also meant his aggravating behavior wasn¡¯t a performance; he believed I was a Zurulian-eating fiend that plotted against Earth. How did General Jones plan to secure my release? Of the billions of humans in existence, fewer than ten were briefed on my identity. I wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about the cybersecurity concerns, or the assumptions on how Zhao would extort me. She also implied that I wasn¡¯t supposed to convince the United Nations of my fealty at all. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. I feel like I¡¯m owed an apology in all of this. I¡¯ve gone out of my way to help humans, and as an Arxur, I despise insults. ¡°Listen, I¡¯m sure Zhao¡¯s words don¡¯t sit right with you. It¡¯s not really his fault,¡± Jones continued. ¡°A US cyber division cracked Arxur communications this week. That transcript? My people wiped anything that would give you away to the larger intelligence community.¡± A growl rumbled in my throat. ¡°Nice going. So I guess it¡¯s totally okay that he had me tranquilized like a monster.¡± ¡°Zhao is paranoid about further attacks on Earth; his home nation represented twenty percent of the total death tally. His famous speech¡¯s tagline was ¡®not one more¡¯, referring to civilian casualties, and I can¡¯t say I disagree. He¡¯s willing to protect our home at all costs, and that includes against Arxur plots.¡± ¡°Whatever, human. You said we have little time, so I¡¯ll save my scathing remarks for another date. I presume the transcript is how you found out I¡¯m on your side?¡± ¡°Isif, please; you continually underestimate us. We¡¯ve been monitoring you since you set foot in New York. Every conversation, behavior, and holopad search was surveilled.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve got your back, buddy. It¡¯s up to you what you want to do next. If you¡¯re doing this for a better tomorrow, great. If you just want glory and our adoration, don¡¯t bother. Nobody will know your name or what you¡¯ve done; not as a spy.¡± ¡°I am not here for pride. I just want the centuries of death to be stopped. But how long must I slink around for?¡± ¡°That is also up to you. If you pull rank and use food as a motivator, I imagine your fleet would follow you in rebellion.¡± General Jones met my gaze with a knowing smirk. ¡°You could offer refuge to those targeted by Betterment too.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t play coy. Could I count on human support?¡± I prodded. ¡°Only superficially. We don¡¯t want war with the entire Dominion if it¡¯s avoidable. We¡¯d prefer to keep the fight against a single warlord.¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°The choice to start an open rebellion is irreversible, so I¡¯m giving you options. You don¡¯t have to stick your neck out.¡± I contemplated her words in silence, knowing full well the risks of insurrection. As cowardly as Terran espionage sounded, my own verdict was that Arxur revolutionaries weren¡¯t ready. Preparation for an uprising would increase our odds, and humanity might become amenable to our cause. I couldn¡¯t fault Earth¡¯s non-interference, when I¡¯d mused myself that a two-front war would be a steep task. The humans are new to the galaxy, and they¡¯re assaulting the Federation already. It¡¯s better to bide our time, at least a little. I slammed my paw on the table. ¡°We¡¯ll do it your way. Now get me out of here, Jones. You¡¯re gonna bust me out, right?¡± The American general had the gall to laugh. ¡°No, God, no. I¡¯m not going to openly oppose Zhao. Someone else is going to order your release. Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯s already landed.¡± ¡°Who? Erin Kuemper from Alien Affairs? Sara Rosario, Odyssey officer?¡± ¡°I might¡¯ve suggested that Governor Tarva come to facilitate the Zurulian rescues¡¯ return. She¡¯ll want to see the Arxur we captured.¡± ¡°Tarva. Fucking Tarva?! That¡¯s your plan?!¡± ¡°Yes. I thought you two were on good terms?¡± ¡°Tarva is a Venlil, for fuck¡¯s sake!¡± I roared. ¡°I do like her. But the second a human says it was all a ruse, just Arxur deceit for long-term suffering, she¡¯ll be happy to believe it.¡± General Jones smiled. ¡°For someone who supposedly is open-minded, you think quite lowly of the Venlil. Try having a little faith.¡± ¡°Faith? Faith! Are you fucking insane? Tarva will never believe me. I wouldn¡¯t even hold it against her.¡± ¡°Ah, and they¡¯re coming. Guess that means our time is up. Good luck.¡± I curled my lip at the human, before turning my head dismissively. Jones scrambled to put the camera back on, and hurried out of the room. I hoped the primate had another plan, when the Tarva maneuver blew up in her face. It was disheartening to think the progress I¡¯d made with the Venlil leader would be undone, for the sake of my cover. Claws clicked across the floor, tailed by the shuffles of dress shoes. Renewed anger surged through my veins, as I detected Zhao¡¯s gravelly cadence. But I couldn¡¯t hold a grudge against the Secretary-General if he had an incomplete set of facts. This wasn¡¯t any time to get emotional. I inhaled deeply, and relaxed my facial muscles to look calm. Given that I did respect Governor Tarva, it was worth an honest effort at convincing her. At least I could say I tried to win her over, and that I kept a level head throughout our encounter. Perhaps one day I¡¯d point to that fact to repair our relations. Hurtful accusations were bound to fly from the Venlil leader; I steeled myself for the insults that were looming. Only a defective Arxur would feel anything at betrayal, since we weren¡¯t supposed to care what others thought of us. It was foolish of me to have any emotions toward a prey animal, knowing that she saw me as a tool. Tarva played at diplomacy because she wanted her planet to be left alone. ¡°¡­believe an Arxur w-would have the bravado to fly at Earth.¡± The Venlil¡¯s squeaky voice hit my ears, carrying far due to its pitch. ¡°Those Zurulians are lucky you were able to rescue them.¡± Zhao¡¯s footsteps came closer. ¡°This guy is very high up the ladder too; we got him before he could turn on humans. He was boasting about using us. Right in that cell there.¡± I rose to my paws, watching as the Venlil moved up to the window pane. Fear was visible in her side-facing eyes, despite the barrier between us. Her pupils managed to lock on me, and shock trickled through her expression. That erased any doubt that Tarva could recognize me, rather than assuming all Arxur looked the same. ¡°C-Chief Hunter Isif?¡± To my amazement, the Venlil whirled around with an assertive posture. ¡°Why the fuck would you arrest Isif?¡± ¡°I just told you. He¡¯s manipulating us into fighting the Arxur¡¯s battles, then planning to subjugate us all once it¡¯s done,¡± Zhao answered. ¡°It¡¯s what he says behind closed doors. We couldn¡¯t let him spy on Earth.¡± Tarva swiveled back to the glass. ¡°Isif, is any of t-that true? You really speak like that¡­t-to the other grays? And you had those sickly Zurulians on your ship?¡± This is hopeless. There¡¯s no way she¡¯ll believe me. ¡°Yes, to both,¡± I sighed. ¡°But I was trying to stop Shaza from attacking the humans, without being killed for treason. I rescued those Zurulians from her farm at great personal risk.¡± Not that you care, I added silently. It took a colossal effort to force a stoic expression. The Venlil backed away from the window, and I resigned myself to her fleeing in disgust. Governor Tarva was open-minded for speaking with me at all; few in the Republic would support her hearing my side of the story. I appreciated that gesture as a sign of respect. The door clicked open without warning, and an alarmed Secretary-General rushed after Tarva. The Venlil had unlocked my cell from the outside; to my amazement, she seemed to be letting me out. My maw dropped with shock. Why would a prey ruler trust the word of an Arxur? The Governor flicked her ears. ¡°Let Isif go, right now. Whatever favors I am owed by humanity, I¡¯m calling them in.¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± Zhao tugged the Venlil back, and hastily shut the door. ¡°You can¡¯t possibly believe that story! What he said to Shaza¡ª¡± ¡°¡­was theatrics so he wouldn¡¯t get executed. Isif wants an end to the war and to cattle farming. Meier told me that much, and yes, I trust him with my life.¡± Elias Meier didn¡¯t forsake me. Jones was right, and Prophet, maybe she guessed who he told from the start. Secretary-General Zhao gaped at Tarva. ¡°Have you considered that Elias was confused, or deceived himself?¡± ¡°Not at all. Meier¡¯s dying wish was for me to make peace with the Arxur,¡± she responded. ¡°As he bled out in my arms, that was what he asked. He was a good man.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss. But you cannot trust the grays; you know that. We ran empathy tests on every Arxur we captured at the cradle, and not a one passed.¡± ¡°Isif is different.¡± ¡°You have no evidence to support that! The science says the Arxur are a sociopathic race. You know how many human volunteers failed the empathy test? Zero.¡± ¡°Individual results can vary. You have your people with predator disease.¡± ¡°But it would be different if every soldier was a sociopath. I don¡¯t think this is a test a high-ranking Dominion officer can pass.¡± ¡°But Isif will pass, Zhao. What does it hurt to humor me? Give him the test, and if he passes, you¡¯ll let him go with me.¡± There was a long silence, as the human stared down the prey leader. The Secretary-General offered a reluctant nod at last, and called for guards to transport me to the lab. Despite Zhao¡¯s stubbornness, he seemed unwilling to alienate the Venlil. I was shocked that Tarva had fought for me, and I couldn¡¯t fathom how to express my gratitude. Politeness wasn¡¯t a field I had any practice in. I decided to comply with the human escort, embracing the conditions of my release. It was ironic that my defectiveness would bolster my standing with the United Nations. Perhaps General Jones would peek at the results too, to ensure I hadn¡¯t pulled a long con on her. The empathy test was the least of my concerns; instead, I was worried how the Terrans fared against Shaza. The pack predators had wormed their way back into my thoughts again. I wanted to ensure their continued survival, now more than ever. Knowing that Meier¡¯s final request was about the Arxur¡¯s future renewed my trust in his kind. Humanity was interested in reforming our society, and I could guide them to an age of prosperity. Chapter 94 Memory transcription subject: Chief Hunter Isif, Arxur Dominion Sector Fleet Date [standardized human time]: December 4, 2136 The empathy tests were an assortment of prey species facing torment. For the first time since childhood, I leaned into my defective voice. It was painful to allow myself to feel fully, without casing those primal sensations in a shell of logic. Witnessing unnecessary suffering elicited a shameful amount of pity, just as it had back at Shaza¡¯s farm. Now, more than ever, I knew herbivores were not just spineless animals. The look on Secretary-General Zhao¡¯s face, as his scientists explained my results, was vindicating. The human leader did honor his agreement with Tarva, permitting me to board her ship. I was surprised the Venlil leader wanted me confined with her for hours; from what I could tell, she carried no firearms. Shouldn¡¯t a prey individual expect me to snap on a whim, and thus not want me seated across from her? I rested in a brooding state, mostly keeping to the co-pilot¡¯s seat in the cockpit. Governor Tarva sensed my sour mood, and allowed us to travel in silence. It made for an awkward ride, with the rescued Zurulians in the cabin behind us. The Venlil possessed more patience than myself, coaxing the quadrupeds to indulge in basic self-care. Her constant reassurance and crooning tone grated on my nerves, whenever she ventured back to their locale. ¡°Thank the Prophet we¡¯re almost to Venlil Prime.¡± My pupils snapped toward Tarva, as she returned to the cockpit once more. ¡°How the fuck did the humans survive all these exchange programs?¡± The governor shot me a disapproving look. ¡°Have some sympathy. Those three were literally just captured and brought to a farm, where your lovely comrades threatened to eat them.¡± ¡°I do have sympathy. I didn¡¯t want them to be eaten, did I?¡± ¡°Never mind, Isif. You can have this ship when we get to my homeworld. If my people saw me riding with you¡­¡± ¡°I appreciate your assistance, Governor Tarva. I too considered Elias Meier a friend and an ally. Even with his intervention, the fact that you would listen to an Arxur is not lost on me.¡± The Venlil was silent for a long moment, and her ears pinned back with a meek emotion. Her limbs weren¡¯t quivering, so I wasn¡¯t inclined to label it fear. Though it was tough to read prey cues, my best guess was that it was grief. Sadness swirled in her irises, before she looked at me with something bordering contempt. Tarva cleared her throat. ¡°I know you have done¡­have presided over horrible things, Isif. Genocides, raids, and systematic slaughtering. Your motivation to avoid your own execution doesn¡¯t change that.¡± ¡°You are right. I see why my statements about not assigning responsibility can be perceived as callous. Please, do not take my detachment as a sign that I do not regret my culpability.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you order the raid on the cradle? The Gojids are an endangered species because of you.¡± ¡°Someone else would¡¯ve done it if not me, yes? But it was me, and at the time¡­I believed coexistence was not possible. My beliefs have since shifted.¡± Governor Tarva was silent, scowling at the viewport. The Gojid cradle was intended to be like any other raid; with their border defenses down, it made a frontal assault tantalizing. I hadn¡¯t known why the defenses were offline until later, when reports from the planet¡¯s surface circled back to me. Another predator race taking on the Federation¡­it was too good to be true! We¡¯d be alone for so long. I was certain it would be disproved, I mused. Then, humanity took the cradle back from us. The sheer guts! The audacity! The Terrans bested us fair and square, allegedly using Venlil ships in their arsenal. It baffled me that they worked hand-in-hand with prey, but that led to my deduction of humanity¡¯s social nature. Intrigued by these specific aliens, I aimed to learn more about them. A new predator opened up avenues with their presence; it meant someone else wasn¡¯t indoctrinated by the Federation¡¯s spiel. Looking back at the Gojid cradle through Tarva¡¯s lens, I realized how differently humans viewed our first meeting. Planetary raids instilled very little guilt after all these years; it was something I deigned not to dwell on. What would Nulia think, if she learned ¡°Siffy¡± was behind the ¡°bad monsters¡¯¡± arrival? How many children like her had I doomed to cattle farms? One of the last things Elias Meier did was convince the Mazics to aid the Gojid refugees. From what I¡¯d heard, the Zurulians and the Paltans took in a handful as well. The spiky herbivores had limited numbers now, and Earth was in no place to be offering asylum. The United Nations had lifted their protection of Gojid colonies, which led many survivors to flee. ¡°The Gojids were a sad case, Tarva. I did give those orders; I¡¯m not dodging responsibility. I understand that my past actions have been hurtful,¡± I offered. ¡°You don¡¯t know hurtful. You took my daughter.¡± The Venlil leader¡¯s voice quavered, and she shoved me with shocking aggression. ¡°YOU TOOK MY DAUGHTER! It was you. You ordered the grays to gas Venlil s-schools: what, to crush our morale?!¡± ¡°I¡­I am sorry. I had no idea that you were personally affected by our raids, and you do not deserve that. Whether I directly ordered this instance or not, the Arxur who did it reported to me. They were under my command. I took no actions against routine attacks, certainly nothing to draw suspicion.¡± ¡°It was just ¡®routine¡¯, huh? I fucking know you feel empathy, and you could¡¯ve done things differently. Why did you have to be so cruel?!¡± ¡°I will not disrespect you by making excuses for myself. If there was any way I could undo the past, I would, Tarva. But I cannot. Your hatred and inability to forgive me, it is understandable.¡± The Venlil governor swiped at the tears in her eyes, and I felt a strange urge to place my tail on her shoulder. My logical brain reminded me I was the last person she¡¯d want comfort from. Most species loved their children, referencing their loss as the greatest pain imaginable; that was why the Dominion learned to target the youth. Perhaps if my nurturing instincts had been cultivated better, I could understand. Tarva cleared her throat. ¡°I am willing to work with you, but I will never forgive you. I cannot forget what you¡¯ve done.¡± ¡°Your animosity is justified. My only atonement is to pave a better future, so that this will not happen again,¡± I hissed. ¡°That is my sincere hope¡­I will do everything in my power to protect Venlilkind.¡± ¡°You must¡¯ve had a difficult life, Isif. To never be allowed to express your emotions, forced to fit in with despicable people. You deserve a friend. I just cannot be that friend, even if Elias would¡¯ve wanted me to.¡± ¡°Silly leaf-licker. No prey will befriend me. The Zurulian mishap proved that, yes?¡± ¡°In real life, sure. It would be best if they didn¡¯t know who you are. You can talk anonymously on the internet though. General Jones gave me this holopad over here, said you¡¯d ¡®want it back.¡¯¡± ¡°Seriously Tarva? You think that holopad is meant to join¡­some Federation chatroom? I have nothing in common with you people!¡± ¡°That¡¯s just my advice. I think it would be good for you to understand us ¡®hunting-challenged¡¯ races better. To express your empathetic side, and not to be alone.¡± The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. I offered a dramatic huff, and turned away from Tarva to reinforce my disdain. My paws did snatch the holopad, though I was suspicious that General Jones may have tampered with it. The Terran officer had returned my standard-issue device as well; I inspected it closely. Whatever purposes I used these electronics for, I should be certain I was okay with humans viewing them. Governor Tarva was attempting to be empathetic, but her suggestion was lunacy. What good would it be to get attached to a prey alien, when I might have to kill and butcher their kind later? What had relaxing my guard around Nulia accomplished? All discourse with the herbivores resulted in was guilt. *** Hours later, alone on the ship with my thoughts, I set course for my spy station. Governor Tarva bade me farewell, after supplying me with meat rations from the local factories. Knowing the Venlil¡¯s anti-carnivore values, the generosity of that offering couldn¡¯t be understated. I wondered if this was the start to building a bridge of trust. We would never be friends, but partnership wasn¡¯t out of the question. That was all a moot point, if I didn¡¯t return to commanding my sector. Arxur were solitary creatures, who cared little for others¡¯ welfare. However, if I didn¡¯t check in soon, the Dominion would start asking questions for practical reasons. I needed to drum up an explanation for why I¡¯d lost my own vessel, and returned in a Venlil transport. Perhaps the humans¡¯ tooth drive could help you. Why haven¡¯t you given it more than a cursory glance? Instead of crafting my story, I was learning how to navigate through the Federation internet. Passing close to our FTL backdoor with Mileau, the Dossur homeworld, I¡¯d been able to establish a connection. As small rodents, the Dossur weren¡¯t at the top of our meal list; they were the ¡°least valuable¡± species in my sector. Their territory bordered Gojid space, but on the opposite side from the Zurulians. ¡°Stupid Tarva,¡± I growled aloud. ¡°Putting stupid ideas in my defective brain. How did she know that I wanted that?!¡± The Dossur had a social media site called SwiftPair, which would randomly assign anonymous users to chat. The rodents had few abilities beyond jabbering to each other, so of course they¡¯d devise such a platform. Then again, humans had a propensity to run their mouths about nonsense too. That was just how desperate social creatures were for belonging. My traitorous claw hovered over the ¡°Pair¡± button, and I cursed myself. Perhaps I should just let Tarva¡¯s recommendation backfire, so I could move on. Honestly, what harm could a single chat do? I could always intimidate the little critter away if they became a nuisance. I clicked the button, and the algorithm found a chat partner in a half-second. The public profile classified this Dossur as a mid-twenties female located on a space station. Hi, I typed hesitantly. How¡¯s it going? Please tell me you¡¯re not just on here to flirt, came the instant reply. I swear, it¡¯s like this became a dating app overnight. What? I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m here, but it¡¯s certainly not for that. Good, ¡®cause I will block you if you¡¯re lying. So I¡¯m Felra, and I¡¯m a spaceship inspector. Catching every slapstick, half-assed repair job the human alliance throws at us. You work with humans? Not directly. We just let their allies marshal some forces at the old Fed spots. The UN is talking about an exchange program, but we¡¯re the smallest species in the galaxy. Problematic. There was a pause, before the Dossur typed another message. What¡¯s your name? Nerves crept into my throat. Not only did I have little clue how to sustain conversation with an herbivore, but my real name was infamous. Word must¡¯ve gotten around about the sector¡¯s Chief Hunter, after my broadcast on Earth. It wasn¡¯t like I could tell Felra that I was an Arxur; it would stop her little heart, assuming she believed me. Siffy, I decided. That¡¯s adorable! You must get that a lot, but props to your parents. I do not wish to discuss my parents. Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to offend you. What do you do for a living, Siffy? ¡°I bomb planets, execute people for empathy, and farm sapients,¡± I quipped aloud. This and that, was the actual reply I sent her. Nothing you¡¯d be interested in. Felra typed back hastily. You don¡¯t talk about much, do you? You¡¯re prickly as a Gojid. I¡¯m not¡­used to talking. This was a mistake¡­I deserve to be alone. This was a waste of time; I reprimanded myself for indulging these urges. There was no telling how the humans were faring at Sillis, and I needed to check back in with the Dominion fleet soon. Rather than making preparations, I was chatting with a creature that resembled an Earth ¡®mouse.¡¯ Had the loneliness really been this crippling for all these years? A banner popped up on the app, indicating that Felra sent a friend request. I had no clue what was going through that Dossur¡¯s tiny brain, but she must¡¯ve been meaning to block me. As I prepared to fire up my Arxur communicator, I made out the rodent¡¯s next message. It read, ¡°No one deserves to be alone.¡± Snorting in amusement, I accepted the request before dipping offline. General Jones should¡¯ve kept this Terran holopad, so I wouldn¡¯t get sidetracked on preylike pastimes. The human officer knew I was defective, and didn¡¯t take precautions to suppress these tendencies. Wasn¡¯t that what she meant about getting myself killed? There was no guarantee Felra would respond to future messages, but I wasn¡¯t going to squander more time. With my direct course for the spy habitat, the Arxur Dominion required notification of my vehicle change. I entered my credentials, before pinging my headquarters. The day-long absence made it likely I¡¯d be in contact with the brass, rather than my underlings. It was time to put on the fa?ade for our government, and resume my role as Isif the fanatic. Prophet-Descendant Giznel accepted my video call. ¡°Is there a reason you¡¯ve been avoiding your check-ins, Isif? For a less-faithful hunter, I would have you executed.¡± ¡°Your Savageness, I take it you know that I visited Earth. Shaza is a fool, and your wise decree was for us to settle the dispute,¡± I explained. ¡°The humans may have seen the wisdom of standing down¡­yet alas, I was too late to accomplish that.¡± ¡°You disappeared for a full day. I doubt both your conviction and your loyalty, Isif. You are not willing to kill the humans, are you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s absurd! I am gathering intelligence on Earth, in case we need to fight the leaf-licking apes. I don¡¯t care about humans. I want Betterment imposed on the galaxy, at any cost. Hallowed Prophet, they can learn to drink from the river of cruelty! You knew this yourself!¡± It was unclear whether Giznel believed my argument, but he had opted not to kill me on sight. The Prophet-Descendant could be convinced of diplomacy¡¯s usefulness; as long as I was strengthening our cause, I was safe. The alarming part was his overt accusation that I was a human conspirator. Betterment had been partial to me for years, and this development meant I couldn¡¯t hide behind favoritism. The Arxur leader narrowed his eyes. ¡°That is not your ship you¡¯re streaming from, either. Is that¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I made off with prey technology. The humans found tactical advantages commandeering Venlil ships,¡± I growled. ¡°I will dissect the design, because those grass-brains aren¡¯t worthy of killing us. If war is inevitable, the Dominion will be ready.¡± ¡°We pay Venlil technology the respect of studying it now?¡± ¡°I want our glory, Savage One. Our victory must be resounding, and prove our superiority.¡± ¡°You are straying from the path, Isif. But you were right about humans being formidable foes.¡± ¡°Is that so? Nobody agreed with me before. I have missed something from Sillis and Fahl, yes?¡± Giznel scrutinized me for another second, before swiping at his holopad. The compilation contained distress signals from across Shaza¡¯s sector, which were sent through our FTL networks. Farm habitats forwarded footage of humans raiding our facilities, and undefended stations being reduced to rubble. The Terrans severed our comms infrastructure shortly after these transmissions. The UN could¡¯ve cut the proverbial wire earlier. They want the Arxur government¡­and Shaza to see this. Laughter rumbled in my chest, as I realized the UN¡¯s true strategy. The humans used the occupied worlds as bait, and Chief Hunter Shaza played into their hands. That foolish Arxur was so eager to teach the ¡°weaklings¡± a lesson, that she hadn¡¯t guarded her most valuable possessions. Every strategic asset and supply depot across hundreds of light-years was erased. ¡°This amuses you?¡± Giznel hissed. I bared my teeth. ¡°Shaza¡¯s incompetence brings me nothing but joy. Does she know yet?¡± ¡°Word is reaching her around the same time as us. She will be made aware soon, but I have to deal with her mess now.¡± ¡°Ah, don¡¯t bail her out! This was her great master plan, after all. I know how to handle humans, and I need your trust going forward.¡± ¡°You can hardly fuck up worse. I¡¯ll humor your weird ideology, Isif, but I¡¯m watching you.¡± The Prophet-Descendant terminated the call, and left me to chew on his words. My first conversation as an official human spy, and I already had Giznel sniffing around my business. This was going to require me to operate more carefully; the freedom I¡¯d enjoyed in the past had waned. General Jones was right to warn me about eyes and ears everywhere. My gaze drifted to the Terran holopad, which sat in the cockpit. Browsing alien internets was perilous too, unless I could find a suitable cover. With my actions under a microscope, talking with a Dossur inspector was a fool¡¯s errand. Felra shouldn¡¯t occupy my thoughts, since I¡¯d only be able to sneak sporadic messages at best. How long could I hide my Arxur identity from her? What if I have more in common with prey than my kind? I shook my head. The future of the galaxy was at stake; this was no time for emotional baggage. It took a weight off my shoulders, to know that the humans punched back from Sillis. A straight-up fight had been inadvisable, but Shaza¡¯s arrogance was her undoing. I would pay a pretty penny to see the look on her face, when she discovered her empire had collapsed. My goal was to ensure that humanity¡¯s war remained with a single warlord. However, keeping Betterment off their backs might prove to be a challenge. Chapter 95 Memory transcription subject: Slanek, Venlil Space Corps Date [standardized human time]: December 4, 2136 The memories trickled through my brain, as a deep chill rattled my body. I was disoriented and immobile, uncertain of my surroundings. The current time and location were indeterminable; haziness obscured my conscious thoughts. My mind reached out for context, in an attempt to ground myself. We had been caged in the Tilfish nursery; I was shot during the fray. Marcel had propped me up, ignoring the strain on his own body. Orange blood flowed onto his chest pelt, and perspiration beads coated his skin. Dino tagged along, whimpering as my eyes began to turn glassy. Virnt was back in Birla¡¯s arms, asking why the Venlil was leaking. We were a ragtag band, stranded on Sillis. I remembered now. The grays had been hot on our heels, and we hobbled toward the emergency exit. My vision was fixed on the floor tiles, which were mired with my dripping blood. General Birla urged Virnt to cover his ears, as she dispensed my firearm at the Arxur. I think the carnivores refrained from gunning us down, because they wanted to capture us alive. There was more. We had to get to the emergency exit, didn¡¯t we? Why is it all slipping out of reach? ¡°Shoot me,¡± I had coughed at Marcel. ¡°Save yourselves¡­please, brother.¡± The predator refused to let go, bending his arm tighter around my torso. Tiredness threatened to consume me, as the vegetarian popped errant shots over his shoulder. Images flitted through my brain, from various moments of time; that forced snarl was his classic empathy rendition. That same expression had consoled me when Sovlin held him at gunpoint. Not too long ago, I¡¯d been feeding the half-dead Terran by hand. Amid the chaos, I recalled hoping that Marcel knew how much I cared about his welfare. There were terrible screams, both near and afar, which sent my heart pounding. Despite all of the nightmares we had endured, I wouldn¡¯t change a thing about our partnership. Even if Marcel was losing patience with me, I hoped he still felt our bond. Think Slanek. The screams. There was something there. Those had been Tilfish screams, as the incubator workers came running in droves. Our hasty escape hadn¡¯t given me time to don blinders; I¡¯d seen it all. The civilians distracted our Arxur pursuers, stampeding past them at full speed. As much as the grays wanted a Venlil delicacy, this easy meal toppled into their laps. Our ragtag band stumbled out into fresh air, and I was wholly leaning on Marcel for support. There were more Arxur in the street. I think that was the memory in its entirety; I¡¯d glued the pieces back together. We needed to find somewhere to take cover¡­to take¡­ Birla clicked her mandibles in the backdrop. ¡°Slanek? Slanek, you have to keep your eyes open.¡± I drew a gasping breath, and my pupils snapped to my arm. Judging by the dark hue and the profuse leakage, the bullet hit a vein. There was a wet sensation on my hindlegs; at first, I worried it was blood from my wound. However, the realization that the brick tunnel we were in was a rotting mess ensued. A few inches of murky liquid amassed across the floor. Perhaps this was a sewer system underground? My addled brain shook off the stupor, and I searched for Marcel¡¯s comforting presence. I scanned every shadow for the lurking human. This wasn¡¯t the first time the predator had been around my blood, so I knew that he could handle the alluring scent. On Sovlin¡¯s ship, I¡¯d been immobile with a head wound, and locked in an enclosed cell without food. Even then, the human had cared about my welfare. There was no reason a vegetarian who loved rescuing animals should need to get away from blood. Humans weren¡¯t drawn to it like the Arxur; I¡¯d never seen them react positively to a whiff of it. That ruled out that explanation for why my friend was missing. What if Marcel had gotten hurt? I couldn¡¯t remember how we made it down here at all. ¡°Why are we not going to space with humma?¡± Virnt wailed. Birla patted him soothingly. ¡°Shh, darling. Go back to bed.¡± Dino is missing as well. What if the dog ate Marcel? Or¡­I guess more likely, the grays got them both. ¡°Where¡­is M-marc?¡± I pressed one paw against the wall, and tried to sit upright. ¡°How did we get here?¡± The Tilfish general blinked with concern. ¡°You don¡¯t remember? The human carried you into an access hatch, and checked that it was clear. He put you down, told me to patch you up¡­but I don¡¯t have anything for first aid!¡± ¡°Okay. Where is he now?¡± ¡°Said something about hearing Arxur in the tunnels. Took that feral quadruped¡ª¡± ¡°Dino, mama!¡± Virnt cheered. ¡°Dino the dog!¡± ¡°Yes, that thing. Anyways, Marcel went looking for enemies. Mentioned clearing the tunnels, and keeping us safe.¡± ¡°And you let him go alone?¡± ¡°The human said to stay with you. He was blinking a lot¡­I¡¯m not sure if your blood bothered him.¡± ¡°It would never. M-marc was upset that I¡¯m hurt, if anything.¡± ¡°Are you sure, Slanek?¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m sure! He was fine around a Gojid stampede. They all¡­the humans all were. He saved¡­a trampled child.¡± There was a long pause, as skepticism swam in the Tilfish general¡¯s eyes. I knew the insectoid wouldn¡¯t ditch Marcel, when the primate was our best asset against the Arxur. But I suppose few individuals beside myself would tempt a predator¡¯s bloodlust. It took personal exposure to humanity¡¯s nurturing side to accept that their empathy dominated. Marcel said himself that he doesn¡¯t like killing. Humans can balance empathy and violence; it¡¯s what I told him at the supply tent. A gunshot exchange sounded down the tunnel, and fear clenched at my heart. The adrenaline boosted me back to alertness, but I couldn¡¯t stand up. Bootsteps smacked the floor, alongside the sound of munitions chipping bricks. A human yowl reverberated through the structure, followed by Dino¡¯s throaty barks. Tears swelled in my eyes, realizing Marcel would die alone. I reached out to Birla, and pulled myself up with the last of my strength. Hunched over at the waist, I staggered in the direction of my friend¡¯s cry. The Tilfish general tried to grab my shoulder, flinching away as blood coated her leg. With a frustrated grunt, I hobbled down the tunnel. It wasn¡¯t long before I was leaning against the wall for support. ¡°FUCK OFF!¡± That was Marcel¡¯s thunderous voice. It was possible to discern the words in this roar, which was more formidable than any I¡¯d heard before. ¡°This is my turf! You¡¯re not coming in here, assholes!¡± My legs buckled, and I crumpled back onto the floor. Why hadn¡¯t I reclaimed my firearm? The coldness was becoming palpable, making me wish for a human pelt to cocoon myself in. At least Marcel was still fighting, but I was in no state to rescue him. My pupils fluttered in his direction, as I sucked in some wheezing breaths. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. The human was hugging a wall corner, and I could see his teeth flash from here. His hands popped off a few shots, while enemy rounds buffeted his refuge. Brick debris sprinkled overhead, as Marcel clutched his gun tighter. Dino was growling at his side, though the mutt appeared to be waiting for something. ¡°Surrender yourself, human! We have room for an honorable prisoner,¡± a bone-chilling voice called out. A maniacal laugh emanated from Marcel. ¡°What is it with aliens, drawing my name in the ¡®kidnapping and torture¡¯ lottery? I¡¯ll pass.¡± I crawled along the floor, moving a few inches at a time. Since I was wounded anyways, my best usage was to serve as a distraction. The Arxur might wish to collect me as cattle, and that could give Marcel the clear shot he needed. The chances of us surviving Sillis were slim overall, but the Terran would fare better without my dead weight. Scuttling noises echoed behind me, and Birla came racing down the hallway. The Tilfish general righted my seized firearm, angling it toward the Arxur. Despite her distrust, she was willing to come to the human''s aid. In my opinion, she should¡¯ve gone with him to begin with¡­better late than never, I suppose. Three Arxur ducked around the corner, just as Birla halved the distance. The insectoid had a trusty shot, clocking one gray in the brain. Marcel released Dino upon the hostiles, and depressed his trigger. Enemy bullets answered, taking out a brick right above his head. I could feel his adrenaline vicariously; his binocular eyes were crazed. I have to help somehow. The Slanek acting weak distraction seemed to work the last time¡­should I try it again? ¡°Yummy Venlil! Over here!¡± I cried out, with a faltering voice. The Arxur had already scented my blood, I assumed. The trail must¡¯ve drawn them down here, unless they followed us from the surface. It was possible they waited for us to lower our guard. While I¡¯d technically been conscious in our travels, it was tough to retrieve the memories. There was a chance I wouldn¡¯t remember any of this now. The two surviving grays weren¡¯t as distracted as the egg raiders had been, but I saw their pupils twitch. The lack of impulse control was in stark contrast to humans; I suppose I was lucky that Isif and his bunch didn¡¯t wolf me down in New York. A little blood or a wounded animal¡¯s cry worked their kind into a frenzy, even amidst combat. Marcel cursed, realizing I¡¯d abandoned my refuge. The human popped up from his crouch, and the grays rushed to shoot him. One bullet whizzed dangerously close to his earlobe, while additional shots lurked in the chamber. The lead Arxur¡¯s sights aligned with his temples; I felt my blood pressure plummet. Was that from my wounds, or just grief? ¡°NO!¡± I screamed. There was nothing I could do to stop the bullet from piercing his brain. The Terran had become reckless out of concern for me, and he was paying the ultimate price. Marcel managed to take down one gray, in a final act of defiance. The next thing I heard was a deafening boom, as the monster shot my best friend. The predator¡¯s head snapped back with unnatural speed, and he crashed onto his back. I screamed as the human lie splayed out on the floor. Dragging myself on all fours, my toes bled from the frantic pace. My frayed vocal cords screeched his name, while warm tears ran down my face. The grief I felt was a chasm in my chest, an all-consuming sadness. Birla dispatched the final Arxur, and scuttled over to Marcel¡¯s side. I managed to reach the predator¡¯s body, which was still warm to my touch. It was tough to see through blurry vision, but his hair didn¡¯t look like a deeper red than usual. The blood was imperceptible to my eyes¡­perhaps I didn¡¯t want to see it. My brain must be imagining the rise and fall of his chest; that, or he was slipping away right now. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I whispered. ¡°You w-were the best friend I ever had. I failed you. I always f-failed you, and I¡­MARCEL! D-don¡¯t leave me!¡± Why did my human have to die? Why?! My emotions devolved into an incoherent whirlwind, and I released a visceral wail. I slammed my good arm into his gut, furious at the universe. A high-pitched yelp came from beneath me, and Marcel¡¯s corpse shifted. My vision refocused on him, watching as he moved an arm to his head. The human¡¯s eyelids fluttered, and a grimace crossed his face. My best friend pinched his nose. ¡°Oh God¡­that rung my bell.¡± The grief that was fueling me dissipated. I clung to his warm chest with sobs of relief, and Dino came over to lick his face. Marcel pushed the dog away, an instinctive snarl on his lips. He unclipped his helmet, inspecting it with amazement. I gasped at the nick in the cloth lining; the bullet had grazed my human on the dome. The red-haired soldier hoisted himself up, clutching me to his chest. I felt his wonderful fingers fiddling with my ears, and mewled my adoration. Alarm coursed through my veins, as Marcel stumbled. His skull absorbed much of the impact; the Terran might well be concussed. But he was blissfully alive, and that was music to my ears. ¡°I love you, Marc, the same as I did my flesh-and-blood brother. I care about you so much,¡± I whispered in a faint voice. ¡°I know I disappointed you. But you¡­you never disappointed me.¡± His hazel eyes moistened. ¡°What did I tell you? I got the best Venlil. I¡¯m only disappointed in how you view the world.¡± It took Marcel an agonizing minute to retrace his steps, and arrive at our impromptu base. The predator sank against a wall, and leaned his head back. He allowed me to burrow into his stomach, snarling through his exhaustion. Virnt was giddy at the ¡°humma¡¯s return¡±, though his mother kept him at a distance. Marcel peeked at my arm, and his mental fog vanished. He snapped at Birla, livid that she hadn¡¯t tended to my wounds. The Tilfish general cowered at his ferocity, but I could tell he was just rattled. My human knew how close he came to dying; it didn¡¯t help his mindset to reckon with my critical condition. The human cleared his throat. ¡°This might hurt, okay? Everything is going to be alright, Slanek. I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡± ¡°Please forgive me. There¡¯s nothing I w-wouldn¡¯t do for you.¡± I wrapped my tail around Marcel¡¯s wrist, and tensed up as he stitched my wound. ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t want to leave any¡­bad blood between us.¡± ¡°You hurt my feelings, that¡¯s all. Virnt should be institutionalized for liking me? I¡¯m that terrible to my best friend?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­n-not like¡ªOW! I l-like you. But t-things about you¡­should trigger fear at first.¡± ¡°Why? You know the Federation lied to you. They lied about us, omnivores like the Tilfish, and basic biology. I¡¯m telling you it was all lies: predator disease and ¡®feral¡¯ predators are their ideas too. Stop regurgitating them.¡± ¡°T-there are people with predator disease. They¡­hurt people.¡± ¡°But predator disease isn¡¯t just assigned to violent sociopaths. It¡¯s used on anyone who¡¯s wired differently. Do you realize by the Federation¡¯s definition, you have predator disease?¡± ¡°No. That¡¯s c-crazy, Marc.¡± ¡°I know. I fucking know! Mental health is a complicated thing, with thousands of conditions with unique attributes. Not all of them are violent. Not all of them need to be erased.¡± Marcel finished patching me up, and retrieved a radio from his supplies. I mulled over his words, though my brainpower was running on empty. If predator disease was another vessel for Federation lies, that meant we were locking away harmless people. No wonder my human was upset with my suggestion for Virnt. It was the same as how Doctor Zarn wanted to ¡°treat¡± me for defending Marcel. So there are different types of predator disease, with different causes and manifestations. And they¡­we use fear to ostracize every patient. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I croaked. Marcel squeezed my paw. ¡°I¡¯m sorry too. I should¡¯ve talked to you about these things sooner. It¡¯s my responsibility to educate you, but I¡¯ve just tried to shield you.¡± ¡°I know I¡¯m not easy to talk to. I¡­I know it hurts you when I freak out¡­or misinterpret you. You know, I wanted to kill Dino earlier¡­and I almost did.¡± ¡°None of that matters now. You¡¯ve been my rock, Slanek. You brought me back from the edge, and you made me believe there was good in the galaxy.¡± ¡°T-that¡¯s all I could ever want. Hey, if anything happens to me, tell my parents what w¡ª¡± ¡°Tell them yourself. We¡¯re getting out of here. I¡¯m going to call for help, and try to make contact with the UN. Sounds good, huh?¡± I didn¡¯t have the heart to tell him the United Nations was long gone. Just as they hadn¡¯t come back for the soldiers on the cradle, nobody was swooping down to the sewers to rescue us. General Birla seemed unconvinced as well; the evacuation announcement stated the deadline in no uncertain terms. At least I could share my last hours with Marcel, rather than dying alone. My human switched on his radio. ¡°UN fleet, do you copy? This is Captain Marcel Fraser; we have a Venlil VIP in need of medevac. Transmitting our coordinates, over.¡± There was no response once Marcel finished his message. The static didn¡¯t seem to deter his efforts, since he repeated his transmission several times. I nuzzled against his wrist, and felt my eyelids becoming heavy. The predator¡¯s warmth helped with my dropping temperature. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll keep calling them,¡± Marcel growled. ¡°When they beat back the Arxur, they¡¯ll come.¡± I closed my eyes. ¡°Yeah. Humans will win.¡± ¡°We sure will. Sleep well, Slanek.¡± Dino sidled up to me as I dozed off, and my instincts rekindled. He placed his coarse snout on my leg, and my mind circled back to Federation lies. The dog hadn¡¯t shown any signs of being evil; he seemed loyal to the humans through thick and thin. Maybe Marcel was right about giving him a chance too. Predators couldn¡¯t be inherently monstrous when the Terrans existed. This was a simple choice about whether the Federation defined the Venlil. I pressed one paw atop the dog¡¯s back, trusting my human to protect me. Marcel wouldn¡¯t put me in danger, and he said Dino was a friend. The safest place in this Arxur raid was sandwiched between two watchful predators. Knowing this slumber might be my last, I drifted off at peace with my fate. Chapter 96 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, United Nations Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: December 5, 2136 To recount the harrowing hours after the initial clash would be a strenuous ordeal in itself. The Terrans¡¯ intention was to turn this into a lengthy battle, one which could go on for days. It was gut-wrenching to see Arxur vessels, huddled around Sillis¡¯ azure shape; I knew this was a facsimile of what the predators saw on Earth. There had never been a chance of holding or retaking the planet, not against a superior enemy. The UN kept our forces active, while rotating personnel to keep fresh eyes on duty. Carlos and Onso were given leave for a short nap, though they were set to return within a few hours. Samantha was going through cups of brown liquid like it was a magic elixir, and Tyler had summoned a mug of his own. As a former officer, I understood his hesitancy to abandon his station. I¡¯m feeling a bit worn out myself. This is the longest battle I¡¯ve ever witnessed¡­they¡¯re supposed to end in the span of a few hours. ¡°Any update, Sovlin?¡± Tyler stifled a yawn, and shook his head to avert sleepiness. ¡°Break down the Arxur¡¯s current movement.¡± I blinked my heavy eyelids. ¡°Sir, the grays haven¡¯t deviated from their orbital positions. They¡¯re on high alert, since our fleet is utilizing these ¡®hit-and-run¡¯ tactics as you call them.¡± ¡°And the FTL disruptors are holding?¡± ¡°Yes, sir. UN ships are emitting that signal loud and clear, since we¡¯re outside the reach of Sillis¡¯ transmitters. Don¡¯t want the bastards warping in right atop us, like we did to them.¡± ¡°Good. And Sovlin? You look like shit. Get some rest; I¡¯ll have a tech cover for you.¡± I disembarked from my seat, knowing that I wasn¡¯t much of a tactical specialist with my current brain fog. The humans weren¡¯t going to win this war by exhausting their crew; it wasn¡¯t clear how long we could stay in a state of combat readiness. Even a predator would tire of stress-driven situations over an extended duration. My paws shuffled into the mess hall, and I collapsed on the cool floor. Gojids certainly weren¡¯t built for constant adrenaline. It was a matter of time before the humans¡¯ efficacy diminished as well, and our resistance crumbled. Predators tired of a chase after awhile, which was why prey gained their flight impulse. When Carlos and Sam discussed their legends with Cilany, they left out their historical battles. I could fill in the blanks well enough from the Federation¡¯s knowledge. Tyler had discussed Earth¡¯s world wars, though in limited detail. The first conflict was a particular display of primitive barbarism. Its trench warfare was either exaggerated, or had resulted in sloppy performances from their soldiers. The fact that it took so long to sue for peace was stubbornness; it was the refusal to surrender that Carlos mentioned. A human¡¯s body and mind would break before their will. I snoozed on the mess hall floor. My dreams were broken, bits of harsh memories sewn together. Tyler¡¯s confirmation that humans fought wars for thousands of years looped through my head. My brain fused that encounter with Zarn¡¯s initial briefing. The Takkan doctor had been emphatic, stating that Terrans tormented each other through constant battle. ¡°Humans are conquerors, who derive pleasure from dominating others. That is what their ''explorers'' have always done on their homeworld. They are aggressive, brutal, and territorial,¡± Zarn¡¯s voice declared. Tyler hurling me into the cabinets resurfaced. ¡°It¡¯s just how we are, man.¡± The imagery became increasingly surreal and chaotic, as my subconscious grasped at examples of their empathy. The humans had allowed a Gojid hospital ship to pass at the border skirmish; those pilots¡¯ radio chatter had conveyed a desire to talk, not fight. Throughout that clash, their forces ignored the vulnerable colony and hammered our military outposts instead. Those weren¡¯t the actions of out-of control brutes. A calloused hand shook my shoulder, and I groaned as I stirred. The explorers on Venlil Prime hadn¡¯t done what Zarn implied. First contact should¡¯ve seen Tarva¡¯s world conquered, when even Tyler acknowledged that invigorating drive. How could I understand mankind¡¯s dichotomous nature, when the past and the present were contradictions? If I solved that riddle, it might give me an honest perspective on the Gojids¡¯ monstrous side too. ¡°Sovlin, you can¡¯t just sleep out here.¡± Carlos was hovering over me, and taking care to avoid my bristling spines. ¡°We let you get a few hours of shut-eye, but¡­someone¡¯s gonna step on you!¡± I rubbed my eyes. ¡°C-Carlos? Are humans, as a species, conquerors?¡± ¡°Er, I don¡¯t think so. We¡¯re warriors, and some people confuse the two. Mix in clannish tendencies and competition, then believe that your enemy is intrinsically different from you¡­yes, we felt that way toward our own. But look what the herbivores did to us because of that same belief.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying old humans didn¡¯t see their enemies as people.¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s the belief that makes monsters of us all. Nobody has empathy for someone that is too unalike.¡± The pieces clicked in my brain, alongside a rush of horror. The Federation was guilty of the same savagery as the humans; they pillaged and condemned Earth, because predators weren¡¯t people. Brutal capabilities didn¡¯t just lurk inside primitive uplifts and flesh-eating species. Most concerningly, zero empathy wasn¡¯t a requisite to complete atrocities beyond comprehension. But it¡¯s not just a trait of the Gojids. Thank the Protector. ¡°You¡¯re very wise, Carlos,¡± I murmured. ¡°I wonder where you learned it from.¡± The olive-skinned soldier sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s just say I didn¡¯t grow up in a stable home. There¡¯s a reason I didn¡¯t check in on my family post-Earth. I decided that I never wanted to be like my old man, and that I was going to figure things out for myself.¡± ¡°And you joined the Peacekeepers to get away?¡± ¡°Yes. I got assigned to humanitarian missions at first, and it felt good to make a difference. I learned a lot about people¡­er, humans. I learned how to stand in the other guy¡¯s shoes.¡± ¡°Thank you for trying to understand me, from the beginning. I never deserved it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not so sure you¡¯re a bad person. You had that belief I talked about, and it made you a monster. That¡¯s as human as it gets, Sovlin.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure that is a compliment.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not. Anyhow, Tyler¡­ahem, Officer Cardona wants us back on the bridge. Let¡¯s get to work, huh?¡± Carlos ushered me back into the bridge, a rejuvenated light in his eyes. The situation on Sillis appeared unchanged, from a cursory glance at the viewport. Smaller Terran craft harassed the Arxur fringes, while the main UN fleet prevented escape or reinforcements. The grays weren¡¯t challenging our position. It seemed that the demons wanted us to make the first move, while the humans were in no rush to act. Captain Monahan had joined the brown liquid party, with a steaming cup in her hand. The commander was still supervising the bridge, and her puffy eyes suggested she hadn¡¯t taken any reprieve. Our warship was playing a supporting role, poking at any Arxur that neared Terran ranks. Combat readiness was maintained on the bridge; if there was an opportune moment, we¡¯d capitalize on it. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. I strode up to a weary Tyler. ¡°Sir! You wanted us back? Shit, I¡¯m ready to tear the grays a new one!¡± A rested Onso sauntered up to our group. ¡°We¡¯re in agreement there. When are we charging in?¡± ¡°We¡¯re making plans,¡± the blond-haired human growled. ¡°Listen to what we intercepted while you were out. The Arxur got a nice call through their, shall I say, poorly-hidden FTL comms.¡± I peered at the sensors officer¡¯s screen, and saw video clips from across the region. It was news to me that the Arxur possessed FTL communications; building such a network seemed beyond their intelligence. How had the Federation never detected this infrastructure, if it existed? Nonetheless, it was tough to argue with footage that couldn¡¯t have reached us yet. The first clip Tyler selected was from a probe encircling a military station. Massive hangars were visible from above, alongside a few patrollers circling lazily. Alarms sounded on the base, moments before sleek bombers blinked into existence. I could see the UN insignia emblazoned on their hulls, alongside other retrofits. The upgrades were apparent from what humanity¡¯s allies first loaned them. So this is why we weren¡¯t given more numbers for the shadow fleet. The resources were diverted elsewhere, and not just to the war with the Federation. The Terran bombers swooped down on the Dominion installation, just as they had assaulted Gojid bases. Enemy resistance was wiped out upon contact, unable to hold a candle to this raid. Munitions rained down on the martial station, and obliterated its defensive outfits first. Explosions punished the living quarters next; any filthy grays still onboard were buried. The humans ensured that nothing remained of the base, and that no Arxur escaped off-world. It floored me that the grays had allocated so few ships to defense. Then again, the aggressive monsters couldn¡¯t think of anything but killing. Their singular focus was inflicting torment upon the Tilfish homeworld. It had been a long time since the Arxur met a worthy foe. Samantha swallowed a gulp of her bean drink. ¡°It¡¯s the same scene on every base we¡¯re aware of. Even if these fuckwits take Sillis, they¡¯ll have no place for the ships to return. Oh, and we snipped the cord on those comms too.¡± I flicked my claws. ¡°Nice work! You took the bastards for everything they¡¯re worth.¡± ¡°We took something else of theirs too,¡± Tyler chuckled. ¡°You¡¯ll like this, Gojid.¡± The tall human picked out a new video from the data feed. A Terran transport was docking with a streamlined station, which seemed tailored to ship traffic rather than war. More UN craft latched onto other compartments, rather than causing a traffic jam in the main hangar. The primates were well-practiced at forced entries; they¡¯d make an opening or pick a lock where necessary. Tyler jumped to an internal security feed, which showed armored humans busting through an emergency airlock. Fattened Arxur guards greeted them with gunfire, but the Terrans overran their garrison. The boarding party mowed down their opposition, and barked to each other about rescuing captives. Several primates returned past the camera, carrying prey aliens that were in poor condition. ¡°We¡¯ve had the plans to liberate the cattle farms since day one. Now that we know how the grays operate¡­we fucking hit every farm too,¡± Samantha hissed. Carlos bared his teeth. ¡°Our estimates are millions of cattle per sector. How are we going to get them all off-world?¡± ¡°They¡¯re in our custody, and that¡¯s what matters.¡± Tyler suppressed a yawn, and blinked with drowsiness. ¡°We¡¯ll move as many as we can.¡± ¡°That¡¯s one hell of a¡­humanitarian victory, Carlos. Forget the logistics,¡± I said. Onso curled his lip. ¡°Why aren¡¯t the grays going back for their assets?¡± ¡°Because that ship has sailed, buddy,¡± Tyler answered. ¡°They threw the whole sector for one rock! Might as well take Sillis; they have nothing to lose.¡± Satisfaction swelled in my chest, and the Yotul brightened with content as well. The Arxur just lost all major assets and infrastructure across a 100-light year radius; this could be a pivotal turning point in the war. While the humans had sacrificed Sillis, they had undermined the grays¡¯ malice everywhere else. This was cause for celebration, no matter what unfolded in this system. ¡°I¡¯d love to see the predators losing their dimwitted minds,¡± I chuckled. Samantha folded her arms. ¡°Would you? Show him what they directed at us.¡± Tyler brought up a single outbound transmission, and the visage of a female gray materialized. It was the same one taunting the humans at the start of the battle. Now, its maw was agape with fury; its eyes were furious slits. It jabbed its claws at the camera, like it wished to stab the listener through the screen. ¡°You irreverent grass-munchers really fucked up now! How dare you destroy Dominion assets?! I¡¯m going to burn this fucking planet to the ground,¡± the raving Arxur roared. ¡°Since you killed my food, I¡¯m going to make a cattle farm solely of humans to replace it! That will put you back in your fucking place! You will regret this.¡± I blinked in confusion. The grays perceived the humans as equals, and that should be doubly true after our battlefield prowess here. From what I¡¯d overheard, it would go against the Arxur¡¯s twisted philosophy to eat another predator. Was this Chief Hunter really going to go against its government¡¯s stance, out of spite? I don¡¯t think the humans would make good cattle. They¡¯re too headstrong and devious. Tyler cleared his throat. ¡°That leads us to our plan. Evacuations on Sillis were subpar, given their rushed timetable. We will, in no circumstances, stand for humans being captured for that purpose.¡± ¡°So what are we doing? Shooting down cattle ships?¡± I offered. ¡°If it comes to that and we can¡¯t board them, yes. But getting soldiers off Sillis just became a priority. The UN fleet is going to engage the Arxur head-on, distract ¡®em. Meanwhile, shuttles will sneak through the gaps and rescue as many humans as possible.¡± ¡°Great, sir. Just tell me how we¡¯re going to get their attention.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the thing. I¡­I will be heading down to the surface. I know it¡¯s atypical for an officer to volunteer himself, but a personal matter has come up that I must attend to.¡± Onso hissed in annoyance. ¡°You didn¡¯t invite me? Where was the signup sheet?¡± ¡°You can come if you want to. But buddy, it¡¯s very dangerous.¡± ¡°Dangerous for them. I¡¯m coming with you, end of discussion.¡± That was an interesting way of speaking to a superior officer, but the Yotul seemed to get special considerations. I couldn¡¯t understand why Tyler would rush off and shirk his station duties. It was an unusual decision to say the least. What could be personal enough to have swayed his judgment? While I didn¡¯t want to challenge the big guy, I felt a responsibility to talk some sense into him. ¡°Forgive my insolence, but I care about your welfare. You¡¯re an officer, sir, like you said!¡± I chewed at my claws, anxious at the risk Tyler was undertaking. ¡°With respect, you¡¯re more useful up here. The captain wouldn¡¯t want you wasting your talents on fieldwork.¡± ¡°Captain Monahan has been apprised of the circumstances, and she signed off on my departure,¡± the sensors officer rumbled. ¡°With this development, I would be too distracted to fulfill my duties. You guys will be fine without me.¡± ¡°What development? Personal or not, I can¡¯t understand without a clue why you¡¯re doing this.¡± Samantha grimaced. ¡°We should just tell Sovlin, sir. He¡¯ll find out on his own.¡± Tyler narrowed his eyes. ¡°Suit yourself. The floor is all yours, Sammy.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Sam. Anyway, snap to it, Sovlin. I was scanning transmissions from the surface, like Ty ordered, and I keyed into this one.¡± Samantha¡¯s pale fingers scrolled through her viewing history, and she picked out a highlighted transmission. I eyed the humans warily, wondering why they had reservations about sharing this information. What could happen on Sillis that had any personal impact on myself? The Tilfish genocide was tragic, but I had no connections on the surface. A broken audio clip filtered through the speakers. ¡°This is Captain Marcel Fraser¡­¡± Hot blood rushed to my ears, and a ringing sound drowned out the rest of the transmission. I keeled over against the station, shaking my head in denial. That predator¡¯s voice was one I could recognize anywhere. Knowing that Marcel, the human I¡¯d tormented, was trapped on Sillis changed everything. Of course Tyler wanted to rush off and rescue his packmate. What would Marcel think of my presence on this ship? What if Slanek is with him¡­I threw that poor Venlil around like a rag doll. Guilt ebbed through my veins with renewed strength. How was it fair that I was cozy on this ship, while Marcel and Slanek could be captured to a cattle farm? If there was a way for me to trade places, I would do it in a heartbeat. It wouldn¡¯t scratch the debt I owed my two victims. I deserved suffering from the beginning anyways; the Terrans were too merciful. Tyler twisted his fingers into my scruff. ¡°Sovlin? Shit, this is why I didn¡¯t want to tell him.¡± ¡°I..I can¡¯t¡­¡± Tears soaked my cheek fur, and mucus congested my nasal passageways. ¡°G-good luck, sir. I understand.¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯m gonna get Marcel and Slanek out of there. Just need to pull someone off nav station to fly my shuttle. I know those folks are a lot harder to replace than us people reading screens. Not sure we can spare a pilot, but I have to get to Sillis.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll g-go. I can fly.¡± ¡°No way! How the fuck would I explain that to Marcel and Slanek?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve flown d-down during an orbital raid before. Back when I picked up Cilany. Carlos and Sam can attest to my skills. It¡¯s t-the best option for the ship¡­sir.¡± ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll react well to your presence. You know what I mean.¡± ¡°Slanek and Marcel are both pilots. If either wishes to serve me to the grays, I will crawl into their cages willingly. I just need to get you down there. Let me do this for them¡­for Marcel.¡± Tyler crossed his arms, deliberating his options. I understood that my victims wouldn¡¯t be pleased to see me, but taking a pilot from navigations could get humans here killed. It had to be an expendable crew member like myself. Besides, from my perspective, failure was not an option. Marcel and Slanek would be saved, if I had to sacrifice myself in the process. ¡°Fine,¡± the sensors officer decided. ¡°Let¡¯s get a shuttle and get moving.¡± Chapter 97 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, United Nations Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: December 5, 2136 Sitting behind the helm of a ship felt cathartic, after my long absence from the captain¡¯s chair. Tyler volunteered as my copilot, while Onso lounged in the backseat. The Yotul seemed too casual for our current suicide mission. Even with the UN¡¯s distraction, there was a chance the Arxur would come after us on our descent. Dominion forces were concentrated around Sillis¡¯ supercontinent, since circumplanetary targeting was not an option. While the unique geography narrowed the staging points available, it also condensed settlements into a single region. That meant less bombs were needed to cover the planet. Our plan was to slip the shuttle in on the ocean side, as the Terrans hounded the grays head-on. I wondered how our original defensive line, which had vanished into the atmosphere, would factor in. Perhaps they can cover our ass during atmospheric re-entry. That¡¯s if they¡¯re not involved with the rescues themselves. Those vessels would be the easiest ones to sneak down to the surface, given that they didn¡¯t have an Arxur buffer in the way. Getting back up to orbit would be a challenge though, and the grays watched for evacuation ships. Small patrollers weren¡¯t built to tote more than a handful of passengers regardless. Outside help was required to rescue entire platoons. Tyler blinked his icy eyes. ¡°Take us in, Sovlin. Godspeed.¡± ¡°You think predators would build guns into evacuation shuttles,¡± I grumbled. ¡°Might be helpful for your trigger-happy pal to shoot anything that moves.¡± ¡°In most events that we¡¯re using these, it¡¯s a dire emergency and we¡¯re abandoning ship. These aren¡¯t average transports.¡± Onso narrowed his eyes. ¡°But why can¡¯t we abandon ship with guns?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t build these things! Are we going to sit here and argue about this all day?¡± This was no time for playful banter; action was picking up on the viewport. The Terran fleet moseyed in with purposeful movements, and ensured that the Arxur spotted their advance. Dominion vessels rushed out to meet the numerically inferior armada, leaving the ocean side open. I increased our acceleration, and broke out of our low-emissions glide. Until now, our shuttle had been taking a quiet course to flank the enemy. It was impossible to tell which ship was commandeered by Captain Monahan. Carlos and Samantha were in over their heads alone on sensors, but I trusted our replacements to pick up the slack. The worst Terran crew member was probably more fit for service than the average herbivore. Humans were nothing if not competent in combat. We just needed this distraction to work as planned, to reaffirm that very idea to the grays. The Terran armada dispensed a few explosives to attract attention. The grays took the bait, once their unsophisticated brains zeroed in on the UN¡¯s aggression. Backing down from a duel signaled weakness; the humans and the Arxur were both obsessed with not appearing infirm. Pride was a shared trait between the two predator species, and seemingly, our primitive Yotul. I was unconvinced Onso wouldn¡¯t run off and get us killed the second we landed. My eyes darted to our data feed. ¡°It seems our side is getting their snouts bashed in. I hope this is worth it.¡± In close-range combat, the UN was unequipped for a confrontation without resorting to tricks. The humans¡¯ front line was getting picked off several at a time, evidenced by the explosions in the viewport. I wasn¡¯t sure how much time they could buy us, so I kicked our speed up another notch. No Arxur had come to intercept our shuttle, and we had breached Sillis¡¯ high orbit already. My heart was hammering in my throat all the same. Perhaps my fear was for the crew we¡¯d abandoned. Our minimal numbers couldn¡¯t resist an Arxur charge; there were less than a thousand vessels in the shadow fleet. The Dominion had six times that ship count at hand, and were using most assets at their disposal. Following their humiliation across the sector, this was personal. Rare instances of teamwork sprouted, with the grays ganging up on wounded Terran craft. We need more numbers. Surely the UN defensive line is coming any second, right? Blips blinked onto my radar, as friendly contacts emerged from Sillis¡¯ orb on cue. The Arxur had learned that humans practiced ambush tactics, and their rear flank was ready for the sneak attack. The enemy vessels swiveled around on a dime, unleashing munitions with prejudice. The resurfacing Terrans lobbed explosives back, desperate to stem the tide. The grays¡¯ onslaught was unrelenting, with minimal attention given to any inbound missiles. ¡°Pick up the pace!¡± Tyler barked. ¡°I imagine we¡¯re pulling all ships back at any moment.¡± I sighed in exasperation. ¡°I¡¯m going as fast as I can. Do you want the ship to break apart on descent?¡± Onso bared his teeth. ¡°Is it better to get gunned down up here? As the humans say, no guts, no glory!¡± ¡°There is no glory in being scattered across Sillis¡¯ orbit! What is wrong with you?¡± ¡°Yeah, I think we need to wean you off Earth sayings, buddy. You interpret them all with the utmost aggression,¡± the blond predator muttered. ¡°I¡¯ll try again. Ahh, a predator! Its eyes are forward facing¡­and it f-flashed its teeth!¡± The Yotul utilized a high-pitched voice, and faked an occasional stutter. ¡°It¡¯s an evil abomination and needs to d-die! That better, Tyler?¡± ¡°You¡¯re too much.¡± The primitive was distracting me from my approach, so I shut his antics out from my mind. The shuttle obeyed my commands, its slender frame humming softly. I offered a final bit of juice to the engines, and they answered with a hearty push. This would be a tricky entry, but there was no option to follow safety guidelines. If the Arxur circled over to us, we would be easy pickings. Marcel and Slanek¡¯s survival relied on us getting through to the planet. I¡¯d rather take a riskier path, and know I¡¯d done everything in my power to save them. Everyone onboard this shuttle was willing to gamble with our fates, for our comrades¡¯ good. The thought of the duo in an Arxur farm made my blood simmer; it was an unacceptable outcome. Both of them had suffered enough at my paws. The shuttle blazed toward Sillis¡¯ azure surface, and I leaned forward with concentration. The shadow fleet was pulling back, while the UN defensive outfit covered for them behind enemy lines. Those re-emerged friendlies followed suit shortly after, dipping back into the Tilfish world¡¯s atmosphere. A few grays gave chase, not wanting to let the Terrans slip under the radar again. ¡°Two Arxur cruisers changing course, and targeting us for interception,¡± Tyler growled. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. I gritted my teeth. ¡°They won¡¯t catch us. They won¡¯t try to follow this descent.¡± My claws smacked the throttle lever, and pushed us well past recommended output. We hurtled toward Sillis at a breakneck pace, while the Arxur clocked in at sensible speeds. Their vector lessened the distance between us, but it wasn¡¯t closing the gap fast enough. The planet ahead was enlarging much quicker, and our trajectory scraped the edge of the atmosphere. Humans built for durability, so I had to trust that emergency shuttles could take a beating. Actively accelerating into a descent was madness, and even Tyler looked nauseous. The shuttle frame quivered from the stress, sending jolts through my body. Controls offered erratic responses, and I warred with the steering column. Alarms blared from the main systems, warning us of excessive heat. The temperature climbed on the interior accordingly, as hull shielding failed to contain the environmental effects. Incineration was an agonizing way to die; an undercurrent of fear ebbed through my veins. I cobbled myself together enough to check our sensors. The Arxur contacts were pulling back, and our track on them was spotty. That meant they were losing us as well. I hurled all power into reverse thrusters, and corrected our descent angle. The harness dug into my shoulders, as it restrained me during the sudden shift. Tyler¡¯s face had gone ashen, and he squeezed his eyes shut. The massive predator was not enjoying the turbulent ride. The shuttle¡¯s velocity slowed, though not before our hull had taken a beating. ¡°I¡¯ve got it under control,¡± I gasped out. ¡°Going to bring us in low and fly to the stated coordinates.¡± Tyler groaned. ¡°You unstable, neurotic Gojid! You were about two seconds from getting us cooked.¡± ¡°No guts, no glory. Sovlin¡¯s an honorary Yotul after that stunt!¡± Onso yipped. Don¡¯t insult me like that, I thought to myself. I grew up with electricity. I leveled out the shuttle¡¯s flight course, once we neared the choppy water. The waves were a blur at our speed, zooming by as I gunned it toward our location. It was dizzying to look at our surroundings, but the human was gawking all the same. It was rare to fly with such quickness in-atmosphere, due to civilian traffic and hazards. ¡°You don¡¯t realize how fast supersonic flight is in space.¡± Tyler pressed his hand to his chin, and turned his eyes toward me. ¡°Here, you can tell what our velocity is. You see the world zooming by.¡± I drummed my claws on the console. ¡°There¡¯s no time to waste. I¡¯m just keeping enough altitude to clear any buildings. Marcel¡¯s coordinates are inland a bit.¡± ¡°You did great, Sovlin. But hey¡­I¡¯m still not sure it¡¯s a good idea for you to make an appearance.¡± ¡°Marcel visited me in jail. I hope my presence will not be an undue burden on him. I will comply with whatever his wishes are.¡± Our shuttle cleared wide patches of ocean, and another yawn crossed Tyler¡¯s face. The sensors officer hadn¡¯t slept since the battle commenced; I suspected the big predator craved a distraction. He could chat anyone¡¯s ear off, if he got started on a topic he liked. Perhaps he¡¯d be interested in jawing about his family? The shoreline would be visible within a minute, so he just needed to stay awake a little longer. I cleared my throat. ¡°What¡¯s something you did as a child that you cherish, Tyler?¡± ¡°Right on. Me and my pops used to go out to the lake, rent a boat,¡± the human reminisced. ¡°We¡¯d sit out there for hours and shoot the wind. You know, enjoy nature. Our relationship¡¯s become¡­estranged, but I miss fishing with him. We caught some real beauts.¡± ¡°Your FAVORITE childhood pastime is water hunting?! Your father took his kid to do this?¡± ¡°Hey, chill out! It¡¯s not like we ate any. We just caught ¡®em on a hook, took a picture, and threw ¡®em back.¡± ¡°That¡­then what was the point of catching them?! Just when I stop thinking of you as predators, you say shit like that! You torment fish for father-son bonding time.¡± Onso suppressed a growl. ¡°I rarely cry ¡®predator¡¯, but that is twisted and unnatural. It would be fine if you were seeking food, but you are just doing it for kicks.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a way to relax, man. And maybe some humans do like hunting; so what? It¡¯s not like we¡¯re killing them.¡± Disgust swelled in my chest, hearing the predator discuss hunting as ¡°relaxing¡± entertainment. I could picture the blond beast on a boat, giggling as he toyed with a suffocating fish. To think that a father passed those behaviors to his son! How could an empathetic species consider that a socially acceptable pastime? How did Tyler not see how fucked up that hobby was? I brooded for the rest of the journey, scowling out the windshield. Buildings blurred beneath us, alongside charred ruins and mushroom clouds. There was no telling if Marcel¡¯s corner of Sillis was intact. That human, who I knew was vegetarian, would surely recognize the ethical flaws in his packmate¡¯s sadism. I hadn¡¯t thought Officer Cardona was a vicious animal before now. Tyler tapped my shoulder as we landed. ¡°Shit, I¡¯m sorry. I know that¡¯s a sensitive subject for you guys. I was just thinking about the one time my dad was proud of me, and it was that.¡± ¡°W-well, that¡¯s fucked. Your father instilled heinousness in you. P-parents have a responsibility to teach their kids good values,¡± I managed. ¡°Right. We cool?¡± ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s go kill some Arxur.¡± I couldn¡¯t look at the primate the same, thinking of him learning predation. Humans claimed that they didn¡¯t hunt in the modern day; Noah said their meat was grown in labs. Clearly, that wasn¡¯t the whole truth, if Tyler had no qualms about his family outings. How could any feeling person go along with that? Tyler admits Terrans are violent and bloodthirsty. Sometimes, those base instincts must be given higher consideration than their empathy. Humans policed themselves with moral laws; progress was still needed on the specifics. When hunting was ingrained in their ancestry, it made sense that remnants persisted into the civilized era. The predators just needed an introduction to proper values. I was certain well-meaning brutes like Tyler could learn that animals weren¡¯t playthings. I parked the shuttle on a sidewalk, in close proximity to Marcel¡¯s coordinates. With the Arxur traipsing about, this was no time to relapse into human phobia. Onso snapped his gun up and clambered out into the open. I checked my surroundings, before raising my own weapon. There was nothing around us besides the faint glow of dawn¡¯s sunlight. ¡°Marcel, do you read me?¡± Tyler croaked into his radio. ¡°It¡¯s me, Tyler. Your better half. We¡¯ve landed, but I don¡¯t have a visual on you.¡± The pavement was rough beneath my hindlegs, and the air felt acrid in my throat. I steered a wide path around Tilfish bodies in the street, as did the human. Terrans were averse to death on the Gojid cattle ship, but this was a different response. Tyler had a case of the shakes, rather than wanting to puke. His binocular eyes twitched in an odd way; I wondered darkly when his last meal occurred. Muzzle flashes appeared in our periphery, and I dropped to the ground on instinct. The human herded Onso into a storefront; I scurried over to them on shaking legs. Bullets peppered our refuge, as Arxur enemies rallied to our location. The raiders had established a heavy presence in the city. What if they were looking for Terrans to round up? The blond human tossed an explosive into the street, and high-pitched growls echoed through the air. Peeking through the broken glass, I saw mutilated grays soaked in blood. Whatever Tyler deployed sent shrapnel in a wide radius, and caught the aggressive beasts off-guard. The surviving enemies circled back to regroup, giving us a breather. ¡°Marcel, tell us you¡¯re still alive, bro. We¡¯re right on top of you, and there¡¯s no signs of friendly activity. Have you relocated?¡± Tyler panted. The Yotul blinked his dilated eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s get back to the ship. I think they¡¯re¡­¡± ¡°Shit Tyler, it¡¯s good to hear your voice.¡± Gunfire sounded in the background, and audible scratches surfaced from Marcel fumbling his radio. ¡°We¡¯re in the sewers. Need backup ASAP!¡± That information gave me the adrenaline boost I needed. I unloaded a magazine at the approaching Arxur posse, in the hopes of pushing them back. Marcel¡¯s packmate jerked his pupils downward, and rushed over to a manhole cover. The predator searched for a lever, finding one with his hands. Tyler tugged at the mechanism, and robotic systems popped the hatch. Onso growled, as he took down a gray with a well-placed shot. The Yotul protested when Tyler pulled at his shoulders; the primitive was the first to descend into the manhole. The human insisted on being the last one to enter, and hurried me to the ladder next. I hopped down the rungs, jumping into the mucky tunnel. Tyler dropped onto the ground, landing awkwardly on his ankle. He¡¯d sealed the cover behind him, and I hoped that would delay our attackers. Thankfully, our shuttle could be locked to human biometrics; that should prevent the Arxur from running off with our ride. We didn¡¯t need the same problem I had on the Harchen¡¯s Blissful Modernity. ¡°My leg is fucked. Double-time it, people,¡± the tall Terran barked. ¡°Onso, if you ever wanted to charge in¡­now¡¯s a good time.¡± Now that we were in the tunnels, I could detect the same gunfire I¡¯d heard on the radio. My ears assured me the fight was still ongoing, but Slanek had already been wounded before this clash. With Marcel stuck guarding his Venlil buddy, there was no telling if he could best the Arxur. His band was lucky to survive on Sillis this long. I channeled my inner Onso, dashing off like a madman. This was my opportunity to save the human I¡¯d brutalized, and give some meaning to his decision to spare my life. Chapter 98 Memory transcription subject: Slanek, Venlil Space Corps Date [standardized human time]: December 5, 2136 Marcel made the decision to move deeper into the tunnels. The further we got from my blood trail, the less chance we had of attracting Arxur attention. The human did everything in his power to disinfect my wounds and mask their scent. It was stressful to realize the atrocities occurring aboveground, as we camped amidst relative serenity. All it would take was one Arxur patrol to flush us out, scouring the sewers for hiding souls. Regardless, once the city was scraped dry, antimatter bombs would descend on it. Time was running out with finite certainty; we would be dead one way or another. General Birla seemed to be losing the motivation to carry on. If it wasn¡¯t for her cheery son, I think the Tilfish officer might¡¯ve given up. Marcel fished into his pack, offering Birla a handful of berries. ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten in days. Let me guess: you don¡¯t want predator food?¡± ¡°I¡­I want Virnt to eat,¡± the Tilfish general offered half-heartedly. ¡°Please give my portion to him.¡± ¡°Not happening. Virnt needs you at your best, huh?¡± ¡°Dammit, human. We don¡¯t have enough!¡± I forced a confident ear flick. ¡°Marcel packed plenty of food for his fat ass. I¡¯m sure we have enough to go around.¡± ¡°My ¡®fat ass?¡¯¡± the human growled. ¡°I¡¯m not the one who ate an entire can of Pringles during our board game session.¡± ¡°I like salt! That was one time!¡± ¡°The fact that it happened once is enough.¡± I huffed in irritation. How could Marcel bring that up at a time like this? The Terran soldier extended his hand to Birla again, and she gazed into his hazel eyes. The insectoid relented to her hunger, snatching them away with a greedy leg. She wolfed them down in a single gulp, cramming them into her mandibles. Virnt crawled up Marcel¡¯s arm. ¡°Humma, what¡¯s a Pringle?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a salty crisp made from potatoes. You¡¯d like it, kiddo!¡± the vegetarian replied. ¡°Can I have one?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any now. But¡­I got gummy worms.¡± Birla and I both gaped at the predator, who blinked in confusion. Why would Marcel be feeding invertebrate animals to Virnt? I was confused why an herbivore human was carrying meat at all; perhaps my friend hit his head harder than I thought. Beyond the obvious moral issues, the cure would cause an allergic reaction within the Tilfish child. He couldn¡¯t eat flesh, even if his mother was okay with it. The insectoid general looked on the verge of tears. ¡°Please¡­don¡¯t feed him predator food, soldier Marcel. I¡¯m begging you.¡± ¡°What? I got a vegan brand.¡± The Terran pulled a segmented cylinder, which was the color of Zurulian blood. He started to pass it to Virnt, before realization flashed in his pupils. ¡°Shit¡­did you guys think it was an actual worm?! It¡¯s just fruit juice and sugar¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s shaped to look like an animal?¡± I grumbled. ¡°Well. Yeah.¡± Marcel hesitated, before offering the gummy worm to the Tilfish child. Virnt accepted the spongy candy, and giggled atop the human¡¯s forearm. I knew my best friend tried to be mindful of predatory qualities, but even he had a difficult time realizing which facets might offend us. I accepted humans for the flesh-eaters they were; it was just jarring when my buddy reflected that cultural schism. It¡¯s clear my human was obsessed with bringing candy for the kids. I¡¯m sure he was stressed enough making sure it was all edible. My buddy rose to his feet, and beckoned for us to continue our trek. I hopped onto his back, unable to walk of my own volition. Dino was dutiful, sniffing the ground ahead of us. Birla guarded the rear flank, ensuring that nothing snuck up from behind. The Tilfish general and the human had grown more comfortable around each other. Unfortunately, in the insectoid¡¯s case, weariness might¡¯ve played a role. I kept my eyes peeled, and tried to stay alert. The tunnels split off in various directions; Marcel was charting an arbitrary course. The predator plodded along with determination, as much to avoid Birla¡¯s defeatism as anything. It floored me how he continued to radio the UN, despite an absence of responses. No answer was an answer of itself. We reached another fork in the sewers, prompting a decision. My ears picked up on growling from our left; judging by Marcel stowing Virnt in his duffel, he heard it too. The human peeked around the wall, rather than running away as wisdom encouraged. I suppose he wanted to see if the Arxur had spotted us, and determine the possibility of us being tracked. ¡°God, Slanek. Those poor people,¡± my friend murmured. I followed his piercing stare, and spotted a gray silhouette in the distance. It was crouched over a Tilfish corpse, chowing away. Other Arxur rushed around with cages, trapping insectoids inside. The faint cries were almost inaudible over bullet pops, but they were the unmistakable registers of children. Pity etched itself onto Marcel¡¯s scarred face. ¡°I can¡¯t go on. B-billions of my people dead¡­¡± Birla collapsed against a wall, buzzing hysterically. She stuffed a leg into her mouth to muffle the noise. ¡°My home. Everyone has abandoned us, and my son and I are trapped here. Children, that humans have left to die, taken as cattle.¡± Marcel hesitated, before removing me from his back. He crouched next to the Tilfish general, and wrapped an arm around her thorax. The human was gentle, pulling her head against his chest. Birla¡¯s eyes widened in alarm, but she allowed herself to absorb his warmth. I could see the proximity to the Terran set her instincts ablaze. The red-haired primate stood abruptly. ¡°Fuck it. Let¡¯s go save the kids.¡± ¡°W-what? But you¡ª¡± Birla began. ¡°We¡¯re going. Slanek, stay here. I¡¯ll give you my sidearm.¡± I thought about arguing with him, but his resolute scowl told me his decision was final. Clasping the gun between my paws, I huddled against the wall. The shallow sounds of my breathing mixed with the background noise. After waiting for Marcel to charge off to rescue the kids, I inched closer to his new position. My injuries wouldn¡¯t prevent me from picking off a gray or two. Dino bounded into the fray, eager to get his jaws on an Arxur. Birla had life in her steps too, as she followed my human¡¯s path. If we were doomed to die on Sillis, what better way was there to go down? We could save kids from becoming a monster¡¯s plaything; we could help their parents defend them. The grays were shooting at something, so some insectoids must be fighting back. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. I scooted along the floor, and drew close enough to see who was putting up a defense. Tilfish exterminators were mounting a desperate stand, spraying flames at the Arxur. Only two of them were still living, and they had been separated from the children. As much as I hated these bastards at the extermination office, this was a good thing they were engaged in here. ¡°What the¡ª¡± One exterminator gasped, as an Arxur was shot from behind. His compound eyes focused on Marcel, who was firing on the grays. ¡°Humans? No¡­they left us.¡± The Tilfish predator-killers looked terrified, but their flamethrowers steered clear of Marcel and Birla. Virnt¡¯s mother channeled her own fury, gunning down grays at point-blank range. The Arxur backed away, shielding their caged prizes. The exterminator who had spoken before shouted to my human, and begged for the kids to be saved. I was surprised he would voice such a request. I guess the Terrans look downright nice next to the grays. Though, I wouldn¡¯t trust those Tilfish not to torch Marcel the second this is over. The human lunged forward, and ducked behind a fallen Arxur corpse. My friend utilized the gray¡¯s body to absorb incoming bullets. The peril he was undertaking perturbed me, but I was confident that this wasn¡¯t a suicide run. However, that changed as Marcel¡¯s eyes suddenly darted to his pocket. Amidst gunfire, was the vegetarian paging the radio again?! The UN weren¡¯t coming to our rescue; Tilfish children meant nothing to them. ¡°Have to help,¡± I wheezed to myself. ¡°Move!¡± It took painstaking minutes to advance, until I was almost to the conflict zone. My injuries were cause for absolute self-loathing; why did I have to be a wounded liability? Hugging the sidearm, it took conscious effort to map out the battlefield. There were eleven Arxur total, following my friends¡¯ kills so far. That was a lot for one human and three panicked Tilfish to manage. Matters took a turn for the worse, as two grays circled off down the tunnel. They were heading right for my position, and had evaded Marcel¡¯s notice. I could tell from their flaring nostrils that they¡¯d scented me. If I distracted them for a while, that improved my human¡¯s odds. My forearms raised the gun, popping off three shots. Each bullet missed by a long shot, earning sneers from the grays. One soldier licked its lips, and smacked the gun out of my paws. Absolute terror coursed through my veins, as its teeth hovered a hair from my throat. I was all too aware of my vulnerability, and my instincts were a suffocating fog. My desire was to scream, but I couldn¡¯t open my mouth. ¡°You scared, stupid animal.¡± The lead Arxur traced a claw across my throat, and pressed its other arm into my sternum. ¡°A delicacy like you¡ª¡± A blur of motion appeared in my periphery. A brown ball plowed into the filthy carnivore at full speed, stabbing claws straight into its throat. The Arxur staggered away from me, while its knees buckled under it. It gave disbelieving gargles, sensing its life ebb away in a second. The creature clinging to its neck was a Gojid, and my savior looked deranged. The Gojid dismounted, locking his claws in front of him. He met the Arxur¡¯s challenging stare, and positioned himself between me and the monster. Those rich brown quills sported a pattern I¡¯d know anywhere; it was one I¡¯d last seen trying to execute my friend. Absolute hatred spurred me to my feet, and I screamed in a blind rage. I hurled myself at Sovlin¡¯s back, with anger granting me the strength to lunge ahead. The Gojid¡¯s spines warded me off, but I barely felt the pricks. This monster treated my friend like an animal, placing a shock collar around his neck. The cruel captain inflicted agony for kicks, and disfigured him for life. The residual trauma still affected Marcel to this day, no matter how he tried to mask it. ¡°The Arxur, you dumbfuck!¡± Sovlin hissed. ¡°You can do what you want with me after I deal with it.¡± A gunshot rippled down the tunnel, a thunderclap that snapped my outrage. A bullet sailed through the back of the gray¡¯s skull, and ended its life in an instant. The kill was courtesy of a Yotul, who looked pleased with himself. I didn¡¯t understand how either alien ended up here, but I was hoping the Gojid would end up in an Arxur cage. The Yotul chuckled to himself. ¡°Too slow, old man! I dealt with it.¡± Pained grunts echoed down the hallway, distracting me. Sovlin sprinted off before I could finish him, and the repugnant Arxur had taken my gun. Logical thoughts be damned, I¡¯d execute that sadistic fucker even if he meant to help now. The level of hatred I felt for him was unrivaled; it was unfair that Earth let him off the hook for his unthinkable crimes. A limping human ambled down the hallway, and a series of curses ensued. Confusion took over, as I recognized Tyler¡¯s towering stature. The blond Terran was taking ginger steps, while his teeth were gritted in pain. I had spoken to Marcel¡¯s friend over messaging services, after the Battle of Earth. Both of us shipped out of the system days later, and I hadn¡¯t heard from him since then. Why the hell is he here? Tyler was assigned to a ship¡­did he crash? I wondered. More importantly, why the fuck is he with Sovlin?! ¡°Hey Slanek,¡± the massive human grunted. ¡°You rang?¡± I glowered at the lumbering predator. ¡°What the fuck? WHAT THE FUCK?!¡± ¡°I can explain. First off, I want you to know that I did kick his ass. Secondly, Captain Monahan personally requested me for my alien expertise, then placed Sovlin under my command. So really, it¡¯s her fault.¡± ¡°I thought you were Marcel¡¯s friend! Why would bring that fucking monster anywhere near him?¡± ¡°Because he was the best man for the job,¡± the Yotul chimed in. ¡°Sovlin¡¯s an arrogant prick, but we wouldn¡¯t have gotten to you without him.¡± ¡°Who the fuck are you?¡± ¡°Onso. Thanks for asking.¡± Tyler steadied his gun, and limped a few steps closer. I picked Marcel¡¯s sidearm up from the sewer water, not wanting to be unarmed. My human had gunned down several grays, while utilizing his unconventional cover. The corpse shield helped him to press ahead; he was unwilling to let the Arxur captors get away. Birla had formed ranks with the Tilfish exterminators. The three insectoids were combining flames and bullets, picking off one gray at a time. Two enemy survivors with the cages were retreating, and that forced my human to shed his corpse shield. Marcel needed to advance more quickly; that meant throwing caution aside. Sovlin rushed up behind him, and strained to catch the longer-limbed predator. The Gojid¡¯s cheeks were puffed out with exertion, but he wasn¡¯t slowing down. Was that monster trying to kill Marcel, this long after our escape from his ship? I didn¡¯t understand why Tyler violated our trust by bringing that spiky freak. A true friend would¡¯ve done us a solid and executed Sovlin. Could¡¯ve just slipped him some meat. Allergic reaction, and it¡¯s done; that omnivore cure might be good for something. ¡°MARCEL, GET DOWN!¡± the Gojid roared. The human slowed for a second, and that gave Sovlin enough time to tackle him from behind. I realized that the Arxur had set up a sentry turret; they intended to gun down anything that passed through this area after their sweep. The monsters activated the device, as they retreated past it. Bullets zeroed in any motion in an automated stream. Sovlin hugged Marcel¡¯s head against the shallow water, and shielded my human with his own body. Blue blood spurted from his back, as bullets clipped his spines. An entire row was ripped out, causing the Gojid to scream in agony. Despite the pain, he never wavered from his spot. As long as the duo stayed against the floor, they were below the turret¡¯s sightline. The Tilfish hit the deck as well, before they could attract the gun¡¯s ire. Tyler retrieved his grenade launcher, though he had minimal ammunition in tow. The blond human balanced on one leg, and lined up his shot with careful precision. A projectile sailed down the tunnel, converting the turret into fragmented shards. Sovlin struggled to his feet, and extended a clawed paw to Marcel. Tears glistened in my human¡¯s eyes; I could see him biting his lip. The primate threw his hand into the Gojid¡¯s grasp, avoiding his gaze. The callous captain tugged my friend upright through sheer willpower. Blood was still gushing down Sovlin¡¯s back, but he wasn¡¯t stopping for first aid. ¡°Shit! We lost the fucking kids,¡± my human growled. ¡°And you¡­I¡¯m not even going to ask.¡± The Gojid touched a paw to his bloodied back. ¡°I know you don¡¯t want to see me.¡± ¡°No shit! Tyler didn¡¯t mention a thing about you, because he knew I¡¯d be pissed. Fuck! Do you have a ship?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Hey, exterminators? I¡¯m sorry that the grays took so many of the kids. You and the civilian survivors want to come with us, off this rock?¡± The flamethrower-wielding Tilfish shifted. ¡°Yes, predator. Your occupation was better than theirs.¡± ¡°Okay. Get these people and my friends to safety, Sovlin. You do that, and I¡¯ll tolerate you for that long.¡± Onso propped me up, as the rest of the procession made their way toward us. I still wanted a piece of Sovlin, but I couldn¡¯t get over the fact that he¡¯d saved Marcel¡¯s life. I decided I wouldn¡¯t go after the Gojid until we were clear of Sillis. Between the vegetarian¡¯s head injury and my blood loss, neither of us should be flying. The most important thing to me was my human¡¯s survival; a universe without him was a dark place. If Sovlin was our ticket out, then so be it. Chapter 99 Memory transcription subject: Glim, Venlil Rescue Date [standardized human time]: December 6, 2136 Noah opted to give me some space once we returned to the facility. Despite my consent to speak to him, the Gaian realized I was confused about my feelings. The warmth of his arms lingered in my mind, along with the welcome promise that everything would be okay. Predators weren¡¯t supposed to have compassion; my extermination mentor taught me that their existence was a threat. A human knocked on my door, and peeked a helmeted head inside. I could tell from the broad shoulders and rich hands that it was Noah, checking on me. My instincts rekindled as he approached, but it was mixed with bizarre relief. Why was I happy that a deceitful hunter had come to visit? ¡°Hi Glim.¡± The Gaian spoke in a gravelly voice, and seated himself on the edge of my bed. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± I swallowed the lump in my throat. ¡°S-sad. L-lonely.¡± ¡°Aw, you missed me, huh? It¡¯s been a hectic few days for Tarva and I, but I¡¯m happy to see you too.¡± ¡°Hectic¡­how?¡± ¡°We conducted a military raid against an Arxur sector. Word is, human forces liberated millions of farm captives.¡± ¡°You are bringing them to Earth?¡± ¡°No. The Mazics owe us, well, the continued existence of their homeworld. They¡¯re handling a lot of the logistics.¡± As sensational as the story was, the Kolshians had spearheaded an attack on Khoa a short time ago. The Terrans repelled the offensive, and supposedly talked the Federation down from orbital bombings. Humans could be rather persuasive, but I found it difficult to imagine them opening a chat mid-battle. Regardless, President Cupo fawned over the United Nation in the aftermath. I read that the Mazics commissioned a statue of a ¡°Captain Janice Monahan¡± in the capital. The humans protested this act, likely to maintain humble appearances. I flicked my ears. ¡°Is it true that you¡¯re building colonies in their territory?¡± ¡°Zhao has a plan to have functional settlements up and running by the end of the calendar year,¡± Noah growled. ¡°The infrastructure on abandoned Mazic worlds is a good start¡­even if it¡¯s not built for us.¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised Cupo didn¡¯t offer to help you build from scratch.¡± ¡°Ah, he did. Get a load of this: those ¡®helpers¡¯ showed up at a potential colony with antimatter bombs. They wanted to destroy the native ecosystem! Obviously, the humans they rendezvoused with got a bit riled up.¡± ¡°Why? Those Mazics were doing the bulk of the work¡­making it safe for habitation.¡± ¡°Please, tell me that¡¯s not the colony work you did. Glim, you¡¯re too good for that.¡± ¡°C-come again? I w-was a good exterminator.¡± ¡°Never mind. Before I ask what I came here to ask, how much do you know about our political situation?¡± The Gaians had solidified an unlikely coalition, and put the infamous events of a predator refugee stampede (with explosions) to bed. The hyper-capitalist Fissans and Nevoks buried their rivalry enough to resupply the human fleet. The Takkans were major contributors to Earth¡¯s manufacturing power as well. Their ambassador had been taken prisoner on Aafa over a sabotage incident, and that rubbed their brass the wrong way. There were some parties in the human alliance, like the functionally-extinct Thafki and the distant Paltans and Sivkits, whose support was intangible. However, newcomers contributed enough to account for them. Neutrals like the Sulean-Iftali alliance rallied support, and flipped several non-aggressors to the Terran team. The occupied Harchen and Tilfish had their armadas co-opted, as part of their surrender agreements. ¡°I get the gist of it. You have a small core of allies,¡± I answered. ¡°You would be better off, numbers-wise, if you could flip a few more neutrals to your side.¡± Noah breathed a tentative sigh. ¡°You¡¯re right on the money. We¡¯ve identified a handful of non-hostile marks, mainly those who voted for a temporary truce against the Arxur. There were 107, but our¡­interactions with the grays turned many against us.¡± ¡°The fact that you work with those demons is disgusting.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t disagree. Our attack on the Arxur sector might be the diplomatic fuel we need with the Feds. We convince them that we¡¯re gearing up for an eventual war with the Dominion¡ª¡± ¡°And you think you can get more ships.¡± ¡°Yes. A few individuals from species we¡¯re targeting as allies were liberated from this sector¡¯s cattle farm; we want to return them as a sign of goodwill. We¡¯d like the rescues to be friendly to humans, and convince their governments we¡¯re different from the grays.¡± Perhaps this was all some long con by the Gaians to strengthen their military. Noah just outright stated his motives with the Arxur attack; it could be collusion between the two predators, giving off the appearance of enmity. Were the humans just using the liberated cattle to gain a diplomatic edge? Would they reveal their true feelings toward us once they¡¯d smooth-talked the neutrals? White-hot anger scorched my chest. ¡°Ridiculous. You have no idea what the Arxur did to people like us. How are you going to convince them to trust another predator, let alone like you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. This is a long-winded way of asking you, but we want your help,¡± the Gaian said. My paws adhered to the smooth helmet, and I pulled it up off his face. Sincerity swirled in his piercing eyes, which bored into my skull. Part of me hated him, for reminding me of the grays¡¯ pupils searching for their next meal. How many other cattle would have helpless thoughts jogged by this face? Hell, the humans¡¯ features were more unsettling than the Arxur¡¯s purely-predator countenance. Maybe Noah really wants this to work, but he doesn¡¯t understand our trauma. After years of captivity, most cattle want nothing to do with them. ¡°D-do¡­you know why t-they kept me alive?¡± I managed. The Gaian¡¯s wrinkled lips curved down. ¡°I can imagine. I...I am so profoundly sorry. We found multiple DNA matches to you, from cattle raised in captivity. If you want to see them¡ª¡± ¡°Those are not my kids! I didn¡¯t choose to conceive them, and I don¡¯t want to look at those abominations. And don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s not their fault, because I don¡¯t fucking care.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯m sorry I brought it up. I just thought you deserved to know.¡± ¡°Stop trying to be nice! Just because you Gaians show us a little kindness, that doesn¡¯t make any of your flaws go away. You¡¯re selfish to want those cattle to be your friends. You¡¯re selfish to want me to be your friend.¡± Ambassador Noah was silent for a long moment, at a loss for how to respond. The human pulled his helmet out of my paws, and tugged it over his head. What an impeccable actor he was, if he was playing us all. The emotionless veil obscured his feelings, but I could sense his pained expression. The bulky predator rose from my bed, before marching toward the door with hasty steps. A twinge of guilt tugged at my heart. ¡°I¡¯m s-sorry, Noah. I didn¡¯t mean it like that.¡± ¡°No problem,¡± the Gaian rumbled. ¡°I asked if you wanted me to steer clear of you, and you said no. I misunderstood.¡± The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°You didn¡¯t. What I meant to say was that we¡¯re damaged goods¡­myself included. It¡¯s difficult for me to be around you even now. We can¡¯t just forget what happened. And I can¡¯t make any cattle sing a predator¡¯s praises.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. The UN has no right to use you as a political pawn. What I asked was unfair, Glim.¡± ¡°It was, but I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯ll try, and we¡¯ll see what happens.¡± ¡°Oh, thank God. I should turn you down, but the Haysi situation¡¯s got Sara in a rut. Maybe we could start with that small issue? Haysi won¡¯t even eat¡­we had to hook her up to an IV.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you start with that? Take me there.¡± The predator flexed his meaty fingers, in a way that seemed to beckon me forward. The back of his helmet spit my reflection at me, which I tried not to focus on. There were dozens of Gaians working with Venlil staff, often conferring in hushed tones. The humans kept their masks on near patients, but I could see them in their full brain-melting visages in break rooms. My surroundings looked vaguely familiar, as we passed across the linoleum floor. Noah tested the door handle, and gestured for me to enter. A masked Gaian was seated just inside the doorway, huddled against the wall with a laptop. Complex equations were on her screen, and she was typing away with a vengeance. A tissue box sat right beside the primate. That left the logical deduction that this was Sara, the other caretaker. I¡¯d seen the female human at the train station, with her puffy hair and softer features. Both twin beds sat empty; one had belonged to me before my escapade. Haysi, my fellow refugee who¡¯d once run the Venlil Museum of History, was nowhere to be seen. It took me a moment to hear her scratchy breathing, hiding under the bed. ¡°Sara, give Glim the rundown,¡± Noah barked. The female human snorted. ¡°Not much to it. Haysi saw us turn our heads to look at her, then locked herself in a closet. I felt pretty terrible for adding to her trauma.¡± I eyed the Gaian warily. ¡°You n-never meant for us to find out the truth. If it makes you feel better, you can¡¯t have made it worse than Noah chasing me through the train station¡­shouting about his teeth.¡± ¡°Canine teeth,¡± the male predator corrected. ¡°It worked, didn¡¯t it?¡± Sara chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t fret, I won¡¯t be replicating that with Haysi. I¡¯d leave her alone, if that¡¯s what she wanted. But I can¡¯t watch her waste away like this.¡± ¡°Right. What else have you done to her?¡± I crouched next to the Gaian scientist, and ensured there was no Venlil blood residue on her suit. If she¡¯d had a lapse and attacked, she wouldn¡¯t admit it. ¡°Haysi was lucid when I left. Something made her snap; don¡¯t start lying again.¡± ¡°You have a dickish attitude, Glim, but I¡¯d take that over how broken Haysi is. I got her to join a video chat, and she was speaking her thoughts then. She had me take off my mask¡­hasn¡¯t said a word since. Something must¡¯ve made it worse.¡± Recalling my own disgust to the sandwich-munching Gaians, I could understand why Haysi was appalled. Perhaps it was those unpigmented eyes, or the furless cheeks infused with the tinge of their own blood. It could¡¯ve simply been that looking at a predator brought back Haysi¡¯s worst memories. That was a plight I could sympathize with, and was also why it was inane that Sara had planted herself in this room. ¡°So you know she¡¯s upset, and you¡¯re staying around her constantly?!¡± I scowled at the predator, praying she wouldn¡¯t strike me down for my bravado. ¡°W-why are you in here?¡± Sara closed her laptop. ¡°I did give Haysi space for days, but she was not eating or speaking. I thought maybe exposure therapy, just seeing that I wouldn¡¯t go berserk, might snap her out of it. Kinda like the exchange program¡­¡± ¡°Those Venlil talked to Gaians for weeks before. They wanted to be there!¡± ¡°Yes, I know that, but the principle¡ª¡± ¡°Get out! Get the fuck out of here!¡± My stomach did somersaults, as it dawned on me how aggressive I¡¯d been with the predator. What was I thinking, screaming orders in her face? This was provoking retaliation; I was certain the thought was playing at Sara¡¯s mind. The human¡¯s breathing hitched, and she slowly rose to her feet. The laptop was tucked beneath her arm. While Sara was shorter than Noah, she still loomed over me. The male human was lurking behind me, capable of piling on to his packmate¡¯s assault. I remembered the ease with which he shrugged off my blows at the train station. The Terrans could sling me around like a ragdoll, and unleash decades of combat mastery on me. For all I knew, mouthing off in their custody was a death sentence. The Gaians are going to put me back into my place. Prey don¡¯t get to boss around superior creatures. Sara strode past me, helmet angled toward the doorway. I shied away from her, protecting my vulnerable areas. Noah glanced at me, before wrapping an arm around his packmate¡¯s shoulder. The female scientist ducked her head, and the predators vanished from sight. I gaped in bewilderment, amazed that Sara just¡­left, exactly as I told her to. My paws strode over to Haysi. I found the Venlil historian with her face pressed against the tile, and staring with unblinking detachment. It reminded me of Aunt Thima¡¯s glassy gaze at the facility, devoid of thought. I knelt beside the bed, and reached out to intertwine my tail with hers. Haysi screamed, as she felt physical contact. ¡°NO!! STOP!¡± ¡°Easy! It¡¯s me, Glim.¡± I yanked my tail back, and lowered my head to the floor. ¡°Remember me? The one that got away?¡± ¡°I t-thought they k-killed you. Escape w-was¡­¡± ¡°A death sentence with t-the Arxur. Listen to me, the Venlil out there are happy. These Gaians allow a decency quality of life, and they passed an empathy test.¡± ¡°C-cheated.¡± ¡°Why do you say that? If you know something I don¡¯t, we need to make a plan. We need to play the game, Haysi. What did the Gaians do?¡± ¡°I k-know what they are¡­the second I saw Sara¡¯s face. H-human. Terrible.¡± ¡°Yes, their most common name is human. They told me too.¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t tell me. I s-studied them¡­at the museum.¡± Curiosity piqued my interest, and I wondered what exactly Haysi knew about our caretakers. The Federation had accrued evidence to support our extermination plans; humanity¡¯s war-stained history wasn¡¯t one they tried to hide. What could they do more atrocious than being a predator and killing each other? What had this Venlil seen that was so horrible that it stuck with her post-captivity? ¡°Just breathe. You can tell me everything.¡± I coaxed her out from under the bed, and squeezed her tail for comfort. ¡°What did you see at the museum?¡± ¡°W-well. I wanted to create an exhibit on humans that was about more than just their wars,¡± Haysi explained. ¡°T-the Federation¡­the Farsul Archives were happy to send over unfiltered broadcasts. Those m-monsters act like us one minute, but they are vicious beyond comprehension.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. They¡¯re not here now. Go on.¡± ¡°W-where do I start, describing pure evil? That was what my exhibit on humans was called: Pure Evil.¡± ¡°I would think that title is reserved for the Arxur.¡± ¡°T-the g-grays don¡¯t pretend at least. Humans would talk about marriage and love, but I saw documentation of them physically beating the people they said they loved. They would talk about community, then talk about murderers on the loose for unfathomable crimes. They would say they loved nature, then mount animal heads on their walls.¡± My eyes widened in horror. ¡°What?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the least of it, Glim. They treated their own kind like cattle throughout history; selling them, locking them up in pens, and forcing them to toil. Whether they eat us or not, they¡¯re prepping the infrastructure now. They already know how to run sapient slaves just like the grays.¡± ¡°But¡­Noah isn¡¯t like that. The empathy tests¡­¡± ¡°The empathy tests make it worse! They feel everything they say they do, then disregard that trait entirely. It makes them better manipulators, and that¡¯s why they evolved it. Do you seriously trust this Noah?¡± I leaned back on my haunches, thinking for a long moment. Haysi seemed lucid enough to me; she must¡¯ve been dissociating around Sara. If she¡¯d witnessed humanity performing such depraved acts, that explained why the mask reveal sent her spiraling. The Venlil historian was willing to consider that a predator might be okay, but not this particular species. Wasn¡¯t that telling? Noah admitted that he wanted to use the cattle to gain military assets. How do you know he wasn¡¯t pretending to care about you? ¡°The fact that you didn¡¯t answer immediately means the answer is no,¡± Haysi asserted. I twitched my ear. ¡°It m-means I¡¯m not sure. Are you sure t-that they uniformly deserve death?¡± ¡°As an exterminator, you should have that answer. I¡¯m certain that their presence is a bad thing, and they can¡¯t behave like a civilized race for long.¡± There was at least a grain of truth in her claims, proven by the ongoing war with the Federation. Humans needed to suppress empathy to work with child-eating Arxur at all. It was difficult to trust a species that displayed all the right cues, then turned to predatory wickedness without warning. Nonetheless, Noah had been the only steady presence on my homeworld; he comforted me when everything I loved was gone. Maybe the Gaian was exploiting the fact that I had nothing left on Venlil Prime. That shrewd intelligence must¡¯ve realized that my caretaker was the only sense of stability I had. I cleared my throat. ¡°I understand. You need to take better care of yourself, Haysi. You¡¯re making them pay more attention to you with all this.¡± ¡°Why? What¡¯s the point of anything, with humans infesting our home?¡± she hissed. ¡°If you¡¯re right about their intentions, and t-they decide us cattle are too much trouble¡­they¡¯ll just skip to the worst phase. We could eke out a few months of happiness, for millions of Venlil who¡¯ve also suffered like us.¡± ¡°That happiness is a lie. This only ends with our t-torment.¡± ¡°It¡¯s kinder than the grays, either way. Please, play along with this ¡®rehabilitation.¡¯ If not for yourself, do it for the others.¡± The female Venlil thought for several minutes, before mumbling a reluctant agreement. I eased her onto the bed, and strode out to find Noah in a daze. Ascertaining humanity¡¯s true intentions was my top priority; everything Haysi discussed must be researched. What bothered me most was that amidst atrocities, the Gaians proclaimed their emotional sensitivity. There could be no explanation for that behavior. It would require calculation to determine whether to broach the subject with the Terran ambassador. Noah stated he was used to answering dark questions, but some subjects might cross the line. If the Gaians thought I knew too much of their history, that offer to help with cattle accommodations could vanish. The relative freedom I enjoyed now could be whisked away with it. The suicidal side of my brain wanted to spill everything to the dark-skinned human all the same. I desired for him to hold me in his strong arms, and tell me that everything was going to be okay. It was no wonder the predators had enraptured Venlil Prime with their charm. Even a captive exterminator like myself couldn¡¯t help but to fall for it. Chapter 100 Memory transcription subject: Chief Hunter Isif, Arxur Dominion Sector Fleet Date [standardized human time]: December 6, 2136 The Prophet-Descendant had grown irritated, as Shaza¡¯s spectacle dragged on at Sillis. The female Chief Hunter had failed to mop up the human remnants; she had sacrificed her entire sector, and not even taken the planet she lost her assets to capture. So when Giznel summoned me to a physical location, I figured it was for my input on that debacle. What else could be too sensitive to discuss on comms? Before I returned to my duties, I parsed through Jones¡¯ tooth drive. The human general had included instructions on how to search for bugs. I turned my shuttle upside-down before retrieving my secret holopad. My defective side compelled me to answer Felra, who had been persistent in checking in on me. We ended up chatting for hours. The Dossur discussed her favorite celebrities, her days training to be a ship inspector, and how the war affected her, among other topics. Felra was unfazed by my non-answers; if anything, it seemed to encourage her nosiness. The prospect of discussing my life made me feel fraudulent and exposed. How could I ever explain anything genuine about myself? By the way, I¡¯m the Arxur Chief Hunter responsible for the deaths of millions. Don¡¯t mind that. The Dossur sent a request for a video chat, and that paralyzed me in my seat. Just when I¡¯d begun to ease my guard, there was the reminder that friendship was impossible. I told her that I was on the way to meet my boss, which I suppose was true. Felra (damn her) pleaded that a few minutes would make her day. Why wasn¡¯t I able to refuse that request? It took me a few seconds to set my video to off, and apply a voice modulator filter to my audio. This was all going to come to an end, when she asked why I¡¯d switched off my camera and disguised my voice. There was no prey-like explanation to that effect. ¡°Siffy! Oh¡­¡± A young Dossur with ginger-and-white fur blinked onto my screen. ¡°Where¡¯s your video? You can¡¯t be that ugly, man; I showed my face.¡± I drew a shuddering breath. ¡°Felra¡­I don¡¯t know how to say this.¡± ¡°Robotic voice. Okay, not gonna lie, this is creepy. Are you actively hiding everything about yourself, or trying to be weird?¡± ¡°It¡¯s better if the camera is off, and if you don¡¯t hear my real voice. I¡¯m a predator.¡± Felra was silent for a long moment, mulling over my confession. I could see the gears spinning in her beady eyes, before her nostrils twitched with surprise. The Dossur proceeded to express relief, followed by a bout of laughter. She gave me an encouraging ear flick, which wasn¡¯t the reaction I was expecting. ¡°You¡¯re a human!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°That explains everything; why you¡¯re so closed off and peculiar. Uh, no offense. I wondered what you all were like.¡± I recoiled in my pilot¡¯s seat, hissing in disbelief. That was not the interpretation I intended for her to take, but I suppose it was a good cover. Perhaps that would lend an excuse for my social ineptitude, though it was unfair to the Terrans¡¯ reputation. Humans were more than capable of chatting it up, and mimicking emotions in appropriate ways. Felra is definitely going to have the wrong impression of humans. If she talked to one of them, she¡¯d never have suspected a thing. I decided not to confirm or deny her assertion. ¡°What do you think of humans?¡± ¡°Well, I think if you¡¯d befriend a species like the Dossur, you can¡¯t be all bad. Even the Arxur recognize that we¡¯re shitty cattle,¡± she answered. ¡°Oh, and I think it was shit that the Krakotl attacked your homeworld. I can see why you have some walls up talking with an alien¡­just saying, wasn¡¯t us.¡± ¡°Wait, so you¡¯re not bothered by me being a predator? I¡¯m not anything like an average human, to be frank. My emotions deviate far from a Terran baseline.¡± ¡°You told me you deserved to be alone, and I¡¯ll assume it was because of that. I¡¯m sorry that your culture made you feel that way. If you feel safe reaching out to me, I¡¯m honored.¡± ¡°I¡­I see. And the Federation? What do you think of them?¡± ¡°I understand the whole cultural tampering, and that I should feel hatred¡­but honestly? We would¡¯ve never industrialized without their uplift. How would we build great machines from scratch? Even walking¡­we use carts to traverse alien cities.¡± I guffawed in spite of myself, picturing this creature perched on a motorized stand. Felra made a valid point about the Dossur¡¯s debt to the Federation. Had those meddlers not noticed the native wildlife bore signs of sapience, Mileau would be a different planet today. In their particular case, outside intervention was necessary to facilitate their advancement. Felra flashed her tiny front teeth. ¡°Don¡¯t laugh at me! Let me guess; humanity will look down on us for our size?¡± ¡°Ah, I cannot speak for Earth,¡± I growled awkwardly. ¡°My assessment is that many Terrans will want to pick you up or pet you. Humans think small animals are¡­cute.¡± ¡°But you don¡¯t?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t debase myself by infantilizing creatures! It¡¯s not something I¡¯ve given active thought to.¡± ¡°Testy, are we?¡± ¡°I am insulted by the premise! As if I could find an alien cute, and do that whole fawning expression and baby voice.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind. I bet you could do it well. Please, show me this baby voice? No filter?¡± ¡°GRRR! Very few herbivores try to rile up a predator!¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m a special gal, Siffy. You¡¯re sure funny when you¡¯re fired up.¡± ¡°I am tired of this conversation! I said I was only speaking for a little bit, and I don¡¯t want to hear from you for a few hours!¡± I hung up with a huff, refocusing on the landing protocols. Despite my best attempts to scare Felra off, I¡¯d only seemed to invite provocation. With such important tasks ahead, I needed to quash whatever of my defective side had arisen. Prophet-Descendant Giznel was hosting our meeting in an unmanned station, and he had just confirmed my docking request. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Focusing on neutralizing my expression, I steeled myself for Betterment¡¯s unavoidable demands. My shuttle coasted down at a leisurely pace; the time to clear my thoughts was welcome. If Giznel ever learned that I was befriending prey from my sector, he¡¯d see that my head was removed from my shoulders. There could only be my fanatic persona among my people. Imagine how much better life would be, if I were a human. I wouldn¡¯t have all this¡­baggage to my name. The shuttle slotted into the docking clamps, and I heaved a weary sigh. At least my disdain for Shaza didn¡¯t require acting. If I could persuade Giznel to withdraw from Sillis, that would take a weight off the UN¡¯s back. There was also valuable information I could attain for General Jones; it was my role to keep Earth apprised of threats. Giznel was without his normal guards, and I contemplated whether I could get away with killing him. Betterment likely knew who he was meeting with today; he¡¯d be replaced by a Descendant not as partial to me. Assassination was a surefire way to blow my cover. I disembarked, dipping my head with respect. ¡°Isif. We are alone here,¡± Giznel hissed. ¡°I have important matters to discuss, free of lesser ears.¡± I narrowed my eyes. ¡°Hallowed Prophet¡ª¡± ¡°Drop the Venlilshit. I know everything.¡± The Dominion leader¡¯s proclamation chilled my bones, and the debate of whether to strike him down renewed in my mind. Giznel said on the call that he doubted my loyalty; he didn¡¯t believe I was willing to clash with the Terrans. Perhaps General Jones had been right about me tipping my true allegiance off to Betterment. Was this the moment where I¡¯d be executed for my defectiveness? ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean, Your Savageness,¡± I growled evenly. Giznel bared his teeth. ¡°I think you do. I wondered why you coddle the humans, and I knew it was more than Shaza¡¯s report stated. You imitate them and chase after them at every turn. But now I get it; you think they¡¯re smarter than us.¡± ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± ¡°You heard me. I couldn¡¯t make sense of it, until I replayed our conversation during the prisoner execution. You talked about ¡®maximizing our resources¡¯ and obtaining entire planets as our catch.¡± ¡°I did, but I don¡¯t see¡­¡± ¡°You think the humans can solve all our problems. You think they¡¯re smarter, and they hunt in the optimal way. Those Zurulian ¡®pets¡¯ you took were given to the Terrans to earn goodwill. Tell me I¡¯m wrong, Isif.¡± ¡°No, I suppose you¡¯re not. Perhaps this is treasonous, but we could do better. The humans can feed us, and I could make it happen.¡± ¡°There¡¯s the truth. Then, we can conquer the Federation and go on our merry way, yes?¡± ¡°Stronger. Capable.¡± Fear surged in my veins, but I met Giznel¡¯s stare with feigned impassivity. The Prophet-Descendant was off on the extent of my motives, though he¡¯d discerned some of the truth. Questioning Betterment was the highest form of treason; I had just admitted that I didn¡¯t think the Arxur way was the superior one. My champions were empathetic, leaf-licking predators. Why hadn¡¯t he signed me up for execution? ¡°You¡¯re right that humans could alleviate our food shortages. But you¡¯re wrong about it making the Dominion stronger,¡± Giznel said. What? That wasn¡¯t what he was supposed to say. The Prophet-Descendant heaved a sigh. ¡°If we get fat and lazy, Isif, we will be susceptible to future attacks. You don¡¯t appreciate what you don¡¯t have to struggle for.¡± ¡°With respect¡­the humans are a strong culture, and they¡¯re well-fed. A warrior culture.¡± ¡°The humans have weak individuals, because they have a cushion to provide for them. What happens to Betterment when the food problem is resolved? How do we keep the masses on the right path?¡± ¡°Cruel One, are you saying that you want our people to starve?¡± ¡°Precisely. It keeps them dependent on us, and hating the Federation. The prey aren¡¯t fully to blame for our woes, but the masses don¡¯t need to know that.¡± ¡°You mean because we don¡¯t try to solve the food problem.¡± ¡°No. Isif, the Prophets and our inner circle have kept this secret close to the vest. Never mention what I¡¯m about to tell you to anyone, yes?¡± It was difficult to process this rhetoric, but I tilted my head to show I was listening. The Federation had admitted their culpability, when Nikonus discussed the meat-allergy serum. Was Giznel implying that Betterment was complicit in the cure¡¯s spread? That was not a logical conclusion, since the volunteers weren¡¯t weeded through as a culling of the weak. ¡°My silence can be counted on, Your Savageness. I am honored,¡± I managed. Giznel lashed his tail against the floor. ¡°Very well. The Federation was fully responsible for the cure, which caused many Arxur to starve. The Northwest Bloc, under the Prophet¡¯s guidance, seized the moment to weaken the Morvim Charter.¡± ¡°I¡­how so?¡± ¡°The cattle virus was unleashed on the Charter¡¯s livestock by us. The ¡®cure¡¯ was the perfect cover; we could blame it on the aliens, and not break the truce. But it spread across our borders, somehow. We lost our food to our own bioweapon.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t all the Kolshians. So billions of Arxur starved, because of rivalries from the world war?¡± ¡°Yes, and it was a blessing in disguise. It helped Betterment solidify control. It made the entirety of Wriss see things our way!¡± My maw hung agape, as I fitted this new information into my past knowledge. That explained why Chief Nikonus had denied the cattle allegations during Cilany¡¯s interview; the Kolshians had no part in slaughtering livestock with pathogens. The herbivores deserved our hatred, but the worst blow to Arxur civilization was self-inflicted. That entirely altered my perspective of why we were starving. It could have just been a few hundred thousand volunteers killed by the cure. Instead¡­my entire race has been reduced to animals. I was livid at the Betterment office for perpetrating such falsehoods. There were so many factions that could use this information; General Jones needed this on her desk promptly. The Arxur rebels, who were searching for fuel to resist Betterment, could gain support too. Even non-defective citizens would seek consequences against those responsible for starvation. This revelation could destabilize the Dominion¡¯s grasp on society, just as Cilany had crippled the Federation. Unfortunately, Giznel wasn¡¯t stupid enough to blab about this to a reporter. I was his lone confidant, and I had no proof that such claims weren¡¯t Terran propaganda. Betterment could dismiss me as a human sympathizer, if I spoke out to my peers. ¡°So you see, we need to maintain the balance of power, Isif. If there was a surplus of food, that would spell the end for us,¡± Giznel concluded. ¡°I need you to limit your trade and¡­infatuation with the humans.¡± I forced a neutral expression. ¡°Of course. I would not wish to weaken Betterment. You needed only to say as much.¡± ¡°Good. As for ending the war¡­the Federation doesn¡¯t want the war to end any more than we do. The Kolshians and the Farsul couldn¡¯t maintain control over such a large herd without an enemy.¡± ¡°They hate us! They wish we didn¡¯t exist.¡± ¡°Oh, of course they do. But there¡¯s a reason they teach other prey to run away and never attack. If we pressed the Federation core worlds, I have a hunch they could muster up their numbers all of a sudden.¡± Giznel¡¯s theory made gruesome sense, the longer I contemplated it. It explained why the Kolshians mounted a bold-faced offensive on Terran allies, but never went after Dominion worlds and outposts. The United Nations wasn¡¯t content to raid a few planets and call it a day; nor did they plot a forever war for control. The humans sought peace and reconciliation, and that made them an immediate threat. Zhao wants to destroy the Federation. Add in exposing the truth about omnivores¡­humans set that in motion. ¡°That theory holds water.¡± I blinked my eyes, and my thoughts drifted to Felra. The Dossur were at risk of attack just for siding with the humans. ¡°Our cruelty helps the ringleaders keep the other prey afraid.¡± Giznel chuckled to himself. ¡°I knew you would get it, Isif. You¡¯re more cunning than Shaza, so I¡¯m asking you for a favor. Do you still think you can handle humans?¡± ¡°Of course I do. I¡¯m not the Chief Hunter that lost my sector to them.¡± ¡°Then handle this fucking mess. I want the battle of Sillis ended at once, with as many assets recovered as possible. If you think you can talk the monkeys into a truce, do it.¡± ¡°Easy enough. It¡¯s not my sector though. What do I do about Shaza¡¯s forces?¡± ¡°Those are your forces now. I¡¯m putting her sector under your control, effective immediately. While you¡¯re getting a handle on the situation¡­dispose of Shaza.¡± ¡°It will be handled, Cruel One. I will summon my fleet and leave for Sillis at once.¡± The Prophet-Descendant watched with calculating eyes, as I clambered back into my shuttle. The advice that endangered my cover had earned me greater power today. In retrospect, negotiating with the humans was the less humiliating option. There was a lot to unpack from the Dominion¡¯s secrets, but my first order of business was eliminating Shaza. Getting the United Nations to cease hostilities would be the most difficult part. However, a continuing battle was not beneficial to Earth¡¯s cause. Humans were a spiteful bunch, but I¡¯d try my best to find a diplomatic resolution. Chapter 101 Memory transcription subject: Chief Hunter Isif, Arxur Dominion Sector Fleet Date [standardized human time]: December 7, 2136 Prophet-Descendant Giznel, it turned out, had taken the liberty of mobilizing my fleet to a nearby location. With a strike force already assembled, it was a short voyage to Sillis¡¯ system. FTL disruptors were active solely within the bounds of the planet¡¯s gravity well; the Terrans didn¡¯t expect us to bring reinforcements. It was known to the United Nations that our warlords acted independently to each other. I suppose they knew it was an exercise in futility, even if FTL-disruptors had smacked us out of transit. The battle would be lost for the humans as soon as new ships arrived, since the Arxur¡¯s solitary nature didn¡¯t prevent us from joining in. To be candid, I couldn¡¯t comprehend how Earth¡¯s measly showing had resisted Shaza¡¯s bruisers this long. The Terrans had a lot of mettle in them. The Arxur Dominion will respect their tenacity and gumption, if a bit grudgingly. I question whether the humans will fight to the last man though. As my fleet entered real space, we ensured that our forces were positioned out of firing range. I didn¡¯t want to get dragged into the fight before I could open a channel. The Terrans were shooting Arxur vessels on sight, and they would assume we were bailing out Shaza. I had to assure them my intentions ran against this sector¡¯s Chief Hunter. The UN vessels swiveled to face us, rather than panicking like prey crews. During our arrival, they hadn¡¯t been engaged with Shaza¡¯s forces; the humans were content keeping the enemy at bay. The stubborn primates must realize they were backed into a corner now, which would force them to the negotiating table. ¡°Attention, all Arxur vessels in the system,¡± I growled into my comms, ensuring that my channel was unencrypted. ¡°This is Chief Hunter Isif; by order of Betterment, I am assuming control of your fleet. You are to immediately stand down and await further instruction. I say again: cease all hostile actions.¡± The Dominion vessels marauding Sillis halted the meticulous bombing, and I was surprised by their lack of hesitation. Shouldn¡¯t there have been a power struggle, as Shaza issued a counter-order? Gauging by her personality, that Chief Hunter would never respect my decree to stand down. I studied the viewport in shock, before extending a hail to the human fleet. A female Terran, with reddish hair that halted just shy of her shoulders, accepted my call. Hostility was written on her countenance, though sleep deprivation was visible in her puffy eyes. The UN officer bared her teeth all the same, and stared down the camera. I was unimpressed by humans attempting intimidation on me. ¡°I recognize you. The famed Captain Monahan¡­savior of Khoa,¡± I said in a sugary voice. ¡°After that success, I¡¯m not surprised you¡¯re first in line for combat negotiations.¡± Monahan¡¯s scowl deepened. ¡°What is it you¡¯re seeking?¡± ¡°A ceasefire. I wish to negotiate an immediate end to hostilities, and regain control of our assets. Is that an amenable proposition to the United Nations?¡± ¡°There will be no end of hostilities; not while you¡¯re taking humans as cattle. We¡¯d rather take a lot of you with us, than let you make off with our men and women.¡± ¡°What?! We don¡¯t take you as cattle. Are there prisoners or¡­ahem. Excuse me one moment.¡± The human captain¡¯s eyes fluttered with surprise, and she inspected my mannerisms for several seconds. As I scrambled through a log of internal communications, a video message was forwarded from the UNS Rocinante. Monahan had relayed the information for me; I hastily listened to Shaza¡¯s transmission. Shock must¡¯ve been visible on my agape maw, but I couldn¡¯t force it shut. Had that maniacal Chief Hunter actually threatened to corral humans like Venlil? No wonder the United Nations was digging in their heels with such spite. That also explained why this sector¡¯s Dominion forces complied with my takeover; Shaza alienated her own troops by trying to eat fellow predators. After the Terrans fended off such an overzealous attack, there was no way of classing them as prey. The average soldier knew this action wouldn¡¯t be condoned by Betterment. It flies against our entire ideology of superiority. It¡¯s next to cannibalistic! I drew a shuddering breath. ¡°The captives¡¯ release will be facilitated by me, personally. On behalf of the Arxur Dominion, I can assure you we do not support this act in any way. I apologize for Shaza subjecting humans to degrading conditions, which are becoming only of prey.¡± ¡°Only becoming of prey?¡± My qualifier served to make Monahan recoil in disgust. ¡°So if there¡¯s an herbivore who served with us, captured, you won¡¯t release them? That¡¯s not good enough.¡± ¡°I should think the release of all humans is a good start.¡± ¡°Everyone under the UN emblem is equal to us. I am not trading lives with you.¡± ¡°Some is more than none, yes?¡± I knew leaving their newfound allies, such as the Venlil, to die was a non-starter from the United Nations. However, Giznel would have my hide if he discovered I¡¯d released the prey with no pushback. It also would suit my motives to gain food in return, given the sector¡¯s depleted cattle farms. Betterment might be happy with starvation, but I wished to resolve that issue for any troops under my control. A full belly was one way to buy loyalty for a future rebellion. General Jones would understand why I drove a hard bargain with the UN, and why I had to accumulate as many assets as possible. However, it was unclear if the average Terran officer was amenable to hardball. The female human on screen had tensed up again; she was digging her fingernails into her seat. Captain Monahan pursed her lips. ¡°We have nothing to talk about, since you won¡¯t budge from that stance.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t like my offer, you could make a counter,¡± I said. ¡°I am just supposed to guess at what you want? Make it worth my while, and I¡¯ll consider returning your¡­prey creatures.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you want! I presume to bomb Sillis unimpeded?¡± ¡°The Tilfish attacked your cradle world. You asked us to retaliate against your aggressors. There¡¯s no, tssk, takebacks as you say. I find your attempts to distance yourselves from this fiasco immature.¡± ¡°The United Nations will never condone genocide! We¡¯re not on their level. That was a regrettable gamble, in which we had no choice.¡± ¡°You were quite happy to accept my ships, human, when I saved your Earth. Don¡¯t let your short memories fail you now. There would be no fleet to fight Shaza and her Sivkit-brained ensemble without me.¡± The Terran captain¡¯s glower faltered. ¡°¡­that was you?¡± ¡°Yes. I rescued your species from functional extinction. I had you at my mercy, and I let you be. I think you will find that my policies align with your interests. So I¡¯ll state my demands forthright, but you are going to listen.¡± The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°For Earth, I will humor you. Our devastating losses could¡¯ve been worse. Much worse.¡± The medals pinned to Monahan¡¯s uniform had tipped me off to her participation in humanity¡¯s last stand. It was a relief that the reminder of my aid went over better than it had with Secretary-General Zhao. Perhaps some lab-grown meat and a territorial concession would be palatable to the Terran higher-ups. All Giznel demanded was ending the battle and getting the sector back under our control. As long as I achieve his stated ends, I¡¯ll appear more competent than Shaza. Not that that¡¯s saying much. I narrowed my eyes to slits. ¡°You¡¯ve taken much from us. The return of this sector, alongside a non-aggression pact with Arxur outposts under my domain, is non-negotiable.¡± ¡°We know what you¡¯ll do to those sapients you had. Returning them to your custody is unethical, and would be a ghastly reflection on the UN.¡± ¡°Forget the cattle. I expect compensation. I want some of the farm animals in your possession on Earth¡­the ones you certainly don¡¯t have just for specialty meats.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°Learn quickly. Otherwise, I might accidentally leak a dossier on ¡®factory farming¡¯ and ¡®safari hunting¡¯ to Zurulian communication satellites. I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t want that.¡± The color drained from Monahan¡¯s cheeks. ¡°That is quite unnecessary.¡± ¡°It will be, when you comply with my reasonable requests. All Terran ships will stand down at once. In return, I will retrieve any UN captives, including non-humans, for you. We will leave Sillis, but I expect future negotiations on that concession.¡± ¡°So we¡¯re just supposed to stand down, and trust that you¡¯ll hand over our side of the deal later?¡± ¡°Precisely, because I keep my word. There is precedent: I returned the Venlil cattle per a similar arrangement. If I say I¡¯ll return your people, consider it done.¡± ¡°What about the Tilfish civilians? They were under our protection.¡± ¡°¡­you people make no sense. Fine, you can have your human-killing bugs. But there better be more heads of cattle that we get back than we gave away.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take that into consideration, Isif. Is that all?¡± ¡°For now. Go call the higher-ups with those FTL comms you definitely don¡¯t have access to. I¡¯ll be waiting.¡± I terminated the call, satisfied at the threats I¡¯d chosen to lobby at Captain Monahan. Sharing their predatory traits with their allies wasn¡¯t something the UN did in laborious detail. However, humans being kept as cattle was unacceptable to me, even if a deal wasn¡¯t solidified. Gesturing to an underling, I summoned a shuttle bound for Shaza¡¯s fleet. A security detail accompanied my transport, equipped to handle any resistance. It took a few seconds to fire off an encrypted transmission, requesting the locations of Shaza and her human captives. Dominion vessels did not fire upon my transport; acknowledgments flooded in, kowtowing to my status. Arrogant as ever, the female Chief Hunter had Terran prisoners routed to her personal command ship. That placed both of my objectives in the same location. Genuine anticipation of the kill thrummed in my chest. It would be delightful not to feign pleasure during an execution; eliminating Shaza was a step forward for my species. What kind of Arxur got bested by feisty predators, and reacted with vulgar threats? Betterment would never support her actions, which were unbecoming even of their office. My pupils scanned the command ship, which was a bulky giant with gratuitous armor. Ornaments resembling prey heads decorated the hull, and multiple decks allowed for a hearty amount of cattle onboard. My shuttle was dwarfed by the colossal ship; its size was impractical in combat action. The rogue Chief Hunter cared too much for projecting strength, enough to sacrifice all mobility. As I closed in on Shaza¡¯s command post, the human fleet reopened a hail. My patience had been dwindling with their government; this wasn¡¯t the time for deliberation. It shouldn¡¯t be difficult for Captain Monahan to relay a straight answer. The social predators shouldn¡¯t be chattering amongst themselves during a crisis. General Jones claimed humans don¡¯t want war with the entire Dominion. The UN has to work with me for that reason. Monahan breathed a flustered sigh. ¡°I¡¯ll get to the point. Secretary-General Zhao signed off on the deal, if you throw in one sweetener. Transfer Shaza to our custody.¡± ¡°Oh, that is your kicker? I could not care what happens to her,¡± I chuckled. ¡°We are much like independent warlords on your world. I was going to execute her, but I suppose that also fits my orders to ¡®dispose of her.¡¯¡± ¡°Excellent. While I have your attention, Zhao asked me to tell you something else. He says he is¡­sorry for his conduct. Whatever that means.¡± ¡°Well, I think your species cherishes empty words more than mine does. I¡¯ll arrange the transfer, human. Don¡¯t do anything stupid.¡± I cut the transmission once more, and reminded myself that it was irrational to hold a grudge. Still, I had zero interest in reassessing Zhao¡¯s affronts on a call. General Jones had misled him, but that didn¡¯t erase the fact that he treated me like an animal. If the UN leader saw all Arxur as savages, that wasn¡¯t something I intended to forgive lightly. Then again, if I considered it with sincerity, Felra would say the same things about me¡­and worse. My friendship with the Dossur was a grave error of judgment. The fact that she assumed any cordial predator was a human spoke volumes about our repute versus theirs. Everyone thought we were monsters who deserved what happened to us. Considered that our plight was somewhat self-inflicted, they might be right. A jolt rippled through the shuttle, as we latched onto Shaza¡¯s command ship. I gestured for my security detail to raise their weapons; my paw hovered over my sidearm as well. But no gunfire greeted us upon entry, nor was there any sign of hostile intent. Instead, a wall of guards had the disgraced Chief Hunter on her knees. Her right eye was bloodied and swollen shut, which presented some obvious questions. Shaza looked indignant, despite the pistol planted against her skull. ¡°Isif. Those insolent apes just wouldn¡¯t let it go! They¡¯re chest-beating monkeys with nothing but cheap tricks.¡± ¡°Any normal Arxur would respect a worthy opponent in combat. Tell me, why do you think your people are so eager to restrain you?¡± ¡°The humans need to be humbled! My minions here don¡¯t see that I had to impart that lesson¡­in a way they¡¯d remember.¡± ¡°Oh, they¡¯ll remember alright. We do not eat fellow sapients. There is one other predator in the galaxy, and you cannot treat them with respect?!¡± ¡°They¡¯re stupid and emotional. It¡¯s their weakness. When they see their kind herded up, it will break them.¡± ¡°I suspect your ploy merely pisses the humans off, Shaza. Nice shiner you¡¯ve got there, is it not?¡± ¡°Quit your mockery! The one I took as my personal meal¡­it jabbed its thumb in my eye and started twisting. Awful wretch! I carved it up very slowly for that. Those ¡®predators¡¯ scream just the same as Venlil, though the taste leaves something to be desired.¡± A wave of cold disgust washed over me. ¡°You actually ate a human?!¡± ¡°Yes, very chewy. Listen, those captives might keep fighting today, but they will give up and cower in time. Let the cattle experiment go on. Surely Betterment¡ª¡± I lunged at the Chief Hunter, throwing my maw into the side of her temple. Shaza crumpled into a heap, and my hide quivered with revulsion. It would be ironic to torture her into ¡°screaming like a Venlil¡± now; that would invalidate her prior argument. Pain wasn¡¯t exclusionary to prey, after all. It was a shame the humans requested her alive, so I couldn¡¯t have any fun breaking her will. My gaze swept around the room, inspecting her forces. ¡°The battle of Sillis is over! Betterment would rather point our guns at prey than predators. We¡¯d rather eat prey than predators. If any of you have a problem with that, there are several airlocks with your name on it. I suggest you use them.¡± The assembled Dominion soldiers nodded, and hauled the unconscious Shaza to her feet. My security detail helped them cart her onto a transport; bindings were applied to her lithe form, ensuring that she couldn¡¯t stir up mayhem. I debated how to return the human cattle, without having them gouge out our eyes. It needed to be crystal clear that we were not aligned with the former Chief Hunter. ¡°Ready that transport, and prep several more. Load all UN captives on there, unharmed and of their own volition,¡± I growled. ¡°Before you release any penned humans, please reiterate that we¡¯re there to free and return them. State that we have an explicit agreement with their government. Also, allow them to fly the shuttles back to their fleet on their own.¡± One of my security guards bared his teeth. ¡°What happens when they see Shaza on the first ship?¡± ¡°Tell them that the human cattle was her idea, and she¡¯s a rogue warlord. Also tell them¡­they can do whatever they want with her. She was left on that shuttle as a gift!¡± The Arxur underling chuckled to himself, picturing the furious humans brutalizing her. I found Shaza¡¯s circumstances quite amusing as well. This was likely not what Secretary-General Zhao had in mind, by asking me to hand her over to UN custody. But on a technical level, my decision was in full compliance with his request. I¡¯d fulfilled my end of the bargain, while having some malicious fun at her expense. Once this situation was resolved, the humans could return their attention to the Federation. That was where their focus belonged; it would also save me from the awkward position of mediating this dispute. My next priority was heading to a dead drop location, so that General Jones could learn what Giznel had revealed. Perhaps the Terrans could devise a way to utilize the information for insurgency. Chapter 102 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, United Nations Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: December 7, 2136 Our shuttle had escaped Sillis¡¯ atmosphere unnoticed, and we docked with Captain Monahan¡¯s ship in a hurry. Almost all of our posse was shipped to the infirmary, after the injuries we picked up along the way. The Tilfish exterminators and their civilian trustees had looked petrified, boarding a predator warship. General Birla was equally frightened, though Virnt seemed ready to run laps around the vessel. The Arxur turret gave me a close shave, though I was able to save Marcel. The human doctors informed me that my damaged spines would never regrow, due to a degenerative condition. That was not surprising to me, given my advancing age. Gojids could develop new quills in our youth, since they evolved to ward off predators. However, as we got older, hormones prevented regrowth in many males. ¡°Like human balding?¡± Samantha had asked, as she listened to the physician¡¯s prognosis with me. ¡°Shit, Spiky¡¯s going bald! Not to be an ass¡­but Carlos and I are totally going to rib you.¡± Thus, when the olive-skinned male visited, I expected some irksome jokes at my behest. Instead, the soldier looked concerned by the bandages encircling my torso. He informed me of the battle¡¯s developments, though he saved the best news for last. The Arxur had collapsed before the humans did, and called for a ceasefire. Sillis wasn¡¯t going to suffer the same fate as the cradle. I can¡¯t help but wonder how the Terrans persisted for so long. Come to think of it, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen a UN soldier tire while walking¡­except for Tyler when he twisted his ankle. ¡°So that means we can send the Tilfish home, and head back to Earth myself,¡± Carlos concluded. ¡°You think you can, uh, come with me to share the news with our¡­guests? I need some moral support.¡± I cast my gaze at the floor. ¡°I¡¯ve been staying in here. Trying to stay out of Marcel¡¯s hair.¡± The quiet spell alone gave me unwelcome time to ruminate, and my thoughts swirled around with fury. I couldn¡¯t tell which voices were real or imagined. Distant profanity was audible in a Venlil¡¯s register, which hinted that Slanek was near. There were a few things I swore I heard Marcel say as well, in the broken bits I caught. ¡°I¡¯ve decided¡­to¡­Sovlin. He¡¯s pretty¡­up,¡± was one of the more ominous lines. ¡°I¡¯m just gonna do it, right here¡­now. It¡¯s been consuming me¡­too long.¡± It was possible the red-haired human was referring to his bloodlust; I could imagine the urge to harm me had been overwhelming during my prison stint. Our unwelcome reunion must¡¯ve stirred up nasty memories. It was remarkable that he stuffed it down long enough to escape Sillis. However, something in my heart told me Marcel wouldn¡¯t surrender his morals so easily. ¡°Yoohoo, wake up!¡± Carlos sang. ¡°I don¡¯t ask you for much, man. Please, just help me with the chest-high spiders. I¡¯m begging you.¡± ¡°Hm¡­explain those green markings on your arms, and I will go with you. Sam told me you¡¯re in a cult when I asked her. I said, ¡®Like the Cult of Inatala?¡¯¡± ¡°And what did she say?¡± ¡°¡®Exactly like that, but with more blackjack and hookers.¡¯ I think she¡¯s lost it.¡± Carlos threw his head back, howling with laughter. ¡°Oh, Sovlin, try actually looking at it! This one is a picture of a tree, with the words ¡®Strength through pain.¡¯ The other tattoo is a bear, which¡­yes I¡¯m aware it¡¯s a predator. But it¡¯s two dual icons of strength and confidence.¡± ¡°I see. Why would you have this drawn on yourself?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a reminder. Whatever happens to me, I will be enduring as a tree and fierce as a bear. Our past doesn¡¯t define us.¡± ¡°That is a nice gesture, though I cannot unsee the p-predator now. Fuck¡­you idolize that beast?! Never mind, let¡¯s go see the Tilfish.¡± The UN guard let me out of the medical bay, and I studied each room with nervous eyes. Which one was Slanek hiding behind, ready to remind me that I deserved death? The Venlil was right about the justified consequences for my actions; perhaps he could persuade Marcel to get the revenge he deserved. That wasn¡¯t what frightened me. It was the prospect of them conversing with me, showing mercy together, that twisted the knife. I¡¯m thankful it was dead quiet on the shuttle ride. I don¡¯t know if I can bring myself to speak with my victim again. A sigh of relief escaped my lips, as we ascended the stairwell to the main deck. The sound of sobbing caught my attention from within a cargo hold, and it wasn¡¯t guttural enough to be human. I focused on my periphery on instinct. The monstrous beast from Marcel¡¯s unit caught my eye; what was left of my spines poked through the bandages. The red-haired human had hidden it at the rear of the shuttle, avoiding panic. Now, I finally got a good look at this monstrosity. The ¡°dog¡± was as fearsome as the bear on Carlos¡¯ tattoo, with a shaggy pelt and fangs the length of my quills. It was nothing compared to lunging at an Arxur, but it had the lean form of a killer. Onso was crouched right beside it, and even the violent-minded Yotul was in tears at its presence. ¡°C-Carlos. Look. T-that thing is¡­making Onso cry,¡± I stammered. The human squinted his brown eyes. ¡°That¡¯s odd. I didn¡¯t get the impression he was afraid of predators. Maybe it¡¯s the stress of combat that set him off?¡± I crept over to the room¡¯s hallway, and peered inside. Carlos matched my furtiveness, despite wearing heavy boots on his paws. As primitive as Onso was, it would be wrong to leave him at the dog¡¯s mercy. The Yotul was part of our unit, and humans never left their packmates behind. Blond, close-cropped hair caught my eyes; Tyler knelt beside the Yotul, careful to keep weight off his injured ankle. Perhaps the sensors officer had put his exchange program partner up to this. I could see the Terran¡¯s lips moving, and Onso nodding blankly. From the bits I was able to catch, it sounded like he was explaining what dogs were. They were pack predators that humans domesticated¡­to help with farming and hunting?! Tyler had one that lived with him? That was possibly the most asinine thing I¡¯d heard in my life, worse than asphyxiating fish as a child. Encouraging a predator to switch on hunting mode around them was suicide; it must be difficult even for a sapient Terran to rein themselves in while searching for prey. Was this creature used to slaughter farm animals so the humans didn¡¯t have to? If dogs were that ravenous, it was more deranged that the primates let them inside their living quarters. I tiptoed a few steps closer, and strained my ears. It was essential to hear what they were saying, so that I could intervene if necessary. The last thing that we needed was for the Yotul to pass out around this slobbering animal! Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°I understand. S-so¡­his name is Dino?¡± Onso sniffled. Tyler ran a hand over the beast¡¯s forehead, smiling. ¡°Yeah. Marcel says that he loves Slanek, so I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll be a problem around aliens. Dogs read our social cues, so Dino knows which ones we like.¡± ¡°You¡­l-love your dog back on Earth?¡± ¡°Sure do. I¡¯d always feed her table food, and Pops would yell at me. She¡¯s getting older now, but she¡¯s always happy when I visit. Dogs¡¯ll miss you whether you¡¯ve been gone one year or one minute.¡± Something about that statement snapped the last straw of Onso¡¯s composure. The Yotul turned inconsolable, and wrapped his paws around Dino¡¯s neck. The dog whined as the primitive buried his face in its coat; its jaws opened with feral intent. Its tongue leapt out of its mouth, and it impressed its slobber into the uplift¡¯s reddish-tan fur. Tyler tilted his head with concern, and pressed a hand on Onso¡¯s back. He moved his bony fingers in soothing circles, desperately reassuring his friend. The Yotul screeched in a discordant tone, curling his claws deeper into Dino¡¯s scruff. The dog wriggled out from under him, and pressed its wet nose against his cheek. It began lapping at the uplift with repeated licks, building up a taste for his flesh. ¡°Talk to me, buddy. What¡¯s wrong?¡± the sensors officer whispered. Sobs wracked the Yotul¡¯s body. ¡°They killed her. They killed her! Papa shot her. Papa¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t have to talk about it. I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re saying, but I¡¯m here for you.¡± ¡°If I told you what they did to us, you¡¯d be ashamed of us. We just rolled over¡ª" Carlos jabbed an elbow in my side. ¡°Sovlin! I think we¡¯re intruding on a private conversation.¡± ¡°I¡­I think so too.¡± Sympathy clutched at my heart, seeing the brazen Yotul on the verge of a breakdown. ¡°Let¡¯s move on. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll do the talking.¡± The human and I slid backward, though I shot a glance back at the despairing primitive. Tyler had pulled the Yotul into a full embrace, and his form looked massive next to the herbivore. I hoped the blond Terran had everything under control; he knew his exchange partner better than I did. It left me to wonder how their first conversations were gone, and how much they¡¯d opened up to each other. Carlos gestured to another cargo hold, which had been converted into a group dormitory. UN sentries were posted outside the room, and they looked quite antsy. I suspected the constant watch was to prevent the insectoids from wandering the ship. Back in Kolshian territory, Carlos stated that the Tilfish ambassador ¡°freaked him the fuck out.¡± Many humans found the Tilfish likeness unnerving, which still amused me. ¡°Watch, this is gonna be easy,¡± I told the male guard. ¡°Let a master of diplomacy show you how it¡¯s done.¡± Carlos rolled his eyes. ¡°Master of gunboat diplomacy, maybe.¡± The Tilfish refugees halted their conversation, as soon as we entered the room. General Birla eyed the unknown human with wariness, and tried to move Virnt behind her. She had found Tyler daunting too, with his imposing size and icy eyes. I moved my body subconsciously, obscuring Carlos¡¯ ¡°bear¡± arm with my form. ¡°So, humans forced the Arxur to stand down and return any Tilfish cattle. Your planet will not be bombed to smithereens¡­today,¡± I declared. ¡°You can go home.¡± The insectoid exterminators comforted the children they¡¯d rescued, and murmured something among themselves. I caught something about other kids being taken away in cages; my news about the cattle meant they may be returned unharmed. It was tough to trust an Arxur¡¯s word, but the demons had started the exchange process already. The Terrans need to move quick enough, before the monsters break their agreement. General Birla clicked her mandibles. ¡°What do the humans want from us?¡± ¡°To leave their ship as soon as possible, probably. Trust me, they don¡¯t want you here anymore than you want to be here.¡± ¡°Marcel told me¡­we¡¯re symbols of disease to their brains.¡± ¡°Yeah, I mean, look at Carlos here.¡± I clapped a paw around the male human, and the physical touch made him jump. ¡°See? You scare the predators. I¡¯m sure you like that.¡± ¡°I¡­actually, I don¡¯t. Do you think I could say good-bye to Marcel? He was quite kind with me and Virnt.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ask someone else to pass the word along. It¡¯ll have to be soon; they want to head home in a few hours.¡± ¡°See, Virnt? We¡¯re going home. It¡¯s safe, and the humans¡ª" ¡°NO! I WANNA GO TO EARTH. I WANNA GO TO SPACE WITH HUMMA!¡± Virnt wailed, in an ear-piercing tone. ¡°You can¡¯t do that. For the last time, humans don¡¯t like us. Earth is their¡ª¡± ¡°HUMMA NOT LIE! NO LEAVE!¡± The child¡¯s deafening tangent morphed into incoherent screaming. Carlos pressed his hands to his ears, and keeled over at the waist. I took the opportunity to depart the room with my friend, noting the apologetic look in Birla¡¯s eyes. The Tilfish general had tried to break it to Virnt gently, but it was obvious that they weren¡¯t welcome on the predators¡¯ cradle. Why was the kid so dead-set on visiting Earth? Carlos rushed over to a water fountain, and slurped down the cool arc of liquid. The human blinked his eyes shut, before wiping his lips against his hand. He turned grateful eyes to me, and allowed himself a full-on shudder. Perhaps the experience gave him newfound sympathy for what it was like, when I first boarded this ship packed with predators. ¡°Thank you. I felt my throat clam up¡­I couldn¡¯t speak. Now it¡¯s done, and we can send them home,¡± Carlos murmured. I chewed at my claws. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. That kid was a nightmare. Sooner he¡¯s back on Sillis¡­and screened for predator disease, the better.¡± ¡°Predator disease? For throwing one tantrum?¡± ¡°There¡¯s some behavioral issue going on there. Onso is predator-diseased too, but that seems to be a species-wide thing. As someone who has some, uh, symptoms myself¡­I do wish I could ask for help. That I got treatment when I was young, when it might¡¯ve been fixable.¡± ¡°Sovlin, you have PTSD. It¡¯s caused by trauma, because of what you saw with your family.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not how predator disease works.¡± ¡°Per the Federation ¡®scientists¡¯ who don¡¯t know what an omnivore is.¡± Weariness tugged at my chest. ¡°You know what? Fine, everything I ever believed or knew is a lie. Sure, whatever, seems to be the pattern. Happy?¡± ¡°Jeez, you can¡¯t temper the self-pity for ten seconds. I¡¯ll take you back to your room.¡± ¡°I know where it is! I can walk back by myself.¡± ¡°Be my guest.¡± Carlos stalked off, arms folded in the way humans used to cordon off their emotions. I bolted off in the opposite direction, and tried to regulate my breathing. The humans had to view everything contrary to the Federation, just to take a wrecking ball to our reality. Nothing was sacred to them, not even the most basic truths. Either I was a diseased individual who snapped, or my omnivorous species was the disease. If anything, the trauma just helped me direct my anger issues at predators. It was the guiding mechanism. I stomped past Onso and Tyler¡¯s cargo hold. The Yotul was tugging a rope, with a little help from his human pal; Dino had the nylon clasped between its fangs. The dog had decided this twine was its prey, and refused to let go. I wasn¡¯t sure why the primitive and his exchange partner wanted this string so desperately. At least they weren¡¯t stupid enough to stick their paws in its mouth. Rushing off down the stairs, I returned to the medical wing. My pace slowed down, careful to avoid detection by any other patients. The last thing I wanted was for Slanek to catch me in his sightlines; after losing so much blood, the Venlil must be tied down here. My pupils darted about, and swept for any signs of which room belonged to my victims. One door was cracked open, which hadn¡¯t been ajar when I left. I pressed my body against the wall, and inched up to the frame¡¯s edge. After considering my options, I risked a quick glance inside. It was unmistakably the tortured human and his Venlil inside. Slanek had an IV hooked up to his bandaged arm, and was resting his head on Marcel¡¯s chest. The predator was entranced by a nature documentary from Earth, which played on the TV. Shit. Maybe I can sneak past and they won¡¯t notice me. They¡¯re both fixated on the TV, right? I dropped onto all fours, hoping that would help keep me below their sightline. Pain scorched down my back, as it stretched out the damaged skin. Cursing internally, I crawled ahead like a toddler; my claws made clicking sounds against the tile. I could see Marcel¡¯s hazel eyes land on me through my periphery, and watched his head pop off the pillow. ¡°Sovlin?¡± the human queried. ¡°Come here. Slanek needs to speak with you.¡± I froze like cornered prey, and dread formed a knot in my stomach. It was possible to keep walking, but Marcel had every right to make demands of me. This was pure cowardice, avoiding him because I was afraid of his civility. Besides, if this human was dead-set on conversing with me, I doubted I could outrun him. Steeling my nerves, I rose back onto my hindlegs. My heart thundered with the fury of a stampede, but I turned my feet into the room. The universe had brought me face-to-face with my victims, and now, there was no choice but to engage with them. There was no telling what his Venlil buddy would do; I would offer myself to Marcel¡¯s whims once more. The human had a captive audience, and I¡¯d yet to discover why he wished to speak with me. Chapter 103 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, United Nations Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: December 7, 2136 It was tough to cope with my proximity to this predator and his Venlil pal. I was standing just within the room¡¯s threshold, and resisting the urge to flee. Binocular eyes were trained on my skull; it felt like they were burning holes in my head. My eyes wandered, attempting to look anywhere but at the human¡¯s scarred face. Marcel had placed a photograph of Slanek and himself, alongside a female Terran I didn¡¯t recognize. The curious aspect was a young Gojid, riding on the redhead¡¯s back with bright eyes. My victim was tickling her wrists, twisting his hands over his shoulders. Even in a still photograph, I could tell the child was squealing with happiness. Why were Marcel and Slanek taking pictures with a young Gojid? Didn¡¯t the red-haired human despise our species? Just looking at that child must remind him of my likeness; I wasn¡¯t sure why he¡¯d volunteer with our refugees. Perhaps it was an attempt at coping for him, but the fact he kept it as his selected photo¡­ Marcel thinks of his time with that Gojid kid as a happy memory. How can that be? My throat felt like it was made of sandpaper. ¡°T-the G-gojid. Who is she?¡± ¡°That¡¯s Nulia. My adopted daughter,¡± Marcel replied in an even voice. ¡°Slanek and I rescued her on the cradle, after she was abandoned in a stampede. She¡¯s back at home with my fianc¨¦ now.¡± I recoiled, unable to process why the human would adopt a Gojid child. Peering into his eyes in the photograph, the scarred predator was radiating affection. His teeth were bared in a full snarl, and Slanek was cozied up against his side too. Protector, why couldn¡¯t I have tortured an asshole Terran? Not that it would¡¯ve made it more moral, but Marcel was too kind. I could not have harmed someone less deserving of cruelty. My eyes burned, as images of Marcel in a collar flooded my mind. Staring at his heartfelt smile, I could still picture his strained smile when Slanek came to visit. It had been my claw that pressed the shock trigger, while staring at him with absolute reproach. The cold, starving predator had seized on the floor, and struggled just to breathe. I could still hear his screams as I kicked him in the ribs¡­ Slanek snapped the television show off, and fixed a withering glower on me. The Venlil eyed me with murderous intent, flexing his wounded arm as if to test it. Marcel¡¯s best friend remembered the exact details I had; I could remember how desperate he was to plead the human¡¯s case. My response was to try to get him preyed upon. I would¡¯ve intervened before the predator could eat the Venlil, but at best, it was an attempt to traumatize him. Besides, there was no guarantee I could react quicker than a hunter could lunge. Poor Marcel must¡¯ve resisted such terrible thoughts, just looking at Slanek. It felt immoral to sympathize with a predator¡¯s bloodlust, but I knew he couldn¡¯t help basic, biological urges. Marcel chose to die rather than to eat his friend, and that was a remarkable show of willpower. The fact that he hadn¡¯t enacted revenge upon me showed that he was a good person; his love extended even to Gojid children. The red-haired human shot Slanek a pointed look. ¡°Tell Sovlin what you wanted to tell him. This hatred is poisoning your heart, and you need to let it out.¡± ¡°I fucking hate you! If Recel hadn¡¯t intervened, you would¡¯ve killed Marcel. You meant to put him down like a fucking animal,¡± the Venlil screeched. ¡°Do you know how it felt, to feel like I¡¯d lose him? To know his last moments were agony? You deprived him of every basic need¡­I suppose he was lucky you gave him filthy water in a filthy bucket.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I offered meekly. ¡°What good does that do? You¡¯re out living a respected life with the Terran military, and the trauma can never be undone. My government never even got to prosecute you for how you tossed me around. Then, I was helpless as he clung to life, on the day-long trip to Venlil Prime. I sat beside his hospital bed, watching them put wires in his face.¡± ¡°S-saw the p-pictures. T-terrible to look at.¡± ¡°It was terrible. I don¡¯t know how you got Tyler to feel sorry for you, but he was never the brightest bulb in the box! You can keep your fucking apologies, because they aren¡¯t worth shit!¡± The Venlil started to sit up, but Marcel held him back with an arm. Slanek wriggled against the restraint, yet for some reason, the human wouldn¡¯t let him charge at me. The prey alien reached for his IV line, and the predator intercepted his paw with nimble reflexes. I¡¯d never seen a Venlil bare their teeth, or act with such aggression. There was no question I deserved special animosity. Even the galaxy¡¯s weakest race wanted to bash my face in, and I couldn¡¯t blame him. Everything Slanek just stated was true, down to the fact that I would¡¯ve murdered an innocent creature without Recel. The tears poured out from my eyes, and that only enraged the Venlil further. I pressed my face into my paws, wishing I could fall into non-existence. ¡°Relax, buddy. It¡¯s okay,¡± Marcel whispered. Slanek pinned his ears back. ¡°STOP! I should be comforting you; he did it to you. You¡¯re the one who has to live with the trauma. You¡¯re the one who¡¯s permanently disfigured!¡± ¡°Yes, and I don¡¯t want you harming him.¡± ¡°You told me in the hospital you wanted Sovlin dead. You were fantasizing about it.¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t make anything better, Slanek. I¡¯ve been trying to make peace with what happened to me, since I learned that his family was eaten in front of him. Sovlin saved both of our lives, and I don¡¯t wish harm upon him.¡± ¡°You said you didn¡¯t want to see him. You were pissed he was there on Sillis.¡± ¡°I was pissed! I¡¯m angry, I¡¯m hurting, I¡¯m hounded by memories when I look at his face, and¡­I forgive him.¡± What was left of my spines bristled, and the world collapsed in on me. All I wanted was for Marcel to take those words back; they stabbed at me like daggers to the chest. I couldn¡¯t breathe, and every part of me screamed against that forgiveness. Everyone in the galaxy knew that Slanek¡¯s interpretation was the correct one. I didn¡¯t deserve mercy, and my life should be forfeit for my actions. How could the predator just forgive what I had done to him? Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡°N-no. You can¡¯t do that,¡± I croaked, fighting for air amid the narrowing of my vision. His hazel eyes stared directly at me. ¡°Oh, I can. I won¡¯t forget what you did, but it¡¯s time to let it go. I choose to feel compassion for you. I choose not to be a victim¡­and not to let hatred control me.¡± Marcel¡¯s stated compassion packed the force of a sledgehammer. Those simplistic words echoed in my mind, warring against concrete certainty that I must never find peace. Without self-loathing as my purpose, there was no guiding star to light my dark path. Forgiveness stripped my life of all meaning; there was no reason to persist another day. Why should I get to live, when I couldn¡¯t protect my family? ¡°You just said you were angry.¡± Speech spilled from my vocal cords, as if borne of their own volition. ¡°You wanted me d-dead; that was good! Why would you just forgive me?¡± ¡°Simple. I was playing with Nulia, and she¡¯d overheard me talking with Lucy. She said, ¡®Mawsle, you¡¯re mean when you talk about Sahwin.¡¯ Kid was right. It was consuming me, ¡®cause I hadn¡¯t let it go.¡± The thought lanced me. It couldn¡¯t be that simple, for a predator to cast aside his vitriol. The words of a child, who peered into his heart, caused him to forgive old wounds. Slanek slapped his tail against Marcel¡¯s earlobe. ¡°Listen to yourself! You¡¯re letting him get away with sadism, again!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t control his actions. I control mine, and there¡¯s power in not clinging to resentment. I won¡¯t be free from this until I set my heart free.¡± ¡°You have to stand up for yourself, Marc. It¡¯s not about being the bigger person! Justice matters too, and your life has enough value to me that he deserves my disgust.¡± ¡°Do you believe people can change, buddy? Because I do, and it¡¯s wrong to deny a truly repentant person a second chance. Please, for my sake, respect the fact that Sovlin is trying to do better today. That is all he can do.¡± No¡­Marcel is insufferable. Tyler also said I deserved a second chance, and it wasn¡¯t true then. It doesn¡¯t matter that I¡¯m doing right by them, after what I¡¯ve already done. I fell to my knees, sobbing as I had when I first realized humans had empathy. A second chance was not what I was seeking; there was no reason why my unforgivable deeds deserved a do-over. My continued existence was meant as inadequate penance for my treatment of humanity. What aid I¡¯d given them wasn¡¯t nearly enough, though I hoped I¡¯d made a minute difference in their war efforts. It was tempting to believe that my reparations were sufficient. I knew my die was cast and my story was written, yet I yearned to pretend that wasn¡¯t the truth. My eyes blinked open, turning to the Venlil. Surely he would slap Marcel¡¯s folly down without hesitation. ¡°Fine,¡± Slanek spat the word, as if it were a sour taste in his mouth. Marcel smiled with satisfaction. ¡°Good. Now, thank him for saving your life.¡± ¡°What?! How did you¡ª¡± ¡°Tyler told me. He explained everything, rather apologetically. We would both be dead without Sovlin, so a little thanks is in order.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t.¡± Snot bubbled in my nose. I shook my head, desperate to rebuff any praise. ¡°That¡¯s¡­n-not necessary.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± Slanek contorted his facial features into a mask of disgust. ¡°You¡¯re taking this way too far, Marc. The concussion got to your head.¡± ¡°Well then, humor a poor, sick human!¡± the red-haired predator chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll watch the new episode of that god-awful The Exterminators show with you, if you say thanks sincerely.¡± ¡°Th¡­th¡­thanks, Sovlin. Bleh, that was vile.¡± ¡°I said sincerely.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad Marcel is alive.¡± Slanek spoke through gritted teeth. ¡°Er, thanks for not trying to slice and dice him again.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me. That¡¯s the best you can do?!¡± ¡°That¡­it was sincere,¡± I sniffled, buying time to regain composure. ¡°Technically meets your criteria.¡± Marcel heaved a sigh. ¡°I guess so. Let me walk you back to your room, Sovlin.¡± I raised surrendering paws, stammering, ¡°N-no, you don¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°I insist. I need to be sure I didn¡¯t kickstart a full-blown mental crisis.¡± The human maneuvered onto his legs, and stretched out his body with bloodcurdling pops. His strong hands tugged at my shoulder. The extended contact made me nauseous to my stomach, and my heavy limbs were sluggish to obey. I reminded myself not to think of him as my victim. Marcel didn¡¯t want to be regarded in that fashion, so I shouldn¡¯t do him that disservice in my perception. The red-haired Terran wrapped an arm around my neck, which felt as heavy as a rock. How did every interaction with Marcel increase my guilt to chest-bursting levels? He led me out of Slanek¡¯s quarters, and asked in a low rumble where I was heading. All I could do was point a few doors down, still a teary-eyed, snot-stained mess. I noticed the predator drawing deep breaths, to quell his own anxiety. My self-centered concerns turned to him, and I withdrew from his grasp. Marcel blinked his eyes shut, his scars scrunching up with his grimace. I wanted to comfort him, even though I knew it was my presence ratcheting up his anxiety. ¡°D-do¡­you want a hug?¡± My voice was hardly more than a whisper, and I watched his eyes pop open with surprise. ¡°No, I g-get that, of course you don¡¯t want one from me¡ª¡± Marcel threw his arms around me, burying his face in my fur. The Terran finally let the tears spill over, which soaked my shoulder. I mirrored the way I¡¯d seen Tyler comfort Onso, and pressed my paw onto his back. This was the first time I¡¯d ever been this close to a human; not even my ¡°friends¡± had embraced me. It was shocking how warm this predator was, like a heated blanket. No wonder Slanek always curls up next to him. This is oddly disarming. My heart ached, as the human continued to bawl his eyes out. I moved my claws into his hair, and ruffled the strands in the silly way I¡¯d do with my daughter. It wasn¡¯t clear how Terran years translated, but Marcel was probably about her age. He jerked his head back, and fear flashed in his eyes briefly. The poor guy mistook my playful gesture for an attack. ¡°Sorry, shouldn¡¯t have used the claws. It must feel like I was slicing at you; I wasn¡¯t thinking,¡± I mumbled. Marcel patted his mane back down. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­never mind. This here is where you¡¯re heading, right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Cool beans. Hey, listen¡­I wish you only the best. I don¡¯t want you to be depressed on my account.¡± It¡¯s not on his account. It¡¯s because of me and knowing what I am. ¡°T-the last thing I want is you worrying about me.¡± I wasn¡¯t going to spill my emotional turmoil on this human, who could keep his own trauma contained. ¡°I wish you hated me.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t. You hate you, Sovlin.¡± ¡°¡­yeah.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have to be a therapist to tell you where it all stems from. You blame yourself for what happened to your family. If you want to do something for me, get help.¡± ¡°Tyler told me about someone. I didn¡¯t think¡ª¡± ¡°That you deserved help. It¡¯s okay to be happy and live your life. You¡¯re not going to pay off some self-imposed debt to me by being miserable.¡± I averted my gaze. ¡°T-thank you. Whatever anyone says about you¡­you¡¯re the strongest person I¡¯ve ever known. How much you care for others is astounding, and it speaks wonders of your species.¡± ¡°Nobody¡¯s perfect. I just hope when it¡¯s all said and done, I leave the universe a better place,¡± Marcel said. ¡°It¡¯s not too late for the sum of your actions, you know.¡± ¡°I promise I¡¯ll try. From now on, I¡¯ll try to be like you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the worst role model¡­in my humble opinion. If only I could smack the same lesson into Slanek¡¯s skull. But it seems like we¡¯ve settled our issues, and that¡¯s that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s that.¡± ¡°Good. Well, I think I¡¯d best be going. Rest up!¡± As the predator turned away, I wondered how I ever could¡¯ve believed his species was incapable of empathy. The truth was, Terrans had to be one of the most empathetic species to cobble together anything bordering normalcy. It took a great deal of emotion to repress their hunting instincts with such thoroughness. Perhaps that was why they¡¯d bonded with the Venlil; they both were sensitive species with ample feelings. As Carlos told me, the issue was when empathy wasn¡¯t extended to a particular individual. Marcel chose to grant it even to me, after what I¡¯d done; that was the sign of a good human. I couldn¡¯t believe how openly he was conversing with me, and how he had wiped the slate clean. The catch was that I could not - would not - forgive myself. I laid down on the floor of my room, and thought about the legacy I would leave behind. Marcel did have a point though. The torture would always be in my ledger, but I could surround it with other deeds. Suffering was my idea of a fair punishment, not any request of the scarred primate. It wasn¡¯t going to make things right between us; if anything, it seemed like it would worsen his recovery. Maybe it was time to get my head straight, as the humans so often suggested. I could become a better version of my despicable self, with the predators¡¯ guidance. Chapter 104 Memory transcription subject: Governor Tarva of the Venlil Republic Date [standardized human time]: December 7, 2136 The war activities occupied the vast majority of my schedule, which was packed with diplomatic meetings. Even this stand-offish version of the United Nations sought as many allies as possible; humanity was determined to spin the narrative in their favor. There was a battle being fought on every communique, and every broadcast sent out over the airwaves. The liberation of millions of cattle, ironically from the sector that included the Krakotl, was a great victory. Springing an Arxur Chief Hunter from a Sol-based prison hadn¡¯t been my plan for the past week. The recollection of sharing a shuttle with Isif sent shivers down my spine. But in the moment, confronting him had been natural and easy. The knowledge that he possessed empathy for prey species further disproved what the Federation said about predators being unable to feel. It also meant the gray had done horrible deeds, with a conscience. Somehow, that was the easiest discussion that I¡¯d had all week, politically. The Sulean-Iftali alliance, self-declared speakers for converted ¡°neutral¡± voters, had scheduled call-after-call with Federation species. None of these dialogues had gone anywhere, besides noncommittal agreements to reconsider their allegiance. Noah mentioned the bright idea of winning some species over with returned cattle. Humanity had remarkable persuasion abilities, but I was losing hope. My only bet for a potential convert was the Thafki, a race which as of two days ago, had 12,000 members alive out of captivity. The sudden return of millions of cattle, swiped from under the Arxur¡¯s nose in the battle sector, would bring them back to the bargaining table. Secretary-General Zhao mentioned helping them re-establish their society, and gifting them an independent settlement under UN protection. The idea was ingenious. The Terran stampede and the sabotage caused us to lose two of our original allies. With the Thafki¡¯s numbers, one individual getting blown up on a shuttle was important. As for the Sivkits¡­Ambassador Axsely left and never returned. Noah waited at the hospital entrance, his helmet tucked under his shoulder. There hadn¡¯t been much availability in my docket, to spend one-on-one time with the cattle rescues. The sight of the broad-shouldered human brought energy to my weary brain; unmistakable feel-good chemicals entered my bloodstream. When I was around the Terran ambassador, it was like all my troubles melted away. ¡°Noah!¡± I exclaimed, throwing my arms around him. A gravelly laugh gripped his chest, and he returned the gesture. ¡°It feels like it¡¯s been months.¡± The predator smiled. ¡°You saw me yesterday at the meeting with the Duerten.¡± ¡°You kicked me under the table the entire time.¡± ¡°Heh, sorry. Politics bore me, Tarva. I¡¯m an astronaut, who loves studying the stars and the evolution of life.¡± ¡°And me.¡± ¡°And you, of course.¡± The human placed one of his muscular arms across my shoulder, and I circled my prosthetic tail around his leg. It was hysterical to me that his ship¡¯s arrival once had me ready to surrender my planet. Knowing Noah, those initial words would¡¯ve horrified him and caused him to leave. Sara, meanwhile, would be the calming presence; her scientific curiosity would¡¯ve prevailed long enough to ask us why we feared them. I can¡¯t imagine first contact with a different ending. I won¡¯t let myself consider what would¡¯ve happened if the astronauts disappeared and Earth¡­ The predators had become an integral part of my life. The galaxy would¡¯ve never been privy to the Kolshians¡¯ deceit in my lifetime, without humanity¡¯s unwavering push for acceptance. I thought that I could never find someone who made me happy, after my marriage failed following my daughter¡¯s death. Noah¡¯s emotions were indistinguishable from my own, at times; I cared about and experienced his feelings. The Terran occupied my thoughts at every waking moment. He said the sweet nothings that made my heart flutter, and did all the chivalrous things from his own culture. Our dynamic was proof that humans could feel love and be loved. ¡°How is Glim? You told me when you were riding back from Celgel Falls that he was warming up to you,¡± I said. Noah¡¯s face fell, and he steered us into a break room. Glim was the only Venlil rescue on this side of the hospital, where the humans wandered without concealment. I had no idea how we were going to share the news with the other cattle. The Gaians would have more lapses in their covers soon, if we didn¡¯t divulge the truth. No offense to our friends, but they floundered at not acting predatory. My beloved human had suggested that Glim could determine our delivery method, but I wasn¡¯t sure the former exterminator was up to the task. He had screamed at Noah¡¯s appearance, mere days ago at the train station. ¡°Haysi happened. Glim got her to open up, since she was unresponsive to us,¡± the Terran ambassador said. ¡°Sara and I watched on a security feed, and Haysi seems to have¡­studied us. Our exterminator pal¡¯s been detached and unforthcoming since. I could address Glim¡¯s concerns, but I want him to ask me himself.¡± I blinked in confusion. ¡°What exactly did Haysi say?¡± ¡°That she ran some exhibit on humans called ¡®Pure Evil.¡¯ Tarva, we did all the things she mentioned. Abuse, cruelty, slavery, murder, and a thousand other things. Perhaps even you would recoil at Haysi¡¯s compilation there.¡± ¡°¡­ah, that exhibit. I know the one, Noah, but I decided I didn¡¯t need to ask about it. Humans came here trying to be better, and I commend that. The rest of the galaxy has our dark secrets too, which we don¡¯t have the honesty to be open about.¡± ¡°I thank you for that understanding. But to Haysi, she has irrefutable proof that the human race is rotten. The Federation only recorded us at our worst; that¡¯s well-established. How do we fight that? How do we win?¡± ¡°Show her the best side of you. As long as it takes, no matter how she treats you. It¡¯s exactly what you¡¯ve done with all of us. Despite everything that you¡¯ve lost, you didn¡¯t lose yourselves. I feared that you would.¡± ¡°What about Glim? I showed him everything already.¡± This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Now Glim needs to see the worst of you. He needs to reconcile those lows with what he was starting to believe. He must accept humanity at its ugliest, to love you at your best.¡± ¡°Fuck¡­it¡¯s exhausting to be blamed for everything any of us has ever done wrong. To know that I am one wrong word away from all of my efforts unraveling.¡± I peered into his brown eyes. ¡°Not with me. Now as for the Duerten, I might have my speechwriter draft you something. Maybe portray humanity as shepherds of the cattle¡­hm, at least they agreed to a second talk. You¡¯re the face of Earth, so¡ª¡± ¡°Tarva. I don¡¯t want to talk about politics, or Glim. I want to talk about us.¡± My heart skipped a beat, as the predator squeezed my paw. His eyes had taken on a pleading quality, and I could see the lines on his forehead. When Noah was focused on me, the rest of the world faded into the background. Who knew that a human could be so hypnotic? The Terran cleared his throat. ¡°I know we¡¯ve gone out a few times. Hell, I even cooked you dinner at my pad, and you pretended the canned asparagus tasted decent. Those are good memories, but I want something more.¡± ¡°N-noah, I¡¯m busy. I¡¯m sorry that I talk about work so often, and that I¡¯m not more available.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the leader of an entire planet. I understand that¡­but I want to be official. I want to take you to Earth, and use the UN¡¯s bottomless diplomatic funds on a fancy dinner, for us. I want to whisk you around the city in a posh car, and share my culture with you in style. The two of us, as an item.¡± ¡°Official? People would laugh at us¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what anyone thinks. Let them laugh! I had to travel across the galaxy to find someone who understood me, who was driven and compassionate. I want to spend my life with someone who completes me.¡± ¡°There¡¯s so much going on, Noah. The war, everything at home, the galaxy upended...¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I don¡¯t want to waste a second. I want to show you where I trained to be an astronaut, and the park where I found constellations with my dad. I want to put a hammock on the beach, and watch a sunset together. Mostly, I just want to be with you.¡± Noah¡¯s hand drifted to my shoulder, and the other cupped my head. I didn¡¯t understand why humans loved face-biting, but those predator instincts were old news to me. There was no fear from him moving closer, even as his warm breath set my heart on fire. For all the death that humanity¡¯s arrival heralded, it was their bonding ability that defined their species to me. Love and emotion helped them triumph against adversity, as the entire galaxy opposed¡­ A mortified scream traveled from the doorway. ¡°H-HELP! Noah is eating Tarva¡¯s face! He¡¯s b-biting her!¡± The predator leapt backward, and raised his hands in confusion. Glim was parked at the doorway, having watched enough of our private moment. The Venlil¡¯s ears were pinned in horror, and tears swelled in his eyes. His legs skittered on the tile, as he backed away. Glim thinks he just saw proof that humans want to eat us. Clearly missed the context. Great. ¡°Noah and I are together. Humans bite on the mouth to show affection,¡± I said flatly. ¡°W-what?! You¡¯re¡­d-dating him?¡± A series of emotions flashed across the exterminator¡¯s face. He seemed more mortified than before. ¡°But he looks like a shaven runt!¡± Noah rolled his eyes. ¡°Venlil flattery is as strong as ever. You know how to make a man feel special.¡± ¡°T-tarva, h-human¡­h-human males hit the females of t-their species. You c-can¡¯t trust his ¡®love.¡¯ It¡¯s all in Haysi¡¯s archive¡­¡± Glim slumped his shoulders, and his ragged body quivered from head to toe. Noah narrowed his eyes, before moving toward the exterminator. A pitiful squeak came from the Venlil rescue, and his crying escalated to a downpour. Haysi¡¯s shared atrocities had left Glim terrified of the Terran ambassador; it felt like regression, right after improvement was attained. Despite how frustrating it should be for him, my Noah was as patient as ever. He stopped in his tracks, and gestured for me to join him. I knew this human wouldn¡¯t physically harm me; it was absurd to imagine that Noah Williams would even think of hitting anyone. His long-suffering demeanor and concern for others were enough, but he also cared about me deeply. Noah would take a predator¡¯s bite for me if he had to. He¡¯s never done anything but place me on a pedestal. ¡°Glim, you hear about one human doing something and apply it to all of us.¡± The ¡°Gaian¡± ambassador pursed his lips, and flared his nostrils. ¡°Abuse is not societally accepted; it¡¯s illegal and considered disgusting to normal Terrans. Even if it weren¡¯t, I¡¯d rather have my nails peeled off than have anything happen to Tarva.¡± I perked my ears up. ¡°Noah and I went to a boardwalk here, and it started raining. He gave me his jacket to put over my head, so I could stay warm and dry. I told him not to do it, but he made sure he got soaked¡ªnot me.¡± ¡°T-they¡¯re just pretending to b-be nice to manipulate you. Haysi t-told me¡­about humans t-trading each other like property.¡± Something changed in Noah¡¯s expression. ¡°My ancestors were the ones treated like goods, and shipped across the globe inhumanely, with no regard for basic dignity. Worked, beaten, and raped to the breaking point for centuries. Don¡¯t you dare bring my name into that.¡± ¡°What?¡± I tilted my head at him in concern. ¡°I didn¡¯t know any of this.¡± ¡°Of course not, because look where I am today, Tarva. I am proof that we¡¯re not the species from Haysi¡¯s capsule. Things can change. Humanity has changed, and admitted the barbaric mistakes of our past.¡± ¡°H-how can you just accept that¡­was done to you?¡± the rescue stammered. ¡°Oh, you shouldn¡¯t accept injustice, Glim. You should feel sick and angry at everything in Haysi¡¯s exhibit; I do too.¡± ¡°But w-why? Why would humans treat your own people like p-possessions?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t dissimilar to the Federation¡¯s spiel. Wrapped in a veneer of ¡®science¡¯ and morality, to infer lesser attributes on people who looked like me. Rationalized bigotry isn¡¯t an Earth-exclusive ideology.¡± Glim recoiled. ¡°What are you t-talking about?!¡± ¡°The omnivores deserved to be ¡®saved¡¯ and ¡®cured¡¯, right? Predators¡¯ lives are worth nothing? I¡¯m not engaging in whataboutism; it¡¯s horrible, and that¡¯s unequivocal. I¡¯m just saying we¡¯re all guilty of this savagery.¡± The Venlil exterminator¡¯s shaking had ceased, and a tinge of relief dotted his gaze. I wondered to myself if Glim thought he¡¯d face punitive actions for touching these subjects. Noah¡¯s points had struck a chord even with myself; humans weren¡¯t the only ones who could be blind to their own hatred. Evil was rooted in a web of complex lies that transcended the individual. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be manipulated!¡± the Venlil wailed. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to be pretending¡­using me.¡± A frown stretched across Noah¡¯s face. ¡°I just want to help you, Glim. I wish it wasn¡¯t so hard for you believe that.¡± ¡°W-we¡¯re scoring you points in the war.¡± I swished my tail. ¡°The humans wished to end the Arxur¡¯s cattle farming, long before they were at war with the Federation. Their generals had plans to free you, which were sidetracked by constant plots against Earth.¡± ¡°Exactly. Haysi thinks we¡¯re vicious pretenders, and she won¡¯t let us tell her otherwise. But even if you don¡¯t trust me, you know there¡¯s more to us than¡­pure evil.¡± The rescue fell into stony silence. ¡°You knew.¡± ¡°Of course we did. We were worried about Haysi, and we couldn¡¯t risk her hurting herself.¡± ¡°Noah hoped you would trust him enough to ask him. You did well,¡± I jumped in. ¡°I want to feel safe,¡± Glim croaked. ¡°I¡­I can¡¯t convince the other cattle when I haven¡¯t convinced myself.¡± ¡°It took all of us a long time to trust them. You¡¯ve had a few days, from knowing only that predators are evil. I can tell you Noah has the deepest sympathy for you.¡± The predator chuckled. ¡°And Noah can vocalize his own emotions. I¡¯m here to support and comfort you, Glim. You can talk to me about anything, and I want you to know that. I will never lie to you, so listen now. You are safe.¡± ¡°¡­even if I d-don¡¯t help the other cattle?¡° ¡°If you want to help us, that is your decision. You are in control of you¡ªstop calling yourself cattle. You are a person with autonomy to us, and no human is planning to subjugate you. Not now, not later, not ever.¡± ¡°Okay. N-not cattle. Gaians¡­c-caretaker.¡± Glim was desperate for Noah not to be proven a monster; I could see it in his eyes, plain as day. The human advanced once more, and the rescue allowed himself to be embraced. Haysi was another issue, but one rescue was willing to see through the ugliness. It mirrored my own realization, on that first interaction, that the Terrans had a beautiful side to them. If the predators could work past their worst moments with a former exterminator, there was hope to get through to other rescues. To me, this was a positive omen for the program¡¯s future success. It would be an enormous boost for Earth¡¯s diplomatic standing to get these liberated souls on our side. Chapter 105 Memory transcription subject: Governor Tarva of the Venlil Republic Date [standardized human time]: December 9, 2136 Negotiations with the Duerten Homogeneity were ongoing, though the last three days all ended the same. The moment Ambassador Noah brought up lending their auxiliary support ships to humanity, the galaxy¡¯s other sapient avians balked. The Duerten were recognizable for their curved bills, which stuck out like ¡°Pinocchio¡¯s nose¡± according to my beloved human. They didn¡¯t take kindly to the UN¡¯s suggestion that those bills likely evolved to spear prey. The Duerten also told me that a Venlil presence on the call was unnecessary, and shut me out of today¡¯s meeting. I would¡¯ve rather been with Noah at the governor¡¯s mansion now, but I trusted him to take care of himself. I simply knew that if the talks fell through, the Terran ambassador would lump all of the blame on his shoulders. The United Nations needed to turn one of the military alliance-only voters; that constituency contained most of the Federation¡¯s powerhouses. Earth can''t fully commit to offensive action until we have the resources to support such maneuvers. Zhao would never run the risk of his homeworld being counterattacked. Visiting the rescues¡¯ hospital offered a way to pass a few hours. It distracted me from my inability to get the endangered Thafki to send a representative, or to get the Duerten to do anything but chitchat. Were all these diplomatic efforts wasting the Terrans¡¯ time? There were only so many times humanity would extend a hand in friendship, and have it slapped away. At this point, it was for practical reasons that they tried at all. Glim had stabilized, and was busy drafting talking points for Noah. The human ambassador had another unenviable task on his plate; we planned to reveal the Gaians¡¯ true identity to all of the saved Venlil tonight. There would be mass panic, once it was apparent that the masked bipeds were predators. This was the trial run for our larger ambitions with the other races rescued from Shaza¡¯s sector. I¡¯d taken it upon myself to monitor Haysi, who¡¯d remained an emotional wreck despite the Gaians leaving her alone. My concern for Sara also lingered; the female human had been absent from the facility, ever since Glim snapped at her to leave. But now, I spotted the curly-haired scientist taking aggressive strides down the hall, and carrying a massive stack of papers. Her binocular eyes were frantic. ¡°Slow down! Take a breath.¡± I rushed out of the security room, and grabbed Sara¡¯s forearm. ¡°You¡¯re back here? What are you doing?¡± The Terran waved her postcard-sized papers. ¡°I went to the Venlil Museum of History. Photographed every nook and cranny, and annotated the human exhibit with sticky notes. Thought it might cheer Haysi up to see her old passion.¡± ¡°That was very thoughtful of you, but Sara¡­I know how much you love to work with others. Haysi isn¡¯t one of your projects, okay? You¡¯re not responsible for her recovery.¡± ¡°I just want to help. I know she would be too scared to visit, with human visitors.¡± ¡°What about you? You¡¯re scared to visit her, because you know that she¡¯ll look at you like you¡¯re a monster.¡± ¡°Tarva, you won¡¯t talk me out of bringing this to her. I¡¯ll drop it off and leave, but I must be sure it gets to her! After terrifying a Venlil who¡¯s been traumatized half to death, the least I can do is give her something that makes her happy.¡± ¡°The whole terror aspect is not your fault.¡± ¡°Yet it feels like it is. I¡¯m giving this to Haysi.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go with you, Sara. Please just keep back, and let me do the talking. I¡¯m not trying to silence you, but she won¡¯t hear a word you say.¡± The predator took a shaky breath, and nodded in agreement. I pried away a chunk of her photos, lightening the load she carried. It was a sincere gesture on Sara¡¯s part, to recall Haysi¡¯s request to visit the museum. However, with what we knew now, it was for the best that the Gaians hadn¡¯t allowed the rescues to roam free. Haysi wasn¡¯t thrilled about the Terran ¡°invasion¡± of Venlil Prime; little had shaken her dispirited state of mind. Perhaps seeing exhibits that existed before her captivity would offer comfort. It was a slice of something familiar, which had once fascinated her. I remembered her eagerness to seek grants from me, when I¡¯d been our planetary ambassador. ¡°Haysi might learn to love our exhibits in time. Maybe she¡¯ll appreciate humanity¡¯s nuance and complexity,¡± Sara assured herself. My ear flick was noncommittal. ¡°We¡¯ll see. Let¡¯s go, together.¡± I thought it would be best to discard the photos of the human corridor, since it may evoke a negative reaction. Haysi seemed like the type to see her museum as defiled, or to see an objective look at the Terrans as a biased undoing of her ¡°Pure Evil¡± work. There was no polite way to tell a friend not to showcase her species, though. My advice was to demonstrate humanity¡¯s good side to Haysi; it¡¯s possible Noah passed my message along. I should¡¯ve been more careful with my words. Sara fitted her mask over her face, and extended her wrist in my direction. Catching on, I wrapped my prosthetic tail around her arm. Neither Terran astronaut complained that the metal replacement didn¡¯t offer the soft, bushy comfort of my natural appendage. It was the sentiment that counted to the predators. I was grateful that they didn¡¯t treat me differently for my disfigurement. My paw wrapped around Haysi¡¯s door handle, and I pushed my way inside. Sara stood behind me, all but hiding behind my shorter figure. The predator¡¯s pulse had quickened beneath my metal tail, which its touch sensors picked up on. The Venlil rescue receded into her pillow, freezing at the Gaian¡¯s appearance. I think Haysi hoped Sara had departed for good. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°Hi Haysi,¡± the Terran scientist said softly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for bothering you now, and I¡¯m sorry for my poorly thought-out exposure therapy. I¡¯m not trying to scare you.¡± Haysi didn¡¯t reply, but I could see her teeth chattering in her jaw. My tail uncoiled from Sara¡¯s arm, and I gave her an encouraging ear flick. The human approached with cautious steps, clasping her photos with tentative fingers. I set the pictures I¡¯d removed from the stack on the mattress, and the scientist placed the rest atop those ones. I gave Sara a pointed look, reminding her that I should handle conversation. ¡°Haysi, Sara did something very nice for you. She knows you love the Museum of History, so she photographed the entire building for you. You can see everything that¡¯s there now, just like it was in the old days.¡± ¡°I¡­d-don¡¯t want anything from a h-human,¡± the Venlil coughed. ¡°Oh, come on. I know you want to see the Museum, and you don¡¯t want to be around human visitors to do it. It¡¯s up to you whether you want to look at the photos, but now, you can.¡± ¡°M-manipulation. Stop.¡± ¡°Nobody¡¯s doing anything with ill intent toward you. We just want to help you. See, we¡¯re leaving now.¡± I reaffixed my tail to Sara¡¯s delicate wrist, and backed out of the room with her in tow. Haysi pulled the covers over her face, waiting for the Gaian to recede from sight. My heart felt heavy, as we retreated into the hallway. The human slumped her shoulders, and I recognized that pouting posture from Noah. It would be harsh to tell the predator my honest opinion, but I thought Haysi was a lost cause. There was no way of making progress with someone who refused to listen; the historian was entrenched in her opinions. As much as my next words would sting, I couldn¡¯t go on seeing a friend subject herself to pain. There was nothing any human could do to win certain rescues over. ¡°Sara, I think that you should stop visiting Haysi. Nothing good is coming of you seeing her, and it¡¯s obvious she hates humans,¡± I stated in a firm voice. ¡°There¡¯s no changing what¡¯s been done. I can find another rescue to reassign you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want another rescue!¡± Sara stomped her foot in frustration, pitch climbing frenetically. ¡°I want my friend that I played Jenga with, and hugged before she went to sleep, back. I lied to her. I hurt her, and she can¡¯t even look at me.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want another rescue? It doesn¡¯t have to be a Venlil then. Listen, you could meet new and exciting species, the ones the Mazics are facilitating! A scientist like you could brainstorm strategies to rebuild the Thafki¡¯s population, or perhaps be the bigger person that aids the Krakotl.¡± ¡°It¡¯s ironic that we saved the species that led the extermination fleet, from the cattle farms. It¡¯s sure funny.¡± ¡°You know there''ll be a shortage of Terran volunteers. Your help would be quite needed, and¡ª¡± Emergency raid sirens resounded through the hospital, a tone that every Venlil knew far too well. Sara seemed familiar with the warning, and her eyes stretched wide in alarm. Panic swelled in my heart, as I reached for my holopad. Dozens of messages from General Kam littered my feed; I should¡¯ve been keeping an eye on my notifications. Inbound signatures of an indiscernible make, heading for Venlil Prime. Our new defenses should thwart them with ease, but there¡¯s the possibility of a few missiles slipping through, Kam wrote in his first message. We don¡¯t have the ship garrison we once had, despite humans standing at the helm. All civilians should be sent to bunkers. Sara leaned her masked head over my shoulders, and stared straight at the holopad. Humans were wonderful at focusing on what was in front of them; still, I couldn¡¯t imagine having their narrow field of vision. Using binocular vision goggles, at the very Museum of History tour Sara had photographed, I had felt blind. The world had been a claustrophobic mess, and every person snuck up on me! The scientist used a visual translator to parse the text¡¯s meaning, and recoiled at once. The once-illegible Venlil script now imparted its grave warning. I hoped Sara could keep her wits, because I was losing my own. ¡°W-we¡¯ve got to go,¡± I stammered. ¡°T-there¡¯s no telling how many ships are coming, and it¡¯s p-probably the Arxur. D-did Isif betray us? Sara, let¡¯s go!¡± The human drew a shaky breath. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving without Haysi.¡± ¡°Every second we¡¯re here, our r-risk of being caught in a stampede or b-bombed¡ª¡± Sara wasn¡¯t listening to my response; her legs were dashing in the opposite direction of the exits. My ears could pick up other Gaians scrambling to retrieve their rescues. Even in my fear-stricken state, I recognized that bringing the former cattle to a bunker would be a problem. They¡¯d see human refugees unmasked, and there wouldn¡¯t be a chance for the planned reveal. There were going to be panicked trauma victims, locked in an enclosed space with predators. This was a worst-case scenario; I hoped the Gaian volunteers offered explanations now, before the truth became evident. It was difficult to collect my thoughts, but I was cogent enough not to leave Sara to her own devices. I managed to chase after her, retracing the path to Haysi¡¯s room. The human was collecting the photo stack off the bed; she stuffed the images underneath her arm haphazardly. Without hesitation, Sara reached for Haysi. That elicited an ear-piercing shriek from the Venlil, who thrashed around in panic. I had enough sense to fetch a mild sedative, and hand it to Sara. There was no chance the historian would cooperate with a predator carrying her. The scientist jammed the needle into a vein, and scooped the forcibly-relaxed Haysi up. I wrapped my tail around Sara¡¯s leg, just in case I lost control. The last thing I needed was to get separated from her, and get swept up in a stampede. The human muttered reassurances, and jogged in the direction of the exit. ¡°Where is your car, Tarva?¡± the Terran barked. I studied my reflection in her mask. ¡°The d-driver should be waiting in the p-pick-up area, if he d-didn¡¯t panic. I¡¯m s-sorry¡­I usually have c-control of my instincts, but Arxur raids are t-traumatic for me.¡± ¡°I know that, Governor. You¡¯re doing great, okay? I¡¯ve got you both.¡± The predator¡¯s warm stability coaxed me along into the outdoors. UN security personnel, who lurked in my vicinity ever since the memorial¡¯s stampede, greeted us. They had just been rushing into the building, determined to evacuate me after I kept them waiting. Sara allowed them to assist with carrying Haysi, and I let the humans herd me to my car. The Terrans roughly pushed my head down, since the back door was already open. I dropped into a passenger seat, and tried to steady my breathing. Venlil Prime was under attack by an unknown assailant; we had to reach a bunker at once. I also needed to establish communications with my people, in order to make relevant decisions. The UN security guards dove in, after shoving Sara and Haysi inside. I huddled against the human scientist, and shot a concerned glance at the rescue. This was not going to be a pleasant experience, once we were all caged inside a bunker. That was assuming the three of us could get to safety unharmed. ¡°H-how close is the nearest bunker?¡± I asked the driver. The Venlil flicked his ears. ¡°F-five minutes, ma¡¯am. I¡¯ll do my best to avoid pedestrians.¡± I cast my gaze out the window. Sara removed her mask, given that the security staff weren¡¯t obscured for the occasion. It was selfless of the human to return for Haysi; I hoped that Noah and Glim were able to get to safety as well. The Terran ambassador could hunker down in the mansion¡¯s bunker, at least. Glim¡¯s fate was reliant on the other caretakers getting him out. My frightened brain pondered the reason for our attack. Until we learned more about our assailants, and the confrontation had played out, there was no determining why Venlil Prime was under siege. If anyone could protect the civilian populace, it was our closest allies. Humanity wasn¡¯t going to let our homeworld suffer easily. All we could do, stuck on the ground amidst a major metropolis, was fast-track a route to shelter. Chapter 106 Memory transcription subject: Governor Tarva of the Venlil Republic Date [standardized human time]: December 9, 2136 It was obvious that the human was resisting the urge to comfort Haysi; even while the Venlil rescue was immobilized, her eyes screamed misery. Sara acted as my support pillar, giving me the courage to peer out the window. The Venlil capital had been plunged into chaos, with a free-for-all dash to the bunkers. Erratic driving was rampant, and the wrecks would soon cause a traffic jam that made road travel impossible. Our Venlil driver cursed, spotting a multi-car pileup down the street. After thinking for a moment, he steered us up onto the sidewalk. The chauffeur yanked the steering whistle, and crept along slowly to give pedestrians time to move out of the way. We rolled down the sidewalk at a crawl; other vehicles began to act upon the same idea. I wished my driver hadn¡¯t decided I deserved special treatment for being the governor. The crowd congregated in our path, and I noticed a few humans among those walking. The predators remained their normal selves amidst the chaos, evidenced by them shooting middle fingers at our car. One Terran even slammed the hood of my vehicle, though he stopped when he recognized me and Sara. Word traveled that Tarva and an Odyssey astronaut were the passengers, and the pedestrians parted. We swerved back onto the road, past the massive wreck that would¡¯ve delayed us. The tunnel up ahead was the site of the nearest bunker, so we had cleared the distance in a few minutes. I checked my holopad for updates, and hoped Kam would apprise me of the situation soon. Who was attacking us, and what were their goals? ¡°Oh, Tarva¡­this is apocalyptic!¡± Sara pointed to a handful of flaming vehicles, and stampede corpses near the bunker. ¡°There¡¯s so many dead, for no reason at all. Where are your emergency services?¡± I heaved a sigh. ¡°Honestly, this looks like less stampede casualties than usual. There will be no responses from EMS until the l-lockdown has passed. They¡¯re trying to get to the bunkers, same as everyone else.¡± ¡°People are going to bleed out in the streets, not getting medical aid. Someone has to help!¡± ¡°It¡¯s little solace, b-but I think humans have helped, just by being here. You stopped Venlil from panicking. You kept your wits and directed your friends.¡± A horrified expression took over Sara¡¯s face, and her eyes were wide with disbelief. The UN security barked at us to disembark, since it would be quicker to clear the final meters on foot. My scientist friend scooped up Haysi, kneading her scruff to comfort her. That gesture had the opposite effect, but the predator kept trying. We hopped out into the smoky air, and I studied the burning wrecks of the cars. One foot in front of the other¡ªthat was the mantra I told myself. The flames crackling around me reminded me of the human stampede, and that awful day that Elias Meier was taken away from us. Venlil were trapped within the car wrecks, and many languished on the ground with gruesome injuries. I could see in the Terrans¡¯ faces that they wished to help, but they prioritized getting me to safety. Human instincts encourage them to help strangers in trouble. Can Haysi recognize their empathy¡¯s manifestation for what it is? A screeching wail pierced the air, just enough that my ears picked it up; a few devices mirrored its sound close behind. Flashing lights appeared in my periphery, as the hum played up and down. The noises sped to quick bursts, followed by the deeper sound of a blaring horn. Massive trucks were coming from the direction of the hospital, emblazoned with the logo of the UN. ¡°W-what is that?¡± Haysi cried. ¡°H-hunting signal?¡± Sara¡¯s lips curved up. ¡°Just look, sweetie. Please¡­look.¡± My own eyes widened with disbelief, as an entire armada of predators rushed to the scene. Humans in bulky, reflective pelts and hard helmets exited a red truck. They readied a massive hose, and began spraying gallons of water onto a burning car. I watched as they battled the blaze, tackling it with determination. More of their guild arrived to extinguish other flames. Boxy trucks were also in the area, with stretchers descending from their back hatches. Human paramedics never ran, but their steps were purposeful and well-intentioned. Somehow, they were collected amidst pure chaos; the external stressors rolled right off of them. The Terrans began tending to the critically wounded, providing life-saving measures. Why were these humans not getting themselves to safety? How could they stay on duty with the threat of antimatter annihilation hanging over them? To think that they would risk their lives, for Venlil who had gotten wounded in our own panic¡­ Haysi gawked, as security encouraged us to keep moving. Perhaps it surprised her that humans were trained in medicine at all. These actions were selfless and altruistic, risking their own hides to save others. This was the epitome of why I fought for their species, and why I thought the Earthlings had good hearts. They were heroes in their best moments. Sara sighed, as we joined a waiting queue by the bunker¡¯s massive elevator. ¡°Any update, Tarva?¡± The doors chimed open within a few seconds, and I kept my eyes on my holopad. My tail flicked in the negative; the human nodded, understanding. Terran paramedics shouted for us to hold the lift, before wheeling a patient into the car. Without further ado, we hurtled down to the bunker¡¯s underground hideout. I huddled next to Sara, trying not to think of how cramped it was. The predator EMTs began setting up a makeshift hospital, and I reminded myself to commend their efforts if we survived. Haysi¡¯s eyes darted around the bunker; I could tell that her sedative had begun to wear off. The rescue wriggled her legs, earning Sara¡¯s attention. Had I been thinking clearer at the facility, it would¡¯ve occurred to me to pack another dose. The paramedics might have something to knock her out, if it came to that. Haysi wasn¡¯t the only rescued Venlil spiraling; a few individuals from the program had fainted or gone catatonic. Others were engaged in full-blown panic attacks, or cowering near-catatonic at masked humans¡¯ feet. Terran civilians comprised about 10% of the bunker¡¯s population, so there was no avoiding the sight of them. ¡°I¡¯m going to put you down, Haysi. Just stay put, okay?¡± Sara still had the Museum of History photos under her arm. She shifted them into her hands with deft motions, and flipped through them. ¡°You let the Farsul show you footage of us. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s fair to let us show footage of us?¡± Haysi whined feebly. ¡°W-who t-told you? F-fucking Glim?!¡± ¡°Answer my question. Are you that opposed to seeing things which contradict what you already know? You¡¯ve decided we¡¯re evil.¡± ¡°Haysi, you thought it yourself, all the way back then. There¡¯s more to humans than wars and violence,¡± I said. Sara latched onto my contribution. ¡°You heard us talk about all those good things: love, community, nature. You just saw evidence, with your own eyes, of our desire to help. Let me show you a little more proof. Let me show you how we present our history.¡± The Venlil rescue trained her eyes on the paramedics, who were giving blood transfusions to an individual with critical wounds. Her gaze wandered, as if she were counting the number of Gaians in the room. Haysi noticed that some Terrans were scared; many were crying or showing signs of distress. Human children clung to their parents, and even a few Venlil were comforting the predator young. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. One Earthborn kid tugged at his mother¡¯s pelt. ¡°Not again! I wanna go home. P-please.¡± ¡°M-manipulation?¡± Haysi asked, pointing at the child. ¡°It d-doesn¡¯t want to r-resist its hunger again? C-can¡¯t be scared.¡± Sara fiddled with her curls. ¡°I¡¯m scared shitless too. This brings back a lot of memories, of being caged in a bunker for days on Earth. As billions¡­died, and we didn¡¯t know if we¡¯d be next. It was traumatic, and that kid doesn¡¯t know if this is any different.¡± The human scientist tugged out two photographs, and passed one to Haysi. The rescue cringed, touching the same paper as Sara. I leaned over the predator¡¯s shoulder, inspecting the image. It was a timeline of early civilizations on Earth, including ancient settlements and hunting methods. Ancient philosophers were depicted, along with temples and pyramids. ¡°How do you think that humans would define the start of civilization?¡± Sara asked. Haysi choked on phlegm. ¡°F-first hunting tools.¡± ¡°No. Read the part at the top of that exhibit, Haysi.¡± ¡°A h-healed femur¡­is the earliest¡­¡± ¡°Sign of civilization. Why? Because it takes months to recover from that injury, and requires help from others to survive. That is how humans define civilization: helping others.¡± ¡°W-when did w-wounded people stop being l-left to die, human? A few d-decades ago?¡± ¡°The first archaeological evidence of a healed femur is from 15,000 years ago. Someone had to care for that person¡­and nurse them back to health. We never stopped caring, Haysi, not even in our darkest moments. Whenever you look for compassionate heroes among humans, you will find them. That is my promise to you.¡± Huddled in the bunker with thousands of others, I absorbed that lesson alongside Haysi. It was a nice benchmark to ascribe to civilization¡ªa scientific way to quantify when a species started caring. The Venlil historian squinted at the photograph, before handing it back to Sara. Her ragged frame was quivering, while her voice was still fraught with terror. Haysi cleared her throat. ¡°W-what was the other p-photo?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the exhibit of our accomplishments as a spacefaring species. It applies to the Venlil and every alien race. It¡¯s proof that we reached out in open friendship, long before we knew there was anyone out there. You think we¡¯re terrifying predators, but really, we¡¯re sad, lonely primates screaming into the void.¡± ¡°P-please explain.¡± ¡°We sent manned missions to our moon, in the name of progress. We sent rovers to explore the planets within our system, and took images of every orbital body. We love knowledge, Haysi; we¡¯ll run to the end of the universe for a drop of it. But none of that searching turned up anything.¡± ¡°B-but you didn¡¯t g-give up. You s-say you invented FTL¡­on your own?¡± ¡°We did. I¡¯m proud to have been on our first planetary survey mission. But, before that, we would scan the skies for signals from aliens. We sent a probe out of our solar system, with information about our world and greetings¨Cit was called Voyager.¡± The Venlil rescue inspected the blurb about the Voyager probe, and I squinted with equal fascination. Seeing humanity¡¯s innocent curiosity had wiped away my dread, despite the threat of an imminent attack. Images of their planet, music, sounds of nature, and mathematical schema were sent to the stars. Greetings were also recorded from 55 Earth tribes, wishing peace and good health. The UN Secretary-General of those early days had inscribed words of peace and friendship, which I could envision Elias Meier himself stating. I could hear them spoken in Elias¡¯ voice, acknowledging that Earth was but a small corner of the universe. Putting forth humanity¡¯s desire to learn from alien cultures, and their willingness to share from their own library of knowledge as well. ¡°It wasn¡¯t going to reach any planetary system for forty thousand years, Haysi. Long after any of the humans involved in it could benefit from manipulation,¡± Sara said. ¡°The simplest explanation is that we wanted friends¡­and that we wished you well before we ever knew you.¡± Haysi threw the picture down. ¡°How c-can you prove that you d-didn¡¯t invent this? Or c-compile it after making contact with the V-Venlil?¡± ¡°You can calculate where Voyager is today as well as we can. The weathering of time should be evident on it. Actually, the UN wanted to encourage Tarva to go pick it up. It was meant for aliens to hear, and there couldn¡¯t be a better recipient than our first friends. It would be¡­sentimental for us.¡± I chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll do it. Well, assuming we don¡¯t all die today.¡± ¡°Tarva! My God, you can¡¯t go around saying that!¡± ¡°I am merely accepting the possibility. I¡¯m hopeful it won¡¯t come to that. But if the end is near, I¡¯m thankful to spend this time learning about the species I love. It would be an honor to give your Voyager greeting a proper look-over.¡± ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± Haysi admitted. ¡°T-there¡¯s no reason to t-tell so much about yourselves, and open yourself up to s-scrutiny. To d-danger.¡± A wistful sigh was all I could muster. ¡°They reached out to the stars, and expected the galaxy to do the same. They couldn¡¯t help themselves. It¡¯s simply who humanity is as a species.¡± My holopad buzzed, alerting me to an incoming message. I snapped my focus away from Sara, and ignored stares from across the bunker. The human and I were recognizable figures on Venlil Prime; it was our security who kept strangers from approaching. The people expected answers from me, and I hoped I had them soon. Call me at your earliest convenience, General Kam had texted. General Jones of the United Nations has pressing information. These details could be sensitive, but there was no privacy within the bunker¡¯s main area. Thankfully, my earbuds were available to keep the words secret. I dispatched video communications to Kam at once, fumbling with the keystrokes. The Venlil military official appeared on screen, a worried glint in his eyes. He added Jones to our call, and the high-ranking human studied me with her usual bravado. The predator flashed her teeth. ¡°Governor Tarva. Thank you for allowing me to phone in. I wish it was under more pleasant circumstances.¡± ¡°W-what?¡± Heart-wrenching concern permeated my awareness, and my thoughts leapt to the gorgeous settlements of my homeworld. ¡°Is V-Venlil Prime safe? Were our cities hit? How d-did the battle go, and who is attacking us, and why?!¡± Kam raised a placating paw, a human-eseque gesture he¡¯d absorbed. ¡°Venlil Prime has not been hit by any missiles at this time. There were a few hundred ships, seemingly hailing from Aafa. We¡¯ve taken care of most of the Kolshian bastards, and we should be able to clean up the rest without issue.¡± ¡°So we can s-stop them short of orbital?¡± ¡°Well short of orbital range, ma¡¯am. Our advanced warning systems did their duty, and our defensive fleet outnumbered theirs by a substantial margin. Throw in humans being humans¡­the Kolshians got ¡®pancaked.¡¯ I¡¯m hopeful we can give the all clear within the hour.¡± ¡°We just can¡¯t rescind the emergency until the last enemy is dispatched. I understand, and it¡¯s a weight off my chest. Thank you, Kam.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not how well their attack went that concerns me,¡± General Jones interjected. ¡°It¡¯s why they went through with it in the first place. It wasn¡¯t with the intent of succeeding.¡± I tilted my head in confusion, unable to decipher the predator¡¯s meaning. Perhaps Sara would grasp an attack meant to fail; I couldn¡¯t see the objective, other than as spiteful revenge spurred by ¡°fight instincts.¡± Then again, it was positive news that Venlil Prime was unlikely to suffer any damage today. The last thing I wanted was to tell my citizenry that the Federation harmed our home. Also, how could it be herbivores, and not the Arxur, assaulting our space? It was difficult to process what Kam had stated, though I didn¡¯t allow myself to dwell on it. I realized that the Venlil Republic was a treasonous enemy to the Kolshians; siding with humanity put us at odds with the Federation by default. It was simply unlike the tentacled manipulators to go on the offensive. Prey only defend what is theirs; isn¡¯t that their view on warfare? Why the sudden aggression? I swished my prosthetic tail. ¡°I¡¯m not certain what point they¡¯re trying to prove, General Jones. I am only happy that their ships lie in ruin, and that you have protected us again.¡± ¡°Allow me to share some intel that was passed along our novel FTL comms. Each of our allies is reporting a similar incursion in their home system: all failures, none with a convincing show of force. That leads me to believe that the Kolshians were testing our defenses. This was just recon.¡± ¡°W-what does that mean? P-please, tell me if I should worry.¡± ¡°It means shit is about to hit the fan. The Kolshians are assessing the weakest targets, and also gathering intel for the planning stage. The intelligence community on Earth analyzed the most-likely targets, and Venlil Prime isn¡¯t high on the list. However, I don¡¯t think preemptive buffs to your defenses could hurt.¡± ¡°Okay. W-we have the upgrades you gave us, and we¡¯ll bring in more ships.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll help you too, since you¡¯re a priority to the UN. But humanity can¡¯t protect everywhere at once. We need goals beyond defensive measures¡ªa forward strategy if you will¡ªand that means earning more allies. I sure hope the Duerten, or someone, comes around.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep my ears peeled on that matter. T-thank you for the information, Generals. I¡¯m going to c-calm down the people here, and try to fix the fallout with the cattle rescues. Many saw your faces for the first time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. We don¡¯t need any domestic situations arising for you. The United Nations and its subsidiaries will be in touch. Please keep us apprised of any developments.¡± General Kam dipped his head. ¡°Take care, Governor. We¡¯ll see you soon.¡± The call fizzled out to a blank screen, and I pondered what I¡¯d learned. My mouth moved to inform Sara, Haysi, and the bunker¡¯s other occupants that we should vanquish this incursion. However, the words were passed along on autopilot. From the sound of what General Jones discussed, the Kolshians were bringing a massive force to our alliance¡¯s weakest link. The Federation was attempting to regain control forcibly, after humanity scored two crushing victories. I feared that another planet could become a casualty of this war, before the tide turned; there were no positives in dead civilians on any world. It was up to the predators to ascertain the Kolshians¡¯ game plan, and to get ahead of their next move. Chapter 107 Memory transcription subject: Chief Hunter Isif, Arxur Dominion Sector Fleet Date [standardized human time]: December 12, 2136 A diplomatic resolution to the battle of Sillis didn¡¯t solve all of my problems. Regaining organization, as well as finding places to pool a fleet without infrastructure, mandated a bit of time. Bringing Prophet-Descendant Giznel into the loop was also a priority; the last thing I wanted was Betterment breathing down my neck. The leader was chagrined by my unorthodox approach to disposing of Shaza. With hostilities terminated and internal orders dispensed, I found an opportunity to slip away. The nearest dead drop location was a human module on the border of Yotul space, inside what was once Shaza¡¯s sector. Nerves had gotten to me, since this was my first engagement with espionage. What was General Jones going to do with the information? Would humanity¡¯s actions reveal me as the source? Against my better judgment, I¡¯d booted up a call with Felra during my travels. The Dossur seemed intrigued by my days-long absence from the messaging service, which I excused as ¡°opposition from the UN military to a business proposal.¡± It was technically true. Our discourse had stretched into the late hours of the night, when she was forced to depart for a few winks. Rest wasn¡¯t a terrible idea, though my own sleep was broken. Felra couldn¡¯t call during her shift as a mechanical inspector, though she texted the majority of the time. She was close to finishing her day¡¯s work, and was eager to hop on a call afterward. I warned her that I had important matters to attend soon; my ship had Jones¡¯ outpost in sight. However, as usual, the Dossur was unfazed by my excuses, and unrelenting in her demands. You know I don¡¯t usually respond this slow, Siffy, Felra texted. We have been swamped, with Sillis ships docking for repairs. I saw a real, live human at work today¡­many of them, by sneaking a peek at the ¡°quarantined¡± lodgings. You guys are gigantic! I snorted to myself. The Dossur was never short with the unsolicited details about her day-to-day activities. If she thought that humans were massive, an Arxur¡¯s size would astound her. Despite our slouching posture, we could loom over the primates if we so desired. It mystified me how the Federation species could compare us and the Terrans, and see predatory features in the tree-dwellers. Well, I suppose you should be working, not on here chatting, I answered back. Don¡¯t get into trouble on my account. The Dossur typed back furiously. For crying out loud, Siffy! Show a little curiosity. Ask some questions¡­if you¡¯re interested in what I¡¯m saying at all. Fine. Did seeing the humans scare you, Felra? Yes¡­please don¡¯t be mad at me! I¡¯m just being honest. I didn¡¯t tell you this, but I¡¯ve watched a lot of human media since I paired with you here. Your comedies are hysterical and outlandish, for one. You only watched comedies? I watched the first human to appear on a Venlil talk show too. Some actor; he played off what the host was saying without hesitation, read discomfort with ease, and made fun of himself. So natural, conversational, and charismatic. So¡­unlike you. My paw nearly dropped the holopad, and I considered switching it off. Of course, I was nothing like the charming primates, with their smooth sociability and their empathetic capacity. I would be lucky to call myself a shallow echo of their personal depth. Perhaps it would¡¯ve been possible for me to be a better Arxur, but the deeds I¡¯d committed had hollowed out my defective side. Had Felra figured out that I wasn¡¯t a human at all? No, if she had ascertained that her internet friend was an Arxur, she would¡¯ve cut contact. The Dossur was getting close to the truth, so I needed to deflect her attention. I do not want to talk about me, I sent back. You never want to talk about you! You won¡¯t tell me one thing that¡¯s real about you, or one thing that¡¯s not wrapped in mystery. It¡¯s like you think if you¡¯re genuine, you¡¯re going to scare me off. Just because I¡¯m small doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m a damn coward! I do not think that, Felra. But I would scare you off, it is a fact. You said the humans you saw at work scared you. I kept looking though! What absolute goofballs¡­the way they razzed each other was so juvenile. The more I looked, the more I thought you¡¯re overgrown children. But not you. I am not like them. Answer me an honest question. Do you have predator disease? Don¡¯t take that the wrong way. I¡¯ve thought there are harmless strains of predator disease, which isn¡¯t exactly a popular idea here. Define predator disease. You know¡­antisocial, violent, noncompliant, nonconformist, lacking a full range of emotions, or delusional? Some combo of those. Those are unrelated attributes. You can call me nonconformist and leave it at that. Okay, Siffy. I¡¯m not judging you, I just want to get to know you. I want to understand you. You cannot do either of those things! Don¡¯t you get it? I am not a good person, Felra; I have thought about little but my own survival for decades. I¡¯m not prepared to interact with people like you, or to censor myself as humans do. I don¡¯t want you to censor yourself. I think you are deeply unhappy and troubled. You don¡¯t deserve to be alone¡­just open up to me, man. Ah shit, let me guess, now you¡¯ll say you have to go? I do. Guess you know me after all. Good-bye. The way Felra peeled back my emotional layers, and hounded me for personal insights, left my defective side in a full-blown mutiny. I¡¯d gotten too close to confessing the actual things I¡¯d buried; speaking with the pesky Dossur was always a mistake, yet I kept doing it. What good would babbling about my feelings do, other than to let misery overtake me? It wasn¡¯t like I could detail my life¡¯s work, and the reasons why I acted this way, to her. The rote actions of piloting the ship distracted me from the message banners accumulating on my holopad. It buzzed with an incoming call, as I descended toward the minimalist human station. Growling to myself, I took the device and shoved it back in the drawer. If I had any courage befitting an Arxur, I would delete that silly rodent¡¯s contact info; no, I would remove the entire SwiftPair application. Just take this stupid communique, and upload it to the blasted humans¡¯ computer network. The Arxur¡¯s future is relying on you, while you spend time caring about random prey you just met! I jerked upright, as I realized which thought had crossed my mind. Caring about Felra was an unacceptable indulgence; that was the exact reason why leaf-licking races made illogical decisions for the preservation of one individual. Oftentimes, caring about another managed to get people killed, or cause grave detriment to their own lives. It was foolish weakness, and there weren¡¯t even social benefits in my case. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Docking was completed just outside the dead drop site¡¯s sole entry. As I disembarked my ship, I was livid with myself. My claws swiped through the empty air, and my temper boiled inside of me. The fact was, even if I envied the humans¡¯ illogical morality and society, I was not one of their kind. This weakness needed to be purged at once, before it ruined me. ¡°Fucking Tarva, with her stupid ideas. Oh, I really need a friend,¡± I ranted to myself. The airlock hissed open at my arrival, granting me access to the one-room space station. I¡¯d stormed through the docking tunnel in a haze, and I couldn¡¯t wait to return to my ship. The point of my operation was to end the cruelty and starvation of my people. Revealing Giznel¡¯s plot was a way to up the ante; it could stoke the flames of open rebellion. The data drive in my grasp felt heavy from its importance. A green light flashed in a wall camera, likely activated by a motion sensor. I leaned closer to the computer display, tracing a claw across it. There were multiple ports, but I needed to find one tailored for my specific hardware. Perhaps General Jones or one of her henchmen had the sense to leave accessible instructions¡­.wait, did humans even know Arxur script? The lone computer monitor blinked to life, and I wondered if it was triggered by my presence as well. My pupils flitted up, seeing a feed of General Jones¡¯ face on screen. It was possible that this was a prerecorded message with instructions, which would be an efficient decision. However, the primate¡¯s eyes seemed to be following my movements. ¡°Is this live?¡± I queried. The human dipped her head, dust-colored bowl cut waving slightly. ¡°Yes, Isif, this is a real-time communications feed.¡± ¡°The point of a dead drop is to have no contact with you, yes?¡± ¡°You are correct. Don¡¯t consider this standard practice for our discussions, but I needed to speak with you. The motion sensors tipped me off to your arrival; thank you for coming, by the way. Oh, and before you ask, this is a secure and private feed.¡± ¡°Noted. General, I had nothing to do with the captured humans on Sillis.¡± ¡°But you had everything to do with Chief Hunter Shaza arriving in multiple pieces. Dead, and not answering any questions. Zhao wants intel, not a pair of homemade Arxur-skin boots.¡± I suppressed a laugh, somehow managing to keep a straight face. The liberated Terrans had done as expected, exacting their revenge upon the cruel Arxur. It was a fitting end for her, after the gruesome death she¡¯d given to a sapient predator. I had been looking forward to executing her myself; outsourcing the work tempered the pleasure, though the outcome was still satisfactory. ¡°How could I have possibly known that humans would kill their own prisoner?¡± I asked, baring my teeth. ¡°I sent her with Zhao¡¯s people, just as you asked. This seems like the problem is on you.¡± Jones narrowed her eyes. ¡°Isif, you knew exactly what would happen.¡± ¡°Ah, if this is what you needed to speak with me about, perhaps I have nothing to share with you after all.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not. I¡¯m just warning you not to play games with me in the future. There¡¯s bigger things at stake than your personal vendettas.¡± ¡°Consider it your payment to me for helping you, yes? Shaza called me elderly. She¡¯s also a cannibal who intruded on my sector!¡± ¡°I am aware of her history, but her insights would have been valuable to the United Nations. If you want to overthrow the Dominion long-term, sacrifices must be made. With that said, I would love for you to brief me on what you came here to share.¡± ¡°Giznel told me that the Arxur unleashed the virus on our own cattle. Betterment purposefully imposes strategies that prevent the Dominion from recouping enough prey to feed us, whether through raiding or breeding. Therefore, I doubt my government would have any interest in lab-grown meat or non-sapient cattle.¡± The human was quiet for a long moment, biting her lower lip. Intelligence gleamed in her binocular eyes, which studied me with interest. General Jones leaned forward to the camera, and offered an unnerving smile at last. There wasn¡¯t the slightest element of surprise in her expression, or any sort of reaction like I had expected. Did anything throw the military guru off her game? ¡°I surmised as much,¡± Jones sighed. ¡°There¡¯s no logical explanation for the Arxur¡¯s raiding policies, shooting yourselves in the foot.¡± ¡°You deduced a centuries-long conspiracy from our military doctrine being¡­illogical?¡± It¡¯s like she¡¯s trying to make me feel stupid for not seeing it sooner. ¡°That just proves we¡¯re destructive. Drawing far-reaching conclusions is illogical.¡± ¡°Well also, the Kolshians specialize in gene editing, but they bomb predators, instead of ¡®saving¡¯ them. They don¡¯t need a cattle virus when they can, and do, use antimatter to ruin ecosystems.¡± ¡°I see. I guess I have wasted my time bringing it to you.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for pouting. Confirmation is always valuable information, and specifics are also key to proving it. It¡¯s nice to have actual intelligence in my back pocket, should I pass this up the food chain.¡± ¡°You mean when you apprise Zhao of this development, and give him more reason to believe we are all animals.¡± ¡°Your empathy test surprised him, Isif, and has caused him to reconsider your motives. Regardless, I¡¯m not here to rehash this old feud, or even to lecture you on Shaza. There are concerning war developments as of late.¡± My nostrils flared with interest. ¡°Go on, Jones. Another attack on Earth, and you want my help?¡± ¡°Bah, we wouldn¡¯t ask for your help in that circumstance unless we were truly desperate. The Kolshians are gunning for our allies, to the point that they assaulted every last one with a trial run. We¡¯ve figured out their true target, and they already have thousands of ships ready to bury it. Or seize it; it¡¯s hard to say.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re telling me this. Venlil Prime isn¡¯t under my protection, other than my pledge not to attack it. If my people knew I was on amicable terms with Tarva¡­¡± ¡°The main target isn¡¯t Venlil Prime. It¡¯s Mileau¡ªthe Dossur homeworld.¡± My heart plummeted into my chest, thinking about Felra¡¯s attempts to befriend me. She was a bold character, unabashed in her opinions and curious about predators. I had just admitted to myself that I cared about the rodent, and now, her homeworld was under attack. It didn¡¯t make sense why the Terran general would inform me about Mileau¡¯s pending attack, unless she expected me to help. I knew Jones was spying on me, but this is a cheap trick, even for her! ¡°So the Federation wants to take back what they¡¯ve lost.¡± Indignation sparked in my chest, as I weighed this manipulation attempt. ¡°And why would you think I care about the Dossur homeworld?¡± The human shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s a Federation objective in your sector. Bringing Arxur ships to their aid would prevent the Kolshians from branching out to the galaxy¡¯s fringes.¡± ¡°You are the one playing games with me! They are your allies, not mine. Send human assets to save the Dossur, since you seem keenly aware of their plight.¡± ¡°I wish we could. Mileau is two days travel from Earth. Our assets cannot reach it in time; the Kolshians had their ships en route and waiting. But you¡­you have forces there. You yourself are half a day from it, and could get there in time.¡± ¡°You are fucking insane! What would the Dossur even think of my arrival?¡± ¡°I suspect one in particular is whose thoughts you care about. I am giving you information; what you choose to do with it is your prerogative. You would be equally upset with me if something happened to your friend and I didn¡¯t tell you.¡± ¡°You admit¡ª¡± ¡°Farewell, Isif. Stay in touch.¡± General Jones had the audacity to hang up on me, and I punched the computer screen out of frustration. The glass cracked against my hardy paw, sending sparks flying. My tail lashed with outrage; I stalked out of the habitat in an emotional frenzy. My feet steered me back onto my ship with more urgency than I could admit. I fished out the holopad, and determined that I had to warn Felra of the inbound attack. Perhaps she could get out of Mileau¡¯s system and survive, without military interference. The Dossur ignored my call attempts, and her avatar had gone offline. I checked the chat logs in a panic, reading her final messages. Hey Siffy. The humans who docked here just received warning of an incoming attack¡­from the Kolshians. There¡¯s not many of you, and their ships are here for repairs. It¡¯s not good. Evacuation ships were apparently considered, but the first few we sent out didn¡¯t get very far. The Kolshians have FTL disruptors, and they¡¯re not letting anyone slip away. The humans advised us to shelter in place in the docking station. I am scared. Please talk to me, Siffy. Please¡­I am so scared. I¡¯m sorry for prying earlier, I really need you now! Tell me it¡¯s going to be okay. I don¡¯t have much time. They¡¯re going for our communications first. If I don¡¯t make it out of this, I want you to know I¡¯ve enjoyed our chats. Every weird, reclusive moment. I stared at the last message in mute horror, and an odd burning plagued my eyes. A strange sorrow clamped at my chest, one which I could not bury. It was a sad commentary that an internet ¡°friend¡±, an herbivore I¡¯d known for a few weeks, marked the closest I¡¯d ever felt to someone. Hadn¡¯t I just cautioned myself about the illogical, harmful actions that attachment caused? My defective side clamored for me to act on General Jones¡¯ imperative. Perhaps I would¡¯ve considered the idea even without the human¡¯s input, just hearing Felra plead for my presence. The Dossur was the first person to care about me, even though she¡¯d hate me once she knew the truth. Leaving her to die, when I was the sole party who could help, wasn¡¯t an option. With a shaking paw, I booted up my internal communications. The communique to send a full fleet to Mileau, and to treat the Dossur as protected friendlies, was dispatched before I could rethink it. My engines revved to life, and I set my warp course for Felra¡¯s system. Reason be damned, this foolish Chief Hunter was coming to his friend¡¯s aid in a hurry. Chapter 108 Memory transcription subject: Chief Hunter Isif, Arxur Dominion Sector Fleet Date [standardized human time]: December 13, 2136 My shuttle traversed the space that separated me from my alien pen pal. The eight thousand Dominion ships I¡¯d summoned had arrived as well; those were the assets I had within immediate range of the Dossur homeworld. The Arxur fleet awaited my command, requiring further instruction as to our goal. The reason why they hesitated was simple; the Federation had numerical strength that seemed fantastical. The Kolshians had sent forty thousand ships barreling into the system, or possibly more. It was greater than the initial size of Kalsim¡¯s extermination fleet! I understood what Prophet-Descendant Giznel had implied about the prey powers being able to muster up numbers, if they wanted to. The invasion of Mileau¡¯s system involved an overwhelming show of force, per my initial readings. The more I performed the mental math, it was striking how easy these numbers would be for their assembly. With a mere 30 species having flipped to humanity¡¯s side, that left 270 races to pull resources and ships from. If all of those races contributed 140 ships, that gave the number we saw today. It¡¯s a mere fraction of their available resources to pull from. This is the tip of the iceberg for the Kolshians¡¯ might. The Dossur¡¯s defenses were steamrolled by the juggernaut armada, and the human ships seeking repairs didn¡¯t hold a candle to this astronomical force. General Jones was off her hunting pedestal if she thought I could stop this assault! Even our numbers were unlikely to achieve more, beyond delaying the Federation¡¯s end goals. But since I was already here, risking my cover, there had to be an attempt to rescue Felra. ¡°Felra is in an ¡®old Federation spot.¡¯ A space station, which has a separate area for humans awaiting repairs,¡± I muttered to myself. I was grateful that my shuttle had no company, so I could muse over how to locate her aloud. The Arxur ships around me grew restless, now that I was in the system. They expected orders from their Chief Hunter soon, and it was a matter of time before the UN or the Federation noticed our arrival too. Was it my sentimentality that was telling me to interfere? My viewport zoomed in on Mileau. The Dossur homeworld wasn¡¯t reflecting any antimatter damage; the Kolshians had the planet comfortably under control. After the Federation failed to subdue the Mazics, they¡¯d ramped up their efforts. I could see the enemy sending shuttles down to Mileau¡¯s surface, and realized that their goals were likely re-education. ¡°All Arxur ships, listen up. We are here at the request of the United Nations, who have the means to feed all of us forever,¡± I barked into the Dominion¡¯s encrypted feed. ¡°Some of you were there on Earth, and you remember how well-fed you were. For that reason, I expect your hunting efforts to avoid Terran-affiliated races; we know it will be worth the pittance of restraint. Now engage with the Federation attackers, at once!¡± Our ships surged forth out of various gravity wells, swarming the handful of attackers allocated to outer stations. I was bent over my holopad, and scrolling through a poorly-secured military personnel database. Inspectors were considered part of the space force on Mileau, as far as I remembered. That meant I could figure out which outpost Felra was assigned to. Plasma munitions flashed across the void, and the element of surprise allowed us to pick off any stragglers. Dossur defenders, complemented by an array of UN ships, seemed to pause their desperate efforts. There weren¡¯t many ¡°friendlies¡± left within the system, but the survivors seemed baffled by the Arxur¡¯s arrival. Perhaps they thought our onslaught was an inopportune coincidence. ¡°Attention, military personnel of the Dossur home system.¡± I broadcasted my next message onto an open channel, and tried to eliminate any hostile words. ¡°The Arxur are here, at the behest of the United Nations, to aid you in defending your claim against the Federation. I will only warn you once: do not fire upon us.¡± My pupils darted back to the screen, where I¡¯d searched up Felra¡¯s file. The rodent¡¯s likeness was unmistakable in her documentation, and her present assignment was listed near the top. I searched up the space station number, pinning it down on a star chart. The rest of the battle faded away, as I raced to pull up that location on the viewport. The complex was nestled within an asteroid belt, which separated the inner and outer planets. A few dozen Federation attackers had tamed its meek defenses, and docked with the station to capture their inhabitants. The energy readings in the vicinity were fresh, suggesting that the Kolshians only put down spiteful (human) resistance in the past hour. There might still be time to save the Dossur, if you hurry. I hurled the maximum output into my thrusters, and my shuttle blazed a path for Felra¡¯s station. A few Arxur vessels tailed their commander, though I figured they were baffled by a Chief Hunter leading the charge. This entire mission was going to raise questions I couldn¡¯t answer. Right now, I didn¡¯t have the time to waste on tact. The Federation vessels pulled away from the station, and met us for a head-on confrontation. I shirked the engagement altogether, leaving my underlings to duke it out with the prey. The sudden courage from the Kolshians surprised me; it was clear they were more competent than they let on. My eyes swelled with franticness, searching for an open docking port. ¡°There are none!¡± I hissed to myself. ¡°NONE! I don¡¯t have time for a proper breaching action¡­I have to get down there. For fuck¡¯s sake, I¡¯ll make an opening.¡± Scanning the station¡¯s blueprints, I identified a maintenance tunnel, which should be well-clear of any living quarters. This shuttle carried two missiles, and I hoped the use of one would only demolish a wall. While station operators could seal off individual compartments, that also meant that I¡¯d need a pressurized suit for oxygen. I tugged the emergency fabric on with haste, before donning a safety harness. With my biological requirements taken care of, I fired a missile into the station¡¯s exterior wall. The tunnel was exposed to the vacuum of space, its structure blasted wide open. Bullets clipped my rear flank, as Federation hostiles noticed my approach. Curses spewed from my maw, and I wrenched the steering column toward the new gap. The shuttle closed in on the Dossur space station, dodging enemy munitions. I held no interest in returning fire; that would increase the amount of time it took to reach Felra. My ship¡¯s nose dove through the opening, and I twisted the vessel¡¯s body to skid along the floor. Friction resulted in both an awful screech and shuddering sensation, before the tail slammed against a half-intact wall. My shoulder ached from the harness¡¯ restraint, but I unclipped it without waiting. My suited paws tucked a firearm into a holster, and I slunk out into the station. The night backdrop of space was visible through the gap, as well as distant exchanges of munitions. Suffocating Kolshians and other Federation aliens lie gasping for air, alongside two Terran soldiers. I grabbed one human in each paw, and dragged them toward the section divider. The primates were lethargic and their expressions were locked in an empty display; there was nothing behind their eyes, with no oxygen coming to the brain. I opened the emergency compartment, throwing the weaker predators inside. Sealing the hatch behind me, I removed my oxygen helmet. The Terrans¡¯ skin had been turning blue, though they were rapidly regaining normal coloration now. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°Hi.¡± I swished my tail as politely as I could, and allowed the humans a moment to breathe. ¡°Chief Hunter Isif, at your service. Sorry about the¡­unforeseeable depressurization. What are your names?¡± One primate began reaching for her service weapon, and I hissed in irritation. My gun was out of its holster in a second, pointed at her in warning. Her hand remained frozen in place for a long second, before she submitted to my threat. I bared my teeth, a formidable warning rather than amusement. My tongue flitted between my teeth. ¡°Ah, you guys look like fresh reinforcements. Let me guess¡ªthe United Nations sent you from Fahl, right across the border? You never saw direct action, since Shaza¡¯s¡­plan for a swift takeover of Sillis was a failure.¡± ¡°Go to hell,¡± the female coughed. ¡°So I was right, I take it. I¡¯m here as an ally. Where are the Dossur civilians? I promise, I¡¯m here to get them out, not to harm them.¡± ¡°Everybody knows your idea of getting them out is a cattle farm.¡± The other human sat up, pulling a broken glass instrument off his eyes. ¡°What are you really up to? Claiming this system for yourself, or making¡ª¡± ¡°STUPID! I¡¯m a spy for the United Nations, a piss-poor one. That is what I¡¯m up to, you and your government¡¯s stupid ideas. I have been¡­personally motivated into offering assistance.¡± ¡°A spy, huh? Of course, you¡¯re the one from Earth. They had every opportunity to take you to Area 51 or some clandestine facility¡­¡± The female cursed in exasperation. ¡°Are you kidding me, Olek? You just instantly believe the UN has Arxur spies, with zero proof.¡± ¡°Do you honestly think I would craft such a story on my own? Saying such a thing aloud is going to get me killed. I have no time to persuade you, humans, so tell me where the Dossur are now!¡± I roared. Olek tilted his head. ¡°Good argument, props to you, man. They¡¯ve been ordered to lock themselves in their quarters. Big sign, says, ¡®Personal Quarters.¡¯ Just keep going straight, can¡¯t miss it.¡± ¡°Thank you. Was that so hard?!¡± Grumbling to myself, I stomped off past the corridor¡¯s hatch. The Terran soldiers struggled to their feet, and I resigned myself to them following me like herdless Venlil. Arrogance aside, I could use backup if I encountered Federation resistance. The herbivores might lack skill in combat, but they could team up on me alone. Humans are competent fighters, so it¡¯s not like they¡¯re dead weight. That said, this Olek guy seemed a little too willing to believe that I¡¯m a spy¡­ Olek squinted, without the glass adornment by his eyes. I hoped the human hadn¡¯t lost his vision altogether; even if he could only see shapes, I was certain that he was more competent than the Kolshians. The female human, who I believed Olek had called Lisa in whispers, was staring at me with distrusting, bloodshot eyes. Perhaps the duo were following me to ensure that I wasn¡¯t rounding up any Dossur. I scanned the perimeter for hostiles. ¡°How has your military experience been going?¡± ¡°This was supposed to be a relaxing assignment, after watching the Harchen for weeks,¡± Lisa complained. ¡°We were shipped here just in case, and the second we kick our boots off, in they come. Now the Arxur are here, telling fantastical stories that sound like Olek crafted them!¡± Olek cleared his throat. ¡°They hit all of our allies with a test invasion. I hope it¡¯s not like this everywhere¡­I¡¯ve grown attached to some friends on Venlil Prime.¡± ¡°My source says this is the primary target. Venlil Prime is fine,¡± I replied. ¡°That¡¯s a relief. Say, Isif the alleged secret agent, what convinced you to come here? You should tell us, since we¡¯re a team.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not a team.¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, you totally want to tell me!¡± I¡¯ve already told these two humans everything, just to get Felra¡¯s location. They might as well know the truth, if they¡¯re stalking me. They¡¯re going to notice that I know her. ¡°An internet chatting service. A¡­a Dossur is my best friend,¡± I growled. Lisa¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. ¡°What?! I¡¯d hardly believe you¡¯d dare to make a story like that up.¡± ¡°I would not. Because it¡¯s insane.¡± I scanned my visual translator over the text markings overhead, and it deciphered the Dossur language as directions with arrows. Just as Olek had promised, the crew quarters were located down the main corridor. The passage had been devoid of confrontation, but gunfire echoed from up ahead. That meant Federation soldiers had already reached the living areas. The Kolshians must¡¯ve sent forces down from two angles; one boarding party had been held in the maintenance tunnel that I detonated. The other likely attacked from the other side, charging straight from the hangar bay to the quarters. Splitting up human defenders was rather tactical, for a species that didn¡¯t know the meaning of offense. Allegedly¡­ ¡°Which one is your supposed pal?¡± Lisa pointed to a piece of paper, which I assumed contained room assignments. ¡°Also, I see a few dozen Kolshians and count three of us. Maybe we should rethink our strategy.¡± The prototype visual translator had no trouble with the roll call, which listed Felra as room 219. I committed the Dossur symbols for that number to memory, knowing her life depended on it. My firearm wavered in my paws, and I dropped into a hunting crouch. The humans crept along as well, lining up enemies in their scopes. My pupils scanned each door for the numbers, while I ensured that my steps were silent. I could see cerulean and violet Kolshians moving between rooms, and exiting with sedated Dossur. All I could hope was that Felra wasn¡¯t among those already captured; it would be next-to-impossible to spring her from the Federation re-education party. My gaze drifted several doors down the hall, one room past where the Kolshians were now. I pointed with a claw. ¡°That one!¡± My whisper was almost inaudible, but the humans understood the message. These Terrans were rather cooperative; I wondered if it was since they could gang up on me, the second I made a move or was found to be deceitful. The primates often had a strange way of showing gratitude for saving their lives. I¡¯d hauled their oxygen-deprived bodies from the tunnel, yet they were likely calculating ways to kill me. I can respect it at least. Unless I try to backstab them, I doubt they¡¯ll try anything stupid. Fighting the Federation is enough for now. Right now, the three of us needed to get past the Kolshian posse; the enemy soldiers stood between us and Felra¡¯s door. The thought crossed my mind to use the Terrans as a distraction, but I knew they¡¯d see right through such suggestions. How were we going to reach my Dossur friend without alerting the invaders? A firefight seemed like the only solution, so I gestured for us to charge. My claw depressed the trigger, and I nailed two Kolshians in the back before they could react. Olek and Lisa joined in on my fire, peppering any soldiers that couldn¡¯t find cover. The Federation got their bearings in a second, and hurled bullets back in our direction. We dropped down closer to the floor, crawling closer to Felra¡¯s door. Most hostiles had ducked inside the room they were currently raiding, but a few had moved onto the next quarters: room 219. I scurried past the first door, feeling static electricity as a bullet whizzed over my spine. Lisa offered suppressing fire, as a visually-impaired Olek scrambled after me. The Federation had gotten to the target ahead of us, but I couldn¡¯t stop. I fired desperate shots at the advancing soldiers. ¡°No! NO! We¡¯re too close to let anything happen.¡± Panic clamped at my heart, seeing four Kolshians kicking down Felra¡¯s door. I could hear a shrill scream, which lacked power or grit. Adrenaline flowed through my veins, alongside a deeper emotion of concern. I rounded the doorway in a fluid motion, and used my nostrils to pounce at a Federation lackey. My body was acting on pure autopilot, as I tore one soldier¡¯s throat on instinct. Felra¡¯s screams intensified, which encouraged my frenzy. If I was lucid, I would¡¯ve realized she was shrieking because of my presence. However, in my haze, all I could see was two Kolshians cornering her; another was tracking the rodent¡¯s movements from further back. My tail swept across the floor, earning a sickening crack as it broke two Kolshians¡¯ ankles in one swoop. The enemy tracker turned his gun muzzle toward me, and I punched out a fist on instinct. My appendage connected with bones, while the scent of blood hit my nostrils. Vision sharpened, as the scent made my eyes dilate. I¡¯d just shattered the Kolshian¡¯s windpipe and spine, with a single punch. The duo with the broken legs started to move, but Olek rushed in to stop them from engaging. It was tempting to finish the helpless Kolshians off; however, enough of my awareness had returned to realize it¡¯d sicken Felra. I strained to bottle the adrenaline, drawing ragged gasps. ¡°H-help¡­human!¡± the Dossur managed to cry. ¡°A¡­uh¡­arxur.¡± Olek¡¯s eyes narrowed with suspicion. ¡°I thought you said she was your friend?¡± ¡°Hrrr.¡± I grunted, struggling to formulate coherent words. The blood was still rushing in my ears, causing my claws to twitch. ¡°It¡¯s complicated, is it not, Felra?¡± ¡°W-wha¡­h-how d-d-do¡­no.¡± Additional horror lit up the Dossur¡¯s gaze, as her terrified brain arrived at the truth. Something told me that she¡¯d placed a name to the Arxur, who was towering over her with a maniacal snarl. I possessed a keen awareness of the blood slathered across my claws, and every scar and tooth fracture I had. The human watched from the sidelines, discerning enough of the subtext. Felra swayed on her feet. ¡°S-s-siffy?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The Dossur¡¯s eyes widened further than should be possible, and she passed out onto the floor. Chapter 109 Memory transcription subject: Chief Hunter Isif, Arxur Dominion Sector Fleet Date [standardized human time]: December 13, 2136 The fact that my appearance horrified Felra left me shaken; the primal rush of adrenaline quelled to something manageable. Bullets assailed the room¡¯s wall, as I was cornered alongside a Dossur and a near-blind human. The unconscious Kolshians, whose legs I had broken, were tied up to a desk as well. Olek flashed his teeth, laughing at the absurdity of our encounter. The urge to roar in his face struck me, but I kept that bottled. With the gentlest touch I could manage, I scooped up Felra¡¯s tiny form. Her ginger-and-white fur felt puffy beneath my paws. Olek marched over to me, snatching the Dossur out from under my claws. The human opened up his knapsack, and stuffed the herbivore inside. As much as it stung to have my friend taken away, I knew the primate was best-equipped to carry her. The Kolshian soldiers were camped in an adjacent room, back in the direction we needed to travel. The four mangled corpses and crippled bodies in this room were my handiwork; it was a shame that Felra had witnessed the full brutality. I¡¯d known from the moment we spoke in the chat that she would hate the real me. Interacting with her had been foolish, especially allowing myself to get attached. ¡°So she¡¯s your friend, huh? But she didn¡¯t know you¡¯re an Arxur?¡± Olek shouted, over the gunfire. My eyes formed menacing slits. ¡°A human of all people should know what it¡¯s like to be judged by your species. Also, it¡¯s none of your fucking business.¡± ¡°If she was your friend, you would¡¯ve told her.¡± ¡°I just wanted to talk to someone! FUCK YOU!¡± The Terran soldier rolled his eyes, and scratched the brown fuzz on his chin. Olek¡¯s fur wrapped around his lip in what humans dubbed a ¡°mustache¡±; it made his flushed cheeks stand out more. I imagined Betterment would¡¯ve culled someone like him, with vision defects that limited his daily function. What good was a hunter without depth perception? I didn¡¯t trust him to protect Felra. You¡¯ll have to cover for Olek and Felra. And, assuming Lisa hasn¡¯t been gunned down, you have to protect her too. If one of the humans gets shot, the other won¡¯t leave them. I moved a mirror across Felra¡¯s room, and used it to get a peek at our attackers. Lisa was scooting back across the hallway, in the process of reloading her weapon. There was no crimson blood on the human¡¯s clothes, which was a positive sign. She had been skeptical of my intentions, so I wasn¡¯t sure whether I trusted her to be on my side. ¡°Why did you believe my story so fast?¡± I hissed. ¡°Your partner isn¡¯t so sure.¡± Olek shrugged. ¡°It checks out. I knew they were up to something, or else, how did they get the Arxur to save Earth?¡± ¡°That was my doing. Let¡¯s get Lisa and retrace our steps.¡± ¡°You¡¯re only saving one Dossur? There¡¯s others he¡ª¡± ¡°The last time I saved some Zurulians from a cattle farm, they cried and screamed at me. Wouldn¡¯t believe for a second that I didn¡¯t want to eat them. I¡¯m here for my friend.¡± ¡°We have to¡ª¡± ¡°The UN ordered me to help them. The best thing you can do for Earth is keep me alive. Move out!¡± I didn¡¯t voice any of my concerns about Olek¡¯s blindness; he seemed to be physically adequate otherwise. As a defective Arxur myself, I wasn¡¯t a supporter of killing the weak and infirm. If I were born a human, I could live a normal life. Felra would¡¯ve cried for my help, rather than passing out at my visage. Shaking my maw, I took a final look in the mirror. My body was pressed against the floor, and I lined my gun barrel up with the Kolshians. A flurry of fire caused the enemy to hunker within their room; Olek and I scrambled against the adjacent wall. Lisa spotted us, and sprayed her own bullets from the opposite angle. I steadied my breathing. Olek and I waited for the Federation to make the first move; they wanted to finish sweeping the corridor, before any Dossur could escape. Just by stalling them, we were probably helping a few civilians get off the station. My patience was necessary in waiting for a target. A purple head poked out of the doorway, which resulted in a clean shot through its cranium. As the Kolshian crumpled to the floor, her body blocked the opening for a second. I pushed Olek forward, crossing the threshold to a waiting Lisa. My legs sprinted right behind them, not slowing for a second. Engaging the enemy or delaying them for other Dossur was not my priority; we needed to get off this station. ¡°Where is the Dossur?¡± Lisa chased after me, as Olek hustled after us. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me we risked our asses for nothing.¡± I struggled to speak between pants. ¡°Felra is¡­in Olek¡¯s pack. Now my shuttle¡­was still operational when I left.¡± ¡°Your shuttle? The one in the blown-up tunnel, which took a nasty tumble?¡± ¡°You ask many questions¡­and offer no solutions.¡± ¡°We almost suffocated back there! I don¡¯t even remember how we got in that room!¡± ¡°And I¡­kept you alive.¡± The two Peacekeepers were hot on my heels, not tiring as we hurried down the hallway. Even with my longer legs, the humans were beginning to outpace me. My breaths were labored, and I was grateful that we reached the sector divider. The Kolshians hadn¡¯t attempted to pursue us, so it should be a clean getaway. The Terrans followed me into the emergency compartment, and their gazes displayed apprehension. I recovered my oxygen helmet, slipping it back over my head. The primates had no such safety precautions, so if I were a more ruthless Arxur, I could kill them in the airless area. They were dependent on me for survival. I don¡¯t trust Olek and Lisa not to turn on me in the shuttle. My past experiences with humans haven¡¯t been all pleasant. The cruel, self-centered thoughts felt as heavy as a rock in my mind. Felra was safe in Olek¡¯s bag, and I wasn¡¯t going to let the Dossur wonder what I did to the Terrans. I wrapped my claws around the two humans¡¯ shirt collars, ignoring their protests. Opening the airlock with my tail, I dragged them a few dozen paces to my shuttle. The primates would be crewing my shuttle, and that was the end of it. The four of us boarded the shuttle, and I tried not to fixate on what I would say to Felra when she awoke. --- The battle for Mileau had not gone in our favor, just as I anticipated. There was shock value in an Arxur fleet coming to the Dossur¡¯s aid, but the Kolshians had brought the largest fleet in living memory. The typical strategies we employed, to make the skittish Federation flee, weren¡¯t having their usual effect. When the cowards didn¡¯t run off, their numerical advantage was insurmountable. The United Nations¡¯ efforts were concentrated on escorting evacuation ships, rather than holding the system. The fortunate news was that the Federation were not bombing the planet; their ground occupation meant this wasn¡¯t a life-or-death contest. We could compile a greater number of ships, and return to take the planet back. However, the Arxur¡¯s intervention need to draw to a close. Messages from Prophet-Descendant Giznel had flooded in, demanding to know why I defended Mileau. He demanded that I withdraw all forces from the system, or he would send someone to ¡°dispose of me like Shaza.¡± My execution was still on the table, especially if my rescue mission became known. ¡°All Arxur ships, Betterment has ordered us to pull back. These Dossur are not worth significant losses of this caliber.¡± I looked at my data feed, surmising that our ship capacity had been halved. The Federation count had dropped by a few thousand, but our forces would be depleted sooner. ¡°Cover any Terran allies retreating from the system. If you can get off parting shots at the Federation, do it.¡± The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. A weak squeak filtered into my ears, and my head whipped around. Felra had been placed atop a wadded-up blanket; her tiny whiskers had been twitching in her slumber. Lisa was sitting next to her, wearing one of those asinine visors that humans caved to. A small part of me wished there was a mask that could hide my face. Even if I covered my optical receptors, the serrated teeth were a dealbreaker. ¡°H-human,¡± the Dossur croaked. ¡°Where¡­am I?¡± Lisa pursed her lips with sympathy. ¡°You¡¯re on an evacuation shuttle. How much do you remember?¡± Felra¡¯s eyes rolled back in her head, and she nibbled her lower lip. I could tell she was running through the details of the Federation attack, in chronological order. It was apparent when she hit the terrifying moment, when I had burst through the door to save her. Perhaps she didn¡¯t remember that the ghastly Arxur had used her pen pal¡¯s name¡­ ¡°G-gray snapped K-Kolshian¡¯s neck,¡± she squeaked. ¡°Said it was¡­S-siffy.¡± The Dossur¡¯s pupils surveyed the room, alight with panic. I quickly swiveled around in my chair, as her gaze landed on me. I wanted to melt into the floorboards, and cease my existence then and there. For some reason, her terror felt like a knife wound to the chest. What I¡¯d told her on the messaging service was correct: I deserved to be alone. Lisa cleared her throat. ¡°Isif can¡¯t hurt you. You don¡¯t have to look at him.¡± Felra sniffled. ¡°¡­Isif? N-not¡ª¡± ¡°Siffy is a nickname given to me by a Gojid child,¡± I growled. ¡°A refugee who was taken in by a human. Someone I cared about on Earth.¡± Great. Now you admitted your affection toward Nulia too. You¡¯re losing your grip. Sitting here now, the stupidity of my actions slapped me in the snout. Mobilizing an entire war fleet to defend the Dossur, all because of a few internet chats with a false premise, was insanity. Felra hated me, and she had every reason to; her first impression of me was when I killed four Kolshians with natural weapons. The species she was actually intrigued by was sitting next to her, comforting her over me. The Dossur buried her head in the blanket, nose twitching. Tiny tears leaked from her eyes, and her sides rose and fell in shaking intervals. The humans seemed to pity her, from what I could glean. Olek was peering over the top of his book; per the visual translator, the title read Why the United Nations REALLY funded FTL research. I had a vague curiosity as to the contents of the pages, but this was not the time to ask. I don¡¯t even think he¡¯s actually reading it, given that he can¡¯t see. He¡¯s just pretending not to stare at Felra. Olek slammed his book shut. ¡°Maybe pipe down over there, Siffy. You¡¯re only making it worse for her.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I mumbled. ¡°In the future, you should disclose to people that you¡¯re an Arxur, before you expect them to respond well to you.¡± ¡°I told her I was a predator; I never once claimed to be human! I allowed the idea to linger, perhaps because I wish I truly was one of you. I¡­I wanted to talk to someone.¡± Lisa studied the crying Dossur with concern. ¡°What made you think it was a good idea to talk to a Fed, not a human? We understand you, somewhat.¡± ¡°¡­Tarva, yes, the Venlil governor, thought I needed to understand herbivores. And also, you chatterbox tree-swingers hate us. You can¡¯t keep the disgust out of your voice, when it¡¯s between us and the leaf-lickers. You swoop in to protect them, just like you¡¯re doing now!¡± ¡°Because we know you¡¯re animals. My sister was in a bunker outside Barcelona, and you grays arrived to clear the tunnel. They watched you pull small animals from the grass, and eat them live. A few cats were swallowed whole!¡± ¡°Companion animals¡­sensitive topic, yes? Alas, they do not know what I understand about your cats and dogs. Cultural misunderstanding, which I will not make.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to stop you right there; wolfing down a kitten is not a cultural misunderstanding,¡± Olek chimed in. ¡°A cultural misunderstanding is giving the thumbs up gesture, and not realizing it¡¯s a middle finger in some countries. The difference is, there¡¯s no death or animals getting eaten in my example.¡± Felra shrieked in irritation. ¡°STOP! SHUT UP!¡± A veil of silence was draped across the room. It would be comical for an outside observer to witness the tiny rodent, silencing three predators with a single order. I was relieved that the Dossur regained her composure enough to make demands. My eyes studied her tiny form, as she lifted her tear-stained head. ¡°¡®T-to censor myself as humans do,¡¯¡± Felra quoted. ¡°The c-constant mention of scaring me off. He fucking told me¡­¡± He? Gendered pronouns? ¡°I¡¯ve watched v-vids about humans. I know how they act,¡± the Dossur continued. ¡°And I noticed that S-siffy was not like them. He said he wasn¡¯t like t-them, multiple times.¡± I blinked several times. ¡°I am not like them. If you wish for someone to coddle you in a baby voice, you¡¯ll have to issue that request to them.¡± ¡°D-don¡¯t tell them about that!¡± ¡°Sorry. Too late.¡± Olek and Lisa shared a look of pure confusion, mouthing a few words to each other. The male human mimicked an adoring expression, and stretched his binocular eyes wide. He mimed a petting motion, running his rough palm down his book cover. Lisa snickered, before waving a hand in front of her throat. The Dossur whined in annoyance. If Felra was a Terran, her cheeks would be flush with embarrassment. ¡°Damn it. W-why are you here, Siffy?¡± Felra focused her attention on me, and her whiskers twitched with fear. ¡°W-what¡­are you going to do w-with me?¡± My nostrils flared. ¡°I do not know. I came to save you. I did not think past that, or about how to handle the consequences. I am not going to harm you, but...¡± ¡°B-but?¡± ¡°I cannot take you anywhere an Arxur would go. Just by coming here, I have ruined my cover. Betterment, that is our government¡¯s enforcement wing, will be suspicious of me at best. I might¡¯ve just destroyed my chance at demolishing the Arxur Dominion from the inside.¡± ¡°B-back up. D-demolish¡­Dominion?¡± ¡°They are cruel, and they are starving us purposefully¡­so that we are animals, as Lisa said. It goes so far beyond that though, Felra. The reason all Arxur seem devoid of emotions or care is because Betterment culls anyone who exhibits empathy. It goes back to your question of whether I have predator disease.¡± ¡°You d-definitely do.¡± ¡°Actually, I am the lone Arxur tested by the United Nations to pass an empathy test. I guess I have ¡®prey disease.¡¯ I¡¯ve always had softer emotions, and I didn¡¯t find social contact grating like most of my kind. Hiding those two¡­differences kept me alive.¡± ¡°Most Arxur do tire of us talking to them,¡± Lisa noted. ¡°Because they are not interested in your mundane lives. Even I find it bizarre how you wage war on silence, though your kind are quite intriguing to me. At any rate, I have no way to make friends among my own people, and I doubt I could pass as human on your internet.¡± Olek chuckled. ¡°You definitely couldn¡¯t. Your speech comes off as stilted, and you don¡¯t seem to know the appropriate response to most things.¡± ¡°I am a little short on practice. Formal speech is my sole outlet, yes? And the things I¡¯ve done to survive justify calling me a monster, so in essence, I do deserve to be alone. However, it was nice to understand what friendship feels like for a brief moment. Thank you, Felra.¡± I turned my attention back to the cabin controls, satisfied that I¡¯d said my piece to the Dossur. She had been an excellent friend, while our doomed relationship lasted. It was time for me to accept that my isolation was fated; this was why my defective side was dangerous. Everything I had worked to build was forfeit, including the friendship I¡¯d forfeited it all for. My mind zoned out, as I set a course for Proxima Centauri (a system the Terrans used as a staging ground). I wasn¡¯t foolish enough to fly to Earth again, no matter how sorry Zhao claimed to be. However, Felra and these two humans needed to be dropped off in UN territory. After that, it was time to face my likely execution with dignity and grace. Even my smooth tongue would have a difficult time talking a way out of this with Giznel. He¡¯s livid. A handful of pricks registered at the tip of my tail, and startled me half to death. My conscious mind barely reacted in time to prevent a devastating lash; I froze up, trying to assess the situation. If those blasted primates were poking me with a sedative, I was going to rip their throats out this time. I wasn¡¯t keen on being in UN custody again. The poking sensation moved up my spine, as if tiny hooks were ascending my sloped posture. I inhaled heavily through my nostrils, scenting warm blood belonging to a Dossur. What in the stars was Felra doing? It bewildered me that she¡¯d left the comfort of her blanket, and the overprotective humans crowding it. Felra perched herself atop my skull, right behind my eyes. ¡°Okay! We¡¯re going to d-do this together, but you¡¯ll have to, er, t-tell me more about you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what?¡± I hissed in disbelief. ¡°You s-said you didn¡¯t think past saving me. I don¡¯t want anything to happen to you, so we s-should think about it now, together.¡± ¡°I am sorry about Mileau. You are under no obligation to speak with me, or continue in this vein of friendship. I am incapable of leaving this ship at the moment, but I would let you mourn in peace.¡± ¡°T-The Kolshians are reeducating my people. I¡¯m not captured now, b-because of you. You¡¯re Siffy, and I¡¯m g-glad I know the truth.¡± ¡°I can smell your fear, Felra. It is very potent.¡± ¡°¡­I am s-scared of the humans too, for what it¡¯s worth.¡± I jabbed my tail toward the flimsy primates. ¡°Hmph, them? They¡¯re lousy predators. They couldn¡¯t hunt with their bare hands if they wanted to! Olek can¡¯t even see.¡± ¡°You broke my glasses, asshole!¡± the male human protested. ¡°The Arxur would still cull you for needing vision goggles. Not that I agree with that.¡± Lisa narrowed her eyes. ¡°What about me? Would I be on the chopping block?¡± ¡°You ask too many questions, and you¡¯re repulsed by eating live animals. Most Arxur would space you, just for that.¡± The female Terran snorted, as her pupils fixated on the Dossur atop my head. Olek¡¯s expression had gained a bit more levity too, since Felra made herself a physical accessory. Knowing how the human brain worked, the psychotic primates thought the sight was ¡°cute.¡± Just having the rodent in my proximity probably made me adorable to them by extension. That thought didn¡¯t seem as repugnant to me as it once would. I couldn¡¯t believe that Felra still cared about me; I had a friend that accepted my defective, physical form. Maybe one day, she¡¯d be able to approach me without reeking of terror. Venlil had grown acclimated to the humans, after all. With two humans warming up to me and a Dossur¡¯s help, perhaps we could find a way to unseat Betterment. My sector hadn¡¯t been lost yet. Chapter 110 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, United Nations Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: December 15, 2136 There were three new additions to our personnel, as we departed from Sillis. The UN fleet caught wind of an incursion on Venlil Prime, alongside every other allied race; the Venlil Republic¡¯s homeworld was as valuable to them as one of their own colonies. Humanity couldn¡¯t weaken the strength of Sol, but they allocated every resource they could spare. Their original allies were going to have every free ship with a gun strapped to it assigned to their fortifications. It was expected to be a quiet assignment, ensuring that the Venlil system was impenetrable. The crew were allowed to take shore leave on the homeworld¡¯s surface, though we were expected to stay to be able to return to the vessel within an hour if needed. Many humans brimmed with excitement about seeing an alien planet, including Marcel and Tyler. Slanek, Onso, and the Tilfish had gone with them. The insectoids in question were Birla and Virnt, two of the new passengers on Monahan¡¯s warship. Word of the Tilfish child¡¯s outburst had gotten back to Marcel, and he put in a word with the captain. The United Nations could take the ¡°humma¡±-obsessed kid to Venlil Prime, where he could interact with Terran refugees in a controlled environment. General Birla hadn¡¯t been thrilled about the proposition, but her objections fell silent when the humans whispered something about a predator disease screening. I suspect the United Nations may want to give Birla a proper diplomatic reception here. She was the sole Tilfish voter against annihilating Earth. But the Tilfish additions to the crew weren¡¯t my concern. The third, and final new name on our register, was a human named Kiara Bahri. We picked her up from a Venlil border outpost. Earth had assigned a resident therapist to the ship, due to the stressors and adjustment issues our ship had faced. I recalled Marcel and Tyler¡¯s entreaties for me to seek help, so I hesitantly signed up for an appointment today. This meant I was one of a select few to remain aboard the ship, while others explored Venlil Prime. Samantha also stayed here, to ¡°grieve alone¡±; Carlos, meanwhile, had rushed off to a bar with some rowdy soldiers. I wasn¡¯t in any state to go rabble-rousing in the capital, so I sympathized with Sam, having lost her family. Regardless, it was unlikely I¡¯d get an opportunity to see a professional about my issues, outside of downtime. However, as I traveled to Kiara¡¯s office, my stomach was twisting into knots. It wasn¡¯t like I was unaware of how predator disease was treated. As much as I wanted to be cured of my mental derangement, the thought of subjecting myself to painful remedies frightened me. A severe case like mine would require the more severe fixes. People who were sent to correctional facilities didn¡¯t return the same either¡­ ¡°Marcel wanted you to do this. It¡¯s important to get help, so that you never hurt anyone else,¡± I encouraged myself. ¡°Even if your gears don¡¯t quite spin as fast after, it¡¯s a small sacrifice to squash your impulses.¡± My claws rapped on Dr. Bahri¡¯s door, and what was left of my spines bristled. The fact was, this current state of existence brought me nothing but misery and self-loathing. It was cowardice not to face my predator side, so I shouldn¡¯t lack the gumption to get this ¡°PTSD treatment¡± Tyler mentioned. If the blond-haired human claimed his species had an effective approach, I was inclined to believe him. Terrans were knowledgeable in medicine, contrary to Zarn¡¯s spiel. ¡°Come in!¡± a cheerful voice called out. I forced myself to walk inside, taking in the room. A predator was dressed in civilian pelts, leaning back in a large armchair. Her sepia skin tone was a color that was also seen in Gojid fur, and her raven hair rested against her shoulders in complex braids. A warm smile graced her face, as though she was indifferent to the dangerous nature of her patients. My gaze soaked in the rest of my surroundings, and confusion washed over me. All I saw was a small bookshelf and a desk, on the far wall. Kiara was gesturing to a human-sized couch, which was complete with pillows. I was stupefied that she seemed unarmed; there were no restraints tied to the couch, and no sedatives on the table. All I could see was a clipboard in her hands, and a tissue box on the table. Where are the brain scanners and the electroshock machines? ¡°Hello, Doctor.¡± This medical professional was separate from the ship physician; she was closest to what we called an Extraneous Behavior Identifier. It was amusing that even predators needed such an occupation, to keep their society civilized. ¡°What¡­what do you need me to do?¡± Kiara¡¯s binocular eyes jerked over to me. ¡°Sit on the couch, Sovlin. I¡¯ve been expecting you.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯m sitting, and I promise, I won¡¯t resist whatever you need to do. I¡­I want to get better, and be a proper part of the herd.¡± ¡°What I need to do? You¡¯re here to talk to me, about any topic that you feel comfortable with.¡± ¡°Yes, but after¡­¡± ¡°What is it you think I¡¯ll do after? You¡¯re the first alien patient I¡¯ve had, and it seems that many of the non-terrestrial crew are scared of speaking to me. The stigma around mental health has been fading on Earth for the past century, so I can assure you, humans won¡¯t view seeking help as a sign of weakness.¡± ¡°I know. My Terran friends encouraged me to come here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s excellent to hear. I am here as a resource, a bridge between aliens and humanity in our joint venture. Please explain what the perceived issue is, Sovlin, so I can begin to address it in my outreach. I don¡¯t want other non-terrestrials to see me as someone to avoid.¡± I drew a shuddering breath. ¡°We all know your work is necessary, but if you get diagnosed with late-stage predator disease¡­few people want to be incarcerated, shocked, or sterilized. The side effects of the meds, even for mild cases, are debilitating. Also, when the diagnosis gets out, you¡¯ll be ostracized from society and employment. I know that, and I¡¯m still here, because I can¡¯t live like this.¡± Dr. Bahri¡¯s jaw slackened, an immediate failure to mask her surprise. Her eyes widened, as a mix of horror and outrage filled her pupils. The human took several seconds to collect her thoughts, and I forced myself to hold her stare. Even a predator must wish she was armed around a self-diagnosed madman. Perhaps she was upset that I¡¯d slipped under the radar for so long. ¡°I am floored. That treatment of mental health is somehow more atrocious than our methods in medieval times,¡± Kiara said. ¡°First off, I can guarantee that no human will electroshock or sterilize anyone here. The only case in which you would be ¡®incarcerated¡¯ is if you voice an immediate threat against yourself or others.¡± I chewed at my claws with anxiety. ¡°I understand. If I have predator disease, I am a threat to the herd¡­and you¡¯ll remove me. As it should be.¡± ¡°We do not remove the mentally ill from the herd. By a direct threat, I am referring to stating clear intent to harm someone. That is the only time authorities would be alerted. Otherwise, everything you say is confidential; if I spoke to anyone outside these walls about your sessions, I would lose my license. None of today¡¯s words will be shared.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Why would you lose your license? Are humans insane enough not to warn people of deviants?¡± Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°My goal is to help you understand yourself and find healthy ways to address your feelings. And just because someone doesn¡¯t experience the world in the same manner as us, it doesn¡¯t make them a threat. It doesn¡¯t mean they deserve to be cast out without a lifeline.¡± ¡°But predator disease patients attack people!¡± ¡°A very small number of mentally ill individuals are violent, Sovlin. Mental health is more complicated than classing a condition as predator disease, or not predator disease.¡± ¡°So what? We¡¯re just going to talk, and nothing else? And this is magically going to make my illness go away, right¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ll talk. Any diagnoses made are for you to better understand how your brain works. I may recommend that you seek evaluation for medicine, if I feel it is in your best interest; however, this would only be to tackle specific neurochemical imbalances.¡± I snorted to myself, unable to believe the inefficacy of this therapy. To think that Kiara Bahri was a licensed medical professional, for performing the duties of a talk show host. What a waste of a higher education! How would she determine that I had a ¡°neurochemical imbalance¡±, without any testing technology? I¡¯m never going to get my predation cured. Tyler and Marcel think I can talk it out of my system¡­stupid predators. You¡¯d think a violent species like humans would get the importance of catching outliers! I had listened to Dr. Bahri¡¯s speech, calling mental health a complex issue. If a certain number of patients were bound to be violent, how did a Terran¡¯s conscience let them take zero preventative measures? There was nothing complicated about allowing sick-minded people to wander among the herd. There might be ill humans among this crew, and Kiara claimed she wouldn¡¯t warn us at all! I didn¡¯t understand how Terrans without predator disease accepted dangers in their midst. We had to encourage them to take mental illness more seriously, and root it out at a young age. There would be public outcry, once Earth¡¯s public realized they were being exposed to twisted individuals. I couldn¡¯t wait to get out of this office, and scoff about the bunk science to Sam. The therapist cleared her throat. ¡°I can sense that you¡¯re skeptical, Sovlin. I need you to take our sessions seriously, and trust me to help you. Can you give our methods a chance?¡± ¡°Sure. Whatever.¡± I didn¡¯t need to tip the human off to my plans, to ridicule her entire practice. ¡°I did sign up for this.¡± ¡°You told me up-front that you can¡¯t live like this anymore. I commend your courage in seeking help, and I can promise you, you will attain a deeper understanding of who you are as a person. If I might ask, what makes you think that you have ¡®predator disease?¡¯¡± ¡°I took joy from hurting Marcel Fraser. The only time I feel happy is when I kill an Arxur. I am violent, reckless, and filled with hate.¡± ¡°I¡¯d love to hear more about the specifics of your emotions. Where would you suggest those feelings stem from?¡± Still not locking me up? I just admitted to violent tendencies¡­and how good it felt, at the time, to torture an innocent human. Gritting my teeth, I decided to tell Kiara a small amount. ¡°Predators disgust me, no offense. It¡¯s¡­it¡¯s been years. The Gojids were fending off a brutal assault, and I was a ship captain. Our defense was going poorly, right up until the desperate charge I¡¯m famed for. Just before we drove them off, I was on a call to wish my daughter good-night, when Arxur ships reached our neighborhood¡­¡± --- For some reason, I began to spill everything about my past in rambling fashion. Kiara would prompt me whenever my words dried up, and jot notes down on a clipboard. The human didn¡¯t discourage the free flow of tears; I was ashamed of how they poured over with every word. The tissue box came in handy, but for some reason, I couldn¡¯t stop opening up about the painful topics. A significant amount of time breezed by, as I recounted my family¡¯s death. The tale carried all the way from my suicide charge to the funeral. The astute therapist picked up on my feelings of guilt, for the failed defense of the cradle. The Terran was patient when I broke into hysterics, unable to speak for minutes. She then coaxed me into recalling good memories of my family, including the day my daughter, Hania, was born. We touched on how I wanted the Arxur to suffer like I had, and how I came across Marcel¡¯s patroller. With each passing day of staring into his eyes, I was reminded of every gory detail, as my daughter was ripped apart. The idea that humans were plotting that against the Venlil enraged me; Zarn¡¯s intel convinced me that they were an evil race. Meanwhile, my own first officer was being enraptured by the monster?! It was unacceptable. I had to kill Marcel. I wanted him off my ship, because I thought his thirst for blood defined him. Kiara didn¡¯t bat an eye, as I recounted my heinous acts. She allowed me to discuss the first evidence I saw of human empathy, at the border outposts. The therapist listened with calm nods, while I recounted the horror of seeing my homeworld demolished. My ignorance of humanity¡¯s true nature caused that tragedy. Faced with video evidence of Terrans dying for our civilians, I couldn¡¯t hide from the fact they could feel like us. After that last word spilled from my mouth, I hugged a wad of tissues to my snotty nose. Perhaps she understood the cradle¡¯s loss, given the undeserved attack on Earth. However, there was no question that I had brought condemnation on our race. That was without even broaching the topic of Cilany¡¯s revelation, that our species was predatory ourselves. Enough of Kiara¡¯s time had been wasted, listening to me sob all over myself. I slumped my shoulders, and waited for her judgment. ¡°Thank you for sharing that with me,¡± the human said. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine how difficult it¡¯s been to have all of this on your chest, and to deal with such horrible loss alone. I am sorry.¡± My head snapped up. ¡°You are sorry? I just dumped my issues all over you.¡± ¡°You did no such thing. The intense emotional reactions you describe, as well as the flashbacks and the depression, all fit with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. What that means¡­in severe situations, trauma can cause lasting changes to your brain; you become stuck in that moment. There are steps we can take to mitigate your symptoms, including cognitive behavioral therapy and gradual exposure therapy.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to. We are well past our time, but this was an important first step. You did a great job opening up to me. I¡¯d like you to come back tomorrow, so we can continue this conversation.¡± ¡°I guess I can. You¡­you¡¯re a powerful listener. Humans are so attentive, with your eyes and all.¡± The therapist set her notes down on the table, and walked me over to the door. It did feel a tiny bit easier to breathe, having shared my journey with someone without judgment. This ¡°PTSD¡± label I¡¯d heard yet again was a human misunderstanding; we knew that trauma could only spark rapid onset of underlying issues. But I did owe it to Marcel to continue these talking ¡°treatments.¡± Marcel wouldn¡¯t have suggested this if he didn¡¯t think it could help, so you have to give it a fair shake. Besides, Kiara seems like a nice enough person¡­just misguided. Dr. Bahri pursed her lips. ¡°Before you go, Sovlin, something you said about Marcel caught my attention. What do you mean by ¡®his thirst for blood?¡¯ Did he exhibit violent traits or behavior?¡± ¡°No, never,¡± I answered hastily. ¡°I just mean your natural predator instincts. It¡¯s actually amazing that your empathy suppresses those, without fail. You know, the whisper in your brain to eat us, whenever you¡¯re hungry. Your desire to kill things when you look at them.¡± ¡°I beg your pardon? We have no such inclinations like you detailed. Is that what you think goes through my mind, when I look at you?¡± ¡°It''s okay. I don¡¯t judge you for it¡­I know you can¡¯t help it.¡± ¡°Listen to me. I am telling you those ¡®predator instincts¡¯ don¡¯t exist; there is nothing to suppress. Please look up the Venlil empathy tests, and see how we reacted to creatures in pain. Have you ever seen humans respond to blood and gore yourself?¡± I nibbled at my claws, and encouraged my brain to ponder the question. On my first mission, when the UN military freed Gojids from that Arxur cattle ship, several soldiers had thrown up. The sight of Gojid corpses left Carlos ashen with disgust; I thought the aversion to gore was strange at the time. The blood hadn¡¯t enticed them, though I¡¯d wondered later if they were repelled by their own unwanted appetites. ¡°Humans were puking on the cattle ships,¡± I replied. Kiara nodded for emphasis. ¡°That is the normal response. We can be trained to kill, but our natural reaction is to be saddened by a creature in pain. To struggle to pull the trigger on anything we consider a person. Even trained soldiers often cannot shoot another human, when it comes down to it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re seriously telling me there isn¡¯t the slightest part of you that¡¯s drawn to death?¡± ¡°Not at all. We don¡¯t just look at an animal and want to kill it. I can guarantee the thought of harming Slanek never once crossed Marcel¡¯s mind.¡± ¡°I see¡­Doctor. Tyler told me humans were aggressive, so I thought¡­¡± ¡°We can have tempers flare up, and aren¡¯t always level-headed and cooperative. That doesn¡¯t mean we like killing. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Yes. I think so.¡± ¡°Good. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow, Sovlin. Oh, and if you decide to share any of this, would you kindly spread the word that I¡¯m not torturing anyone? I¡¯m here to lend an ear to any ship member that needs it.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll put the word out that I¡¯ve¡­heard you only chat with people.¡± My mind was reeling, as I departed from the therapist¡¯s office. Humans had no reason to lie about their instincts, when they¡¯d come clean about their darkest feelings. I had a hard time believing that full-blown predators enjoyed killing less than I did, but the evidence supported that claim. There was so much about the Earthlings that I didn¡¯t understand. It remained to be seen if these sessions offered any benefits, but I decided to go back for a few days. What else was I going to do, while we were docked on Venlil Prime? It would be nice to have a confidant, and if her hand-waving talk treatment had any effects, that miracle would be a welcome surprise. Chapter 111 Memory transcription subject: Slanek, Venlil Space Corps Date [standardized human time]: December 15, 2136 This was my human¡¯s first visit to Venlil Prime, and for that matter, to any alien world in a non-military capacity. Tyler and Onso tagged along on our escapade, along with Virnt and a miserable Birla. The Tilfish child¡¯s outburst unnerved me, until I remembered Marcel¡¯s words about people who were harmless, but different. Predator disease was propaganda, and these specific symptoms needed scientific evaluation. General Birla agreed to let the humans observe her child¡¯s behavior, which proved she was desperate for help. I could tell she would¡¯ve preferred to return to Sillis. Marcel¡¯s reminder that the Federation would torment Virnt might¡¯ve been the wake-up call Birla needed. The Tilfish general was still hesitant to leave her son alone with a predator therapist. However, Virnt wasn¡¯t dropping his ¡°humma¡± obsession, and was making life difficult for his mother. An explanation was said to be coming, but the Terrans wished to stretch their legs before tackling serious matters. Marcel marveled at the circular designs of the roads, and even knelt to press a palm to the fall-absorbent sidewalks. Humans didn¡¯t stampede-proof their major cities, from what I¡¯d seen on Earth. Meanwhile, Virnt rode on Tyler¡¯s shoulder; the blond-haired soldier had warmed up to the little Tilfish. ¡°Faster! Hummas never get tired,¡± the Tilfish child cheered. ¡°Run across whole planet!¡± Birla flicked an antenna suspiciously. ¡°That¡¯s¡­true enough. Care to explain, Marcel?¡± The red-haired human smirked. ¡°I do not.¡± ¡°You never do. Where are we even going?¡± ¡°A good question. When I asked, he told me, ¡®Out,¡¯¡± I chimed in. ¡°Humans are irritatingly nonspecific. But trust me, don¡¯t ask about them not getting tired.¡± Virnt played with Tyler¡¯s earlobe. ¡°Humma chase prey¡­forever?¡± The Tilfish general stopped walking down the streets of Venlil Prime, as the viability of that guess dawned on her. The blond-haired human stiffened; his canines gnawed at his lower lip, clearly discomforted. Marcel leapt up from admiring the sidewalk, and shot a desperate look at me for assistance. I slapped my tail across his nose dismissively, which earned a disbelieving scoff. ¡°Interesting,¡± Onso muttered. ¡°That explains why our exchange program banned ¡®cardiovascular exercise.¡¯¡± Tyler jumped in with a hurried subject change. ¡°Ey Slanek, you asked where we¡¯re heading? Wonder boy here wants to go to a Venlil rescue facility, after he¡¯s done making out with the sidewalk.¡± ¡°I was just curious what it was made of!¡± Marcel wringed his hands through his hair, eyes narrowed with indignation. ¡°It looked like obsidian. Come to think of it, I¡¯ve never asked if Venlil Prime has volcanoes.¡± ¡°We do. Most are dormant,¡± I answered. Birla still looked rattled by Virnt¡¯s observation. ¡°Wait, what is a Venlil rescue facility? A place for exchange pairings that have gone¡­wrong? Even your answers only raise more questions.¡± ¡°Humans have been freeing people from Arxur cattle farms, starting with the Venlil. Mawsle here¡ª¡± Tyler began. ¡°Not my name. It¡¯s four fucking syllables, man. Marcel Fraser.¡± ¡°As I was saying, Mawsle Phaser wants to tour the rescued Venlil¡¯s place of residence. Word is, the poor souls just found out we have some unfortunate eyes; it¡¯s pandemonium. All the places we could go, free on an alien planet, and he wants to be a Good Samaritan.¡± ¡°No one ordered you to come with me! Hell, I only asked Birla and the little man, because we¡¯re meeting with a friend, of sorts. She was going to help me explain a few things about Virnt.¡± ¡°I am surprised he¡¯d spend his leisure time on such¡­serious matters,¡± Birla responded. ¡°Oh, of course he would.¡± Tyler pressed a hand to one side of his mouth, and leaned toward the Tilfish general conspiratorially. ¡°Marcel walks on water. His shit doesn¡¯t stink.¡± Onso gave a devious ear flick. ¡°Don¡¯t you mean Mawsle?¡± ¡°Humma Mawsle!¡± Virnt agreed. ¡°Nulia will be so happy that your nickname is catching on,¡± I said, in a sickly-sweet voice. ¡°It¡¯s so mature of you to accept it. You¡¯re a great adoptive father, Mawsle.¡± ¡°Gah!¡± Marcel¡¯s voice took on a bellowing quality, and he fixed a glare inches from my face. I was unimpressed by his charade, and his dazzling eyes had no effect on me. ¡°I¡¯m gonna have Monahan start the ship and leave without ALL of you!¡± The Yotul snorted. ¡°Good luck with that. You¡¯re the new guy here. Also, if you think you can give the Cap¡¯n orders, you¡¯re in for a rude awakening. She doesn¡¯t fuck around. I like her.¡± Onso¡¯s aggression was notable from the moment I met him; he was my first real contact with a Yotul. It had seemed like a lousy joke when I heard that Tyler was accepted into an exchange program, but I realized how little censoring was needed with this species. Once, I would¡¯ve been leery of this fact, but something about their flippancy made sense. Perhaps this young spacefaring race were the only ones who understood the violent undercurrent I¡¯d unearthed in myself. I¡¯m learning to trade predatory quips with the Terrans, just like Onso does. I certainly like him a lot more than Tyler¡¯s inexplicable packmate, Sovlin. Interest flashed in Onso¡¯s eyes, as he noticed my neutral gaze on him. The Yotul wrapped his tail around mine, and dragged me ahead of the predators. Despite Marcel¡¯s dawdling, we were almost at our destination; the current location of the rescue program was a gated institution, per the news broadcasts. Terran soldiers stood by the zig-zagged entrance, and pointed their large assault rifles at the ground. ¡°You¡¯re the first herbivore that¡¯s treated me as an equal. That hasn¡¯t called me primitive, uplift, or shown open disgust when I speak aggressively,¡± Onso offered. I straightened my ears in surprise. ¡°Uh, I know what it¡¯s like to be disparaged, I guess. Tell you what. You don¡¯t call all Venlil weak and emotional, and I won¡¯t use any names against the Yotul.¡± ¡°Deal. But I reserve the right to insult you on a personal level.¡± ¡°Likewise. I¡¯ve been around humans longer than you¡­I¡¯m learning.¡± ¡°Ha, you¡¯re nothing like I thought you¡¯d be, especially from what Tyler said about you. You¡¯re not put off by ribbing.¡± ¡°Onso, I¡¯m not the one to judge you for that. I probably have predator disease¡ª¡± ¡°Shut the fuck up! Never repeat that again. You hear me? You have no idea what they¡¯ll do to you; I¡¯m not talking about humans. Your own people will bleed your soul.¡± ¡°Okay¡­sorry. I¡¯m just saying without my instincts in the driver¡¯s seat, I¡¯ve been more aggressive and unstable. Charging into battle, killing.¡± ¡°Shit, you Venlil were probably all sorts of fired up before the Feds got to you. I bet they went to great lengths to tame you. And you probably were a highly empathetic race from the start, but they distorted that. Pick the parts you like and discard the rest.¡± ¡°They did that to the Yotul?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s surprising, but nice, to have a non-human believe me. Thanks, Slanek.¡± Onso broke off our chat, and Tyler raised a questioning eyebrow. Passive concern had lingered in the blond human¡¯s gaze for the entire trip; the Yotul must¡¯ve shared something with him to elicit this response. The marsupial hissed in annoyance, when Tyler rubbed his shoulder comfortingly. Marcel picked up on the tense undercurrent, and narrowed his eyes at the duo. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Is everything alright?¡± my human asked. Onso bared his teeth. ¡°It¡¯s good that you left Dino on the ship.¡± ¡°Of course it is.¡± Birla shuddered, just thinking of the dog. I¡¯d become partial to the domesticated predator, because of his docile behavior. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t want that thing terrorizing Venlil, at a cattle facility, no less.¡± ¡°Rescue facility,¡± Marcel corrected. ¡°Onso is right. Trust me, two humans are terrifying enough to look at, if you¡¯re not used to it. You¡¯ve both been very nice to me and Virnt, but it¡¯s still a lot. Dogs would have Venlil catatonic on the floor¡­a public safety hazard.¡± The Yotul lashed his tail. ¡°What I meant is they¡¯d burn Dino alive. Harder to do, with him on a ship.¡± ¡°Why burn doggy?¡± Virnt asked. ¡°Because the dog doesn¡¯t fit with their narrative of predators being evil, and it should suffer for that. That¡¯s why they tried to slaughter the humans¡ª¡± Tyler nudged his friend. ¡°That¡¯s enough! Kids don¡¯t need to be told about death and suffering.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m sorry.¡± The UN guards at the entrance shared a glance, having heard enough of our conversation. They formed a human wall, moving closer together to block our entrance. We¡¯d deposited ourselves at the facility gate, without any of us noticing the journey was complete. The red-haired officer showed them something on his holopad, and engaged in a series of hushed whispers with the guard. ¡°This is a sensitive situation, sir, with mass panic abounding,¡± a guard said. ¡°The only names on this communique are you, the Venlil, and a ¡®Birla.¡¯ Even with Ms. Rosario¡¯s invitation, such a large group is inadvisable.¡± Marcel shook his head. ¡°Tyler and I would be happy to wear masks. Virnt is an actual child, and Onso¡¯s part of our crew¡­he can¡¯t be the only man left out, right?¡± ¡°The problem is that these Venlil know what¡¯s under the masks now, sir. They think we¡¯re slavering predators who go mad for a lick of blood. When they see large groups of us, they think it¡¯s a hunting pack. I know, it¡¯s batshit crazy, but¡ª¡± ¡°Marcel!¡± A female Terran with dark curls waved a hand at us, and flashed her teeth. Rosario¡­Sara Rosario, the human astronaut, had invited us? ¡°Come on in, and bring your friends. I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t be any trouble.¡± The UN guards stepped to the side, and cleared a path. They took a few extra steps back as Birla passed, which led me to question the wisdom of bringing her here. What if bringing a Tilfish around stressed-out ¡°Gaians¡± caused them to panic too? This place was a powder keg already; we didn¡¯t need to tempt fate. The last thing I wanted was to disrupt crucial work done toward human acceptance. However, the Odyssey astronaut seemed unfazed by the Tilfish; the glint in her eyes was a mix of wonder and curiosity. I could only imagine how giddy Sara had been at first contact, partaking in mankind¡¯s first opportunity to examine extraterrestrial life. Marcel and I had encountered this influential human twice: throughout my instincts training, and during his painstaking recovery at the outpost. In our first meeting, she had asked if I wanted to seek a new partner, to ensure I wouldn¡¯t ditch him in his lowest moments. I think Sara was pleased when she saw I cared about him as a person. She¡¯s probably used to being treated like a faceless monster. The renowned predator sped back to the facility, and our group followed without comment. I saw humans in opaque helmets wandering the hallways; their postures screamed exhaustion and frustration. On scattered security feeds, I could see Venlil rescues in lifeless stupors. Only a small percent were engaging with their caretakers, and those interactions were filled with tears and fears. ¡°S-sara?¡± A timid voice came from a spare room, where I saw a Venlil poring over an interactive textbook. Her coarse pelt looked a bit ragged, though it was showing signs of recovery. ¡°This says your ancient theaters could house tens of thousands of people.¡± Sara quickened her pace. ¡°That¡¯s right, Haysi. Curiously enough, that¡¯s still the size of many modern stadiums.¡± ¡°You¡¯re telling me tens of thousands of humans, from primitive hunting days, could amass in a central venue, and none of them would kill each other?¡± ¡°Correct. We can be entertained without any violence.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­remarkable.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that remarkable,¡± Onso chimed in. The Venlil¡¯s head snapped up, as our posse filtered through the doorway. She yelped in alarm, and her mottled ears pinned back against her head. Haysi couldn¡¯t seem to decide whether to be more afraid of scarred Marcel or towering Tyler. Her fear turned into a full-fledged scream, as both humans smiled. The rescue was gone in a flash, shimmying behind a bookcase. Sara frowned. ¡°Haysi¡¯s shy around newcomers. Still doesn¡¯t like humans she doesn¡¯t know, and has to take breaks even from being around me. It¡¯s progress though; I¡¯m just happy she let me back into her life.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be rude, but is there a reason we¡¯re here? I was told you could help with Virnt,¡± Birla clicked. ¡°Yes. Why don¡¯t we discuss this out in the hall, and give Haysi some space?¡± The Terran scientist steered us back out into the hallway, finding an isolated corner to hold our discussion. She whispered something to Tyler, who flashed her a thumbs up gesture. The blond human took Virnt over to a vending machine, and allowed him to play with the buttons. I eyed the receptacle with longing, wondering if the predators had imported potato chips. Birla sported a look of focused concern, worried about what the humans might say. Marcel says that predator disease encompasses thousands of unique conditions. That means humans likely have a narrower diagnosis for Virnt. ¡°I read what Dr. Bahri sent me, and I agree with her advice,¡± Sara said in a low voice. ¡°As for why my help has been enlisted¡­I¡¯ve interacted with aliens at length, so I understand your views on mental health as well as our own. Based on what we¡¯ve seen, Virnt would benefit from an autism screening with a specialist.¡± ¡°Autism?¡± Birla echoed. ¡°That word didn¡¯t translate. Is it¡­what¡¯s the prognosis? What are you going to do with him?¡± ¡°Well, not to confuse it with the umbrella term ¡®predator disease,¡¯ but autism itself is a spectrum. It can present with any combination of traits and behavior patterns. In general, simplistic terms, social difficulties and repetitive interests are the common denominator. Humans appear to be one of Virnt¡¯s special interests.¡± ¡°¡­okay. How do I fix it? Please, you have to cure this interest!¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t work like that, Birla. You¡¯d be better off finding ways to help Virnt deal with his unique challenges, rather than trying to change him. We¡¯re working with alien biology here, so there¡¯s no telling if your brains present the same as humans. But I have a pamphlet here, with an overview of common symptoms in our species.¡± ¡°This¡­this can¡¯t be happening. You said you could cure him, Marcel!¡± Marcel scratched his scalp. ¡°Virnt is most likely neurodivergent. He¡¯s not broken, he¡¯s just different. I know in your heart, you love him and accept him for who he is. You don¡¯t want him to change; you want him to be happy.¡± ¡°And of course, again, we¡¯re judging this based on our criteria for our species.¡± Sara wagged her pointer finger, as though drilling the message into Birla¡¯s skull. ¡°With the Federation¡¯s take on mental health, it¡¯s difficult to get any accurate data sets. There¡¯s nothing to go off of, and no telling how your conditions mirror or diverge from ours.¡± I listened in contemplative silence, and mulled over the qualities that Sara had outlined. It was a shame that Birla¡¯s pamphlet was translated into the Tilfish lexicon; I couldn¡¯t read the full explanation. The scientist hadn¡¯t listed anything threatening to the herd as part of Virnt¡¯s condition. This sounded like a disconnect with social norms, and a lack of diversity in interests. Under Federation rule, would a harmless child like this little guy become an outcast¡­or worse? Awkwardness caused me to shuffle my paws. ¡°Uh, Sara? Would you mind going into a bit of detail about the symptoms on the pamphlet? I¡¯m curious. I¡¯d like to have something in my head other than predator disease to fall back on.¡± ¡°On Earth, most individuals on the spectrum have sensory issues,¡± she replied. ¡°They often don¡¯t like change, even minor ones, like when Virnt was told he couldn¡¯t go to Earth. The good news is that Virnt doesn¡¯t seem to have the learning or speech impediments we see in the most severe forms.¡± Birla twisted her antennae. ¡°Virnt is very bright. He soaks up knowledge like a sponge. I wish there was something I could do to help him though.¡± ¡°There is. Be supportive of his interests and be patient with him. He may need help expressing his feelings appropriately, as well as distinguishing the feelings of others. He might have difficulty relating to his peers, so an accepting mother could lessen his loneliness and his struggles.¡± Tyler approached the group with slow steps, and the conversation hushed at once. Virnt was picking at a package of Terran fruit snacks. Rather than stuffing a red one into his mandibles, the Tilfish child tried to cram it inside the blond human¡¯s ear. Onso had a laugh at his partner, as the big guy swatted at his head. ¡°You fucking terror. Help!¡± Tyler yelped. Marcel snickered, before prying Virnt away from the tall predator. My friend returned the fruit snacks, but was careful to keep the Tilfish out of reach of his auditory canals. Sara had a good-natured smirk on her face, though Birla seemed mortified by her son¡¯s mischief. The Tilfish general scuttled forward. ¡°I am so sorry, Tyler.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine,¡± my red-haired buddy jumped in. ¡°Tyler¡¯s just not used to having anything inside his head. It must be nice for him to see what it¡¯s like.¡± The blond human raised his fist. ¡°Sara, can you ban him from the exchange program already? That¡¯s predatory behavior there.¡± ¡°Why would I ban the cutest duo in the whole program, even if I had that authority?¡± The Terran scientist flashed her teeth at me, and I ducked my head. ¡°Seriously, Birla, read the pamphlet. I¡¯ll forward information to Marcel about a screening. The advice of a specialist is better than my general knowledge.¡± ¡°Thank you. I appreciate that you¡¯ve been so kind to a random child. Anyone but predators would¨C¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need a reminder. The last twenty years of my life were like someone else lived them. Fuck the Federation,¡± Onso hissed. Sara furrowed her brow. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m fucking splendid, but I¡¯m going to crack some Farsul¡¯s skull before I call it even.¡± ¡°Well then. I¡¯ll be happy to show you guys around the facility, and we could use the extra hands¡­paws. There will be no violent or anti-Federation talk around these Venlil, okay? Please, whatever you¡¯re going through, leave it at the door.¡± The Yotul flicked his ears in acknowledgment, as all three humans surveyed him with worry. There must be something about Onso¡¯s backstory that only Tyler knew; from what I had gauged, the Federation diagnosed this marsupial with predator disease due to his aggression. He could¡¯ve been me, after my reckless behavior on Sillis. Onso was right, when he told me not to use the words ¡°predator disease¡± to refer to myself. Even if it was a Venlil¡¯s natural state, the humans were the only ones that understood that. I had thought about visiting my family while I was on Venlil Prime, and introducing them to Marcel. However, the fact was that I belonged with predators more than my own people now. The dark truth had been right in front of my face, every time I felt shame over my own transformation. My parents wouldn¡¯t recognize me anymore; they would reject me, if they realized what a violent man I had become. It took coming home to realize that the old Slanek was dead; there would be no return to normalcy. Chapter 112 Memory transcription subject: Chief Hunter Isif, Arxur Dominion Sector Fleet Date [standardized human time]: December 17, 2136 Proxima Centauri was the site of many human endeavors, which I had guessed due to its constant ship activity. The nearest stellar system to Sol had once been where the Zurulian hospital fleet amassed, to tend to an ailing Earth. Now, it was a bastion of human ships and drones; rapid deployment was possible with a snap of their fingers. This went beyond the colony, which had temporary housing, and the hastily-assembled stations around the worlds. The fleet that the Terrans were constructing was enormous, and ripe with novelties that I had never seen. Identifying these devices proved difficult, with how out-of-the-box humans could think. An excessive amount of patrollers prowled the system, ready to warp off to Earth or Venlil Prime at a notice. Anti-FTL buoys and other mines saturated the system. Even Olek and Lisa were wowed by the sights in the viewport. Probes propelled by solar sails could maneuver without emissions. Asteroids had FTL drives strapped to them, and other debris had engines attached as well. Artificial rods and slabs of metal were ready to be slingshotted at an enemy. There were other projectiles I failed to classify, though I was glad none deigned to attack me. ¡°Fascinating. I thought that visiting a system outside of Sol would lessen the military presence,¡± I murmured. Felra¡¯s whiskers twitched. ¡°I had no clue they¡¯d built so many ships, so fast.¡± ¡°Our industrial power¡¯s something else in a war economy, huh?¡± Olek rubbed his eyes, as he strained to make out the details. ¡°Who knows what secret weapons the UN is ready to deploy? Maybe even those death rays they denied existed during the Satellite Wars.¡± Lisa looked exasperated as ever. ¡°Olek, the Grand Gulf meltdown and those fires were caused by hacking, not a death ray. And don¡¯t tell me, ¡®That¡¯s what they want you to think.¡¯¡± ¡°But it is!¡± The Dossur giggled, as she paced back and forth across my console buttons. I couldn¡¯t believe how quickly the prey animal had grown accustomed to me; she seemed determined to help me. Felra had drilled me on every aspect of Betterment, from their policy goals to the powers of a Chief Hunter. It didn¡¯t seem that there was a suitable way out, but I was hoping the United Nations would have some advice. I stiffened, as a blinking icon appeared on my data feed. ¡°There¡¯s a civilian transport approaching us, on an intercept course. Transmitting a looping message¡­¡± ¡°Well? What¡¯s it say?¡± Olek prompted. Lisa crossed her arms. ¡°I hope it doesn¡¯t say, ¡®Isif is a fraud and a liar.¡¯ If he isn¡¯t what he claims to be, we¡¯re guilty of dereliction of duty.¡± ¡°Hey! Siffy brought an entire fleet just to rescue me.¡± Felra swept her tiny tail across the console, and bared her teeth in an aggressive gesture. ¡°If that¡¯s not honest and caring, what is? Besides, he hasn¡¯t eaten me yet.¡± ¡°I would not dream of such a thing,¡± I hissed. ¡°The message says that humanity is sending a diplomatic envoy aboard.¡± My blood burned, as I recalled the last boarding party to breach my ship. Waltzing into the heart of Terran territory again wasn¡¯t my first option, but I was in hot water. There was no one else to turn to, except the lukewarm United Nations. Knowing General Jones, she¡¯d been keeping tabs on me and expecting my visit. It seems she was able to keep Zhao from siccing the dogs on me. Our shuttle hasn¡¯t been attacked or confronted. I brought my vessel to a standstill, and tried to trust that Jones had the situation under control. Making my shuttle easy to breach should signal my compliance. A thunk passed through the hull, as the diplomatic transport latched into the side. After affirming that the airlock was sealed and affixed to the UN ship, I unlocked the entrance from our side. The two UN soldiers, whose formal names were Oleksiy Bondarenko and Lisa Reynolds, snapped upright. Their postures were as stiff as if someone jabbed a taser in their spines, and their flat palms looked glued to their foreheads. My maw locked with disdain, as I recognized the uniformed man flanking General Jones. She had the nerve to alert Secretary-General Zhao of my movements, and bring him to greet me? ¡°Chief Hunter Isif,¡± Earth¡¯s leader proclaimed. ¡°We¡¯re pleased to welcome you to Proxima Centauri.¡± General Jones offered a smug smile. ¡°Everything you see here is only the tip of the iceberg. If the Kolshians think they can pick off our allies, one-by-one, and have us sit by and watch, they¡¯re in for a rough week.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t defend all of our allied territory with the full might of Terra. But we¡¯re putting the finishing touches on our military spearhead. If we take the fight to them, they¡¯ll have to withdraw their forces,¡± Zhao concluded. I chuckled with derision. ¡°You tried that tactic with Kalsim, and he let his own world burn. You humans have a saying about doing the same thing, and expecting a different result, correct?¡± ¡°Perhaps it is the definition of insanity. The difference is, the Kolshians care about control and defending their core worlds. Giznel even knows this, from what you passed along to Jones.¡± ¡°Zhao knows about me?¡± ¡°The SecGen isn¡¯t blind, Isif, he¡¯s not a Feddie,¡± Jones remarked. ¡°Five Eyes had some knowledge pertinent to the Dominion¡¯s upper echelons that we couldn¡¯t explain. Zhao put two and two together.¡± ¡°As much as I¡¯d like to chew her ear off for withholding intelligence, we can¡¯t afford to be divided.¡± The Secretary-General clasped his hands behind his back. ¡°Earth is fully committed to a total war. If we don¡¯t demolish the Federation¡¯s foundations, we can¡¯t guarantee our citizens¡¯ safety. Would you like to finish, spymaster Jones?¡± ¡°Gladly. In essence, we have no idea what we¡¯re walking into. The Kolshians¡¯ true strength, and any concealed weapons they have up their sleeves. They clearly believe that Aafa is impenetrable, and we¡¯ll need to pass through other species¡¯ space to get to them. They know our stealth tactics, so we have to fight.¡± I narrowed my eyes. ¡°So you have to work your way up to the top.¡± ¡°Precisely. The Farsul are the quiet conspirators, and got taken down a notch post-extermination fleet, but they still held out against an Arxur raid with minimal damage. They claimed to have committed their entire arsenal, yet that clearly couldn¡¯t be further from the truth. We can¡¯t discount their trickery either.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what we¡¯re up against,¡± the Secretary-General said. ¡°We¡¯re calling this operation the Phoenix Fleet. Built from the ashes of Earth. Might I give you a personal tour, Isif, as a peace offering between us? Your friends are welcome to join.¡± The fact was, with my cover in shambles, I needed the United Nations¡¯ direction just to survive the next week. My interest in interacting with Zhao was negligible, but I offered a grudging nod. Olek and Lisa were given permission to stand at ease, and relaxed their postures. Jones then sauntered up to the console, inputting a flight course that steered us around various sights. That glint in her eyes¡­she already knows the trouble I¡¯m in. Betterment will want my head. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Just to cement her disconcerting omniscience, Jones handed Olek a pair of glasses. The male soldier looked taken aback, muttering something about matching his prescription. I was sure the fact that the UN was spying on me wouldn¡¯t embolden his conspiracies at all. Lisa was studying me, and I recalled her suggestion on the shuttle ride for me to defect. As easy as that escape may be, it wouldn¡¯t salvage my people¡¯s future. The two human soldiers annoyed me at first, but they were growing on me a tiny bit. They felt more authentic and representative of their kind than Jones or Zhao. With Jones especially, it felt like she was hoarding information as a weapon. The Arxur never plotted to the lengths that Terrans did; that¡¯s why, even with Felra¡¯s aid, I failed to recover my facade after saving Mileau. As we glided into the Proxima system, Zhao gestured to a rocky planet. It appeared to be a testing ground for bombs, with occasional missile launches from the planet¡¯s surface too. Felra squeaked in alarm, spotting the humans practicing orbital raids. I agreed with the Dossur, at least in pinpointing Earth¡¯s motives. There were no uses for long-range antimatter besides pure destruction. ¡°We are practicing precision strikes from above with smaller warheads, and with larger-yield weapons too.¡± The Secretary-General pulled up some specs on his holopad, including a few cruise missiles that could be launched from airdropped platforms. ¡°Rest assured, my Dossur comrade, there is a dual purpose for these exercises.¡± Felra¡¯s ears quivered. ¡°You¡¯re¡­practicing raiding Federation planets. Do you intend to let any survive?¡± ¡°The United Nations is prepared to reciprocate hostile actions, after what happened on Mileau. However, while civilians may wind up as collateral, they are not explicit targets. The smaller missiles are designed to contain the impact to areas and structures vital to military operations.¡± ¡°Then why are you practicing with full-scale warheads?¡± ¡°That is a training exercise. We¡¯re attempting to construct a ground intercept system, which can detonate orbital munitions before they hit the surface. It¡¯s the same idea as a missile defense system such as the Iron Dome.¡± ¡°We¡¯re practicing how many planetary strikes we can intercept and improving our technology,¡± Jones added. ¡°Also, with all the reverse engineering we¡¯ve done, we have many new additions to our fleets. If I may¡­¡± My shuttle continued on its charted course, peeling away from the testing ground. If Earth had been able to stop missiles before they impacted the ground, perhaps their losses would¡¯ve been less severe. It was incredible how quickly the humans were improving. Their innovation was unsurpassed, and I could see the beginnings of a galactic superpower falling together. If the Terrans had a few months to get everything in order, this would all be a different story. They are a driven species, to come from their first FTL ship to this in months. Felra¡¯s fear scent still lingered in the air, but her eyes glistened with curiosity. I could only imagine how she felt, touring a predator¡¯s killing devices after learning that her friend was an Arxur commander. To exacerbate our dilemma, she had watched me tear four Kolshians apart like it was nothing! I reminded myself to explain to the Dossur that humans couldn¡¯t have done this without allied manufacturing power. Even in war preparations, they proved themselves a social species that outshone the Arxur. ¡°Are you okay?¡± I whispered. ¡°This is a more up-close-and-personal view of human killing abilities than you likely intended.¡± Felra chuckled, though the nerves seeped into her tone. ¡°I was curious about joining an exchange program, but this is more than I bargained for. I could do with a little more petting, and less bombs.¡± Lisa coughed. ¡°I heard that. Careful what you wish for.¡± The shuttle approached a drone hub, which appeared to include self-piloted hospital ships. The Terrans wouldn¡¯t need to divert any qualified helmsmen to ferry the medics into battle. General Jones fiddled with my console, determining how to highlight items on the viewport. Her binocular eyes sparkled with pride; the drone program was her brainchild. ¡°Not only are we experimenting with varying drone sizes, and with automating certain functions even in manned ships¡­but we¡¯ve also crafted mini-drones.¡± The spymaster¡¯s rosy lips turned up, and she highlighted a handful of specks. ¡°Small enough to fit in my hand, and you can fly ¡®em like steered bullets. Good luck targeting something so tiny.¡± My growl vibrated with appreciation. ¡°They could find chinks in armor and be rigged to explode. Or be used as scouts, alongside those solar sail probes you have.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to speak to someone who appreciates our craftsmanship. Tarva, bless her heart, gets this blank look in her eyes when I delve into military details, and General Kam just acts like a cheerleader. I¡¯m not sure he knows what he¡¯s applauding.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve learned of our shield-breaking technology, with how we kicked Shaza¡¯s hind end with it.¡± Zhao flashed his teeth, insufferable in his haughtiness. ¡°You see the drones in a simulated engagement, portside? They can take out enemy shields now, optimally, without human input.¡± ¡°Hrrr, shield-breakers. That¡¯s all well and good until they turn that tactic back at you, yes? Element of surprise¡­gone.¡± ¡°Keep watching. The ships they¡¯re firing at¡ªlook what happens during a shield outage.¡± My pupils surveyed the viewport, and I parted my maw with curiosity. Felra climbed up onto my shoulder, getting a better view of the action. The human armaments were duking it out with phony weaponry, and that included a simulation of shield breaker input. They had accounted for such devices being used against them, after all. Terran craft that lost shields deployed a platform in front of them, which assembled itself into a wall. These fortifications provided an extra layer of defense for human ships, and could absorb lethal munitions being used against them. It was easy enough for the UN to shoot through the gaps, while the enemy¡¯s return fire couldn¡¯t thread the barrier. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was the simplicity or the far-reaching effects of their ingenuity that impressed me. ¡°That is clever, Zhao. Whenever you are done showing off, hrrr, I could use your help,¡± I hissed through gritted teeth. The Secretary-General glanced at me. ¡°The showing off has a point. We are aware of your troubles, but there¡¯s no walking back what happened at Mileau. You should call for an open rebellion against the Dominion.¡± ¡°Zhao is right. You have access to the rebel forums to share what you know, and you have the confidence of two sector fleets,¡± Jones ascertained. ¡°Remind them of how well Earth fed them. We¡¯ve shipped the non-sapient cattle, which we agreed to at Sillis, to your headquarters. A start, if you¡¯re smart with it.¡± ¡°That is madness!¡± My roar reverberated throughout the ship, making every human but Jones flinch. ¡°We¡¯re not ready to fight Betterment. Not without human help, which you won¡¯t give! Food won¡¯t fix that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the hierarchy of needs, Isif. Feeding your people will free their focus to fight intelligently. You have access to fleetwide communications. Perhaps you could offer sanctuary to ¡®defectives¡¯ as well.¡± ¡°What about human help, Jones? You refuse to fight a two-front war. And you say it has a point, but you haven¡¯t expanded upon the purpose of your boasting either!¡± The Secretary-General pursed his lips. ¡°I¡¯ll answer this one. What I¡¯m showing you here is that we have a fighting chance against the Federation. We¡¯re going to slay a giant, or at least try to. We can¡¯t offer you anything today, Isif¡­but if we make it out in decent shape, humanity will aid you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not now! I¡¯m supposed to campaign on hope and an empty promise?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t make empty promises. Look at how far we¡¯ve come; you must believe that we can end the Federation. You need to hold out, to keep yourself and your movement alive, until we finish this fight. Will you give it a shot?¡± Felra twitched her whiskers, a sign of encouragement. If my Dossur friend thought this crackpot plan was worth the effort, then perhaps I could try to stand up to the might of Betterment. An influential Arxur like myself was the leader figure a rebellion needed; I¡¯d proven my might in battle, and I knew how to command fleets. The question was whether I could convince enough soldiers to join me. ¡°I guess we¡¯re going to try to overthrow the Dominion,¡± I sighed, ignoring Felra¡¯s happy squeak. ¡°Humans, if you believe we could ever have a better future, as I do, you will help me. Any way you can.¡± ¡°We will.¡± Zhao extended his hand, and I gripped it reluctantly. ¡°Not to sound like Jones, but you can¡¯t trust anyone. Keeping you alive will be key. You know that; that¡¯s why you¡¯ve wandered for weeks without an armed escort.¡± ¡°Your point is?¡± ¡°Perhaps you would trust human soldiers as your full-time guards? If Bondarenko and Reynolds here are up to the task, that is; I cannot give them that order in good faith. It¡¯s a dangerous assignment, beyond the scope of what any soldier signed up for.¡± Olek grinned. ¡°Being on the inside of spy insurrection shit¡­sir? I¡¯m in.¡± ¡°If it helps the United Nations, and swings the balance toward galactic peace, I¡¯m in too, sir,¡± Lisa responded. I narrowed my eyes. ¡°I could live with keeping them around. Thank you. And Felra, do you want to stay with the humans? It won¡¯t be safe, and there¡¯ll be¡­lots of Arxur. War and death.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not getting rid of me. I said we¡¯d figure it out together. Someone¡¯s gotta teach you how to express your emotions, and who better than a special gal like me?¡± Zhao wandered to my console. ¡°You¡¯ve got yourself a crew then. Now, let¡¯s help you draft your statements, shall we? Unofficially, of course.¡± If someone had told me before the cradle¡¯s fall that I would start a rebellion with generals of pack predators, I would¡¯ve thought it was absurd. That was without mentioning the fact that I had one of the smallest herbivores perched on my shoulder. Our unlikely posse began penning the words of sedition, and I wondered whether any Arxur would come to my side at all. The state of affairs in the galaxy was heating up in a hurry. I hoped that Zhao¡¯s bluster bore tangible results; my species¡¯ fate hinged on the humans¡¯ success against the Kolshians and the Farsul. For all the primates had accomplished, while staring down insurmountable odds, this was the stretch that would determine victors and losers. The military Earth had spawned in a matter of months needed to be enough to take down the Federation¡¯s kingpins, or all of us were doomed. Chapter 113 Memory transcription subject: Glim, Venlil Rescue Date [standardized human time]: December 19, 2136 The days since the raid against Venlil Prime had climbed into the double digits; ten days ago, every rescue learned the Gaians¡¯ dark secret. I could recall the panic of being rushed to a bunker, by a predator whose name I didn¡¯t even know. There were thousands of them packed in my vicinity, beady eyes glistening in the darkness. It brought back terrible memories, ones I¡¯d tried to blot out from my mind. I could still recall each of the numbers on my brand, torched into my neck in the Arxur lexicon; I could recite them by heart. When I was pried loose and herded around as the grays¡¯ plaything, I wasn¡¯t Glim. It was as if I could observe myself from the outside there, and distance myself from the binocular eyes scanning me as a scrumptious kill. The bunker humans left me overstimulated and slipping back into torturous times. Noah would¡¯ve known to comfort me, but he wasn¡¯t there. The Terran ambassador was neck-deep in the Duerten negotiations, which had borne little fruit. Instead, I¡¯d huddled within the bunker in a shaken heap, feeling claustrophobic and trapped among the predators. When the Gaian who saved me carried me outside, I could breathe again, ever so slightly. How had the other cattle felt, having not already known that HUMANS were under those masks? I knew who they were, and it¡¯s still taken me days to process that experience. As an abstract concept, I could handle the reality of the predator infestation on Venlil Prime. My caretaker, by himself, was a welcome sight; I felt the smallest warmth, when Ambassador Williams rushed to visit me in the aftermath. It had taken me days to be able to speak with him though, after the bunker ordeal fried my neurons. Thousands of eyes, scattered throughout the periphery¡­the human presence¡­. I shook my head, and prayed that my voice wouldn¡¯t leave me today. The Terrans hadn¡¯t hurried me along, despite the breakdown of order among the rescues. However, my promise to aid them in getting through to the cattle hadn¡¯t left my memory. I was supposed to deliver a speech the night of the raid, but I¡¯d clammed up after the nightmare within an enclosed space. ¡°¡­so the Duerten are stringing us along. Now, they¡¯re asking to see a rescue from the cattle farms!¡± Noah lightly draped an arm over my shoulders, which made me flinch. I¡¯d zoned out as we were walking toward the auditorium. ¡°Glim, you good? You told me you were all there.¡± I clasped the folded-up speech notes tighter in my paw. ¡°Yeah. P-perfectly fine. I¡¯m just on edge from the raid. Haven¡¯t been able to get out of that headspace.¡± ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s it?¡± ¡°Totally. Say, I¡¯m surprised to see Haysi and Sara talking.¡± ¡°Hm, she still screams and hides at every human but Sara. To think that you and her are rays of sunshine¡ªyou¡¯re so clearly afraid of us, yet most rescues have renounced our kind altogether. The majority will never come around.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to try to help you with that. Oh, uh, what were you saying about the Duerten?¡± ¡°We need their ships, Glim; it¡¯s no secret. The Duerten want to see what we¡¯ve done for the farm rescues, and that means putting some poor soul through an inquisition.¡± The human rubbed his short scalp, pursing his lips. I found myself wishing he¡¯d don his old helmet. ¡°I hate to ask even more of you, but I think you¡¯re the closest thing we have to an objective voice.¡± I pinned my ears back. ¡°If it gets me out of this place¡­I¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re good with leaving straight from the speech? I don¡¯t mean to rush you, but the Federation is knocking on our doorstep. Each day we squander, they¡¯re getting closer to us. To our friends.¡± ¡°I said I¡¯ll help. Leave whenever.¡± Sooner, rather than later, I hope. I need to clear my head. Noah donned his mask, and my breathing felt much less strained. The human remained off to the side in the hallway, but pointed to a lectern in a conference room. Disaffected rescues had been shown to the area, and a few chattered nervously about the predators¡¯ intentions. There was a camera to record my words, for the Venlil that hadn¡¯t been coaxed to the meeting area. I unfolded my speech notes, and surveyed the words I¡¯d written before the raid. My conviction had been tested at every turn; I didn¡¯t know how I could muster any persuasive abilities. Someone had to give these traumatized Venlil an explanation, if they were to attain any solace. It was shocking to discover the sweet species, who waited on us hand and foot, had the form of our enemy. I leaned closer to the microphone, summoning all of my strength. ¡°Hello everyone. To answer your burning question, the Gaians hide their faces because they know what they are. A predator race. They rationalize the deepest evils with ease, and their past rivals the Arxur¡¯s in its h-horribleness.¡± My voice came out flat, save for the last stutter. Nervous gasps tailed from the audience, and I tried to add gusto to my tone. ¡°Their real species name is human; the Federation has known about these wicked flesh-eaters for centuries. As an exterminator, and someone who has faced the same evils of captivity as you, I¡¯ve encountered the worst predators. They are everything I¡¯ve fought against and then some.¡± Noah stiffened in the hallway. Several Gaians began to start toward me, perhaps to cut off my speech; they thought that I was generating additional panic. I could feel my caretaker¡¯s awful eyes on me through the helmet, before he decided to trust what I was doing. The Terran ambassador extended an arm, holding his colleagues back. Scrawled in red ink, I read my hasty additions to the speech, which I tacked on last night. Addressing current events was important, both for these Venlil and myself. This was about reminding myself why these primates were nothing like the Arxur who tortured me. ¡°But all of you know that humans act kind and endearing to us. You saw them save Venlil, while the weaker predators cowered alongside us.¡± That was what really happened, Glim¡ªyou saw it. Your logical brain knows this, but it¡¯s like someone turned a faucet of memories back there. ¡°Thousands of them locked with us for hours, across from makeshift hospitals their people set up. Inundated with fear scent and copious amounts of blood. The EMTs clasped packets in their hands and didn¡¯t drink them.¡± The Gaians seemed taken aback by my last note, but among the crowd, I saw a few tail swishes recognizing that oddity. There had been many things I¡¯d regarded in the outside world, which suggested the predators had carved out ordinary lives here. Venlil and humans intermingled across the capital, and banded together in the war. Clearing my throat, I hurried through the last bit of my speech. ¡°I escaped this very facility weeks ago, and the world I saw wasn¡¯t enslaved or suffering. I saw these predators playing fine-stringed instruments, trading fruits, and talking piteously about us. My caretaker pulled me back from an oncoming train, saving my life, and held me when I mourned a familial tragedy. He felt empathy, as proven by our scientific tests, and he didn¡¯t shy away from his species¡¯ worst moments. Humans, Gaians¡­they aren¡¯t the least bit predictable, but I believe that they won¡¯t harm us today. Is that enough? All I can say is that we¡¯ve seen them do more than kill, inside and outside these walls. Despite knowing the danger of predators, the Venlil decided to trust them. We have to trust the herd, or we have nothing.¡± I flicked my ears a single time, and slunk away from the podium. That was the best declaration I could drum up for the rescues; I hoped it was what the humans wanted from me. Perhaps Noah wished I was less honest about their flaws, though he didn¡¯t challenge me. My helmeted caretaker merely waved a hand, and guided me outside to a car. Being locked in an enclosed space with a predator jogged the horrible memories again, but I kept that thought to myself. I tried to shut off my brain, hoping to dissociate during transit. Fielding Duerten questions, on behalf of humanity¡¯s diplomatic outreach program, might be a good way to ground myself. It was a distraction at the least, one which I was relieved to have. Why couldn¡¯t I get better? Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. --- The ornate exterior of the governor¡¯s mansion sparkled in the sunlight, as we pulled up near the reception lawn. A female avian with dull gray feathers waited under an awning; she was clearly expecting our arrival. It was uncommon to see Duerten outside their systems, since their species denounced individual ambitions. Setting out to a foreign world on their own went against the Homogeneity¡¯s collectivism. I risked a glance at Noah, who had long-since abandoned the helmet. The human ambassador was unusually quiet, with a despondent look tugging at his lips. At first, I presumed it was because I was ignoring him, but he didn¡¯t even notice we had arrived at our destination. Reaching out with a hesitant paw, I jostled his meaty hand. The Gaian blinked in rapid succession. Do I really want to know what he was lost in his head about? ¡°Noah¡­what¡¯s wrong?¡± I murmured. The astronaut forced a snarl. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. You have your own problems, Glim, which are much heavier than mine. Besides, we¡¯ve got to go. The Duerten ambassador is right there waiting for us.¡± ¡°She can wait ten seconds for you to tell me. I¡¯ll feel better knowing.¡± ¡°If I tell you, will you promise to get out and talk to the Duerten, without any additional questions or comments to me?¡± ¡°¡­fine.¡± ¡°The stampedes. I can¡¯t stop thinking about it all¡ªthe bodies, the calamity. Thousands died, even with our help. Tarva says that¡¯s normal during emergency evacuations on Venlil Prime.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯re brooding about? It¡¯s sad, Noah, b-but there¡¯s nothing you can do about it.¡± ¡°No! I just, I could¡¯ve done things differently before. I know for a fact that everyone on this world was sent to bunkers, when Sara and I first showed up. How many people did we kill by saying hello? Those casualties were directly caused by our arrival. An unintended consequence.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Remembering my promise not to press Noah further, I slid out of the car. There was nothing I could say to comfort him, unless he was feigning empathy to tug at my heartstrings. He must¡¯ve noticed that I was pulling away from everyone, in the wake of the raids; it was never certain his feelings were authentic. The human ambassador¡¯s gaze scorched into my back, and he shimmied out after me. With forced cheeriness, he waved to the Duerten ambassador. ¡°Ambassador Coji. It¡¯s wonderful to see you!¡± Noah¡¯s abrupt shift in demeanor left me questioning just how well he could act. ¡°This is Glim. He was rescued during an exchange negotiated by the UN Secretary-General. I¡¯ve been helping him settle back into Venlil life.¡± Coji¡¯s bill was lengthy and curved, and looked threatening when it was pointed toward me. The Duerten studied me with a haughty aura, not saying a word. The lack of a basic greeting soured any goodwill I had toward this avian, but I remembered what Noah said about the importance of gaining their ships. Humanity must have endless patience, to keep trying at diplomacy without any results. ¡°Glim? Say something?¡± the human prompted. I curled my lip. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Apologies for his shortness, Madam Ambassador. I¡¯m sure you understand the trauma he¡¯s recovering from. Feel free to ask him any questions you like.¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather do so without humans monitoring him,¡± Coji clicked. The Duerten¡¯s cold request rubbed me the wrong way, with how she was giving orders as a guest. If Noah was phased by being told to sod off, he didn¡¯t show it. The Terran dipped his head in a respectful gesture, and backed away with careful steps. His pupils studied me with concern, and I straightened my ears to show I could handle it. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll leave you two alone for a few minutes. But I¡¯ll have to circle back shortly; this is only Glim¡¯s second time out of the facility. His welfare is important to me,¡± the predator responded, to be greeted with silence. ¡°Okay then. Good luck?¡± Noah seems more awkward than usual. I can¡¯t blame him, not receiving any positive cues from the Duerten. Coji inspected me once the Gaian vanished. ¡°Has that human talked about Mileau at all, Glim?¡± ¡°Mileau¡­the Dossur homeworld?¡± I asked. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a no. In short, the Kolshians raided the planet and are doing stars know what to the populace. These Terrans made sure to give us all the details, but they care so little for their allies. It¡¯s just propaganda to them! They use it as a tragedy to show what the Federation has done, yet they¡¯re doing nothing to take it back. They won¡¯t protect their allies, when push comes to shove¡­except for the Venlil.¡± ¡°I thought you wanted to ask me about the cattle rescues. I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re talking to me about this.¡± ¡°Because, you¡¯ve heard what they really think. You won¡¯t just defend them blindly like your government does. Humanity could glass her own world, and Tarva would be on television the next day talking about how wonderful they are. They just want our ships. They think the Homogeneity doesn¡¯t know they plan to use us, and discard our lives.¡± ¡°Ambassador Coji, er, I¡ª¡± ¡°What incentive do we have to go against the Kolshians? We don¡¯t want to fight them. We don¡¯t even like humans: they¡¯re loud, selfish, and brutish, in the presentable version of themselves. Noah¡¯s happy to woo us into getting slaughtered, and fan the flames of war. I don¡¯t like him either, and I want nothing to do with their whole alliance!¡± Listening to someone else insult my caretaker boiled my blood, despite my jumbled emotions. It was true, by the Ambassador¡¯s private admission, that humanity was trying to flip neutrals to their small alliance for manpower. However, if the Federation had actually raided the Dossur¡¯s homeworld, how could that be turned against Noah? These Duerten were just wasting the Terrans¡¯ time, and that pissed me off. ¡°You¡¯re a fucking moron!¡± I screamed. ¡°You could use the humans to your advantage. If you were smart, you¡¯d realize they were desperate and set the terms. You want to be protected, then specify that! You could probably ask for their help freeing Duerten cattle too; they¡¯re good at that. I¡¯m not sure what you want from them, but they¡¯ll do it.¡± The long-billed avian leaned back. ¡°To our advantage? Involving ourselves with attacking fellow herbivores¡­it¡¯s out of the question. They¡¯ll bring torment upon us, and the Terrans can¡¯t even fend ¡®em off.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you involve yourself solely with stopping attacks? For the love of stars, all you have to do is send a few ships to human-allied planets. I don¡¯t get why you wouldn¡¯t want to send a clear message, before the Kolshians turn on you or your friends. It¡¯s Arxur behavior, and it must stop. If Mileau is being plundered, that¡¯s disgusting.¡± ¡°I agree, Glim. But this is why none of the races who talked to humanity will pledge support. It¡¯s hard to stick your neck out.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not hard. You want the humans to save the Dossur, and you know damn well they don¡¯t have the numbers. Why? Because you won¡¯t lift a wing to help. You don¡¯t have to publicly declare support, or do a thing you don¡¯t want to! Help care for the rescued cattle from the Sillis battle. Defend prey from attack, and nothing else. If you want Mileau recovered, then you and dozens of others need to contribute.¡± Panicked footsteps ran down the walkway, so Ambassador Noah must¡¯ve heard the commotion. I¡¯d raised my voice to a staggering level, in my initial outburst. His binocular eyes were wide with alarm, and he raised his hands in a placating gesture. I could feel anger simmering off him, as he all but wrenched me away from Ambassador Coji. The Duerten was stewing over my words, and she studied the predator for several minutes. ¡°I have a proposal, predator. You get this one chance to accept it, and you may not counter-offer.¡± Coji moved her beak inches from Noah¡¯s cheek, and I could see my caretaker trying not to shy away. ¡°We¡¯ll send a few dozen ships to your weakest worlds¡¯ garrisons. We will only intervene in the event of an attack on prey; that means not Earth, and no offensive aid. You have no control over our ships, and you don¡¯t order us around.¡± The Terran looked surprised. ¡°O¡ª¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t finished. Furthermore, we will not be openly on humanity¡¯s side. We don¡¯t want to fight the Kolshians, unsure of their capabilities; nobody does. We will reach out to dozens of our allies to help retake Mileau. A full-fledged attempt to reclaim it is a mandatory condition of the deal, and we expect humanity to send the bulk of the force. It has been days, and you¡¯ve done nothing.¡± ¡°We wish to help, really. But there¡¯s forty-thousand of them¡­the number of ships we¡¯d have to send to contest their claim would be too high. We couldn¡¯t afford to take those kinds of losses, or to merely lose half of the craft we send. Even if we succeeded, we¡¯d be leaving every other system, including our own, open to attack.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about your system. I care about the Dossur, and I expect thousands of your ships in the rescue fleet. Do you accept our terms?¡± ¡°Yes. Yes, we do. Thank you, Amb¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m leaving. Quit talking.¡± It was striking how Coji deigned to speak to Noah, and how casually the human brushed off the insults. His brown eyes watched, as she fluttered over to the reception lawn. The visitor boarded her spacecraft in a hurry. The predator leaned back, and waited until the Duerten had taken to the skies. Ambassador Williams then flashed his teeth, throwing an excited fist pump into the air. ¡°How did that happen? What the hell did you say, Glim?¡± the Gaian asked. ¡°I mean, first off, I don¡¯t have the authority to make that deal, but I¡¯m sure the UN will accept it. Besides, if I didn¡¯t say yes, she would¡¯ve taken it off the table.¡± I tilted my head. ¡°I told her she should set the terms. That¡¯s what that Duerten really wanted: control. Sorry that she, um, took my advice in a forceful direction. Aren¡¯t you angry?¡± ¡°Oh, not at all, you brave, wonderful Venlil. You just gave us the ability to increase our friends¡¯ defenses, and try to take back Mileau. We can win this war! Peace, that¡¯s all we want in the whole wide universe.¡± The predator was radiating excitement, though the impact of this moment was starting to hit me. I might¡¯ve just tipped the war¡¯s balance in humanity¡¯s favor; there was no telling if their proclaimed intentions of peace would end up being the truth. Dwelling on that wouldn¡¯t help my shattered mind, though. A Federation that bullied its own people into submission, and used secret fleets for conquest, was no better than whatever Earth would do. Noah seemed to have a good heart, so I needed to continue accepting that at face value. The rest of his kind were ambiguous hunters to me, but I knew his character was pure and polite. He was deserving of my trust. It remained to be seen how the Terran alliance fared in its next battles, but I hoped they¡¯d retake Mileau and kick the Kolshians in the teeth. Chapter 114 Memory transcription subject: Slanek, Venlil Space Corps Date [standardized human time]: January 14, 2137 Standing in the cargo bay of the ship, gun in paw, numbness gripped my limbs. A spate of nightmares had plagued me throughout the journey, though they¡¯d started in earnest on Venlil Prime. I often saw Marcel being held at gunpoint, or with an Arxur bullet drilling into his helmet. The fiery stampedes on both the cradle and Sillis were etched into my memories as well. Sometimes, it was realistic enough that I could feel ash worming its way down my throat. It was as if my soul was missing in the downtime, with the lack of gunfire. In most visions, I found myself carrying a gun, like the one I toted now. Remembered emotions flooded back, and I envisioned my claws pulling the trigger. Reality made sense when I was on the battlefield; coming back to civilian life on Venlil Prime had been what was alien. In my heart, I knew Onso was right about professing my predator-diseased aggression. Marcel hadn¡¯t wanted to tempt fate, but I was itching to get back into the fray. The predator refused to let me go alone, even if he¡¯d been involved in enough ground occupations for one year. I understood that this was what life was now, in order for humans to survive. Killing, killing, and more killing. Though¡­if I forgot the reason I was doing it all, my mind might collapse. By this third deployment, I hoped to detach from the horrors a little; violence was merely a certainty. ¡°When are you coming home, Mawsle?¡± Nulia¡¯s voice trailed from his holopad, alongside a grainy image of the Gojid¡¯s face. ¡°You missed Cwismiss. I made a gingerbread house with Momma Lucy!¡± The red-haired human smiled. ¡°That¡¯s awesome! I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll be home. But with me¡­and Slanek gone, you had more to eat for yourselves. You don¡¯t want the Salt Monster learning the joys of sugar, do you?¡± ¡°No! But¡­I miss you lots.¡± The Terrans had gotten an FTL comms network up and running weeks ago, and the technology had finally been passed along to soldiers and civilians. It was easier than ever for humans to chat with aliens in allied systems, while also making it possible for troops to call their loved ones. I could admit a tinge of jealousy over Marcel¡¯s calls with his family. He had people who he knew would accept him, and he also looked happier talking with them than me. All that energy I spent caring about his welfare, and I would always be second-rate to him. It felt like I was on an island, without anyone to support me. Hell, Marcel had humiliated me in front of Sovlin, insisting on us rolling over like prey! There were some things that couldn¡¯t be forgiven; I couldn¡¯t believe he¡¯d pushed me to talk to that Gojid. I¡¯m just happy we¡¯ve left Monahan¡¯s ship. I wish I took that Gojid¡¯s head off while I had the chance¡­it¡¯s a shame I was too injured to see it through. I flexed my healed shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s time to get ready, Marc. We¡¯re almost in range of Mileau.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± he hissed, perhaps sensing my jealous tone. ¡°I¡¯ve got to go, Nulia. You be good for your mother now, alright? You¡¯ve got to do your chores.¡± ¡°Do I really have to?¡± the Gojid whined. ¡°You do, if you don¡¯t want Santa to put you on the naughty list next¡­Cwismiss. If you¡¯re good, you¡¯ll be rewarded in the end. Besides, you want to make our lives easier, right? It¡¯s been a hard year for us too.¡± ¡°Fine. I love you, Mawsle.¡± ¡°Love you too. Tell your mo¡ª¡± Marcel sighed, as the Gojid abruptly hung up. He fixed his hazel eyes on me, and shrugged his shoulders in a nonchalant way. The human tickled the tip of my tail, causing my bushy appendage to jerk away. Watching him flash his teeth in a playful manner, I felt a bit better. My dependency on my best friend for happiness might be unhealthy, but I couldn¡¯t imagine my life without him. Terran soldiers were filing into transports, preparing to detach from our current carrier once we neared the target. Mission objectives ranged from inserting boarding parties into enemy ships, to retaking space stations by force. Clearing out Mileau itself would be an arduous task; it had taken weeks for the Kolshians to set down roots, and it could take an equal amount of time for them to be removed. That was assuming we prevailed against their secretive fleet. ¡°It concerns me what conditions we¡¯ll find the Dossur subjected to. To think that they hate us so much, that they¡¯ll brutalize anyone who tries to befriend us,¡± Marcel growled. I pinned my ears in hesitation. ¡°Um, is it true that the Arxur fought alongside the Dossur? I know it¡¯s a rumor, but it has me nervous they¡¯re here. Every time we land, they seem to show up and kill everyone. We¡¯re cursed.¡± ¡°Hey, it¡¯s only happened twice, but there is a pattern forming there. Mileau might not want us two among the boots on the ground, buddy. Hell, I do feel a little cursed.¡± ¡°The Arxur. You¡¯re dodging.¡± ¡°Yes¡­Chief Hunter Isif himself helped them at our request, or so I hear. The grays were only able to weed out a few thousand attackers, though that¡¯s a handful we don¡¯t have to face. We were able to get a couple hundred evac ships out because of his fleet, which took a beating for us.¡± ¡°The Kolshians gave a beatdown to the Arxur?!¡± ¡°You could say the kid gloves are off, Slanek. You could also say they had the power to stop the grays, and let billions die instead.¡± I loaded onto a transport in silence, appalled by the truth of his words. The Federation allowed entire species to be genocided, and billions of sapients to be taken as cattle, to retain control. Had they really concealed their true power just to encourage fear? The Kolshians hadn¡¯t wanted to win the war, and I couldn¡¯t think of a single other reason why. That realization culminated in fury; I was raring to plunk a bullet into their skulls. My biological brother died fighting the Arxur, because the Kolshians willed it so. Everything we¡¯ve ever done has been frivolous! All of this haunting death was for naught¡­ Our transport had its own ability to monitor communications, and a digitized replica of the bridge¡¯s viewport. We could transition between the host carrier¡¯s eyes and our own, once we were cast into the stars. It was true that humanity had also faced numerical odds at Khoa and Sillis, and that they had triumphed all the same. By this point, I imagine the Kolshians had an answer for the shield-breakers, though. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. While we were at less of a numerical disadvantage this time, assuming our new ¡°allies¡± showed up, our fleet would mainly be comprised of prey races. The Terrans must be expecting them to be discombobulated liabilities, but the Duerten had been unequivocal about not accepting human direction or crew. We¡¯d raised thirty-five thousand of our own ships, but only seven thousand of those were UN vessels. At least the Duerten had showed up¡ªthe military staff at the briefing hadn¡¯t been certain they¡¯d uphold the deal. As one of the galaxy¡¯s two avian species, they were oddballs even before humanity¡¯s announcement. Their support ships were nothing groundbreaking, but they were able to raise an army to retake Mileau in a few weeks. Their fleet was waiting on the fringes of the Dossur¡¯s system, prior to our arrival. According to the initial communications coming through on our systems, they were calling their alliance the Duerten Shield. They¡¯d gotten 44 races to donate a few hundred ships each, which was more than our prior total of allied species. I suppose we couldn¡¯t argue about their effectiveness, despite the flippant demeanor they hurled at humanity. ¡°We are going to attack now. You predators will help,¡± a Duerten commander spoke curtly to the human fleet. The UN¡¯s reply was instant and unfazed. ¡°Copy that. We¡¯re right behind you, Duerten Shield.¡± The Terran armada was laden with novelties, and our newer vessels had a barebones crew thanks to the automation of duties. The plan was for older vessels to be retired or retrofitted to require less personnel. However, Earth¡¯s current focus was sending out anything with guns and FTL engines. They wouldn¡¯t be scrapping any ships that had endured the prior battles. That was why Captain Monahan and our Sovlin-bonded idiot friend, Tyler, were being sent to enemy-occupied territory at the Federation¡¯s heart. Automated vessels pressed forward on the UN¡¯s front lines, though the foolhardy Duerten insisted on leading the charge. Our hospital ships lingered on the fringes, ready to move in as needed. According to Marcel, humans considered such vessels noncombatants, but I imagined the Kolshians thought any predator ship was fair game. ¡°Here we go,¡± Marcel murmured. Thousands of enemy ships approached on the viewport feed, pulling away from patrols of the system. They had been ready to face intruders at a moment¡¯s notice. Mileau was encased by a multi-layered defense, and various stations were also fortified to the max. The Kolshians had ships that I didn¡¯t even recognize from Federation classes: for instance, cylindrical vessels that looked like a drainage pipe, and odd pyramidal craft. A few executed maneuvers that would¡¯ve killed any crew. Either they had inertial dampeners that broke the laws of physics, or more likely¡­they had drones. The Kolshians couldn¡¯t have figured out and built autonomous ships in a month. The Terrans aren¡¯t the only ones to think of such a thing? My human¡¯s hazel eyes stretched wide, with the same realization. ¡°Since when do they have drones? You didn¡¯t even know what those are, Slanek.¡± Similar chatter erupted among the soldiers, with many offering some vulgar words about our enemies. Other predators clad in armor were crammed into my transport, as we were packed in for deployment. The plan for our particular unit was to retake a civilian research station, close to an outer planet. That meant getting past this Kolshian fleet; they¡¯d seemed to have dropped the prey fa?ade entirely. That meant that humans were their first threat that required them to uncork their true power. Even the Arxur never offered a true challenge to their stranglehold on the galaxy, despite being presented as an undefeatable menace. It was clear in the Kolshian-Farsul arrangement which ones were the enforcers, and which ones were the brains. ¡°They have these since they realized you have drones,¡± I answered. ¡°Or rather, they show that they have it.¡± Marcel chewed his lower lip. ¡°Of course. A manned vessel can¡¯t make decisions at the same speed. Fight fire with fire. Good thing we stepped up our game too.¡± The high-stakes clash had commenced on our screens; humanity was following the cues of our so-called friends, who led a reckless charge. Kolshian drones were clinically dissecting the first Duerten Shield ships to draw within firing range. The oddly-shaped enemies made targeting wonky, and forced the avian alliance to switch to manual firing. Even a human would have difficulty targeting a computer-piloted craft, with its calculating ability. The Duerten panicked, tossing out munitions without aiming at all. The Federation was unrelenting against our allies, dispatching missiles amidst their ranks. More gasps came from the humans, as Duerten shielding flickered out across the front line. I was inclined to believe that particular weapon was reverse engineered. The Shield¡¯s neat V-formation was collapsing, and ships nestled behind the leaders retreated toward the UN ranks. Perhaps they should¡¯ve let us lead the way after all. I guess we¡¯ll see what Marcel was saying about stepping up their game. It follows that he was referring to drones, but what improvements could they make? Sensing my confusion, the vegetarian gestured to an inlaid sensor feed. In the vastness of space, the tiny specks were nigh invisible; the microscopic craft barely registered on the data screen either. Even with the viewport zoomed in to the maximum magnification, I wasn¡¯t sure these Terran miniatures were visible to the naked eye. It was easy for an unassuming Kolshian to write them off as debris. ¡°Can something that small even scratch a ship?¡± I felt a shudder pass through the carrier, as a wave of our cruisers and fighters dispatched to save the scattered Duerten. ¡°I don¡¯t get how it could have any guns or missiles.¡± Marcel grinned. ¡°Ah, Slanek. It is the missile.¡± The humans¡¯ larger drones dispatched a series of shield-breaking missiles, which the Kolshian craft tried in earnest to deflect. Enough slipped through to cause shield outages, and our nanodrones closed the gap all the while. The United Nations hurled traditional munitions at the enemy, making them think our sole play was shield damage. Seconds later, miniature craft detonated across Federation hulls; dozens of orange twinkles ravaged single enemies. Explosions were generally inadvisable right atop the engine compartment, and these drones were tiny enough to slip through armor chinks. Surviving Kolshian automatons pulled back to regroup and recalibrate shields. The Duerten Shield lingered with uncertainty, as we pressed ahead toward Mileau. The avian alliance was still reeling; they¡¯d lost thousands of ships to our nemesis¡¯ unexpected technology. There was no shortage of enemy vessels remaining within Mileau¡¯s surrounding vicinity. Our allies were a bunch of dunces, and the Kolshians had a nearly endless supply of ships to throw at us. The humans needed to fight their way close enough to deploy foot soldiers, while turning twenty-eight thousand liabilities into a serviceable force. Perhaps the Duerten were more willing to follow our direction now, with their pride wounded. ¡°Duerten Shield, why don¡¯t you let us head in first?¡± The UN transmitted a message over the communication channel. A few soldiers in the transport were scoffing at the avians¡¯ showing; the Duerten talked a lot of smack, only to be humbled so quickly. ¡°You can fill in the gaps and the flanks, playing a supporting role. You¡¯re good at that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re m-manipulating us!¡± answered a shaken avian. ¡°You don¡¯t order us around. We won¡¯t answer to your whims and wants. You disgust us.¡± ¡°Well, whether you like us or not, we¡¯re on the same side of this battle. This is what you wanted: humans handling the brunt of this mission. You¡¯d rather have us predators dying than your own people. Don¡¯t make me beg to have my troops perish for you.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°You know we can fight. That¡¯s all you think predators do, right? Sit back and let us kill these bastards. Now we¡¯re moving in, before the drones get set up. Let¡¯s go, alright?¡± ¡°Fine. This is very temporary!¡± ¡°I sure hope so,¡± Marcel grumbled. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want those guys watching our backs.¡± The human ships pushed further into the system, carving out a path for their herbivore allies to follow. Most species would¡¯ve turned back, with such severe adversity out of the gate. As everyone knew, the Terrans weren¡¯t ¡°most species.¡± The Kolshians were rallying more ships to our locale; the worst of the battle was yet to come. I gripped my harness tightly, and prepared for the duel of titans that was about to play out. These were the opening shots of a clash with humanity¡¯s toughest opponent yet. Chapter 115 Memory transcription subject: Slanek, Venlil Space Corps Date [standardized human time]: January 14, 2137 Seven thousand human ships moved in a wide arc, closing in on the Kolshian drones. Manned enemy vessels were also hooking into the fray; the larger frames and bridge structures gave away which ones were traditional craft. These foes were unafraid, perhaps because their commanders were part of the conspiracy. Commonwealth automatons that were struck by our missiles had gotten their shields back up, while we dawdled rallying the Duerten. The carrier Marcel and I were on veered to the flank, giving a wide berth to the heart of the action. Terran fighters and cruisers, the ones that survived saving our frazzled allies, veered back to escort us. Other manned vessels were transporting more humans to different targets, with the bravest few popping into enemy ranks. The Kolshians preemptively had FTL disruptors up, having learned of the primates¡¯ jump into the Arxur¡¯s ranks at Sillis. Our boarders had to get up close to an enemy craft the old-fashioned way. ¡°Transport 8-A, you¡¯re en route to a civilian research station. There was a small team of human doctors there as well, studying the effects of Dossur plants on our physiology,¡± a commander¡¯s voice growled through the shuttle¡¯s speakers. ¡°We presume they are dead, since they weren¡¯t counted on any evac shuttles. However, your mission is to rescue any Dossur or humans you find on board. Watch your fire, three other boarding parties are working different sides of the station.¡± I winced to myself, not wanting to imagine what the Kolshians had done to innocent predators. If those victims had survived for three weeks, that might be worse than a quick death; the Federation didn¡¯t shy away from starving or torturing anything with forward-facing eyes. Nikonus had denounced Sovlin¡¯s actions during Noah¡¯s speech, but talk was cheap. There was no telling what a liar like him would actually do. Marcel¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°When I signed up for the exchange program, I was so excited about extraterrestrial life. Peacekeepers keep peace; we¡¯re weren¡¯t supposed to be slaughtering aliens who tortured us. I¡¯m glad I have you, Slanek, else I might think all Feds were murderous.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not Federation,¡± I snapped immediately. ¡°We left them, and we don¡¯t want to be associated with them. They called us weak for centuries. They are lying, deceiving fucks.¡± ¡°Sorry. I guess I meant every species in the Federation, at the time of our arrival on the galactic scene. Regardless, I think we all know whatever happened to those humans wasn¡¯t good.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hope we don¡¯t get the details spelled out. It makes my blood boil, how they treat your kind like animals! Looking back, I don¡¯t know how I ever thought you were dangerous.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t discount us now. We are dangerous, just not to our friends!¡± The transport began powering up, and I reminded myself where the oxygen masks were in case of a depressurization. My bulletproof vest was tailored to the Venlil form, along with a small personal shielding system; it was supposed to mitigate environmental hazards, such as radiation or energy projectiles. I also had a customizable helmet, fitted with a camera for command review. The Terrans had poured everything into their research and development, after Earth. I still remember sitting in that naval headquarters, and seeing city after city fall on the broadcasts. It wasn¡¯t that long ago. Those poor, poor humans, who begged for peace to the moment the first bomb dropped¡­ Despite the fact that I was on edge from the residual memories, a reminder of how my empathetic hunters would be eradicated without remorse jolted me into combat readiness. The binocular eyes around me were icy with determination, and I could see the soldiers flipping the killing switch in real time. Humans wouldn¡¯t take kindly to their pack members being slaughtered en masse. The sooner we could reach the station, the better. It was possible for me to watch the viewport in my periphery; I no longer needed blinders for deployments. The space battle was ongoing in full-force, with both sides hurling shield-breaking missiles at each other. UN shielding flickered out, though the predators were prepared for that eventuality. They dispensed platforms in front of them, like laying out a red carpet. Walls materialized in front of the ships, enough to cover the front line¡¯s full height from various angles. The Kolshians found their plasma munitions pummeling hardy fortifications; it was difficult to land any strikes against the humans. The primates procured layers of defenses, which the enemy would need to strip away for a kill. I¡¯d seen Terran-crafted weapons, but this was the first defensive innovation they¡¯d shown off. The Duerten were revitalized, chipping in with tepid shots and missiles. The humans, leading the charge, chucked a new wave of nanodrones at the Kolshians. The enemy saw the miniatures coming this time, but didn¡¯t have an answer to stop their approach. It was like trying to shoot an enemy perched atop a speeding car, kilometers away. No targeting system or algorithm was programmed for that; AI adaptiveness couldn¡¯t drum up a solution that swiftly. Marcel grinned at the viewport. ¡°Kolshian fleet? We¡¯re here to talk to you about your car''s extended warranty.¡± Explosions rocked the enemy line at the end of his sentence, and gruff cackles rippled across our transport. I found myself laughing at this destruction alongside the predators, which was further proof of my unwell mind. The nanodrones had skirted Kolshian shells, and turned these opponents into debris shards, set adrift by an engine eruption. The Terran fleet was cozy and untouchable behind their physical barriers, as hundreds of adversaries were downed. With shields down across the board, it was the humans who were dishing out massive damage and protecting their own. The Kolshian drones were commanded to retreat, realizing that they needed to invite us deeper into Mileau¡¯s system. Hunkering down was dandy, if we could afford to wait for the opponent to come to us. However, the United Nations needed to advance on targets, not camp out in the fringes. The Terrans disassembled the walls, which autonomously retracted into ship bays. They pursued the retreating Kolshians with zeal, perhaps incensed, as I was, by the prospect of captive humans. The Duerten Shield moseyed along, with sporadic bursts of fire coming from their ranks. All they seemed to add was the illusion of depth; it was the predators forging ahead. There¡¯s only one species that can challenge the Kolshians at all. But the humans will have to claw for every inch, and there¡¯ll be a fight on the ground too. We can¡¯t pull a full frontal assault with civilians to rescue. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Our carrier had separated from the larger fleet, and the research station was within view. The hangar bay doors lowered at a glacial pace, opening up the behemoth¡¯s belly to the effervescent stars. A piston brought the shuttle back, before propelling us forward with sudden momentum. My stomach lurched, and I leaned against my human for stability. The time for occupying myself with the larger battle had expired. We had been released, alongside a handful of other transports, toward the conquered Dossur habitat. Kolshian warships prowled around the station, which looked like a series of rings stacked atop each other. These foes were more traditional enemy craft, designed to cart soldiers to and fro. They spotted our vector, and rushed out to intercept us. Terran fighters pulled away from our ride¡¯s side, and moved to greet the interceptors. Their job was to ensure we were unimpeded in transit; I was well aware that our transport could succumb to a single shot that slipped through. Every life onboard hinged on how well our allies could keep us out of the fight, until we arrived at the station. ¡°So Slanek, what sort of training do you get to become a Venlil Space Corps pilot?¡± Marcel sensed my nerves at the incoming enemies, who were well-equipped to take out a ship like ours. The human was kind to distract me from the precarious flight, but his topic choice was touchy. ¡°Every time I asked you in the exchange program, you said you didn¡¯t want to talk about war. So I quit asking.¡± I pinned my ears back. ¡°You clearly didn¡¯t quit asking. Take a hint. Mostly, they just taught us how to operate the ship, and how to search for the fastest route to flee.¡± ¡°I¡­your military training taught you how to flee? In hindsight, it¡¯s obvious the Federation was damn well trying to lose.¡± ¡°They told us we couldn¡¯t beat the grays. Truth was, the Kolshians could¡¯ve swooped in the whole time. If I hadn¡¯t met humans, I¡¯d never have realized any of it. I¡¯d still be a scared little Venlil, sniveling at the first sign of peril.¡± Maybe I was happier then, though I wouldn¡¯t trade meeting Marcel for the world. What I wouldn¡¯t give to unlearn how readily I can kill¡­ ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± my human asked, blinking with concern. ¡°You haven¡¯t been yourself since we came back from Sillis. You weren¡¯t yourself even before the grays landed there.¡± I snapped my head back, like he slapped me. ¡°Must you pry at every waking hour? Maybe I just don¡¯t want to talk all the time! We¡¯re in a fucking battle.¡± Marcel clammed up, a taut grimace on his face. I suppose that was the wrong thing to say, when I did want his concern and attention. Part of me wanted to confess how tormented I¡¯d felt, and admit the decline in my day-to-day stability. This was the wrong time for Slanek to go crying to his human, though; if I¡¯d made it through all the battles in the past, I could keep it together for one more fray. I drew a ragged breath, and turned my focus to the fighters warding off the Kolshians. Our transport twirled out of the way, as a plasma beam slipped off in our direction. We were ready to evade on a moment¡¯s notice, despite how it sloshed the soldier passengers around. I couldn¡¯t wait to set my feet on solid ground; it was terrifying to be caged, as weapons sizzled around us. The carrier from which we came loomed behind us with a watchful eye. It boasted hearty munitions and a treasure trove of missiles, and it combined a whirlwind of those items against enemy ships. Drones spilled from a separate hangar in its belly; these robots expanded upon the nimbleness of narrow fighters. Faced with multiple new threats, the Kolshians diverted attention to the source, easing the pressure off us. Our transport seized the opportunity, refusing to slow down until it was absolutely necessary to breach the station. The humans weren¡¯t foolish enough to enter through an actual airlock; according to a commander who briefed us, the Kolshians were smart enough to have those locked down tighter than ¡°Fort Knox.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure what that meant, but I understood the gist of it. Taking the path of maximum resistance wasn¡¯t my preferred action. I tapped my tail against Marcel¡¯s wrist, and he pushed it away. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m sorry for snapping. I¡¯m just under a lot of stress¡­and I know you are too, so it was wrong. You know I love our chats. That subject struck a nerve, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it,¡± the human sighed. ¡°I won¡¯t make the same mistake, giving you the silent treatment going into combat, again. I am just worried about you.¡± ¡°No need to worry, my brother. So I can put my tail back?¡± ¡°Fat chance, Salt Monster. We¡¯re touching down in a minute; we need to be ready.¡± ¡°I am ready¡ªto shove the next can of Pringles I get all the way up your ass.¡± ¡°Aw, listen, he¡¯s catching on to our lingo, guys! We¡¯re truly corrupting the Venlil.¡± Our transport bore down on the Dossur station, and pulled up alongside a maintenance shaft. Arcs of white trailed behind us, as Kolshian guardians and human fighters were taking significant casualties. The UN carrier was still kicking, but the gaping holes in its hull suggested it¡¯d seen better days. It wasn¡¯t clear who the localized victor would be, but that wasn¡¯t our concern. We had to assume the Terrans would reclaim this station, and focus on retaking it from the ground. The main UN fleet seems to be progressing as well, and the Duerten have stopped the bleeding from their ranks. The worst resistance is by Mileau though; we¡¯re lucky to be assigned to a small station. The transport lurched, as it deployed grappling hooks to the structure. Human soldiers chattered about it being ¡°like pirates¡±; I tilted my head in confusion, as I received a translation error. There was another phrase to ask Marcel in my spare time. Perhaps these ¡°pirates¡± were human rescuers who saved lost ships? As someone who¡¯d learned their real side, I wasn¡¯t going to assume it was something predatory this time. We rose from our seated positions, and arrayed by the exit to bridge the gap. The Terrans had affixed an artificial tunnel to the station, ensuring our travel point was oxygenated. It also ensured that the target¡¯s atmosphere didn¡¯t leak into the great beyond. For humans, blasting through the structure¡¯s metal was a simple task, taking a matter of seconds. With mathematical precision, we were skulking into occupied territory. Panic threatened to swallow me, but it wasn¡¯t the mindless fear of my instincts. It was an onslaught of terrible sights, jumbled together from past battles. I took a series of deep breaths, as Sara and her team taught me to do in the instinct suppression program. Oddly enough, rather than my emotions encouraging me to flee, it felt like I was seconds away from slipping into combat mode. ¡°There were human and Dossur civilians here,¡± I soothed myself. ¡°It¡¯ll all make sense once you¡¯re killing the Kolshians that did this.¡± You want the bastards to suffer, Slanek. And you certainly don¡¯t want Marcel thinking of you as a liability again, like he would if he knew you were in this rut. Human soldiers rolled grenades through the entrance, before scurrying forward with weapon muzzles alight. My red-haired predator wore a steely expression, as we poured out through the breaching tunnel. I willed my own legs to move, and clung to the orderly formation. Despite sticking out like a rotting vegetable, as the only Venlil, our unit banding together rendered me part of the pack. The Kolshians were our prey, vermin that needed to be cleansed from the station. We cleared the structural opening, and gunfire assailed the pack leaders. I hustled into the maintenance shaft, and pointed my weapon. My claw was on the trigger before I could command myself to do so. Bullets from my firearm cleared the distance, and the deadly projectiles struck true on a veteran Kolshian. Violet fluids splattered behind the enemy¡¯s head; there was no question that had been my kill. I hoped to feel some remorse, but I sensed only the chaos of the situation. Crimson blood spurted from one Terran¡¯s shoulder, and another primate slumped to the ground across from me. Marcel was moving to cover, hazel eyes wired and determined. We had expected to take casualties, with this much resistance present. As the humans exchanged fire with the Kolshians, I issued a silent plea to the universe for our success. Every station and stretch of land within Mileau¡¯s desecrated vicinity would be an uphill battle to reclaim. If the predators didn¡¯t deal numerous defeats to the Federation today, our chances in the overarching war looked significantly less optimistic. Chapter 116 Memory transcription subject: Slanek, Venlil Space Corps Date [standardized human time]: January 14, 2137 Human and Kolshian casualties escalated, as the firefight raged on in the tight corridor. The enemy had shifted their tentacled forms behind cover, and their response was measured. I was impressed with their levelheadedness under the circumstances. My claws popped off covering shots, while Marcel pried a panel open, with his bare fingers, for us to duck behind. It was shabby cover, but it was better than nothing. The two of us awkwardly situated our rifles, and peppered the Kolshians with fire. Our foes had found a robust set of tanks and storage containers to crowd behind, daring humans to charge straight into a stream of bullets. UN transports had breached in other areas of the station too; at least, that would discourage the enemy from summoning backup to one locale. Even with just the forces present, I wasn¡¯t sure how the predators could flush our opponents from their resilient fortifications. ¡°Fucking hell, Slanek!¡± Marcel adjusted his helmet; his eyes darted from side to side, searching for a strategy. ¡°There¡¯s only one way into the living areas of the station, and it¡¯s through them.¡± I found a careless indigo leg poking out behind cover, and steadied my aim with a cue to Marcel. My bullet zipped toward its mark, tearing through the flabby flesh. A howl of pain could be faintly heard through the deafening exchange of gunfire, and the Kolshian¡¯s leg buckled. The human was ready to finish my kill, when the hobbled enemy toppled into the open. My best friend placed a clean shot through their brain as soon as they hit the floor. I drew some ragged gasps. ¡°There¡¯s a dozen of them, give or take, and I don¡¯t think grenades¡¯ll do much here, in all that clutter. We just gotta keep shooting them.¡± The predator popped off a series of shots, making sure to keep his head below the ajar panel. Our impromptu cover was impairing our sightlines a bit, though in this case, I was sure the binocular eyes helped him focus on a narrow range of vision. Marcel stole peeks at the areas the Kolshians hunkered down in, risking the elevated sightlines for a few seconds. A wicked smile crossed his face, and that murderous delight sent a chill down my spine. ¡°What if we didn¡¯t shoot them?¡± the human asked. I watched in confused silence, as Marcel¡¯s aim crept away from the soldiers. I couldn¡¯t tell what he was looking at; there was little more than clutter and pipes in the shaft. He closed one binocular eye, and inhaled through his stomach for several seconds. It was easy to picture him as a hunter crouched in the grass, checking that his aim was true. His finger hooked around the trigger, and as a result, a small flame appeared from a stout tank. It seemed to be the standard emergency oxygen supply, which could be used to fill spacesuits in the event of an emergency or required maintenance. The flaming tank violently failed, creating a chain of high-pressure flames from others nearby. Screams came from the sheltering Kolshians, and a series of explosions sounded down the tunnel. The Kolshians flailed about from within the blazes; they were easy targets for the predators to mop up. Human soldiers backed their wounded deeper into the tunnel, ensuring that they were clear of the blasts. A handful of our troops had the good sense to deploy fire retardant measures, and managed to quell the blazes after several minutes. The station¡¯s built-in fire suppression systems helped, with overhead sprinklers drenching us. Marcel pressed two gloved fingers to his forehead, before snapping them down with a sly grin. Why engage in a tough gunfight with unclear results, when you can incinerate the enemy? Humans¡­so observant, under extreme stress. That¡¯s my best friend there! I absorbed the shouted reports being passed around, and took the cue to move forward. We¡¯d cleared the path into the living areas with an unusual tactic; that meant we could discover what happened to the station¡¯s inhabitants, and what the Kolshians were up to. It was possible that we¡¯d encounter mangled human corpses. Sympathy swelled in my chest for the civilian Terrans trapped here, trying to protect their friends. ¡°Stay alert, Slanek,¡± Marcel murmured. ¡°These are conniving fuckers; I wouldn¡¯t put traps, or even a dead man¡¯s switch, past them. If they can¡¯t have these Dossur, they might decide nobody can.¡± I flicked my ears. ¡°Killing a bunch of your kind might be a worthy sacrifice to them, using civilians as bait. I understand the risks.¡± The Terrans unfastened the locking mechanisms on the trapdoor out of the service shaft, and we climbed out of the ceiling hatch in a hurry. There was a ladder that could be taken, but waiting for each person to descend the rungs would waste time. I hopped down after Marcel, rolling the rough landing on the metal floor. Several predator heads whipped around, checking for signs of enemy engagement; leaders spread their men in anticipation of hostile contact. Kolshian footsteps hurried down the narrow hallway, no doubt having heard the thuds of heavy primates¡¯ boots landing. We capitalized on the few seconds to ready ourselves, and a dozen guns sang out to mow the hostiles down with prejudice. The enemy didn¡¯t even have a chance to employ their own weapons; it was a mere four security guards, versus a sizable group of humans. I kept my head low, as we jogged through the hallway. A series of empty rooms greeted us; this area wasn¡¯t bustling with activity. Kolshian reinforcements weren¡¯t hustling to our sector, after how quickly we picked apart their entrenched defenses. So far, the battle was going as well as could be expected. We needed to locate some civilians, and start to evac victims, while our comrades kept the pressure on in other compartments. ¡°Why don¡¯t we check the med bay?¡± I shouted. ¡°That¡¯s a logical place to start for reeducation.¡± Just like that Takkan doctor, Zarn, that wanted to whisk me off. A human leader narrowed his eyes. ¡°Not a bad idea, Vennie. How do we locate the medical areas?¡± This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°This seems to be the mess halls, game rooms, lounges, and so on. If it¡¯s a standard design, we''re adjacent to the personal quarters now,¡± I explained. ¡°Work stuff will likely be closer to the center, with the medical areas having a separate wing. There should be signs of a raised paw pad¡ªthe doctor symbol, like your red cross.¡± ¡°Very well. Lead the way, since you seem to know the ins and outs.¡± I scampered to the front of the pack, with hesitancy; it was a bit unnerving to feel the predators tailing me, and to know their guns were at my back. My own weapon was ready in my grip, as I turned left down the hall. My eyes were peeled for any sign of the doctor¡¯s symbol or a directory. It took minutes walking past several spaces, devoid of any souls, to encounter a paw pad sign. I tossed my head, indicating for the Terrans to follow down the dimly-lit corridor. The silence was eerie, so I strained my ears for any sign of noise. The sounds of pained screams, the unmistakable wail of a human, stopped me dead in my tracks. I could detect the noise ahead, though the Terran soldiers had yet to catch on. ¡°Do you hear that?¡± I hissed. ¡°Screams.¡± Our senior enlisted leader turned his ear, before his eyes widened. ¡°Double time! Move it, people. Split up if needed; clear every room of civilians, yesterday!¡± The predators¡¯ long legs left me in the dust, as they hoofed it in the direction of their people. With the agonized cries to attract them, the guidance of a Venlil was no longer needed. I sprinted as quickly as I could, but Marcel scooped me up in his arms before I got far. My human rushed in the noise¡¯s direction, and set me down once we reached the labs. His hazel eyes scanned for rooms that hadn¡¯t been cleared, and he pointed to a small lab. The lights could be seen flicking off from under the door, giving away that someone was in there. It wasn¡¯t clear if it was an enemy, but the humans and the Dossur should be pleading for rescue, not hiding. Marcel pressed his shoulder against the wall, and at his signal, I kicked the door open for him. I filtered in behind the muscular predator, who was bellowing commands in a bone-chilling tone to get on the ground. Two Kolshians dismounted stools on Marcel¡¯s orders, though without the fear befitting someone¡¯s first encounter with an enraged human. Microscopes sat abandoned on the counters, with cell slides up for examination. These seemed like unarmed scientists; their raised tentacles suggested they were trying to surrender. After the false surrender at the Tilfish extermination office, I was wary of these aliens. However, the Kolshians were compliant in sprawling out on the ground. Marcel carried only a single pair of handcuffs, and cursed to himself. He ordered me to watch one, as he snapped plastic bands around the other¡¯s arms. The scientists didn¡¯t try any dirty tricks, looking a little amused by the human¡¯s unwillingness to kill them. I¡¯m anything but amused. Why is Marcel taking prisoners, when they clearly deserve death? Marcel threw an occasional glance at the handcuffed enemy, until he found a roll of tape lying around. He wrapped it around the second prisoner¡¯s arms, and seemed dissatisfied with the level of restraints. His rosy lips pressed together, weighing his options. I was weary of him showing mercy to those who didn¡¯t deserve it, Sovlin being the most egregious example. ¡°Alright, Slanek. We¡¯re gonna take these fuckers for questioning.¡± The red-haired Terran wiped perspiration from his brow, and hoisted the cuffed Kolshian to her feet. ¡°Keep an eye on that one until I return. I¡¯ll be back quick as I can, after handing this jackass off to our team.¡± Marcel hustled out of the room with a prisoner in tow. I bit back my disdain, keeping my gun focused on the Kolshian. If this scientist wanted to tempt me to shoot them, I was happy to oblige. From the sound of the screams I¡¯d heard, it was a safe assumption this outfit was responsible for torturing humans. My contemptful gaze studied the tape on the lavender tentacles, and the thing dared to ask me a question. ¡°Do you have a name, Venlil?¡± the Kolshian queried. Anger caused my grip on the gun to tighten. ¡°Yes, but you don¡¯t get to use it.¡± ¡°My name is Navarus. You want to question me on what we did here? Oh, I¡¯d love to spell it all out for you and any of those ugly-eyed freaks. We can take away everything that makes them unique¡­that makes them predators, in a flash.¡± ¡°What did you do?! You fucking monster!¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s funny. You depress their central nervous systems, they grow sleepy and confused. They barely even know who they are; good-bye violent demons. We only tried that on twenty-five percent of the group, to measure the effects of the cure with and without it. A control group is scientific.¡± ¡°The cure? You didn¡¯t.¡± Navarus bared his teeth with aggression, a clear gesture of hostility compared to humanity¡¯s snarl. He nodded his head toward a set of computer monitors, which showed Terrans languishing in small rooms. It was easy to tell which ones were drugged out of their minds; others were presenting with physical symptoms. Watching him revel in using predator civilians for his experiments made my blood boil. What right did they have to erase their dietary¡­leanings? I can¡¯t say I like the predators tearing into a pound of flesh, but they would do this to people like Tyler. Even after he brought Sovlin on our rescue, I don¡¯t think he deserves to be experimented on, without any regard for side effects or discomfort. I couldn¡¯t imagine humanity without their fervor, reduced to little more than prey. This was what would¡¯ve happened to Earth, if the Kolshians realized centuries ago that the primates could be converted. The only solace was that the scientists hadn¡¯t gone after their eyes, or inflicted significant wounds. More fury threatened to overtake me, as I began to wonder what they planned to use this research for. ¡°Some of them are vomiting, but we¡¯re inclined to believe it¡¯s not from the cure,¡± Navarus continued. ¡°It¡¯s mainly from the ones on the higher doses of the depressants. And these humans react much more positively to herbivory than the prideful Arxur, which was surprising. Our previous hypothesis was that predators are too arrogant to sustain themselves on leaves.¡± I swished my tail in indignation. ¡°Some of them choose to only eat leaves! You know nothing about humans, and you treat them like animals.¡± ¡°Yes, it might be worth keeping a few around, with significant modifications. Something salvageable. We confirmed that the cure prohibits them from flesh-eating, so now, they don¡¯t have the option to eat living creatures.¡± ¡°How did you confirm that?!¡± ¡°Ah, we fed one of them its own rations. Was hysterical, watching it asphyxiate and turn all red. We¡¯re all born into the government caste, kept away from broader society, working in secret¡­wasn¡¯t anything I chose. But getting to make a predator die by its own cruelty, for the good of sapient life? Had I a choice, I would¡¯ve chosen this work for that alone.¡± Ringing surfaced in my ears, and fury made it difficult to string thoughts together. This Kolshian deserved to die, after bragging about genetically modifying, drugging, and killing human civilians. This was the species that I lived among on Earth, and fought battles alongside. Anyone who would condemn them to be ¡°cured¡± deserved to be cured of their living status. I was tired of letting monsters, who sought Terran suffering with glee, live and receive luxurious rights. My rifle raised, and I jammed the barrel against Navarus¡¯ temple. The Kolshian had the audacity to laugh in my face; all I could think was how gratifying it would be to end his existence. A growl rumbled in my throat, and the predatory nature of that cue surprised me. ¡°Go ahead! Do it,¡± the enemy scientist barked. ¡°You don¡¯t have it in you.¡± I pressed the gun deeper into his¡­no, its skull. ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± ¡°Of course I am. You Venlil are the weakest species in the galaxy. You couldn¡¯t stand up for yourselves against a Dossur using their whiskers as a knife! Just look how scared¡ª¡± I tugged the trigger in a swift motion, putting an end to the Kolshian¡¯s condescending speech. The scientist¡¯s brains were expelled from its skull, and blood splattered onto my fur. I stared in cold silence as the body slumped to the floor. Chapter 117 Memory transcription subject: Slanek, Venlil Space Corps Date [standardized human time]: January 14, 2137 My paws were rooted to the floor, as I cast a blank stare at Navarus¡¯ corpse. Bootsteps pounded behind me, and without turning around, I knew it was Marcel racing back after hearing gunshots. An audible gasp came from my human, who skidded to a halt. He could see me standing in close range of the dead Kolshian, firearm in paw. The predator froze in shock, before rushing up to me in a panic. Marcel¡¯s hands latched onto my shoulders. ¡°What did you do? The fuck have you done?!¡± The red-haired Terran had handed the first prisoner off to the team, but the discovery that he¡¯d be unable to collect the second Kolshian left him in an aggravated state. My friend couldn¡¯t restrain his emotions, baring his canines inches from my face. I could see his cheek muscles contorting it in grotesque ways, and his scars stretched in new patterns. I¡¯d never seen such clear disgust in his pupils, not even during our predator disease saga. Panic rose in my chest, as I feared that Marcel would disown me for this action. He leaned back, and shook his head in mute horror. My orders had been to watch the Kolshian prisoner for a few minutes; I knew I shouldn¡¯t have pulled the trigger. Admitting that I wanted Navarus dead for his cruel taunts wasn¡¯t an option, though I didn¡¯t regret killing that monster. Marcel can¡¯t leave me. He¡¯s my best friend¡­I can¡¯t have him thinking I¡¯m some predator-diseased killer. Genuine tears rolled down my furry cheeks, which caused the human to pause in his reaction. I could see a twinge of sympathy cause his lips to curve downward; his natural response was to comfort me. The mental gears turned enough to realize that I could use this, and paint a story which justified my deeds. If part of him believed I was a weak, scared liability, then this decision could be played off as fear. Marcel had to believe I didn¡¯t mean to kill the prisoner. ¡°I¡¯m s-sorry. He started t-trying to stand up, and I p-panicked!¡± I put on my most despairing expression, and recoiled from the corpse as though horrified. The stutter was easy to let slip through, since I was nervous about the human¡¯s rejection. ¡°My gun was on him, and then he m-moved toward me¡­it was reflex¡­¡± ¡°The Kolshian was tied up with tape! He¡¯s still kneeling.¡± ¡°I k-know, but I wasn¡¯t thinking. He moved his head s-suddenly, and I don¡¯t know what h-happened. Forgive me, please! I need you¡­¡± I chastised myself to drop the gun, and flung myself at the predator in desperation. My arms wrapped around his thick body, and I sobbed into his vest. The human felt warm and strong, even as I absorbed his shuddering inhales. Without seeing where his binocular gaze was pointed, I knew his eyes were on my body. Marcel hesitated, before a gloved hand gently kneaded my scruff. ¡°It¡¯s okay. We¡¯ll deal with it. We¡¯ll figure this out and clean this up, huh? You made a mistake.¡± ¡°D-don¡¯t hate me,¡± I pleaded. ¡°I just want to help you¡­¡± ¡°I could never hate you, Slanek. Shooting an unarmed prisoner is a horrible thing to do, but I wasn¡¯t here to protect you. We shouldn¡¯t have trusted a Venlil to act as an independent soldier¡­it¡¯s not your fault, but you¡¯re clearly not past your instincts. Let me think.¡± The outright accusation that I couldn¡¯t carry myself on the battlefield stung. I suppose it was better for Marcel to believe that I was a panicky animal, rather than an enraged Venlil who played executioner. Listening to the way Navarus spoke about humans and goaded me on, the trigger pull was irresistible. My best friend would never understand, because he didn¡¯t think killing should be enjoyable. Once, or if, I talk my way out of this, the humans need to know about the cure work. Maybe that would make him just as angry, and then, I can confess the truth. Marcel pulled away from our embrace, and offered a taut smile. His reddish eyebrows soared up into his forehead, as if an idea occurred to him. He unclipped his holopad from his war belt, before tapping away with his slim fingers. I looked at my friend with hopeful eyes, praying he could sweep this all under the rug. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I croaked. The predator¡¯s gaze jerked up from the pad. ¡°I¡¯m searching through the video archives. It all happened like you said, so in case this comes back up, we should retrieve the footage that exonerates you. I¡¯m downloading a clip of the last ten minutes from your point of view.¡± My heart sank into my chest. The helmet rested upon my head like a rock, as I recalled the tiny camera on its side. It had recorded the entirety of my interaction with the Kolshian, including how I gunned it down at point-blank range. Maybe there was a chance I could access the server, and delete the footage before Marcel finished downloading it? If it was for command review, I doubted I had permissions to do that regardless. I scrambled over to his side, throwing my paws around his elbow. ¡°What?! D-don¡¯t¡­why w-would you look at that? I feel awful. I don¡¯t want to look at it again!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to review it, buddy. I can handle it¡­it won¡¯t take me that long.¡± Marcel squinted at the download progress bar, which was counting down my impending doom. ¡°I doubt the UN or the Venlil Republic would have you prosecuted for an instinctual accident, knowing your stampede policy. Just in case, we should have something for a legal defense.¡± The holopad chimed, indicating that the download was finished. The human tapped the video, and I screeched with blind panic. My outstretched paws dove toward the holopad, which the predator snapped above his head on reflex. I jumped as high as my crooked legs would allow, trying to grab the object. However, Marcel was holding it well out of my reach, and my paws swatted empty air. The Terran officer¡¯s jawline tightened, and suspicion flashed in his hazel eyes. He used his back to shield the holopad from me, huddling over it with singular focus. The audio must be going straight to his implant, but the Kolshian¡¯s dialogue didn¡¯t affect his feelings. He swiveled around, with an unmistakable look of concentrated loathing. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°You lied to me. You tried to make me feel sorry for you!¡± he roared. ¡°M-Marc¡­¡± ¡°NO! Save it. I¡¯ve heard enough of your spineless deflections.¡± The human cleared the ground to the body with a handful of strides, anger charging his motions. Marcel stooped down, picking up the gun I¡¯d discarded. His binocular eyes bore into mine, as he stared straight at my horizontal pupils. He flung the firearm at my chest, and curled his lip in disdain. I¡¯d never seen him this callous and resentful, not even on Sillis. ¡°Carry your murder weapon like a badge of honor. When we get out of it, I¡¯m making sure you never touch one again,¡± the predator hissed. I flicked my ears. ¡°Listen! The Kolshians are c-curing humans.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll handle it. You don¡¯t need to worry about it anymore.¡± ¡°I can h-help! I¡­just made a mistake!¡± ¡°That was no mistake; it was a calculated execution. You knew it was wrong, or you wouldn¡¯t have covered it up. God, I can¡¯t believe I fucking trusted you. I thought we were brothers¡­I let you live in my house with my fianc¨¦ and my daughter! I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with you, but you¡¯re unhinged.¡± ¡°You¡¯re being an ass¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m being an ass?! Shut the fuck up, and move out. You¡¯re going to help escort some civilians back to the shuttle, and then you¡¯re going to stay there ¡®til we return. If you don¡¯t like that, I¡¯ll be delighted to throw you in the brig myself.¡± Marcel barely seemed to be corralling his temper, and he stomped off down the hallway. I trudged after the human with a defeated posture, tucking my tail between my legs. The dead Kolshian¡¯s eyes gave the appearance of watching me, as they were stuck open for all eternity. The hurt that I felt was crushing, after the way my best friend just treated me. Did I just ruin our friendship? No, he¡¯s not being fair! Navarus fucking deserved to die, and I shouldn¡¯t have to dance around Marcel¡¯s precious morals. ¡°I knew you would act this way!¡± I sprinted up to the human¡¯s side, and he quickened his pace to stay ahead of me. ¡°You let everyone have mercy, from Sovlin to¡­fuck, you probably think that getting life in prison was enough for Kalsim. You made me apologize to the same man that tormented us. What kind of shitty friend does that?¡± Marcel said nothing, but his fingers tightened around the gun. His anger was so heavy that I could feel the tension infecting the air. ¡°ANSWER ME! Every time we go off to war, you have to rescue someone from the species that fucking harmed us,¡± I continued. ¡°Nulia, Virnt and Birla, and now these Kolshian assholes. You don¡¯t have the spine to stand up for yourself, or enforce any kind of punishment on anyone. It¡¯s your fault that I felt like I had to lie!¡± The human¡¯s skin was turning red from fury. ¡°You execute a prisoner, and it¡¯s my fault?! You¡¯re trying to spin this on me now?¡± ¡°The Kolshian tortured your civilians, and called it science. They drugged them so much that they puked, genetically modded them. I don¡¯t fucking regret it, I¡¯d do it again. Navarus deserved to die; shit, he got off easy.¡± ¡°Maybe he did deserve to die, but that¡¯s not your decision to make! We can¡¯t question a dead guy. Either everyone gets rights, or nobody does. His testimony could have swung more allies to our side. What you did is unacceptable, and I don¡¯t even know who the fuck you are anymore.¡± ¡°Neither do I. You humans flipped on my predator switch, and I can¡¯t undo that. You did this. All I think about anymore is war and death.¡± Marcel clammed up once more, plodding along with brooding bootsteps. His eyes darted toward me for a brief moment, and I could see that our quarrel was distracting him. We reached a central area of the medbay, where UN soldiers were gathering. My posture was stiff, as I worried that my friend would declare my actions to the first commander he saw. However, the vegetarian seemed intent on getting out of here before reporting me. Sickly humans with glassy eyes were being tended to by medics; their gaunt frames suggested they¡¯d been underfed for the duration of their stay. The Kolshians either didn¡¯t know or didn¡¯t care about the predators¡¯ caloric needs. Dossur rescues observed the dazed predators with concern, and Terran soldiers were determining how to move the rodents. Speed was key to safety, and the galaxy¡¯s most diminutive race wasn¡¯t covering ground quickly. It seems like it was very easy to get through to the medical lab. I expected more resistance in this area, but all the Kolshians here are unarmed¡­ Perhaps that realization jinxed us; the med-bay compartment doors slammed shut, as they would in a depressurization. I could hear an air conditioning unit kick on, as a hearty gust of ventilation poured down the shaft. Human soldiers rushed to the compartment doors, trying to pry them open. Were the Kolshians going to poison us? The enemy had waited until multiple units made it to the civilians before locking us in here. The gasses that were filtering in felt noxious, but the predators made quick work of busting out. They bypassed the locking mechanism through brute force, using charges to blast down the door. I grabbed Marcel¡¯s wrist, and guided the coughing redhead out to the hallway. He dropped to his knees, gasping in the fresh air. ¡°What¡­was that?¡± my friend choked. ¡°Fucking hell.¡± Our unit commander staggered out of the medbay, and exchanged a few words with our medics. ¡°Listen up! Those of you with masks, get back and look for anybody left in the gas¡ªour smaller friends won¡¯t survive long. Get going! The rest of you, post security; they might try to hit us while we¡¯re reeling. I want a team to find where that gas came from ASAP! Break!¡± I helped my red-haired predator up, and he pushed himself away from me. The young officer volunteered his boarding party for the search without hesitation. A disoriented Marcel followed the rest of his team, still shaking off the unknown substance he¡¯d inhaled. The soldiers had located a map of the ship¡¯s layout, and got a rescued Dossur read it out to them. We navigated through the ship tunnels; I kept myself alert for more traps. The Terrans busted down the door to a supply closet, not even checking if it was locked or not. There was evidence that Kolshians had been present recently, but they cleared out in a hurry after their stunt. We checked the supply air ductwork, which had a canister plugged into it. The predators¡¯ senior leader ran a visual translator over items left on the duct, and the complexion diminished from his face. ¡°Chief? Is everything alright?¡± I asked. The human senior¡¯s eyes turned toward me. ¡°It seems the Kolshians fed us a sleeping gas, but we weren¡¯t exposed long enough for it to do anything other than make us woozy. However, son, they laced it with something else too. Everyone remain calm; I¡¯m going to inform command that we need a quarantine for all humans on this station.¡± Marcel¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Why, Chief? Are we in danger?¡± ¡°Sir, these empty vials here say, ¡®The Cure.¡¯ There¡¯s only one thing that can mean in my eyes. I believe we just got dosed on their anti-carnivore dust, by air transmission. We have to assume the worst. Sir: we¡¯re all vegetarians, now, by threat of death. Let¡¯s drum up diet plans by the end of the day. Need green rations shipped to us pronto; you¡¯re our expert.¡± Even among seasoned Terran soldiers, that admission was enough to spark some panicked chattering, while the senior leader phoned it in to command. I studied Marcel with worried eyes. No matter what he thought about me, I wanted only the best for him. My human didn¡¯t deserve to have genetic modifications forced upon him. Though he was vegetarian, that should be a choice for him to make of his own volition. There could also be additional consequences, and I wasn¡¯t sure if it was transmissible to others of his kind. Does this mean that the Kolshian Commonwealth has decided to try to ¡°cure¡± the primates, rather than eradicate them? It wasn¡¯t clear if whatever was tailored to the humans during these experiments worked on me, but I¡¯d gotten the pathogen into my lungs as well. The Battle of Mileau was raging on outside these walls, and the Kolshians had sprung a dastardly trap on the Terrans here, who wandered in to rescue innocents. We needed to relay a warning to any other UN forces retaking ground encampments, to beware of potential biohazards. Containing the exposure to just us was crucial; I wished that I could¡¯ve saved Marcel from breathing that in. All I could hope now was that the cure wouldn¡¯t have any unexpected effects on the humans exposed to it here; unfortunately, one possible avenue for reversal was reduced to brain matter in my fur. Chapter 118 Memory transcription subject: Chief Hunter Isif, Arxur Rebellion Command Date [standardized human time]: January 14, 2137 The promise of food was the main selling point for my rebellion. After going hungry for the entirety of their lives, many Arxur troops were willing to heed my call with the promise of never missing a meal again. Betterment failed in that imperative, and merely pointing out the illogical nature of our raids proved that they never intended to deliver. My plan to utilize the Terran-gifted cattle and harvest non-sapients from untouched worlds was alluring. I also offered sanctuary to defectives and defectors, reaching out through the secretive forums like the one I¡¯d stumbled across before my fateful visit to Shaza¡¯s sector. It didn¡¯t matter which reason they opposed the Arxur Dominion for; checking all the bases was my top priority. There was outreach condemning the consumption of former omnivores, to those who believed races like the Gojids were truly sapient. We offered roles to those who didn¡¯t wish to fight, or sought civilian pursuits. Like Jones says, just taking manpower away from Giznel and his people helps the war effort. The future of the Arxur shouldn¡¯t be only about soldiers; that¡¯s how we got here. Lastly, on the internet, I planted the rumor that Betterment starved us intentionally, having kickstarted our suffering to start with, and allowed the people to circulate it. Initial recruitment had been more successful than I imagined; even non-defectives were weary of a lifelong war, and a strategy that was bound to ensure its continuance. 90% of my troops from the original sector, and around 65% of the ones from Shaza¡¯s old sector stayed under my control too. Gaining allies beyond the UN¡¯s vague promise of future support was key. Rival Chief Hunters had yet to join me, although I wasn¡¯t giving up on that. If we could hang in the fight for long enough to validate our strength, then the self-centered brutes might decide we were worthy of support. They could rule their own sectors, solidifying all the power, without any oversight. Manufacturing power was critical, since we needed to generate more ships. The humans sent us supplies, weapons, and small craft on the down low, though nothing that would draw attention or prove their involvement. Due to our need to grow our fleet, I encouraged anyone defecting to steal an armed transport. Playing to ego, mutinous captains who convinced some of their crew and brought a full warship were offered rank promotions. ¡°Hello, Isif.¡± Lisa Reynolds looked up as I entered the daily briefing room, yawning in harmony with me. The two Terrans had done a decent job guarding me, and keeping me apprised of any intel the UN or my own people scrounged up. Jones must¡¯ve coached them. ¡°The Secretary-General is waiting on a secure line. He says he can offer something you want.¡± I lashed my tail with interest, hoping that meant the Terrans were lending military support early. As fun as it would be to keep Earth¡¯s leader waiting, having the aid of the UN establishment would be crucial. I grumbled for her and Olek to set up the call, and decided to push my status update on the rebellion to later in the day. There was also the matter of selecting some Arxur underlings for leadership roles; I would be interviewing a few presumed defectives on their candidacy soon. It was a busy day, as there seemed to be no shortage of action. I¡¯d selected an Arxur prot¨¦g¨¦, but he could wait for this call and the subsequent briefing to continue. Felra¡¯s whiskers twitched as she sat at the center of the table, where she could have the ¡°best view in the house.¡± The Dossur and I spent a lot of time conversing, though I was careful to keep her away from the Arxur general populace. ¡°What do you think Zhao wants to give you?¡± the ginger-and-white rodent asked. ¡°A way to contact the Federation? You could make amends on behalf of your sect, and get them as allies.¡± A growl rumbled in my throat. ¡°GRR! Harping on that again? That¡¯s what you want, not the humans. They¡¯re realists¡­except for Olek.¡± ¡°Aw, c¡¯mon, let up now! I hear that line from Lisa enough.¡± Olek hunched over my holopad, a slight smile on his face. ¡°I get it, I shouldn¡¯t have brought up my theories about our grays. It was an honest question.¡± ¡°You know what else is an honest question? Why Isif shouldn¡¯t try to reach out to the Federation!¡± Felra pressed. ¡°He says he¡¯s friends with Tarva already.¡± I whipped my snout toward her. ¡°We are not friends, in the slightest. That Venlil just doesn¡¯t want someone else commanding her sector, because I¡¯m a lesser evil and I want change. She knows I partook in, even oversaw, unspeakable things. Would you like me to outline them for you, so you can know too?¡± ¡°I¡­I would. It must¡¯ve been horrible to have to blend in with monsters, or die.¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t you just act like a normal Dossur? Scream, cry, cower?¡± Felra giggled as an answer, before wandering over to Lisa¡¯s spot. Peacekeeper Reynolds absent-mindedly petted the deranged rodent, who seemed to enjoy the human¡¯s nails pricking her spine. These were my advisors¡­leaf-licking aliens I lived with every day? Why did I tolerate them?! I marched up to Oleksiy, and hovered over him to encourage him to work faster. The conspiracy theorist snapped his fingers. ¡°All set. It¡¯s connecting now, so get ready, Isif.¡± ¡°Got it. Your technical skills are appreciated.¡± ¡°Hell yeah! Us human nerds have game. Best in the biz.¡± ¡°Your self-complimenting assures me of your humility. The best do not have to declare they are the best, yes?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t have to, but I¡¯m going to anyway. And hey, for what it¡¯s worth¡­I empathize with losing yourself, trying to blend in somewhere you don¡¯t belong. Venlil Prime was harsh, at first. If I hadn¡¯t met some special people at the right time, I might¡¯ve forgot what I was fighting for. Not the same, but we¡¯re all shaped by our societies and our situations.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a long-winded way of saying he gets it,¡± Lisa chimed in. ¡°From what we¡¯ve seen of you, I think you¡¯re a softie.¡± I cast a glare in her direction. ¡°I will rip off one of your limbs if you ever say that again!¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, tough guy. Whatever you say.¡± I huffed in irritation, and stared down the camera with a bit more hostility than was needed. Secretary-General Zhao wouldn¡¯t understand my glare, but I couldn¡¯t have the humans calling me weak to my face. Wasn¡¯t ¡°softie¡± an insult? The leader of the Arxur rebellion was no scrawny runt, unable to enforce his will. That was equally as bad as considering me a monster! If Zhao is calling to yank my chain, then I¡¯ll show him a real scowl. I need to be tougher with these humans, whether we¡¯re friends or not. The Secretary-General blinked onto a video projector. ¡°Hello. Thanks for taking my call, Isif; I know you¡¯re busy.¡± ¡°Sure. Though I am busy, I can fit in time for Earth.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll keep this short. I don¡¯t want to waste your time. But say, before I get down to the meat of the matter, do you mind filling me in on the latest war developments? Just want to make sure Jones isn¡¯t painting her own narrative.¡± Humoring Zhao wasn¡¯t what I planned to do first thing in the morning, but I had to keep him in my corner. Olek and Lisa watched as I started my speech, ready to chip in if needed. There were a lot of moving parts in the war, so summarizing it in concise fashion wouldn¡¯t be easy. However, I didn¡¯t want to squander any excess time rehashing the past. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure I¡¯m telling you what you already know,¡± I began diplomatically. ¡°But we ceded a lot of our immobile infrastructure to the Dominion, since it¡¯s an easy target. We stay hidden and on the move, only surfacing to disrupt Arxur operations. Jones has been directing some rebels via internet channels, to pull some shenanigans from within Wriss¡¯ borders.¡± Zhao nodded. ¡°Like we saw with what you¡¯ve done, government sleeper agents are quite effective. How are you and your people faring against Betterment? I know Giznel is after your head.¡± ¡°They¡¯ve sent multiple search parties after us, while seeming to avoid human space. They do not wish to step on your toes, if I¡¯m not mistaken? Anyhow, there have been, hrr, three-odd forays into my sectors this week. We do not intend to challenge them until the right opportunity presents itself.¡± ¡°Excellent. And how are Bondarenko and Reynolds? Can they confirm to me that everything is good with their supplies and their treatment?¡± Despite the fact that I had received non-sapient cattle post-Sillis, humans were distrustful of any Arxur-sourced meat. I would not dupe my guards, who were on cordial terms with me, into eating sapient herbivore flesh. However, that wasn¡¯t a risk the United Nations or the duo themselves were willing to take. I understood on a logical level that the propaganda, should Terrans be documented enjoying a cut of Venlil filet, would be devastating. Therefore, Olek and Lisa maintained their own food supply, and I made no efforts to take it away. My concern on that issue was more for my internet friend. Felra couldn¡¯t stomach watching us eat their lab-grown cuts or my animal-sourced meals, as we learned the hard way. The Dossur had tried, but there were some responses she couldn¡¯t manage. I was impressed with how quickly she¡¯d grasped the concept of an obligate carnivore, for a Federation creature. ¡°Everything is fine, sir. We are safe and well, and missing Earth,¡± Lisa said. Zhao pursed his lips. ¡°Glad to hear it. We¡¯ll leave another shipment in the same spot as always. Now, I¡¯ll cut to the chase, Isif; I called to offer you a gift. I only wanted to make sure your insurgency would last more than a few weeks, and that you wouldn¡¯t become a problematic faction in your own right.¡± ¡°Your forces are ready to join us?¡± I queried. ¡°Not yet. I¡¯m forwarding some blueprints over this link which I think you will find useful. There¡¯s clear instructions for any scientists you have.¡± My eyes narrowed, before I accepted the file transfer after a slight hesitation. I was certain that if the humans wanted to worm malware onto my system, they already had; I wouldn¡¯t even realize, with their sneakiness. The documents that popped onto my screen were explanations of how to create lab-grown meat. This was the ticket to growing substantial food, without needing any livestock! I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s just giving this to me. Doesn¡¯t he hate us? ¡°I¡¯m giving this to you free, as a thank you for all you¡¯ve done for Earth,¡± the Secretary-General continued. ¡°Jones¡¯ one-sided ploys weren¡¯t fair to you. She told you that I would treat you like a pawn, but she accused me of what she herself is doing. That won¡¯t be my policy in our dealings. The United Nations is true to our friends, period.¡± Emotion swelled in my chest, realizing the implications this could have for starving billions. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Secretary-General. I do appreciate it deeply. Your human innovation will be put to good use.¡± ¡°I have full faith in you, Isif. We¡¯re all rooting for you here. I¡¯ll let you go, but I wish you well in the coming days.¡± ¡°You as well. Tear the Federation a new one.¡± The Secretary-General flashed his teeth. ¡°Oh, we¡¯re working on it.¡± Zhao clicked off the call, and my pupils flickered over to the human guards. In the short duration that I had been chatting about lab-grown meat, Felra had rolled onto her back. Lisa was tickling the Dossur¡¯s stomach, which earned squeals from the rodent. I hissed in disgust, hoping that the Secretary-General hadn¡¯t heard this nonsense. I¡¯d been so focused, that I was oblivious to anything happening in the background. ¡°Make yourselves presentable! Don¡¯t make me regret not letting the Kolshians have you, Felra,¡± I snarled. The Dossur flipped back to her paws. ¡°That decision is made, and now you have to live with it. You¡­could try petting me too?¡± ¡°NO! Get that first Arxur grunt, now, Lisa, and sit away from Felra.¡± As the petting-happy primate darted off, Olek risked a glance at me. ¡°What are we looking for? Do you want our advice?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s solicited. We¡¯re going to fill out my advisors; we need people who must be loyal to me, might be willing to tolerate the hunting-challenged species, and can also be influential. That¡¯s why I asked Felra to be here. How they react to her is a good indicator if they¡¯ll try to eat every herbivore they see.¡± The Dossur shivered. ¡°I d-don¡¯t like this.¡± ¡°Come here, Felra. I won¡¯t let them get anywhere near you.¡± Lisa returned, guiding a scrawny Arxur with an unimpressive muscle tone. I reacquainted myself with the facts of this one¡¯s circumstances, and emitted a contemplative hum. By all accounts, he was a weakling, who was a few slip-ups away from being executed by Betterment. He was captured by humans on the cradle, seeking defection to Earth. During the exchange of the Venlil cattle, he¡¯d been returned with the other Arxur prisoners. I¡¯d observed this scrawny grunt, once he was transferred under my direct command. Jones¡¯ hint that he pleaded for Earth not to return him, during our prior conference at Proxima Centauri, confirmed my suspicions that he hated Betterment. He had already wanted to leave, before Cilany¡¯s broadcast or my offer. I decided that an apparent defective would have undying loyalty, as long as I kept him fed. The Terrans hadn¡¯t protected him, so I doubted he¡¯d run back to them. The perfect second¡­assuming he¡¯s accepting of Felra and empathetic Arxur. A stretch for anyone raised on Wriss. Felra scurried up atop my head, which earned a long stare from the newly-arrived Arxur defector. I donned my most threatening scowl, and bared my teeth. The scrawny grunt ducked his head submissively, allowing Lisa to show him to a chair. He waited with expectancy, a hint of anxiety showing in his fidgeting tail. ¡°Kaisal,¡± I greeted the Arxur. ¡°I¡¯ve been watching you for a while.¡± Kaisal¡¯s gaze swept across the table, before returning to Felra. ¡°Why is the Dossur animal here? Ah, are we eating together? Oh my, the stupid thing doesn¡¯t even realize. I am honored to join you, sir.¡± ¡°You will treat the Dossur with the respect befitting any companion of mine. She is not food. She is a trusted, loyal¡­friend.¡± Realization flashed in Kaisal¡¯s dark eyes, and he jerked back in surprise. Admitting that an herbivore was a friend was a massive risk, with an unknown Arxur. It was as good as confessing that I felt empathy, and not only that, that I was defective enough to seek bonds like a social creature. His lip curled with momentary contempt, though he reeled himself back in. A sliver of appetite flashed in his eyes as well. ¡°I am surprised you got it to sit still,¡± the grunt hissed, in a tone that was decidedly colder. ¡°Those things do not view us as people. You must be very defective to convince it.¡± ¡°Hsss, that¡¯s subjective, is it not? Defectiveness is not such a useless thing in war, as humans show. To feel empathy is to predict what your enemy will do¡­to strike as a unit. I think it is a good policy of the rebellion for us both, that we turn weaknesses into strength here.¡± Kaisal mulled over my words for several seconds, absorbing my implication. I could see in his eyes that he despised the idea of associating with prey animals. However, we were together in having a critical weakness, which was not acceptable to Betterment. His other option was to return to the Dominion as a wimpy traitor; his own issues were why he¡¯d been running from Wriss to start with. Convincing him that every Federation herbivore is not the enemy can come another day. I need only his toleration and his compliance. ¡°It is nice to be able to control my actions, and to be treated as an equal.¡± Kaisal tapped a claw against his maw, and leveled my gaze. ¡°I¡¯ve never been this well-fed in my life. I¡¯ll do whatever you say, and¡­try to put up with any animals, as long as that stays true.¡± I lashed my tail. ¡°Good. I need an advisor¡ªsomeone who can speak of the humans, and their troops, from firsthand knowledge. I¡¯m willing to take you under my wing, and teach you how to be tougher in return. Defective or not, I assure you I know much about military practices and the crueler arts.¡± ¡°We all know of your achievements, Isif. I don¡¯t doubt your mettle.¡± ¡°As it should be. I¡¯ve spoken enough words. Do you accept this advisor position?¡± ¡°Gladly I do. I¡­always hated the species I was a part of, sir. All my peers bashing weakness, the wretched lives we lead, being forced to join the war; I had nothing. If I must fight, I¡¯m glad it can be for a chance to not fight and not starve.¡± ¡°Words to live by. Well, Advisor Kaisal, I imagine you feel the same as most Arxur about talking. However, we¡¯re going to do a lot of it in here, and we start now. These topics are too important to let solitary natures get to any of us.¡± ¡°Understood. I put up with humans on the cradle and on Earth. I am somewhat used to it.¡± ¡°Truly, you can learn to tolerate anything in time. Let¡¯s begin with discussing the war strategies, and Dominion movements, shall we?¡± Olek and Lisa pulled up an overview of our total assets, as well as noteworthy developments in logistics and internal sentiments. The last known locations of Dominion forces were also included; keeping ourselves multiple light-years away from their prowling ships was key. Kaisal still shot occasional glances at Felra, though he seemed willing not to pounce at her. My new advisor leaned in, and put his own mind to work assessing our potential targets. I wasn¡¯t sure how we could get the upper hand against Betterment, but I liked the team I had at my side. With lab-grown meat gifted to us by Earth, we were stronger today than we were yesterday. My sole focus was chipping away at the Dominion¡¯s armor, and waiting for the humans to commit to our cause. Chapter 119 Memory transcription subject: Chief Hunter Isif, Arxur Rebellion Command Date [standardized human time]: January 15, 2137 The humans were checking their timekeeping instruments; Kaisal still had three minutes to arrive for our briefing. The scrawny Arxur had no intention of lingering for an extra second of chatter, and was leaving the pre-meeting socializing to us. The command structure here monitored ship activity near our stealth habitat, which was hidden within Harchen space. Fahl and its subsidiaries were just across the border of what once had been Shaza¡¯s sector. We were keeping vigilant for any new Dominion attacks. With Kaisal¡¯s arrival still pending, that left time for Felra to poke and prod as she always did. The Dossur stayed away from the general Arxur populace; I was glad that word of her presence hadn¡¯t gotten around, after yesterday¡¯s confession. It wasn¡¯t safe for her to encounter any non-empathetic Arxur, and even those with softer emotions might not be fond of her. The primates had been a positive presence that grounded her socially, especially with her curiosity about mankind. ¡°Planning operations against the Dominion is important. We can¡¯t have Giznel thinking we¡¯ll run,¡± I mused aloud. ¡°Keeping our morale up is partly my outreach, and partly scoring some victories. How are each of you holding up?¡± Olek adjusted his glasses. ¡°Seeing Arxur up close¡­I don¡¯t know. I loved the idea of meeting aliens, but the videos we saw of you on Earth¡­they were gruesome. Had no clue you were being starved by your own government, on purpose. Guess that shows what you get knowing one side of the story; a lesson I¡¯ve preached my whole life. I¡¯ve come around to thinking you¡¯re a cool guy, Siffy, if a bit prickly.¡± ¡°They always taught us the grays were incapable of compassion. Clearly not true across the board; you¡¯re sweet.¡± Felra¡¯s whiskers twitched, and I wondered once more how she could stand me. If the humans used ¡°grays¡± or ¡°sweet¡±, I would¡¯ve smacked them, but I let it slide in the Dossur¡¯s case. ¡°We¡¯re not worth the effort to collect, so the Dossur weren¡¯t your typical victims. I¡¯d see the horrible things on the news, but they happened to someone else.¡± My nostrils flared. ¡°Hrr. I tried to be as cruel as possible, for Betterment¡¯s liking, and to think of what would hurt people most in my attacks. I brainstormed a number of those horrible things you saw. I know I had no choice, but perhaps I was lying when I said fault could not be assigned, yes?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s your fault. Everyone taught you that was right, just like people taught me all predators are evil. By the time you actually got real power, you were doing what kept you alive before.¡± ¡°Millions died as a direct consequence of my orders, Felra. I¡¯ve eaten prey like you alive! I executed my own kind, targeted herbivore schools on purpose, and ran cattle farms.¡± ¡°Those were mistakes, but you didn¡¯t know there was another option, except to die. You gave the cattle back to Tarva, and you want the future to be different. Don¡¯t you want to do what¡¯s right for us all, Siffy?¡± ¡°I¡­yes, of course I do! You¡¯re one strange Dossur. Why are you like this?¡± ¡°Well, I know who you are and what you¡¯ve done now. The future is what matters, making things change. What do you want to do when the war ends?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never thought about it. Ask the leaf-lickers.¡± Felra turned an inquisitive eye toward the two human guards, whose wistful gazes landed on her. The thought of going home to Earth, with the war settled and opportunities abounding, seemed to fill them with a wishful mindset. I¡¯d listened to the two describe the concept of homesickness, which I couldn¡¯t wrap my mind around. Terrans were sentimental predators, more than willing to domesticate themselves to boring pastimes. ¡°When everything settles down, I¡¯d like to start my own business,¡± Lisa said. ¡°Something like a coffee shop, where people can come to relax and play board games. I like the idea of bringing people together.¡± I narrowed my eyes. ¡°That is your grand ambition?¡± ¡°Who said it has to be grand? What¡¯s important is having a life that¡¯s fulfilling. Bringing positive vibes, and leaving the world a better place. Also, I thought my sister was dead for a few weeks, so it¡¯ll be nice to hug her again. We still haven¡¯t had that reunion, and it would be cathartic.¡± ¡°Typical humans. They give better, more censored answers, yes, Felra? Ah, don¡¯t answer that. What¡¯s your lame ambition, broken-eyes?¡± Olek scowled at me. ¡°It¡¯s like the glasses are the only thing you see about me! You¡¯re an old man. I¡¯m gonna fuckin¡¯ laugh when your vision starts going.¡± ¡°Ah, Olek, your true vision failing is your blindness to reality. Nobody¡¯s gonna believe you worked with Arxur rebels. It¡¯ll just be another of your crazy stories,¡± Lisa teased. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll pitch the story to Hollywood then! Writing a book doesn¡¯t seem that hard, and it¡¯s a guaranteed bestseller. How Earth secretly worked with the Arxur, all the way up to the Secretary-General, while building their superweapons! All that shit about Giznel writes itself too: starvation, an unwritten agreement with the Feds.¡± I sighed in annoyance. ¡°You must have more serious aspirations than that. Don¡¯t you have people you care about?¡± The conspiracy theorist fell into a contemplative silence. ¡°I do. There¡¯s a human kid I¡¯d like to see succeed. I was¡­adopted, so foster children are an issue close to my heart. Everyone deserves to land on their feet, you know?¡± Kaisal strolled into the room, and our self-indulgent chatter ceased in an instant. I¡¯d been trying to gauge if there was a trace of defectiveness in him, but my new second-in-command hated socializing. He seated himself far away from Felra and the primates, taking it upon himself to boot up my messaging system. There was a file sent from the Secretary-General¡¯s office, which was flagged Urgent intelligence. I¡¯d just spoken to Zhao a day ago at length, so I wasn¡¯t sure what could¡¯ve happened between now and then. It wasn¡¯t important enough to merit an in-person call to interrupt, but the human government wasn¡¯t known for meaningless communiques. The arboreal predators were excellent at sifting through oodles of information. Weaponized knowledge was among their primary fortes. ¡°Prepare the projector,¡± I ordered Kaisal. ¡°Go on. Olek, Lisa, any Dominion movement on the ship tracker?¡± Olek leaned closer to the sensors readout. ¡°No Arxur vessels within five light-years of the habitat. I see a sizable contingent of Federation craft, which seem to be on a sweeping patrol.¡± ¡°From the faint trails we can pick up, and known identifiers, those ships look to be Kolshian. That might be what Zhao is informing you of. Earth was due to launch operations against them any day. The bastards could just be on high alert, or moving in on another UN ally, like they did the Dossur.¡± ¡°Do you have any thoughts, Kaisal? We welcome your input,¡± I prompted. Kaisal kept his controlled pupils on the screen. ¡°I think the Kolshians deserve to die, for what they did to us. They¡¯re the party behind our starvation. They¡¯re here. We should kill them.¡± ¡°Prophet-Descendant Giznel told me that the Commonwealth conceals their true strength. We are in a vulnerable position. We must exercise caution.¡± ¡°After the¡­animal you keep with you, it would be a way to prove you¡¯re not with the Federation. They¡¯re our enemy as much as the Dominion.¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°What Isif is saying is that we should win one battle first before taking on another,¡± Felra chimed in. ¡°Nobody asked for prey¡¯s opinion.¡± ¡°You will not speak to her like that!¡± I roared, blowing Lisa¡¯s hair out of her face from the force of my exhale. ¡°NEVER AGAIN!¡± ¡°I said¡­I would tolerate it. I¡¯ve done that, but no amount of food, or threats, can push me further. Do we have a problem, Isif?¡± ¡°No. Do not address Felra at all, if you cannot be polite. Brief me on Zhao¡¯s message, now.¡± Kaisal swallowed, a lump passing down his throat. He transferred the contents onto the holoprojector, and allowed us to read at our own pace. The Secretary-General informed us that these were intercepted messages sent between the Kolshian Commonwealth¡¯s Office of the Chieftain, and the Arxur Dominion¡¯s Betterment office. That was enough to cause me to narrow my eyes in confusion. Since when did those two parties directly communicate? Prophet-Descendant Giznel stated that their agreement was unspoken. Perhaps that wasn¡¯t the whole truth, or they¡¯re trying to establish backchannels for some reason. The scrawny Arxur wagged a claw. ¡°Should I play the video logs?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I growled. Kaisal clicked on the video clip, which showed an indigo Kolshian initiating the conversation. Despite the wrinkles on his face, Nikonus had a way of scowling with his bulbous, side-facing eyes that made him look threatening. He folded his tentacles across his chest, and turned one pupil on the camera. There wasn¡¯t a trace of fear, despite the fact that this was directed at Betterment. I wondered how the humans had gotten a hold of this footage, but there was rarely any explanation of their methods. ¡°The Dominion interfered with our operations at Mileau,¡± Nikonus stated in a cold voice. ¡°Though we¡¯ve never spoken, I thought there was an agreement between our offices. Explain yourselves, or you will face our unfettered wrath¡­as we are showing the humans.¡± After several minutes of footage, which Zhao had scrubbed through in the package, Prophet-Descendant Giznel appeared on screen. I could tell from his locked teeth that he didn¡¯t like speaking to an herbivore. It was remarkable that he would accept a direct invitation to parlay from the Kolshians; it was apparent Betterment did not want a war with the Commonwealth, if they¡¯d go to such lengths. Nikonus must have reasons to wish for the Dominion¡¯s continued existence as well. A hiss emanated from Giznel¡¯s throat. ¡°As your control slips, ours does as well. That was an action of a rogue Chief Hunter, Isif, who apparently seeks to rebel against the Dominion. He thinks that he can rule all by himself. He¡¯s blasting the tune of peace and satiety to anyone who will listen. The arrangement with Betterment still stands.¡± ¡°I see. Don¡¯t get me wrong; we hate you, and I know you hate us,¡± Nikonus said. ¡°The Kolshians grasp our moral imperative to fix the galaxy, but that is a centuries-long process¡­these humans have been a major setback. There are untapped worlds out there. We need one predator around, and the last thing I want is a fucking Arxur asking for peace! It makes you look good.¡± ¡°I know; it¡¯s sickening. A fat, lazy Dominion without Betterment? The war must continue, for the sake of control. We¡¯re trying to hunt Isif down, but he¡¯s been elusive.¡± ¡°I will send ships to put an end to this sycophant. We always have a few tricks behind our tentacles. Just remember your role, and you can go about your merry raiding in peace.¡± The Kolshian ended the transmission link, and the five of us sat in silence. Kaisal looked the most shocked of us all, seeing the Dominion¡¯s highest levels openly cooperating with the Federation¡¯s leader. I was floored that Nikonus would volunteer his forces to flush us out; with my past knowledge about their motives, it was easy to reconcile their actions. My push for peace was antithetical to their desire for a forever war, which conveniently depicted predators as mindless drones. What would the other herbivores think, if this footage got out? Surely the United Nations could use this to garner more support; they were always looking for a propaganda angle. Lisa and Olek had returned their focus to the sensors screen. The humans were muttering to themselves about the Kolshian ships sweeping entire systems, meandering toward us. My maw jerked with realization, and I realized the Federation were seeking out an attack against my rebellion. The habitat is cloaked, but the Kolshians seem to think that can¡¯t stop them. Nikonus mentioned tricks, and even Giznel thought they were stronger than they let on. That they could beat us in a no-holds-barred fight. Racking my brain for ideas, I transmitted orders to all patrollers and warships to be on stand-by for combat. The slow-moving habitat wouldn¡¯t be able to outrun the Kolshians, who were a few light years out; it also would alert them to our presence definitively, and leave a clear trail, if we jumped out via FTL. I turned to Olek, and barked for him to dial up the Secretary-General in a hurry. The humans had sent us this intelligence, so they must have some idea of what we should do. ¡°Hello, Isif. I was expecting you might call.¡± Zhao¡¯s form was visible on screen, as he rode in some antiquated airplane. A slight smirk was on his face, though I saw some signs of sleep deprivation which I¡¯d noted in Elias Meier. ¡°It surprised the United Nations as well, and I figured it would be critical intelligence to pass along to you.¡± ¡°It is¡ªthank you. But the Kolshians are already coming for us. There¡¯s thousands of ships rooting out any rebellion assets, drawing nearer to us. Escape isn¡¯t a viable option, and I must be a critical asset for you to preserve, yes?! Please¡­you have to help, human,¡± I hissed. A taut grimace crossed his face, though I knew that generals of his caliber only revealed as much emotion as they wanted to. It was a promising sign that Zhao would show his concern; however, what we needed was a commitment of ships to ward off the Kolshians. If Nikonus had the extraneous resources to devote to our demise, there was no telling how many total craft were under his control. I wouldn¡¯t make the mistake of writing them off as a weak herbivore military. ¡°Humanity is engaged in many battles. Mileau is still an ongoing affair, with a bit of a stand-off ensuing. The Kolshians possess drone technology, which our nanodrones neutralized, yet we lack numbers to dismantle their fleet. They¡¯re using biological weaponry against our ground assets, so those missions have been called off. Tell your Dossur friend we¡¯re sorry it¡¯s been a mixed bag, will you?¡± Zhao asked. Felra skittered up to the camera lens. ¡°I¡¯m glad that you tried. We¡­I don¡¯t want you to throw human lives away.¡± ¡°We did what we could, but it¡¯s always my goal to stop senseless loss of life. I will do whatever is necessary to keep Earth and humanity safe. That¡¯s my policy, to the day I draw my last breath. Anyhow, we also have a good chunk of ships forging ahead to Kolshian and Farsul territory, which should be a vicious fight. Tack on the defensive requisites and we¡¯re short on ships to spare.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t help us, the rebellion ends today. You¡¯re damning my species to extinction!¡± I spat. Earth¡¯s leader raised his hands placatingly. ¡°Let me finish. I¡¯m thinking aloud here. We must remain decidedly neutral at this time; we don¡¯t want a fight with the Dominion. UN vessels will not fire upon Arxur craft. We¡¯re already warring with one giant, and Giznel declaring war on us might bury us.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the Arxur. I don¡¯t see any of ours in the count, and we can handle a few Dominion scouts.¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯re at war with the Kolshians already, so they are fair game. It¡¯s a poor example to let them go wherever they like and lash out, in our territory. The Harchen are a Terran protectorate. We didn¡¯t let the Arxur have Fahl, so we sure won¡¯t be letting the Federation get their tentacles on our space. We have the political cover.¡± ¡°So you¡¯ll help?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help, but you¡¯ll need to come to us. I don¡¯t have assets within an hour¡¯s travel. Warp your assets to the UN garrison at Fahl, and we¡¯ll handle any Kolshians that follow you. To be clear, this is not an outward declaration of support. It¡¯s a one-time pact.¡± ¡°Understood. Thank you, Mr. Secretary-General.¡± Zhao dipped his head, and signed off the call. I told Kaisal to transmit the coordinates to the habitat¡¯s forces, while encouraging them to make a rapid evacuation. A rendezvous with the UN fleet aided our chances, though I was still nervous about a large-scale battle. Such broad conflicts hadn¡¯t been how our insurgency operated; we¡¯d adopted the policy of quiet disruption, due to our lack of numbers. Felra tugged at my claws, which I yanked back. Crazy Dossur. If she grabs those stabbing instruments and I don¡¯t see her, her throat might end up like those gouged Kolshians back at her research station. It¡¯s not like the humans¡¯ weak fingers. ¡°What is your problem, rodent?¡± I snarled. ¡°This is not the time¡ª¡± Felra pulled on my paw insistently. ¡°I want you to know it¡¯s going to be okay. And I want you to pick me up!¡± I huffed in outright irritation, noticing the withering look on Kaisal¡¯s face. My paw slid under her stomach, hoisting her on an express journey to my shoulder. Felra nuzzled against my chin, mere inches below where my serrated fangs showed. Perhaps it would¡¯ve been better to leave her at Proxima Centauri, rather than suffer this constant embarrassment. I was the leader of a faction of apex predators, not some toy! ¡°Do you trust these humans not to attack you? It could be a trap,¡± Kaisal grumbled. ¡°It¡¯s not. It¡¯s not pure altruism either; it¡¯s useful to them to keep us alive. They wouldn¡¯t have bothered to support us at all if they wanted to kill us. We¡¯re going to Fahl, and we¡¯re going to fight¡­whatever good that may do.¡± Lisa ran a hand through her hair. ¡°Fahl. That¡¯s where we were stationed before Mileau¡ªit¡¯s all come full circle. I hope the forces are ready to receive some Kolshians.¡± ¡°Chief Calamari¡¯s gonna get a boot in his squid behind. Have some faith, Siffy,¡± Olek declared. I heaved a weary sigh, and summoned a warship for myself. A good leader, in the Arxur tradition, commanded by example; we were supposed to be the most fearsome hunters alive. It wasn¡¯t clear if that was still true, after my exposure to this inane Dossur, but I intended to do what I could at Fahl. The Kolshians wouldn¡¯t put our rebellion to bed if I had anything to say about it. Chapter 120 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, United Nations Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: January 15, 2137 The predators¡¯ war strategy hinged around hitting the two Federation founders where it hurt. The Kolshians always offer severe resistance, as they proved they could hold their own against the masters of killing, after all. During my therapy sessions, one topic discussed was the reality that the Commonwealth could¡¯ve intervened on the cradle. They¡¯d possessed the technology and the numbers to smack an Arxur raid down like it was nothing; instead, they¡¯d watched as the Gojids were pushed to the precipice of extinction. Had I known about Nikonus¡¯ apathetic view of our woes, back when Cilany and I visited Aafa, I would¡¯ve gutted him with my claws then. The Kolshians would be the more satisfying of the founding duo to combat; I could envision the smug look on their chief¡¯s face. However, on an objective level, it was clear-cut which conspirator was the easiest to undermine. The Farsul States were the brains of the empire, and their worlds were ripe for the taking. The Farsul and the Kolshians disagreed on the handling of humanity¡¯s survival, with the States contributing to the ill-fated extermination fleet. Their ships were known for being damage-sponges, a more prey-like and displayable attribute than their conspiratorial counterparts. The Farsul elders, like their Ambassador Darq, made a grave error of judgment at the summit on humanity; tipped off about their genocide participation by Earth, the Arxur moved in on their homeworld, Talsk. The grays¡¯ raid nearly succeeded, and was warded off with substantial losses. I¡¯m sure Talsk has rebuilt its forces, just as Earth has replaced their army. Still, they¡¯ve been weakened by the war, while the Kolshians have been waiting in the wings. Cilany listened astutely, as I told her via FTL call-link what I was authorized to disclose. ¡°So let me get this straight. You¡¯re going to drop into Talsk¡¯s inner orbit within minutes, and land solely to access the Galactic Archives?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct,¡± I answered. ¡°Humanity can¡¯t afford to spare troops on an occupation. They don¡¯t bomb civilians either. The goal is to trap the Farsul within their own world, and cut them off from the galaxy.¡± ¡°And they¡¯re pulling any crew with training in ground combat from the starship? Including you and your human pals.¡± ¡°Crewing the ships was equally as difficult as building them, Cilly. Logistically, we don¡¯t want more mouths to feed up here, and we also need men for every battleground and occupation across the galaxy. Sillis, Fahl, Mileau, ground defenses. If you can hold a gun and keep your wits, you¡¯re part of the landing party.¡± Tyler referred to it as being a utility player in a game called baseball, which involved smacking a stone with a metal club. I didn¡¯t grasp what he was on about, and I didn¡¯t dare to ask. That human was rather unapologetic with his predatory hobbies. Cilany pressed her toes to her head. ¡°So you¡¯re cobbling together the ¡®nonessentials'' from your ship, and they¡¯re all heading planetside during an orbital battle? That¡¯s suicide.¡± ¡°The predators have a distraction planned. The Farsul ships should be¡­concerned with other events. I¡¯ll be fine. We¡¯ve got a plan.¡± A plan that involves de-orbiting a lunar body, and fits in with the general picture of Terran psychosis. A normal day in the United Nations¡¯ service. ¡°Thanks for the non-answer,¡± the Harchen reporter grumbled. ¡°I thought we were friends, Sovlin! Give me something. Like¡­why was there satellite footage of naval armaments being loaded on to Terran carriers, which we know from subspace trails were heading Federation-bound?¡± That was the other deranged part of the mission, which was anything but a routine landing. The Terrans noticed a patch of Talsk¡¯s ocean was unreadable by standard sensors, during stealth recon. Intelligence coupled this with communications between Archives staff, discussing ¡°shipping exercises.¡± Like any normal species, the primates drew the conclusion that the Farsul were hiding incriminating information underwater¡­and based their mission parameters on this assumption. Did the United Nations believe that habitats under the ocean were possible? If the humans weren¡¯t grasping at straws on this one, I¡¯d be beyond impressed with their deductive skills. At this point, I didn¡¯t think their insanity was up for debate. Cilany wasn¡¯t going to hear intel that was damaging to their species¡¯ reasoning skills from me. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend you don¡¯t know about the boats,¡± she pressed. ¡°What good do those do in an orbital clash? Are you landing by water ship?¡± I jabbed a sharp claw at the camera. ¡°If you wanted to know that, you¡¯d be here with us. They¡¯d sign off on it, undoubtedly. Believe it or not, humans send reporters with their troops into war zones.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard of them. ¡®War correspondents,¡¯ covering conflict from the front lines, armed only with a camera. I¡¯m willing to take risks for a scoop, but that¡¯s lunacy! I, as a non-human, like to gather my stories in areas without active firefights.¡± ¡°These FTL comms saved your ass then. You¡¯d be out of the loop for weeks. I¡¯ll keep you informed of the results when the mission is complete.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t push you more, for now. Whatever you find in the Archives, I want to be the first to know.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do. So long.¡± My eyes turned to the triangular shuttle waiting in the hangar bay. I was aware the Terrans had a myriad of new contraptions, but this design seemed foolhardy to me. A narrow, aerodynamic vehicle was optimal for atmospheric travel. Thankfully, I didn¡¯t have to pilot this craft; while it was made to transport crew, it was self-flying. Samantha and Carlos had saved me a seat, while Tyler and Onso manned what was considered the back-up pilot and co-pilot¡¯s chairs. What I¡¯d been told at the briefing was that we would descend to sea level, before transferring to a submarine. My immediate inquiry was if the humans had ever seen a Gojid swim, but they just laughed. The amusement was followed by a patronizing smile, and a response of ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. I swear, if the plan is for me to ride on Carlos¡¯ back and no one is telling me, I¡¯m gonna claw some binocular eyes out. ¡°Hello, Onso.¡± I recalled Dr. Bahri¡¯s advice to be kinder to the primitive in my inner dialogue, rather than regarding him only by his innate ignorance. ¡°You ready?¡± The Yotul flicked his reddish ears. ¡°I mentioned on shore leave that I wanted to break Farsul skulls. They have their paws in every pot, every mind in the Federation. I¡¯m sure as shit ready to fight them.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be honest, I¡¯m a little nervous. Land creatures don¡¯t belong¡­sinking into the ocean. I mean, this submersible ship does not float. How do we get back up?¡± ¡°Same as flying. Air currents versus water currents. You trust human tech or you don¡¯t.¡± ¡°I¡¯m more comfortable in space too, but it¡¯s good the navy is finally going to get a cut of the action. Humanity needs to win on every terrain and theater of war,¡± Carlos growled. ¡°My comments about the space era aged like milk,¡± Samantha griped. ¡°I called a sailor friend of John¡­of my husband¡¯s ¡®obsolete¡¯, and now they¡¯re airdropping warboats. Just my luck; I¡¯ll never hear the end of it if they get a single kill.¡± I gently tapped her hand with my paw. ¡°It might be good for you to reconnect with some of your old friends.¡± ¡°Spare me the ¡®Kumbaya¡¯ therapy shit. I mean, good for you, but you don¡¯t need to proselytize.¡± Tyler cleared his throat. ¡°Let¡¯s keep it professional, people. We¡¯re pulling a stealth jump behind each of Talsk¡¯s four moons, but we can¡¯t get closer than that. Entering real space any second.¡± ¡°As if you¡¯re professional,¡± Onso snorted. ¡°Remind me how many game controllers you¡¯ve broken? We¡¯re so close to kicking these Feddies in the backside, and I want¡ªno, I need to get this perfect. Are all of you ready?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to live to see the Federation fall,¡± Sam sighed. ¡°Ready, sir.¡± ¡°And I¡¯d like to live to see galactic peace,¡± Carlos countered. ¡°Ready here too, sir.¡± Before I could offer up my own assent, Tyler raised a hand for silence. The shuttle¡¯s digitized replica of the main viewport depicted the shadow of a moon, and a small handful of human carriers snuck through other gravitational hiding spots as well. Launching too soon or too late would result in our demise. We had to wait for the distraction to draw the Farsul¡¯s attention; I had no idea how humans planned to move the smallest lunar satellite. The fact that we got this close, under their nose, shows the lasting consequences of the Arxur attack. The Farsul¡¯s barebones defenses aren¡¯t equipped to catch us in their net; their outposts, with key scanners, were picked apart too. The enemy would be alerted to our presence, once the predators made their move to disturb the smallest moon. The target body lagged a short ways behind our satellite haven¡¯s orbit, which meant our carrier could watch the show. Human military affairs always intrigued me, from how they conjured the impossible with every battle. There was ¡°thinking outside the box¡±, and then there was ignoring the box¡¯s existence altogether. Rules and conventional wisdom didn¡¯t apply to them. Our viewport plucked stills of box-shaped human craft. In real time, they were blurs that accelerated from behind the target moon¡¯s shadow; that energy expenditure definitely caught the Farsul¡¯s eyes. The objects had been gaining momentum within subspace, and exited warp at a mind-boggling pace. These were evident drones, though they were unlike the Terrans¡¯ conventional battle technology. I squinted in confusion, as the lead cubical craft blazed toward the deformed rock without slowing. The first impact caused a geyser of debris to erupt from the moon, while the drone was obliterated. There appeared to be a slight slowing of the lunar body¡¯s orbit, though it was fractional. It was insanity to think they could redirect a celestial object¡¯s momentum. The humans were undeterred, however, and launched more of the peculiar boxes into the moon. ¡°Reverent Protector,¡± I murmured. ¡°They¡¯re chipping away at its momentum. Throwing ships at it¡­¡± ¡°Until it changes course.¡± Carlos released a shrill noise by blowing air through his teeth, which made me flinch. ¡°It¡¯s simple kinetic impact. I remember we used this same tech to deflect an asteroid from Earth back in 2129.¡± Onso flicked his ears. ¡°It¡¯s like shifting a boulder that¡¯s already rolling downhill. It¡¯s got a shit ton of momentum, but you collide enough objects, with enough force, and you could theoretically change where it¡¯s rolling to.¡± ¡°So this was a brute-force planetary defense system, that you weaponized because you¡¯re predators. Carry on, I guess,¡± I huffed. Panicked Farsul ships rushed toward the moon, but they, understandably, were not prepared to stop murderous monkeys from dislodging a massive satellite. The United Nations chipped away at the orbital momentum, deflection by deflection, until the speeding rock had visibly changed its arc. Talsk¡¯s gravity won out in the absence of a blistering orbital velocity, and the mile-wide rock began to careen toward the planet. Tyler took that as our cue to launch the triangular shuttle, which was prepped for this moment, away from our carrier. The Farsul vessels concentrated fire on their falling moon, and struggled to simultaneously fend off Terran warships which harassed them on approach. To top it off, our big guns were within orbital range, but the predators were using precision strikes against bases rather than antimatter city hits. There was no way for the enemy to watch for surface-bound transports, with all of the chaos preoccupying them. I wasn¡¯t surprised that no craft moved to intercept us, and that the ride down to Talsk¡¯s surface looked to be seamless. The idea of descending below the ocean still left me riddled with unease; my spines were bristling, and it wasn¡¯t from the humans¡¯ eyes. ¡°Your crazy plan worked.¡± I tried to focus on the Farsul missiles fruitlessly impacting their own moon, rather than the blue patches enlarging before us. ¡°I¡¯d love to have ears inside the enemy ships. They don¡¯t even know what hit them.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Doesn¡¯t it suck when your moon becomes a meteor with a few love taps?¡± Sam snickered. Tyler allowed himself an amused snort. ¡°Yeah, I hate when that happens. Really ruins your day.¡± We breached the atmosphere in graceful flight, with flaming resistance enveloping our ship outside. The battle overhead receded into the background; it wasn¡¯t our job to spectate the Farsul moon¡¯s fate. Our shuttle¡¯s autopilot had everything under control, throttling through the outer bands of a foreign world. It slowed our pace to a manageable glide, once the sparkling ocean grew nearer. Water stretched as far as the eye could see, even from hundreds of meters up. There was nowhere to land that I could make out, and the ropes and parachutes at the rear of the aircraft pushed a suggestion into my brain. What if the plan was for us to jump or rappel from the aircraft, onto a submarine¡¯s hull? Where were the submersibles anyways¡­had their airdrop not preceded us as planned? My claws wrapped around the harness tighter; everything that could go wrong was at the forefront of my mind. We¡¯re slowing down, but not fast enough! Something must be off with the computer. We¡¯re going to slam belly-first into the water, not hover. The humans weren¡¯t panicking, so I tried to convince myself that those thoughts were my fear speaking. However, the choppiness of the waves was visible, and I saw no way to stop in time¡­at least, not without an inertial dampener failure and the death of us all. My remaining spines were trying to escape from my back; I was almost ready to scream to brace for impact. A mechanism shifted in the shuttle¡¯s belly, and it was then that I suspected we were gliding for a landing. We touched the surface of the water, but instead of sinking, we bobbed gently like a leaf. Our supports splashed the water, and slowed, while balancing atop the waves like it was nothing. I breathed an uneasy sigh of relief, grateful that I had kept my mouth shut amid the humans¡¯ composure. The predators always had wild plans, like plunking an airworthy craft into desolate seas. We were out of the proverbial burrows. Then, without warning, the floats gave out, dropping all support from the triangular craft. Primal terror gnawed at my heart, as our ship started to sink. Chapter 121 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, United Nations Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: January 15, 2137 It wasn¡¯t my imagination; our triangular shuttle was sinking like a stone. Water bobbed up against the cockpit windows, entombing us beneath the waves. Hull integrity would eventually give out and allow water to flood the compartment. The predators were just watching it happen, with not nearly enough panic showing in their binocular eyes. They made no attempt to inflate a life raft and escape, while we could still get the doors open. The craft had tipped forward at a slight angle, and the airborne vehicle began to sink nose-first toward a watery grave. A feeling of immense claustrophobia gripped me, as the nightmare scenario came to fruition. My claws wrapped around Samantha¡¯s arm before I could stop myself; the human looked at me with sheer disbelief, and pushed me away. Her nose was scrunched in an obvious sign of distaste. Carlos would¡¯ve definitely been more amenable to my desperate outreach for support. Samantha heaved a sigh. ¡°I¡¯m going to pretend you didn¡¯t just fucking do that, but it better not ever happen again.¡± ¡°Please! We¡¯re sinking!¡± I croaked. Onso snickered. ¡°Sinking? You don¡¯t feel the engines running? It¡¯s a submersible aircraft.¡± Upon closer listening, I could feel the quiet hum of the engines. Somehow, the combustion drive was still running underwater, and pushing us in a controlled manner further into the ocean. There were no signs of leaks seeping through the walls, despite being encased in the depths. I¡¯d never heard of a plane that could fly underwater, but I should¡¯ve gleaned our safety from the predators¡¯ calmness. If a human is running or terrified, that¡¯s when it¡¯s time to assume our deaths are imminent. Sam wasn¡¯t the least bit amused by me latching onto her arm, but Tyler and Carlos were both masking smirks. I dipped my head in shame. How had the Yotul known of technology which was unfathomable to the wider galaxy? Until today, I wouldn¡¯t have thought such devices would ever have a use. It was embarrassing that the primitive kept his head better than me around novel technology, though I tried to push that egoistic thought out of my mind. ¡°Do the Yotul have this kind of technology, Onso?¡± I prompted the reddish-furred marsupial to answer, though I knew the reply would be in the negative. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of such things, so I¡¯m surprised it¡¯s old news to you.¡± ¡°Well, I took it upon myself to read up on the specs; they were included with our briefing notes. Never know when shit¡¯s gonna break, and someone¡¯s gotta fix it. The Yotul have a saying, ¡®Everything can break, so assume it will do so today.¡¯¡± ¡°That¡¯s valid. Every spacecraft crash is due to a ¡®one-in-a-billion¡¯ mechanical failure; unlikelihood upon unlikelihood. Uh, anyhow, I¡¯m a little out of my element here, clearly nothing like you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind the water, Sovlin. Mama had a sailboat, which she¡¯d take around the harbor. It was a little disappointing to hear human water activities involve hunting. There¡¯s so many beautiful things to see; it¡¯s the last untamed frontier. Even after space is explored, the oceans still hold so many mysteries and unique lifeforms!¡± ¡°Plenty of humans agree with you, even ones who enjoy fishing like Tyler. We¡¯ll go snorkeling or scuba diving just to explore reefs and view marine life,¡± Carlos chimed in. ¡°No boat, nothing but a basic breathing apparatus.¡± ¡°There¡¯s water sports too. Surfing, where you try to ride massive waves on a board.¡± Samantha made odd gestures with her hands, as though conveying a series of hills. ¡°Parasailing, up in the sky tied to a boat. White water rafting, where you go down turbulent, rocky rapids in an inflatable.¡± I groaned. ¡°Why¡­are any of those not mortally dangerous?! What is wrong with you predators? I thought you evolved from the fucking trees!¡± ¡°It¡¯s all in the spirit of fun, a memorable experience. Don¡¯t tell me none of it sounds like something you want to try once.¡± ¡°No, those stunts sound horrible. This is horrible. I can see the depth meter going up¡­it¡¯s double digits! I can¡¯t see the sky!¡± ¡°Quit being a baby.¡± ¡°Quit being a predator! I hate humans; I can¡¯t stand you! Onso, back me up.¡± ¡°The surfing sounds totally badass. I can imagine riding a wave up to its crest, and trying not to fall,¡± the Yotul answered. ¡°We should try it together, old man. Conquer your fears, do things you think you can¡¯t.¡± ¡°I am not doing that. No way on the cradle.¡± Tyler sported a devilish grin. ¡°Hey, it could be worse, Sovlin. You could be doing shark cage diving.¡± I offered the blond human a blank stare. Through the cockpit behind him, I noticed orange-striped fish swimming clear of the aerosub. There was a dark shadow in the murky depths below, which filled me with palpable unease. What if it was some sort of massive predator which hid in this oceanic range? Chewing at my claws with anxiety, I tried to parse through what he said. Cage diving? That can¡¯t be what it sounds like; locking yourself in a cage and jumping into the water¡­not trying to escape. What¡¯s a shark? We moved closer to the ambiguous shadow within the turquoise ocean, which I tried to ignore. The humans would freak out if there was reason for alarm; I couldn¡¯t make a fool of myself again. Plastering a look of confusion on my face, I flicked a claw at Tyler for an explanation. His blue eyes twinkled with amusement, and my former guards watched with interest. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re wondering what that is.¡± Officer Cardona tapped his fingers against his holopad, and noticed that his Yotul exchange partner was intrigued too. He showed a picture to Onso first. ¡°I¡¯d say it¡¯s self-explanatory. Oh, and, yes, they have side-facing eyes, but sharks are predators. Humans have movies about them eating us, even though that¡¯s uncommon in reality.¡± Tyler turned the device toward me, and I flinched away with disbelief. Sure enough, a pack of Terrans were suspended in a metal cage below the water. ¡°Sharks¡± circled them with predatory intent, serrated teeth visible. From what I¡¯d learned about Gojids being omnivores, I¡¯d trust the primates on binocular eyes not being necessary to eat living food. However, deciphering human behavior was a maddening endeavor. Was this some twisted way of reasserting their dominance as apex predators, against animals that dared to prey on them? ¡°You just said it was in fucked-up human movies¡­it¡¯s CGI! That¡¯s not a real fucking thing!¡± I screamed. ¡°I thought we were keeping it professional, huh? You all are definitely saying, and making up, predator nonsense on purpose, at this point!¡± Tyler flashed his teeth. ¡°It¡¯s real. We don¡¯t need to make anything up; humans will go to great lengths for thrills.¡± ¡°That seems to be tempting fate. I¡¯ve always believed in respecting nature, though it would be cool to see these animals up close,¡± Onso said. ¡°Good news: you can see them in aquariums too.¡± I thought humans would think water decorations were stupid¡­wait, what did he just say?! My spines were bristling. ¡°You have aquariums, like the Kolshians on Aafa?¡± ¡°Yep,¡± Tyler affirmed. ¡°And instead of sea plants, you keep dangerous predators in them?¡± ¡°Yeah? They¡¯re cool to look at, man.¡± ¡°Protector, I don¡¯t care if we¡¯re in the middle of the ocean. I want off this sinking boat!¡± Carlos stifled a laugh. ¡°Well, your wish is about to be granted. This puppy isn¡¯t meant to dive deeper than 100 meters. The UNS Deep Core is up ahead.¡± Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. The foreboding shadow had grown larger in my periphery, and my eyes swiveled back to the viewport. It was a submersed ship, but one that was so large, its breadth faded into the murky distance. There was no way this wasn¡¯t in the triple digits of meters long; the all-black, undecorated exterior would cause an observer to mistake it for a shadowy patch of water. There was a tower affixed to its spine, which perhaps housed an equivalent to a bridge. ¡°The humans must¡¯ve snuck this ship here days ago. How long has it been lurking?¡± I murmured to myself. ¡°They couldn¡¯t have airdropped it from too high up either¡­I don¡¯t think.¡± Samantha rubbed her hands together. ¡°If you think this is the only one sent, think again. We¡¯re told as much as we need to know, Sovlin, but it¡¯s a blast to fill in the blanks.¡± Our aerosub glided down to the bottom of the Deep Core, before flipping over and latching onto to a watertight door. It was similar to how a spacecraft would dock for boarding; my concerns were assuaged a little, noticing some familiarity. Packing such a large crew into a metal tube must be stressful for any land-dwelling species, but the humans were insane enough to tuck their senses aside. There could be enough predators aboard to compose a small village. I disliked the fact that I was hanging at a ninety-degree angle, though I didn¡¯t voice my complaints. The humans awkwardly dismounted, with Tyler helping Onso down. Carlos hoisted me to my own two feet, and I took a steadying breath. Our own watertight hatch, which I mistook for an emergency exit when I thought it was a sane vehicle, was on the right exit. There was a click, as human personnel opened the circular door from the other side. The five of us were helped up through the threshold into the submarine, and we admired the metal inner workings of our surroundings. The tunnels were narrow, with small doorways leading between compartments; many required a slight step up to clear. One Terran greeted us at our docking point, though he wore a different uniform than the getup I was used to. I wasn¡¯t sure what to expect from land predators who operated underwater, but the ample facial hair checked out with my mental image. ¡°Welcome aboard the Deep Core. I¡¯m Commander Fournier; your presence is requested on the bridge,¡± a gruff voice greeted us. I blinked in confusion. ¡°May I ask why¡­sir?¡± ¡°First aliens to step foot on a submarine. You¡¯re VIPs; it¡¯s a good photo-op, you could say. Follow me.¡± Of course, the humans are worried about optics as we¡¯re descending to an outlandish location. Sometimes, they¡¯re awfully predictable. Claustrophobia threatened to flare up, with the cramped passages and lack of direction. Onso showed no such uneasiness, forcing Tyler to ensure that the Yotul studied objects with his eyes, not his paws. The primitive seemed enamored with any machinery or design quirks, even basic things such as hinges. I was really trying not to look down on him, but when he was gawking at simplistic nails, it was difficult. At least his dimwitted curiosity was a distraction from our present environment. The bearded commander led us to a steep stairway, and communicated for us to follow his lead. There was a thunderous bark of ¡°up ladder!¡± before the human-in-charge popped open a hatch. Tyler waved a hand at me and Onso, signaling for us to climb after Fournier first. I ensured that my balance was steady, hustling up the rungs. There was a railing surrounding the hatch, along with a safety chain that our guide was unclipping. ¡°Sir, may I ask how much air we have left?¡± I couldn¡¯t resist asking, despite being out of breath from the short ascent. ¡°I presume you¡¯ve been submerged a few days. Even spaceships can only carry a few weeks of oxygen, and I don¡¯t see any tanks, um¡­¡± Fournier issued a throaty laugh. ¡°Scared of submarines, Gojid?¡± ¡°A little, uh, yes¡­sir.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be. We have as much air as there is water in the ocean.¡± Onso bounded after us. ¡°The Terrans use electrolysis to separate the hydrogen from the oxygen in seawater they collect, then use that O2 to ventilate the ship.¡± ¡°Why, I like this one!¡± the commander bellowed. ¡°Read up on subs, haven¡¯t ya?¡± ¡°It drew me in¡­like a vortex of knowledge. I always liked machines.¡± ¡°Then I take it you¡¯re an engineer? I can see that kid-like glee in your eyes.¡± ¡°A rocket engineer. The unchanging rules, the complex order, the concreteness and the planning: it speaks to me. Having a new class of machines to study really lit that fire, for the first time since the Federation killed my passion. Not even studying your weaponry truly scratched that itch. It¡¯s just, I never dreamed I¡¯d discover a new alien boat!¡± ¡°Well, well! I¡¯m no engineer, but I¡¯ll be happy to share what I know. Feel free to ask any questions; we love talking about what we do, to someone who really wants to hear it.¡± ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± Commander Fournier led us into a stout compartment, where a vast array of gadgetry and screens covered a wall. Humans were examining a green circle on display, with a rotating line and labeled angles. Data feeds were also listed there, which led me to conclude it was a sensors equivalent. Navigations was at the front, at least from the appearance of several control columns. Some predators appeared to be acting as officers or supervisors, peering over others¡¯ shoulders and issuing commands. This isn¡¯t that dissimilar to a starship, but where is the viewport? How can they see? I cleared my throat. ¡°Sir, where is the viewport? There¡¯s no windows!¡± ¡°We don¡¯t need windows,¡± Fournier explained. ¡°We use sonar, because sound travels further in water than light. Glass or transparent materials are just a weak point in the hull, and a potential source of leaks if we take a hit.¡± ¡°Okay. Then why did the submersible craft we took here have windows?¡± ¡°Because it needs to be a spacecraft too, and you need to see when you¡¯re flying. It¡¯s useful enough to outweigh any concerns,¡± Carlos chimed in. ¡°This is so cool!¡± Onso bounced on his digitigrade hindlegs, and the commander fortunately didn¡¯t take offense to his excess excitement. ¡°The sonar doesn¡¯t need to see at all. It just¡­listens.¡± Fournier nodded. ¡°Precisely. I saw you examining the bearings on our machinery, and I¡¯ll impress upon you the importance of noise reduction down here. We keep everything detached from the hull frame to avoid vibrations¡­even dropping a wrench can give you up to an enemy. Sonar receptors pick up the slightest vibration, and then, they know you¡¯re there.¡± ¡°That explains why your engines have to be so quiet. I was reading about how you try to avoid cavitation¡­you know, where the vacuum pressure caused by the propeller makes water boil. The bubbles pop and give off noise.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need a rundown at all, Yotul; you already know everything. We have a speed range where we can operate silently.¡± I was growing bored of the technical explanations, and Onso, a primitive, was outshining my knowledge to the humans. Perhaps the Yotul was desperate to prove himself as an academic equal, but he didn¡¯t need to prattle on about science like he was reading a textbook. While there were impressive feats of engineering on display here, I agreed with Samantha¡¯s assertion of naval obsolescence. What good was fighting in the water, except in this extraordinary circumstance? The predators can hide far away from any targets or locations of value forever. How ingenious. They¡¯d be unseen altogether if the other human tribes realized this theater was irrelevant in a war. I suppressed an irritated huff. ¡°Permission to speak freely, sir?¡± ¡°Granted,¡± Fournier replied, a curious twinkle in his eyes. ¡°Respectfully, sir, I do not see the purpose of putting all this time into submarine development, at least for military aims. You¡¯re a spacefaring species, and you¡¯re incredible at ground assaults. What use is it to hide so far away from civilization¡­from the action? Maybe you sink a few ships that are using an outdated method of moving resources, but I don¡¯t get it. You have better weapons.¡± ¡°You really don¡¯t know? To use your word, these ships are masterful predators; nearly undetectable, capable of hearing the slightest sound, and able to surface anywhere in the world. But it goes far beyond that. The destructive power housed here is a hell of a deterrent. That¡¯s why we¡¯d never actually trade nukes like ya Feddies thought we did.¡± ¡°Nukes? I¡¯m not following.¡± ¡°There¡¯s tens of nukes stuffed onto just one of these things. We can hang off the shore anywhere, and fire missiles while underwater. Not that we have to be close to our target; we can shoot ICBMs halfway around the world. You never know where we are, if it¡¯s right down your neck or prowling distant shores. We¡¯re waiting to strike, anywhere and everywhere, with the technology to end civilization itself, even after command is destroyed on land. Obsolete, my ass.¡± I gulped with discomfort, wishing I could recede into the ship walls. That declaration was so calm yet predatorily destructive; there were chilling implications for the extent of human aggression. It suddenly made sense why Earth tribes were intent on sniffing these predators out of the ocean¡¯s recesses, and why the subs tried to remain undetectable at all costs. Should the current battle go awry, Talsk could be devastated by an unseen arsenal of epic proportions. As Commander Fournier took his post, I tried to understand why humans would devise such machinations, for use against their own civilization. The Federation¡¯s ¡°irradiated Earth¡± could¡¯ve been a reality; these capabilities shouldn¡¯t exist in any culture. I didn¡¯t understand why my kind-hearted friends would even think of such predatory weaponry. Surely, understanding the apocalyptic consequences of these vehicles should¡¯ve convinced them not to build them. My therapist could¡¯ve elaborated further on the full heights of Terran aggression. Humans didn¡¯t enjoy killing, yet they brainstormed and actualized the optimal ways to kill every human in existence? It was a paradox. Perhaps their predator nature factored into their decision-making in a manner they didn¡¯t understand. Orders were issued to begin our descent, and for all sailors to report to battle stations. I felt the submersible tilt down, so I tried to clear my head of what the primates were capable of. I have to believe that they will never actually do something like that¡­that their goodness will prevail. They didn¡¯t snap after Earth, right? I trust their better judgment. ¡°W-well, if there¡¯s really a base at the bottom of the ocean, the Farsul are fucked,¡± I murmured to my posse. Samantha¡¯s fist tightened, as her smirk returned. ¡°I¡¯d say they are.¡± The numbers on the depth meter continued to escalate, as the submarine navigated the ocean which spanned below us. Locked inside a steel tube with predators, and knowing the potential of its onboard weaponry, my nerves were anything but quelled. The submarines somehow eclipsed even the worst starships in its dastardly capabilities. The Farsul wouldn¡¯t be prepared for this predatory contraption, should we stumble across any of their flotilla. I was glad that the humans were on the same team as me; there was no telling where their capacity for annihilation ended. Chapter 122 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, United Nations Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: January 15, 2137 I was claiming an unwanted milestone with this voyage; I was certain I was the furthest below water of any Gojid, who hadn¡¯t already been dead and sinking, in history. Some predators were monitoring their scanners for the slightest sign of activity, though I was told an entire team was dedicated to sonar monitoring in a separate chamber too. Sitting in a dark room with headphones for hours, with no idea what was happening, sounded awful. The supervisory officials and secondary team here got a much better deal. Additionally, fire control technicians oversaw guidance systems on the bridge. Most of their work was grounded in electronic and digital concerns. From what Onso had told me, this vessel had underwater missiles which were connected to the ship computer by wires. Once the payload got close enough to the target, an onboard homing mechanism took over. By watching the various stations, I was beginning to decipher bits and pieces from their screens. Judging by the learning curve, anyone with training in starship sensors could adjust to sonar after a few days, in a pinch. Onso seemed aware of most duties, having studied up on the intricacies; I was grateful for his explanations. All the same, it was of some comfort that Tyler, Samantha, and Carlos were in unfamiliar territory too. ¡°We¡¯re getting close to the presumed location of the Farsul base,¡± Carlos whispered. ¡°There¡¯s no telling what they¡¯re hiding down here. Maybe it¡¯s everything that¡¯s been done to every species!¡± Onso flicked his ears. ¡°A proper database would help with bringing our culture back, exactly as it was. They¡¯re the historian species, so it¡¯s a good place to go digging. They have a weapon as great as any Kolshian tech: information. The baseline for every civilization that has ever lived.¡± ¡°I wonder what they have on humanity. Perhaps one or two things that are true?¡± Sam snickered. Tyler pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°What made them so certain we died in nuclear Armageddon? How much did they hide about us?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but my ship¡¯s doctor wrote a paper in an ethics class about why it was morally just to execute you for your aggression. They didn¡¯t teach anything good about you,¡± I offered. Samantha beamed with mock excitement. ¡°Wow, what a splendid ethics class, and a rousing thesis by the good-hearted doctor! Meanwhile, our physicians swear an oath to do no harm. I¡¯m glad that prey are so much more well-versed on right and wrong.¡± Tyler struck a puzzled expression. ¡°I took an ethics class in college, before I dropped out of that shit-hole to piss off my old man. Best decision of my life. Anyhow, there were some interesting dilemmas they brought up in that class. The trolley problem is about if it¡¯s ethical to ever do harm, but for good, you know?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t. What¡¯s the trolley problem?¡± I asked. ¡°There¡¯s a train going down a track toward five people. You can pull a lever so it only hits one dude on another path instead. Should you?¡± ¡°Why does anyone have to get run over by a train? Did Onso make this garbage up?¡± The Yotul flashed his teeth with a growling sound, pinning his ears back against his head. I didn¡¯t see why my question was objectionable; he was the one with an affinity for outdated trains, to the detriment of advancement. The marsupial made a point of lamenting railroad destruction when we first met. ¡°Oh, fuck off.¡± Tyler rolled his blue eyes, and raised his hands in exasperation. ¡°Your ethics classes wanted to genocide our whole planet!¡± Carlos nodded. ¡°And us predators talk about killing the least amount of people. Even I see the irony.¡± ¡°The Federation has no redeeming attributes,¡± Sam hissed. ¡°Guess we¡¯re gonna get to see Baldy¡¯s real culture soon. Then we¡¯ll know if the rest of the galaxy used to have a brain.¡± My spines bristled, at the thought of uncovering the original Gojid culture. While I knew that the Federation committed similar atrocities as omnivorous and predator races, it was still painful to think of our real history being flaunted in front of me. What if the Terrans could throw past atrocities in my face, and hammer home the fact that a species¡¯ empathy wasn¡¯t a prevailing factor against cruelty? I couldn¡¯t imagine how it felt for the predators to continually defend their past. If our past culture was depraved, I don¡¯t want it rebuilt or brought back. We could¡¯ve been like Onso¡¯s kind, killing our own people over food. The fact that I was worried about our discoveries meant I¡¯d accepted the ludicrous idea that the Farsul had institutions beneath the waves. Perhaps I trusted the humans too much, but it was a rare occasion when they were off the mark. They¡¯d been a reliable source of information, even if they weren¡¯t often forthcoming. I studied Captain Fournier as he presided over the bridge; his words on submarine capabilities left me shaken. Understanding why the predators behaved with such a laissez-faire attitude toward extinction was a moot point; worrying for them was the emotion I couldn¡¯t squash. I knew the three humans from my shuttle were all from different tribes on Earth. If we won this war and peace prevailed in the galaxy, what was to stop the Terran settlements from pointing doomsday weapons at each other again? Would Samantha and Tyler be trying to kill each other? There were certain crevasses in humanity¡¯s history that were like a mirror, when the comparisons were spelled out in plain fashion. However, in this area, I wasn¡¯t worried about similarities being unearthed. There was an inherent difference in our species¡¯ aggressivity that was evident, given our contrasting sensibilities. It bothered me, knowing that Terrans were not suited to long-term cooperation with each other. ¡°Can your aggression ever truly sto¡ª¡± I started to blurt. A sonar supervisor barked words in a commanding voice, after receiving a broadband communique from her team. ¡°Two matching acoustic signatures, 2000 meters out. We¡¯ve put a tracker on them and forwarded the data to weapons.¡± Captain Fournier clasped his hands behind his back. ¡°Two contacts, 2000 meters out. We¡¯ll log the sound patterns in our database. Maintain battle readiness and prepare to fire on my command.¡± With enemy submersibles sighted, the crackpot underwater base theory looked more plausible. Onso¡¯s eyes lit up, as the human shipmates coordinated various actions. I could see a security feed of the torpedo bay, where predators were prepared to physically load replacement weapons from racks. The munitions looked massive, even compared to a predator¡¯s unyielding frame. Other Terrans were tending to pre-loaded tubes, hooking up communications cables. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. The wires do seem a little primitive, but it¡¯s stealthy and immune to interference. The predators have extravagant tech, yet it¡¯s only used when it¡¯s optimal. Much of the necessary procedures and checks could be done by weapons specialists on the bridge. Captain Fournier growled the order to fire two torpedoes, and fire control ejected the munitions through the muzzle doors. Without a viewport, I could only judge the launch¡¯s success from received data. From what I could tell, the twin projectiles were propelling themselves in the wrong direction. Onso had noticed my confused gaze. ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re aimed off-kilter, just at first. Makes it difficult for the enemy to tell where the missile came from¡­to track it. It¡¯s like interfering with targeting on a starship.¡± The Yotul¡¯s explanation proved correct again; fire control routed the torpedoes back on course, after their initial journey. The Farsul submarines were oblivious to the incoming weapons, and with our minimalist noise, they might not detect anything until their vessels were annihilated. The predatory nature of this sneak attack wasn¡¯t lost on me. The humans operated unseen, not alerting foes to their presence until it was too late. The cables were cut once the torpedoes were in seeking range; the warheads¡¯ active sonar was inescapable in close proximity. The pings tipped off the exact enemy locations, and allowed last second course corrections. Human engineering was perfect in orchestrating a kill, as I never should¡¯ve doubted. They¡¯d risen to every challenge hurled at them, from bringing drones into spatial warfare, to shield-breaking missiles. The ocean was an old, familiar hunting ground to them, so this fight was both natural and intuitive. Sonar screens lit up with bursts of noise, painting a story of metal cracking like a dropped fruit. The power of our munitions contributed to the explosion¡¯s loudness too; that level of energy output was anything but quiet. Stealth was no longer necessary though, with our submarine¡¯s proverbial fangs planted in the Farsul¡¯s throats. I could imagine the two submerged vessels being spliced into shrapnel, as the detonations clashed against their plating. Captain Fournier conversed with the sonar supervisor, before turning to the bridge. ¡°Two confirmed kills. Continue on a descent course, in the direction of those ships.¡± ¡°We go toward them, we¡¯ll find the base,¡± I muttered. Onso wagged his tail. ¡°We find the base, we save the Yotul. We rid ourselves of their influence once and for all!¡± Samantha raised an eyebrow. ¡°Assuming they don¡¯t wipe digital data or blow up the base, when all is lost. They love scorched earth, lightly suggested by the whole exterminator hoopla. Better destroyed than used by predators.¡± ¡°You are irony-poisoned.¡± Carlos shook his head lightly. ¡°We get to the Archives, and we find what we can. Even if they wipe servers, who says our techies can¡¯t recover it?¡± Our submarine descended ever deeper, pressing ahead toward the real Farsul Archives. Talsk¡¯s moon was falling above us, and space fleets were clashing around the deorbiting body. All the same, the real battle was a handful of stealth ships here, dishing out silent strikes. We remained vigilant for other enemies, knowing we were close to the base¡¯s suspected location. If they spotted us first, then they would have a chance to strike before we could. Is there any way to defend against an oncoming torpedo, if the Farsul have such weapons? It seems like you never sense them coming, and you can¡¯t¡­look out a window. Captain Fournier pursed his lips. ¡°Sweep the area with an active sonar ping. We need to get a read on the terrain and hopefully, the base¡¯s exact location.¡± The sonar supervisor relayed the orders, and Onso tensed up a little. The Yotul whispered to me that active pings gave away our position, by transmitting our own sound into the water. However, sailing blind into unknown territory could end us crashing, or missing the base altogether. We had to hold our breath, and pray the Farsul wouldn¡¯t pick us up. Their capabilities were unknown, but they must possess listening devices for deep-water travel to be possible. Knowing that we were more than a thousand meters below water, I didn¡¯t want to find out what would happen to us if the ship imploded. It was impressive that it wasn¡¯t crushed by the outside pressure already, come to think of it. At this depth, atmospheric pressure couldn¡¯t be suitable for land lifeforms. That was a fear I didn¡¯t need to dwell on. The acoustic energy illuminated the terrain for our sightless submarine, allowing the predators to map their surroundings. I listened to the bridge chatter, as they scrambled to classify nearby points of interest. Echo sounding confirmed we were close to the ocean bottom; it was level apart from a few elevation shifts. Deep-sea invertebrates sprouted skeletons on the sea floor, wherever space was available. The most promising sign was a wide area of unusual signal absorption, which was believed to be the base. As nervous as I was about getting attacked, well out of any sun¡¯s eye, it seemed like we¡¯d gotten away with the emitted ping. Perhaps it was foolish to assign human competence to the Farsul. Why would they expect to see other vessels on the seafloor, armed with a predator¡¯s tech? How could a prey animal even think of using detection methods, which hunted other ships down for making the slightest noise? The sonar supervisor stiffened. ¡°Torpedo in the water!¡± Oh stars. At least the humans had picked up a telltale propulsion system from the torpedo, but that meant the Farsul knew we were here. While there were other UN submarines en route, none were flanking us or backing us up. The predators better have some insane defensive tactics, or we would wind up in a million pieces. I didn¡¯t like the prospect of my lungs being crushed. ¡°Brace yourselves for inbound munitions!¡± Captain Fournier growled into a microphone. ¡°Return fire toward the source.¡± The Farsul submarine was patrolling just shy of the Archives base, and wasn¡¯t, to our knowledge, joined by any comrades. While taking immediate defensive steps, the Terrans dubiously focused on getting their own torpedo into the water. Skepticism marked itself on my face, but Onso leapt to the predators¡¯ defense. The Yotul claimed this counterstrike was to prevent the enemy from firing again. I could feel my heart crawl into my throat, as our own projectile was spit back with haste. Our submarine reoriented itself in the opposite direction, away from the base, and fled at maximum speed. The incoming torpedo had the edge in speed, so it seemed futile to run away. I guessed that the munition had limited fuel; even so, its tank wouldn¡¯t run dry quick enough. We dove as close to the seafloor as we could risk, and the sharp descent almost made me tumble down the bridge. The Farsul¡¯s torpedo was gaining ground, threatening to sink us. Captain Fournier, just like his counterparts in the stars, was cool under pressure; he waited for the munitions to lock onto us. The bearded leader shouted for a sonar decoy to be deployed. As the deceitful device jetted away, I squinted for clues on nearby screens. Per Onso, it unleashed a cloak of bubbles and jamming frequencies, scrambling the missile¡¯s sonar-seeking systems. ¡°Did it w-work?¡± I wrapped my claws around Carlos¡¯ arm with the bear tattoo, remembering not to cling to Samantha again. ¡°I hate water. I¡¯ll take death by vacuum any day.¡± Carlos squeezed my paw awkwardly. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it worked. We always hope for the best, but no combat situation is a guarantee. Just breathe, buddy.¡± Our submersible attempted to skirt the torpedo¡¯s search area, while it was hung up on the false targets our decoy provided. We veered well off to the side, and ensured absolute silence. The Deep Core looped back around, tiptoeing past the range we¡¯d been chased from. There was no sign of an inbound contact following us. I realized we had successfully fooled the munition¡¯s homing logic; I released Carlos¡¯ arm at last. Perhaps it had been wise of the Terrans to impart a shot back. Our foes were too preoccupied to send more trouble our way; one torpedo was enough. Those thoughts reminded me that we had taken offensive actions to counter theirs. Sniffing out the vessel that attempted to sink us was a priority. The torpedo we¡¯d fired at the Farsul submarine hadn¡¯t found its mark, as the enemy managed to pull nifty evasive maneuvers. However, their engines stirred up ample noise, with that sudden haste. Though they had avoided our first missile, I thought we had a clear target for our next round. However, it was not necessary to expend another weapon on this nefarious submarine. The Terran torpedo missed its target the first time, but it doubled back for another pass without warning. On the second attempt, it struck true into the hapless Farsul¡¯s frame; another hostile was ravaged in the blink of an eye. The humans had a perfect sinking score, proving themselves to be the more devious prowlers. I doubted the Farsul expected anyone to get this close to their lair; all we had to do was poke at their defenses from a few angles. If this mop-up was representative of our disparate power, the other UN submarines must be closing in on the base too. In space, losses and hardships could be inflicted upon the predators. However, land and sea appeared to be their chief dominion, where their exceptional talents put them miles ahead of the competition. The oceanic path to the Farsul Archives had been cleared, and soon, humanity might begin to reclaim the actual history of the multitude of Federation species. Chapter 123 Memory transcription subject: Slanek, Venlil Space Corps Date [standardized human time]: January 16, 2137 The infected predators were whisked out of the research station, and away from the Battle of Mileau to be isolated in quarantine. The Kolshians had been holding the inner sanctum of the system, since the human fleet was mainly composed of Duerten allies. With the goal of a cured Terran race making itself evident, sending rescue teams for the Dossur prisoners was inadvisable. That would need to await proper biohazard gear, which would take days, if not weeks, to arrive. Earth was making preparations for itself and its colonies to counter ¡°bioterrorist¡± measures. Marcel wanted nothing to do with me, during our ride to the quarantine station. The cured humans would be kept isolated for study, until they determined whether the disease was communicable. Initial observations didn¡¯t suggest transmissibility through close contact, though it wasn¡¯t clear if other means could spread the virus. All of us relinquished blood samples for a scientist team to peruse. Tests were run to determine the extent of the allergic reactions, and doctors came prepared to treat anaphylaxis. My bloodwork was the only one that came back allergen-free; it had been determined that the human-tailored bioweapon couldn¡¯t cross the species border to other sapients. As such, I didn¡¯t have to worry about any modifications to my genome, and I was free to leave at any time. The medical staff became primarily Zurulian too, after this development was confirmed. Nobody has brought up my execution of the Kolshian prisoner, but it¡¯s a matter of time. Has Marcel not been feeling well enough to raise the alarm? Concern for the redhead was the reason I hadn¡¯t vacated the facility; no matter what, having him in this situation strained my heart. I wandered up to a Zurulian medic, who was conversing with a human in biohazard gear. The quadruped swiveled around, and his face jogged some faint recognition in my mind. Had I seen this individual before? No, what mattered was discovering how Marcel was holding up, since my¡­former best friend wouldn¡¯t speak to me. ¡°Slanek!¡± the Zurulian announced. ¡°Just the Venlil I was hoping to find. When I heard you and Marcel were among the infected, I had to come.¡± I leaned my head back. ¡°We do know each other. You were there, at the battle of Earth. Helping to save his family. Your name is¡­¡± ¡°Wilen. You might remember my wife, Fraysa, too. We wound up living on Earth after the war, sharing notes on human and alien physiology with top experts.¡± Fraysa ducked out from within a cabinet. ¡°The Zurulian exchange program was a great way to get to learn what the predators are really like! They don¡¯t deserve this. I understand how close you were with your human, Slanek. Mine is into gardening¡ªgardening, for fun! A predator.¡± I don¡¯t give a shit. We met for about an hour, months ago; we¡¯re not friends. ¡°Cool.¡± My tail twitched with irritation. ¡°Could you guys tell me how Marcel is doing?¡± Wilen squinted. ¡°You haven¡¯t asked him yourself?¡± ¡°Oh, of course I have! I just mean from a doctor¡¯s perspective¡ªwhat¡¯s going on biologically. I¡¯m worried, and I wouldn¡¯t want to ask in front of him. You might not be as straightforward if it¡¯s bad news.¡± ¡°Walk with me. I have to deliver these fever-reducing medicines to the sick ones,¡± Fraysa replied. ¡°The short version is, the virus inserts DNA into the human genome, which induces desired immune reactions to specific meat-based proteins and enzymes. The severity varies from person to person.¡± Wilen trotted after his wife. ¡°I was just talking about Marcel¡¯s bloodwork; I want to help him. What Fraysa is saying, is that some humans may only react severely to meat and egg foods. Others are more sensitive to lesser things they eat, like animal lactation, boiled animal tendons in gummies, or even things they wear like cured hides.¡± ¡°They put what in gummies?!¡± I shrieked. ¡°I thought you knew.¡± ¡°Forget it, Doctor. How does this relate to Marcel?¡± ¡°Marcel¡¯s blood shows signs of an especially sensitive reaction,¡± Fraysa commented. ¡°It could be because he¡¯s vegetarian, so some of the proteins are particularly foreign to his body.¡± Wilen pawed at a semi-circular ear. ¡°I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t like to think this about your friend, but predatory items pervade human culture, far beyond diet. His furniture and his clothes are probably animal-sourced. Their medicine, a nurturing field by definition, is no longer safe to him; he won¡¯t be able to get egg-based vaccines. I was informed by a human colleague that even cosmetics for dry skin and shoe polish might be off-limits.¡± ¡°Treatments for dry skin trigger the cure?¡± I blinked in confusion, unable to believe the predatory items ran that deep with my human. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because of a wool grease called lanolin. Look, he¡¯s going to need to be very careful. Our simulations suggest extreme cases like Marcel can¡¯t even breathe the vapors of cooking meat, without triggering anaphylaxis.¡± Fraysa slipped a pill packet under a door. ¡°Wilen and I were shocked, realizing how deep hunting runs in the fabric of human society; it¡¯s almost better not to know. What do you think should be done, dear?¡± ¡°I think it might be best for Marcel to live on a Federation world, if he needs to avoid animal products altogether. Maybe you could offer to take him in, Slanek, on Venlil Prime?¡± My legs locked up, and left me unable to follow the Zurulian medics. Wilen and Fraysa whirled around, noting the shock on my features. Since Marcel didn¡¯t consume meat in the first place, I figured the cure wouldn¡¯t affect his daily life at all. It was within my knowledge that he ate some ¡°animal products¡±, such as the revolting lactation juice Wilen mentioned, but I figured those could be cut out of a diet too. It wouldn¡¯t be that big of an adjustment, given that my human already avoided them around me. But now, I realized something as simple as his slick couch, in his Earthly home, would induce the allergic reaction. Marcel couldn¡¯t go to social events with other humans, if breathing in the scent of flesh would place him in jeopardy. That would¡¯ve precluded hanging out around Tyler, or being in the service at all! The vegetarian¡¯s military days were over; it didn¡¯t seem fair that his ordinary life was ruined too. Shit, if he got sick, he couldn¡¯t seek some treatments at a Terran hospital anymore. Poor Marcel will have to think of every little thing, as small as treating chapped lips in the winter. If he stays on his world, I don¡¯t know how he can go out in public without risk¡­but he certainly doesn¡¯t want to live with me. I pinned my ears back, searching for an excuse. ¡°Marcel has family on Earth. He has a life there!¡± ¡°It will be¡­difficult, for his predator relatives and friends to accommodate him. They¡¯d need to be very cognizant,¡± Wilen said. ¡°I¡¯m not pressuring you to do anything you don¡¯t want to. But if you care about him, you need to tell him what staying on Earth means for him.¡± ¡°He could wear some breathing mask¡­and a contact suit?¡± Fraysa scrunched her nose. ¡°Maybe, but does he want to do that every day of his life? It¡¯s a rough situation. Though there is good news, Slanek.¡± ¡°What, that he¡¯s not dead?!¡± This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you¡¯re so upset. But the good news is, for the air-transmission version, there might be hope of reversing the cure in the near future. The humans have their own gene-splicing systems, such as CRISPR. This incident helps them understand the general principles of what the cure adds, so it might help them identify unnatural edits in other species too.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about other species! They don¡¯t want it undone, I can fucking tell you that. Marcel does!¡± ¡°Well, the humans might be able to undo his gene edits, with proper study. If he chooses to stay away from Earth, it might only be for a little while. His normal life might be restored in a few years¡­maybe months. Terrans are quick studies.¡± Hearing that the predators could figure out a reversal, without outside assistance, alleviated my guilt for killing Navarus. Clearly, we didn¡¯t need any of the prisoners alive to undo the damage. Besides, there were more captives, like the scientist my friend had brought in, who could provide the information Earth sought. That demonic Kolshian, who laughed at the idea of destroying Terran culture, deserved a bullet to the head. Marcel was unreasonable, but other humans might be more rational. Maybe I was fretting over one man¡¯s skewed morality. I chewed on what the Zurulian doctors imparted. ¡°You qualified the hope of reversing the cure as being for the airborne version. Does that mean the other humans, from the research station, are incurable?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t say that, but the injected-serum is much harder to cure,¡± Wilen proclaimed. ¡°I think that¡¯s why the Kolshians favor that method, when given a choice. They transmit the virus directly into the bloodstream, and also inject certain proteins and enzymes into the skin¡­to spark allergies the old-fashioned way.¡± ¡°I see. So they¡¯re permanent herbivores.¡± ¡°Permanent¡¯s a strong word, Slanek. Curing the genetic side would prevent the disease from being passed to offspring, at least.¡± Fraysa flicked her ears. ¡°Besides, I expect you would know, as a vegetarian¡¯s friend, even if those people are eating grass¡­humans are still violent predators. The Kolshians succeeded in pissing them off, not gentling them.¡± ¡°Right! What makes them human is that they¡¯re insane,¡± Wilen remarked. ¡°So, my Venlil buddy, are you able to break the news to Marcel for us? He deserves to know right away, and it would be better coming from you. A friend.¡± ¡°Well.¡± My throat clammed up with guilt, not wanting to reveal our relationship¡¯s dire straits. Selfishly, all I wanted was to see and comfort Marcel during this revelation; I could brainstorm a plan to ease my entry into his room. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll tell him.¡± ¡°Excellent! Well, his door is right here; I¡¯ll leave you to the unpleasantries.¡± My eyes widened with alarm, as the Zurulians pushed me through a plastic isolation flap. It hadn¡¯t occurred to me that the conversation¡¯s timetable would be accelerated; I hadn¡¯t realized we were walking past Marcel¡¯s room, while I was distracted worrying about him. Wilen and Fraysa watched with expectancy, giving encouraging ear flicks. Nausea twirled in my belly, as I didn¡¯t dare explain what happened between us. My paw issued a tentative knock, before I twisted open the sealed door. The red-haired predator studied me with lethargic eyes, perspiration lining his skin. He shifted on the bed, and curled his lip with displeasure. A booming cough racked his body, causing him to fall back against the pillow. A pitcher of water had been nearly drained; he hadn¡¯t been able to get up to refill it at the filtration sink. ¡°Hi Marc,¡± I offered. A low groan came from his mouth. ¡°Go¡­away.¡± ¡°Please, let me get you some water. I can¡¯t leave you like this.¡± I scurried over to the pitcher, feeling my heart rate hit an all-time high. Chiding myself not to drop the glass and look like more of a fool, I carted it over to the spout. The water filled the jug with the speed of molasses, and my tail swished across the floor with impatience. Temptation overtook me, so I risked a glance at Marcel. The human¡¯s face looked puffy; it was clear his immune system was in overdrive. I wish that I could curl up next to him, and make him feel better. I miss having such a wonderful friend. Those hazel eyes struggled to stay focused on me, which caused sympathy to tug at my heart. I balanced the full pitcher with new determination, pressing it to his lips. The rift between us felt palpable, as Marcel reluctantly accepted the hydration for his own sake. Even in his discombobulated state, I could see that he hadn¡¯t forgotten what I did. Fury was causing him to distance himself from me; I got the sudden feeling my lie had been what pushed him over the edge. ¡°I was asked to tell you something, by the Zurulian doctors,¡± I spoke hurriedly, while setting the pitcher down on the table. ¡°Your reaction to the cure is severe. The doctors don¡¯t think you should live on Earth for a while. They said you¡¯d be deathly allergic just smelling meat or touching animal products¡­like apparently, your couch. Which I slept on.¡± Marcel didn¡¯t speak a word. Even in his listless stupor, his binocular eyes managed to level me with intensity. I noticed a slight lump pass down his throat; he was either swallowing down hurtful thoughts or thirst. The human, who¡¯d become the faithful friend my world revolved around, just wanted me gone. That stung worse than the prickle of a thousand thorns, but I was glad we hadn¡¯t quarreled again. With legs that felt as heavy as stone, I trudged toward the door. It was impossible not to feel the predator¡¯s gaze boring into my spine. His judgment punished me, as if he were the aggrieved party in the Navarus execution. Part of me was angry about the Terran¡¯s mandatory policy on mercy, but I couldn¡¯t berate him in this sorry state. At the end of the day, I cared about Marcel. What I said to him back on the research station was accusatory and less-than-kind, though it was true enough. If this was the last time we ever spoke to each other, I didn¡¯t want to cut contact with hurtful words. Perhaps he could learn to remember our adventures with some fondness, in time. This hadn¡¯t been how I wanted our close-as-brothers bond to fizzle out. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that they did this to you.¡± I kept my back turned to the human, resting a paw on the door handle. ¡°You remember why I joined the exchange program? I read your book, Frankenstein. About a monstrosity who only wanted a friend¡­or acceptance, and was hated and abused by the world. Judged for his appearance.¡± There was nothing but silence from the human, and the certain feel of his watchful gaze. Without looking, I could feel the dazed rhythm of his blinks. How had I ever feared that Marcel would harm me? He couldn¡¯t dole out punishment to the people that deserved his wrath, let alone to anyone he called a friend. ¡°I felt sorry for the creature. For you. And maybe, in some weird corner of my brain, I was curious what it was like to be a monster,¡± I continued. ¡°Now, I know that I am one too; just not one of appearances. Maybe the book was trying to say that the real monsters were the ones who wronged the physical monster. I hope you¡¯ll find someone who sees you for what you truly are, because I can¡¯t do it anymore.¡± My paw cracked the door ajar, and I slumped my shoulders in the entryway. This went against everything that my heart desired, pulling away from the only person I thought I truly knew. The reality was that I had changed too much; Marcel didn¡¯t sign up to be partners with someone he saw as a monster. If I could go back to how things used to be between us, I would. Now, I had nobody to turn to. A faint growl rumbled behind me. ¡°That whole plot you saw was bogus. The real ending¡­of that book. Not the censored one the UN doctored up. Do you know what it is?¡± My head whipped around. ¡°What? You changed it?¡± ¡°Of course we did. It¡¯s a vengeful story, not one where Frankenstein¡¯s monster is innocent and lives alone with another of his kind. The real tale? Suffering immensely from rejection¡­the creature strives to take everything from his creator that he ever loved. After the death of his maker occurs, the wretch commits to end his own life of unhappiness in turn.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± My blood ran cold, as I tried to decipher what lesson such a story could tell. That was in stark contrast to a story that garnered sympathy from the viewers; it proved the point that the monster was a monster! ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Humans changed it because we wanted you to take the message that we could be friends. We weren¡¯t trying to vow vengeance for our rejection then. But maybe we should¡¯ve left the message that there are consequences, for such inhumane and callous treatment of a ¡®monster.¡¯ It¡¯s fitting, in hindsight.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like something you would say¡­Marc.¡± I took one hesitant step back toward the Terran, and noticed that he had averted his eyes. ¡°You never want consequences.¡± ¡°Fuck, you think I don¡¯t want the bastards to pay for all of these horrible things? I have¡­suffered plenty too. You seem to forget.¡± ¡°Then why¡­why do you let every bad person we come across get away with everything?!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t. Read the book, and maybe you¡¯ll understand. Here¡­I¡¯ve had a copy in Venlil-script on me, ever since I knew you liked it. I wasn¡¯t sure about giving it to you, but now I am.¡± The human rummaged through a satchel near his bedside, and weakly held it out with a hand. I inched closer, pulling it from his slender fingers. ¡°There¡¯s also a lesson for the monster in there. In his revenge, the monster damned himself too. I know from Sovlin that that was almost me.¡± ¡°I lied to you. Can we ta¡ª¡± ¡°No. Come back when you¡¯ve finished the book, and then, we¡¯ll talk. I¡­need to rest. And process my family¡¯s future.¡± My tail flicked in a gesture of acceptance, and I plodded out of his quarters with a lighter heart. Marcel didn¡¯t sound as angry; his voice was choked with tiredness, but his hatred had evaporated. Perhaps the human didn¡¯t have the energy to project his grudge, though I wasn¡¯t going to complain if that was the reason. It must be a lot for him to reckon with, learning how the cure would wreck his entire life. He still hadn¡¯t complained or exploded with emotion. I have no idea how he really feels, but I guess I¡¯ve started to assume he doesn¡¯t experience hate. He¡¯s just always so¡­moral. My claw traced the cover of the real Frankenstein, wondering how it could apply to my own feelings of monstrousness. Maybe I was ready for the lessons humanity hadn¡¯t wanted the Venlil to absorb in the beginning. I had fallen far enough to heed teachings meant for the more depraved minds among predators. Regardless, I was curious to see what the full narrative held in its pages. If this was a slight chance to salvage my friendship with Marcel, it was a no-brainer to seize it. Chapter 124 Memory transcription subject: Chief Hunter Isif, Arxur Rebellion Command Date [standardized human time]: January 16, 2137 Presiding over thousands of Arxur rebel ships, I found myself in a more familiar role than managing intrapersonal relations with social leaf-lickers. The Kolshians towed a sizable force of their own, and our sensors were able to confirm they were following us into Harchen territory. Secretary-General Zhao¡¯s proclamation that the enemy possessed drones was eye-opening; we needed to catch up technologically, if we wished to contend with the main powers. The Dominion didn¡¯t truly want to win, so they were content to remain stagnant. This command ship is only a support ship, so it¡¯s not a proper front-line war vessel. What¡¯s important is that I¡¯m in the thick of things and calling the shots. Fahl was guarded by human encampments, who were unflinching as we warped into real space. I conversed with a UN commander briefly, before patching our forces into one comms channel. The pack predators were masters of coordinated action, and it would be useful to hear their insights during the battle. The Terrans were the only race that wanted to end the war, as proven by the Dominion and Commonwealth teaming up to keep the fray going. I was pleased to be fighting alongside the primates at last, for the first time since I saved Earth. It had taken half a day¡¯s travel to reach the Harchen homeworld, after mobilizing the rebel forces in a rush. The enemy possessed faster warp engines than us, so their emergence would be shortly behind our own. We couldn¡¯t stop without committing to a fight, and that meant my team needed to stay on duty. Kaisal was growing cagey, stuck around Felra and the chatty humans. On the opposite paw, Olek and Lisa looked a little nostalgic, looking out the window toward the occupied planet. ¡°I spent a lot of time here researching whether the Harchen dabbled in AI. Humans have had AIs that could write songs and poetry for over a century,¡± Olek remarked. ¡°Someone had to come up with something more¡­a true, sapient AI!¡± Lisa rolled her eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t think it¡¯s already been invented at home?¡± ¡°It¡¯s unlikely. Meier would¡¯ve used it to interface with the Feddies if so.¡± ¡°I knew Elias Meier, and he did not seem the hiding type.¡± My nostrils flared, as I strained to tolerate the scruffy conspiracy theorist. ¡°The Kolshians are closing in on us, with the intent to eliminate everything we¡¯ve worked for, and you¡¯re spouting your nonsense, Olek?¡± ¡°Yeah. Would you rather I say we should get our wills in order?¡± ¡°¡®Wills?¡¯ I do not follow.¡± ¡°Your last will. You know, the document stating what you wish to be done with your assets after your death.¡± ¡°Why the fuck would you care what happens to your belongings after you die?! You can¡¯t use them or gain from it.¡± ¡°Because the people you love are still there, and you want them to be taken care of after you¡¯re gone. If I die in battle, my meager credits are going to a Venlil foster mother who adopted a human. That¡¯s the kid I mentioned earlier, you know, and I still want him to succeed in a world where I¡¯m not around.¡± Lisa offered a solemn nod. ¡°My possessions are to be divided among my family. I recorded a message for them to see¡­if I¡¯m KIA.¡± ¡°Hss! Love this, care that. You humans wish to talk others¡¯ ears off even after you¡¯re dead?¡± Kaisal hissed. ¡°You won¡¯t see them receive it. It¡¯s not like they can send a response to your decomposing corpse!¡± I raised my snout diplomatically. ¡°Unlike most Arxur, humans are upset at a loved one¡¯s passing. Irrationally so.¡± That applies to me, first realizing I was defective by mourning my parents¡¯ death. I see the humans¡¯ points about wills; I¡¯d want my Dossur friend to be okay in my absence. ¡°You would be upset if I¡­died, right, Siffy?¡± Felra asked from my shoulder. ¡°No, I risked everything to save you because I didn¡¯t care if you died.¡± Sarcasm dripped from my voice, and I focused on some last-minute battle calculations. ¡°You know that answer. You just want me to fawn over you like a human.¡± ¡°Maybe I do. We¡¯re about to go to war. I¡¯m¡­a m-mechanic. The fighting at my research station was scary enough.¡± Kaisal gave an audible scoff, picking up on the rodent¡¯s stutter. I had an inkling that the scrawny advisor would latch onto this as proof that all herbivores were frightful animals. While I wanted to show solidarity with Felra, just to spite the bigoted Arxur, displaying empathy didn¡¯t come naturally to me. How did other sapients express understanding of fear? The only response I was familiar with was mockery. Tensions brewing minutes before combat was less than ideal, regardless. Lisa eyed Kaisal warily, while Olek minded his own stomach. The human fished a stout stick of meat from his pocket, which he had to be forceful to tear with his flat teeth. Felra gasped, and I only then remembered how the Federation abhorred this. Scaring my Dossur friend worse than avoidable was the last thing I wanted; my job was to protect her. The previous time she tried to observe us eating meat, it culminated with her puking, despite sincere efforts at tolerance. ¡°Oleksiy Bondarenko. Don¡¯t you dare consume flesh in front of Felra!¡± I snarled. The human stopped mid-bite. ¡°Sorry. Wasn¡¯t thinking. Let me just wolf it down real quick, so it¡¯s gone?¡± A growl rumbled in my chest, as the UN soldier turned his back to hide the jerky. Felra leapt from my shoulder, making me wince at the sizable drop for her small legs. I assumed that she was fleeing from what was an atrocious sight in her culture; while I bore witness to herbivore reactions before, I never cared to understand their primal feelings. Avoiding the subject recently was one of my prouder judgment calls. I¡¯d eaten meals alone, sending the humans to their own quarters too, to keep carnivory out of the Dossur¡¯s eyes. I make sure that she has everything she needs, but I know enough to keep our nutrition processes separate. It¡¯s better that way. Felra couldn¡¯t run off too far, so I tailed her with purposefully slow movements. Kaisal¡¯s dilated pupils tracked the rodent, as she skittered over Olek¡¯s boot. The Arxur¡¯s hunting drive must be triggered by the fleeing prey; I was close enough to intercept my advisor if needed. Rather than running past the conspiratorial human, the Dossur had parked herself atop his laces. Her whiskers twitched, and she stared up at the jerky stick. ¡°Can I¡­¡± Felra¡¯s eyes twinkled with uncertainty, and she paused for several seconds. ¡°Can I try that, Olek?¡± The brown-haired human spit out his mouthful in shock. ¡°WHAT?¡± ¡°Can I try your flesh meal? Unless it¡¯s an affront to steal your feast.¡± Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Despite the impending battle, I was utterly distracted by the unfolding scene. My maw was slackening with disbelief, and I replayed what Felra just asked. The Dossur were natural herbivores, not a cured race; herbivores licked leaves. That was the Dominion¡¯s entire basis for considering them non-sapient! Why would the rodent want to consume something so taboo, and out of her diet¡¯s bounds? Lisa and Olek, having spent months around Venlil and then Harchen, both seemed to be having difficulty processing Felra¡¯s request. They must have familiarity with the typical Federation response to meat-eating, which was to decry it as an abomination of nature. Kaisal looked like he was about to burst at the seams, wheezing from a lack of breath. His eyes fixed upon the Dossur like she was a defective of her own right. ¡°Why?¡± Olek managed. Felra swished her little tail. ¡°I¡¯m curious. There must be a reason you ignore what carcass-food is, when you¡¯re capable of eating plants.¡± The male human shot a glance at me. While I wasn¡¯t violent, I think both the primates understood that anyone who was a threat to Felra would find themselves on the wrong end of my claws. Uncertain of myself, I gave him a slight nod of approval. The Dossur¡¯s reaction tickled my own curiosity, though I was worried she would puke it up. It never crossed my mind that she¡¯d want to try meat, let alone learn to tolerate seeing it. Lisa interceded. ¡°Hold on. She doesn¡¯t have the enzymes to digest it. It won¡¯t kill her without the allergy, but we don¡¯t want to make her sick.¡± ¡°Good point.¡± Olek inspected the side of the stick he hadn¡¯t bitten from, and snapped off a small morsel. ¡°She¡¯s also tiny, so I¡¯ll give her a teensy bite. Here, Felra.¡± The Dossur rose to her hindlegs, grabbing the piece. ¡°Thank you for sharing. I¡­I hope this will help me understand predators better.¡± ¡°Why are you wasting your rations, human? Food is too precious to throw away,¡± Kaisal hissed. Olek raised a nonchalant eyebrow. ¡°Even so-called herbivores eat meat on Earth. I don¡¯t see the issue.¡± ¡°It¡¯s prey! It can¡¯t eat real food; it is the food.¡± Fury surged in my heart like a wave in a tempest. I launched myself at Kaisal, feeling my blinding temper get the best of me. The scrawny Arxur was slammed into the sensors console, which indicated that the Kolshian force was less than a light-year out. However, the perils of combat meant nothing compared to someone calling Felra food. I thrashed my tail against his own, eliciting a crack from the bone. My fangs brushed against his throat, and traced their way down his windpipe. ¡°I¡­hrr¡­will kill you. This is your final warning,¡± I growled. ¡°I told you never to speak to her like that again. And you said you¡¯d do whatever I said when you took this role!¡± Pain laced Kaisal¡¯s pants. ¡°I misspoke.¡± ¡°You sure as cruelty did. Insolence is inexcusable for my underlings; you can thank the ¡®prey¡¯ for you getting one last chance. Don¡¯t make me make her see what I¡¯ll do with your corpse.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t, Your Savageness.¡± I released the Arxur, who barely suppressed a yelp as his fractured tail smacked the floor. There would be no medical treatment for Kaisal, when the wounds were intended as punishment. I didn¡¯t want to follow Betterment¡¯s execution policy, but I¡¯d lose control of my people with too much leniency. Besides, Felra¡¯s welfare was an area I didn¡¯t take any risks with; there would be no mercy when she was disrespected. Olek looked at me with wide eyes. ¡°Are you good?¡± ¡°I expected a more loyal, obedient second out of a defective; that¡¯s all,¡± I huffed. ¡°Sorry, Felra. Assuming you still want to, you can eat your¡­gift from the human.¡± ¡°Uh, unless he¡¯s gonna wall slam me if you don¡¯t like it?¡± ¡°I will most likely not. I do not wish to scare off humans when I need your alliance. Is that not obvious?¡± Lisa raised an eyebrow. ¡°You like us. Admit it.¡± ¡°I tolerate you. I cannot cause bodily harm to you at will, even when you call me a ¡®softie.¡¯ As pleasant as it would be to disprove this notion, Zhao would notice your absences if he checked in.¡± ¡°Uh-huh. Sure, big man. Meanwhile, you let Felra believe you were human, because you ¡®wish you were one of us.¡¯ Your words.¡± ¡°Hss, for what it¡¯s worth, I wish I was human as well,¡± Kaisal offered, with a sour note in his voice. ¡°To have the luxuries you take as guarantees.¡± ¡°That is what we are fighting for, unless you¡¯ve forgotten,¡± I spat. ¡°Regardless, I will not harm the leaf-licking primates unless they endanger Felra.¡± The Dossur dismounted Olek¡¯s shoe. ¡°So I¡¯m good to go. Here goes nothing?¡± Felra was holding the jerky like it burned to the touch, but slowly brought it closer to her face. Summoning her courage, she managed a tiny nibble. The Dossur passed the predator food around in her mouth, and her eyes rolled back with thought. It was surprising that she didn¡¯t spit it out at once. In fact, she swallowed it down without gagging. That¡¯s something I never thought I¡¯d see an herbivore undertake, without being tortured into doing so. It must be a big deal to Felra; even the humans look like they¡¯re watching history. I resisted an odd urge to collect her. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± ¡°Like I really want you to pet me,¡± Felra shot back. ¡°You little¡­I defended your honor, and now I try to be nice and care about you. After all that, you rehash this degrading nonsense to rile me up? Be gone, rodent!¡± Kaisal¡®s eyes lit up. ¡°You want the, um, rodent gone? May I remove the Dossur through the airlock?¡± ¡°What? No! I don¡¯t actually want her gone, you unworthy runt!¡± ¡°But you just said¡­I don¡¯t follow. Sorry.¡± ¡°Read the room,¡± Olek chimed in. ¡°Isif says he wants her out of his sight, or that he¡®s regretting not leaving her at Mileau, at least once a day.¡± Lisa nodded. ¡°And means the opposite.¡± Felra skittered over to her water saucer. ¡°To answer your question, Siffy, I feel okay; the taste was very strong, and it lingers. The texture felt phony. I don¡¯t know if I like it, but I think it¡¯s best to wash it down.¡± Having been distracted long enough by the deranged Dossur, I resumed my watchfulness for the Kolshians pursuing us. It seemed doubtful that the UN forces padding our ranks would deter them from snuffing us out. An Arxur seeking peace was the worst thing that could happen to the Federation; in Nikonus¡¯ eyes, it surpassed the damage that human benevolence had done to their goals. Olek and Lisa found their posts in the nick of time, readying themselves to pass along relevant insights. Kaisal nursed his wounded tail, and verified that our assets were ready for action. Commanding an entire fleet did seem easier with multiple sets of eyes, rather than making decisions without any assistance. I hopped away from my post for a brief second, scooping Felra up. The Dossur had been keeping her distance, to avoid distracting me. ¡°They¡¯re almost here! You need to focus,¡± the Dossur said. ¡°You don¡¯t want me to stay out of your f¡ªscales?¡± I sighed. ¡°You¡¯ve never been in space combat. I wouldn¡¯t want you to be scared alone. We are in this together, yes?¡± ¡°You¡¯re so sweet, Siffy. Together.¡± Thousands of enemy ships were ripped from subspace, as they encountered humanity¡¯s FTL disrupters around Fahl. I prepared to communicate with my forces, and the Dossur perching on my shoulder gave me confidence. For the first time, an Arxur was going to see what the Federation were truly capable of. Two predator species, with a guest herbivore among them, needed the power to overcome the Kolshians. Anything short of absolute victory would discredit my prowess beyond repair. The United Nations reissued the command to hold our positions, and we waited for the Commonwealth to wade into whatever traps the humans packed around Fahl. After seeing the buffs given to the Sol system, I suspected Terran-made defenses would offer some interesting surprises. Automated Kolshian vessels forged ahead, fearless against any hidden technology. The primates took no actions to prevent them from closing in on the Harchen homeworld and our joint formation. As an ambush predator, the basic cues screamed trap, although I couldn¡¯t figure out the details. It was odd how the Terrans positioned us so deep within their turf; this was proof that Zhao trusted me not to launch an opportunistic assault against the Harchen. However, I was the only non-human party who assessed anything was amiss. The Kolshian fleet continued pushing toward the edge of orbital range, and readying target locks on Arxur-built ships. ¡°The humans are not doing anything. How sure are we that it¡¯s not a set-up? They could be working against us too!¡± Kaisal barked. I flared my nostrils. ¡°They¡¯re on our side. Whatever they¡¯re really up to, it¡¯s hiding in plain sight.¡± ¡°It is.¡± Lisa pointed out the viewport, to the life-bearing world we were clustered around. ¡°More like hiding in the biggest object in sight.¡± Staring at Fahl¡¯s emerald surface and vaporous clouds, many signatures were visible, rising through the upper atmosphere. Standard air defenses didn¡¯t climb that high; they were only meant to counter raids and troop landings. A full understanding hadn¡¯t established itself, but I cackled when I guessed what the humans were intending. The planet, which was supposed to be a soft target against orbital strikes, was their weapon of choice. With the Earthborne predators, offense and protection were undertaken in the same breath. Human resourcefulness often impressed me, with their ability to view space strategy from new angles and compensate for their deficits. That out-of-the-box thinking might be all that could stop the Kolshians from crippling our insurgency in its infancy. I hoped that, once the dust settled, this plan would shake out in our favor. Chapter 125 Memory transcription subject: Chief Hunter Isif, Arxur Rebellion Command Date [standardized human time]: January 16, 2137 I recalled my first unfiltered research into Earth, when I read what they said about the Arxur. Despite rampant empathy, it was doubtless that they were predators; their history involved dominating their world, and harnessing it to suit their whims. When I understood that the Venlil were considered equals, not a pet or a tool, it required executive judgment about whether Terrans could be an ally. Their social nature was my perfect excuse to cover for their lofty ideals. Upon reaching the determination that humanity was a predator race, I took it upon myself to read their military doctrines. One adage that caught my attention was, ¡°The best defense is a good offense.¡± It was exemplified in the Sol system, lobbing asteroids with FTL drives and ambushing the extermination fleet with nuclear weapons. An active, energized attempt to hold the Harchen system was what I expected from Terrans. Watching the UN forces curl up into a ball at Fahl didn¡¯t make sense, until it became clear that this was bait. Signatures climbed into the upper reaches of the atmosphere, ascending all the way from Fahl. These were surface-to-space missiles, a concept that required pinpoint calculations. To accurately target something in orbit, from the ground, took unfathomable skill. The humans must have been mastering similar crafts for years; the name of the Satellite Wars rang a bell in my head, and I considered asking the Terrans about it. If we were to be future allies, I should have more than passing knowledge of their abilities. ¡°This is tech from your Satellite Wars, yes?¡± I inquired. ¡°Do you remember those?¡± ¡°That was years ago, before Olek or I were born. We¡¯re 22nd century babies; Generation Eta. I know what they taught us in school, and Olek knows what he¡¯s read on conspiracy blogs,¡± Lisa answered. Olek admired the viewport. ¡°I do know the mainstream narrative¡­I just don¡¯t blindly accept it. They say the conflict didn¡¯t seem that bad; it wasn¡¯t supposed to be a ¡®real war.¡¯ We were only shooting satellites out of the sky, and poking at the digital boundaries. Those were just things, not people or places. No soldier ever fired a shot at another.¡± ¡°But someone crosses a line, and it escalates. Like a domino effect. Suddenly, you have a nuclear reactor meltdown in Mississippi, and power going off in winter in Shenzhen. South American countries and African trade blocs get roped into embargoes, now they¡¯re on the shitlist. China hits a French satellite by mistake, aiming for a US spy satellite, and now the EU¡¯s throwing retaliation shots.¡± ¡°All this to say, yeah, we can snipe things out of the sky, no problem. Surface-to-space missiles can be hidden in the ground, thousands of ¡®em. The Kolshians come here thinking they¡¯re going to orbitally bomb us and our pretty little buildings, and the planet pulls an Uno reverse card.¡± Felra¡¯s whiskers twitched. ¡°And this also functions as part of a missile defense system? Zhao mentioned it at Proxima Centauri.¡± ¡°Hrr, the history lesson is riveting. Humans call something a war where they didn¡¯t even shoot at each other.¡± Kaisal¡¯s voice was thick with irritation, though he kept his words civil. ¡°I feel much better about our chances today.¡± ¡°Laugh at cyberwarfare all you want. The Dominion and the Kolshians sure aren¡¯t,¡± Olek said. ¡°Nor am I. The humans always know more than they should, and it is a benefit to our cause. Kaisal, unless you wish to be social, provide only battle updates.¡± Disdain simmered in the Arxur runt¡¯s eyes. ¡°Thousands of missiles in viewport range¡­Your Savageness. Firing on the Kolshians, not us. It¡¯s a lot for them to intercept at once.¡± The warheads continued their flight toward the heavens, white daggers rising from Fahl¡¯s verdant surface. Powerful engines propelled them toward targets, and onboard homing systems kept them trained on hostile Kolshians. Felra tensed on my shoulder, pressing her cheek against my neck. Her side-facing eyes were absorbing the scene from the viewport, as the enemy scrambled to account for all inbound munitions. Should I shield Felra from watching the assumed casualties that are about to play out? No, she can exercise her own discretion. She¡¯s an integral part of my team. Knowing how humans operated, I found it hard to believe that this plan was a ¡°one-trick pony¡±, as they said. Missiles barreling down on the Kolshians were a threat in their own right, but they weren¡¯t the crushing haymaker Terrans usually had up their sleeve. Lights flashed from the lunar surface, though that was a mere restoration of Fahl¡¯s old planetary defenses. Lasers sliced through metal with decisive power, and the Federation enemies didn¡¯t dare to approach in view of the moon. That forced them onto a single vector toward our position. The surface-to-space missiles charged across the void, and the Kolshians deployed a trail of interceptors. Most projectiles were felled by enemy countermeasures, tricked into an early explosion or broken up by outbound fire. The UN fleet snuck in a few lighter ships to toss shield-breaking missiles, but remained adamant in their orders for us to hold formation. I didn¡¯t understand what the humans were playing at. If our foes had suffered shield outages and were warding off multiple munitions, wasn¡¯t this our time to strike? ¡°Why are we not launching an offensive?¡± I snarled into the comms. ¡°We should hit them while they¡¯re confused! You¡¯ve got them reeling.¡± A human commander responded through a closed channel. ¡°Negative. Please hold your positions, Chief Hunter Isif. Engaging in close-range is not advised at this time.¡± ¡°Why not? These missiles and laser point defenses aren¡¯t enough¡­not against a thousand vessels. The Kolshians have more advanced tech than anything we¡¯ve seen.¡± ¡°We¡¯re aware of the Commonwealth¡¯s enhanced abilities, so that¡¯s why we must coordinate our actions. Resources are limited, and the Arxur rebellion cannot sustain severe casualties. Please, hold on a little longer: we¡¯re setting up prime conditions for your fleet to strike, on our signal. We have a plan. We always do.¡± The Kolshian ships were packing into an aggressive formation, and heading toward our own combined ranks at maximum velocity. The Terrans wouldn¡¯t want to let them have a crack at the vassalized Harchen; there was no way they¡¯d just let the Commonwealth approach. Still, Nikonus¡¯ military wasn¡¯t composed of oblivious fools. The tentacled bastards saw the markings of a trap, but were arrogant enough to believe they could plow through it. While time would determine who was right, I had sought out the humans¡¯ help. Now was too late to question their wisdom. ¡°All Arxur troops¡­ready your plasma weapons, but await the humans¡¯ signal. Let the Kolshians come to us,¡± I issued the order to my fleet. ¡°They want to take us down, in cahoots with Betterment, and they¡¯re in for a rude awakening if they think they can just walk right in here! It¡¯s fitting that the two parties responsible for our starvation have shown they¡¯re on the same side at last. We will send them crawling back to the hole they came from!¡± Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. The Arxur rebellion fleet was comprised of every vessel we could pull from Betterment¡¯s side. Rogue captains with their warships, vessels that had stuck around from my original sector force, and lesser transports stolen by defectors fought alongside each other. Smaller craft had also been gifted to us by the United Nations covertly. I could discern design similarities to the Terran armada scattered among my forces; the proportion of our manufacturing that relied on Earth¡¯s generosity wasn¡¯t lost on me. We only learned of Nikonus and Giznel¡¯s collusion ahead of time because of Zhao¡¯s intelligence. That alone was sufficient reason to give them leeway, and trust that humanity could outwit the Kolshians. I disliked placing my fate in another¡¯s hands, especially after things had gone awry in the past. My pupils darted to a distrustful Kaisal, who lacked faith in humans after his failed defection to Earth. I then scoured Olek and Lisa, who were poring over data without comment. The leaf-licking primates didn¡¯t arch an eyebrow, despite our forces being seconds away from a head-on confrontation. The Kolshians were already pushing through artificial satellites that drifted in orbit, and would have recovered their shields by the time we met. The missiles launched from the planet had been impressive, but only netted a few dozen kills. The humans cast a second wave from Fahl¡¯s atmosphere; I didn¡¯t imagine the results would be better. If anything, the enemy knew to expect it now. This plan is asinine; there¡¯s no time to wait for planetary defenses to whittle away at the Kolshians. Maybe the UN has missed the mark here, and are too arrogant to admit their inefficacy. Felra chittered by my ear. ¡°Humans have a lot of explosives here, Siffy. Is it like this, on all of their worlds?¡± ¡°Let me consult the schematics they gave me of all their defenses and contingencies. Zhao hands that information out at public request,¡± I grumbled. ¡°So you¡¯re moody. I¡¯m scared too, but I¡¯m sure these are different missiles than the first ones! They had lots of bombs in their staging system.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know how to read sensors, rodent. There¡¯s no difference between these missiles, and the few thousand in the last wave!¡± Kaisal spat. ¡°The same fucking make. If you know nothing about battle, leave it to your betters.¡± ¡°I can learn, Kaisal. I¡¯m just as intelligent as you! But if you admitted that, you¡¯d have to admit to yourself that I¡¯m not food.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not food because S¡­Isif is defec¡­cruelty-deficient. He takes after humans with the pets. The damn humans are letting us down now, like they always do, because they¡¯d leave any Arxur behind if it saved their skin. I don¡¯t trust a weak-minded animal, and I trust these apes even less.¡± After considering his comments, I decided not to reprimand Kaisal; it might behoove me to revise my strategy for bringing him under my control, if I didn¡¯t want to execute him for insolence. Food and opposing Betterment weren¡¯t making him cordial. However, what he claimed about the new surface-to-space missiles was true. Sensors backed up his initial claim, that these defense weapons were identical to the first wave. Even I wondered whether the Terrans were losing the thread. This second wave was showing signs of a targeting glitch, with warheads straying off-course from the Kolshian fleet. I waited for them to veer back onto the correct heading, but many were pointing away from the enemy altogether. If anything happened to my command vessel, Felra would disintegrate alongside me. A protective growl rumbled in my chest, as I looked the Dossur with concern. The risk was unacceptable; the UN failed to deliver, and I was going to issue orders to siege the enemy. A sudden explosion appeared on the viewport, away from any Kolshian vessel. That was followed by another payload striking the wrong mark, and then another; the explanation for why the missiles weren¡¯t homing in on our opponents presented itself. The moronic Terrans had accidentally lobbed their weapons into Fahl¡¯s artificial satellites, in what could only be described as an utter failure of their targeting. Anger burned in my chest, and I wasn¡¯t sure I could resist the urge to berate them for incompetence. I thought I could trust humans; if I¡¯m honest, I admired their inventiveness. The one time I¡¯m depending on them for the future of my species, they shit the bed?! Fixing a scorching glare at the viewport, I watched a surface-to-space missile take out a satellite. It was ironic, per the now-infuriating history lesson I¡¯d received; taking out orbiting objects was why these weapons existed in the first place. Perhaps its programming hadn¡¯t been altered to steer it away from artificial debris. The impacted satellite was ripped into thousands of tiny pieces, which rocketed around the planet¡¯s berth like a whirlwind. Most microscopic shards were hurtling¡­toward the Kolshians. Shrapnel impaled the oncoming enemies within seconds, puncturing vessels in multiple compartments and crippling important functions. Navigations went haywire following hits to specific hull regions, whereas a lucky blow to the centrally-located drive sent a handful of enemies up in a fireball. The perils were compounded on isolated manned ships, where debris could slice into the bridge and its personnel. Fortunately for Felra¡¯s sake, most foes were drones, so casualties wouldn¡¯t weigh on her conscience. ¡°Their automated ships are built for evasion, but how do you evade a wall of debris? No calculation will save them,¡± I mused to myself. Human command flickered back onto the comms. ¡°Arxur forces, you are a go to engage the enemy. Harass their flanks and target weakened ships. Keep behind the moving cloud of debris.¡± ¡°Copy that. All Arxur forces, the Terrans have baited vulnerable prey and signaled our opening to pounce. Let¡¯s remind these miserable herbivores who the actual hunters are.¡± ¡°Miserable herbivores?¡± Felra squeaked, as I switched off the channel. ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. You can do so much better. I want to see a day where you make peace with¡­miserable herbivores.¡± ¡°¡®Miserable¡¯ isn¡¯t a flattering qualifier, nor is it one I use as a blanket term. The Kolshians fit that description, so it is appropriate here. They are not who they say they are, yes? Their deaths will not be mourned by anyone with a worthy opinion.¡± Olek chuckled. ¡°Truth. Go get ¡®em, Siffy boy!¡± The arboreal predators migrated from their defensive arrangement, and brought their ships into firing range. Few Kolshians had escaped the consequences of the satellites, which had acted as grenades when they blew apart. The power of a single missile was amplified into a lasting storm, that made our orbital passageway unassailable. The Commonwealth was hellbent on quashing my rebellion, but they didn¡¯t wish to lose every vessel. Enemy ships peeled back, likely having received a command to retreat. I watched over my fleet, as they snapped up stragglers with deadly vigor. The humans pressed as deep as they could afford to risk; any crippled vessel became an immediate target for the Earthlings. To think I¡¯d been livid with them for a brilliant strategic play. The Kolshians needed to set the terms of their engagements with the United Nations, because they weren¡¯t gaining any traction on prepared Terran battlegrounds. My movement would survive another day, and we owed it to these weaponized defenses. The Secretary-General had earned a humble thanks for his intercession. ¡°Woohoo! What did I say about calamari?¡± Olek cheered. Lisa smirked to herself. ¡°Don¡¯t jinx us. Wait for the last ones to be mopped up before you pop the champagne.¡± ¡°Let me gloat a little. Especially after Kaisal said he doesn¡¯t trust us¡­apes.¡± The Arxur advisor scowled. ¡°I made the mistake of trusting humans once. Your species¡¯ character doesn¡¯t change because of one victory against prey.¡± ¡°Shh! You¡¯re tempting fate. Don¡¯t use the word victory until they¡¯re all gone,¡± Lisa shot back. ¡°Hrr. No talking is perfectly fine by me.¡± It wasn¡¯t a long wait for the conflict to resolve itself, per Lisa Reynolds¡¯ superstitions. The last Kolshian craft were downed or chased from the system within minutes, sent to nurse their wounds elsewhere. I had the presence of mind to commend the humans¡¯ efforts, over our shared channel where my command could hear. While the United Nations was not an official ally, this showing renewed my confidence over the impact they could make, when they joined our clash with Betterment. If the rebellion held out long enough, we¡¯d have the most devious predators in the galaxy on our side. That was an unparalleled advantage, in my book. This sent a message to every Arxur rebel about the competency of our fellow hunters. I hoped the humans would succeed with their quest to topple the Federation, in a hurry. Whatever could be done to curry Terran favor, Zhao must be convinced to back us when his aid was needed again. Chapter 126 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, United Nations Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: January 16, 2137 The Terrans were well-informed on the base¡¯s design, perhaps having obtained blueprints of Farsul underwater mechanisms. Our submarine had glided under the bottom of the structure, which triggered an automatic hatch to unseal. We ascended into a shaft, and it resealed upon detecting the full volume of our displacement. The water drained from the chamber, before a gentle computer voice welcomed us to the Galactic Archives. It was time to take the mantle of authentic history back; I could feel my emotions in turmoil as we geared up. Tyler, Carlos, and Samantha were wearing full-face respirator masks, along with the rest of the landing party. It was simple to determine through our instruments that we were in a normal pressure, fully-aerated environment, but the Kolshian side of the conspiracy had dabbled in aerosolized weapons. The UN was taking extra precautions to avoid future incidents of cured soldiers. The next attack could be worse than the cure, if they could target specific genomes with diseases. If the Farsul went to all this trouble to hide the historical cache, there¡¯s no telling what we¡¯ll find here. We all accept the risks that they could flood or blow it up with us inside, sabotaging the mission. We disembarked in a hurry, knowing other submersible craft would follow behind us. Giving the Farsul time to destroy evidence or trigger destruct mechanisms was an unacceptable risk. Aliens like myself and Onso were given the choice whether to wear biohazard gear, so I opted not to. What were they going to do, cure the Gojid race again? However, the Yotul, despite belonging to an herbivore species, had donned a specially-fitted mask over his snout. ¡°Why the garb? Have you been getting flesh cravings from being around Tyler?¡± I asked. Onso sucked in a sharp breath. ¡°Nobody is messing with my biochemistry ever again. Though I agree, Tyler eats too much meat for his cholesterol.¡± Tyler tightened his fingers around a gun. ¡°Judge all you want. I¡¯d rather die than live without a fucking burger.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­not a sane thing to say,¡± I mumbled. ¡°Well, you¡¯ve never had a burger. Rabbit food doesn¡¯t hit the spot, man.¡± ¡°Spare Baldy the gory details,¡± Sam chuckled. ¡°We got work to do.¡± Upon receiving a signal, Terran soldiers pushed out in pairs through a cramped exit door. There were no sounds of resistance from the reception pad, despite the Farsul base¡¯s secretive nature. I sidled up to Onso, and we followed our human friends out into fresh air. My gun was ready in my grip, but no hostiles or personnel were in sight. There was only a modest service door, which could be rigged with traps. Perhaps armed guards were waiting for us to enter the main area, before mowing us down. With that very suspicion in mind, the humans blasted down the unlocked door with charges. Confusion was evident in their body language, despite the hazard masks and their lack of tails. The peek inside revealed only a library-like lobby, with a lone Farsul receptionist behind a desk. She gasped in surprise, and abandoned all focus on her workstation. If I wasn¡¯t mistaken, her drooping ears were scrunched with some level of unhealed grief. Are they planning to kill us intruders on sight, and this alien is a rare soul with a conscience? Grief doesn¡¯t make any sense. ¡°Hello. I am Archivist Veiq.¡± The Farsul laid her empty paws out carefully, and didn¡¯t flinch as UN soldiers crowded her. ¡°I am the only receptionist on duty, and I will help you find anything you are looking for. All records are stored on physical nodes for security reasons. There are a few staffers on duty in each room, but they are unarmed historians; not a threat to you.¡± Tyler, being an officer of Monahan¡¯s ship, took charge of the situation. ¡°Why should we trust you?¡± ¡°Us archivists all wish your experiment could have succeeded. We exhausted every avenue, and tried to revive it every so often. I knew a human well once. Danny, his name was. He got¡­sick, just like you all do. I haven¡¯t interacted with any humans in a while. It¡¯s not worth it, getting attached to a creature with a short life span.¡± I blinked in confusion, trying to discern what the Farsul archivist was referring to. Anything involving human experimentation was not above-board, and the conspiracy¡¯s typical aim was to snap predatory habits. Why would this clandestine receptionist have known a human? Why would she care about him getting sick, to the point of showing grief? The Kolshian-Farsul conspiracy treated Terran lives as toys, not viewing them as people. ¡°Choose your next words very carefully, Veiq. What experiment?¡± The blond officer jammed his gun against her temple, chest trembling with distaste. ¡°Have you captured more of our fucking civilians?!¡± The Farsul stiffened. ¡°I assumed you knew. You¡¯re not here to learn about your kind¡¯s¡­condition?¡± ¡°The fuck are you on about? We came here for your cumulative records, but now you¡¯re sure as shit gonna spill what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°It would be easier to show you. Shall I take you to the human room? It¡¯s dedicated to your kind¡¯s exploits.¡± ¡°Fine. Don¡¯t try anything smart. Go ahead; lead the way.¡± Veiq pointed with a claw to a swipe card, and slowly reached for it at Tyler¡¯s nod. The Farsul walked to a stairwell door, and tapped the plastic rectangle against a scanner. With a beep, the locked barrier clicked open, permitting us entry without use of force. The Terran soldiers were on edge, expecting the staffer to spring a trap at any minute. I didn¡¯t understand why she was so compliant yet unafraid. Tyler kept the gun barrel close to her head, not letting her stray from his guiding touch. A few personnel were left to guard the reception area, as we followed the Farsul blindly. The Galactic Archives appeared to be a multi-level building, with entire rooms dedicated to collecting items and recordkeeping for a sole species. Fishing a visual translator out of my utility belt, I scanned it over various labels. Krakotl. Sivkit. Onkari. Arxur. The last label gave me pause, as I craned my neck to peer into that room. The Krakotl, Sivkit, and Onkari rooms appeared to have a small number of staff from the native species, clearly ones brought into the fold. For obvious reasons, the Arxur¡¯s space lacked such inclusions; nobody would be insane enough to employ the savage grays. Recalling my anger upon learning that Coth¡¯s tale was true, I wanted to see for myself any documentation the Federation had of Wriss. Our priority now was getting to the bottom of Veiq¡¯s story about humans; it also interested me what the Farsul knew from their initial observations of Earth. I was uncertain whether the ancient, primitive predators had shown their redeeming attributes back then, during the vicious wars. Furthermore, we could discover the exact details of why they pronounced the Terrans dead, without verifying that fact beyond all doubt. ¡°Human,¡± Veiq read off a solemn plaque at the end of the hall. ¡°This is the one you want. Give me a moment please.¡± The human door was different from the rest. It was sealed off by a magnetic lock, which was a step up in security from even the Arxur. The only rationale I could think of was that the Farsul were hiding something about the Terrans¡¯ past, that not even their colluders all had clearance to know. What had they seen on Earth that would be that devastating if it got out? Veiq swiped her card over a scanner, and was given an odd confirmation message. The Farsul ducked her head in forlorn fashion, pushing the entrance open. Tyler shoved her into the room, forging ahead with apprehension. I followed Marcel¡¯s friend with hesitant steps, and what I saw almost swept me off my feet. The extra security wasn¡¯t about any information they were hiding¡­it was about species containment. Audible gasps came from the UN soldiers, as their eyes landed on three humans seated at a desk. The trio didn¡¯t look particularly impressive for predators, hunched over holopads with singular focus. I couldn¡¯t see any signs of mistreatment, restraints, or coercion. Other than odd plastic clothing, there was nothing out of Earthling norms. A few Farsul milled about as well, though they halted their tasks upon our entry. The Terrans working with the archivists seemed amazed, spotting others of their kind. ¡°What the¡­¡± Samantha murmured. A gray-haired human walked over with a limp, and startled when gun-pointing and shouting voices greeted him. Tyler ordered the soldiers to round up the other staffers, placing them into kneeling positions. How had Terrans gotten into the Galactic Archives, at the bottom of Talsk¡¯s ocean?! This didn¡¯t compute in my brain, but I sure wanted to hear what Veiq¡¯s experiment was. Were they trying to turn Earth¡¯s people into Federation sympathizers? If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Carlos shouted at the silver-domed man who approached us. ¡°YOU! What is your name?¡± ¡°George Murphy.¡± The strange human¡¯s eyes darted around, and he showed signs of nervousness. ¡°Who¡­who are you?¡± ¡°We ask the questions!¡± ¡°Okay, sir. Please don¡¯t flip your lid. I¡­I just don¡¯t understand, uh, where you came from. You¡¯re human.¡± ¡°We come from Earth?¡± ¡°I know that! Whoa, my golly, is that the United Nations symbol?¡± ¡°¡­yes, that¡¯s who we work for.¡± ¡°Look, maybe I should explain¡ª¡± Veiq began. George¡¯s eyebrows knitted together. ¡°So they¡¯ve been hiding spaceships all this time? They really did find a flying saucer at Roswell. God.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure what they¡¯ve been doing to your mind, but there was no hiding about the FTL tests,¡± Carlos replied. ¡°It was livestreamed everywhere, from Earth to Mars. If you somehow missed that, it was pretty damn hard to miss the raid on our motherland.¡± ¡°Live¡­streamed? Mars? Raid? Um, sir, what is today¡¯s date?¡± ¡°January 16. I think.¡± ¡°The¡­the year.¡± ¡°2137.¡± George¡¯s eyes rolled back in his head, and he passed out cold on the floor. Carlos seemed stupefied, as he knelt to lend medical aid. Mr. Murphy¡¯s two colleagues bore horrified expressions, slipping into a state of panic as they overheard. I wasn¡¯t following what was going on myself, but there was a clear disconnect between these possible captives and current events. Tyler wheeled on Archivist Veiq, a livid expression no doubt lurking beneath his mask. ¡°What year do they think it is?¡± the blond human hissed. Veiq closed her eyes. ¡°I was explaining. We¡¯ve been working on this project for centuries, on and off. I¡¯d have to check your files to give specific answers, but we haven¡¯t visited Earth since your presumed extinction.¡± ¡°Our what?¡± a panicked Terran staffer asked. ¡°That was during the Cold War. A hundred-fifty years ago, at least.¡± Samantha shook her head in bewilderment. ¡°Fuck, this is a new one.¡± Tyler waved a hand. ¡°Get the three of ours out of here, and to our medical bay. Make sure you screen them for contaminants or contagions before removing your gear.¡± Soldiers took care with the unconscious George Murphy, and the two other predators were escorted out too. The staffers seemed more agitated than they had before our arrival, with one still demanding answers from the UN troopers. Veiq watched as the strange Terrans were herded out, and her Farsul cohorts were lined up against the wall. The receptionist squirmed under Tyler¡¯s glare, breathing a deep sigh. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you as much as I know! So, we visited your planet after hearing your signal broadcasts. We have thousands of hours of footage of you; you can look through it on the mainframe there. Ask any of us for an eye scan to bypass the password, if you want to,¡± Veiq said hurriedly. ¡°I can see that you know nothing about the project.¡± Officer Cardona leaned toward her with menace. ¡°I better be made to know something in a hurry. If those humans are that old, how are they still alive?¡± ¡°Cryosleep. Are¡­your kind familiar with the concept?¡± ¡°Yes. What I¡¯m still not familiar with is the fact that you¡¯ve been abducting humans for centuries.¡± ¡°When we learned that there was a second predator species, let¡¯s say we were concerned. There was a sample size of one with the Arxur, and the cure failed in horrific fashion. We¡¯re more the behind-the-scenes types than the Kolshians, so we always get the first test subjects for an operation. We record the information about every species, okay?¡± ¡°Go on, Veiq. Tell me exactly what you did to these poor people. To all the people like us throughout galactic history!¡± ¡°Easy now. We secretly snatch a few subjects for all meat-eaters. Keep them chilled while the Commonwealth runs their calculations, then begin a few rounds of testing. Despite your high aggression, it would¡¯ve been wrong to authorize a genocide without doing everything we could to save you. Your trials would determine scientifically if the cure could work on a predator¡­a species that killed on its own.¡± I found myself pacing as humans did, resisting the urge to chew my claws. Why had these Terrans been so compliant with the Farsul¡¯s whims, if they were kidnapped? The predators didn¡¯t usually give in so easily to intimidation, and these seemed to be working with minimal supervision. My intuitive feeling was anger, knowing that innocent civilians had been whisked away under every species¡¯ nose. Gojid denizens had this done to them, without a clue what aliens were! What could random people off the street have done, to deserve being taken away from their lives? This is an atrocity. Onso seemed appalled too, judging by how rigid his tail had gone. The Yotul must be wondering if his kind had been kidnapped in similar fashion, despite being herbivores; after all, we¡¯d seen Sivkit staff working here, and they were plant-eaters. Knowing the marsupial, I bet he was itching to run off to the Yotul chamber next. It would reveal the stark details of their uplift, and any steps taken to mitigate their uncanny aggression. ¡°You knew the cure worked on us, and you still participated in the raid on Earth?¡± Tyler hissed. Veiq shied away from him. ¡°I¡¯m getting there. We were quite hopeful, when we administered the cure; the humans were all quite receptive to it, at first. They were fine, and we were starting to give the Kolshians a hopeful prognosis for Earth. Sure, the aggression was a nightmare, with you crazy predators resisting beyond what was reasonable¡­most had to be locked away. We learned with the second batch.¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking about humans like we¡¯re a batch of fucking cookies! What was your magical recipe for a tame predator? Drugs? Torture?¡± ¡°No, we got them to cooperate of their own free will. It was a matter of not telling them we administered the cure; instead, say that other aliens had infected them, and we were studying it for their benefit. Scares them at first, but they come around. Then we ask them about their culture, and claim we¡¯re studying it for posterity. They¡¯d document anything they remembered quite liberally. They were willing to work with us, despite us being prey¡­your kind can be rather charming.¡± ¡°Gee, thanks. Less pandering, Veiq.¡± ¡°I¡­meant that. Anyhow, we solved your temperament well enough; humans could be manipulated. Long as they weren¡¯t left unsupervised, they wouldn¡¯t fight. Our trials were exhaustive, meant to run several years. Years of eating herbivore food, and living the life of genuine sapients! We wanted to believe in you. But when we were about to pass it off to the Kolshians for broader studies, it all collapsed.¡± ¡°Collapsed? The fuck does that mean? Collapsed how?¡± ¡°The subjects started getting sick. Every last one of them, and we couldn¡¯t do a thing to stop it. Physical maladies and mental impairments were the lesser symptoms. In some cases, they went insane¡­hallucinations, not sleeping, depression, deranged aggression, total memory loss. Death occurred on its own, even for the ones we didn¡¯t have to put down. We¡­call it ¡®The Hunger.¡¯ Humans go mad without flesh.¡± The Hunger? That can¡¯t be right. Dr. Bahri says that humans don¡¯t have bloodlust or a need to eat animals. Prolonged abstinence would really result in insanity, or hunting outbursts? Carlos leaned down to my ear. ¡°B12 deficiency. We need that vitamin for neuron upkeep and blood oxygenation. Fucking idiots.¡± ¡°Now Kolshians were busy crafting a story, trying to explain your, um, eyes. They mistrusted humans, but we¡¯d convinced them you were different than the Arxur,¡± Veiq continued. ¡°So, thanks to our faith, they already announced your existence to the Federation, and the failure threw a wrench in our plans. Time to backpedal. The Farsul ambassador packaged your terrible history, and the Kolshians fed them that instead.¡± Tyler shook his head. ¡°You painted the worst picture of us possible. Not that we didn¡¯t already know that, but¡­¡± ¡°We were buying time, to figure out what went wrong! The Kolshians agreed to help stall, hence why extermination plans against Earth dragged on for decades. But constant failures with our human experiments weren¡¯t acceptable; we¡¯d made no progress. The Commonwealth lost patience, and pronounced you incurable. They also issued a directive to wipe all public knowledge of predators having culture, so no bleeding heart would try curing one again.¡± ¡°Yet here you are today, trying to fucking cure us again.¡± ¡°The Farsul felt it was wrong not to cure a curable species. The Kolshians wouldn¡¯t even listen to the idea of dropping the cure as a last-ditch effort; it was all straight to killing you! You¡¯re alive because of us. We thought we¡¯d find a breakthrough eventually, so we had to continue the work. We spun the tale that you bombed yourselves, and stopped them from wiping you out.¡± I blinked in confusion, not certain that I¡¯d heard correctly. The Farsul had deceived everyone, including their Kolshian conspirators, in order to perfect the cure against humanity? Meanwhile, their lone subjects were predators who were frozen the better part of two centuries ago. The Terrans survived to the present day because a twisted regime thought they could be molded into herbivores, given time. From what Carlos told me, if the Farsul figured out the missing mineral, they would¡¯ve been right. ¡°Another day, another crazy alien. It always gets better,¡± Samantha whispered. Sorrow flashed in Veiq¡¯s eyes. ¡°So the galaxy proclaimed Earth dead. That lie was a grave error in judgment; we were blinded because we grew attached to the subjects. We still care, even after everything that¡¯s happened. But due to perpetual failures, the Farsul came to believe the Kolshians were right; curing humanity was hopeless. We¡¯re running out of specimens, but we still raise a small group once every few years. After the Hunger gets the last ones.¡± ¡°If you think you failed, why didn¡¯t you finish us off decades ago? And then, you help attack Earth after we try to join your Federation?¡± ¡°The Kolshians would¡¯ve noticed if we observed or attacked you. They have the shadow fleet, not us; we didn¡¯t want to admit we lied. Chief Nikonus was livid when your kind resurfaced, so despite the wild schemes he tossed around, we joined the extermination fleet to fix our mistake once and for all. You know what the irony is?¡± Tyler tensed his shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll love to hear it.¡± ¡°The irony is, now, the Kolshians are the ones who think you can be cured. We told them that it failed back at the time, but they didn¡¯t listen to how it all transpired. They wanted a yes or a no on their killing plans. So today, they think they can mold you, because Noah lied on Aafa and said you can live on just plants. Nikonus, the old codger, fucking fell for it.¡± It was almost as if the Farsul was pleased that the humans knew the truth, so they could validate her thoughts on ¡°the Hunger.¡± I would still be reeling from one of her claims, when the next one hit me like a slap to the face; I wasn¡¯t sure how to begin processing such stunning admissions. However, having the world I thought I understood blow up around me was beginning to feel familiar. It never became easy, but it was morphing into a manageable sensation. ¡°Okay. That¡¯s¡­quite enough, Veiq,¡± Tyler muttered. ¡°One last thing. Where are the rest of your human¡­specimens?¡± The Farsul archivist gestured with a paw. ¡°Right this way.¡± The predator soldiers followed their guide, and I steeled myself for a meeting with primitive humans from their most barbaric times. The ones that greeted us in this room hadn¡¯t seemed so violent and uncivilized. Still, I mistrusted anyone who was raised among bloodshed, without the comforts Earthlings enjoyed today. Hopefully, the Terrans were ready for any trouble their awakened kin might stir up too. Chapter 127 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, United Nations Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: January 16, 2137 The cryopods were in a separate, unmarked chamber, hidden behind a false wall in the hallway. Archivist Veiq rubbed her damp nose, and her drooping ears bunched with apprehension. That Farsul seemed more nervous than when the Terran soldiers busted down her door with guns; perhaps she knew that soldier predators were civilized, informed, and in-control. I considered telling my companions that we should refrain from waking the captives until we had a plan to subdue them. However, the likelihood of offending my human friends deterred me from raising my concerns. Frost-lined glass covers were draped over the oval containers, revealing placid-looking predators. I squinted for any sign of battle scars; assessing each one¡¯s potential threat level would require knowledge of their killing experience. These were humans that desapientized their own kind, so how could we expect them to have the slightest concern for alien lifeforms, like Onso and myself? The Yotul looked unafraid of these primitive Terrans, probably because he was a primitive himself. He didn¡¯t understand the critical shifts in Earthlings¡¯ morals and behavior over the years. I count a few dozen humans in stasis, more than the soldiers we have here. This could turn into a stampede or a rampage easily¡­or they¡¯ll have to gun down their ancient civilians. Tyler waved his barrel at Veiq. ¡°Wake them up. Unharmed, or so help me God, I¡¯ll kill you.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± the Farsul breathed. ¡°They¡¯re going to freak out.¡± ¡°No shit! You kidnapped them and put them to sleep for a hundred fucking years!¡± ¡°We were trying to save your species¡ª¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you worry about saving your own hide? Open the fucking pods, NOW! UN forces, I want every person to take a pod. Reassure these poor souls, be clear and concise explaining what¡¯s going on, and get them back to our ship.¡± The Farsul archivist tapped away at a central control console, eyes glimmering with worry. Carlos and Samantha heeded Tyler¡¯s orders, and each found a spot next to a pod. Onso bounced up to a container of his own, inspecting it from every angle with blind enthusiasm. I stood frozen, nervous to be within grappling change of an awoken beast. The Yotul noticed my failure to follow the orders, and gestured with his tail to an unguarded pod. ¡°Maybe I should sit this one out,¡± I offered. ¡°I¡¯m an alien. That might agitate them, and I don¡¯t really know how to handle humans, uh¡­¡± Samantha curled her lip. ¡°Get your ass over there. The least you could do is pretend to care about us, Sovlin.¡± ¡°I do care about you. But I also know how humans from this time period conducted themselves.¡± ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Tyler swiveled around, and exasperation flashed in his icy eyes. ¡°We¡¯re the same species now as we were then. I don¡¯t expect people I serve alongside to see us as mindless predators.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. Of course you¡¯re not; I¡¯m just thinking of the Federation¡¯s dossier of your wars. I reviewed it with Recel when Marcel¡­forgive me. I¡¯m going.¡± I ducked my head in sheepish fashion, and scurried within a capsule¡¯s proximity against my will. My heart rate ratcheted up, peering down at the snoozing predator. His arms were connected to wires and folded across his unmoving chest. This Terran seemed young, with unblemished skin that was more pale than Tyler¡¯s; his mane was a brown fringe that swept past his eyebrows. At least I hadn¡¯t gotten a particularly imposing specimen, but a Gojid wasn¡¯t cut out to interact with these creatures. The fog on the glass cleared up, and offered an unrestricted look at the predator¡¯s face. The color began to return to the ancient human¡¯s skin, and his bluish lips morphed back to a healthy pink. Veiq continued pressing buttons, and stepped away as every pod¡¯s lid unsealed. I resisted the itch to draw my weapon; Tyler wouldn¡¯t appreciate me holding this primitive at gunpoint. It was important to remember that these weren¡¯t the presentable Terrans I had come to love. These were lawless hunters who lived in a harsh society, with few amenities and no knowledge of alien life. The brown-haired human¡¯s chest showed signs of movement, which gradually gained stability. His eyelids twitched, and his nostrils flared. I took an instinctive step backward, uncertain whether he¡¯d try to strangle me. My remaining spines were at full bristle; the sick feeling almost mirrored my first encounter with Marcel. The predator¡¯s binocular eyes snapped open, a startling amber hue, and panic flashed in them. He snapped upright in an uncanny motion. I barely muffled my scream; every impulse in my brain wanted to plead for mercy. His pupils were trained on me, and he seemed equally frightened by my presence. My fear subsided to some degree, as the human shrank away from me. His breathing became panicked, and his hands wrapped around himself in a self-soothing gesture. The predator pressed against the back of the pod, hugging his legs to his chest. ¡°Oh God.¡± The Terran¡¯s unusual eyes welled with tears, and his tone was rich with hyperventilation. Other waking specimens were showing signs of panic attacks, or blindly bursting from their pods. ¡°Oh God. What the fuck?¡± Clear and concise. Tell him what¡¯s going on, and pray this is a sapient that¡¯s capable of reasoning. ¡°Easy.¡± My words caused his brow to furrow, and he cradled his skull in his hands. That must be his first time acquiring meaning from the translator implant, which the Farsul must¡¯ve installed after his capture. ¡°I¡¯m here to rescue you. My name is Sovlin¡­do you have a name?¡± ¡°H-hunter.¡± Oh Protector! His name is literally ¡®hunter¡¯; these are primitive, predator-exalting humans. But he sounds scared of me, which is odd. ¡°Where am I? What the fuck are you?¡± ¡°You were kidnapped by aliens¡ªer, not me or my kind! There¡¯s two precursor races who meddled with lots of primitive cultures¡­yours, mine. My entire planet got glassed, uh, not that you asked, but I joined up with humans after that. You see all the human soldiers around here? I work for Earth.¡± ¡°¡­kidnapped by aliens? I remember camping, and a rustling noise¡­something sharp hit my neck and¡­why? What did they do? How can you work for Earth? Take me home!¡± Hunter was growing hysterical, and his hands were shaking. I listened to his sniffling, feeling pity begin to replace my fear. However dangerous this captive might be, it was clear his narrow-minded brain was overwhelmed; the questions he posed were understandable, in light of waking up in a strange place. Hesitantly, I inched toward him, and he tensed up like I was going to hurt him. Why would an apex predator see me as dangerous? Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. The news I was about to break might shatter his world; everything and everyone he knew was long gone. Perhaps showing empathy would convince him not to stampede or show aggression? Hunter deserved some amount of comfort, after what he¡¯d been through. I placed a paw on the shudderingly-named human¡¯s shoulder, and brought him into a cautious embrace. He wailed incoherently, sobbing into my fur. His mane and his pink-and-white claws were pristine even up close, to my amazement. Shockingly nonviolent. How can an ancient human, who has no idea what¡¯s going on, be acting like the benevolent souls today? Maybe the historical ones weren¡¯t as barbaric as I thought. ¡°It¡¯s okay. We¡¯re going to take you home, now. You¡¯re doing great,¡± I soothed. Hunter drew a mucous-addled breath. ¡°You¡¯re¡­an alien. Why can I understand you?¡± ¡°The bastards who captured you injected a translator, I think. Listen, what I¡¯m about to tell you is upsetting, but it¡¯s the truth. I don¡¯t know how I can help, given the circumstances¡ªall I can promise, I¡¯ll do whatever I can. Do you really want to know what happened?¡± The unfrozen human nodded. ¡°P-please.¡± ¡°Aliens called the Farsul captured you, and have been keeping you frozen for future experiments. They¡¯ve been waking up small batches of captives for centuries, so, um, Earth isn¡¯t the Earth you remember. The solar year is 2137. Humans are an interstellar species, at war with the Farsul-Kolshian conspiracy, because they meddled with your world and everyone else¡¯s. We located this base, and we¡¯re here to rescue you and expose the culprits. Does that make sense so far?¡± ¡°Yes¡­and n-no. Why would anyone want to experiment on us¡ªon me? Has it really been¡­my family is dead, if it¡¯s been centuries. Oh God, this isn¡¯t happening¡­¡± ¡°I know this is a lot, Hunter.¡± I really wish he had a different name. Do not say ¡®predator¡¯, Sovlin, you don¡¯t want Hunter thinking about hunting. ¡°Much of the galaxy perceives humans as evil and violent. These guys tried to genetically ¡®cure¡¯ you, like they did to my race centuries ago. After that failed, they joined the crowd that wants you extinct.¡± ¡°They think we¡¯re evil because of the wars.¡± ¡°And because you¡¯re a predator race,¡± Onso yipped, unsolicited. Oh, damn you, uplift. Now you¡¯ve done it. Hunter¡¯s head snapped over to the Yotul. The marsupial had gotten his own human out of her pod, and from the bits I overheard, he¡¯d been hypothesizing over its engineering to her. My primitive Terran groaned, spotting the reddish-furred alien; his amber gaze darted around the room. I could sense that the primate wanted little more than to curl up under a rock and disappear, which meant he wasn¡¯t intending to harm me. However, I was worried predator talk would push him toward his name¡¯s origin. ¡°Predator race?¡± the brown-haired beast echoed. I heaved a weary sigh. ¡°You¡­hunt, Hunter. Your eyes face forward. The galaxy¡¯s only other predator race eats and enslaves people.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­fucking disgusting.¡± I¡¯m glad, yet a little surprised, he feels that averse to the Arxur. ¡°Do they eat humans?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Do they eat¡­your kind?¡± ¡°Gojids? Yeah, um, back when I was a starship captain, they¡­no, wait, you didn¡¯t ask about my personal life. I apologize for my indiscretion.¡± ¡°Go on, if you want to. I can hear the pain in your voice.¡± ¡°Well, I was on a video call¡­which is a remote communication where you can see each other¡­with my family from my starship. They were eaten alive as I watched, and I couldn¡¯t lift a claw to help. You can say I¡¯ve had to work through some fears and hatred to get used to humans.¡± Hunter¡¯s face contorted with what I¡¯d come to recognize as the Terran expression of sympathy. My spines began to settle down, and I decided that he didn¡¯t constitute a threat. It was surprising how little his behavior aligned with the savage cruelty, or at best, indifference, I expected from pre-FTL humanity. So much for what my therapist said about them being a territorial, aggressive species. Their dark past was almost worsened by how similar these primitives seemed to modern Earthlings. I thought humans had changed, and that they attained a higher degree of empathy as civilization advanced. Yet this poorly-named predator still pities me, even as his reality is in shambles. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± he growled. ¡°That must still weigh on you. I can¡¯t even process my family being¡­gone, in what was an instant for me. I think it¡¯s going to hit me like a freight train later.¡± I cleared my throat. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what happened to you too. We have to make the best of our circumstances now, and maybe, along the way, get a bit of revenge.¡± ¡°Revenge. Man, I¡¯m just a college student¡­does my university still exist anymore? They all must¡¯ve assumed I was dead; I bet it killed Ma.¡± ¡°Er, depends on the city, I imagine. Long story there that involves the war. Anyhow, if you wanted, the United Nations might be able to locate some relatives. You could still have people, and maybe there¡¯s records of what happened with any loved ones you remember.¡± ¡°Why bother? The descendants are gonna be my great-great-great something or another. My family, the one I know and care about, is long dead.¡± ¡°It¡¯s closure. Sure, it¡¯s mainly a chance to know your future kin, and protect your family lineage. But it¡¯s also a chance to preserve your loved ones¡¯ memory. That¡¯s part of why I persist¡ªdelaying a world where nobody remembers my little girl. And I tell myself there¡¯s a non-zero chance I¡¯ll feel happiness again, some day. You¡¯re much younger than me. It won¡¯t be easy, but you can make a life for yourself.¡± ¡°As if. I¡¯ll be a shoe on the wrong foot. Won¡¯t know anything about the culture, and my qualifications probably don¡¯t mean shit anymore. What can I possibly do with myself?! What is there for me on Earth?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how curious humans were back in your times, but you could start by learning about all the alien lifeforms and customs. It¡¯s a chance to discover something new, that nobody else from your era ever saw. To pass on your slice of history to the galaxy.¡± ¡°But how do I do that? I don¡¯t think I can handle this shit. I¡¯m no use to anyone.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true. The United Nations is short on manpower, so all extra hands ease the burden¡ªno matter what capacity you¡¯re in. Start with small steps, Hunter. You don¡¯t have to have all the answers today.¡± ¡°Small steps. Yeah, okay. Do you have something in mind? I need to keep my brain occupied.¡± ¡°Well, why don¡¯t you come with us? We¡¯re going to sweep the archives. You can help me out just by tagging along. I¡­would like to know how these Farsul fuckers changed the history of Gojidkind, but it also scares me a little.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯m worried it¡¯ll be as disturbed as your history. Or what was the present, for you.¡± ¡°¡­fair, honestly. Okay then. I¡¯ll follow you, Sovlin.¡± Most of the awakened humans were being taken back to the submarine, to be tended to in relative safety. I could hear chatter over the radio, as other groups of UN soldiers landed to aid a full sweep of the Archives. The Terran military was also launching a communications buoy, to ensure that UN command above Talsk received news of this debacle. If Hunter requested to accompany us, I didn¡¯t see why Tyler would object to it. This living relic of the past could be the best chance I had to understand the nature of predators. Maybe human nature is to toe the line between great beneficence and unfathomable depravity. The choice is theirs¡ªyet unwritten in history, with far-reaching implications for all life. Onso perked his ears up. ¡°I¡¯m going with the group back to the ship, old man. Then, if I can choose my assignment, we¡¯re finding the Yotul room. It¡¯ll be wonderful to cleanse the Federation¡¯s influence from our culture, for good.¡± ¡°Okay. I hope you find what you need on that, but I won¡¯t be joining you. Assuming Tyler gives us the go-ahead, Hunter and I are looking into the Gojids¡¯ past,¡± I muttered. ¡°We¡¯re coming with you.¡± Samantha had materialized behind me, a steely look in her forest-green eyes. The biowarfare mask made her appear like a machine. ¡°Carlos and I have gone through hell with you. We¡¯re not going to let you decide you¡¯re a monster. Your therapist has enough of a headache with you already.¡± Hunter pointed to her mask. ¡°That¡¯s a¡­do I need one of those?¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll fetch you one. You should be good for now. It doesn¡¯t sound like they inject the cure until they launch a ¡®new batch,¡¯¡± Carlos chimed in. Before proceeding deeper into the Archives, and prying beyond the scope of actions conducted against Earth, I needed authorization for my plan from my superior. Tyler could be asked to provide Hunter with proper gear; knowing the blond officer, he would permit the ancient Terran to tag along with me. Seeing all of humanity, past and present, as more than predators was exactly what he had asked. With the identity of every Federation species in the balance, it was our moral duty to unearth all of the Farsul¡¯s crimes against sapience. Chapter 128 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, United Nations Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: January 16, 2137 With multiple crews having touched down at the Galactic Archives, we split up into teams. Tyler presented us with one hour to accrue the most essential data, and reconvene at the submarine to transport the intel elsewhere. In case anything went wrong, getting any information about ¡°key species¡± off-world was critical. Venlil, Zurulians, Arxur, Yotul, and Krakotl were considered the top five; thankfully, my commander also honored my personal request to investigate the Gojids. Officer Cardona decided to accompany Onso to the Yotul room, while also keeping watch over Farsul prisoners such as Veiq. Carlos wound up leading our small posse, roping a timid archivist into showing us the way. Hunter had acquired suitable attire from the submarine, and loped after us. If someone told me a day ago that I¡¯d turn my back on a primitive predator, with a name that fit how I imagined their nomenclature, I would¡¯ve laughed. However, my concerns about the ancient Terran had all but evaporated. I have bigger issues on my plate, with what I¡¯m about to seek out. This could destroy the little that¡¯s left of my heritage. To say I was terrified of the Gojids¡¯ true history was an understatement. Depending on the degree of atrocities I uncovered, what was best for my species might be to bury it once and for all. Certain unsavory elements shouldn¡¯t come back, no matter how egregious the Federation¡¯s removal methods were. How would the rest of the galaxy perceive us, and our refugees, if we were at all similar to the Terrans¡¯ past? Shadows moved behind me, and I felt slight pressure on my spine. A yelp came from Hunter, who nursed his now-bleeding pointer finger; the primitive human had decided, without warning, to poke the end of a bristle. He brought it upon himself, touching a sharp object for no reason. Maybe Onso wasn¡¯t so bad, compared to other creatures below a certain technological level. ¡°What compelled you to do that?¡± I spat. Hunter shrugged. ¡°Curiosity killed the cat. Only one way to find out how sharp it really is, you know? Say, why do you just have spikes on part of your back? It¡¯s like there are blotches without it.¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s say they got lined up by a machine gun, and were ripped out of my spine by a stream of bullets. It hurt, it really hurt. They can¡¯t regrow either because I¡¯m fucking old, so Sam calls me Baldy to rub it in my face. Does that answer your question?¡± ¡°Ouch. Yeah, man.¡± Carlos risked a curious glance back. ¡°What year was it for you? You sound like you¡¯re from the States.¡± ¡°1966. American, born and raised.¡± ¡°I used to wonder why aliens would target you crazy Yanks, in all the UFO tales,¡± Sam quipped. ¡°Maybe they were drawn to you because of your media presence. Figured you represented us all; you act like you do.¡± ¡°Australian accent?¡± ¡°That it is. Now¡¯s your chance for the kangaroo jokes. Never heard those before.¡± ¡°Actually, I wanted to ask about the glass rectangles you all have on your belts. Are those 22nd century TVs?¡± I barely kept my disdain to myself, instead focusing on Carlos. The male guard was holding a Farsul prisoner at gunpoint; we¡¯d entered a new hallway in search of the Gojid room. Again, I remarked internally how Onso was versed enough in technology to regurgitate a textbook, at least. He never questioned what basic things were, or showed such an obvious lack of knowledge. Hunter clearly knew very little about any technology. ¡°No, people still like their television sets large and mounted.¡± Samantha unclipped her holopad, unlocking it with facial ID. ¡°This is a holopad¡­it actually can facilitate watching TV shows, though. Mostly, it¡¯s used to access the internet and talk instantaneously with friends. You had phones in your time, right?¡± Hunter huffed in indignation. ¡°Phones existed since the 1800s! You¡¯re telling me, that little thing¡­can call people?¡± ¡°With video streams, or send them written messages. The screens being 3D are a nice touch.¡± ¡°Okay. Streams like a river¡­is the video water-powered? And, uh, what¡¯s the internet?¡± Does he even know what a computer is? That¡¯s going to be difficult to explain. I attempted to withhold a derisive tone. ¡°Streams are a live video feed. Does the word ¡®computer¡¯ mean anything to you? We should start there.¡± ¡°Yes, but that can¡¯t be a proper computer. They take up entire rooms. Your ¡®holopad¡¯ could fit in a pocket. There¡¯s no way that could have the necessary power, and you¡¯re not even chilling the mechanisms!¡± Hunter exclaimed. ¡°We can pack enormous processing power into tiny chips, and perform functions more complex than you can imagine,¡± Carlos explained. ¡°The internet is a way that computers communicate, all the way across the globe¡­and now, the galaxy. It¡¯s basically a web for housing forums and information, and by now, it encompasses the collective knowledge of mankind.¡± Samantha hummed in appreciation. ¡°It is remarkable, really. You can ask a question, and a program scours that entire archive. Millions of results on any topic you can dream of¡ªscience, history, celebrities, entertainment¡ªat your fingertips in seconds.¡± ¡°Wow! I can¡¯t even understand how humans could build something like that. Research must be so easy for you. We had to scour books to find a single source, and you have millions of encyclopedias thrown into your lap. You have no idea how good you have it, do you?¡± ¡°Humans have come a long way from being primitive,¡± I acknowledged. Carlos curled his fist, and started to round on me; that was before noticing that the Farsul had finished guiding us to the Gojid chamber. My spines bristled, sensing a grave threat in the information housed here. Grappling with the undisguised truth of our omnivory, and possibly seeing my own kind feast on flesh; I wasn¡¯t ready for concrete evidence. The knowledge of my ancestry had almost sapped my will to live the first time, even with my unpaid debt to Earth. I felt disgusting, just dwelling on the loathsome facts. My human companions weren¡¯t as hesitant as me, skulking into the room. They barked orders, using their guns as motivators; Gojids were mixed in with the native staff, and part of me wondered if these were from the cradle¡¯s primitive era. However, the fact that some called out ¡°United Nations¡± suggested they were active conspirators, not captives. I tailed my comrades, sweeping my gun around the room for any threats. Hunter tiptoed after me, apprehensive about our locale. Samantha took the privilege of coercing the staff to lie on the ground. Flexing a tattooed arm in menacing fashion, Carlos ordered the Farsul archivist who guided us here to unlock the mainframe. The conspiracy employee trudged forward, and leaned over a sensor for a retinal scan. Too soon for my liking, we had access to the grand collection; everything documented at Gojidkind was at my claws. Hunter fell in by my side, and arched a quizzical eyebrow. He didn¡¯t understand why I was keeping away from the console, like it burned to the touch. ¡°Tyler said we have one hour to gather intel, but take your time,¡± Sam hissed. I drew a deep breath, and hovered my claw over a series of folders. Carlos procured a drive, starting to download any files he could find. Should I have prevented the human from transcribing this info, at least until I reviewed the contents myself? Nerves hindered my breathing, as conscious thoughts diminished. My mind was in a trance, but I managed to pull up a piece labeled ¡®Overview¡¯, on screen. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°Welcome, archivists of the future, and congratulations on your promotions!¡± A Farsul voiceover thundered over the video feed, and I flinched at the volume. ¡°This video will be a brief synopsis of species 92-A, who go by the name ¡®Gojid.¡¯ Millions of hours of pre-contact footage are available, to be sorted over the years by your diligent paws. I¡¯ve compiled examples of the key aspects of their culture, and a conclusive analysis of their successful conversion.¡± Hunter tilted his head, watching footage of prehistoric Gojids rigging a sailboat. The video scrolled through a series of clay houses, and sprawling orchards that didn¡¯t look much different from the modern day. An overhead image of a village, with limited electric lights, completed the narrative. It slowly faded to black, void of narration, and switched to primitive cave artwork of workers tilling fields. ¡°The Gojids call their homeworld the cradle, a name that stems from a local deity: the Great Protector. As their creation myth goes, all of nature was crafted to be the perfect home for their species,¡± the Farsul declared on the recording. ¡°The land provides, and She heeds their cries against threats by famine or beast. This has been their predominant religion since the advent of agriculture. Farming doctrine and the faith were spread alongside each other, with the locals claiming the Protector taught them how plants grew.¡± Surveillance video showed Gojids sorting through a forest, and gathering up anything they could find. The camera lens zeroed in on half-eaten carcasses, which were thrown onto a cart by the primitives. These filthy members of my kind stopped short of a clearing, ducking into bushes. Splotchy, lean predators with massive fangs were stalking a grazing species, and downing as many of the prey as they could. The Gojids are hiding because they saw the predators. That¡¯s prey behavior, right? A gunshot rang out, and the Gojids burst from the foliage with reckless abandon. One splotchy predator snarled in pain, as a bullet bore into its haunches. The primitive sapients were stretching their arms out to appear larger, and waving their claws around. To my bewilderment, the hunting animals dashed off without their prey; my people drove predators away from a catch, with aggression. The Gojids congratulated themselves, before collecting the kills. The recording proceeded with an explanation. ¡°Gojids are a scavenger species. They allow predators to do the dirty work, then swoop in to obtain the carcasses. Flesh is not a staple of their diet, but rather a pricey treat for occasional consumption. What you just witnessed is a family of market vendors, scrounging for cuts to sell to the upper class. With this being an accepted cultural item, one of status even, it¡¯s apparent to us that a cure is needed. The government, locally-elected settlement councils, even send out foraging parties during times of hardship; it¡¯s endorsed as a method of survival by their very leaders.¡± The footage transitioned to grainy images of starships landing, and stories plastered in prehistoric newspapers. CREATURES FROM ANOTHER WORLD ¡ª THEY COME BEARING GIFTS, the headline read. The front page image showed a priest of the Great Protector in conversation with a Kolshian. I managed to read a bit about a new future for Gojidkind, before the feed cut to pro-exterminator pamphlets. My emotions were in turmoil, after seeing my kind scooping up predator food on film. Could I argue that the Farsul¡¯s gift of the cure wasn¡¯t a blessing? Was it that wrong to initiate a proper beliefs system? ¡°Their temperament toward aliens proved non-hostile. Formal reeducation seemed too extreme. With how invested Gojids were in ¡®nature¡¯, convincing them to adopt exterminators¡­they weren¡¯t amenable to the concept. They laughed off our teachings, and spurned our ways. Conversion would go on to require decades of gradual effort. Had the Gojids been introduced to the wider galaxy in a hurry, it would¡¯ve been disastrous. But with the technology we gave them, how could they not come to love us? That was how we got our paws in the door, and it also let us slip our ideas into the public domain. We mixed the cure with life-saving medicines, and spread the rumor that it was a judgment from the Protector.¡± Clips of Farsul transporting our priests to remote wilderness, and beginning excavations, played on the main screen. The time-lapse showed days of work, condensed into a span of minutes. Hunter and Samantha both were enamored with the landscape, between the jagged fronds on the trees and the sunset-orange sands. I was more focused on the tablets the archaeologists were digging up, and passing to Gojid observers for examination. Those were the Protector¡¯s Stones; they were preserved in our planetary museum, and cited as its oldest texts. ¡°Of course, the Priesthood insisted that all of nature was created by their deity for a higher purpose. But after discovering the texts we planted, they did our work for us. Predators were cursed by bloodlust, tarnishing the Protector¡¯s creation; they existed to threaten and kill. Her words! Gojids, the chosen, would be punished if they continued down the predator path¡­why else would they suddenly be dying from meat consumption? Within decades, we¡¯d wiped all recollection of their scavenger past.¡± I had already grown accustomed to the idea that our religion was falsified by the Federation. Fortunately, I¡¯d never been an adherent of the faith, so it didn¡¯t affect me. What was alarming was how easy it¡¯d been for them to convince our entire planet those tablets were legitimate findings. History could be rewritten at their whims, and nobody would remember that it had once been different. Was this distortion of our primary faith necessary? All things considered, the summative montage hadn¡¯t been as horrific as I imagined, with a single incident captured of carcass collection; perhaps I could pass it off as a single tribe, and clear our name. The final pieces of the video were of Gojids at Federation summits, and patrolling on starships. I reminded myself that these clips were from before the Arxur¡¯s discovery, to our knowledge. The military fixtures on the bridge seemed odd, and left me wondering if our aggression was that severe as to build war vessels. Why would we need a military? For the exterminators to clear colonies, or for violent purposes? ¡°The Gojids had become model Federation members; they completed a slow, but smooth transition. Their malleability allowed us to fine-tune their temperament. We worked to elicit fleeing responses to predatory stimuli, of course. But their natural ability to tackle threats and protect their fields from harm made them the ideal military species, in a defensive capacity.¡± I paused the video. ¡°What?! They chose for us to become a powerful species, despite being omnivores? I knew they used the Krakotl, but we¡¯re not that aggressive!¡± ¡°They co-opted your religion, poisoned you through doctors, and that¡¯s what you focus on?¡± Hunter grumbled. ¡°I don¡¯t understand any of what I woke up to, but my head hurts.¡± Samantha wagged a finger. ¡°What¡¯s with the chitchat? Finish the video, so we can pack it up. There¡¯s only a few seconds left in this prick¡¯s monologue, thank heavens.¡± I played the Farsul¡¯s endnote, at the human¡¯s request. ¡°Due to the Gojids¡¯ location, it¡¯s in the Federation¡¯s interest to encourage their military growth. They could act as a safeguard, to keep Species 45-G in line, should those nightmares ever find their roots. Having a compliant asset mitigates risk of such aggression spilling over our borders unchecked. Thus, I¡¯m grateful they¡¯re stuck being 45-G¡¯s neighbors. I expect Gojids to necessitate little correction, and to fulfill a stabilizing role¡­perhaps even pacifying the region.¡± Carlos and Samantha looked mystified by the mention of ¡°Species 45-G.¡± I was befuddled too, until I pondered the short list of Gojid neighbors. The Venlil were the weakest race in the galaxy, so it was obviously not them; the Zurulians specialized in healing, which wasn¡¯t an aggressive practice. The Dossur couldn¡¯t attack a cotton ball with their size. That led to the apparent answer: the Farsul must have discovered humanity before Hunter¡¯s time¡ªbefore they¡¯d even discovered the Gojids. Why wasn¡¯t that documented in the Terran chamber? Why hadn¡¯t cure research begun sooner? ¡°That¡¯s certainly interesting.¡± Samantha, having not stumbled upon the only possible answer, waved her gun in the Farsul prisoners¡¯ faces. ¡°Who is Species 45-G? Are they dead?¡± ¡°Sorry, but I can¡¯t tell you,¡± a staffer croaked. I chewed at my claws. ¡°Is it humans?¡± ¡°No. That video is from before the Arxur were discovered, let alone the Terrans. Use some modicum of logic.¡± ¡°Give us a straight answer, right now! We don¡¯t have time for your games! Who is it?¡± Samantha roared. ¡°We¡¯ll find out eventually, with or without you in one piece.¡± Carlos raised a placating hand. ¡°It can¡¯t be worse than what you¡¯ve done to humans. A little late to start hiding things, don¡¯t you think? Just give us a name to put with this 45-G designation.¡± Without our history haunting me, I could focus on helping the United Nations pick apart other findings. I checked the progress of the humans¡¯ data download, which showed as almost complete. Perhaps the last note could be used to make the Gojids respectable again. This mystery species must be one the Federation wiped out, which suggested Earth wasn¡¯t the first planet they were willing to genocide. It seemed likely nobody had heard of 45-G, so we¡¯d have to locate their extinct homeworld. Pushing the focus onto the truly dangerous species might be good. It offers an unknown threat, and the Farsul complimented our civility by comparison. The female predator bared her teeth. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you talking? Name. Spit it out! ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask about something else?¡± The Farsul staffer gulped, as Samantha fired a bullet right next to his ear. ¡°THE VENLIL! It¡¯s the Venlil.¡± Shock made my blood run cold, and the humans displayed equal surprise. Hunter showed no signs of disbelief, but he wasn¡¯t familiar with the Venlil¡¯s reputation. The Farsul must be fibbing with his answer, though it was bold to provide an obvious false response at gunpoint. Perhaps it was worth it to investigate what other Terran soldiers found in their greatest ally¡¯s archive chamber. Chapter 129 Memory transcription subject: Governor Tarva of the Venlil Republic Date [standardized human time]: January 17, 2137 The United Nations had multiple operations ongoing, and more threads to keep up with politically. The Duerten Shield and their various subsidiaries required delicate handling; to the avians¡¯ credit, they were helpful with the rescued cattle from Shaza¡¯s sector. Earth also had 31 direct allies to manage diplomatic relations with. The factor causing me the biggest headache, though¡ªa human colony within the Mazics¡¯ borders had welcomed its first settlers, and three extrasolar colonies within Terran space had opened their doors soon after. I was pleased the predators were establishing themselves, and expanding in a peaceful manner. However, that rendered the millions of humans residing on Venlil Prime more controversial than ever. After living here for months, several petitioned our office for citizenship; we weighed the requests with the same criteria for any Federation immigrants. Anti-human dissidents argued that more primates should go to Colia or Leirn, the respective Zurulian and Yotul homeworlds. These refugees also had other options available now, they said, between rising new colonies and Earth¡¯s welfare having stabilized. To be honest, I didn¡¯t think it was a bad idea for the Terrans to mix with different alien populaces, like any other species. However, these Venlil critics weren¡¯t making proposals out of concern for humanity¡¯s continuance. They were alarmed by recent overhauls of Federation institutions. My dreamy plans with Noah fell through because of the political upheaval; the only visit I took to Earth was for the opening of our permanent embassy in Vienna. As much as I¡¯d love to step out of the public spotlight, the alliance I cherished depended on me maintaining power. This is going to be a vicious re-election cycle. I expect my opponent, Veln, to appeal to voters who don¡¯t want binocular eyes on every street corner. For these final three months, the campaign is my focus. ¡°What is my legacy, Kam? I¡¯ve served in this office for three years, and we discovered the best friends I could ask for. But it¡¯s still early enough for someone to rip it all to shreds. I rue the possibility of a day where we don¡¯t lock arms with humanity,¡± I mumbled aloud. The military advisor pinned his ears back. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry. It¡¯s a little late to disentangle ourselves, and besides, people are starting to get used to humans! The Federation consistently polls as less popular than Earth. Besides, sunk cost: we¡¯ve invested lives into Earth¡¯s side of the war. And they freed the cattle.¡± ¡°Rescues,¡± Glim corrected from the couch. The Venlil rescue was wearing a human scarf over his neck, covering up the brand. After his role in landing the Duerten alliance, it seemed wasteful not to offer him a cabinet position. It was a politically-savvy move too, with Glim being a sympathetic liaison to pro-exterminator sects. As my ¡°campaign advisor¡±, he could travel with me to various cities and remind the populace about the newly-liberated souls. Kam flicked his ears. ¡°Right, rescues. Regardless, if Zhao flew all the way from Earth to accompany Noah, and Sara, an apolitical human, is also on the guest list¡­they must be here to offer their support on the campaign trail. I hope you¡¯ve decided whether to accept, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Cheln voiced worry over the optics, campaigning alongside humans. It¡¯d make it seem like people are voting for predators with a vote for me. Political suicide¡­did I miss anything?¡± I sighed. Glim tilted his head. ¡°Some people won¡¯t attend events with humans present, especially in rural areas. It¡¯s asking for exterminators to stir up trouble.¡± ¡°Thank you for your concerns¡­you¡¯re not wrong. We can¡¯t tie our platform to them, but I would feel terrible rejecting their help. They understand politics, so we should outright discuss PR concerns with them.¡± ¡°On that note, I¡¯m¡­slightly concerned that the new predator citizens are able to vote. Should they really have a say in how we run our planet? It¡¯s a way for them to influence our affairs.¡± ¡°By that logic, why should a Zurulian or Krakotl citizen have the right to vote? We¡¯re not discriminating by species, Glim.¡± ¡°I care about Noah, and the Gaians¡­but they¡¯re an extraordinary circumstance, which no one fully understands. We haven¡¯t engaged with them in peacetime, or established special laws accounting for their¡­unique attributes. There¡¯s no precedent. Nothing to stop them, if we¡¯re wrong about¡ª¡± A knock echoed against the door, and Glim pressed a paw to his forehead. I called for the visitors to enter, watching as a crisply-dressed Secretary-General Zhao strolled in. His black hair was combed over, and his brown eyes held distinct worry. I¡¯d warmed to Earth¡¯s new leader, but I missed the fatherly aura that Meier evoked. Elias had barely been older than me, yet he projected an air of dignity and wisdom. Sara acted reserved, finding a seat after a meek greeting. Ambassador Noah¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t light up like usual, which tipped me off that something was amiss. Perhaps this wasn¡¯t a cordial visit; I wondered if something had gone awry in the war effort. This could relate to the cured humans at Mileau. My office received word of the bioweapon¡¯s use, but I might¡¯ve underestimated its significance to the Terrans. Racking my brain for other possible culprits, no answers presented themselves. ¡°Hey, Tarva.¡± Noah squeezed himself between Glim and I, pulling me into his embrace for a second. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± I brought my prosthetic tail to his chin, turning his face toward me. Emotions swirled in the ambassador¡¯s pupils, indignant anger that chilled my blood. There was also a trace of loss and pity lurking, which I didn¡¯t understand. It would be easy to assume that there was a threat against the Venlil, except the human envoy lacked military generals. Besides, the uncertainty in Noah¡¯s grimace wasn¡¯t how Terrans responded to threats, at least in the past. ¡°What happened? You¡¯re looking at me like I have a month left to live,¡± I hissed. The ambassador shared a glance with Sara. ¡°That¡¯s why we both came, to break the news. We thought you deserved to have¡­your oldest friends here.¡± ¡°Nobody is in danger.¡± Sara arched her thick eyebrows for emphasis, anticipating the fearful guesses that would pop into my head. ¡°This is about our mission to the Galactic Archives on Talsk.¡± ¡°I know about that,¡± I offered. ¡°You mentioned attempting to recover anything the Farsul hid about prehistoric cultures. Are¡­Venlil omnivores? Is that what this is?¡± ¡°No! Far as we can tell, no. But we uncovered some shocking information about the Venlil, which flings every thesis I wrote about your sociology out the window.¡± Secretary-General Zhao set his eyes on my snout. ¡°Dr. Rosario is correct; this changes everything that¡¯s known about your species. Doesn¡¯t the way they constantly hammer home that you¡¯re the weakest species raise suspicion? Let me tell you, that¡¯s propaganda they force fed you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying we weren¡¯t always weak,¡± I breathed. ¡°Is this a suggestion that the Venlil should become a military species¡­and train to behave predatorily? Is this a critique of our emotional culture?¡± ¡°Not at all. Governor, how you act upon the information I¡¯m about to provide isn¡¯t my concern. Humanity will stand beside you, no matter what you decide. It deeply saddens us to discover how our friends were oppressed and mistreated. My belief is that the choice, of who you wish to be, should be yours. Not ours, certainly not the Kolshians¡¯.¡± Losing yet another chunk of our identity was gut-wrenching; it often felt like the humans were dealing sucker punches in quick succession. Perceived facts, which were infallible from our perspective, crumbled as if they were made of sand. Few institutions were left untouched by the predators¡¯ arrival, mere months after first contact. It wasn¡¯t their fault that the Federation¡¯s meddling was so pervasive, or that the Venlil were blind to such manipulations. Still, it would be more comfortable to stuff my paws over my ears and ignore the latest truths. That¡¯s why there¡¯s such fearsome opposition to the humans. It¡¯s hard to market the destruction of every belief we¡¯ve ever held. My platform was about change, and the need to rid ourselves of the Federation¡¯s lies¡ªno matter how difficult it was. That meant the full picture of the Venlil¡¯s past must be dispersed. If the Kolshians committed crimes against my kind, we deserved justice. I managed to give Zhao an ear flick, and he powered up my office¡¯s projector. However, General Kam looked skeptical about Venlil not being the meek creatures we were reputed to be. ¡°I¡¯ve seen for myself that we¡¯re a sensitive species,¡± my military advisor muttered. ¡°Our forces aren¡¯t¡­tough. In the heat of battle, we cry or we flee. That¡¯s why we needed the Federation to defend us. That¡¯s why humans defend us now!¡± Noah pursed his lips. ¡°You look angry, Glim. How do you feel about this?¡± If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Glim turned his scowl on the predator. ¡°I, for one, believe they could¡¯ve done anything to us. The Kolshians are evil. Mileau proved they have zero qualms over harming innocent herbivores.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the truth,¡± Sara growled. ¡°It wasn¡¯t just the Venlil we learned about. There¡¯s records of how they changed every species they came across.¡± Secretary-General Zhao queued a video. ¡°Including us. However, this meeting is only about helping our friends. I¡¯ve had my staff share the entire cache, millions of hours of footage, with you, Tarva. Every log a researcher recorded, every aspect of society they pored over, and every action they took against you, it¡¯s there. Again, what you do with it is your prerogative.¡± ¡°We¡¯re here for you.¡± Noah placed his palm over my paw, and traced his fingers over the fur in reassuring patterns. ¡°If you want humanity¡¯s aid, we¡¯d be happy to lend our resources to recovering your past. We could make detailed lessons of the unadulterated history.¡± ¡°Okay, just tell me already! The suspense is going to kill me,¡± I grumbled. The Chinese national obliged, playing the video in mournful silence. My eyes soaked in the long-ago recordings of our homeworld. There were a few images of Venlil fights, which the United Nations censored due to their bloody nature. Overhead footage was also captured of my kind fending off larger animals, headbutting them with frenzied aggression. Oddly enough, clips existed of predators spotting Venlil, isolated in the wilderness, and turning to avoid us. Zhao scratched the back of his head. ¡°From what we¡¯ve gathered, the Venlil are genuinely a species that feels emotions more strongly than others. This also entails high impulsivity; you¡¯re prone to lash out when feeling angry or threatened.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just one hypothesis, of course,¡± Sara jumped in. ¡°What¡¯s certain is that the Venlil were seen engaging in contests of dominance. ¡®Duels¡¯ and ¡®feuds¡¯ would break out from perceived insults; your culture was honor-based.¡± Glim scrunched his ears. ¡°Why would anyone see fighting as scrupulous? There¡¯s no honor in that.¡± ¡°The United Nations does not condone unnecessary violence, so I can¡¯t offer a justification,¡± Noah said. ¡°In our past, duels were seen as a method of vindication. It was about proving a point, and not accepting slights against you.¡± The Secretary-General nodded. ¡°Aliens could¡¯ve done it for any reason, and we¡¯ll never be able to ask your rationale. Regardless, this same honor-driven ethos is what irked the Federation about the Venlil. Care to explain, Ambassador Williams?¡± ¡°Of course. The Federation outstayed their welcome, after first contact. Frankly, you knew the changes they made conflicted with all logic. Ancient Venlil were remarkably stubborn in their convictions; they didn¡¯t take well to being ¡®mellowed.¡¯¡± ¡°The Venlil were an urgent case to subdue, because of your aggression. A Farsul researcher referred to you as, ¡®More temperamental than the Krakotl,¡¯¡± Sara finished. ¡°The people of Sk¡­this planet thwarted the Federation¡¯s attempts at reeducation. That led to¡­drastic measures.¡± The human scientist twirled her curls around a finger, and I scanned her closely. She had started to say a name before switching to ¡°this planet¡±; while I wouldn¡¯t prod at this moment, I wasn¡¯t going to let that slide off my radar. For now, it was head-spinning enough to hear about traits that were antithetical to a modern Venlil¡¯s disposition. If the Federation succeeded in breaking our spirit, why would they need to rub our snouts in the newfound weakness? The Kolshians and the Farsul fashioned us into the galaxy¡¯s laughingstock. Why did the Krakotl get to be a military species, and how could we have been more aggressive than a coercive race like them? Zhao resumed his video; Venlil were packed into camps and forced to watch propaganda clips. Federation teachers implemented similar curriculums in the classrooms, targeting the youth with zeal. Subsequent clips were spliced together, of our citizens lashing out against the Federation¡¯s occupation. Exterminators lost their flamethrowers in wrestling matches, and tussles led to suit punctures that removed incendiary immunity. Burning occupiers ran off with screams, chased by crazed-looking Venlil spewing fuel. That was the first in a chain of chaotic events, which must¡¯ve infuriated the Federation. One Venlil was shown launching himself several feet, and latching his paws around a Farsul¡¯s head. I noticed that his legs were straighter and sturdier than any of ours I¡¯d seen. His face seemed deformed too, even with the motion blur. There was little time to focus on those facts, however, as images of alien visitors dragged from cars ensued. Property destruction appeared to be rampant, wherever the Federation built anything; someone with a stolen flamethrower lit the entire reeducation camp ablaze. Noah drew a shaky breath. ¡°The Farsul assumed that the Venlil would give in, after a few years¡­that the re-education would take hold. But no matter how long they stuck your people in those camps, the second they had a chance to rebel, they did.¡± ¡°The Kolshians proposed drastic measures, even floating around glassing your world,¡± the Secretary-General explained. ¡°They were humiliated by the failure of the uplifting process, but instead of annihilation, they eventually elected to impose the ultimate insult on you.¡± ¡°They discovered a genetic joint disorder that caused your knees to bend inward, Tarva. It negates your ramming power. They also created a defect that prevented your olfactory system from developing¡­to limit your threat detection abilities and increase your fearfulness. The Feds forcibly dragged every Venlil citizen off for editing, and screened the populace to ensure it hadn¡¯t missed a single person.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­they physically modified us? They crippled us?!¡± I hissed. ¡°It¡¯s their fault the Arxur targeted me!¡± Glim was hysterical, slamming a paw against a couch cushion. His tail was flailing with emotion. ¡°If they hasn¡¯t made us so weak, the fucking grays wouldn¡¯t see us as perfect livestock! Maybe I could¡¯ve outrun¡­the cattle collectors¡­when they¡­¡± Sara¡¯s eyes were moist with pity. ¡°I wish I could say that was it. Feds ensured that the re-education efforts succeeded, by taking every child born following the gene-edits to be raised by a Farsul off-world. That was when they sold you on how weak you were, oh, the weakest species in the galaxy. From the day the kids were able to speak, they heard that line.¡± ¡°Farsul also raised the Venlil pups with the rest of the Federation¡¯s ideology, and provided positive reinforcement for any fear response. Then, they had that generation raise their own kids, and waited for the natives to die off. The rest is history,¡± the Secretary-General rumbled. ¡°The pacified Venlil were moved home, and told they were isolated as pups due to a plague.¡± ¡°The Federation saved you.¡± Noah¡¯s voice dripped with bitter sarcasm, and his grip around my wrist had become vice-like. ¡°Go home to Venlil Prime, a name conjured up by those colonizer bastards. The authentic name was too violent for a prey species.¡± ¡°Authentic name?¡± Kam echoed, in a dazed voice. ¡°Skalga. The best translation we could find was ¡®World of Death.¡¯ Perhaps that was early Venlil¡¯s experience, or maybe it¡¯s gallows¡¯ humor about your planet¡¯s extreme conditions.¡± Even as the humans plainly spelled it out, my mind rejected the novel understanding. Something as sacred as our homeworld¡¯s title¡ªthe place that I was governor of and sworn to protect¡ªeven that was a fabrication to control us? What heartless monster would remove a child from their parents, and treat them as a pawn? My visceral outrage was reminiscent of the charged emotions, when the tortured Marcel was first wheeled in front of us. I could see my anger mirrored in the predators¡¯ clenched fists, and the way they leaned forward in their seats. ¡°They took our children,¡± I growled. ¡°They took kids away from their mothers! I know the pain of losing a daughter.¡± Noah massaged my shoulders, while scowling at the carpet. ¡°You¡¯re so strong, Tarva. Nobody deserves to suffer what you did with your daughter, and the Federation didn¡¯t hesitate to inflict that agony on millions.¡± ¡°The Federation are lying frauds. They mocked us, and spit in our faces¡­they do it to this day. Why?¡± Zhao issued a bitter chuckle. ¡°If I knew that answer, the same thing wouldn¡¯t have happened to humanity. You¡¯re preaching to the choir on that front. We¡¯re not that different; maybe that¡¯s why we get along so well.¡± ¡°The people of V¡­Skalga are owed the truth. Kam, we¡¯re releasing everything at my next campaign event. To think the Kolshians treated us, and countless others, with utter disregard. They deformed us at a genetic level! Who would commit such a violation?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll help as much or as little as you like. We might be able to reverse their edits,¡± Sara offered. ¡°I understand how personal this is, so if you¡¯d like us to stay out of it, humanity will respect that.¡± ¡°Are you kidding? We never would¡¯ve learned the truth without you; your soldiers risked their lives to get this information. You are sincere, wonderful friends, and I wouldn¡¯t want to face something like this without you. Any suggestions you have, we welcome your input.¡± The Secretary-General dipped his head. ¡°Whatever you need and anything I think might help, it¡¯s at your disposal. We support the Venlil, through highs and lows. Of all of our allies, we personally brought what we discovered to you, before any others. Humanity¡¯s alliances are little more than handshake agreements, but with you, I have confidence our mutual loyalty is unshakeable.¡± ¡°Well, I think it¡¯s past time our friendship was official. We should unite, with a shared venture that¡¯s what the Federation pretended to be. Blast everything you found in the Archives to anyone who¡¯ll speak to you, and then, start your¡ªour alliance. The galaxy deserves something better.¡± In my periphery, I observed how the briefing¡¯s attendees reacted to my proposal. Noah had turned his focus to searching the Secretary-General¡¯s expression; my sweet ambassador loved the idea of strengthening Earth¡¯s diplomatic ties. Hope flashed in Sara¡¯s eyes, a sign that neither astronaut had abandoned their peaceful intentions. If I was reading Zhao¡¯s neutral stare correctly, he¡¯d already thought of extending a United Nations-like organization to allied species on his own. That left the question of whether my advisors saw this as a kneejerk proposition. The Archives¡¯ revelations would lend our goals validity. Still, convincing prominent diplomats to commit their governments to a group spearheaded by humans would be difficult. General Kam had snapped out of his trance, signaling agreement with tail language. However, Glim¡¯s expression had hardened with skepticism, and for a moment, I feared whether the rescue opposed formalizing an alliance with predators. Zhao raised his eyebrows. ¡°I would be honored to secure our alliance in an official capacity. My people will reach out to all of our allies, convey the Archives¡¯ findings, and extend an invitation to a convention. We¡¯ll host it in a neutral location, and welcome anyone who seeks to join our formalized alliance, whatever its name may be.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a great idea, in theory. But who would be invited to the summit?¡± Glim avoided the predators¡¯ gazes, as their heads snapped toward him. ¡°The Duerten Shield is only using you. And how can you guarantee the Kolshians won¡¯t use it as an opportunity to attack you?¡± ¡°The Duerten Shield and their allies will be extended the courtesy of an invite, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s a formality. Even if they send a representative, which would surprise me, they have no interest in joining us. As for security, we can direct the guests to a hand-off site, and keep the true location unknown beforehand. They¡¯ll be escorted straight from the relay point to the summit.¡± ¡°I love the idea of us addressing and wooing potential friends, for more than the five minutes I got on Aafa. But does that plan work for you, Tarva?¡± Noah growled softly. I flicked my ears in agreement, though a knot of anger still churned in my stomach. The anguish inflicted upon the Venlil was inexcusable, but at least it functioned to bring us closer to our friends, the humans. Assuming Earth triumphed in the war, we could lay the groundwork for genuine harmony. The predators could deliver what the Kolshians pretended to seek in their mission statement. Chapter 130 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, United Nations Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: January 31, 2137 Weeks had passed from our fateful venture to the Archives; a central member of the conspiracy had fallen with little more than a whisper, weakened by the Arxur raid that rattled them post-Earth. I was now contemplating the predators¡¯ chosen punishment for the Farsul. My time on the bridge during its enactment, and the surrounding events, were a blur. It was fair to say that I was distracted by the pre-FTL humans traveling on our vessel, along with the shocking revelations about the Venlil. I couldn¡¯t picture the mewling Venlil as the volatile creatures caught on film, butting heads and brimming with ferocity. The Terrans had met the perfect race to be warrior buddies, yet nobody realized it until now. Thinking back, the difference in Slanek¡¯s behavior was night and day, from his time on the ship to our encounter on Sillis; Marcel¡¯s silver-gray friend had grown a spine. The predators could dredge that volatile temperament back up, stirring emotions long forgotten. My therapist listened to my recounting of events via video log, and occasional surprise flashed across her face. Dr. Bahri wound up working with other predator disease patients, besides myself, on alien worlds, after learning of our mental practices. I was relieved to have someone to talk to about what we found on Talsk, and the perceived fairness of the punishment that Terrans meted out. True to my word, I had gifted the meatiest revelations to Cilany, as soon as we reached the ship. ¡°We rush out of the Archives, 22 additional civilians in tow. There¡¯s no telling if we¡¯ll meet resistance, or what¡¯s happened above-world. Focus on the task at hand, they tell us, all that,¡± I sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s gloss right over humans from 200 years ago, being preserved in an icebox¡­though I might circle back to some questions for you. My point is, we surface and establish communications; I was thrilled to not be trapped within the water.¡± UN Command had ordered us to return to our submarine; it wasn¡¯t clear then why no Farsul were waiting for us, or whether they¡¯d attempt to pick off departing vessels. Aerosub shuttles had been prepped to rejoin the space fleet, and the crew had been loaded off one craft at a time. It ended up as a cramped voyage, with four additional bodies to squeeze inside our transport. Hunter had grown morose, perhaps with the full brunt of the shock hitting him. The young predator hardly looked around as we scaled the atmosphere, though there¡¯d been a flash of awe when we could survey the planet¡¯s breadth. Hunter must feel the way I¡¯m feeling, but tenfold worse. Learning that aliens exist, waking up far from home, and having proper technology thrown in his face. Not the mention that he¡¯s lost everything that mattered to him. ¡°Sorry for the dramatic pause, Doc, just talking it through in my head. Anyhow, we flew back up without incident. Locals didn¡¯t come for us, and I was worried the moon did some serious damage.¡± I chewed at my claws as I continued, still struggling to believe the Archives¡¯ discoveries. ¡°Yeah, the UN dislodged a fucking moon. I was briefed on what happened when we got back to the ship. The Farsul used some serious firepower to break it up into tiny pieces.¡± The therapist¡¯s binocular eyes bore into me. ¡°So this¡­falling satellite burned up in the atmosphere?¡± ¡°Took a concentrated effort, but they stopped it. You humans assumed they¡¯d be able to smash it up in time. In the time that the Farsul were hurling missiles and ships at the unexpected meteorite, the Terran military established itself in orbital formation around Talsk. Weapons primed, demanding unconditional surrender. That¡¯s how we got off-world without a hitch.¡± The humans¡¯ ultimatum had been explicit: for the generations of suffering inflicted on trillions of sapients, the Farsul States could no longer be allowed to exist. The leadership had the choice to surrender the entire planet to the predators¡¯ mercy, or to face certain annihilation via orbital bombardment. The Farsul elders had a day to discuss the proposition; additionally, any aggressive action toward our military would nullify the countdown. Unlike the Krakotl¡¯s infamous ¡°self-sacrifice¡±, Terrans wagered that Talsk would elect for self-preservation. I didn¡¯t know how the humans could have the manpower for another ground occupation; two vassal states already presented a tremendous strain on their resources. Our ascent back to the ship went unchallenged, as the Farsul fleet had stood down, awaiting deliberations. It was clear from Fahl and Sillis that the United Nations allowed surrendering states to survive; the enemy could anticipate that they¡¯d be unharmed. Our crew stayed on duty in case of an attack, until official word came through. The objectives of our ship¡¯s mission had changed, with the sudden need to return rescued civilians to Earth. Once Talsk was handled, it was likely we¡¯d ferry the reawakened predators home. Cryogenically frozen members of other species had been recovered too, but only the Federation¡¯s additions from recent centuries; the supply of ancient races like Gojids, Venlil, and Krakotl was long since expended. I felt like there was something Terrans were omitting from that list. My thoughts again shifted to Hunter, wondering how the brown-haired human was doing. The civilians had been confined to a specific wing of crew quarters, reserved for diplomatic envoys or unexpected additions. Captain Monahan hadn¡¯t wanted the primitives disrupting military activities, while we were occupying hostile territory. I thought that was a wise decision; having Onso gawking at basic machines was enough. Dr. Bahri cleared her throat. ¡°Venlil Prime to Sovlin? I can¡¯t let you retreat into your head, and get swept away in your thoughts. Let¡¯s focus on what happened. What was the Farsul¡¯s response to those demands?¡± ¡°The United Nations¡¯ terms were accepted,¡± I murmured. ¡°I didn¡¯t know what we had in store for them, but it was laden with conditions. The elders and high-ranking leaders were to surrender, so that they could be brought to Earth for a trial along with the captured archivists. I was surprised that all but two elders turned themselves in¡­those two were found in their offices with, ah, self-inflicted demises, per recon drones.¡± ¡°What else was asked of the Farsul? I don¡¯t imagine that is it.¡± ¡°The United Nations sent transports to collect all predator disease patients, political prisoners or dissenters, and foreign diplomats or visitors. I didn¡¯t understand what we were doing, but even with local assistance, it took days to round up everyone we wanted. A few of those departees were allocated to our ship, actually, and stowed in a separate wing from the primitives¡ªsorry, outdated humans.¡± A stern breath seeped from her lips. ¡°Erase the word primitive from your vocabulary. It¡¯s demeaning and unhelpful.¡± ¡°Sorry, Doctor. My point is, Terrans wanted to retrieve everyone they deemed innocent off-world, because they didn¡¯t intend for anyone else to leave Talsk again.¡± ¡°How so?¡± My eyes rolled back in my head, as I recalled the scene in the viewport. The UN fleet had moved a number of useless objects into Talsk¡¯s orbit, and caused them to either disintegrate or collide with artificial satellites. The humans hadn¡¯t been satisfied with the resulting debris field, so they lugged more space junk into the planet¡¯s vicinity. Carlos referred to the concept as ¡°Kessler Syndrome¡±, and Onso chimed in that cascading collisions would continue for centuries. It was a self-sustaining chain that would only worsen with time. That was when the Terrans proclaimed their terms, with a righteous indignation that only they could muster. The Farsul lost their right to roam the stars, with their revocation of autonomy for other races and their cultural genocide of hundreds of worlds. The predators intended for no ship to leave Talsk again, and thus, rendered space-flight impossible. These conspirators would be confined to their own world, imprisoned by a tomb of debris, indefinitely. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°The UN shot down a bunch of satellites, creating an impenetrable cloud of trash sealing the world¡¯s inhabitants in. I shudder thinking how humans even dreamed up such a consequence.¡± My spines laid flat, despite my unease; it was becoming normal, to witness how devious the predators could be. ¡°We left nothing to chance. FTL disruptors were set up in the world¡¯s bounds, multiple, in case one failed. UN ships would patrol the system, in case the Farsul ever tried to launch anything or cleanse their orbit.¡± ¡°I presume existing weaponry was accounted for?¡± ¡°Military installations on Talsk were destroyed, before we created the cage. Orbital defense stations were surrendered to the jurisdiction of the UN, to be used or salvaged as we desire. The elders ordered the colonies and their forces to stand down¡ªcompliance with the Terrans¡¯ round-up was mandatory on the homeworld. Just like that, a founding member of the Federation is no longer spacefaring. Depending on humanity¡¯s wishes, they might not ever be again.¡± ¡°How do you feel about that, Sovlin?¡± ¡°Well, Carlos tried to tell Sam there¡¯s innocent civilians that got caught in the crossfire. Sam said they took the ones who stood up for you, the dissenters and the fellow victims, and the others should be grateful that they were allowed to continue living. Something along those lines.¡± ¡°I asked how you feel.¡± ¡°It¡¯s complicated. When I talked with Cilany, we remembered giving Sam a hard time about humans¡¯ animal testing. I felt sick, at the thought of using a creature as a toy, even for medicinal purposes. After meeting Hunter, I am coming to realize that you were never savage monsters, living solely for carnage. So the Farsul did testing¡­experiments on genuine sapients, without any healing purpose in mind. Stopping your predation isn¡¯t noble enough to justify it.¡± ¡°If I¡¯m understanding you, it follows that you¡¯re now unsure the experimentation on Gojids was justified.¡± ¡°I despise my ancestry! Yet I can¡¯t imagine how I¡¯d feel, in Hunter¡¯s paws. Did ancient humans really have to name their kids ¡®Hunter¡¯, by the way?¡± ¡°That name still exists, Sovlin. You¡¯d have to ask why his parents specifically felt drawn to it, but I imagine it was a¡­wild, adventurous appeal.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just saying, that¡¯s comically predatory. Holy Protector. Anyhow, Talsk¡¯s fate is unlike anything that¡¯s ever occurred, but I think the punishment is fair. The Farsul species will go on, untampered with, and that¡¯s more than you can say for the rest of us.¡± The human therapist didn¡¯t mask her pleasure, hearing me frame meddling in a species¡¯ affairs as a negative. Her sharp eyes dialed in on me, and she palmed her ebony chin. I could feel her pupils through the screen, tugging what else was on my mind out of me. That was a simple quandary. After we left Farsul territory, the ancient humans were allowed to leave their quarters. However, we would be arriving at Earth soon, and I hadn¡¯t seen Hunter throughout the return journey. Despite him being a primitive predator, I can¡¯t help but to think of him as a kid that I¡¯m worried about. Perhaps he wants time to himself, so I don¡¯t know if I should try to visit. ¡°Hunter hasn¡¯t left his room, not even for mealtimes.¡± I leaned back in my chair, fidgeting with concern. ¡°The UN leaves care packages outside the guests¡¯ doors, and those have disappeared so¡­I know he¡¯s handling his basic needs. I don¡¯t know how he¡¯d feel about me barging in, or if I¡¯d even be helpful. Maybe someone like Onso would be better, you know, since they both grew up without technology, and the Yotul is even more primitive than him.¡± The psychologist issued a sharp cough, and leveled a forceful stare at my skull. ¡°Sovlin.¡± ¡°Oh, for fuck¡¯s sake! How much can you really expect of me? Just let me finish¡ªthe uplift has his own cryopod human, and¡¯s been running her ear off instead of me, which is good. I¡¯m glad to have a break from him. But that means Hunter is my responsibility¡­I don¡¯t know what to do, and I don¡¯t want to ask anyone else. Does he want to talk? Do I help him out during our shore leave on Earth?¡± ¡°Hunter must be extremely lonely and confused; I¡¯d be happy to fit him into my schedule, if that was something he wanted down the road. What a unique set of circumstances. Why don¡¯t you knock on his door, and ask if he¡¯d like to speak with you? That¡¯s the quickest way to find out whether he wants space, and how deep of a rut he¡¯s in.¡± ¡°Okay. Then what?¡± ¡°From there, assuming he¡¯s receptive to your presence, you can offer to bring him up to speed on Earth and modern amenities. Do not thumb your nose at him, or talk down to him. That¡¯s the least helpful attitude you can have. Be kind. Listen.¡± ¡°Those are not my specialties.¡± ¡°You were a good father to Hania, Sovlin, and a good teacher to Recel. You know how to be supportive, and you know how to be a mentor.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Thank you.¡± ¡°Of course. Our time is up, but please, reach out if Hunter is in a crisis. Go speak to him.¡± ¡°Will do. Take care, Doctor.¡± The human terminated the video call, and I hopped out of my chair without hesitation. Procrastinating wouldn¡¯t make it any easier to reach out to Hunter; I¡¯d fret over the ancient predator¡¯s wishes regardless of when I took this first step. When he first woke up from the pod, I¡¯d promised to do anything I could to help, despite my cluelessness on how to accomplish that. It was my responsibility, as a representative of the UN, to coax him to adapt. Even if it wasn¡¯t my job, I pity the ordeal he¡¯s been through. Maybe I can find more ¡°small steps¡± for him to take, once we land on Earth. I can try to be his friend. After my lengthy stint aboard this ship, it was no challenge to find my way around. I could discern which humans were primitive civilians and which ones were military crew by who paid me any attention; most ancients weren¡¯t quite used to aliens walking around yet. The designated quarters were tucked near the rear of the ship, with little to offer in the way of luxury. My gaze landed on an unassuming door, which was assigned to Hunter. I drew a nervous breath, and rapped my claws against the frame. ¡°Hunter? It¡¯s Sovlin,¡± I called out. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to bother you or invade your privacy, but¡­it¡¯s been awhile, and I wanted to see if you¡¯re alright. I can go away if you¡ª¡± The door swung open, and a disheveled Hunter blinked red, puffy eyes. The human pressed a hand to the frame, leaning his body weight forward; I could see him wiping snot from his nose with the other. Scruff had taken up residence on his chin, a sign that he¡¯d abandoned his grooming habits. Behind him, I could see the deep indentation in his twin-sized mattress that suggested he¡¯d hardly left his bed. Hunter cleared his throat, before speaking in a voice scratchy from disuse. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°We¡¯re almost home, to Earth. A few hours away.¡± ¡°Yeah. Cool, I guess.¡± ¡°I was worried about you¡­I looked for you in the mess hall and the rec room, but never saw you. I assumed you want to be alone.¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t have much energy, man. It all hit me like a freight train, and I miss everyone so much it hurts. Didn¡¯t even get to say goodbye. Going home is a daunting prospect, there¡¯s a war with literal aliens, and I have pretty much nothing to live for, when you think about it. And I thought about it. I had my whole life ahead of me, mapped out and doing stuff I loved, but now it¡¯s just a question mark.¡± ¡°Fuck that. Find a way to do the stuff you loved. What if you tell me about your past, about you, and I¡¯ll help you wade into this scary future? I promised I¡¯d do what I could, and I meant it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m supposed to have fun anymore.¡± ¡°Then my mission is to make you smile. Just so you know, teeth-baring is a sign of aggression from every species but yours. A lot of people saw it as a sign that humans were hostile.¡± Hunter couldn¡¯t help but grin at the absurdity. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me.¡± ¡°There¡¯s the smile! Not kidding though. I don¡¯t exactly do jokes, so Sovlin comedy won¡¯t be on your itinerary. What do you say about seeing your homeworld from the bridge, and getting a tour of the ship? My human friends told me, at your time, not very many people saw Earth from space. The grandness of it all is magical. You can be one of the earliest people to witness it, sort of.¡± ¡°Okay. I don¡¯t see why not¡­stretch my legs, at least.¡± I grabbed the human¡¯s hand, pulling him down the hallway; that action seemed to take him by surprise, and earned stares from passing crew. Hunter couldn¡¯t have the opportunity to withdraw back to his room. He needed a push to adjust to his new circumstances, and to witness the novel, beautiful things surrounding him. Life returned to his amber gaze, as we hustled through the ship passageways. I released his palm at the bridge, and gestured with a sweep of my paw toward the viewport. FTL travel was done in staggered, pre-approved increments within the Sol system, as a wide berth was considered restricted space since Earth¡¯s attack. This time, Hunter took a good look at the starry night sky and the outer planets; icy rings surrounded a dust-colored world, a massive giant that we passed by. The ancient human released a shrill noise, which I¡¯d learned was a whistle. On Talsk, he¡¯d been too dispirited to appreciate orbital bodies. Now, he could witness the striking majesty of his native Sol¡¯s great expanse. I passed the captain¡¯s chair, currently-unoccupied, and approached the viewport. Wonder lit up the predator¡¯s amber gaze; Hunter followed me closer to the screen. He reached out with a hand, as if he felt he could touch the planet. Moisture saturated his reddened-eyes, and he dropped his arm back to his side in wordless awe. I drifted my claw across the abyssal blackness on the display, pointing to a faint blue dot. ¡°That¡¯s your home. A tiny beacon in a dark universe,¡± I breathed. Hunter pawed his tears away. ¡°There¡¯s no place like home.¡± I stood next to the human, as we peered out at the Sol system¡¯s contents. With the success of my stargazing idea, it seemed more plausible that I could help the misplaced predator. Once we arrived at Earth, I could fulfill my promise to help him navigate the staggering changes that had transpired. My mission was teaching one Terran about his people¡¯s achievements in the past centuries, and guiding him through the current landscape of his homeworld. A lot had changed since Hunter was last on this planet, but I was determined that we¡¯d tackle the present reality together. Chapter 131 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, United Nations Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: February 1, 2137 Tyler Cardona solved our logistical issues, with the plan to show Hunter around Earth; he invited us to lodge at his apartment in Columbus. The blond officer was slated to handle some interrogations of the Archives personnel during the days, but otherwise was free for shore leave like the rest of us. Oddly, Marcel¡¯s friend was non-specific about the specifics of those questioning sessions; yet again, I got the impression there was something I didn¡¯t know about the people taken from the base. Tyler only stated that it was better the less I was made aware of. If the humans were torturing Farsul staff, I couldn¡¯t blame them for succumbing to fury. Earth couldn¡¯t afford negative public relations now, though, from what I heard. Rumblings reached my ears, as we departed Monahan¡¯s ship, that the United Nations was planning a massive diplomatic convention. Venlil Prime was especially shaken by the news that the Federation had performed drastic alterations on them, and the issue had taken front and center in their election. I wondered if these discoveries would be what toppled the Kolshian-Farsul conspiracy for good. The Farsul won¡¯t be around on the galactic stage anymore, regardless; they¡¯re banished to their homeworld for the foreseeable future. The duration of the war, at the minimum. After a rough night¡¯s sleep on a water mattress, I awoke to the sound of a slamming fridge door. Hunter was already awake, and Tyler was showing him the icebox¡¯s contents. Did ancient Terrans have the concept of freezing food, or did they worry about spoilage at all, with fresh prey available for consumption? It would become evident quite soon how advanced (or not) the 1960s human was. I wished again that the Yotul, Tyler¡¯s exchange partner, was here to manage the primitive-minded aspects of this stay on Earth. ¡°Everyone likes mac n¡¯ cheese. See, I can cook!¡± Officer Cardona strode over to a microwave and popped the door open. He then fumbled with the packaging box, sliding a small carton out. ¡°That work for you, Hunter?¡± The ancient predator squinted at the box, staring at the ice crystals within. ¡°You eat this¡­cold? Oh shit, is that one of those fancy microwave things? I heard those irradiate your food, and take all the nutrients out. Hell, I even heard the Soviets use it for mind control.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous,¡± I chimed in. ¡°It heats up water molecules. It¡¯s basic science.¡± ¡°It¡¯s like putting nuclear fallout in your food!¡± ¡°The radiation isn¡¯t ionized. And mind control? Were your people st¡ª¡± Tyler coughed, before sliding the tray into the microwave. ¡°Let me just punch a few buttons. It¡¯s perfectly safe, I promise. We¡¯ve had hundreds of years to see if it¡¯s not, y¡¯know?¡± ¡°Exactly. Regardless, why would humans ever think something so crazy and unfounded?!¡± ¡°Says the one raised in the Federation.¡± ¡°Ouch, Tyler. You¡¯re comparing Dossur to Mazics there.¡± ¡°It was a different time. Humans had less refined views on¡­many things. Like the Captain told you, we had enough nukes pointed at each other to end civilization in one go. Isn¡¯t that right, Hunter?¡± The brown-haired primate nodded. ¡°Yeah. You see, the Soviets want to destroy democracy itself¡ªthey¡¯d like it if we¡¯re all communists! When I was in school, we did drills of nuclear attacks, and the teachers had us hide under desks.¡± I couldn¡¯t avoid gaping in horror, as a mental image materialized. Had humans really taught their children that they could be irradiated at any time, the way the Federation did with predator attacks? The rhetoric would sound paranoid and unhinged, if there hadn¡¯t been a very real threat of nuclear annihilation. I couldn¡¯t imagine living in a world where the possibility of self-inflicted extinction loomed over their heads. What was the point of hiding under a desk against an atomic bomb? Furthermore, the translator took its time chewing on the first part Hunter said, before conveying ¡°communism¡± as a classless society. It wasn¡¯t evident to me what that had to do with democracy, but Hunter spat the term with disgust. Carlos¡¯ words from back at Sillis, about not viewing others as people, rang in my ears. Perhaps this nuclear standoff originated from an ideological rift? It sounded like this ¡°Soviet¡± tribe, a name I¡¯d never heard before, were viewed as the enemy in Hunter¡¯s territory. ¡°What¡¯s bad about a classless society?¡± I queried. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t equality be a good thing?¡± The microwave dinged, but Hunter¡¯s eyes were boring into my skull. ¡°Oh fuck, are the aliens commies? Did¡­did the Soviets win? We didn¡¯t try hard enough to sniff ¡®em out¡­shit, they¡¯d kill me for criticizing them and all. Lay it on me, Sovlin.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know Earthlings¡­killed people for free speech? I have no idea who these ¡®Soviet¡¯ people are, and I have no equivalent for the word communism. From what my translator says, it sounds like an unattainable ideal. If ancient humans knew how to have everyone get by, I am all ears. I joined our military to provide for my family; it was a well-paying, respectable career.¡± ¡°Sovlin, most countries today have lax laws on speech, and you won¡¯t be taken to the handful that don¡¯t.¡± Tyler placed the steaming food by Hunter, handing him a plastic fork. ¡°You can say whatever you like about humans and our government. It¡¯s considered a basic right.¡± Hunter pushed waxy yellow food around with his silverware. ¡°You¡¯ve never heard of the Soviets?!¡± ¡°Sovlin has no reason to know them. The Soviet Union collapsed at the end of the twentieth century. Broke into several independent countries.¡± ¡°That¡¯s righteous! And now that I think about it, the Aussie called me a ¡®Yank¡¯, so USA still exists?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± ¡°Unreal. I was surprised you let a chick carry a gun¡­she sure didn¡¯t act very ladylike. Must be distracting, having eye candy around on the battlefield. The tongue on that one¡­seemed like a shrew.¡± I flinched with surprise, hearing such objectifying and belittling remarks from the primitive predator. The blond human looked appalled, and his eyebrows arched up with disgust. Officer Cardona¡¯s fists clenched and unclenched, while his teeth baring seemed like the unfriendly kind. Reading between the lines, I could sense that ancient Terrans didn¡¯t believe females belonged in certain professions. It also sounded like Sam¡¯s speech patterns didn¡¯t align with the passivity Hunter viewed as fitting. Did the males see themselves as better, due to a higher propensity toward physical strength? Maybe Earth truly wasn¡¯t a charitable society when we observed them. ¡°The fuck did you just say?¡± Tyler hissed. Hunter chewed on a mouthful of food. ¡°What? I mean, it¡¯s bonkers. They¡¯re the fairer sex. Pretty girl like that belongs at home, not fighting aliens on another planet.¡± ¡°Look, I know that was the prevailing thought in your times, but you better drop that idea quick. You¡¯re gonna get some teeth knocked out, if you don¡¯t. If Sam¡¯s capable of doing the job and willing to take the risks, why shouldn¡¯t she serve? It doesn¡¯t matter who you are or where you¡¯re from. Everyone has an equal chance to prove themselves nowadays.¡± ¡°You¡¯re getting hot under the collar there. I only want to protect women! Was polite to her when she was around. I didn¡¯t mean for you to come unglued or anything¡­like I told Sovlin, I don¡¯t belong here. Clearly culture isn¡¯t the same.¡± ¡°You call denigrating half of humanity cultural?¡± I growled. Tyler palmed his head. ¡°Tolerance is part of what I meant about ¡®less refined views.¡¯ It¡¯s no different from you calling us predators and your insults toward Onso. It¡¯s not an excuse, but I don¡¯t think Hunter knows better¡­stems from a place of ignorance.¡± Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. There must¡¯ve been recent changes in humans as a species after all, so I gleaned some insight into how the Federation could frame pre-FTL Earth as an uncivilized world. Perhaps Hunter had some problematic views from his upbringing, though I didn¡¯t imagine it could be that difficult to show him the errors in his thinking. There were some positives in notions he espoused, such as democracy and the right to critical speech. On a separate note, Tyler¡¯s arguments about my predator hatred being similar fell flat; that was related to personal trauma. Why would anyone else cling to biases, when shown the flaws in their thought? Especially a primitive waking up¡­Hunter should realize he needs to catch up with more enlightened minds. Hunter abandoned his half-eaten meal, and padded over to the couch with a frustrated look. He cradled his head in his hands, breathing a flustered sigh. The human snatched a remote, but looked confused by the sea of buttons on the touch interface. He set it back on the coffee table, wringing his hands in frustration. Tears welled in his eyes, which I suspected was his overwhelming dread returning. I found myself a spot next to him, and picked up the remote. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna make it a day here,¡± Hunter groaned. ¡°My opinions seem to be an issue.¡± I switched on the streaming services. ¡°Oh, have I ever been there. I¡¯m still there! It¡¯s hard to know that there¡¯s a problem with your thinking, when it¡¯s how you were taught. If you¡¯re open-minded and you try to be kind, it¡¯ll all work out.¡± ¡°Tyler thinks I¡¯m ignorant...¡± ¡°Let¡¯s drop the subject, and revisit how, er, societal norms have¡­changed later. Why don¡¯t you tell me what you were studying in school?¡± ¡°I was getting an economics degree. First person in my family to go to college, didn¡¯t wanna work on a farm forever. Studying the markets and managing finances, the ebb and flow of the entire system¡­I enjoyed it. Your turn. Why did you wind up joining humanity¡¯s cause after your planet fell?¡± ¡°I did terrible things fighting against Earth, because I hated predators and I wanted you to suffer. I turned myself in when I realized you were genuine people.¡± ¡°What terrible things did you do? Like Hitler stuff?¡± ¡°Like¡­who? Wait, I heard that name when that Coth abomination was talking about the Arxur¡¯s ¡®Prophet.¡¯¡± ¡°A ruthless, murderous despot, Sovlin, a name spoken with disgust on Earth to this day,¡± Tyler chimed in. ¡°Both of you shouldn¡¯t ask about topics that will cause only anguish.¡± Hunter narrowed his eyes. ¡°Uh¡­was Sovlin actually like that?!¡± ¡°No. He tortured a POW. I¡¯m not making excuses for him, but Marcel¡­the victim agrees that Sovlin has suffered immensely for his acts, and wants him forgiven.¡± ¡°Wow¡­honestly, knowing his background, I was expecting something a lot worse. Next question. What are those rectangle graphics you¡¯re cycling through on the TV?¡± I glanced down at my paw, realizing I was skimming through the humans¡¯ media collection on autopilot. The fact that Hunter glossed right over my crimes made me wonder what the metrics for evil were back in his times. From what Tyler said and past comparisons to Arxur figures, it stood to reason that Earth was once home to predators of unfathomable cruelty. Most Terrans possessed even-keel dispositions and were emotional creatures, but the savage outliers could gain power then. Laws and morals weren¡¯t as stringent on a societal scale, or so I was beginning to gather. ¡°This is a streaming service. That¡¯s where that ¡®video stream¡¯ phrase came from earlier. It has a collection of movies and shows that you browse,¡± I explained. Hunter¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°And you can watch any of them?! There¡¯s¡­hundreds of options!¡± ¡°Thousands, more like. Every film known to man is on one subscription service or another.¡± Tyler moseyed over from the kitchen, gnawing on a breakfast bar. He plopped himself into a reclining chair. ¡°Stop and start it at your leisure, binge watch an entire TV season if you want, no ads on the full tiers. Cable hasn¡¯t existed at all for over fifty years.¡± ¡°That¡¯s unreal. You have unlimited¡­constant entertainment. The pictures on those, uh, movie reels look so clear too! We had three TV channels, and you watched whatever was on. Primetime just switched fully to color this year¡­what was ¡®this year¡¯ for me.¡± ¡°Are you saying your television wasn¡¯t in color?!¡± I asked in bewilderment. ¡°How do you have a visual show without using any colors? Was it just an audio ¡®show¡¯, like a podcast?¡± ¡°A what? Is podcast like radio?¡± Tyler jumped in. ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s accessed by episode at leisure. And Sovlin, TV in its early days was in black-and-white¡­monochrome, if you know that word.¡± ¡°I see,¡± I breathed. I¡¯ve never heard of such a primitive visual medium. ¡°Well, why don¡¯t we pick out a movie?¡± ¡°You just passed Satellite Wars with Manny Griffin! I love that movie; we can give you and Hunter a history crash course.¡± Mimicking a human shrug, I clicked on the title Tyler mentioned. Studio introductions gave way to a burning fire, before the camera panned up to a missile slamming into a power station¡¯s smokestacks. Screams were echoing through the air, as panicked actors ran across the screen. The camera cut to a predator that I vaguely recognized from the Escape from the Cradle promos, who had a panicked look in his binocular eyes. Dirt and grime was smeared across his oily skin. Holy shit! Why would they show what¡¯s basically a raid in such vivid detail? You can see the missiles hit! The lead actor, likely Manny Griffin, was helping a half-conscious human limp along. Orange light detonated behind them, and the two primates went flying. The camera dropped to the ground, turning blurry as a ringing sound echoed through the speakers. My spines were bristling from the intensity of the scene. The fog cleared from the lens, showing Terran hands fumbling to get up. The shot followed Manny, who was calling out the missing comrade¡¯s name. The human¡¯s eye whites suddenly became glaring; it was a look of primal horror, before he skidded over to a shrapnel pile. I shrieked, realizing the actor was kneeling by a bloodied corpse. The violence was graphic and uncensored, photorealistic even! A pole punctured through the fallen primate¡¯s heart, and purple-red liquid soaked through his white shirt. I averted my eyes, trying not to throw up while Manny issued a despairing wail on screen. ¡°Oh my¡­they actually showed the injury!¡± Hunter had gasped at the gory sight as well, despite supposedly being from a more violent Earth than Tyler. ¡°That looks real. That¡¯s¡­worse than Psycho.¡± I kept my gaze on the floor. ¡°T-that is a sick thing to show the audiences, in the opening scene no less. They didn¡¯t show blood in your time, Hunter?¡± ¡°Not many did¡­it was pretty taboo. Brutality shouldn¡¯t be depicted in detail.¡± Tyler paused the movie, scratching his scalp. ¡°Maybe this was a bad idea. This is about the human cost of the Sat Wars, so there¡¯s a lot of stuff getting destroyed and chaos.¡± ¡°I see why you humans censor your movies around us,¡± I grumbled. ¡°I can¡¯t believe a pri¡ªancient Terran has a better take on immortalizing brutality than you! Though I shouldn¡¯t be surprised, when you play games about shooting other humans.¡± ¡°He does what?!¡± Hunter demanded. ¡°Man, what is wrong with you? Are you a serial killer, to even call that a game?¡± The blond Terran snorted. ¡°For fuck¡¯s sake, I feel like I¡¯m talking to Sovlin. It¡¯s adrenaline, a power fantasy, and it¡¯s a normal pastime nowadays!¡± ¡°Please tell me you¡¯re joking. This planet is nothing like the one I left. There¡¯s no wading into the future; it¡¯s more having an ocean of madness dropped on my head!¡± Hunter had his nose scrunched with disgust, though this time, I agreed with his input. The display of violence modern Terrans treated as entertainment was revolting. The primitive primate stalked off to the guest room, and Tyler watched him leave. So far, I¡¯d failed in my promise to help the out-of-time predator integrate with his homeworld. I¡¯d only learned disturbing things about his time period and views, yet Officer Cardona still managed to surpass Hunter¡¯s violence tolerance. Humans are exhausting. How can one species be such an enigma, and have such an extensive collection of sordid oddities? Hunter¡¯s response to bloodshed afforded a definitive answer to his thoughts on violence, and willingness to perpetrate it himself in a bind. He would¡¯ve gotten sick boarding the cattle ship back at the cradle, just as Carlos had! Despite understanding his backward worldview better now, I had no idea how to help him adjust to the norms of the modern era. Whatever the reawakened Terran said, this was only wading into Earth¡¯s offerings; there were greater extremes on the scales of both technology and entertainment than we saw today. ¡°We haven¡¯t even introduced him to every alien species, and the history of the galaxy yet,¡± I remarked to Tyler. ¡°We haven¡¯t tried to locate his current relatives. From the stuff in your apartment alone, he¡¯s having a reaction to just about everything.¡± The blond human sighed. ¡°Just about everything has changed. The hand of progress moves things forward, y¡¯know? You and I would be lost 150 years in the future too.¡± ¡°Forget the future. I¡¯m lost in the present.¡± ¡°Hey, you¡¯re not alone in that. It¡¯s hard thinking for yourself. But you¡¯re part of the whole ¡®hand of progress¡¯ now. 150 years from now, I want us to still be here and the Kolshians to not.¡± ¡°You and me both. We¡¯ll have to see what comes of your hush-hush diplomatic convention. Maybe the Archives will change things.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know much, man. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be broadcasted back home, when it goes down. Some alien hotshots are coming into town, and the UN¡¯s silence is more about figuring out how to sell it to the Humanity First crowd. The truth about the uplifting shit has all of our allies rattled though, so we gotta seize the day.¡± ¡°The Venlil must be losing their minds. I wonder how Slanek is doing.¡± Tyler¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°I know the answer to that. It¡¯s not my business to say more, but Slanek¡­isn¡¯t well. Not to mention, the Battle of Mileau is still ongoing, deadlocked.¡± That declaration made my heart sink, as I recalled how angry Marcel¡¯s exchange partner had been after my appearance. The Venlil had been through tremendous trauma, bouncing between grueling battlefields and watching a friend¡¯s torture. Part of whatever was hurting him was my fault. The new revelations about Venlilkind could have been the stressor that tipped the scale, and lent to a full-on breakdown. There was nothing I could do to help Slanek and Marcel, however; I had to focus on the person I could still make a positive impact for. There had to be options available to aid Hunter in fitting in, and learning the proper etiquette of our time. Humans were fundamentally different all those years ago, in some ways. Good traits worth salvaging existed within him nonetheless, so I wasn¡¯t going to write him off as a savage predator yet. Chapter 132 Memory transcription subject: Chief Hunter Isif, Arxur Rebellion Command Date [standardized human time]: February 2, 2137 The insurgency landed some major gains against Betterment, after successful plots with infiltrators on Wriss. Improvised explosives targeted shipyards, government buildings, and military barracks, with human intelligence disseminating ways to homebrew such munitions. It took several detonations for Arxur officials to catch onto the package bomb tactics, which flattened a few offices; one took out a wing of Prophet-Descendant Giznel¡¯s palace, though unfortunately, the government¡¯s head wasn¡¯t around. My job was selecting which ships to assign to liberate cattle from various sectors. Of course, the last thing I wanted was for the Arxur populace to starve; however, if Betterment failed to fill the citizenry¡¯s stomach anymore, and the rebellion was teeming with food, it pushed more recruits into our arms. Risking our lives to rescue prey was not something I would¡¯ve dreamt up of my volition, but I was trying to entice the UN to see us as honorable allies. Blowing thousands of herbivores out of the sky to ¡°liberate¡± them would earn a disapproving nod from Zhao¡¯s people, so we turned to piracy tactics instead. Successful missions led to my people returning cattle, with no demands made, to a Terran subsidiary. The rescued herbivores must¡¯ve been confused to see Arxur in a gunfight amongst themselves, and then handing them off to a free society. We received a warm reception as we docked at the human worlds; I didn¡¯t know that the primates had the manpower to attend to rescues, but they would find some place for the livestock. After those positive deeds, we talked the Earthlings into providing air support, when we offered to raid a cattle world in the Mazic¡¯s sector. Zhao is still leery of taking on the Dominion, especially since Giznel is targeting my faction rather than Earth. Supposedly, the Battle of Mileau had mixed results¡­a stalemate in the kindest interpretation. I don¡¯t know how humanity can hope to take Aafa, let alone Wriss. Our task was to survive and create chaos, for as long as was necessary. The downfall of the Dominion wasn¡¯t going to happen overnight. Still, it was rejuvenating not to have to perform cruel actions to retain my title, and to see other defectives living open lives. The clips the United Nations forwarded from the Archives validated that empathetic dispositions were once common. Before Betterment began culling ¡°weak¡± individuals, Wriss touted a number of creative talents and ethical camps! Selecting for violence and aggression weeded out the vibrant emotions that we once possessed; while we were a solitary species, we aspired to higher ideals. Wriss had been excited to learn from alien cultures, and the Farsul narrators seemed confused about whether our peace offer was ever genuine. Immense sorrow crashed down on me, realizing what our race once was. Perhaps we could be sophisticated sapients, devoted to reason and honor, once more. Zhao vaguely mentioned an additional Archives discovery pertaining to Wriss¡¯ past, but claimed that he hadn¡¯t decided what to do with it yet. I wasn¡¯t sure what to make of that statement. The Secretary-General promised to explain the missing tidbit down the line, so in the interest of placating humanity, I opted not to push for answers. If it was vital to the war efforts, the information would¡¯ve been passed along with the initial package. ¡°Good morning! Lisa, Isif, please provide your daily, ¡®You were right about everything, Olek¡¯ statement!¡± The conspiracy theorist human bore a sickly-sweet grin, and I wished I could smack the smug expression off his face with my tail. ¡°I guess the Federation abducting humans wasn¡¯t that crazy, now was it?¡± Lisa huffed in irritation. ¡°It¡¯s been weeks since the Archives raid. Are you going to bring this up every day? How many times do you need us to stroke your ego?¡± ¡°You told me every day that I¡¯m crazy, and detached from reality, so I expect an equal number of acknowledgments of how wrong you were. Even after I was spot on about the Feds doing gene probing on their own lot, nobody thought, ¡®Hey, maybe Olek¡¯s onto something, they¡¯d do it to us too!¡¯¡± ¡°A broken clock is right twice a day. So you¡¯ve been right twice, and you¡¯re still a broken clock. I¡¯m still waiting for the death ray predictions to pan out.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s different. Human institutions are better at covering up conspiracies, so you gotta look at the facts. Follow the money!¡± ¡°You¡¯re insufferable,¡± I jumped in. ¡°What do you get out of all this baseless speculation, leaf-licker?¡± Felra twitched her whiskers. ¡°Olek doesn¡¯t trust people. Can I tell Siffy why?¡± ¡°I guess,¡± the human grumbled. ¡°His parents were pronounced as dead in a car crash, but he never got to see the bodies. They were reporters. He thinks the government, his or otherwise, made them disappear.¡± ¡°I¡­kinda thought they were abducted by aliens, but it doesn¡¯t seem the Feddies visited Earth recently. So that leaves human players. You see, the elites just want to keep power, and they do that by ensuring that we mindlessly consume and follow their narratives. The game is rigged from the start, but they want us to keep playing!¡± Lisa pursed her lips. ¡°Olek¡­I don¡¯t know how to say this, but did you ever think their bodies weren¡¯t fit for burial? That¡­they didn¡¯t recover them intact? Your relatives might¡¯ve kept that knowledge from you.¡± ¡°The relatives who wouldn¡¯t take me in, and sent me to a group home? Ah, yes, those people definitely had my best interests at heart.¡± ¡°Maybe the bodies were burned,¡± Felra offered. ¡°I had a classmate who got killed in a predator attack, on school property. The exterminators torched the defiled body, and the entire building.¡± The humans and I stared at the Dossur with the same amount of bewilderment, processing her story. What predator managed to sneak into an urbanized children¡¯s facility? Why did the prey creatures insist on burning anything that so much as looked at a predator? It wasn¡¯t clear what happened to Olek¡¯s parents, but I could guarantee that the leaf-licking primates wouldn¡¯t do something so moronic. Granted, corpses could be vectors for disease transmission, but this hardly sounded like an issue of public health. I thought empathetic creatures mourned their loved ones in ritualistic fashion? That Dossur¡¯s parents would accept the exterminators burning the remains of their child? ¡°We don¡¯t do that.¡± Lisa was blinking in rapid succession, as though something occurred to her. ¡°We perform autopsies on violent deaths. Why would the exterminators burn the bodies?¡± Felra twitched her whiskers. ¡°The predator¡¯s saliva and DNA is on the body.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t answer her question, rodent,¡± I growled. ¡°What if those¡­chemicals, got into the water supply, or were absorbed into the soil and then to plants? It could cause a dangerous strain of predator disease. It was clearly from a savage monster, after all.¡± ¡°This is the most unscientific, sniveling nonsense I¡¯ve heard from a leaf-licker! So you¡¯re saying because I picked you up with my claws, you contracted predator disease and need to be burned? I am¡­a contaminant to you?¡± The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°It¡¯s plenty verifiable. Being around predators made me want to try carcass food, so it does prove their point. It¡¯s worth it to me; besides, you¡¯re a good predator. I told you I thought there were harmless predator disease strains, and you¡¯re harmless!¡± ¡°I am NOT harmless! That is insulting to say, Felra. I am a fearsome hunter¡ªmurderers and marauders cower at my name.¡± Lisa feigned a yawn. ¡°You¡¯re melty on the inside. And for the record, that¡¯s not an insult. It¡¯s a good thing to have a heart. Have you noticed humans don¡¯t like cruel monsters? My sister had me convinced you were people-eating menaces, until I met you.¡± ¡°You showed us both that Arxur can be different,¡± Felra said. ¡°I thought you were gonna eat me, but then I saw you really cared! More than anyone else I¡¯ve known. I¡¯m sure now more than ever that nobody deserves to be alone.¡± ¡°Felra and you are just adorable together! Now, I¡¯ve led some teams for the UN, some sensitive missions, but a rebellion like this¡­you have a cause, an important one. That means something. I like you because you stand for an ideal.¡± My eyes narrowed to slits. ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say. The Arxur following me would love to hear we¡¯re chasing some illusory concept, yes? And I¡¯m sure they¡¯d be thrilled that leaf-lickers like their leader for being defective. I¡¯m harmless, is that not so?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay to care and to have feelings! I know you¡¯re strong, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯d hurt people for no reason¡­that¡¯s all,¡± Felra chittered. ¡°Speaking of people you did hurt, where is Kaisal?¡± Lisa tilted her head. ¡°Yeah. He should be here by now. He¡¯s usually punctual, so I wonder if something¡¯s wrong with him.¡± ¡°Kaisal has been nothing but a negative presence on this bridge, so I¡¯ve asked him to work alone.¡± I flared my nostrils, simmering at the memories of the runt. ¡°As long he files his reports, I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be necessary to break his tail again.¡± ¡°You sent him away, Siffy? I get that you did it for me, but I don¡¯t want that,¡± the Dossur squeaked. ¡°Kaisal isn¡¯t the last gray that hates prey that you¡¯ll have to handle. If I¡¯m gonna stick around as your friend, you have to do better.¡± ¡°I tried discipline! I tried feeding him well, and giving him power! What do you want me to do, pet him?¡± ¡°Silly Arxur, I have to be the first sapient you pet! I¡¯ll be jealous if not. Now, we¡¯re gonna go find Kaisy, and we¡¯re gonna be nice to him.¡± The two humans shared a glance, before gesturing for Felra and I to go on without them. Judging by that wordless exchange, it was possible they agreed with my exclusion of Kaisal from the group; the scrawny Arxur hadn¡¯t become the open-minded successor that I hoped for, nor had he been helpful as a second. The Dossur truly was deranged, if she thought showing defectiveness to the condescending runt would change his stance. Why did my best friend care about the treatment of someone who viewed her as food? This is what happens when empathy runs haywire; it is weakness when it¡¯s not contained. I checked that the Dossur was balanced enough for me to walk, and strolled out of the conference room. Kaisal¡¯s quarters were on the opposite side of our cordoned-off area from my lodgings, which was intended to keep him distanced from Felra during leisure time. Gasping noises reached my sensitive hearing long before we arrived at our destination; I narrowed my eyes with suspicion. Had the scrawny Arxur managed to re-injure himself through incompetence? I quickened my pace, flinging open the door with slight worry. It seemed wasteful if anything were to happen to Kaisal, after the effort I¡¯d put into training him. Felra chittered as she noticed the Arxur sniffling, and cocooning himself in a blanket. He appeared to have been sleeping, though he jolted awake after our noisy entry. The runt struggled to collect himself, but mucus still dripped from his nostrils. Before I realized what happened, Felra leapt down onto the bed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Kaisal?¡± I asked, scooping the Dossur back onto my shoulder before she could get eaten. ¡°I have felt sadness and loss before, yes? My understanding will surpass the average Arxur¡¯s.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just the latest person to bully or trick me into doing what you want¡­you¡¯re forcing me to tolerate that prey animal even now! Everyone laughs at my weakness. I didn¡¯t want to join the war. I tried to defect to Earth, twice, and they shipped me back to the Dominion. I¡¯m used and discarded at every turn, and my life is nothing but suffering.¡± ¡°How can you possibly be suffering? You are well-fed, and elevated to a powerful role, are you not?¡± ¡°Being able to feel something other than hunger, it¡¯s just as awful as starving. I think about things¡­I revisit things and it hurts¡­¡± The Dossur attempted to wriggle off my shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s called guilt, Kaisal. You can¡¯t see me as anything more than a thoughtless animal without feeling it. You blame me for what happened to the Arxur, when you know it was the Farsul and the Kolshians. We could be civil with each other.¡± ¡°I¡­HATE YOU! You were involved. You helped them make us live like this!¡± I lashed my tail. ¡°Don¡¯t roar at¡ª¡± ¡°Stop, Siffy! I can speak for myself,¡± Felra hissed. ¡°Have you not seen that Betterment were knowingly helping the Kolshians, a lot more than any of us? The reason you¡¯re starving, and you live like this, is your own government slaughtered your actual animals. They didn¡¯t care what happened!¡± ¡°I hate them too! Why do you think I defected? But you just squeak and babble on about soft nonsense, every day. You know nothing, and you contribute nothing; you weaken us with your squeaking gibberish!¡± The scrawny Arxur kept his head pointed away from us, and his sides heaved with uneven breaths. I was tempted to explode at him for those comments, but Felra shot me a scathing look as I opened my maw. With flaring nostrils, I let her leap off my shoulder. Kaisal hissed with disgust, as the rodent crawled up his arm. Her ginger fur looked bright, compared to the shadowy interior and his gray scales. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be in a war, we need to make peace. We don¡¯t have to like each other,¡± Felra said. ¡°It¡¯s time for prey to see predators as people¡­and predators to see prey as people, not food. Nobody should live like we do now; can¡¯t you agree to that?¡± Kaisal fixed his eyes, which were narrowed to slits, on her. ¡°I hate this war as much as I hate you. Get away from me!¡± ¡°So we agree on ending the war? That¡¯s a good start. Hey, I know you don¡¯t want to be alone. Siffy and I are friends, so you don¡¯t have to hate me.¡± I picked the Dossur up, returning her to my shoulder again. ¡°I¡­am just trying to make things better, Kaisal, in the only way I know how. If you work with me, and make an effort with Felra, I can enable your success. I do not wish to discard you, but I must protect her. Come back to the briefing, if that is your desire.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be there in a few moments,¡± the runt grumbled. I ambled out of his quarters, and moved my pupils toward Felra. The Dossur looked quite pleased with herself; she¡¯d handled herself with more fortitude and discretion than I could¡¯ve anticipated, given Kaisal¡¯s hostility. It was true that other Arxur would share those feelings toward prey, so it would behoove me to discover how to change their opinions now. If Betterment was overthrown, I did wish for the needless war and carnage to cease. Too many sapients have died and lived wretched lives. With the hatred between our peoples, how could we ever achieve lasting peace? ¡°I do not think the Federation wants peace, Felra. Convincing the Arxur is easier, and as you can see, that¡¯s not easy in the slightest,¡± I remarked. The Dossur tilted her head. ¡°I¡¯ve told you multiple times to reach out to the Federation, and make amends for the awful things that have happened. You could get some herbivore allies.¡± ¡°They do not want to talk to us, yes? I know that is your hope, but it is a fantasy. It is not within the realm of possibility.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know that. You haven¡¯t even tried! Trying worked for the humans.¡± ¡°The humans haven¡¯t done what we¡¯ve done, and their ¡®allies¡¯ are lukewarm at best¡­ten percent of the Federation was willing to consider not slaughtering them.¡± ¡°You could reach out to that ten percent. Send a message to their diplomatic summit. Maybe Zhao would help plead your case!¡± ¡°The reason the humans won¡¯t associate with us is twofold¡ªit¡¯s partly because it would kill their reputation with said allies. I wasn¡¯t invited, and I doubt they¡¯d show me to the main location if I turned up at the hand-off. I won¡¯t interfere with their get-together, so get that idea out of your head.¡± ¡°Then figure out where they¡¯re having the meeting on your own! You could follow them and try to deliver a message, or at least ask Zhao instead of assuming he¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s not happening, rodent!¡± The Dossur ducked her head, drooping her whiskers in a way that made me feel guilt. The simple fact was that there was no fixing the rift between the Arxur and the rest of the galaxy; the bad blood stemmed from generational trauma and heinous atrocities. No rebellion could depict us as anything other than monsters, except to the humans. Even the primates hadn¡¯t always been sympathetic, due to their open disgust toward our cattle practices. I could never tolerate the derision the humans had subjected themselves to, regardless. The goal of my rebellion was to undermine the Dominion, not to sing in the streets with leaf-lickers. The best that the Arxur could hope for was the overthrow of Betterment, and a brighter future centuries down the line. If Felra couldn¡¯t get that through her head, she was more delusional than Olek. Chapter 133 Memory transcription subject: Governor Tarva of the Venlil Republic Date [standardized human time]: February 5, 2137 The election cycle had become more contentious, ever since the truth about the Venlil reached the public¡¯s ears. Veln lambasted my proposal for a union with humanity; my re-election platform involved an instinct suppression program that extended to civilians, a vow to hold a referendum on renaming our planet to Skalga officially, and a pledge to strengthen our military under Terran guidance. After what the Federation did, we had to ensure they never got their claws and tentacles on us again. Reversing the gene edits was my top priority. It was too late for the current generation, but Venlil born in the future weren¡¯t going to be hobbled and sense-deprived. Funding scientific research was an action I was already taking; the Federation physically weakening and mocking us¡­stealing our children, outraged the public. Veln was clever, suggesting that Venlil didn¡¯t want humans having the second crack at our genome. The first debate had happened just before I left for the summit, and he claimed that I was making us too dependent on predators we knew for a month. He had stumbled upon a campaign slogan¡ª¡°No More Federations¡±¡ªas I prepared to bring us into a new organization. The polling margins were a few percentage points, with the race neck-and-neck down the home stretch. Many Venlil wanted to stand on their own, and pursue an isolationist policy; I didn¡¯t know how to tap into that sentiment without violating my core principles. What could I do to give the appearance of keeping humanity at arm¡¯s length, without actually pushing them away? Right now, my focus was exploring the station we were docking on with my delegation. Selling a joint charter to an incensed citizenry could come later. ¡°The human envoy should¡¯ve been the first ones there. I don¡¯t know how many others have turned up, but we need to lay on the charm and mingle with every species. It¡¯s our job to back up the Terrans, put down any bigotry. Am I understood?¡± I asked. Kam flicked his ears in acknowledgment. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. Not sure where the escort ship has led us, with them jamming our comms and navigations. Think that¡¯s the point¡ªnobody knows where this is happening but them. It¡¯s secure as it can be.¡± ¡°I¡¯m here in case Ambassador Coji asks after me, aren¡¯t I?¡± Glim grumbled. ¡°I can¡¯t believe the Duerten are actually coming.¡± I chuckled with disdain. ¡°I don¡¯t think Zhao could believe it either. He practically spat that name when he read the guest list to me. There¡¯s quite a few surprises there¡­Krakotl separatists were invited. Birla is coming on behalf of vassalized Sillis! The Thafki agreed to come too; how Terrans pulled that one off is beyond me, but the Archives sure have galvanized everyone friendly.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not going to get an opportunity where so many species are open to the suggestion again,¡± Cheln, my diplomatic advisor, commented. ¡°I¡¯ve typed up a draft for your speech, Tarva. You need to hammer home that Venlil are herbivores, and were still modified beyond recognition. Tie credit back to the humans for the Archives¡¯ findings.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind. My focus is more on one-on-one interactions, and leisure activities. We have days together with galactic leaders, and that means pulling out all the bells and whistles to make the leery parties feel safe and contented. Let¡¯s waste no time, soon as the docking clamps are in; split up and move around.¡± A few other high-level diplomats from outside my cabinet were along for the ride too, with leading figures from the exchange program also on the guest list. Every species was allowed up to twenty visitors, though I imagined the host humans would have more than that. Between security concerns and the need for at-length discussions with all parties, there was no way they could manage with meager staffing. I eyed the colossal space station, as we ducked below a hangar¡¯s overhang. Flashing lights illuminated the docking port, though the process of interfacing with the landing pad was automated. A welcoming party of humans was present in the terminal, standing with personalized gift bags. They were wearing full helmets, complete with translucent flower and fauna d¨¦cor; it looked like someone had ripped out the pages of a children¡¯s book. The bottom section of the masks seemed to retract as needed, perhaps by brain pattern recognition. The Terrans could unseal the mouth covering without even touching it, almost like a prosthetic! The one who greeted me unsealed her mask for a moment, revealing a warm smile. They¡¯ve been advised that they can act normal around the Venlil. That makes me proud, to know they don¡¯t have to hide themselves with me. ¡°What¡¯s in here?¡± I accepted the gift bag they offered, and pulled out a translucent bottle. Kam scanned it with a visual translator, revealing that it said Everclear Grain Alcohol. ¡°Thank you, but you do know your human drinks are watered down compared to ours, right?¡± The predator chuckled. ¡°One shot of this stuff can make a human sick, but we still brew it. It¡¯s jet fuel. 95% alcohol. Figured it¡¯d be more up your alley.¡± Glim eyed the bottle with interest. ¡°Finally, something that¡¯ll make the bad thoughts go away. Give.¡± ¡°Not so fast,¡± Kam interjected. ¡°I can¡¯t sit through days of this political snoozefest without being inebriated out of my mind. We¡¯re sharing.¡± The human greeter wagged a finger disapprovingly. ¡°Now now, you haven¡¯t been here five minutes. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a little early to get wasted?¡± ¡°No,¡± Glim answered. ¡°Governor Tarva, I guess you have to be the responsible one. Whatever you do, don¡¯t leave us to talk to the Duerten alone. Uh, you didn¡¯t hear me say that. Please, head inside and lend our people a hand. We can take the bottle and the luggage to your quarters.¡± I passed the bag back to her. ¡°You got it. We¡¯ll go say hello to the guests.¡± A team of Terrans swooped in to unload our belongings, and it occurred to me that parties less comfortable with the Earthlings wouldn¡¯t appreciate predators taking possession of their belongings. I swished my tail in gratitude, before following the numerous signs pointing the path to the gallery. The station was new construction, likely having the final coats of paint splashed on in advance of the summit. Hallways and rooms were built with vaulted ceilings to accommodate Mazics, while accessibility ramps and quadruped lifts were also present. There¡¯s no question this was created as a place to host all species. That lends to the assumption that this is in a system close to Sol. Hundreds of guests had amassed in the banquet hall, which had a number of tables positioned shy of a stage. Non-alcoholic refreshments and Terran snacks were present, and calming music played throughout the theater. My gaze scanned the social circles that had formed; human diplomats were chatting it up with various leaders. The big names weren¡¯t wearing 360-degree helmets. I recognized Sara¡¯s curly hair through her mask, before deciding to wander to her group. Cupo, the Mazic president, was listening to her intently, along with the Fissan ambassador and guests from the Gojid party. ¡°¡­body appreciates the accomplishments of the scientific community, and I accept that,¡± the female astronaut was explaining, utilizing emphatic hand gestures. ¡°The history books will remember Noah¡¯s speech on Aafa, the feats of military grandeur, and the jaw-dropping revelations. The experiments we¡¯ve done are the foundation for reversal of the cure, or for any of the innovations engineers created for the military. But science is not a spectacle. Intellectual pursuits should never be a spectacle.¡± Halmina, the Fissan, pointed the horn between her eyes at Sara. ¡°The important thing is whether those experiments form the basis for profit, or whether they give humanity a competitive edge. You humans hold your own economically¡­those contracts you almost got us to sign were sneakily exploitative. Is science able to generate enough revenue to be worth the cost?¡± Stolen story; please report. ¡°That¡¯s the wrong question. None of the technologies you see as profitable would exist without someone pushing the boundaries, or unlocking a new discovery. I always found a number of fields fascinating, from biology to neurochemistry to geological surveys. What motivated me to pursue two PHDs, and kept me going through the grueling astronaut training, was the better understanding of our universe. The gaps we¡¯ve filled in our knowledge, in a few months, are remarkable.¡± ¡°What is remarkable about it, human?¡± Cupo asked. ¡°You didn¡¯t specify what you thought the right question was. I¡¯m still at a loss for what drives your people, even after our work together.¡± ¡°The right question is simple. Why are we here? What is the purpose of life?¡± ¡°I fail to see why that is important, or what it would change in your daily living.¡± ¡°Or how it adds anything of value,¡± Halmina chimed in. ¡°It sounds like a religious concern, not one of science.¡± A Gojid I didn¡¯t recognize spoke up, waving her claws idly. ¡°Can you say there¡¯s any purpose, after all the suffering we¡¯ve seen? I¡¯m little more than a de facto leader of our largest colony. I watched my culture disintegrate, my homeworld fall, and the refugees scatter like unwanted rubbish.¡± Sara shifted on her feet. ¡°It¡¯s a concrete question as much as a philosophical one. The origins of life, the nature of our reality, it mystifies us¡­it defies all comprehension. We thought finding other lifeforms would put our role in the universe in perspective.¡± ¡°Well?¡± I strolled up to the circle, tapping the human on the leg with my tail. ¡°Did it give you the answers you hoped for?¡± ¡°No. To be honest, we hoped that aliens would be enlightened, and they would show us a better way of living. Instead, we found a galaxy just as cruel as what we knew. I understand how Gojid Minister Kiri can struggle to find meaning, but maybe it¡¯s up to us to make our own meaning. Free will means that this suffering doesn¡¯t have to be all there is. Science can lead us beyond our current problems, and I refuse to stop believing that.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always admired your optimism. I remember how happy you and Noah were, peppering me with questions and brimming at the prospect of new friends. Yet, even if science reverses the gene mods, it can¡¯t bring back the stolen years and history. It can¡¯t reset everything to how it was before.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a defeatist attitude; we can try, Tarva. Haysi¡ªthat¡¯s a cattle rescue I¡¯m friends with, for the other guests¡ªshe used to be a historian. When she heard that everything she loved was ripped to shreds by the Archives, you could see how much it hurt her. But, while she might not be willing to leave the safety of her room, she¡¯s brave enough to work on a new exhibit of the Venlil¡¯s past. We can move forward. We can get through this.¡± President Cupo flared his beige trunk. ¡°I don¡¯t know how I ever doubted humanity¡¯s motives. I was certain they¡¯d turn on us, but Khoa owes our continued freedom to them. You have my full faith, and my full support for this mystical union of yours.¡± ¡°The Gojids would like to hear more about what membership entails,¡± Kiri chimed in. ¡°The benefits and the costs. Protecting what¡¯s left¡­I think we share that goal with the Thafkis.¡± Halmina tossed her head. ¡°We¡¯re curious about the economic benefits. If you can give us a leg up on those pesky Nevoks, we¡¯re in, no questions asked. It¡¯d be worth your while¡ªcheaper wares, better quality¡ª to cut them out of the equation entirely. They¡¯ve been losing to us in every regard for the past century.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not an official diplomat, but this is about genuine harmony and fair treatment between species. I can¡¯t see us agreeing to exclude any allies. If anything is discussed economically, I imagine it¡¯ll be market regulations and labor laws,¡± Sara sighed. ¡°What a disappointment! We¡¯re a newer species, like you. We fought our way from the ground up, and we didn¡¯t do it through red tape.¡± I interjected, thinking of how to placate the money-hungry species. ¡°If the Fissan Compact is superior to the Nevoks, it should be easy for you to negotiate deals with every power on your own. That¡¯s how the free market works, isn¡¯t it? Surely you have the confidence to outbid them. You don¡¯t want any ethical problems embroiling you in controversy along the way, or any confusion in currency exchanges. The regulations exist for your benefit.¡± ¡°Hm¡­I suppose we¡¯ll consider the impact of these proposals. The Nevoks are so far behind us that they¡¯re nigh irrelevant. Our superior prices speak for themselves.¡± ¡°The Venlil Republic would love to hear your best offers for an exclusivity deal, if you join. Now, please excuse me.¡± I ducked away from the circle, feeling confident that Sara could steer the conversation away from greedy lines. The Mazics didn¡¯t seem to require convincing to join our union, the Fissans would sign on if they thought they could get the better of the humans economically, and the Gojids would be interested in any protection for their piecemeal colonies. I passed Zurulian Prime Minister Braylen, in one-on-one discussion with UN Secretary of Alien Affairs Erin Kuemper. From what I overheard, the predator was detailing protections for medics under the Geneva Conventions. The quadruped seemed receptive to these clauses. The United Nations was adamant about having every member state ratify the Geneva Conventions, and a Universal Declaration of Sapient Rights, before permitting entry. Severe violations would be cause for immediate dismissal from the group. There was no sign of Ambassador Noah, which gave me a slight pang of disappointment. I shook my head, certain that he¡¯d turn up later; the astronaut was likely hiding among one of the groups. Secretary-General Zhao was with a massive group, telling an amusing story to his listeners. I realized this was the only time I¡¯d seen him wear a visor; during our early briefings, he elected not to do so. I slipped into the crowd, and perked my ears to catch the end of his anecdote. ¡°¡­mind you, this was my first time visiting an alien planet. As I stated, we were briefed on avoiding sudden movements or emotional displays, to avoid panicking the Venlil. So Jones and I are trying to be business-like and professional, but we have no idea how to feel inside. General Kam thinks it¡¯s a wonderful idea to take us all the way to the governor mansion¡¯s gates, and there isn¡¯t a soul in sight,¡± Zhao growled. Yotul ambassador Laulo leaned forward. ¡°Let me guess, they heard human military were visiting, and nobody dared to visit?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the gist of it. Anyhow, Kam seems nervous, and remarks on what competent predators we are. I¡¯ve got no clue how to respond to that, so I take a swig of my water. Jones decides she¡¯s gonna make a wise-crack with the aliens, says something like, ¡®Oh, don¡¯t worry, the US only preys on oil fields.¡¯ I can¡¯t help but laugh, and the water shoots up out my nose, sprays all over Kam. The Venlil just looks horrified.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t heard this story,¡± I commented. ¡°I think I find it more amusing than he does. Anyways, I apologize to Kam, and Jones and I are trying to explain why that happens. She means to search up the scientific reason for drinks coming up your nose, and asks where her holopad is. You know where it was? In her hands. You could just see in Kam¡¯s eyes when he realized that humans are horribly-designed, incompetent predators.¡± ¡°I thought you were apex predators,¡± Governor Birla, the current Tilfish leader, offered in an uncertain voice. ¡°Sure, that¡¯s true enough. We also trip over literally nothing, put our holopads in the fridge when grabbing food, and forget what we were saying in the middle of a sentence. I¡¯m serious, do your species ever walk into rooms and you can¡¯t remember what you went there for?¡± The Thafki representative scrunched his blue-gray nose. ¡°We zone out and forget things, of course¡­but why would it be tied to walking into rooms for humans?¡± ¡°Funny enough, I looked it up, and it might be one of our prey defects. Early humans lived in caves, so predators would typically lurk at the edge of those thresholds. One theory is that our brains tell us to focus up, and search for dangers¡­I guess our predator wiring isn¡¯t that strong, is it? We had plenty of creatures that ate us in the wild. Hell, the reason we probably invented language was to raise alarm calls for specific predators.¡± ¡°You¡¯re sapient because you used to be prey,¡± Duerten ambassador Coji remarked, in a voice that was unusually quiet. Something found in the Archives changed her hostility. She seems mellow rather than incendiary¡­I should look up the exact contents of the Duerten¡¯s files. I was so focused on our own, that I hardly cared about any other species¡¯ truths. Zhao nodded. ¡°Precisely. Just look at us¡ªand I don¡¯t mean our eyes. We were defenseless prey, and most of our instincts evolved from us trying to stop being eaten all the time. The more I learn about it, from scrambling to understand our place in the galaxy, the more I think our instincts have little bearing on how we actually live nowadays. Humans have some obsolete, faulty wiring.¡± ¡°Terrans have so many shared traits with us.¡± I straightened my tail with confidence; the Secretary-General was taking the right approach to build common ground. ¡°They¡¯re nothing like predators are supposed to be.¡± ¡°Sapients are supposed to be whatever they want to be. Predator or prey¡ªthat is a dichotomy for animals. In this union, we¡¯re all the same. It¡¯s almost time for my speech, and that¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m going to argue. What¡¯s best for all of us is to protect each other, and to cultivate a new culture of acceptance and tolerance. I hope each of you will choose to join us.¡± Once the majority of the guests had arrived, the humans would be able to present their opening speech. Between the two circles I¡¯d visited, the predators¡¯ diplomatic appeals were going surprisingly well. None of the species appeared disconcerted, and the fear directed toward Terrans seemed to have eased. I risked a glance around the venue, and spotted Noah and Glim on the opposite side of the hall. The Suleans, the Onkari, the Verin, and a number of more recent neutrals were picking through the food offerings, alongside the Venlil-human duo; everyone there was in good spirits. As light-hearted as this summit had been so far, I couldn¡¯t shake my unease over how well it started off. Gatherings never went smoothly for humanity, between the Aafa speech at gunpoint, the ship sabotage, and the bombing of Earth¡¯s memorial on Venlil Prime. It was too early to relax my guard; my job was to ensure there were no incidents with any of the delegations. The reception to the predators¡¯ initial address should be telling, giving us an estimate of how many species had genuine interest in signing an accord. Chapter 134 Memory transcription subject: Governor Tarva of the Venlil Republic Date [standardized human time]: February 5, 2137 Secretary-General Zhao had clambered up onto the stage, wielding a microphone to address the sprawling crowd. I perked my ears up to hear what initial rallying cry the humans had crafted; from what I¡¯d heard, their species possessed excellent speechwriters, with the ability to weave compelling arguments and play to semantics. The UN leader was holding a few notecards, and had a presentation behind him on the projector. Noah walked up to me with a plate full of food, waving a croissant in front of my face. Why did he have to remember my favorite Terran pastry? ¡°You want to distract me, don¡¯t you, predator?¡± I teased. The human smirked to himself. ¡°It¡¯s working, isn¡¯t it? Here comes the airplane!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll send you to the opposite side of the room if you don¡¯t behave¡­and stop trying to fatten my waistline.¡± Ambassador Williams made a pouting face, lifting his visor to reveal what humans called ¡°puppy dog¡± eyes. To think that binocular gazes could be changed into an expression garnering sympathy. I shook my head, before breaking off a small piece of the croissant and popping it in my mouth. The astronaut looked satisfied with himself, and delved into the rest of his excessive amount of food. Perhaps I needed to babysit him, before he gorged himself sick. Ugh, humans. I managed to center my attention on the stage, as the Secretary-General commenced his speech. Every delegation in the room was granting the human their full focus; the group he¡¯d been mingling with before seemed especially keen on his words, after the disarming sampler that was dispensed among them. Marketing the prey attributes of Terrans was a brilliant move. Had I known what utter dorks they were during our first meeting, the perceived schism between our ancestries wouldn¡¯t have felt as irreconcilable. ¡°Hello, leaders of the Orion Arm. I¡¯m not here to present the reasons why humanity is not a menace or a threat to civilization, or to deflect claims that we¡¯re bloodthirsty monsters,¡± Zhao growled. ¡°Each of you have interacted with us at length, and if you don¡¯t already see that as the infallible truth, there¡¯s little I could say to convince you otherwise. We¡¯re people, like you, who have been persecuted without just cause¡­precisely like you. We¡¯re no one¡¯s enemy, lest you threaten the safety of our loved ones, our homes, and our continued way of life.¡± I leaned closer to Noah¡¯s ear. ¡°The last line seems a little provocative. They could take ¡®threatening your way of life¡¯ as opposing hunting, for instance, or asking you not to eat meat on their worlds.¡± ¡°Absurd. Anyone who draws wild conclusions like that wouldn¡¯t last a day in this alliance,¡± my beloved replied. The Secretary-General adjusted his visor, before continuing. ¡°Humans respect the inherent differences in our cultures, despite their artificial origin; we don¡¯t ask you to change yourselves. We merely ask for the same courtesy. We ask¡ªno, we demand not to be changed or altered, for things beyond our control or ingrained over centuries of natural development in our collective identities. The laws we wish to codify as a foundation for this proposed union etch that fervent belief into stone. Please, raise an appendage if you feel that your species was treated unfairly during your ¡®uplift¡¯ by the Federation.¡± My paw rocketed into the air, joined by dozens of others in my expansive vision. Scanning the entirety of the crowd in a subtle motion, I noticed there wasn¡¯t a single attendee refraining from lifting their arm in agreement. The Krakotl and the Duerten both had wings raised, while Mazic President Cupo flared his trunk to the heavens in protest of early size-based bigotry. The Yotul ambassador was practically bouncing to show emphasis; the tiny, quadruped Zurulians rocked up onto their hindlegs to signal agreement. My own people bore indignant looks, mirroring my raised paw. It was a sea of consensus, detesting the personal effects of the Federation¡¯s overreach. ¡°I¡¯m glad that you recognize what¡¯s been done to you was immoral. We¡¯re going to ensure that such horrors are never inflicted by anyone who calls themselves a friend of humanity.¡± Zhao gestured for us to lower our appendages. ¡°That anyone who dares to trample another civilization¡¯s sanctity and sovereignty is given no quarter, no aid, no herd with us. Our first item to show you is based upon a document adopted by every member of the United Nations, now modified to reflect ¡®sapient rights,¡¯ rather than solely ¡®human rights.¡¯ I present the Universal Declaration of Sapient Rights.¡± The display behind Zhao offered a code to scan relevant documents to our holopads, so we could peruse its contents in our own language. Article 1 stated that all sapient beings were born free and equal in dignity and rights, and were endowed with reason and conscience to act in a spirit of kinship. Subsequent listings expounded upon those rights, prohibiting discrimination, banishing torture and servitude, and guaranteeing civil rights about personal beliefs and enforcement of laws. There¡¯s nothing I could imagine anyone finding objectionable. I noticed the Terrans snuck diet in between language and religion as things not to deny rights over; knowing how human culture is, I imagine that¡¯s a new protection added for their sake. ¡°The United Nations is open to suggested revisions, for anything you think we¡¯ve overlooked, that¡¯s heavy-handed, or that would otherwise provide you reassurance. For our own sake, we¡¯ve also issued the Geneva Conventions for your ratification,¡± the Secretary-General pressed on. ¡°Should there ever be an engagement or dispute between member states, I want civilians to be kept out of the crossfire. I want some semblance of civility in an affair as brutal, bloody, and barbaric as war, though my true hope is that we maintain peace through this very forum. It would provide humanity sanctity of mind not to worry about wanton suffering, so I ask that you review this document as well.¡± Noah mumbled a comment to me through a mouthful of food. ¡°I should think our doubters like a promise from the predators to accept surrenders and treat prisoners fairly, among other things. Also, it shows our intent never to raid worlds and target civilians like the Arxur do.¡± ¡°Rules of war are a strange concept to us. That there can be any goodness or empathy, when you¡¯re trying to kill people¡­it¡¯s hard to wrap even my mind around,¡± I whispered. ¡°I¡¯d never imagine Venlil fighting you anyways, so it¡¯s a moot point.¡± ¡°The final point is perhaps our most important one; it¡¯s something entirely new we wrote.¡± The Secretary-General¡¯s lips, uncovered by any mask, hardened below his eye visor. ¡°To touch upon your discontent over your own uplifts, this document contains a protocol for handling the discovery of any new species. I felt this was an issue we must take with the utmost gravitas. Please consult the final item in your packet for full details.¡± I flicked through my holopad¡¯s catalog, landing on the discussed draft. Doing better than taking every child on a planet away from their parents, and crippling them at a genetic level, seemed like a low bar to clear. It would be curious to see the specific items the Terrans had in mind. Hopefully, the other guests also agreed that young races should be treated with dignity¡­and in the spirit of equality. Zhao commanded the stage. ¡°Panels must convene to ensure that any first contact, one, does not threaten the indigenous culture or supplant it with our own. Two, that barring an emergency event, it must be planned at length to avoid frightening the locals, through careful study of cultural norms and values. Three, that we will not engage in any communications, visits, or exchanges that are not expressly desired by the natives. And four, that they will not face discrimination for their technological level. Any questions?¡± ¡°So you still want to perform ¡®uplifts¡¯, after everything you¡¯ve seen?¡± Yotul ambassador Laulo barked, ears quivering with anger. ¡°Why are we interfering with a species¡¯ natural development at all?¡± ¡°Excellent question. I grant that this is a contentious ethical issue, even on our world. However, to sit back with an air of moral superiority, and allow millions to die of diseases and famine, is to deem these species as lesser¡ªto say we don¡¯t care about their lives. Obviously, dumping an entire catalog of knowledge at once is irresponsible; it should be drip-fed, and focused on issues that impact quality of life. Uplifting itself is not evil, as long you¡¯re not planting your heel in their neck.¡± ¡°I see. I¡¯m still not sure it¡¯s a good idea, but proceed I suppose.¡° ¡°I appreciate your feedback. Any ramifications of our group¡¯s interactions with another culture, at any stage of technology, deserve consideration. The influence we have must be wielded for good. I imagine a first contact would be planned for years. Would anyone else like to voice a question or concern?¡± Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Duerten ambassador Coji puffed out her gray feathers in a display of dominance. ¡°You claim to care about herbivores, yet you ally and cooperate with the Arxur.¡± ¡°Our intentions with the Arxur are entirely as follows: to use them to strengthen our position in the war, to liberate all sapient cattle in the galaxy, and to dismantle the Dominion where possible. This was seen at Mileau, as you all have heard, where we got a UN-friendly Arxur commander to soften the Kolshians up for us. That battle has been difficult nonetheless, but it¡¯s given us a competitive advantage. And you all have seen the millions of rescues we¡¯ve freed, in a few months.¡± ¡°So you admit you¡¯re working with the Arxur.¡± ¡°I admit we¡¯re using the Arxur to benefit humanity and sapients across the galaxy. That accusation has dogged us from the beginning, yet no one can conjure an example of us siding with or acting like them. We went to great lengths to stop the raids on the cradle, Fahl, and Sillis, losing human lives in the process.¡± ¡°You claim, human, that they¡¯re not your friends. We¡¯re supposed to believe that predators would choose prey over a fellow predator¡ªa fellow predator that conveniently saved Earth.¡± ¡°You should believe us. Do you see the Arxur invited to this meeting today? We sought to secure our alliance with all of you here today, not them. While some bargains we¡¯ve made are unsavory, even causing us discomfort, don¡¯t fault us for doing whatever we must to win this war. I want everyone here to survive and remain free.¡± While Arxur in-fighting was known throughout the galaxy, I was the sole leader in this room aware of Isif¡¯s empathy test; it wasn¡¯t something that the Chief Hunter cared to advertise, so he wouldn¡¯t have appreciated me publicizing it. Our shared goals for a better future were the reason I cooperated with him. Had other parties known the extent of our interactions, they might vote to hurl me out the nearest airlock. ¡°I understand your point, though even talking to them is most unsettling.¡± Coji still eyed the predator with disdain, but submitted to his confident words. ¡°I think I speak for everyone in this room, in saying we¡¯d never work with a filthy gray. We¡¯ll be watching this.¡± Secretary-General Zhao nodded. ¡°Very well. Is that the only concern in the room?¡± ¡°You have the Farsul imprisoned on their own world, isn¡¯t that right?¡± Krakotl separatist Nuela squawked. ¡°Yes. It was an option that took the Farsul out of play, and allows us to decide what to do with them after the war ends. We can¡¯t afford to occupy them, or to do nothing and let them rejoin the war. Besides, there must be consequences. They¡¯ve perpetrated too much evil as a civilization.¡± ¡°I agree wholeheartedly. Why did you let them live? Clear the debris, and bomb them! The Farsul deserve to die for what they¡¯ve done.¡± Calls of assent rippled across the room; if I wasn¡¯t afraid of upsetting peace-loving Noah, I might¡¯ve signaled my own desire for righteous vengeance. These were people who couldn¡¯t abide by any civilization not being under their control, and who ripped children away from their mothers on Skalga. Why did the Farsul deserve a future, after reshaping every species and allowing other worlds, like the Thafki¡¯s, to fall? Had the predators decided to eradicate them, I might¡¯ve felt a dark glimmer of satisfaction. ¡°Well, I say we save the serious, lengthy discussions for tomorrow, when the Paltans¡­presumably show. I¡¯ll leave you with a final thought: my proposed name for this venture is the Sapient Coalition. Mull that over, and without further ado, let¡¯s get the festivities started!¡± A cheer went up from the more human-friendly guests, as the predators switched the music to a more lively overture. Drinks rolled in on carts, which earned that rapturous reaction from the visitors who were less-than-fond of the binocular-eyed sapients. Coji, Krakotl separatist Nuela, and Gojid Minister Kiri beelined it for the liquor, while other guests approached at a normal pace. Glim was also scurrying toward the stronger booze, though trying not to attract attention. I wondered if it was a good idea for the rescue to be drinking. I brushed up against Noah, feigning a look of innocence. ¡°Do you think you can beat me in a drinking contest, dear?¡± ¡°You¡¯re evil.¡± He placed his hands on his hips, and stifled a laugh. ¡°I¡¯m kind of a lightweight, so I don¡¯t think so. I never understood what¡¯s so bad about that anyways; I get the same effect out of less booze. Isn¡¯t that a win?¡± ¡°Well, humans are all lightweights to me, so I won¡¯t judge you any more than the rest of your kind. Come on, let¡¯s browse the fun juice! This is a happy occasion, for once.¡± Lowering the inhibitions of a predator would¡¯ve once come across as a suicidal idea, but I trusted that Noah had no latent bloodlust at this point. We retrieved a handful of drinks, getting into the social mood; the Terran ambassador downed a few shots of vodka, perhaps because of me. It seemed unusual to bring out a bar at a diplomatic summit, but I suspected it was to stifle guests¡¯ fearful inhibitions. With a leader¡¯s hackles down, they might warm up to humans, or even enjoy themselves. We wandered the floor, avoiding dancing or sitting at a table for the moment. Secretary-General Zhao was showcasing a number of games from Earth, a few of which were children¡¯s games. Noah volunteered to demonstrate one called ¡°Pin the Tail on the Donkey¡±, and tried to rally the crowd as he swaggered forward. Secondhand embarrassment made my skin feel hot, watching him struggle to remove his visor. The UN leader shook his head, before procuring a cloth strip and wrapping it over the ambassador¡¯s eyes. Sara waltzed in by my side. ¡°The Paltan delegation has arrived, Tarva. They had the longest voyage of anyone here, but that accounts for everyone on the guest list.¡± ¡°Excellent. Stick around for a moment. Noah has been drinking and is blindfolded¡ªI¡¯m sure you want to see this.¡± The human ambassador was handed a ¡°tail¡± to stick on an animal picture; it was apparent from his head posture that he couldn¡¯t see anything. Zhao placed his hands on Noah¡¯s shoulders, spinning him around ten times. The astronaut staggered forward, lurching from side-to-side, and extended a searching arm in front of him. The crowd was uncertain how to react to a sightless, disoriented predator, but the braver spectators cheered him on. My quiet snickering turned to horror, as Noah stumbled right before the donkey picture. His face smacked against the wall, and the mock tail fell from his grip. I rushed to his side before I could think, cradling the groaning predator¡¯s skull in my paws. The astronaut pushed the blindfold off his eyes, and offered a reassuring smile. Crimson blood was dripping from his nose, sending a jolt of pain through my heart; this put a damper in an otherwise jovial moment. ¡°All the security Zhao has here, and nobody¡¯s arresting the 2D donkey? It clearly assaulted me!¡± Noah quipped. I chuckled at his goofiness. ¡°Do I have to cut you off already? Let¡¯s get you cleaned up.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, Tarva. I was just demonstrating what not to do for the people who¡¯ve never played.¡± How does anyone think humans are dangerous? I helped Noah up, checking him for any other injuries. ¡°Don¡¯t try to act all tough! I¡¯ll find a first aid kit, and¡ª" My chastising of Ambassador Williams faltered, as I noticed the complexion drain from Zhao¡¯s cheeks. The Secretary-General had a hand to his earpiece, and didn¡¯t seem to like some news he was receiving. The UN leader quietly muttered for everyone to stay put, before striding out of the room. I shared a glance with Noah and Sara; an unspoken understanding was reached between us. The three of us tailed the Chinese national, followed shortly after by the majority of the delegates. This feels like what happened at Earth¡¯s memorial ceremony all over again. I have to know what has him shaken up, and find a way to keep Noah safe. ¡°What is going on?¡± I screeched. Zhao didn¡¯t even look back. ¡°Stay where you are, Tarva. There¡¯s an unknown ship that followed the Paltans from the handoff site, without being seen.¡± ¡°What? Is it the Kolshians?¡± Noah¡¯s injury was forgotten, and he quickened his pace to catch the Secretary-General. ¡°All of the delegates are in one place. Most of our key personnel are here. I thought this location was secure!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know who it is, but I know it¡¯s not a shadow fleet ship. More on that in a moment. Our audio recognition tells us it was a Dossur voice transmitting a message to us, requesting permission to land. The Dossur delegation is already here, Ambassador, and the shuttle itself is a Krakotl ship that went missing years ago. We jammed its weapons systems, forced it to land in a sealed bay, and ordered the passengers to disembark. There¡¯s only two life signatures.¡± ¡°But you let unscheduled visitors land?¡± I hissed. ¡°And I¡¯m sorry, how did they avoid sensor detection?¡± Sara¡¯s tone was thick with worry. ¡°Who would know where the handoff was to follow them in the first place?¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying to get answers. We need to see what¡¯s going on, and how they found us! They refused to say who they were over the channel. The ship¡¯s in a sealed hangar, and an entire team of soldiers will be waiting for them; the station¡¯s integrity is safe. We¡¯re going to sweep the craft for bombs, though scanners turned up no suspicious markers. That¡¯s why I asked everyone to stay where they were, instead of following me.¡± Duerten ambassador Coji squawked with suspicion. ¡°You said yourself that it was a Dossur speaking, not a Kolshian make, that its weapons are offline, that your people vastly outnumber the passengers, and that a scan showed no signs of threats. What are you hiding, that you don¡¯t want us to see?¡± ¡°I¡¯m protecting you. After the incident on Venlil Prime, I¡¯ve been taking every precaution to ensure you¡¯re safe on this station. But if you insist, tag along, by all means!¡± ¡°We will. There¡¯s no predator deception happening on my watch.¡± Secretary-General Zhao tightened his fists, storming into the bay. Dozens of guests tailed behind us, determined to see what the commotion was about. True to the UN leader¡¯s word, predator soldiers were encircling a small Federation shuttle; massive guns were pointed at the landing ramp, in case of trouble. I fitted my paw into Noah¡¯s hand, and he squeezed it to reassure me. Military personnel delivered the order for the passengers to disembark, upon Zhao¡¯s signal. The tension was tangible in the air, descending on the gathering with suffocating effects. The landing ramp lowered, and I craned my neck to spot the ship¡¯s occupants. It was disturbing that an unknown party could track us to a secret location; there was the possibility that they were a scout ship for an actual threat. We needed to assess their allegiance, and question them at length. The Terrans held remarkable trigger discipline, so I trusted the soldiers not to get itchy fingers. A massive shadow moved inside the ship, and the muscles in my legs stiffened with horror. Noah¡¯s uncovered eyes went wide with shock, making the veins pop next to his brown irises. The Terran soldiers grew much more aggressive with their shouts, now ordering the passenger to stay where they were. Gasps and screams rippled through the Federation crowd, who shuffled backward. If someone didn¡¯t reassure them, this could turn into a stampede. The figure cloaked in darkness was unmistakably an Arxur silhouette. I thought about Zhao¡¯s response to Duerten accusations, shooting down the notion of working with the grays. Had the humans invited them here? Either way, the galaxy¡¯s other predators had infiltrated our secret meeting, and that didn¡¯t bode well for the Sapient Coalition¡¯s diplomatic prospects. Chapter 135 Memory transcription subject: Governor Tarva of the Venlil Republic Date [standardized human time]: February 5, 2137 Secretary-General Zhao leapt into action, declaring that human security had the situation under control. My fur bristled from fear, before I noticed that the Terran leader seemed more concerned about our guests¡¯ reactions than the Arxur intrusion. A carnivorous predator remained on the landing ramp, and I swore I spotted a Dossur using its forehead as a seat. The beast¡¯s maw hung open, leaving me to spot a signature chipped tooth. Isif. What is he doing here? ¡°This was not a planned visit!¡± Zhao barked. ¡°I guarantee my men can keep you safe. I also swear to give a full explanation and accounting for our security lapse; we have nothing to hide from anyone. Please, I ask a few minutes to sort this out.¡± Ambassador Coji was flapping her wings with irritation. ¡°I knew you were partnering with the Arxur, and deceiving us!¡± ¡°They were not invited. You can interrogate me to your heart¡¯s content, but I ask you to merely allow me to present the facts and ensure your safety. This is the UN-friendly commander I mentioned earlier that went to Mileau; I spelled out the truth in exact detail. You each came all the way here, so please, give me a proper chance to detail the facts. Now, excuse me one second.¡± I was the only one who dared to creep forward, getting myself into eavesdropping range as Zhao approached Isif. Other diplomats seemed terrified for the Secretary-General approaching a carnivore, whereas Coji and the Duerten Shield representatives looked as though they¡¯d finally caught humans in the act of conspiring against prey. The Dossur perched on the gray¡¯s head was the object of my curiosity. Who was she, and why was she so serene in the presence of a sharp-fanged predator? ¡°What the fuck are you doing here?¡± Zhao hissed, echoing my concerns. ¡°Are you trying to cripple the United Nations¡¯ reputation? Also, if Betterment gets wind of you showing up here, we could be dragged into hostilities we can¡¯t afford.¡± The Dossur glowered at the human, speaking in Isif¡¯s stead. ¡°We¡¯d like to work together as allies, so your people need to stand against Betterment, not just the Kolshians. If we want peace, it¡¯s time for the Arxur to make amends. We want to talk to the delegates, and explain how the rebellion opposes the Dominion.¡± ¡°Is that so? You¡¯re out of your mind if you think these herbivores will even listen to the idea of working with you, Isif.¡± ¡°I do not think that it will work, but I have been persuaded to try,¡± Isif growled. ¡°I am not so foolish as to think I could join your union. Would it be so wrong for me to say a few words, and open some channels? I cannot fight the Dominion alone, and I do not wish for this war to persist between us and the leaf-lickers.¡± ¡°It¡¯s going to be a nightmare to clean up this mess, without allowing you to speak. Getting them to join up with us was going to require nothing short of diplomatic perfection. Now, they¡¯re watching me chat with an Arxur; if I don¡¯t get rid of you soon, guests will start walking out of the summit!¡± ¡°Please, Secretary-General Zhao. They have already seen me, yes? I wish to say a few words¡­as Noah did on Aafa. It cannot make things worse.¡± The human leader stood seething for several seconds, and locked eyes with me. I hesitated, before signaling my approval with my prosthetic tail. Zhao shook his head at the ground, failing to conceal that he was visibly upset. The United Nations had put a lot of stock into this summit, and now, it would be spent justifying why Earth was colluding with the Arxur. After taking a moment to collect himself, the primate turned to address the diplomats. ¡°I don¡¯t believe I¡¯m even passing this on to you, but the Arxur wishes to say a few words. I can attest that we¡¯d make sure he doesn¡¯t set a foot wrong. We will not let him stay at the summit long, but you may wish to hear what he intended to say¡­perhaps, if only, to pass judgment on us. I wish to give you all the facts and all the angles,¡± Zhao said. Gojid Minister Kiri looked outraged. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the monster that destroyed the cradle?¡± ¡°The one who kept us as food?¡± Zurulian Prime Minister Braylen chimed in. Nuela, the Krakotl separatist, squawked with fury. ¡°You should gun that mass murderer down on the spot!¡± Isif stared at the floor, as the crowd moved from a fearful state, to jeers and calls for execution. It was obvious that Zhao was unwilling to shoot Isif, even if it would calm the mob; however, any attempts by the humans to defend the Arxur were going to collapse the summit. I¡¯d told that gray outright, after his empathy test, that I could never forgive him. That hadn¡¯t changed, and collaboration between his faction and the Venlil would stay pragmatic rather than friendly. However, the only way to save this gathering was for me to speak up in the Terrans¡¯ stead. ¡°Silence!¡± I shrieked, swishing my prosthetic tail with raw emotion. ¡°Venlil were the ones who were the delicacies of his sector, and who were tormented by unspeakable cruelty. I lost my pride and joy, at the age of six, to Isif, but I say you should hear Zhao¡¯s explanation. The dying wish of Elias Meier was for peace between us and the Arxur; it¡¯s my wish now too. President Cupo stamped a massive paw. ¡°Why, Tarva?¡± ¡°I want the grays to stop attacking us! I want the Dominion and the Federation gone! Most importantly, I want the truth to mean something for once in this stardamned galaxy. There is nothing I won¡¯t sacrifice for that.¡± Secretary-General Zhao clasped his hands behind his back, strolling forward. ¡°Well said, Tarva. Humanity is willing to give everything of ourselves for peace. Look at Ambassador Williams, who went to Aafa despite expecting to be killed, or worse. Why did you volunteer, Noah?¡± ¡°I said that if there was a single species like the Venlil, it was worth it,¡± Noah answered without skipping a beat. ¡°I would¡¯ve died for what we¡¯re doing here today. I would¡¯ve gone to my grave, satisfied, for a chance to maybe acquire peace.¡± ¡°The United Nations shuts no doors to anyone willing to mend the rift in this galaxy. Before we decide whether to permit Isif¡¯s request to parlay, I ask you to lend your ears for five minutes. Follow me back to the banquet hall, while we contain our visitor here, and you will hear the full scope of humanity¡¯s dealings with the Arxur.¡± The Terrans leader pushed his way through the crowd, who parted in a hurry to avoid the confident predator. I cast a scathing look at my fellow diplomats, and hurried after Secretary-General Zhao. If anyone could talk their way out of this disaster, it was the humans; their silver tongues were the only reason a predator race swayed any allies to their side at all. I would do anything in my power to back up Earth¡¯s claims. The first order of business was ensuring that the diplomats would listen to us at all. The Zurulians, the Yotul, and surprisingly, the Krakotl were the first factions to return to the meeting area. Mazic President Cupo, despite his former skepticism of everything the primates did, was coaxing others to agree to the impromptu plan. The Sulean and Iftali representatives herded former neutrals back, while the Dossur delegation managed to stop gawking at Isif¡¯s confidently-waving hat. The most-staunch human allies won¡¯t turn on the arboreal predators, not without hearing their side of the story. It¡¯s the others that will mean the difference between a Sapient Coalition of a dozen or so, one of forty-plus, or somewhere in between. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. The rest of the factions trickled in, grudgingly willing to hear the Earthlings¡¯ explanation. The Gojid and Tilfish leaders seemed disgusted; the cradle and Sillis both had suffered devastating Arxur raids in the post-human era. The Thafki looked terrified, which was understandable for a species that was nearly hunted to extinction. Recent revelations showed that the Federation conspiracy allowed their planet to fall centuries ago, making that loss even more needless. Meanwhile, Duerten Shield visitors appeared to be returning to solicit a confession from Zhao. ¡°You just proved you¡¯ll choose the Arxur over us.¡± Coji stormed toward the stage, ruffled with disgust. ¡°Here¡¯s the proof of you siding with them. Humans acting like them comes next. You lied about the extent of your involvement with them!¡± Zhao leaned toward the podium¡¯s microphone. ¡°Settle down! My answer to you was the truth; I can recite it to you, since I have it written on these cards here. Does anyone recall the three things I listed as our intentions with the Arxur?¡± ¡°To win the war?¡± Zurulian ambassador Chauson offered. ¡°Close enough. I did say we¡¯ll do whatever we must to achieve victory. So I repeat, my three stated intentions were: to use them to strengthen our position in the war, to liberate all sapient cattle in the galaxy, and to dismantle the Dominion where possible. Those are my exact words, and it was the truth. We interact with Isif to benefit humanity and sapient life as a whole.¡± Coji puffed out her feathers. ¡°But you didn¡¯t say¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I said, verbatim. These proceedings are recorded; you can check for yourself. Nothing I said was a lie, or predator deceit. I was quite candid about us allying with them, even naming the specific instance of Mileau. Do you refute that claim?¡± ¡°No. But I refute that a gray could ever benefit humanity or any of us!¡± ¡°Really? So Isif lending thousands of ships to fend off Kolshians at Mileau meant nothing? He is leading a rebellion against the Dominion, which you and I both thoroughly despise. That weakens the Arxur. The battle of Sillis ended bloodlessly because he intervened. Furthermore, since his uprising began, he¡¯s attacked cattle holdings and returned any herbivores he could acquire.¡± ¡°So you don¡¯t care about the cradle at all?¡± Minister Kiri hissed. ¡°Are you forgetting who fought the Arxur on the ground? There would be no Gojid refugees without humanity. The fact that your remaining colonies have been left alone is because we retook the cradle and parlayed with Isif. Again, I¡¯ll do anything to ensure your survival as sovereign entities.¡± The Gojid representative backed down, but judging by the bristling spines, she was still simmering. Having bargained for every Venlil cattle in custody, I could attest to the benefits of negotiating with Isif. Planting meat-growing factories on Skalga had been unsavory; still, the exchange was a net positive for my species. Humanity and its allies needed every drop of cooperation they could scrounge up. General Jones had briefed me on the Arxur-Kolshian collusion to perpetrate the war, after assuring that I would keep it secret. It¡¯s a good reason to seek peace¡­and it redirects some of the blame, knowing the conspiracy wanted us to be attacked and butchered. ¡°Tell them why the Arxur still exist at all,¡± I prompted. Zhao pursed his lips. ¡°I was going to show them tomorrow, but very well¡ªit can be bumped up the list. The Kolshians could¡¯ve stopped the Arxur at any time. It wasn¡¯t just the Thafki¡¯s world they let be raided. It was every world that was ever attacked by an Arxur ship. If you don¡¯t believe me, hear it from Nikonus¡¯ lips.¡± The Secretary-General hastily played the video clip intercepted from private communications, when Chief Nikonus had called Prophet-Descendant Giznel over Arxur interference in the Battle of Mileau. Gasps sounded across the hall, seeing the two rival powers conversing with each other. Diplomats¡¯ shocked expressions intensified, as they processed what the two heads of state were saying. Betterment¡¯s leader griped that Isif was promoting ¡°peace and satiety¡± with his rebellion. Nikonus¡¯ reply was somehow more damning. We need one predator around, and the last thing I want is a fucking Arxur asking for peace! It makes you look good. The Kolshian had spat the words with disgust. I know; it¡¯s sickening. A fat, lazy Dominion without Betterment? The war must continue, for the sake of control. We¡¯re trying to hunt Isif down, but he¡¯s been elusive, Giznel responded. The tape finished playing, culminating in Nikonus¡¯ assurances that Betterment could continue their raids. The diplomats seemed appalled, hearing the Kolshians endorse the Arxur¡¯s barbaric cattle practices. Despite this knowledge not being new to me, it was an infuriating reminder of how the conspiracy wanted Venlil to be weak and afraid. My daughter¡¯s death was part of their ¡°moral imperative to fix the galaxy.¡± What a joke. ¡°Isif seeking peace was a threat to our enemies. That¡¯s why humanity works with him.¡± Zhao planted both hands on the podium, and I could sense his binocular eyes surveying the audience. ¡°Whatever the Farsul, the Kolshians, and the Dominion don¡¯t want, we do. They don¡¯t care how many lives are lost. They want to keep us all in this terrible loop, so that they retain their power.¡± ¡°Nothing changes the fact that those grays are people-eating monsters!¡± the Thafki ambassador objected. ¡°It doesn¡¯t change everything Isif has done.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. But the Arxur weren¡¯t always like this. Just like all of you weren¡¯t always what they made you to be. If Isif¡¯s movement keeps Nikonus and Giznel up at night, that¡¯s a damn good reason to keep it going. How do you think the Kolshians will feel, just seeing a peace-seeking carnivore address you?¡± I imagined Chief Nikonus would have a conniption, if we allowed Isif to present a statement to the delegation. My fantasy of the look on his face made me giggle under my breath, earning a strange look from Noah. Learning the atrocities inflicted on Skalga¡¯s inhabitants by the conspiracy had turned me spiteful. The Federation¡¯s founders deserved to pay for their crimes, and have the crumbling of their ideology shoved in their faces. The unanimous opposition to Isif¡¯s presence has dried up in a hurry. Sentiments seem more mixed now, though people like Coji and the Thafki aren¡¯t mollified. ¡°I express my utmost gratitude for each of you listening to humanity¡¯s side of the story. Your consideration is all that I asked. Let¡¯s take a vote; who would permit the Arxur to speak his piece?¡± Zhao asked. To my surprise, Nuela¡¯s wing shot up before my own paw raised. The Krakotl must truly detest the Kolshians, for what they did to Nishtal all those years ago. The Fissans seemed to weigh whether Isif¡¯s speech could have economic benefits; however, when the Nevok ambassador raised a paw, the Fissans matched their rival¡¯s vote. Gojid Minister Kiri surveyed the current tally, before hesitantly throwing her paw into the air. Among other assenting voters were Tilfish Governor Birla, the Zurulian and Yotul camps, the tardy Paltan party, the quiet Takkans, and the Sulean-Iftali delegates. There were some predictable parties among the naysayers: the Thafki, for obvious reasons, and anyone affiliated with the predator-hating Duerten Shield. Mazic President Cupo was the most surprising voter against the humans¡¯ plea. Khoa¡¯s leader pledged full-throated support to the Terrans, but he rejected the idea of hearing from an actual monster. There was only so far he was willing to compromise his values. The split was visible through a survey of the audience, with there being a clear edge to those in favor of hearing Isif¡¯s speech. I released a breath I didn¡¯t know I¡¯d been holding in. Per my quick estimate, about two-thirds of the audience cast a ¡°yes¡± vote to Zhao¡¯s query. The Secretary-General blinked with pleasant surprise, before announcing that he would fetch Isif. Those who¡¯d voted against this proposition looked extremely discontented; Coji was staring at her peers with a betrayed expression. ¡°Fuck you, predators!¡± The Duerten stormed up to Ambassador Noah, who was nursing his bleeding nose. ¡°You! You say you want peace, you want rights, then you bring the very monsters that steal both of those things here under false pretenses. How many aliens have you gotten killed, dragging them into your war?¡± The Terran astronaut flinched, and I could tell that Coji struck a nerve with the war casualties remark. It was clear he was also frightened that the avian would attack him and make a scene. I moved in front of my human, resisting his attempts to pull me back. My paw curled into a fist, as I leveled the Duerten ambassador with a glare that could melt glaciers. The rest of the Venlil delegation, minus Glim, rushed to my side, forming a wall in front of Noah. ¡°I think you should leave,¡± I told Coji coldly. Other human-friendly species mobilized into our formation, the unintimidating Zurulians among the first to stand by my side. Nuela was ready to go toe-to-toe with the other avian species, with the Krakotl delegates eager to atone for their past crimes. The Duerten ambassador became visibly nervous when Cupo stepped into her path; the Mazic respected the results of the vote, and didn¡¯t appreciate the scathing rhetoric toward sweet Noah. I recognized the irony, remembering how accusatory Khoa¡¯s president had once been toward humans. The gray-feathered avian turned her beak up toward the sky. ¡°We¡¯re leaving. The entirety of the Duerten Shield is leaving. We¡¯ll never be beholden to filth like you¡­and your pets!¡± Coji stalked away, followed by the handful of species from the Duerten¡¯s alliance. Laulo, the Yotul ambassador, started cheering and imitating human clapping as she left. The avian looked like she wanted to bite his head off, though she marched off without another word. Secretary-General Zhao peeked his head back into the room, just in time for the Duerten to push past him. Judging by his weary grimace, the Chinese general put two and two together. The good news was that the Thafki, and other non-Shield dissenters, remained present. With the troublesome Duerten vacating the premises, it would lessen the chances of hostile responses to every word a predator uttered. The 38 species still present found seats far away from the stage, and waited for Isif to be brought in for his speech. Whatever the Chief Hunter wished to say to us, I hoped it wouldn¡¯t cause any more diplomatic upheaval. Chapter 136 Memory transcription subject: Slanek, Venlil Civilian Date [standardized human time]: February 5, 2137 The awkwardness between Marcel and I hung in the air, though the human forced some small talk. My exchange partner had stayed on the quarantine station for longer than any other patient, even after the infected were all cleared to leave. I didn¡¯t pry into his affairs, but the mention of moving to Venlil Prime hadn¡¯t sat well with his fianc¨¦, Lucy. She was growing exhausted of the redhead running around the galaxy, and was less-than-thrilled at the prospect of leaving Earth behind. The Zurulian doctors had passed along rumors that they heard Marc yelling into his holopad. The scarred predator had reported my crime to the United Nations, and admitted it when I came to speak with him after reading Frankenstein. Marcel thought he was doing me a favor, by qualifying his report with me being mentally ill and with unknown variables from the Venlil news in the Archives. The fact that my species were once fierce warriors unsettled me; we were twisted into something that I didn¡¯t comprehend. The instinct suppression program had stirred something that changed me back. Feeling like a science experiment gone wrong, the moral of Frankenstein landed. I am the monster. A deformed, angry man¡­and I know what I must do. I interrupted the human¡¯s current train of conversation, which was regarding rainforests on Earth. ¡°You can¡¯t even look at me.¡± ¡°What do you want me to say, Slanek? I¡¯m, well, upset at my own people as much as you,¡± Marcel growled. ¡°When I notified UN command, they claimed that the video logs from your helmet cam, ah, went missing. Then, they pull some under the table stuff with the Venlil military to give you a quiet, honorable discharge. It¡¯s bullshit.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want a discharge. I want to go back to the war.¡± ¡°No! You told me you read the book, and you understood.¡± ¡°I did, I finished it weeks ago. You¡¯re still not ready to talk.¡± ¡°Slanek, who was the one dodging every question of substance? I don¡¯t need to hear any more lies from you. You just want me to let it go, but we can¡¯t rewind the clock on our friendship. I trust very deeply, and you broke that. The only reason I¡¯m coming with you is because I want you to get help. For what it¡¯s worth, I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t see it sooner.¡± I rose to my feet, as the near-vacant train stopped near my hometown. ¡°You think I damned myself. I heard your interpretation of the book. What¡¯s the point if I¡¯ve already fucked everything over?¡± His hazel eyes glistened. ¡°I couldn¡¯t bear to watch you go off the deep end. I loved you, the brother I never had, Slanek. I still do. But this hatred is festering inside of you, and it¡¯s turning you into someone I don¡¯t recognize.¡± ¡°Everything I did, I did because I cared about you. Because I didn¡¯t want you, or anyone like you, to get hurt! No matter what you think of me, I¡¯m still here when you need me. I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re taken care of on Venlil Prime.¡± The predator¡¯s stare intensified, and he placed his hands on my shoulders. Marcel turned me around forcibly, inspecting me with a look that screamed alarm. As bitter as I sounded right now, it offered slight comfort to know that the human still cared about me. The way I regarded him was like the brother I lost; perhaps my dependency on him was from fear of loss. The prospects of the Terran having no choice but to cling to me, due to the effects of the disease, were enticing. This was an alien world that he''d need to be coaxed into! Unfortunately, my calling is much more urgent; the things that were done to me, to all Venlilkind, must be reckoned for. I¡¯ll try to set Marcel up for success. ¡°How you said that¡­it was like you¡¯re not coming back. Are you going to hurt yourself?¡± His voice had become much softer, and he shook his head emphatically. ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to end like this. You made a mistake, I won¡¯t sugarcoat, but it doesn¡¯t have to define you forever. I¡¯ll help you.¡± I straightened my ears in earnest. ¡°I¡¯m not going to self-harm¡ªthat was a dark assumption. I just need to go somewhere else to sort out my issues.¡± ¡°Of course, that¡¯s exactly what you should do! I¡¯m, um, really happy to hear that.¡± ¡°See? I did understand. I¡¯m a monster, and I need to do something about the things that made me one.¡± The Kolshians. The Farsul. The history being burned from the ledger. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t put it like that, but yeah!¡± Marcel declared, with a bit too much enthusiasm. ¡°It takes a brave person to seek help. You got this, buddy.¡± Breaking away from the human, I led him down the sidewalk toward my childhood home; the cerulean rowhouse with crumbling paint had ¡°character¡± and ¡°eccentricity¡±, as my mother put it. The last thing I wanted was to speak to my parents, knowing that they would be ashamed of the predatory creature their child had become. However, Marcel needed a place to stay, and I couldn¡¯t take care of my business until I knew he¡¯d be looked after. My plea to the universe was that my folks weren¡¯t anti-Terran bigots. Swallowing my hesitation, I ordered Marcel to wait at the bottom of the stairs. During my deployment on Sillis, that had been when I recognized the onset of what any normal Venlil would call predator disease. Onso cautioned me never to repeat that phrase again, but it would be tough to hide how much I changed. The Yotul had been correct about us being ¡°fired up¡± before the Federation got us. Steeling my swirling nerves, my claws tapped the buzzer. As seconds passed waiting, flight impulses tugged at my mind for the first time in a while. The door creaked open, before the elderly female Venlil behind it spotted us. Her transition to throw her arms around me was near instantaneous; I stood in numb silence as my mother sobbed into my shoulder. She stepped back at last, cupping my chin with pure joy. The guilt threatened to consume me, especially as a hint of fury tugged at her ears. I noticed her pupils dart briefly to Marcel, though she ignored him. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°Slanek! You haven¡¯t contacted us in months,¡± she hissed. ¡°We had no way of knowing if you were dead, and we saw you on the news with¡­him. The government told us you moved to Earth, during the raid, then we only found out you were alive by hearing you shipped off to Sillis.¡± I flicked my ears. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. There¡¯s some things I didn¡¯t want you to know.¡± ¡°Do you have any idea what you put us through, by deciding what we should know? Come here, human.¡± Marcel shifted on his feet. ¡°Are you sure, Miss¡­shit, you guys don¡¯t have last names. I don¡¯t want to call you ¡®Miss Slanek.¡¯¡± ¡°Call me Jensi. I obviously know who you are, Marcel Fraser. Thank you for bringing my son home.¡± ¡°Sure thing. It was harrowing out there, Jensi. We¡¯ve been through a lot together.¡± ¡°But we don¡¯t need to talk about that,¡± I interjected. ¡°You¡¯re¡­more calm around Marcel than I expected.¡± ¡°I play mahjong with my human coworkers a few times a season. They have such wonderful gossip!¡± My mother gestured toward the hallway. ¡°Please, come in, both of you. Your father is grabbing groceries, but he¡¯ll be back.¡± I pinned my ears back with discomfort, as Jensi dragged me inside. The human removed his shoes at the doorstep, not wanting to track dirt inside, I presumed. Marcel hadn¡¯t been happy when I got mud on his couch back on Earth. How I wished I could rewind the clock to those days. This wasn¡¯t where I belonged anymore, and I needed to make a quick exit before my mother realized her son was an unlovable monster. You want Jensi to remember you as the thoughtful, well-mannered young man you once were. Not as this thing. ¡°Listen, I¡¯m not going to be staying long,¡± I hissed. Jensi issued an adamant no tail signal. ¡°Nonsense! I¡¯m going to fix you boys a nice lunch, and you¡¯re going to tell me everything you¡¯ve been up to.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to¡ªI can¡¯t. Marc, can I have a minute to talk to her¡­alone?¡± The human nodded, and turned an inquisitive gaze on my mother. She pointed with her tail toward the living room, at the far end of the hallway. I watched as the Terran faded from earshot, grateful for the knowledge that their hearing was subpar. What I was about to impart to my mother wasn¡¯t something I wanted Marcel to be aware of. It had crossed my mind to leave him a note, but that might induce him to interfere with my plans. Hurt flashed in Jensi¡¯s eyes. ¡°How can you leave so soon after being gone for so long? Do we not matter to you at all, Slanek?¡± ¡°Look, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m coming back, Mom. Don¡¯t ask why. There¡¯s things I have to do. I¡¯m here for Marcel¡¯s sake, because the Kolshians ¡®cured¡¯ him and he has nowhere to go. Please, if you still love me, take him in and care for him. That¡¯s my only wish.¡± ¡°I have nothing against your friend, but asking me to let him move in, with no set timeframe, is a big ask. I don¡¯t know him, and he¡¯s not my son. You are.¡± ¡°Pretend Marcel is your son. He¡¯ll be a better son than I ever was. Please, I beg you. Nothing is more important to me than knowing he¡¯s safe.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll help him get back on his feet, at least for a little while. Why don¡¯t you just stay a little longer, Slanek¡ªyou can¡¯t run off saying I''ll never see you again! Tell me what¡¯s going on with you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not important. Whatever happens next, it wasn¡¯t your fault.¡± I ducked back out the front door, shaking off her efforts to tug me back inside. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mom, I really am. Tell him I¡¯m sorry too.¡± Without any further hesitation, I found myself sprinting as far away from home as my crooked legs would carry me. Memories of playing with my brother kindled my own tears, and the sobbing turned hysterical as I reminisced on my adventures with Marcel. The human believed I was getting help, but I knew it was too late for anything to be done. He hadn¡¯t wanted me to stay, given his claim that our friendship couldn¡¯t be restored to its former state. Jensi would ensure that he adjusted to Venlil Prime, and didn¡¯t end up destitute on the streets. It¡¯s okay, Slanek. You were always a liability to him; he¡¯s better off without you. They all are. My lungs burned, forcing me to slow from my breakneck run. The merciless sun beat down overhead, its reddish glow permeating my bushy fur like it was punishing me. I forced myself to keep moving; I couldn¡¯t afford to miss the train and allow Marcel or Jensi to chase after me. No matter what happened next, I hoped neither thought it was their fault. There was nothing that could make me regret my time in the exchange program, and meeting my gentle, vegetarian predator. I shimmied inside a train car just as the doors were closing, and collapsed on a bench with a heavy sigh. The knapsack on my back had felt light until now, since it contained only meager belongings. I slid it onto the floor in front of me, allowing myself a short break from hauling it around. An automated voice declared that we were heading to Orial, a farming village; I hadn¡¯t checked where the transit was headed before hopping on. I could keep riding until it reached a large city, one where I could find a spaceport. It gave me time to iron out my plans. ¡°Goodbye, Marcel. I won¡¯t disappoint you anymore,¡± I whispered, bowing my head in mourning. My paws retrieved the Frankenstein book he¡¯d given me. I understood the exact parallel that was being drawn by the story. It was laughable that I¡¯d thought that it was an allegory for humans being the unnatural monsters, when the novel first inspired me to pity them. The unholy, mix-and-match abomination, created by scientists that thought they could play god, who was then driven mad by the world around him¡ªit was me. It was always me. Marcel implied as much when he implored me to find the text¡¯s lessons. What I needed to do to fulfill my destiny was spelled out in the crisp pages. There was only one way to extol the rage surging in my heart at a deserved party, just as I had done with that arrogant Kolshian scientist. The execution had felt righteous and satisfying, a welcome release, until Marcel returned. If I was embracing my role as the monster, that meant I must kill my creator, after they lost everything they loved. With Nikonus¡¯ empire crumbling due to Terran interference, I was content to skip the first step and go for the jugular. Nikonus, and by extension, the rest of his Kolshian underlings had done this to me; they were the reason for all of my suffering and deformities. The Commonwealth Chief must fall by my claw, if I were to feel better. Nobody else should suffer as the Venlil had. Those tentacled freaks shouldn¡¯t have the opportunity to harm anyone ever again! I was going to find my way off this world, and find someone who could smuggle me into Aafa. When I lorded over Nikonus¡¯ cold, lifeless corpse, after watching the light dim from his eyes, then his punishment would be complete. Justice will be served. It might not set my heart at peace, but I don¡¯t care. It¡¯s not about me¡ªit¡¯s about them and what they¡¯ve done. Humans could never slip through Aafa¡¯s security to get close to Nikonus, but the Kolshians didn¡¯t take us modern Venlil seriously. There had to be a way to use stealth to my advantage. I stashed the book back in my knapsack, and set my mind to devising a plan. Attaining a weapon was the first order of business, though I had that figured out. I imagined an exterminators¡¯ office would give me one, if I claimed a ¡°dog¡± was following me. How else could I protect myself from a predator? It was a shame they wouldn¡¯t hand out flamethrowers without guild membership. A standard firearm would have to be enough to put Nikonus down for good. If this was the last mission I undertook, I accepted my fate. Perhaps the greatest incentive was that, if I succeeded, nobody would ever jeer Venlil as weak again. My focus turned to blocking out all memories of the human that was once my friend, and I committed myself to avenging both of our species. Chapter 137 Memory transcription subject: Governor Tarva of the Venlil Republic Date [standardized human time]: February 5, 2137 While the United Nations had no intention of gunning down Isif, human snipers had their sights trained on him in case the Arxur tried anything. I imagined their watchful presence was for the purpose of putting the other delegates at ease, as much as they could be with a carnivorous predator mounting the stage. The Chief Hunter had to slouch to reach the microphone, even after raising it to its full height. Fearful expressions marred the prey delegates¡¯ faces, with reptilian eyes aimed in their direction. Everything that stirred our instincts about Terrans was there tenfold in a gray; this was the face that haunted our nightmares, the visage of the cruelest race in existence. A ginger-and-white Dossur leapt off Isif¡¯s head, and curled up on the podium right in front him. The delegation from Mileau¡¯s refugees hissed for the rodent to be removed, trying to signal her to come to them. The tiny herbivore who¡¯d appeared alongside the Arxur showed no interest, yawning to express boredom. Many humans looked befuddled by her nonchalance, except for Zhao, who seemed to have encountered this Dossur before. Isif flared his nostrils, and a handful of delegates fainted. The Thafki ambassador was out like a light, while Gojid Minister Kiri swooned and folded like a lawn chair. Primates rushed over to try to rouse the downed diplomats, and I turned to survey Noah¡¯s expression. The Terran ambassador had taken on an exterior of alarm, as though something awful occurred to him. His unmasked eyes raced across the room, scanning every Venlil; the glint in his brown irises was of personal concern. I gasped with my own worry, when the pieces clicked in my brain. Ambassador Williams was looking for Glim, and his pupils settled on a tail sticking out from under a dresser. ¡°Oh no,¡± Noah murmured. ¡°Seeing an Arxur must be traumatic for Glim¡­they tortured and penned him for years. He watched them eat other Venlil in front of him, daily.¡± The human pushed his way through the crowd, who were preoccupied with the most threatening predator in the room. Glim was catatonic under the dresser, shaking like a leaf. He was gasping out the words ¡°not cattle¡±, before diverting to repeating the numbers on his brand. The Venlil rescue promptly vomited all over the floor, and Noah dragged him out to prevent him from choking. The astronaut shared a glance with me, before rushing the former-cattle Venlil from the room in his arms. The terror in Glim¡¯s eyes seemed to pierce right through me. How long had he been under there? Since he heard us discussing whether to allow Isif to speak? The Chief Hunter either didn¡¯t notice or didn¡¯t comment on Glim¡¯s departure, as he cleared his throat with a thunderous growl. More of the delegates cowered, and unlike the humans¡¯ apologetic demeanor, the Arxur seemed irked. He hissed something into the Dossur¡¯s ear; worried gazes dotted the audience, as many assumed the gray was leaning in to chow into her soft throat. The rodent chittered back with an angry expression, and made a dramatic gesture at the microphone. Isif sighed in surrender. ¡°Hello. I do not expect to be granted access to your meetings or to join your association. I merely recognize the pragmatic concern that we have a common enemy, and per the information provided by human intelligence services, Betterment and the Federation are two sides of the same knife. While I cannot offer any recompense for the ills you have suffered, know it will end with me and my rebellion.¡± ¡°After everything you¡¯ve done, you w-want us to work with you?¡± Nuela, the Krakotl representative, challenged. ¡°There are Krakotl here? Humans are so soft, and their willingness to speak with you¡­after what you did to Earth, reflects the shortcomings of their empathy. You are the face of the extermination fleet, and I do not wish to speak or work with you.¡± ¡°Oh, so if you challenge your government, after leading atrocities your whole life, you¡¯re fine? The Krakotl were used and thrown away, without k-knowing we were omnivores. If I had that information when voting on Earth¡¯s fate, things would¡¯ve been different, gray.¡± ¡°If I had an alternative that did not get me killed, things would¡¯ve been different. You had a choice, the ability to speak up without losing your head, and you didn¡¯t. Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t owe you any explanation, you abominable monstrosity. I didn¡¯t vote for you to get your nasty eyes on the best pickings¡­oh sorry, I mean, ¡®speak to us.¡¯ We¡¯d never fight alongside someone as unscrupulous and repulsive as you.¡± ¡°SILENCE!¡± Secretary-General Zhao bellowed. ¡°I expect all guests of the Sapient Coalition to behave with the decorum and rationality befitting professional diplomats. We aren¡¯t the Federation. We don¡¯t conduct debates and decide issues by lobbing insults, no matter our personal feelings.¡± If Noah were here rather than tending to Glim, he would¡¯ve remarked on how difficult it¡¯d been to get a word in edgewise, with the constant interruptions during his Aafa speech. The jeers rang in my ears as fresh as yesterday; Cupo had led the heckling, casting skepticism on the notion of arboreal eyes and suggesting humanity would turn on us. The Mazic was much more partial to Noah now than in those days, and hadn¡¯t hesitated to shield him from Coji. However, the large mammal had voted against allowing Isif to speak. I imagined he was having difficulty holding his tongue. Humanity should be appreciative of Cupo¡¯s attempts to be respectful of the forum, knowing that his true thoughts likely aligned with Nuela¡¯s rhetoric. This debate could turn heated in a hurry, and I wasn¡¯t sure I trusted an Arxur to rein in his temper. The Terrans couldn¡¯t let this powder keg erupt into flames. Yotul ambassador Laulo curled his lip in defiance. ¡°What is it you want, Arxur?¡± ¡°I seek to ally where beneficial to weaken our enemies, and I am willing to attack specific targets in exchange for resources. Primarily, I seek a non-aggression pact. This war should not continue in the event we both triumph over our adversaries, yes? This death cycle must cease,¡± Isif retorted, flicking his tongue. ¡°S-so you¡¯ll what¡­stop raiding us and eating us?¡± Zurulian Prime Minister Braylen spoke up. ¡°I don¡¯t see how we could ever believe that you wouldn¡¯t relax our guard, just to launch a sneak attack.¡± ¡°Do you not recognize that you have the most shrewd, resourceful, relentless species on your side? A humanity with actual time to perfect their craft¡ªit will be suicide to go up against them in a few years. Look how rapidly they advance, they learn, they innovate. Similar to your feelings, I have no guarantee that you wouldn¡¯t see my kind extinct, as soon as we try to isolate ourselves. I know you think we do not deserve to exist.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t!¡± Nuela squawked. ¡°You¡¯re a bunch of bloodthirsty demons.¡± ¡°The Archives will show you it was not always so cut-and-dry, bird. Now shut your beak. We cannot be friends, obviously, but I would hope, many generations from now, our descendants might be civilized with each other. That each of our factions may regard the other¡¯s lives with some minimal value. Would that not be better than this cursed existence?¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. A Dossur diplomat leapt around, held aloft by a Mazic, trying to draw attention. ¡°You¡¯re keeping one of ours as a hostage on this very floor. Who is she, and what have you done to her?¡± ¡°Ah, this is Felra. I rescued her from Mileau, and we are friends. She is silly and irritating, but does she look like a hostage to you?! I feel like her hostage!¡± ¡°I made Siffy come here,¡± Felra squeaked, a prideful note coloring her voice. ¡°Speaking at the summit was my idea. I told him he should try to make peace. Isif was never taught how to have empathy, but I¡¯m certain he has a good heart!¡± ¡°For the record, nobody made me do anything. I believe this is a delusional, fruitless endeavor, and the humans¡­much like all of you¡­don¡¯t want me here tarnishing their reputation. I am surprised I was allowed to speak to you.¡± ¡°Then why did you come here at all?¡± Mazic President Cupo finally challenged. ¡°To test how much you could manipulate us?¡± ¡°My reason for coming is somewhat to express my remorse over the role I played in your historical atrocities, because it is my sincere feeling. Also, practically, I cannot overcome the Dominion alone, so it is a strategic move to express the benefits that could be gained from a reluctant partnership. Zhao touts the idea of ¡®victory, at all costs¡¯, yes? The cost is for us to tolerate each other.¡± ¡°What if I don¡¯t want to tolerate you?¡± ¡°Then that was the expected outcome. I merely will ask that the United Nations pass along back channels to communicate with me, if you desire. Each state may reach out, should they be interested in any non-aggression pacts. Thank you for granting me an audience; I will not take any more of your time.¡± Zhao gave a hand signal to the UN soldiers, who escorted the Arxur from the room without hesitation. I considered the speech I¡¯d just heard; it was surprising that the carnivore had been able to iterate his full pitch, and have his points listened to by prey. Isif¡¯s rhetoric mirrored my own ideas, recognizing that friendship was impossible, and suggesting a pragmatic alliance instead. Risking open collaboration before the election would be political suicide, but perhaps the Venlil Republic could accept his proposal off of the public¡¯s radar. Isif¡¯s stunt proved that an Arxur can act civilized, and communicate more than hungry threats. The question is if this demolished humanity¡¯s chances of securing support for the Coalition. The majority of species had consented to the Arxur¡¯s brief admittance, and supported the Terrans in the face of mockery. Secretary-General Zhao seemed keen to get the proceedings back on track; serious entreaties were needed at this moment, rather than festivities. It was a shame, since I sensed how desperately the humans needed a happy moment to cling to. The guests had enjoyed the earlier messing about to a certain degree, judging by how they¡¯d cheered Noah¡¯s faceplanting stunt on. This was supposed to be an event calling for unity, and celebrating the diplomatic tribulations Earth had overcome. As the UN¡¯s leader rushed to mingle with leery diplomats, I committed myself to winning over anyone who was put off by the Arxur¡¯s visit. A part of me was darkly curious if others were considering his offer, though the cynical side of me doubted it. After how the peaceful Terrans were mistreated time and again, I had little faith in the collective to pass fair judgments. I padded up to Mazic President Cupo, bracing myself for damage control. ¡°I was impressed with how you handled yourself. The humans had a tough situation on their hands there; they need Isif militarily. You seemed to understand that.¡± ¡°Khoa owes our continued existence to humanity. Though I vehemently disagree with treating that monster as a person, the UN still has my full support, Tarva,¡± Cupo replied. ¡°I see what you¡¯re trying to do, and it¡¯s not necessary. The Terrans simply can¡¯t believe that predators are evil, because they are not evil. It¡¯s understandable.¡± Not accurate, but roll with it. ¡°Perhaps there¡¯s another good predator race out there? Like Zhao said, sapients choose what they are.¡± ¡°Sure, but blood-drinking killers are a lot more likely to choose evil by default. There¡¯s a disconnect between that practice and good motives. Even the humans would agree, and that¡¯s why they¡¯ve bettered themselves through science. Their curiosity brings out the best in them.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad you noticed how humans adore science and find meaning in their surroundings,¡± I dodged. ¡°Sara would be happy to hear that her field is appreciated. Please, excuse me.¡± That was one name to check off the list of potential discontented parties; the slightly-misguided Cupo¡¯s support hadn¡¯t been jeopardized by our unwanted guest. I noticed a dejected Nuela slinking into Zhao¡¯s circle, with her indigo wings folded unhappily. The Krakotl had her body turned away from the human; I wondered if she was afraid of him, after he lobbied for the Arxur¡¯s introduction. Scurrying off from my private conversation with the Mazic, I joined the Secretary-General¡¯s circle to offer support. The Krakotl, of all species, have no right to challenge humanity. I was surprised, and perhaps a little displeased, that they were invited here, when Earth¡¯s gaping wounds are still fresh. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re alright, Telikinn,¡± Zhao was saying to the Thafki diplomat, who looked groggy after fainting. ¡°I¡¯d love to get back on track discussing a Thafki settlement, under our protection. Somewhere you can restore your society, without being targeted for attack as soon as you plant your roots.¡± Telikinn slumped his shoulders. ¡°Before you came along, there were 12,000 of us left, because of the Arxur. The Federation leaders made sure no one came to h-help us, but they didn¡¯t helm the raid. The grays did the deed.¡± ¡°Had I known the Arxur was coming in advance, I never would¡¯ve allowed it. Humanity understands how sensitive this is to you and your people. All I want is to help the Thafki flourish. You¡¯re important to us personally, enough that we never gave up on calling you our friends. Please, in turn, don¡¯t give up on humanity because of this one hiccup.¡± ¡°Everything with you ends with a r-representative dying, the Arxur showing up, or a planet getting attacked.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. We¡¯ve failed to keep people safe. This incursion was a lapse in our security, for which I am unspeakably sorry. We can do better¡­humans aren¡¯t quitters. Your survival and your freedom are what we fight for, alongside our own.¡± Nuela flapped her wings. ¡°Human? I know you may not want to speak to me¡­¡± ¡°No, please. I brought you here as an olive branch, not to hold Earth over your head. I don¡¯t wish to condemn your species. While few would agree with me, I think the fact that Krakotl were the first victims changes our perspective. This is a fresh start for us all¡­or, it can be.¡± ¡°I just wished to apologize for how I phrased my words to the filthy gray. Not that I regret that, just¡­I realized how my ¡®nasty eyes¡¯ comment could be taken the wrong way by humans, who also have binocular eyes. Your eyes aren¡¯t nearly as bad as theirs!¡± Zhao coyly lifted his visor for a second. ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± The Krakotl froze, stuttering for a few moments. ¡°I¡­um¡­n-no. W-worse in person, videos don¡¯t do the w-whole ¡®looking right at you¡¯ justice. What I meant to say is that yours are¡­ unfortunate, and theirs are nasty.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± The Secretary-General issued a gruff laugh, fitting his visor back over his eyes. ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, many humans get anxiety from other people staring at them. It can be most unsettling, and I understand that your temper flared with Isif. All is forgiven.¡± Nuela shook her wings out, an attempt to flush the fear chemicals from her body. Telikinn had looked away when Zhao started to remove his visor; the Thafki didn¡¯t want to risk passing out twice in the span of an hour. I couldn¡¯t help but snicker at the frightful diplomats, along with the amused, human-accustomed Laulo. The Yotul was having a full belly laugh, and I shared his view on the situational absurdity. Gazing into a human¡¯s eyes was intoxicating¡ªa way of peering through a window to their soul, especially when it was Noah¡¯s loving gaze. For anyone who knows the Terrans well, it¡¯s impossible to be scared of them. Seeing Laulo project that sentiment, I can tell the Yotul will be an easy vote to join the Coalition. The positive outlook was that no parties outside the Duerten Shield had walked out or become hostile to humans, which was a victory under the circumstances. The real test would be how many committed to join as a member state, when the vote took place in a few days. Outlining any diplomatic technicalities, discussing a vision for a post-war future, and confirming signatures to the various treaties from would-be entrants were next on the agenda. For some planets, FTL comms would need to patch them into legislatures at home, to vote on document ratifications. I was hopeful that humanity would succeed in its mission to found a better league of planets. No species had fought harder, with unrequited kindness, to gain friends among the stars. A binding agreement to cement that humans were not alone in their quest for peace would mean the world to me. Chapter 138 Memory transcription subject: Governor Tarva of the Venlil Republic Date [standardized human time]: February 9, 2137 The rest of the Summit was uneventful, with standard diplomatic talks setting a mundane atmosphere that reminded me of any other bureaucratic affair. My speech railed against the actions of the Archives, taken against herbivores for seeking self-determination. I appealed to the connections the Venlil held for centuries, and what the Federation was supposed to stand for. Exchange program guests followed me, talking about the connections they forged with predators. Braylen and Laulo spoke about why they helped Earth, testifying to humanity¡¯s innocence. Most of the speakers, however, were human. Ambassador Williams got a proper stint on stage with a heavily-prepared statement, rehashing what he¡¯d said on Aafa in full detail. Secretary-General Zhao handed the floor off to undersecretaries to detail various tenets of the charter. Extradition, interstellar police, and travel policies were proposed, followed by opinions on which substances should be controlled. Currency exchanges, labor laws, and trade were discussed by another human official. The tricky issue was that of exterminators and the environment, after the next Terran floated the idea of conservation. While the notion of preserving predators had been scrubbed from their speech, other diplomats caught on to the underlying intent. The humans deflected back to ¡°monitoring ecosystem impacts¡± and preventing threats to sustainability. Their immediate pivot to colonization procedures and settling territorial disputes through the Coalition forum wasn¡¯t lost on me. It was brave of Zhao to subtly throw condemnation on the guild, before any signatories have committed to his Coalition. The humans truly hate exterminators and predator disease. Terrans didn¡¯t need to raise the issue of predator disease, beyond Sara Rosario claiming she would share research ¡°in the interest of cooperation and transparency.¡± I had a sneaking suspicion that humans would use the Universal Declaration of Sapient Rights to lobby for the humane treatment of mentally ill individuals. Talsk was also kicked down the road, to be decided by whoever chose to join the Coalition. Overall, the predators covered all their bases, and managed not to garner too much outrage from coveted allies. The Arxur visit and the anti-exterminator guests muddied the waters, so we¡¯d have to see whether those occurrences would have negative impacts on the vote. ¡°Boo.¡± Ambassador Williams wrapped his arms around me from behind, and rested his chin on my shoulders. ¡°Aw, I didn¡¯t scare you a little? I wanted a little payback for all the times Venlil approach from the side, forgetting we can¡¯t see you.¡± ¡°You know what still scares me about you, Noah? How much I love you,¡± I murmured. The human released his grip. ¡°Perhaps we feel the same. How deep is your love? So fearsome that it rocks the soul like a gust?¡± ¡°¡­you¡¯ve said that before, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Uh¡­I might¡¯ve been writing a poem for you for Valentines. That day doesn¡¯t mean a thing to you, so I guess I can relay part of it now. It¡¯s not very good anyway.¡± ¡°Go on. I need something to give me confidence; I¡¯m the first on the voters¡¯ roster. For all I know, I¡¯ll be the only ¡®yes¡¯ vote.¡± ¡°Okay. Ahem¡­ Since I¡¯ve met you, love is not just a word, It sings deep within, unspoken and unheard, A passion that blows all concerns to dust, So fearsome that it rocks the soul like a gust. To rest certain that I am understood and secure, I¡¯ll cherish you forever to see that we¡¯ll endure. Well, Tarva, I know it¡¯s corny and short, but maybe the thought¡­¡± I chuckled. ¡°That was actually pretty good. I could hear the rhyme and flow before I caught the meaning. Who knew my science dork was a poet?¡± ¡°¡­it can be our secret. Right, I think they¡¯re about to call for the votes, so I can stop embarrassing myself. Good luck, Governor!¡± I could sense Noah winking at me, even through his eye visor, just by the slight movement of his facial muscles. The Secretary-General had been delivering a formal thanks to the attendees, and I could see the nervousness in his stance. He summoned me as the first voter, symbolic of how we were humanity¡¯s original friends, and asked for the others to form a queue. Each diplomat obliged, and I waltzed past the various aliens. Their expressions were impermeable, granting no insight to their votes. I accepted the microphone from Zhao, who offered a few gracious claps. ¡°Hello. There has never been a species which I loved as much as my own; I love Terrans for their caring nature and their innocence. Despite all that has happened, humanity hasn¡¯t lost themselves. They never wavered in their commitment to peace, even as they were forced into a grim war they wanted no part in. I¡¯m proud to announce that the Venlil Republic will join the Sapient Coalition alongside our wonderful friends.¡± Zhao embraced me in a hug, before I dismounted the stage with polite tail swishes to the audience. Noah gave me an encouraging nod as I returned; my stomach was a bundle of nerves. How many species would be willing to join the predators¡¯ alliance? There was no guarantee leaders wouldn¡¯t get cold feet, or dither over the UN¡¯s Arxur ties. Ambassador Laulo was mounting the stage, which brought me relief. The Yotul rushed to the front of the queue. If anyone votes yes, it should be him; this could give humanity¡¯s cause some momentum. Laulo surveyed the audience. ¡°What humanity proposed for contacting other cultures is certainly better than the Federation¡¯s heavy-handed annihilation, and the mockery that ensues. The Yotul were looked down upon and silenced, but the predators never hesitated to stand up for us as equals. They want us all to be equal. I finally have the respect I thought I¡¯d never get. The Yotul offer a resounding ¡®yes¡¯ vote, and pledge everything we can offer to the ideals of the Sapient Coalition.¡± The marsupial flicked his ears in gratitude, and Zhao returned the gesture as best as he could by dipping his head. Gojid Minister Kiri was trundling up the stage, and I recalled her desire of safety for her people¡¯s remnants. It wasn¡¯t clear if she¡¯d see that safety in a union formed by the species the Gojids had been at war with mere months ago. Additionally, the spiky leader had been displeased about the humans defending the exact Arxur responsible for the cradle¡¯s fall. This vote could be a curt no. Kiri curled her claws around the microphone. ¡°Colonies and refugees. That is all we have left. We wouldn¡¯t have that without the predators¡ªthe people we attacked¡ªfighting, and dying, to save us, while we wanted to kill them. They were honorable in a way we did not deserve. You know, we never officially ceased our war with humanity. Let my yes vote, as the highest-remaining member of the Gojidi Union, serve to erase all uncertainty; we are on Earth¡¯s side today.¡± That was a surprise; I could feel the tension lifting from the predator diplomats, as the first few votes turned in their favor. Each commitment injected a dose of positivity into the dialogue around humanity. After constant suspicion and accusations, the genuine kindness was moving a few primates to tears. They deserved to hear affirmative messages from all of us at the Summit. I squeezed Noah¡¯s wrist with my tail. Zurulian Prime Minister Braylen took the stage next. ¡°We healed innocent civilians in the aftermath of Earth, where a billion lives were taken without cause. We¡¯ve seen their homeworld, and their doctors¡¯ code has reminded us of our purpose¡ªto do no harm. My brother¡¯s pleas to give humanity a chance were a gift to my administration. Colia and her government votes to join the Sapient Coalition, by the Parliament¡¯s decision 62-3.¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Unsurprisingly, the three species who came to Earth¡¯s aid all were early votes to join humanity¡¯s league. A positive start¡ªthough our voting record can¡¯t stay perfect forever, can it? Thafki representative Telikinn followed the quadrupeds, a nervous look on his face. ¡°The Federation allowed us to die for the crime of having a semiaquatic nature. I guess it¡¯s no surprise that they never offered once to help us rebuild our lost heritage and home. You know who extended that offer the first time we met face-to-face? The humans. The Thafki Advocacy, for this alone, votes to join the Sapient Coalition.¡± Considering how quickly the blue-gray ambassador had been to run for the bar and avoid Zhao¡¯s exposed eyes, that was a surprise. Telikinn wanted to open full diplomatic relations with predators? Thafki acceptance was an encouraging indicator to the temperature of the room. If the United Nations could deliver on the promise of a proper colony, that would be invaluable in helping the Advocacy return to relevance. ¡°What more do we need to say than saving Khoa?¡± Mazic President Cupo asked, succeeding the Thafki. ¡°The people we thought were our friends came to conquer us, while the predators we doubted and scorned saved us for nothing in return. The Presidium remembers this, and we issue unconditional acceptance to take our place within the Sapient Coalition.¡± Noah snorted to himself. ¡°Long way from never trusting predators, huh?¡± ¡°Your speech is the reason Cupo, and all these species, started on the path to accepting humans,¡± I whispered. ¡°You¡¯re the original inspiration. The spark that lit the fire.¡± The Onkari and Verin ambassadors took the stage together, with the former speaking for both. ¡°We are grateful the Suleans put us in touch with humanity. Many neutral parties had time to rethink the Terrans, and who they are as a race. When we learned we were former omnivores, we felt alone. The predators welcomed us, and everyone who lost their heritage. The Onkari and Verin governments stand together as deepest allies, for this unequivocal step of joining the Sapient Coalition.¡± That left eight entrants into our union, with no votes to oppose them; the humans could hardly contain their jubilance, and there were thirty species remaining to speak. Quick acceptance speeches from the Drilvar and the galactically-distant Paltans rounded out the numbers to ten. The United Nations had cynical expectations before this Summit commenced, stating they¡¯d be happy with a mere dozen allies. Despite all that had gone wrong, enough sentiment had swung in our favor. Tilfish Governor Birla scuttled to the podium. ¡°My thanks to the Terrans is a personal one; for saving me, my son, and helping me with a troubling concern. They could¡¯ve done anything when they accepted our surrender, but they¡¯re giving us a chance at freedom. They fought for Sillis, even when it seemed like they¡¯d left, in spite of our participation in the raid. We don¡¯t deserve to join the Sapient Coalition, but I accept the offer with gratitude.¡± The Harchen, the other vassal, mirrored that sentiment, before relinquishing the podium to the Fissans. Ambassador Halmina seemed pleased to have reached the stage before the Nevoks¡¯ successor to Tossa, and declared that she¡¯d join since the Coalition might soon be the only bargaining opportunity left. Eager to outshine their rivals, Tossa¡¯s replacement went on a lengthy tirade about how the humans needed the Nevoks. Both hypercapitalist species signed on, though their speeches weren¡¯t quite as inspiring as the others. Four converted neutrals followed, each penning the dotted line. The Sulean-Iftalis trotted onto the stage, suggesting they¡¯d been smoothing the waters and guiding the last few speakers. I thought they were a certain vote to join humanity¡¯s team, after all the diplomatic legwork they¡¯d done. However, I was curious to see what the sister species from a single world had to say about our predator friends. Noah had his two fingers twisted atop each other, hoping that the perfect voting streak would hold up throughout the tally. ¡°They all love you,¡± I whispered to the astronaut. ¡°Everything you¡¯ve done has mattered, to a lot of people.¡± The Terran ambassador bobbed his head. ¡°Sometimes, I thought no one would ever see us as anything more than monsters. It felt like no matter what we did, it wasn¡¯t appreciated.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true. Listen to what they¡¯re saying, all the things you¡¯ve done in such a short time! Here¡¯s a duo that are sure to sing your praises.¡± ¡°Humanity answered the call, when we discovered our sister species had been slighted,¡± the Sulean ambassador was saying. ¡°What they gave us was the scientific truth, derived from a methodology of scraping fact from bits of stone. They then risked their lives to recover the Archives info and give us concrete answers. We decide who we are, like Zhao said, and that¡¯s humanity¡¯s friends. The dual species of Jild will join the Coalition.¡± That was only the beginning of the tide of agreement. Seven more species accepted the proposal, and a palpable fog of emotion hung in the room. It would mean a lot to humanity, if every species here voted to join. My pleasure was soured as Nuela took the stage; she¡¯d helped greenlight the bombs that struck Earth¡¯s flesh before she turned separatist. Hopefully, the Krakotl had the sense to see that her species didn¡¯t belong in the humans¡¯ inner circle. Whatever Zhao espoused about an olive branch, the Terrans didn¡¯t deserve to interact with their archenemies on a daily basis. The Tilfish and Harchen should¡¯ve had the decency to reject the offer too, but the Krakotl are particularly egregious. Nuela tossed her sunset-orange beak, shaking out her feathers. ¡°I offered to turn myself in, the first time I could speak to Zhao alone here. Unfortunately, he expressed no desire to have me charged. The humans were innocent, and we persecuted them to no end. I came here to apologize, but if they wish for the Krakotl to join, I must honor their wishes. Whatever I have belongs to the Sapient Coalition. We¡¯re in.¡± A few disgruntled murmurs passed through the crowd, but the representatives held their tongues, knowing that humanity would strike down discrimination on their floor. Three ¡°yes¡± voters followed the avian, but my focus wandered. My thoughts briefly flitted to the election, and how joining with this many species after the break from the Federation might turn voters against me. If securing the Venlil Republic¡¯s place in galactic politics was my last act, I could live with that. The race would be a challenge, but it would be arduous for Veln to pull us out of the Coalition. Unity in the face of this war, and motivation given through outside kindness, is what humanity needs to make the final push to Aafa. Forget your competition at home, Tarva¡ªlet Noah and Zhao etch this feeling into their memories. Species after species passed by Zhao, and the line dwindled without a single species rejecting a spot on our team. I thought about Elias Meier¡¯s vision of galactic peace, and his desperate outreach to anyone who would listen. The current Secretary-General had brought that dream to fruition, and made prudent moves on the war front to fend off the Federation at the same time. Despite my early doubts, Zhao had proved a worthy successor to lead Earth, and pursued harmony from his own angles. I could sense that he was proud of pulling the Summit off. ¡°So we¡¯re the last ones? All of you have chosen your side?¡± The final species in the line was Alar, the Dossur ambassador, who¡¯d kept to the back to avoid being stepped on. ¡°Mileau has been captured for months, by a fleet larger than any we¡¯ve seen. The humans have given everything they can to saving us, and they¡¯re the reason anyone, including myself, escaped. Being one of the larger species makes them intimidating, but I find they have larger hearts in turn. Their compassion is their greatest strength. The Federation pushed us into their arms, so it¡¯s a given that we join this alliance.¡± Silence permeated the auditorium, with the tally remarkably sitting at a unanimous vote to join. The chorus of heartfelt praises to humanity, the predator species that opened all of our eyes, were still ringing in our hosts¡¯ ears. Noah sank to his knees and wept, unable to fathom such decisive support being lent to Earth. If one species was worth sacrificing his life on Aafa, how much more did 38 friends mean to my astronaut? I wrapped a paw around his shoulder, and tugged his shaking head toward me. ¡°Oh Tarva, after everything that happened to Earth, it¡¯s really nice to know that I set some positive events in motion,¡± Noah sniffled. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t it have always been like this? There¡¯s nothing I wouldn¡¯t have done.¡± Mucus dropped from his bruised nose, as the emotions he¡¯d been carrying spilled out. Secretary-General Zhao had wandered back to the podium, head briefly turning toward us. Other aliens were watching us, though their attention quickly shifted back to the Chinese diplomat. The UN leader couldn¡¯t find the words to address the crowd, and he swallowed a lump in his own throat. I could see that he was choked up, though he managed to get out a few words. ¡°We have work to do¡­friends,¡± the human coughed, clearing his throat. ¡°Thank you. Only now can I truly say that humanity is not alone in the universe. We¡¯re going to make this community special, because we must. Together, we¡¯ll turn the tides of this war and restore autonomy to every world. Now, before we pack this up, let¡¯s have a celebration of us!¡± After extending their hands in a plea for friendship for months, humanity had found the eager comrades they desired. I soothed the overwhelmed Noah, and thought about how far I¡¯d come from seeing him as a despicable monster. The Terrans deserved an outcome that was in their favor, without any caveats; for the first time since their introduction to the galaxy, events had shaken out that way. My gaze swept over the various diplomats, considering how this diverse alliance would approach the challenges that faced us all. The predators had much to teach everyone here about civility. I had faith that we could come up with solutions to our dilemmas, and undo the crushing dogma that pervaded our societies. The future could be bright under Earth¡¯s guidance, paving the way for better days to come. Chapter 139 Memory transcription subject: Slanek, Venlil Civilian Date [standardized human time]: February 13, 2137 The Duerten homeworld was a stormy place during monsoon season; its name was Kalqua, but I didn¡¯t care much for dissecting the linguistic intricacies of any titles. Skalga, world of death¡ªthat was a name from a species of warriors. Even that nomenclature meant little compared to the sole place that mattered, the one that I razed in my dreams: Aafa. So despite the rift between the Duerten Homogeneity and the United Nations, my concern was using the gray avians to complete my mission. That was why I decided to come here; I had plenty of time to concoct a plan, as I drifted from stop-to-stop on the train back on Skalga. The pittance I¡¯d received from the Venlil-Human exchange program gave me the money I needed to reach out to unscrupulous parties. That entailed looking no further than the Nevok industry; as the losing parties of a trade war with the Fissans, they would do anything to make a quick buck. I forked over half the fee up-front in exchange for travel to Kalqua. The Nevoks weren¡¯t suicidal, so their ¡°unofficial¡± smuggling enterprise wouldn¡¯t take me to Aafa, but they still had open trade with the Duerten. It was up to me to negotiate a deal to make the trek to the Federation¡¯s home. I opened my knapsack, spotting the gun tucked next to the book. The rural exterminators office in Celgel Falls didn¡¯t seem to recognize me, and was delighted when I¡¯d floated the idea of taking out dogs. Those Venlil made it clear they wouldn¡¯t mind if a human ¡°predator¡± got on the wrong end of a bullet. It was all I could do not to mow each of them down then and there. My impatience to get to business was growing now too, with the itch in my claws craving the pull of the trigger. The damn Nevok has been in a holding pattern aboveworld for hours. Something about it being too stormy to land safely in the Duerten capital, Liluat. ¡°Why can¡¯t we descend now?¡± I barked. ¡°I was also a pilot. I know we can fly through choppy conditions.¡± The Nevok flicked his ears. ¡°It¡¯s against local regulations. Too many crashes on Duerten soil, especially with smaller spacecraft. They¡¯ll fine me at the docking bay if I go now, so no can do.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll cover the fine, with a little extra for you. How much to go right now?¡± ¡°A thousand credits.¡± I gagged at the figure, but fished out my holopad regardless. Missed messages showed on the old chat app I¡¯d used during the exchange program, but I navigated to my bank account instead. I had wanted to leave something to Jensi and Marcel to improve their welfare, but what was important was terminating Nikonus¡¯s life as soon as possible. The Nevok looked satisfied when I transferred the requested amount, and punched in the commands on the piloting interface. My ears pinned back against my head, with the actualization of my plans unfolding. As a recognizable figure across the galaxy, I wasn¡¯t expecting the Duerten to give a human-friendly Venlil a hero¡¯s welcome. They thought our sweet predators were as good as dirt, but at least they weren¡¯t actively engaged in war with them. Anyone who threatened Earth¡¯s safety or the average Terran¡¯s welfare needed to be put down. In the past, people like me would¡¯ve never allowed someone to terrorize our herd. To think what they¡¯d done to Skalga was worse than the bioweapon the Kolshians gassed Marcel with¡­I wonder what their species would look like with specially-crafted afflictions. ¡°Hey, what is wrong with you, Slanek? We¡¯re here, and they¡¯ve locked the docking clamps until I pay the fines. You were in such a hurry, and now you¡¯ve got a thousand-parsec-stare at the runway. Go! Get off of my ship!¡± the Nevok barked. I jolted back to alertness, slinging my knapsack over my shoulders. ¡°Thanks for the ride.¡± Hustling out onto the runway, rain assaulted me from above and trickled into my ears. I spotted Duerten soldiers marching toward the shuttle with irate wing flaps. I raised my paws to show my intent to surrender to the security, and halted my forward momentum to ensure I wasn¡¯t perceived as a threat to the herd¡¯s safety. The avians looked alarmed to discern that a Venlil had slipped through their borders via a Nevok charter; several guards immediately drew their weapons. Forcing myself to remain calm, I knelt onto the pavement without waiting for instruction. Two guards pushed me onto my stomach, planting their webbed feet against my neck. The Duerten chained my arms behind my back, and hauled me to my paws. They called in my arrest, naming me as ¡°the famous human pet, Slanek¡±; I gritted my teeth at that moniker. Smoothing out my fur through a concerted effort, I issued a request to speak with someone high-ranking in the government. The avians¡¯ suspicion intensified after I verbalized that desire, though they passed it along the correct channels. You¡¯re completely at their mercy, so might as well play nice. They have no requisite not to hear your plea¡­though I don¡¯t know what happens if they say ¡°no.¡± It took several minutes sitting in the back of a stationary police car, but clearance came through for me to be taken to Ambassador Coji¡¯s office. The Duerten representative to Earth was fresh back from the Summit, having slammed the door on humanity¡¯s diplomatic offers once and for all. I released a sigh of relief, as the car began moving, and I offered as little as possible to guards prompting me for my reasons. What I had to say was for official ears only. Nobody could know my plans to annihilate Nikonus. Impatience caused me to fidget, and the bland colors of the structures didn¡¯t give me much to look at. It felt like hours later when we finally arrived, passing under a billboard that said, Sapient predator? An oxymoron. I wished they hadn¡¯t put the window¡¯s visual translator on to convert text to Venlil tongue. A Duerten guard hauled me out of the car, granting me an unhindered look at the embassy. The construction was built to withstand strong winds, with metal plates over the windows, and entrance hatches on each floor for any natives that chose to fly inside. I was forced to take the long way around, trundling through the lobby to a rusted elevator that clearly hadn¡¯t seen much use. ¡°Is this even safe to ride in? It doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s been well-kept,¡± I grumbled. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. The security officer huffed, smashing the third button with his wing. ¡°Oh, so you talk now, just to question us? You are an intruder here, and you will do what we say. I doubt it will be worth our time to hear you out at all; I can¡¯t fathom why you came to Kalqua, with¡­who you are.¡± I swished my tail with annoyance, but said nothing as the elevator ratcheted up to the third floor. There were periodic creaks and scraping noises as it ascended, along with a painfully slow pause that made me think we were stuck for a second. The door slid open, revealing an array of private offices; most were shut, though I could see lights on under the frames. I was brought to the far end of the hall, and deposited into Coji¡¯s sprawling office, still chained. The Duerten ambassador had pictures of Noah¡¯s face on the wall with his binocular eyes carved out. If I wasn¡¯t desperate to get to Aafa, I would¡¯ve never beseeched her aid. ¡°I thought my guard had misidentified you, but no, it¡¯s really Slanek¡­friend of that captured human. Is this some deranged plea by Tarva to get me to return, and apologize for her audacious stunt at the Summit? If I didn¡¯t know better, I¡¯d think that predator Noah was her lover,¡± Coji sneered. I issued a nervous laugh. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous. Ambassador Noah just interacts with her a lot, and he¡¯s the one who convinced her to trust humans. I know people say Tarva is too attached to humans, but don¡¯t be offensive.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be whatever I want. You¡¯re in my office, on Kalqua, and we don¡¯t worry about hurting predators¡¯ feelings here.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m not here on behalf of my government or humanity. I¡¯m here because of what the Kolshians did to Skalga; it¡¯s personal. They ruined my life, they turned me into this! I know you¡¯re angry about what they did to you, so we can help each other. I¡¯m gonna kill Nikonus if it¡¯s the last thing I do.¡± The Duerten stared at me in disbelief, before she burst out laughing. ¡°I know the ¡®weakest species in the galaxy¡¯ is made up, but you must be out of your mind! You¡¯re still crippled and¡­I can¡¯t imagine how that would ever work! Besides, it¡¯s something a predator disease patient would say. Again, I reiterate, the fact that you came here is beyond deranged. Why us?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re the only one with motives to make them pay who could actually get to Aafa. I thought about every detail, I need this to work, so just trust me. You could schedule a meeting under the ruse of the Kolshians knowing the Duerten walked out of humanity¡¯s summit. Tell them you want to meet for reconciliation. Nikonus would love to weaken Earth and siphon off their allies, so he¡¯ll bite.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­actually halfway decent, Slanek. I don¡¯t see why we need you.¡± I perked my ears up. ¡°You¡¯ll never get inside the hall with a weapon; security will catch you and you¡¯ll be blown. If you think you can attack Nikonus unarmed, you¡¯ll just get gunned down by his guards who follow him everywhere, and are armed. It keeps you from making yourself a target. Better yet, even if I fail, you have the cover of me being a stowaway from the Summit or something. Some predatorshit.¡± Coji craned her neck in thought, and her eyes lit up with something resembling schadenfreude. I knew that I had the Duerten then and there; I¡¯d read them right, gauging that they wanted to obliterate the Kolshians after the Archives¡¯ info. My guess was based on the fact that they were willing to communicate with humanity, who it was no secret they hated, after the Homogeneity learned about being turned into mindless drones. The ambassador tossed her beak. ¡°How do you think you can get to Aafa, let alone with a weapon?¡± ¡°I read a human myth about a so-called Trojan Horse,¡± I replied. ¡°Was this plot a human idea?!¡± ¡°No! They stripped me off my military rank because of what I did at Mileau. I just drew inspiration from the¡­predator trickery. They¡¯re best at it, you know.¡± ¡°Oh, I know. I¡¯m not surprised a Venlil saw that truth eventually. What is this Trojan Horse?¡± ¡°My version of it? Make a gift statue for the Kolshians, line it with materials that will disrupt sensor readings, and stick me in the base. My guess is that they¡¯ll put it in the garden outside; you bring Nikonus to see it, wherever it is, and I¡¯ll pop out. We can¡¯t put a slit for me to shoot from the inside without risking me being sighted. I just need an escape lever, and a motion sensor for when you direct him in front of my exit.¡± ¡°I see. You want a weapon from us, I imagine?¡± ¡°I already had a gun in my bag, which I¡¯m sure your guards found, so it can be stashed in the statue with me. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve gunned down Kolshians before¡ªyou don¡¯t want to know¡ªso you don¡¯t need to worry about me getting cold feet. I can handle myself.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your escape plan?¡± I don¡¯t have one. I tugged at the chains around my paws with discomfort. ¡°My plan is to run off, and meet you back at the ship. You can make a lot of noise and cause a distraction, if you want to help. The less details you know about that specific part, the better; I don¡¯t want to tip off the Kolshians chasing me.¡± ¡°That makes sense.¡± Coji seemed to buy my lie, and she shuffled the papers on her desk. ¡°I¡¯ll bring it up to the people who can actually make this decision. If they say yes, which I suspect they will, we¡¯ll start work on this statue. What should the likeness be?¡± ¡°Playing to narcissism always works. Nikonus boasts about all the things he did to other prey species, so it¡¯s clear his ego wants people to know. It could be a statue of him.¡± ¡°Killed by an idol to himself¡­it¡¯s poetic. They hated Duerten for having opinions, and speaking our minds. They don¡¯t want us to speak¡ªfine, we¡¯ll do things the other way. For what it¡¯s worth, I appreciate you bringing us this¡­opportunity, and I hope you succeed. I imagine the collective feels the same.¡± Coji summoned the guard that had brought me in, and ordered him to bring me to a visitors room on the first floor. As I looked over my shoulder, her gray silhouette swooped out of the hatch in her office, and the bird took flight. My mind harkened back to when the wingless humans had jumped out of a spacecraft, with me sedated in tow, and dropped to the cradle¡¯s surface. Loss clawed at my heart, as I pictured Marcel giving Nulia pain meds for her shattered leg. The Gojid child he wound up considering his own, who played with ¡°Uncle Slanek¡± and ¡°Mawsle¡± often. What I wouldn¡¯t give to be innocent like that again. Before Earth was hit, we were so happy, and unaware of the Federation¡¯s unholy meddling. I had no clue what I really was. Tears welled in my eyes; the finality of this assassination attempt was certain. When Coji fulfilled my request to travel to Aafa (and after observing her reaction, I was certain her people would heed the call), there was no turning back from deep within the Federation¡¯s heart. It was too late to select any route other than vengeance for me, and I struggled with what I knew came next. After deposing my creator, this was part of the tale where my own life of misery should come to a close. With how I¡¯d changed, that might be for the greater good, but I was chilled by the prospect of non-existence. My tale didn¡¯t have to be an exact replica of ancient Earth literature¡­it wouldn¡¯t be. However, my non-existent escape plan meant the end was near for me. I wished I¡¯d said a proper goodbye to Marcel; the red-haired human would be upset by what I was about to do. He was under the impression that I was getting help, and we¡¯d never had the opportunity to patch up our friendship¡ªthough that hadn¡¯t seemed possible, ever. The Venlil he¡¯d befriended was already dead. Whether predator disease was a lie or not, I felt like it was a fair diagnosis for me now. Any explanation I could¡¯ve afforded Marcel would¡¯ve only made him more disappointed in my warped mind. This would be the last time I disappointed my human. However, given my odd unwillingness to die, I would hope to find another way to disappear than expiry. My schemes had been crafty enough up to this point, so perhaps I could think on my feet in the moment. One thing was for sure: I was no longer going to freeze or let fear triumph during calamity. If this was my last adventure, I planned to go out in what humans called a blaze of glory. Chapter 140 Memory transcription subject: Slanek, Venlil Civilian Date [standardized human time]: February 20, 2137 The lack of ventilation inside the statue rendered it quite stuffy, which led to me donning an environmental suit with internal cooling. It wouldn¡¯t be ideal if my panting gave away that there was someone inside the statue; the icon of Nikonus was nearly double his actual height, and even had him holding a flamethrower. The Duerten had a sense of humor, I¡¯d give them that. Whatever Coji passed along to her people, the statue had been constructed hastily and my plan was greenlit. The workmanship looked decent, in spite of the condensed time frame. The Kolshians were receptive to the Homogeneity¡¯s offer to return to the fold, not knowing hidden venom was behind the talks. The Duerten had a better idea than my motion sensor; they¡¯d disguised a camera into the base, placing other knobs around it to conceal it. I¡¯d tested the escape door before we departed. There was just enough room for me to kneel, and spring out from a crouched position. I was also given a backup firearm, to avoid any technical issues. The moment of truth came when Aafa¡¯s gunships greeted us above-world, scanning us with sensors. The masking technology obfuscated my signature enough, since the hidden compartment was painted with special materials that prevented light from passing through. I had peeked at my camera screen when the ship¡¯s crew disembarked, and the Duerten were shown inside the Federation hall under careful watch. The Kolshians had quadrupled the amount of guards on sight, with several looking down from newly-built watchtowers. ¡°What is this?¡± a Kolshian soldier demanded, as Ambassador Coji pushed the statue down a cargo ramp. I had needed to wedge myself between the walls to keep from sliding. ¡°Shit, is that Nikonus? It¡¯s a striking likeness.¡± Coji flapped her wings in agreement. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a gift as part of our peace offering. We would appreciate if you could display it somewhere, and allow us to show it to your leader as part of our humble apology.¡± ¡°Er, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s room for it in the garden, though it wasn¡¯t authorized before¡ª¡± ¡°Is this offering not good enough for the Commonwealth? Duerten artists didn¡¯t do well enough? I thought we were here to reunite our peoples, not to be insulted and spat at!¡± ¡°Uh, routine protocol could certainly be waived if Nikonus deems fit. I meant no offense. We¡¯ll place it out in the garden, and you can go right in to see the High Chief.¡± ¡°Very well. I expect the Federation to respect our contributions, in light of the impact we have to the war. We¡¯ll follow your pal.¡± I watched with bated breath, as Coji was escorted inside the hall. The Kolshians weren¡¯t that trusting, giving it a lengthy scan that raised my hackles. One soldier rapped on Nikonus¡¯ chest above, finally seeming content when it didn¡¯t sound hollow. Thankfully, my compartment was tucked below the bulk of the statue. As cramped as it was, the Duerten made a wise decision to minimize the space taken up by me. It lowered my risk of detection, and limited the amount of off-putting cues that would be visible. The statue was moved onto a large dolly, with several Kolshian soldiers exerting themselves to push it across the clean sidewalks. Blood hummed in my veins, as I fantasized about popping out now and shooting these grunts at point-blank range. With the hour of my plan in sight, the fear and doubts had evaporated; I was excited for the deliverance of sweet revenge, for me, for Marcel, and for every Venlil affected by the Federation. However, my wrath had to be saved for the one who deserved a summary execution. I had plenty of time to think¡ªhours without any stimuli, other than listening to guard chatter and surveying my surroundings. My life had gone downhill in a hurry; I ruined the only real friendship I ever had, and I erased my fear at the cost of my soul. The humans and I had no idea what we were awakening, from our shaky beginnings down this path. When Nikonus fell at my claws, if I was taken with him, two monsters would be killed. This was the only way to be free of the Federation¡¯s tampering, once and for all. Nikonus is the one at the helm of the war, who plans to forcibly cure and use humanity. He gave the orders, for Mileau and every other battle, and laughed about the centuries of torment for other races¡ªhe¡¯ll do anything for power. He is pure evil, lacking respect for nature or any other societies. This would be my final act to protect humanity and Venlilkind. I could still hear despondent words in Marcel¡¯s voice, demanding an account for what I¡¯d done, but I had the conviction to pep myself up. The Duerten saw the wisdom in my plan, so while Coji had called it deranged, there must be merit to why I was doing it. The galaxy would be a better place without Nikonus drawing breath. I repeated the mantra to myself, and ruminated on how good it had felt to execute the Kolshian scientist at Mileau. Hours replaying that moment worked me into a fervor. Where is Coji? I thought to myself. How long is that Duerten going to dawdle inside? She was supposed to bring Nikonus here; you think he¡¯d want to see the stupid statue. Even fixating on my impulses wasn¡¯t enough to stave off boredom, stuck in an uncomfortable suit and a cramped space. As I was half-contemplating going on the prowl, seeking out the Chief, distant chatter finally hit my ears. It¡¯d gone from daylight to an eerie dusk, with faint illumination falling on curated teusflowers from the sinking sun. Coji and Nikonus¡¯ voices floated behind me; the Duerten ambassador to humanity was the perfect figure to renounce Earth and make ¡°amends.¡± The duo were laughing like old buddies, seeming to mock Terrans. I doubted Coji had to fake a word she said. ¡°¡ªwas shocked to learn humans groom themselves,¡± the Duerten was saying. ¡°They trim those tiny patches of hair, paint their claws, and polish their canines. Predators dolling themselves up; it¡¯s hilarious!¡± Nikonus clasped his tentacles behind his back. ¡°In a predator¡¯s mind, they truly think they¡¯re sapient. We know better, of course¡­there might be a tiny bit of credence to higher cognition in humans, but it¡¯s minimal. Flesh-eating beasts figured out germ theory¡ªunlike the Yotul.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s fortunate those human monstrosities bathe, or they¡¯d smell of blood and carcasses. Just to not smell more rancorous than they already do with that sweat¡ªthey¡¯re dripping in it! I¡¯ve seen it pool under their armpits, and it¡¯s fucking gross. We never wanted to be friends with them.¡± This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Remind me why I shouldn¡¯t aim for Coji after Nikonus? The way she talks about Terrans is disgusting. She¡¯s lucky we have the same enemy. The Duerten was positioned out of reach of Nikonus, with guards keeping the duo apart. I grimaced when the Kolshian leader stopped a hearty distance from the statue, admiring it from afar. He inspected it for several seconds, before returning his focus to the avian. Curses flitted through my mind. I had thought that he¡¯d view it from every angle, and be drawn in by his own towering image. It represented the power he wished to lord over others, as well as the fawning attention he craved. ¡°What do you think?¡± Coji prodded. Nikonus started to turn away from it. ¡°It¡¯s satisfactory, but I¡¯m not sure it will help our image to keep this around.¡± ¡°Are you joking? It¡¯s an expression of adoration from an independent party, who regrets their time outside the Federation¡ªit¡¯s not like you built it. Please, humor me and appreciate the craftsmanship. Come close, look at the knobs on the base; they¡¯re carved with different flora from Aafa!¡± The Duerten trotted forward without waiting for Nikonus¡¯ response, and I noticed the Kolshian leader curl his lip with a bit of irritation. He trailed after the avian, offering a cursory glance at a knob to appease her. The gray avian was stationed right in front of the camera, and the escape hatch, though she was struggling to coax Nikonus into position. I might have to go for a suboptimal ambush. ¡°Feel the quality materials, and the level of detail! I want you to appreciate it, Chief; give me some interest. We don¡¯t give gifts lightly. Worried the press are going to catch you?¡± Coji squawked. Nikonus trudged up with reluctance, and the Duerten moved out of the way so he could take her place. The indigo skin containing his violet blood, and the bulbous, sickly-orange eyes harboring evil intent were right before me. This was the time to strike; given that Coji had been instrumental in luring the Kolshian to this spot, my anger toward her eased a bit. I ensured that my paws were ready on the gun, and wrapped my tail around the statue¡¯s release lever. With a single, unhesitating tug, the assassination attempt was set in motion. After dreaming about this moment for hours, all that rushed through my mind now was Skalga and Earth: my two homes. I thought about Jensi and her tears at my brother¡¯s funeral. Thanks to what I was about to do, she would be mourning her other son¡¯s death in no time. If Marcel truly still cared for me, he would be grief-stricken too. This choice of mine was going to hurt the people I loved, yet I still had the resolve to move forward. The door slid open, and I lunged toward the Kolshian that was mere feet away. ¡°What the¡ª¡± Nikonus gasped out a few words, and alarm flashed in his eyes. Before his guards could even draw their weapons, I¡¯d gotten off several trigger pulls into his center of mass. Violet blood gushed from the wounds, but I made sure I kept pulling to ensure the job was done. The Kolshian leader crumpled to the ground, while Coji had taken to the skies in a hasty escape. I landed on all fours, shoving the barrel into his temple. Guards had drawn their weapons, and I could hear shots being fired toward me. Pain seared through my stomach, nearly blinding out all sensory input, but I managed to depress the trigger again Brain matter spurted over my wrists, as another bullet struck me in the leg. My crooked limb gave way underneath me, and as I fell, more shots whizzed by where my head had been. Nikonus was splayed behind me, lying in a pool of his own blood, his bulging eyes cold and lifeless. I could tell from his vacant gaze that he was gone; I¡¯d done what I set out to do. The wicked tyrant, the face of the empire that terrorized every world they came across, was dead. I¡¯m okay with being executed now. My sacrifice will be worth it, and bring humanity one step closer to demolishing the Federation. I still clutched my gun, as I gasped in pain on the ground. Orange blood was dripping onto the grass, matting my stomach fur with sticky fluids. I managed to raise the weapon, and fire a shot at a guard. It clipped him in the shoulder, though the gash unfortunately didn¡¯t cripple him. More soldiers were rushing to the scene, focused on me from all directions. I tried to fire again, but my magazine came up empty, with my bullets spent on Nikonus. My agency was diminishing, as rapid blood loss threatened to send my system into shock. ¡°Cease fire! That¡¯s Slanek. TAKE HIM ALIVE!¡± a commander shouted. Kolshians rushed to stand over me, and kept their guns pointed at me. Medics checked on Nikonus first, finding him lacking a pulse; at an officer¡¯s order, they turned their focus to me. With my mission complete, I was ready to put an end to the thoughts that plagued me. I felt surprisingly calm about bleeding out in the hall¡¯s glamorous garden. Tentacles got to work packing my wounds and prepping me for transit. I clawed feebly toward their eyes, though my paw was swatted back with ease. ¡°Fuck¡­you,¡± I spluttered. My life flashed before my eyes, as I laid there staring up at the sky. There was a lot of blood; I could tell that without looking. I¡¯d never planned on making it out alive, and clearly, Coji hadn¡¯t concerned herself with my escape either. I stopped fighting, and relaxed into the ancient force sinking its grip into me. A cold, involuntary wave tugged me down to unconsciousness, as I fell further away from all senses and thought. ¡ª Harsh light filtered into my eyes, as I slowly came to in a laboratory. It wasn¡¯t clear how long I¡¯d been out, but I still felt disoriented. My wounds had been mended, and an IV was sticking into my arm; it could¡¯ve been used for a blood transfusion. A sick feeling clasped my abdomen, realizing I was in Kolshian custody. Researchers were conferring with each other, clearly talking about me. Something in the air they exuded reminded me of that evil scientist Navarus. The visuals in my periphery finally registered, as machinery I¡¯d seen in the humans¡¯ anti-predator disease campaigns. This seemed like a facility, the reason Onso had cautioned me against touting my diseased mind. I tried to prompt my weak limbs to rise, but restraints strapped me to a table. The jangling sound alerted the Kolshians¡¯ to my wakefulness, and a doctor skipped over with delight. I gulped nervously, though my throat was lacking in saliva. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re awake! Now we can do our neurological scan, and determine the exact areas that trigger Venlil aggression.¡± The doctor pressed a few buttons, and the cot I was laying on rolled down a conveyor into a machine. ¡°Researcher¡¯s log: we are commencing our initial survey of the assassin. I anticipate few difficulties breaking this Venlil; he only spent a few months with the predators. Once re-education is complete, a docile Slanek will be an excellent example to our allies of why gentling and curing are necessary practices.¡± My ears clamped flat with pure terror, listening to the hum of the machine. The Kolshians were scanning me to identify which parts of my brain they wanted to change, and then were likely to broadcast a ¡°before and after¡± to demonstrate what an excellent job they¡¯d done. I wasn¡¯t sure if the researcher had meant for me to overhear; perhaps he thought it wouldn¡¯t make a difference whether I knew his intent. What if they convinced me to detest humans, and go back to being meek prey? I didn¡¯t want that! Regardless of what they did to me, I¡¯d hold out for the memory of Marcel. I struggled against the restraints again, despite knowing it was useless. These monsters had me at their mercy, and given my role in Nikonus¡¯ gruesome death, I imagined my treatment would be less than kind. Every ounce of my brain wished I had bled out in that garden, and that the tale ended just as Frankenstein¡¯s monster had perished. There wasn¡¯t supposed to be anything after the assassination was complete! I had to find some way to get out of here. The rest of my life suddenly seemed like an endless stretch of torment. I fell into a numb state of horror, realizing the unavoidable future in store for me. The personal sacrifices necessary to bring about Nikonus¡¯ demise were higher than I had ever expected. The Kolshians chuckled among themselves as they scanned the terrorized Venlil¡¯s brain for places to poke and prod. Hatred simmered in my veins, and I yearned to kill every last one of them. Yet all the same, despite the burning rage that festered inside me, my deepest, all-consuming thought was that I missed my human. [Memory stream terminates here. No further transcription data exists for this subject¡¯s neural signature.] Chapter 141 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, United Nations Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: February 21, 2137 Hunter was summoned to a UN base responsible for Archives prisoners, accessible by a short shuttle ride to an undisclosed location. Tyler had been working on interrogations on-site since our return to Earth, though the more I pressed, the more I got the feeling that claim wasn¡¯t representative of the truth. While my amber-eyed relic of the 1960s was finalizing the documents for his reintegration, I was determined to uncover what Officer Cardona, and possibly by extension, humanity, was hiding. Were the Terrans trying to convert the Farsul to our side, like they¡¯d done with me? I wouldn¡¯t neglect aiding the human primitive, who¡¯d become dear to my heart in spite of his antiquated ways, but it didn¡¯t sit well that I was the only soldier from the Archives¡¯ mission kept in the dark. Hunter was napping against my shoulder, somehow acting harmless despite his beastly origins from lawless days. When I interacted with him, old behaviors resurfaced from when Hania, my daughter, was alive; I¡¯d devoted myself to catching the human up on modern learning. It was my first real look at Earth, without any safeguards or restrictions, but we¡¯d plunged into those depths together. Hunter also needed a crash course on the wider galaxy; things that a child Hania¡¯s age would¡¯ve known were new to him. However, when I passed along overviews of alien currencies and markets on a whim, I¡¯d seen his eyes light up the way my daughter¡¯s had the first time she saw the ocean. Despite being a rural farm boy, the predator had an aptitude for the subject, soaking up complex ideas like a sponge. While basic science and simplistic technology confounded him, Hunter could identify trends and analyze data as well as a high-ranking Fissan or Nevok. If he wanted to adjust to the modern times, trading might be a perfect option. ¡°It¡¯s fascinating that the hypercapitalist races are run by their highest corporations and conglomerates,¡± the ancient human had remarked. ¡°Ruling purely on economic benefits seems unwise. I¡¯m a laissez-faire guy, but you need some oversight. Entities can¡¯t be trusted to police predatory behavior on their own!¡± Of course a primitive human says that. I¡¯d wanted to reply, though I kept it to myself. If savage outliers could rise to power in your time, Hunter, I¡¯m sure they saw economic exploits as another avenue to shirk all morals. Feeling my shoulder falling asleep, I tried to slip out from under Hunter¡¯s skull without waking him. However, without my weight to support him, the predator began to topple sideways. His binocular eyes jolted open, and he yawned in groggy confusion. Dipping my head in apologetic fashion, I tried to shake the pins and needles from my arm. It was crazy that I could see a creature that looked like this, and once likely ripped prey apart with those youthful hands, as my son. ¡°It lives!¡± I teased, swatting him on the knee with the blunt side of my claws. The human recoiled, surprised by the contact. ¡°I thought you went back into cryosleep for a moment.¡± Hunter scrunched his nose. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to fall asleep on you, Sovlin.¡± ¡°Nonsense, it¡¯s fine. You were adorable. We¡¯re almost here, so I¡¯ve got to return some feeling to my arm.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure how I feel about being called ¡®adorable.¡¯¡± ¡°Any other species would take the affectionate remark and roll with it. If someone told me a few months ago I¡¯d be trying to convince a downer predator that life¡¯s worth living, letting one snooze on my shoulder, do you know what I would¡¯ve said?¡± ¡°¡­that you want my entire species to suffer, and that you¡¯d claw my eyes out? Also, I¡¯m not a downer; there¡¯s just objectively nothing to live for. The future sucks.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯ll suck a little less every day. You gotta press on to find out if things get better, and you can¡¯t think the ¡®future¡¯ sucks across the board. You got me to wake you up, after all, and I¡¯m one of the most-loved figures on Earth.¡± ¡°I¡¯m quite aware the opposite is true, Sovlin. I am grateful that you¡¯ve stuck with me, even if you keep trying to throw away my cigarettes.¡± ¡°The first time I saw you setting a stick on fire, and putting it in your mouth, I thought you were attempting suicide by smoke inhalation. I still do! Why would even predators do something so stupid?! Tyler told you it¡¯s toxic and causes cancer.¡± ¡°Not that it¡¯d make a difference if it were true, but¡­name one reason I should take Tyler¡¯s word for anything.¡± ¡°Fair point. That prim¡ªYotul, who didn¡¯t even know what aviation was as a kid, knows more than Tyler.¡± ¡°Why is Onso not growing up with aviation relevant?¡± ¡°Because I said so, Hunter Ernest Garner.¡± ¡°All three names. Ouch.¡± ¡°Ouch is right. Now get up. Let¡¯s move to the cockpit before landing, huh? We should be prepared for whatever they¡¯re gonna ask you.¡± Hunter made a point of saluting, and I waved my claws dismissively at the predator. We ambled up to the cockpit, where Tyler was paying no mind to the automated transit shuttle. By regulation, someone who could pilot a craft was supposed to keep watch during takeoff and landing; that meant I needed to preside over the blond officer for the descent. The plane had begun to tilt downward, and the windshield granted a clear view of desolate treetops surrounding a roughshod installation. UN security on the ground looked like ants from this height. ¡°Sovlin called your buddy primitive again,¡± Hunter snitched immediately. I shook my head. ¡°Damn you. It doesn¡¯t count toward the jar. I stopped myself.¡± Tyler rolled his eyes. ¡°That Yotul was studying rocket science when he was 13, and knows more than you about pretty much everything. I¡¯d bet a kidney that he¡¯d smoke you on an IQ test.¡± ¡°As if. Onso repeats things he hears and he reads. Word retention doesn¡¯t mean¡ª¡± Tyler¡¯s holopad buzzed in his lap, revealing an incoming call. The tall human grew serious at once, and he pressed a finger to his lips for silence. Hunter gawked at the video call, an awestruck expression taking over his features. I wasn¡¯t sure if such exchanges existed in his century, or if they¡¯d been in monochrome over computers the size of a building like he¡¯d suggested before. It might¡¯ve been more difficult to resist scoffing at him, had I not seen the face on the other end of the call. Marcel. The red-haired human was inconsolable, weeping through puffy eyes and red-rimmed irises. A box of tissues was just in view of the camera, with several wadded up on the desk. His posture looked utterly defeated and distraught, while his grooming was in shambles; it was clear he¡¯d lost weight in the aftermath of the cure. Marcel wasn¡¯t quite as gaunt as when I¡¯d held him captive, without any food, but he didn¡¯t look like a healthy predator. This certainly wasn¡¯t the put-together man who forgave me after Sillis. I always feel guilty, just for interacting with him. Should I stay out of the picture? No, I can¡¯t, I have to oversee the shuttle¡¯s landing. ¡°Tyler.¡± Marcel¡¯s voice was choked with mucus, sounding ragged and shaky. ¡°Oh God! How could this happen to Slanek? I should¡¯ve stopped him, and now he¡¯s gone, and I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s dead or¡­there¡¯s nothing¡ª¡± Tyler narrowed his eyes. ¡°Hey, slow down. Breathe, buddy. Tell me, in plain English, what happened to Slanek.¡± ¡°You¡­you haven¡¯t heard?¡± ¡°Why would I know what happened to your exchange pal?¡± ¡°The news. He shot Nikonus. The Duerten snuck him to Aafa¡­the Kolshians made a video about what happens to herbivores who are around predators but it¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡°Are you having a mental break? Slanek, the skittish and emotional Venlil who couldn¡¯t fight in a flight sim.¡± ¡°I wish I¡¯d lost it! Slanek¡¯s gone, his mom¡¯s begging me to know what happened, which I don¡¯t fucking know, and the last thing I said to him¡­¡± The red-haired human returned to full-fledged sobbing, and buried his face in his hands. While our shuttle touched down on a landing strip, I punched the name Slanek into my holopad; multiple headlines announced Nikonus¡¯ death, and UN intelligence was on record verifying that Marcel¡¯s friend was the assassin. I found that difficult to believe, even after seeing how bitter and angry the Venlil had been toward me. He¡¯d tried to kill me while Arxur breathed down both our necks, so I knew he was neither levelheaded nor pragmatic. Still, the magnitude of what the Venlil had done was enormous. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Marcel?¡± Hunter whispered. ¡°This is the guy you tortured? And who¡¯s Nikonus?¡± I ignored the ancient beast¡¯s question, and tapped Tyler on the shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s true¡­what Marcel says about Slanek. None of the articles are certain whether he¡¯s alive, but the fact that the Kolshians haven¡¯t announced his death¡­¡± ¡°Means they have something else in store for him!¡± Marcel bawled. ¡°I can¡¯t do anything to stop it, or protect him. He said he was getting help. He lied to me, again! He¡¯s probably being tortured, just like¡­me. Like I was.¡± Tyler pursed his lips. ¡°We don¡¯t know that.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t patronize me! We both know I¡¯m right. I need you to help me; there¡¯s no chance the UN¡¯ll let me serve again, but I can¡¯t just let the Kolshians keep him. Tell me how I put myself on a warship to Aafa. I have to do something!¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t. You¡¯ve done more than enough, and it should be obvious to you that you¡¯re not fit for combat. Forget the mental aspect; how would you ever integrate with a human unit, with such severe allergic reactions from traces of animal protein? It¡¯s not your fault, and you need to sit this one the fuck out.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t go on like this. Nothing good ever happens to me, and everyone I ever cared about¡­there¡¯s nothing but hate and suffering! I try so hard to be moral, and kind, and the fucking universe just pisses all over me! I¡¯m done. I¡¯m ready to die by a gun, one way or another, so if you¡¯re really my friend, put me on a goddamn shuttle!¡± ¡°Listen to yourself. You¡¯re irrational, man. Slanek clearly had his own issues, but I know he wouldn¡¯t want this; he loved you. Maybe a little too much. I¡¯m going to help you, but you have to be strong and be here for when we find him. For his family, for Nulia. Things will get better, and you¡¯re a good person who can bring a lot of positivity to this world.¡± ¡°Marcel, it breaks my heart to see you this despondent. If I deserve to be happy, so do you,¡± I interjected. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine your trauma and your pain, but you shouldn¡¯t give up! This is my fault, not yours; it starts and ends with me.¡± Marcel heaved a tired sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t care whose fault it is. I just want it to stop.¡± ¡°We¡¯re working on it!¡± Tyler¡¯s blue eyes shone with as much sincerity I¡¯d seen from him; his concern for his friend was apparent. ¡°I know you¡¯re wondering how I can possibly help you, but you called me because you trust me. You trust me, right?¡± ¡°Yes¡­but I have no one else to call.¡± ¡°So I was your first choice; I¡¯m flattered. Listen, I¡¯m gonna make sure you get to help out. I¡¯ll get in touch with the UN, some way, and see that you¡¯re put on something like reports. It all makes a difference toward bringing Slanek home. Second, I¡¯ll ask to go to Aafa, in your place, and do anything I can to bring down these fuckers, at the very least.¡± ¡°Tyler, I can¡¯t ask you to do that. You have some sort of cozy detail¡­¡± ¡°Us crayon eaters make our own decisions. You¡¯re worth it to me; I want Marcel Fraser in this world. But if I¡¯m doing this, you better uphold your end of the bargain and carry on. Remember how happy you were learning about aliens? You¡¯re gonna treat your time abroad like an exchange program adventure, and they¡¯ll find a cure before you know it. You hear me?¡± ¡°Uh-huh. Yeah.¡± ¡°Good. Buddy, we landed a few minutes ago, and I don¡¯t want the boys in blue barging in, floating phrases like ¡®dereliction of duty.¡¯ I¡¯ve got to uh, interrogate some, uh, guests.¡± Marcel chuckled, in spite of himself. ¡°You¡¯re not qualified to interrogate a Barbie doll! What are you really¡ª¡± Tyler coughed, flicking his pupils in my direction. What the fuck? I knew he was hiding something from me about his work here! ¡°Ahem, got it. Good luck with your interrogations, buddy,¡± the redhead pivoted. Officer Cardona grinned. ¡°I love you, man. I¡¯ll be in touch as soon as I can, and believe me, I¡¯m on this.¡± ¡°Thank you¡­truly. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t do anything rash. I¡¯ll talk to you in a bit¡­I¡¯m gonna go lay down.¡± The red-haired human disconnected from the call, and Tyler cleaned his misty eyes. It was moving to see how much the two predators cared for each other as friends; however, other thoughts warred for my attention. Marcel¡¯s skepticism of the real happenings at this base fueled my own suspicion, prompting me to find a way to snoop around once we got inside. I helped Tyler straighten his uniform, shifting between concern for my former captives and nosiness toward this current operation. ¡°Tyler? I know we go where they tell us, but I¡¯d like to throw my name in with your request,¡± I murmured. ¡°I owe it to Marcel¡­and his Venlil. Slanek might not have done this if he¡¯d been allowed to take his frustrations out on me, or if I hadn¡¯t sparked his anger to begin with.¡± Hunter raised his eyebrows. ¡°What?! But¡­I need you here! You promised to help me navigate the world, Sovlin. I can¡¯t do this alone¡­you¡¯re all I have.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll still be in touch, here for you at the press of a button, but I¡¯m responsible for Slanek going off the deep end. It¡¯s not right for me to live while Marcel throws in the towel. I couldn¡¯t live with myself if I didn¡¯t try to do something. Please, Tyler?¡± The tall human sighed. ¡°You did enough for Marcel on Sillis, but I know you¡¯ll never believe that, so I¡¯ll forward your request. Onso will want to come with me, and it won¡¯t be a negotiation. If Sam and Carlos want to join, you better find out by this afternoon.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°That¡¯s settled then. Let me walk you and Hunter to the lobby for your Q&A, and we¡¯ll sort out the rest later. I¡¯ve got to get to my post.¡± I wrapped an arm around Hunter¡¯s torso, trying to reassure him of my commitment to his welfare. As determined as I was to motivate Marcel to persist, this reawakened predator from the Archives was beginning to feel like my son; I had to ensure they both sought continued existence. It was dubious how successful I was at deciphering Earth¡¯s ways, but I¡¯d tried to set my primitive Terran up for success and fulfillment. He needed my guidance. No matter how far away I was, I would deign to be in touch daily if at all possible. ¡°Would you object to me, um, mentally adopting you?¡± I whispered to Hunter. The primate scratched the brown hair on his scalp. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Good. Now if only I could change your name. Are you sure I can¡¯t call you Ernest?¡± ¡°No. That was Pa¡¯s name. I ain¡¯t my Pa, and I don¡¯t wanna think about him none.¡± Tyler escorted the two of us through the premises, down a walkway to an unassuming complex. UN guards were patrolling and posted at various entrances; despite its remote location on their own planet, the humans hadn¡¯t relaxed security at this base. The predators were notably paranoid of attacks, anywhere and any place, but I thought it¡¯d be wiser to concentrate security inside with the prisoners. That was unless the notion of Archives inmates was misdirection, just like the fabricated interrogations. Maybe Hunter is privy to some information I¡¯m not; he could¡¯ve overheard something Tyler revealed without me present. Since this beast is my kind-of son now, he¡¯s going to help me solve the puzzle. I pushed the issues with Slanek to the back of my mind, knowing that I¡¯d already committed to do what I could. Dwelling on the Venlil¡¯s crazed¡ªyet successful¡ªassassination would only provide a disservice to Hunter, and it would distract me from assessing the situation here. Why would the predators alter the facts about their activities with me, when I¡¯d proven my loyalty and discretion? I¡¯d been willing to do everything the United Nations asked, without questions or hesitation. It was ridiculous that the primates would keep me out of the loop now. ¡°Here we are.¡± Tyler ushered us into a lobby area, and spoke a few words to a receptionist. He turned back to us with a taut smile, scanning his card to unlock a secured door. ¡°You¡¯ll do great, Hunter. I¡¯ll be there to take you both home¡ªramen tonight.¡± ¡°Again?¡± Hunter groaned. ¡°Blame Sovlin and his stupid meat allergies. If you don¡¯t like it, cook for yourselves.¡± The blond human vanished down the corridor, and the receptionist informed us that UN personnel would be with us shortly. I waited several seconds to ensure Tyler was gone, and scoped out the area. A keycard was visible on the desk, which was likely able to unlock the sealed door. However, there was no way for me to snatch it, since it was in the direct line of her binocular vision. I nudged Hunter, whispering in his ear. ¡°Distract her. Make a scene.¡± ¡°Why?¡± he hissed. ¡°Because Tyler¡¯s not a good liar, and I¡¯m tired of pretending he is. Do it.¡± ¡°Yes, Dad.¡± The brown-haired human stuck his tongue out at me, before sauntering up to the desk in exaggerated fashion. He tried to peek at the computer display, but she turned it away from him. Hunter made a pouting face, before removing his shoe from his foot. I gasped when he chucked it just over her head; the poor stranger seemed shocked as well. She rose quickly, approaching the ancient human to subdue him. I slunk around the corners of her vision, and swiped her card as she shouted at the primitive to calm down. Jackpot. I unlocked the sealed door, only to find two human guards standing a few paces away inside. Gulping, I tried to think quickly; acting like I belonged here would be easier than shoving my way through, blind to where I needed to go. My posture straightened with false confidence, and I prayed my remaining spines didn¡¯t bristle and reveal my nerves. ¡°I have an urgent message for Officer Tyler Cardona. Captain Monahan asked that I pass it along for his eyes only,¡± I said, trying not to waver under their scrutinizing binocular eyes. ¡°You can verify with her, if you want to waste everyone¡¯s time and land yourself on a starship captain¡¯s shitlist. Either way, I must speak with Officer Cardona at once.¡± The guards, both young soldiers who seemed inexperienced, shared a glance, before one beckoned for me to follow them. The threat of being rebuked by a superior officer was menacing, and to their eyes, it was unlikely I¡¯d accessed the facility at all without proper clearance. If I tried anything or was found to be lying, they could always restrain me. I followed the humans down a short hallway, retreading the ground Tyler had walked on. My heart was pounding in my throat from this act of deception, though I was also nervous to discover what the humans were concealing. The UN soldiers hesitated, before one rapped his knuckles on a thick metal door. I drew a deep breath as Tyler popped it open, granting me a peek of what was inside the cell. There were no Farsul occupants, nor were there any rescued herbivores being purposefully hidden from their people. Instead, I could see comfortable accommodations designed for an unrestrained Arxur, which had its monstrous eyes turned toward the door. The blond human seemed alarmed to see me, but I wasn¡¯t paying his incensed words any attention. Why would the Terrans have a gray in custody, kept under the guise of the Archives? My heart rate climbed even higher, and with rage churning my blood, I struggled to consider what this meant. All I wanted was to have the sadistic predator slain at my claws, for the torment its kind inflicted upon my family. Chapter 142 Memory transcription subject: Chief Hunter Isif, Arxur Rebellion Command Date [standardized human time]: February 21, 2137 When the United Nations contacted me after the Summit, I expected to be chastised for my unannounced arrival, shirking Olek and Lisa¡¯s watch. Instead, Secretary-General Zhao offered to confide the secret he was keeping about the Arxur; the human was emphatic that this had to be kept under wraps, even from Felra, Kaisal, and anyone else in my inner circle. I landed a shuttle on the gorgeous world known as Earth, following the UN¡¯s landing beacon. It was a bit concerning to know the humans were officially in league with the herbivores, while we remained outside their organization. It wasn¡¯t clear if the speech the rodent pestered me into had made a difference, given that I hadn¡¯t heard from any governments except the Yotul. Tarva was notably quiet. Human soldiers steered me in through a separate entrance from the main one, though I found their cordial demeanors reassuring. It wasn¡¯t clear what the Secretary-General felt needed to be passed along in person; I hoped the request for a face-to-face dialogue meant I was in the United Nations¡¯ good graces. My Dossur friend¡¯s most compelling argument for attending the Summit had been that an effective rebellion required external military support. Our success hinged on how much the Terrans or their allies chipped in to our cause. While it didn¡¯t suit me to beg like a leaf-licker, I would attempt to gauge their war plans. Do humans view us as full allies? Unless they¡¯re crushing Aafa underfoot tomorrow, this revolution needs to be more than an afterthought. ¡°What could be a lock-and-key secret about the Arxur from the Archives?¡± I mused to my escorts, who only acknowledged my words with a twitch of their binocular eyes. ¡°We already know the truth about the conspiracy, yes?¡± The humans clearly had been ordered to stay tight-lipped about the purpose of this visit, so I fiddled with my holopad while waiting for Zhao. The Secretary-General strolled into the room within minutes, which suggested he¡¯d been here in anticipation of my arrival; it was another positive sign that the leader of Earth respected my time. His personal guards were lax, further denoting that he no longer viewed me as a threat. The Terran dignitary extended his right arm, and I gripped it loosely in my own paw. A slight smile crossed his face, before he seated himself across from me. ¡°I¡¯m not here to put you through the ringer, since the Duerten were no major loss. If I¡¯m being honest, there were lots of groans among the diplomatic staff when we heard they were coming,¡± Zhao chuckled. ¡°But frankly, Isif, it wasn¡¯t a smart move on your part. You know how delicate it is, just for us to appease the herbivores. Felra seems to have a negative impact on your decision-making, while also failing to maintain decorum¡­and making you appear weak to your kin. She¡¯s been good for you personally, but she¡¯s a negative influence on your judgment. She needs to go home.¡± I flared my nostrils with indignation. ¡°I¡¯m not going to ship my best friend back to Mileau, gift-wrapped for the Kolshian occupiers! It was your people¡¯s idea to guilt me into rescuing her.¡± ¡°General Jones¡­miscalculated, in my humble opinion. Her intent was for you to tilt the scales at Mileau, not to grab one Dossur and bolt. You¡¯re a great strategist, and you did need a push, but you¡¯ve become distracted. You¡¯re not devoting your full energy to the movement. That¡¯ll cost you in the long run.¡± ¡°I saved someone that is important to me. Jones wished to force me into openly rebelling, yes? Humanity has made no progress at Mileau in months, so it seems bold to fling accusations at me for my selected engagements.¡± ¡°You¡¯re correct to frown upon our progress, or lack thereof. The problem with Mileau is we whittle down each other¡¯s drone forces, and the Kolshians send more to replace them, as quickly as us. It¡¯s become a competition of how fast we can slap new automatons together, and they have the advantage of being entrenched in the system already. If we commit resources from other key areas, that opens us up to an attack elsewhere. Perhaps what they¡¯re banking on.¡± ¡°So humanity is more focused on keeping its current systems and counterattacking.¡± ¡°Precisely. Every system we fail to protect reflects on us. The Duerten Shield has been ineffectual. The whole of our industrial power can¡¯t go to one world. You need to intervene, whether for Felra¡¯s sake or for ours; give us an edge to make headway.¡± It was undeniable that the Dossur didn¡¯t belong among Arxur. Her presence was hampering my interactions with the rebels serving under me, many of whom would never accept her. Felra never complained about her homeworld being occupied, but I¡¯d noticed how happy she¡¯d looked at the sight of Dossur Summit delegates. I¡¯d grown accustomed to having a friend to talk to; however, what was best for her was more important than her commitment, preventing me from being alone. No matter the distance, we could chat via SwiftPair like we¡¯d done before meeting up. Humans manipulated me into intervening at Mileau when the attack first began, but at least Zhao has the decency to outright ask without trickery. Felra¡¯s behavior has forced me into some altercations to defend her honor. It¡¯s truly not ideal. ¡°I¡¯ll consider it, but we¡¯ve lent our resources to rescue various cattle, for nothing in return. I can¡¯t risk sustaining heavy losses without some guarantees and recompense,¡± I responded. ¡°Spell out for me what comes next. Convince me that your cunning is truly enough to topple the Federation, once and for all.¡± Zhao donned a cocky smirk. ¡°The Farsul are already out of commission.¡± ¡°You and I both know they¡¯re not the military might of the empire. They¡¯re schemers, meddlers, rewriters. The Kolshians are the ones with the secret army, and we have no idea of their full capabilities, but Aafa could be an impregnable fortress.¡± ¡°They could well have an ace up their sleeve to play, but who said all our cards were on the table? There¡¯s three phases left in the war. The first is defense; should the tables turn at Mileau, I imagine the Kolshians are biding their time to hit human territory. We know they want to cure us, so I¡¯d find the use of biological weapons against a civilian populace likely.¡± ¡°Have you made any progress toward undoing this cure? It would be of use to the Arxur, as this disease would be lethal against us.¡± ¡°Even with emergency use protocols, I can¡¯t see us having a genetic reversal inside of a year¡ªespecially with the life-or-death issues on our plate. We¡¯ve been looking into this since learning about the omnivore manipulation from the late Nikonus, but knowing which human genes were targeted by the retrovirus, via a before-and-after, is insightful. It should accelerate our research progress a little.¡± ¡°At least your kind can survive on vegetation, yes? I should hope your other two war ¡®phases¡¯ aren¡¯t so dreadfully passive; it inspires minimal confidence.¡± ¡°No, Isif, we¡¯re not content to sit back. The second phase is preventing the Kolshians¡¯ allies from joining the fray, since it¡¯s unfeasible to clash with hundreds of species. We keep them out of it, hitting any targets we can, and make it a fair fight. The third part then, of course, is an all-out assault on Aafa, and we take it inch-by-inch; we storm the planetary defense systems on their satellite like the landing at Normandy. Humanity must execute each of these phases simultaneously, and to perfection.¡± Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°You can¡¯t be everywhere all at once.¡± ¡°But we can make them think we are.¡± Realization struck me like a kick to the teeth; that was the strategy humanity wanted my rebellion to employ against the Dominion. It was an arduous illusion to pull off, but the psychological effects couldn¡¯t be understated. Leaving the enemy looking over their shoulder, expecting an ambush at each turn, was the classic strategy of the Arxur. Could the Terrans rattle the herbivores further than we had, with a more convincing rendition? I was intrigued to know how Zhao hoped to accomplish that, and whether I could replicate those strategies against Giznel. We¡¯ve discussed the state of military affairs long enough; I¡¯m sold that the humans are planning an attempt to stamp out the last of the Feds, in one grand push. Even the tireless Terrans can¡¯t keep up this pace of activity forever¡­can they? ¡°I¡¯ll draft a plan to retake Mileau, but again, I expect some collaboration and aid,¡± I decided. ¡°Now, I thought you summoned me here to impart something you found at the Archives. Or was that a false pretense?¡± Secretary-General Zhao pursed his lips. ¡°I decided to tell you the truth, because I trust you and see you as an important ally. At the Archives, we discovered a handful of Arxur kept in cryosleep, presumably preserved from long ago, in case the Farsul ever took another go at curing you.¡± ¡°What?! That¡¯s¡­incredible. I would love for these Arxur to join me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s part of why I hesitated to tell you. You see, after learning about what the Arxur once were, many of them have become despondent. I feel like we¡¯re treading the same path as the Farsul, too, telling your people that aliens kidnapped them, but not us. Except it¡¯s true, in this case.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t follow. Knowing my own sadness to what we¡¯ve lost as a culture, I do not see why humanity¡¯s role or their reaction to the present status quo would matter.¡± ¡°Isif, Earth providing asylum to vocal critics of Betterment, several of whom opposed that very ideology in their day, would destroy what¡¯s left of our outward neutrality with the Dominion. If word got out through your people, or we accepted the scattered pleas from this lot to join UN forces, it would be problematic. Regardless, I¡¯m not sure they want to sign on to your rebellion. They¡¯re leery, even of you, learning about the cruel practices and your history.¡± Disappointment fogged my mind. ¡°Ah, I see. My own people think I am a monster. You don¡¯t want me to get the wrong idea about their allegiance, or spread the word about what Arxur used to be.¡± ¡°I felt it would be wrong to deprive you of the opportunity to speak with the ancients. I know you want to restore your society to what it once was, and that mandates full knowledge of the changes that have transpired.¡± ¡°If humanity has assessed that these people wish for nothing to do with me, I would respect that conclusion. After the ridicule at the Summit, I do not need to speak to anyone who does not wish to speak to me.¡± ¡°Relax. I¡¯ve selected one of the Arxur who¡¯s taken the news in stride, and hasn¡¯t had a depressive episode. Her name is Vysith; she was open to speaking with you, if only to find out how you could do such things.¡± ¡°Why would I wish to defend my entire life, Zhao? It is not as if I don¡¯t already know the full scope of my crimes.¡± ¡°You want a reason to go through the trouble? One word: morality. Call it a foolish notion, but heeding moral principles is what gives you integrity. Without ethics, your movement is one bad actor away from returning to Betterment¡¯s oppression. Vysith could show you what the Arxur stood for.¡± I lashed my tail in frustration. When word from the Archives confirmed empathy was prevalent in our past, I¡¯d yearned to see it in action. After years of repressing my own defective leanings, it was difficult to understand how personal expression and interactions worked. Furthermore, I found myself defaulting to cruelty as the disciplinary crux that kept my subordinates in line. As much as I aspired to emulate the ideals of the past, I was at a loss for how to achieve that. Vysith could give me pointers on the proper bounds of morality. Maybe we could become more like humanity, through this conversation Zhao is facilitating. It¡¯s worth hearing what Vysith has to say. ¡°Very well.¡± I leveled the human with a piercing stare, which he matched with his own brown eyes. ¡°If it helps return to the reason and honor that once guided us, I must do it. Peace for Arxur of the future¡ªfor every species among the stars¡ªis what I desire, at any cost.¡± Secretary-General Zhao stood, beckoning for me to follow. ¡°Humanity has that in common, Isif. Meier talked about coexistence, and I championed protecting Earth, but it goes beyond both of those noble goals. If we vanished from the Milky Way tomorrow¡­I¡¯d like for people to say we left the galaxy a better place than we found it.¡± ¡°I know they will not say that about me. I have perpetrated too much tragedy.¡± ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, it¡¯s my belief that history will be kinder to you than you imagine.¡± The primate led me through a narrow corridor, which was cramped for my wider, taller form; had I not been slouching, I would not fit upright within the dreary hallway. Arxur posture proved beneficial in this instance, as we ducked into an observation room that opened through Zhao¡¯s retinal scan. I stalked up to the window, curious for a peek at Vysith. The female Arxur was seated across from a blond human, who was playing some paper rectangle game with her. The glass was one-way, while security monitors also captured the scene. Zhao approached a microphone, switching it on. ¡°Testing. Vysith, can you hear me? Are you ready to talk to the rebel leader I told you about?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± the huntress answered. ¡°In the interest of parity, I think we should trade questions. This¡­Isif figure can start.¡± Swallowing with nervousness, I took Zhao¡¯s spot by the intercom. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to speak with you. May I ask whether you were around during the fourth world war?¡± ¡°I was more than around. I could¡¯ve gone into politics, run for a small local office, but I served my country¡¯s military to oppose the genocidal maniacs that wanted to conquer the world and ¡®cull¡¯ their own. My turn. If Betterment culled the good people, how could someone like you even exist?¡± ¡°Blending in. You can¡¯t fully erase defectiveness¡­their word¡­from the gene pool. Assuming you have empathetic traits, which I gather from your speech, you would be put down today; rest assured, I do not engage in such practices.¡± ¡°Yes, how reassuring, that you felt the need to specify that. I don¡¯t get how the Bloc could¡¯ve gotten away with killing people, without an uproar from friends and family. Nobody fought back?¡± ¡°Uproar¡­you had friends and family who cared about you? Normal Arxur did?!¡± ¡°Is that really your question?¡± ¡°If I posited it to you in the interrogative, I suppose it is. By that logic, you asking why nobody fought back was an extraneous question.¡± ¡°I¡¯m astounded by how rigid and literal you are. I was expressing my shock that you people just let Wriss rot. Even less social Arxur cared about their families, and had a few people to share their subjects of interest with. It seems impossible to have a functioning society without any connection; it¡¯s no wonder you have no conscience.¡± With how self-conscious I was speaking to others, the criticism of my phraseology would¡¯ve been enough to make me clam up, before Vysith lambasted me as devoid of empathy. My conscience was why I shied away from talking food to begin with. Despite my efforts to oppose Betterment, this huntress viewed me with unfettered hostility. It was difficult enough that the rest of the galaxy saw us as irredeemable monsters; to hear such rhetoric from my own kind needled shame deep within me. Secretary-General Zhao knitted his brows with concern, and seemed to weigh terminating the exchange. I was surprised when the human placed an oily palm on my shoulder, a quiet gesture of support. Vysith¡¯s verbal attacks drew disappointment from Earth¡¯s leader, who¡¯d hoped she would serve as a moral lighthouse to guide me through murky waters. I stepped away from the microphone, to deliberate a better angle to approach the investigation. The human dignitary started back down the corridor, sighing heavily. A knock sounded from within Vysith¡¯s room, coming from a separate entrance to her chamber. The blond Terran accompanying the Arxur leapt to his feet with a baffled expression, and propped the door open. My deflated demeanor was replaced by curiosity, prompting me to squint. The face on the other side of the threshold was Gojid, belonging to an individual the humans clearly weren¡¯t expecting; the primates displayed concern at the newcomer¡¯s arrival. If my fellow predators were worried, that could mean the herbivore was a threat to Vysith¡¯s welfare. I gazed upon the hate-filled eyes of the Gojid, and waited to see what his next move would be. It was clear the humans didn¡¯t think this spiky visitor had come with peaceful intentions. Chapter 143 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, United Nations Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: February 21, 2137 Tyler attempted to slam the door in my face, but I drove my shoulder into it with force that could only stem from passion. The memories of stabbing my claws into an Arxur¡¯s neck on Sillis, while trying to save Marcel, were fresh; everything that had gone wrong in my life started and ended with the grays. The reason I tortured the kind-hearted human was because I equated Earth¡¯s sapient predators with these child-eating, reptilian abominations. My daughter¡¯s screams, as she was eaten alive, echoed in my ears, and uncontrollable hatred blacked out any judgment. ¡°What the fuck are you doing here? You¡¯re only authorized to accompany Hunter!¡± Tyler exclaimed. The blond human made a move to intercept me, but I ducked under his grasp. The Arxur at the table hadn¡¯t reacted to defend itself, and it looked more alarmed than ferocious. I could see Terran playing cards on the table in front of it; how could Tyler, my friend, have been indulging in a game with these savages? The two primates who were duped into bringing me here drew their weapons, though Officer Cardona urged them to stand down. Just as I came within striking distance of the gray, shadows flashed in my periphery. A massive, scarred Arxur tackled me away from the one at the table, a growl rumbling in its throat. It had the clear opportunity for the death blow, but it had purposefully not driven its claws into my flesh. Rather than pinning me with its superior weight, it released its grip and gestured for me to stand. The beast¡¯s body tilted forward, arms raised in a fighting stance; it baffled me why it hadn¡¯t used its fangs to draw my blood. Was it toying with the prey that wandered into its den? ¡°Stand down, humans,¡± the Arxur barked. ¡°I can handle myself. Captain Sovlin, we have not met before, yes? I am the one you want, not Vysith. She was born long before any of the war atrocities happened.¡± An ajar door informed me that this newcomer predator had burst in from an observation room, where a recognizable human face was watching the scene unfold. It was the Secretary-General of the United Nations himself, giving a filthy monster a tour fresh off the Summit! Zhao looked silently livid, striding into the room in a hurried attempt to defuse the situation. The name the Terran referred to the gray demon as was Isif, which rang a bell. The primates were consorting with the Chief Hunter that terrorized Gojids, forgetting all of its sins because it saved Earth? This ugly bastard is directly responsible for Hania¡¯s fate. I¡¯m going to rend it from limb-to-limb; it underestimates just how much I want it dead. Vysith stood from the table, lashing its tail. ¡°Why don¡¯t we talk about whatever the issue is? It¡¯s dishonorable to trade claws without provocation. Besides, I would love a chance to speak with an alien other than¡ª¡± ¡°The leaf-lickers do not see you as worth talking to. We¡¯re monsters that deserve death to them,¡± Isif hissed. ¡°With what the Arxur have become now, I can understand where they¡¯re coming from. I never would¡¯ve imagined we¡¯d¡­eat and torture people.¡± ¡°That¡¯s something that¡¯s burdened me my entire life. Why do you think I¡¯m letting Sovlin have a swing at me? I do not need outside assistance, which would make me look weak. Go on, Gojid, do your worst.¡± My bones ached from the force of its tackle, but I stood with renewed determination. This Arxur was mocking me, assuming I couldn¡¯t scratch it; the Terrans were foolish if they bought this mechanical, staged profession of guilt from the monster that led the raids. I shrieked, swiping straight at Isif¡¯s eyes. Its tail hooked around my legs, while I was mid-swing, and sent me crashing to my rump. It waited with patience, heartless eyes facing me as cold slits. My spines bristled, sickened by the predatory visage. Isif seemed to be treating this skirmish as recreation; the glint in its eyes reminding me of how Tyler looked, playing his murderous video games. In my youth, my movements might¡¯ve been a bit more spry, but my ankles were throbbing from the tail swipe. I could acknowledge that the monster had a grasp on its hunger, enough to calculate and wait rather than act in a frenzy. That necessitated a more measured response on my part, despite the fog of fury spurring me onward. ¡°Lost your nerve already?¡± the Chief Hunter prompted. I raised my claws in defiance. ¡°Bloodthirsty, rotten, unfeeling fiend! I want you dead, dead as the fucking children you ate alive. You¡­STOLE MY FAMILY!¡± Creeping forward with purposeful steps, I kept all of the Arxur¡¯s offensive weapons in my peripheral vision. It had to keep its repulsive pupils focused on me, which made it obvious where it was looking. When its gaze flicked downward, I hopped over the blistering tail sweep that followed. The gray balanced itself, swinging an arm at my head; I landed just in time to duck, and pop back up to swipe its snout. Crimson red blood, the same iron-rich color as the humans, spurted from its nostrils. The UN soldiers looked ready to intervene, treacherously worried when I drew the gray¡¯s blood. ¡°Stop attacking Isif at once! That¡¯s an order, Sovlin,¡± Zhao growled, his own brown eyes narrowed in predatory fashion. I darted out of Isif¡¯s range, daring him to come to me. ¡°Fuck you. The grays are animals¡­existential threats.¡± ¡°This is why you weren¡¯t supposed to know any of this!¡± Tyler shouted. ¡°You can¡¯t control yourself or be trusted with any info involving the Arxur. The Federation started all of this; we can prove they weren¡¯t always like this.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care! You have never understood how they deserve to writhe! Their words, their past, their supposed change of heart¡ªit doesn¡¯t matter. It doesn¡¯t fucking matter.¡± Isif bared its savage fangs, instruments of death which evolved for the sole purpose of dissecting sinew and crunching bone. The monster pounced toward me, jaws wide open. The terror of being eaten made me slow to react, disgusted by the carnivore¡¯s gaping maw revealing the accrual of filthy drool. Its teeth were impossibly sharp, digging into my throat with painful force. The gray was applying the maximum pressure it could without puncturing my vulnerable flesh. It relaxed its grip for a moment, long enough to throw me into a pin on the ground. Its fangs were then back at my throat, bringing my prey instincts to full-fledged panic. The last of my control poured into not flailing, which would risk Isif piercing my neck. The chemical surge was a blinding hysteria; sensory input was nauseating, with the reeking predator grasping me within its fangs like a meal. I didn¡¯t want to die the way my daughter had, dissected in slow fashion to savor the cruelty! The Arxur were evil creatures incapable of containing their hunger, and this moment proved it. Despite all of this, the idle humans were watching, as if they thought the scene was within acceptable limits of behavior! Perhaps they were scared to interfere with a gray¡¯s catch¡­or perhaps I was wrong to trust their benevolence. Wasn¡¯t I always worried about Terrans siding with the Arxur over us? Was all the secrecy because they¡¯re throwing us to the grays, colluding with Isif above creatures with any redeeming features? Isif placed an uncanny eye inches away from one of mine. ¡°I do not want to hurt you. If I did, we would not be having this conversation. Are you understanding my words yet? An Arxur knows when they¡¯ve been bested¡­when to admit defeat.¡± ¡°Kill me, you fucking m-monster.¡± A stutter lapsed into my voice from the dizzying pull of adrenaline, but I clung to my hatred in the face of certain death. ¡°Savor the act, like the predator you are.¡± ¡°It can feel good to engage in acts of aggression, but I derive no pleasure from needless suffering. Survival is not a choice; it¡¯s an imperative commanded by biology outside our control. The societal confines under the Dominion mandated horrible actions. Evil is not natural¡­it is gradual, hardened by time and birthed of ideas. It is a phenomenon of sapience, not predation.¡± Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°Only predators eat people. You l-lost the right to call yourself sapient with the first child¡¯s carcass you munched on.¡± ¡°I¡­am sorry for every meal I¡¯ve ever had. I had no choice, so while objective fault cannot be assigned in such circumstances, my conscience assigns guilt all the same. It is unforgivable.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you must die, scum.¡± ¡°Were I not vital to the efforts for a peaceful future, I would agree with your assessment. By your own words about the right to be deemed sapient, Vysith has not lost her status¡ªshe never ate any creature with sophonce in her life. She was rescued from the Archives, and her people might as well have been a different species. They welcomed you¡­as the humans would have, and like humanity, their civilians were killed for it. Direct your anger at me.¡± The Arxur, for an unfathomable reason, opened its jaws, and allowed me to crawl away on the floor. Why would it spare defenseless prey, when it could literally taste my flesh on its tongue? Perhaps it was deceiving the humans, who clearly trusted it enough to let it place its gross, chipped fangs on my throat. It had more control than I¡¯d anticipated from a vile gray, but I didn¡¯t buy for one second that their species was different in the past. The Federation brought out a viciousness that was their existing inclination; no worthwhile race could¡¯ve hunted other civilizations like they had. The UN soldiers bound my wrists, as though I were the criminal; Tyler and Zhao both stared at me with disapproval. While I had disobeyed direct orders and trespassed, it¡¯d proven that their secret actions were reprehensible. It was tough to believe they¡¯d pulled Vysith from a cryopod, and deemed it ethical to keep the ancient Arxur out of my purview. I risked my life on that mission to help the Earthlings; I had the same right to know as anyone else! The humans crafted too many excuses for the grays¡¯ behavior, and their continued cooperation with these tormentors was unacceptable. Tyler breathed a flustered sigh. ¡°I was s¡¯posed to keep Vysith company, Sovlin. She¡¯s a guest, and she¡¯s not dangerous. You can¡¯t be questioning our judgment, and poking your nose where it doesn¡¯t belong.¡± ¡°I¡¯m tired of you treating the Arxur like genuine people!¡± I spat. ¡°They¡¯re not.¡± ¡°You know what? Either you sit and talk to Vysith like an adult, or I¡¯ll have you charged for insubordination! Your pick.¡± ¡°As if I¡¯d ever care what a gray has to say. My decision is self-evident.¡± Zhao tapped his chin. ¡°Do you think the Arxur are evil?¡± ¡°Of course I do! You humans can¡¯t even say that word.¡± ¡°What the Dominion have done is evil, but that¡¯s why they¡¯re sapient. It takes intention and knowledge to be malicious¡­animals just exist, unbeholden to our morality. The capacity for good and evil are adjacent to one another.¡± ¡°Oh, I get it: you think you see yourselves in them. They are way different. Humans might¡¯ve had savage outliers in your past, but it wasn¡¯t your whole fucking society!¡± ¡°That¡¯s the problem with outliers. Left unchecked, you realize one day that they¡¯ve become your whole society, in plain sight.¡± I opened my mouth to argue, but my treacherous thoughts turned to how easily the Federation ensnared countless societies in its web of lies; our entire society was disingenuous, and the loudest voices all had called to slaughter the peace-seeking humans. Secretary-General Zhao¡¯s words boasted the conviction of truthfulness, and Carlos¡¯ old lesson from the Battle of Sillis rang in my ears. ¡°That¡¯s the belief that makes monsters of us all. Nobody has empathy for someone that is too unalike.¡± When the dots connected before my eyes, that the Arxur had en masse been convinced that aliens weren¡¯t people, I couldn¡¯t deny that it fit with true evil. The humans viewed the grays¡¯ trajectory as a knowing, purposeful decline into depravity. Where I wanted to find a monster beyond comparison, I saw the Federation mirrored. Both parties were to blame for what happened to my family, and for that, they were irredeemable. I hated that I¡¯d served for years beneath the Federation¡¯s banner, fighting for their causes, as much as I loathed the carnivorous creatures in this cell. Perhaps the Arxur were once capable of a slight semblance of civilization, since their decline had to start from something that wasn¡¯t this abominable. The Kolshians contacted those demons as sapients, and by Nikonus¡¯ own admission, starved them soon after. Maybe Vysith is capable of restraining her bloodthirsty instincts¡ªbecause unlike the humans, Arxur certainly possess those. Isif was drooling, and the brutality in the grays¡¯ mess hall on that cattle ship¡­ Zhao pointed a hand to the table. ¡°We want peace. Make your choice: be a part of that vision, or refuse and help the Federation and the Dominion keep us in this cycle of death.¡± Tyler seemed surprised, as I gave the ultimatum genuine consideration. The ancient Arxur had returned to its spot at the table, watching me with an unblinking stare that seemed to x-ray my skeleton. Isif¡¯s pupils darted between me and Vysith, perhaps regretting relinquishing a Gojid prey to fatten itself up. No doubt both grays had cued in on my vulnerable areas and fleshiest organs the second I stepped into the room. There was no depth of emotion when I peered deeper into those terrible eyes, unlike when I¡¯d gazed into Marcel¡¯s from my jail cell. The Arxur were soulless predators incapable of kindness; their exteriors had zero cues that didn¡¯t scream cold-blooded killing machine. Still, as suicidal as it seemed on an instinctual level, the debt I owed to the UN compelled me to comply with Zhao¡¯s urgings. My feet shuffled toward the table with hesitancy, feeling instinctive disgust and apprehension swell within my chest. Every neuron summoned the impulse to run away from the ravenous beast, who I couldn¡¯t hope to best with my arms still chained. Vysith drummed its claws on the table. ¡°Your visit was most insightful, Isif. I¡¯d like to speak to Sovlin alone, and not while being watched like some zoo exhibit.¡± ¡°I do not know this ¡®zoo¡¯ word; is that a term of the human lexicon?¡± Isif asked. ¡°No? It¡¯s Morvim, like all my other words.¡± ¡°Since your language has been dead for many centuries, my knowledge is negligible. I must research this ¡®zoo¡¯ concept; perhaps my human friends can aid me. I¡¯ll leave you two be, Vysith.¡± The Chief Hunter departed from the observation door it came from with Zhao, while the ancient Arxur looked mistrustful of the modern predator that had schooled me. Then again, I suppose I was being foolish to assign any emotion to a gray¡¯s countenance. However, it was an undeniable fact that Vysith waited for Isif to be out of earshot to address me directly. The carnivore gestured for Tyler to retake his seat, and it tended to the playing cards it had abandoned. The blond human watched me with disbelieving eyes, relaxing his posture for the first time since I barged in. ¡°I can¡¯t begin to express my shock, waking up to find the genocidal Northwest Bloc won¡­and that the galaxy sees my entire race as people-eating monsters,¡± Vysith hissed. ¡°We were fascinated by the idea of aliens. I guess Betterment has bred out all curiosity too. Your behavior is unhinged, Sovlin, but I agree that these Arxur are beyond saving¡­they are no longer recognizable. No longer people.¡± I recoiled at how smooth and reproachful the gray¡¯s speech was. ¡°How could your society ever have had meaningful differences from today?¡± ¡°For starters, we cared about each other. Social and non-social Arxur managed different roles in society, being on opposite ends of the spectrum, but we respected the contributions of both types. At least in my nation. The Northwest Bloc wanted to destroy the Morvim Charter though, and we feared the war would kill us all. That might¡¯ve been better than losing to those megalomaniacs. I am so unspeakably horrified by everything the humans say we¡¯ve done since then.¡± ¡°Why would you care?¡± ¡°Because¡­they made thinking people cattle, and wiped out entire societies. So many needless deaths, whole generations born into war, and no freedom of expression? Betterment has become so comically villainous, with the titles and hunting obsessions, that it¡¯s not even funny!¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t use those titles back in your day? No Your Savageness?¡± Tyler commented. ¡°They would¡¯ve been a mockery if they did. What¡¯s admirable about not landing a clean kill, choosing cruelty over honor? Anyhow, I got abducted by the Farsul on a mission to Kyssium, a neutral state the Bloc invaded in their quest for power. I was enlisted as a soldier against those bastards, and I wanted to stop them from hurting innocent civilians¡­not watch them carry out atrocities in the stars!¡± I struggled to meet the beast¡¯s eyes. ¡°Arxur hunters ate my daughter alive.¡± ¡°I offer my sincere condolences; that must have been wretched to go through. I¡¯ll have you know I would never do anything like that. The Arxur I knew would never commit such vile murders, because it¡¯s unthinkable! It must baffle you that we could¡¯ve ever been anything else, after witnessing such a graphic and personal atrocity. This is a nightmare of epic proportions to me too. Imagine¡­how you would feel, finding your own species in such diabolical straits centuries later.¡± Even with the gravelly register, the content of this beast¡¯s words seemed more like a human¡¯s speech pattern than that of a terrorizing predator. It was worlds apart from Coth or even Isif; I would¡¯ve never imagined that an Arxur could put such eloquent, civilized sentences together. Deciding to humor the carnivore, I engaged in the thought exercise. If the Gojids went on to hunt the races of the Federation in gruesome fashion, I would feel like ten times greater of a monster than when we were revealed to be omnivores. What could be more appalling than seeing your species reduced to mindless, hated savages, with its worst members from your time in charge? ¡°I couldn¡¯t bear to see the Gojids committing such heinous acts.¡± I shared a glance with Tyler, and picked up on the flash of agreement in his eyes. The human had wanted me to empathize with an Arxur¡¯s plight. ¡°I¡¯d mourn what my species used to be, Vysith. I imagine that¡¯s what you¡¯re doing.¡± The predator lowered her reptilian eyes. ¡°Yes, I suppose I am.¡± Against all odds, I¡¯d survived one Arxur¡¯s jaws, and was engaged in decent conversation with another. A part of me wondered if things could¡¯ve been different, had savagery not overtaken their entire society. Could carnivores have conducted themselves like any other species? The humans had seen something more than malicious monsters from the outset, and with Vysith slashing down my preconceptions, it was tough to claim the primates didn¡¯t have a case. For the first time in my life, I spotted a tinge of sapience in the galaxy¡¯s original predators. Chapter 144 Memory transcription subject: Onso, Yotul Technical Specialist Date [standardized human time]: February 21, 2137 After a lengthy tour aboard the UNS Rocinante under Captain Janice Monahan¡¯s directive, it was wonderful to have time to myself at home on Leirn. My place of residence had once been a quaint farming city, built around the sales of a staple grain called eard. After Papa refused to adopt the industrial techniques of Federation agriculture, our crop farm had been outcompeted by those who acquiesced to the aliens¡¯ ways. Our land was lost within a few years of the exterminators¡¯ arrival, and my father toiled in construction work in his old age. It involved grueling, back-breaking tasks to build the very machinations he so despised. The farm that had been in my family for a dozen generations was gone, never to be passed down to me or my brother, Monar. It wasn¡¯t like I had any interest in agricultural professions, beyond perhaps tinkering with some automated tractors to complete the work for me. While I loved innovation, the knowledge I soaked up from the Federation wasn¡¯t worth the loss of my culture and the two decades as a ¡°zombie¡± under their predator disease medications. If I could do it all over again, I would¡¯ve stayed and helped Papa with the farm, forsaking my true passion. But then I would¡¯ve never met Tyler. Tyler might be a dolt, but he never judges me or speaks ill of my culture. The humans have been wonderful. The village of Rinsa was once the pride and joy of this side of our small continent, with Yotul-built train tracks that allowed us to chug across the landmass in a day. The bullet trains in their place now could zip across the island in an hour. I could still picture the original railroad being blown up during a celebratory speech, as my Gojid engineering instructor goaded me on. The harbor was barely visible behind the new steel buildings, and any green space that had been present was taken up by digitized clutter. The Federation hated water sports, perhaps why Mama¡¯s boat had mysteriously caught on fire one night. As much as I missed home, there was an inescapable sadness whenever I toured the sights. ¡°New plays at the Tail Twine Theatre! First time in over twenty cycles.¡± A well-groomed Yotul paced on the streets ahead of me, passing out pamphlets to passersby. I remembered the last play I¡¯d seen, a strange tale where the crops came alive and attacked anyone who tried to harvest them. A predatory story, if you ask the Federation. ¡°Tulleo¡¯s Feud! A classic work of drama and stage choreography, about two warring kingdoms! Based on the Grain Wars.¡± I considered grabbing a pamphlet, but I didn¡¯t want to carry it throughout my meeting with the respectable human. My desire to go to the performance was borne of nostalgia and spite for the Federation, as much as anything; it wasn¡¯t as if I couldn¡¯t acquire an advertising handout on my way home. It wasn¡¯t clear why the imperialist aliens took such offense to plays, other than looking down on it as a ¡°primitive form of entertainment.¡± Visual mediums like television and movies were just better, after all. I suppose it was a good way to suppress old texts that didn¡¯t align with their ideas. ¡°What would humans think of theatre?¡± I mused aloud, ignoring the strange looks from people I passed. ¡°They have media that¡¯s beyond realistic, run by computer graphics. Perhaps they¡¯d think a bunch of props on a stage are stupid, though they haven¡¯t had that response to anything of ours yet.¡± There were a handful of Terrans in sight on the streets, but I decided to restrain my curiosity. These poor primates were out enjoying a stroll, and didn¡¯t want to be interrupted by an energetic Yotul peppering them with questions. I focused instead on the graffiti art on closed down Federation buildings, which was something we¡¯d learned from Earth. The exterminator office had been shuttered once and for all, when all alien occupiers were sent out forcibly by our military. I could see that the institution was almost ready to reopen as a recruiters¡¯ office. The Yotul Technocracy, now a part of the Sapient Coalition, was to be taken seriously at long last. The arrival of the humans had given us an opportunity to throw off the Federation¡¯s yoke; everyone who was born before first contact despised what the aliens were doing to Leirn. Our planet¡¯s once gorgeous wildlife was turned to cinders by trigger-happy exterminators, burning anything that challenged their narrative. I was grateful that the Terrans were keen on conservation. That was the exact reason I¡¯d agreed to meet up with the renowned Dr. Sara Rosario at a repurposed lab in the village¡¯s heart. Sara¡¯s words fell on deaf ears with the Venlil, but we¡¯re happy to accept help rebuilding the ecosystem we used to have. Fresh off the positive results she helped acquire at the Summit, that should leave her riding a high. Her talents won¡¯t be wasted on Leirn. Were I not committed to the military¡¯s next orders, I would¡¯ve loved to devote myself to aiding this project, despite it being well outside my usual purview. If I framed the environment as a machine with cohesive parts, perhaps I could assess what forces drove the greater whole and how to fix the degradation. The supposed ¡°savage predators¡± understood more about nature than any race I¡¯d encountered; I trusted humanity to salvage as many animals as possible. It seemed it wasn¡¯t the flesh-eaters who had utter disregard for ¡°lesser¡± life. I ducked into the sprawling research campus, which now featured outdoor enclosures to accommodate lifeforms. Curiously, the Terrans had brought pets from Earth to supplement our native customs; the Yotul government had given clearance for the UN to use its discretion on what to bring. Inside, I could see more creatures that looked like dogs, with varying forms. On a stranger note, a small animal that could fit in a human¡¯s hand was yapping at a massive canine. This seemed to scare the much-larger mutt. I found Dr. Rosario waiting on a couch, and without bothering with pleasantries, I pointed at the tiny, screeching thing. ¡°I know the black-and-brown thing is some sort of dog, like I saw in the military. What is that little thing called?¡± The human narrowed her eyes, before chuckling with amusement. ¡°That¡¯s also a dog. I know, they look nothing alike; the breed diversity is staggering. I won¡¯t pretend we weren¡¯t involved with that. Onso, right? We met at the facility¡ª¡± ¡°But all Yotul look alike to you. I imagine you get the locals working here mixed up too? Don¡¯t worry¡ªI can¡¯t tell humans with generic hairmops apart either.¡± ¡°Hair¡­mops?¡± ¡°I swear I¡¯ve heard Tyler call them mops, like the cleaning tool, um, which some of you definitely look like¡­¡± ¡°Ha, well, I suppose it¡¯s better to look like a cleaning mop than an evil predator. I¡¯d stick with calling it a hairdo or haircut, but back to your point, there¡¯s some humans that look like doppelg?ngers even to me. I¡¯m glad you understand.¡± I perked my ears to signal common ground. ¡°It was the same for me with some species that came from the Federation. You have to spend a lot of time around certain ones to pick up on their individual quirks.¡± ¡°The way we know our dog from someone else¡¯s, even if it¡¯s the same breed. Er, not to say sapients are pets!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I loved my hensa; she was a sweet thing, a lightguard.¡± After seeing Sara¡¯s confused reaction, I racked my brain for a human equivalent. ¡°Like ¡®angels¡¯, I think? Noble spirits that watch over Yotul.¡± ¡°Tyler must¡¯ve taught you a lot about human culture, to know that.¡± ¡°Hardly. I researched quite a bit on my own, before I¡¯d even signed up for the exchange program. If I was going to Earth, to help through rebuilding your cities or military service, it would be inconsiderate to not learn the basics of your culture. I didn¡¯t want to snub my nose at your customs, like the wretched Federation did to us.¡± ¡°You¡¯re exceptional in that regard. The Yotul are quite laid-back and open-minded, but few have gone the extra mile to parse our cultural references!¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°And humans have gone to great efforts to relate to us and other lifeforms. I confess, I did it because¡­I was curious, rather than any higher ideal.¡± ¡°A man after my own heart, Onso. Now, not to cut you off, because I would love to keep talking as we walk¡­but should I give you a tour of our operation?¡± ¡°Gladly. Don¡¯t worry, I understood what you said earlier about me not being allowed to take any hensa personally. Preserving the species with care and objectivity is most important.¡± Sara¡¯s lips curved upward in that customary human expression, which always registered to my gaze as both a firebrand statement of defiance against Federation norms, and a graceful note of politeness imparted in a split second. It was obvious when the so-called snarl was malicious; their eyes never lied about their emotions. Those forward-facing orbs were clear as a reflection pool. I trotted after the scientist with the glee of a five-year-old, eager to see a hensa out of my mind¡¯s eye. It¡¯d been so long that I didn¡¯t trust my memory, especially after that Farsul ¡°doctor¡± altered my brain with his numbing pills. I attempted to return my focus to the primates, the only aliens who¡¯d ever treated us as equals. Hundreds of civilizations were worth a pile of manure, in my book, while the humans were a priceless gift. Despite other herbivores labeling Leirn a backwater, we¡¯d received the second-highest total of Terran immigrants¡ªbehind only the refugee-laden Skalga. Many were engineers working on raising our own armada from the shipyards; that was another project I wished I played a part in. The Federation had herded us away from building any warships, to avoid disrupting the notion that we were powerless, brainless primitives. Wouldn¡¯t it be the greatest insult if Yotul, in collaboration with humanity, improved upon the tech the Federation lorded over us? We already helped devise several ideas, including the crushing shield-breaking missiles. ¡°Sara, if you¡¯ll humor me, I do have a recent question that my past research overlooked.¡± I reminded myself that there was no shame in our societal development or low-tech endeavors. What mattered is that they were ours. If humanity were going to mock our arts and culture, they weren¡¯t the species I¡¯d thought they were. ¡°I remember Haysi said something about humans having ¡®ancient theaters.¡¯ Exactly how ancient were they? Do you have any recollection of what Terran stage plays were like?¡± The curly-haired scientist squinted with confusion. ¡°Were like? Theatre is one of the oldest forms of entertainment, but you misunderstood me, I think. It¡¯s not gone. For one example, back when New York was¡­still around, there were numerous Broadway plays, which were well-regarded in many circles.¡± ¡°Really?! Um, sorry to sound so surprised¡­I just figured you¡¯d think it¡¯s outdated, like the other aliens.¡± ¡°The Federation are a bunch of judgmental killjoys. Don¡¯t you know that by now? Just because newer, fancier ideas exist, doesn¡¯t mean older stuff can¡¯t have its charm.¡± ¡°I agree. I just asked because our playhouses are reopening, after being shuttered for years. It interests me what your ¡®Broadway plays¡¯ were like.¡± ¡°There were some that were dramas and such, but it was most well-known for musicals. You know, actors sing songs to advance the story while doing choreographed, synchronized dances.¡± I stifled a snort of laughter, lingering on the mental image. ¡°Which herbivore wrote those for you? Everyone knows predators aren¡¯t capable of something so sentimental and dorky.¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re joking, but if you ask the Feds, it¡¯s all part of our master plan.¡± ¡°If how off-key Tyler sings reflects on all humans, it is part of your plan¡­to make sapients clutch our ears in agony.¡± Sara snickered for a brief moment, as we stepped into a restricted wing of the research facility. I halted in my tracks as my gaze focused on a couch, where a tan hensa with jagged black stripes was prancing atop it. The once-beloved, near-extinct pet brushed up against the back of one human¡¯s head, and nipped at his earlobe. The primate was laughing, teeth visible from ear to ear; there was no question about how this Terran felt about our old friends. A few humans were down on all fours playing with yarn and laser pointers, while the more sedentary hominids allowed hensas to settle on their laps. The adoration was mutual; the small animals seemed fond of the Terrans, perhaps because of their willingness to afford attention. It used to be said that hensas were excellent judges of character. Watching an Earthling scratch a rumbling pet¡¯s forward-facing ears (a predator trait that the humans curiously lacked), I wondered whether they wouldn¡¯t keep our non-sapient pals for their own people. Certainly beats breaking into our homes, and burning them alive in front of us. Fuck the Federation. For the small number of Yotul who¡¯d been able to harbor hensas all these years, it must¡¯ve been difficult to persuade them to hand their companions over to the Terrans. However, witnessing the care afforded by our arboreal allies, I believed these scientists could give us a fighting chance to bring back the most culturally-significant species on Leirn. It was the only way to ensure the hensas¡¯ numbers were padded, and that future generations could enjoy their company once more. Perhaps, if the pest-killing hunters flourished here again, humans might transport a few back to Earth for adoption. ¡°We love these little guys, Onso! How could even the Feds hurt such cutie pies?¡± Sara approached the couch Terran, picking up the hensa. I pretended not to notice her voice climb in pitch, and in turn, she passed the tan animal into my shaking paws. ¡°We brought some puppies and kittens, our darlings from Earth. You could adopt a few of them in the meantime, while we¡¯re repopulating the hensas.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you invited me here to see this. You¡¯re doing good work.¡± I pulled my paw tight around the hensa¡¯s belly, scared to drop her. Tears swelled in my eyes, as the graphic memories of my pet burning returned. ¡°Ahem. Tyler has a b-big dog, a Great Dane. That thing could swallow a human¡¯s hand. He left the gentle giant with his dad while he deployed¡­maybe for good.¡± ¡°It¡¯s difficult for pets to be relocated¡­they don¡¯t understand. It¡¯s kind to force that change of scenery on them as little as possible.¡± ¡°Yeah. If I get to retire from military service one day, I¡¯d like to adopt a big canine like his. Nobody¡¯d ever mess with me again. And someday, maybe I could have another hensa, preferably before I die. Leirn can be our world, like it used to be.¡± ¡°You want to make all of that a reality? I could put in a word with the UN, get them to call in a favor with your government. Could ask for you to be sent right here. You¡¯ve seen as much direct action as any Yotul, from what I¡¯ve heard¡ªa true hero. We owe you the chance to help with the rebirth, the renaissance of Leirn.¡± My head tilted sideways, considering her words. ¡°You would do that, Sara? That sounds¡­wonderful. I mean, I do want to kick the Feddies in the teeth, but I could use a¡­break from all that. We finished the Farsul off. We exposed the info in the Archives. I could be useful here now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s your choice. You can think on it: I don¡¯t need an answer today. But I¡¯d love the chance to work with you, and pick your brain as one science-obsessed individual to another. Just like my work with the cattle rescues is done, maybe your stint in the stars has reached its end too.¡± ¡°Okay. Uh, not to sound greedy, because I am grateful for the opportunity to help¡ªbut does this pay? Papa needs to retire, and I can¡¯t make that happen without a steady salary.¡± The human pioneer took the hensa from me, and passed a note into my paws in its place. ¡°I looked up how to write in Yotul numerals. I didn¡¯t misprint a thing.¡± I nearly choked on my own saliva, as I skimmed across the six figure number in sloppy handwriting. Sara couldn¡¯t be serious! The difference this could make in my family¡¯s life¡ªnot only could I serve Leirn, but I could have the financial means to support all of my loved ones. It was difficult to think of a reason to redeploy, if Dr. Rosario could follow through on her promise to transfer me here. Unless there was an existential threat in the stars, this was my chance to finally be happy. Tyler, the cantankerous Sovlin, and I had earned some time on the sidelines. I was bouncing on my hindlegs with excitement, before I knew it, and I darted out of the lab to avoid embarrassing myself with a celebration. My eyes must¡¯ve been glowing, as I unclipped my holopad from my belt. That enthusiasm fizzled in a heartbeat, when I saw an ominous message from my human best friend¡ªthe very person I¡¯d been wanting to contact with the good news. My heart sank into my stomach, faced with a difficult decision. Hey Onso. Soooo looks like I have to go with the UN into Kolshian territory :( Those bastards have Slanek, and if I don¡¯t save the day, Marcel¡¯s gonna do something stupid. He¡¯s supposed to leave stupid things to me, right? Anyhow, let me know if you¡¯re in or if you¡¯re out. You don¡¯t have to come. Miss ya, buckaroo. I could feel bile rising into my throat, as I was torn between loyalty to my friend and a chance at an authentic, peaceful life. Offers like the one Sara presented to me wouldn¡¯t come around every day; it was everything I could¡¯ve dreamed of. However, it had always been a no-brainer that Tyler and I stuck together. How would I feel if I forced the human to ship out without me, and something terrible happened to him? Who would watch his back if I wasn¡¯t there? The last thing I wanted was to head back to the war after enduring Khoa, Sillis, and Talsk, but my friend was counting on me to accompany him to the most difficult fight yet. Even if Tyler would never say it, he was expecting me to tag along; I¡¯d been adamant over joining him on his perilous rescue mission of Marcel on Sillis. Had it not been an exercise in futility, perhaps I would¡¯ve mentioned to my buddy that he kept putting himself in harm¡¯s way for Mr. Fraser and Slanek. That was just who Tyler was¡ªsomeone who helped out his ¡°bros.¡± That was why I knew, if the roles were reversed, he would¡¯ve agreed to join me in a heartbeat; no incentives or comfort could¡¯ve swayed his decision. It was also the reason I accepted that I had to turn down the offer of a lifetime, and follow my human buddy to Aafa. A serene existence on Leirn, with a monster-sized dog curled up on my bed, would have to wait until after we delivered some justice to the heart of the Federation. Chapter 145 Memory transcription subject: Onso, Yotul Technical Specialist Date [standardized human time]: March 3, 2137 The march toward Kolshian territory couldn¡¯t happen in a single step; rather, it was a monumental push throughout the galaxy. The Terrans stopping by Leirn to integrate a handful of Yotul-built ships into their formation proved convenient. I didn¡¯t need to ferry myself to Earth when the UN were docking above my world. Even if they would never give voice to these sentiments, I knew humans thought most herbivores were liabilities in combat. However, they showed no such reservations about having vessels crewed by our fiery sailors. The minutiae of Yotul bureaucracy were also unique in our relations with Earth. No other species would¡¯ve dared to host an exchange program on human soil, but millions of our kind were already there for the rebuilding efforts. The first meeting took place in a city called Brussels, the heart of some amalgamate faction known as the European Union. Tyler, for a man as lacking in foresight as he was, attempted a delicate tap-dance around prey sensibilities at first. Perhaps the UN¡¯s program had suggested such restrictions for the human side, but I suspected my pal drew those conclusions from interacting with Venlil. Regardless, hosting the meet-up on Terran ground meant that, despite my gushing about the smallest details of our home, Tyler had never actually seen or set foot on Leirn. I was bouncing with excitement for the tour I had planned; the sole upside of shipping out in this manner was getting to nerd out about my hometown. Finally, an alien who cared about us, or¡­pretended to care. The big guy certainly cared about me, but I knew he¡¯d find my grocery list of fun facts boring. ¡°Alright, Onso. Look alive; they¡¯re almost here.¡± I perked my ears up as the shuttle docked in the spaceport, and waved once I spotted the massive human among a crowd of sailors docking for a few hours of shore leave. ¡°Tyler! Over here.¡± The blond hominid strolled over with a goofy grin. ¡°How¡¯s it going, buddy? Up top!¡± I obliged the Terran¡¯s odd tradition of smacking his raised hand, and wagged my tail. ¡°I¡¯m glad to finally get to show you around Leirn. I know we only have a few hours, so that means we¡¯ve got to hurry.¡± ¡°I¡¯d pace yourself, Onso, you¡¯re dealing with a persistence predator!¡± ¡°A persistence predator whose diet has been entirely ramen and mac-and-cheese. Those carbs are gonna keep you persistently on your ass.¡± ¡°So you did read my texts.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m supposed to say to a blurry, crooked picture of a half-eaten cup of ramen with a plastic fork in it¡­and a few noodles hanging over the side.¡± ¡°It¡¯s called keeping in touch. Not all of us can be all ¡®e equals em cee squared!¡¯¡± ¡°Pfft, you don¡¯t even know what those letters mean.¡± ¡°Ouch. Alright, alright, you win the ribbing contest. As a reward, I guess I¡¯ll let you play the new video games I brought. This time, I picked ones with turn-based combat; if you smash another controller, I¡¯m gonna make you sit and watch me play.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t make me do anything, Tyler¡­but, er, I¡¯m sorry about the controllers?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, not your money you¡¯re pissing down the drain, eh? Easy come, easy go.¡± ¡°Quit ragging on me. I don¡¯t have great control of my temper, but you know I haven¡¯t been able to even feel angry at all for the past 20 years. My neurochemistry is fucked forever.¡± When I¡¯d first come off the mind-numbing drugs, it was right after the Yotul Technocracy voted to join the Terrans, following Noah¡¯s speech on Aafa. The daily screenings stopped at my engineering job in a flash, once the Federation was driven off-world in the Great Reclaiming. Having a name like ¡°the Great Reclaiming¡± already was a clear sign about how not great we thought the alien occupiers were. The Farsul had instituted a puppet government, but when given an out, Yotul weren¡¯t compliant with their maddening decrees. Anyone who maintained loyalty to the alien league was ousted, and we sought to make ourselves respectable. After all the horrible things the Federation said about sapient predators, it was obvious it differed from reality. Ambassador Laulo¡¯s reports of how the humans stood up for us ¡°primitives¡± made it clear they were the only ones who saw the injustice of it all. Siding with them gave us a fresh start. The current government had settled on the Technocracy name in opposition to the primitive jabs that plagued us in the 22 years since our ¡°uplift.¡± These new officials were unelected, something Tyler had been surprised I was okay with. It would be a rude awakening to him that people claiming power to overthrow the Federation tyrants were wildly popular; we¡¯d been denigrated for years, and we¡¯d rather have an imperfect government of our own species than one of imperialists. The main focus was centralizing authority across Leirn, rather than clinging to the loose, local overseers that the aliens had used to keep us divided. ¡°I was just giving ya shit, buddy. I didn¡¯t mean to strike a nerve.¡± Tyler¡¯s expression had become concerned. ¡°You should know this already, but I care about you way more than any controller. Handling emotions is hard as fuck, even for those of us who¡¯ve had decades of practice. If it makes you feel any better, grown-ass humans get mad about stupider shit than that. I still remember how my batshit crazy old man would scream at the poor umpire in my Little League games.¡± ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about,¡± I responded. ¡°The gist of it is, adults get pissed because their kids lose games, when they¡¯re playing for fun. It doesn¡¯t matter. My dad¡¯s a nutter, always has been. I¡¯d rather you smash a million controllers than do something that extra.¡± ¡°Your stories never seem to translate, but I appreciate you trying. Why don¡¯t we get to touring Leirn?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, Onso, Living Geyser of Fun Facts?¡± ¡°I like information, and I like sharing it unprovoked. There¡¯s worse things out there. Besides, if we¡¯re going to be shipping off to the hardest battle of our time together, this is the one upside.¡± ¡°The one upside? What about hanging with your best friend, Tyler?¡± ¡°I¡¯m kinda indifferent to that part of the trip.¡± ¡°Fuck you! Bah, lead the way.¡± The blond human¡¯s head was on a swivel as we exited the spaceport, soaking in the digital adverts that remained. I could remember, before the Federation¡¯s arrival, Rinsa¡¯s current hub of spacecraft had been home to scribes; the printing press rendered the profession of transcribing or copying documents by hand obsolete. It had been the perfect complex to add to the demolition list, and replace with something modern. The location set it a block away from the bullet trains that were built atop the ruins of our railroads. More interestingly to Tyler, some Yotul had dabbled in various Terran cultural imports, by choice. Tail dyeing was in with the younger crowd. I could see one teen with a bright blue tail, which clashed with his reddish fur, pass by us. Others took a fancy to adorning themselves with shiny objects, and were wearing trinkets around their forearms or necks. That jewelry trend caught on with numerous generations, since hand laborers often bound straps around their wrists in the old days. Transforming a symbol of the working class into a classy icon had mass appeal. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°I didn¡¯t know aliens dyed their fur,¡± Tyler remarked. I swished my tail lazily. ¡°We did, but not weird colors, until we met you crazy primates. Some Yotul used powdered leaves to conceal gray fur, but not on this continent. Age is considered a sign of wisdom here in Rinsa.¡± ¡°Pfft, getting long in the tooth doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re wise. It¡¯s about the total sum of your life lessons, and some people don¡¯t learn lessons no matter how long they¡¯re taught. Source: my dad exists.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t like your dad, and you left your dog with him?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s better than a shelter. There¡¯s all sorts of abandoned animals running around on the outskirts of ruined cities. It¡¯s sad¡­wouldn¡¯t do that to ol¡¯ Zeus.¡± ¡°Your dog¡¯s name! I¡¯ve done some research into human mythology to understand that nomenclature. We had a pantheon of gods ourselves, you know. There were a handful of followers, up until the Feddies decided it was too primitive to salvage; the old customs were most popular outside the island. One deity was like Zeus but¡­I don¡¯t understand why thunder was the king in many human circuits.¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s loud and it burns shit, and that¡¯s cool. I¡¯m pretty sure some mythos had sun gods and all, and there¡¯s lots of top-dog creation and death gods too. I dunno. Who led your pantheon?¡± ¡°Ralchi, the god of fire. He was considered the most powerful god, able to melt or destroy anyone who challenged him. Giver of warmth, who lit the very sun.¡± ¡°So Ralchi is a sun god of sorts. Your people got that ¡®flames in the sky¡¯ shit pretty right. The sun kinda is a big fireball.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t consider him a god of the sun, not alone, anyways. Ralchi¡¯s priests were adamant about the signs he¡¯d send. Our lunar satellite isn¡¯t the right proportions and distance to have total eclipses like on Earth, but when the sun had a shadow over it, Ralchi was threatening to take it away. Forests catch on fire, judgment. A building goes up in flames, Ralchi cursed its owner.¡± ¡°So what do you think Ralchi thinks about human fire-eaters?¡± ¡°Ralchi doesn¡¯t think anything, because he¡¯s not fucking real. As for what I think¡ªI think you shouldn¡¯t put fire in your mouth. Divine or not, respect nature a little.¡± ¡°We do. It¡¯s better than the other aliens, who used fire to¡­shit. I shouldn¡¯t have brought that up.¡± ¡°To burn animals alive? It¡¯s alright. If Ralchi were real, he¡¯d give those exterminator pricks a taste of their own medicine.¡± Tyler stopped in his tracks, narrowing his eyes. ¡°Onso, after what happened the past month, I just feel obligated to restate that¡­if you were ever having thoughts about doing something like that, I hope you¡¯d talk to me. Maybe I say all the wrong things, but there¡¯s nothing I wouldn¡¯t try to help with. I¡¯d be fucking rabid if someone torched Zeus, so I¡¯m not gonna give you some pacifist bullshit. Just¡­don¡¯t get obsessed with revenge, and don¡¯t not reach out?¡± ¡°Tyler, I¡¯ve always talked about hating the Feds. But I can assure you, while I struggle with my temper, I¡¯m not going to lose it for good like Slanek. I¡¯m going to kill those bastards in a disciplined way, by highlighting their shit-ass ships on the sensors screen. That¡¯s what we¡¯re doing: bringing them down.¡± ¡°Hell yeah! We¡¯re bringing them down the right way too, because we¡¯re better than ¡®em. I¡¯d say us humans are soft, but that¡¯s not really true¡ªit¡¯s more that once we open that can of worms, doing evil shit, it doesn¡¯t get closed. So we don¡¯t cross those lines. If you ever feel any way about that, you can tell me; I might even fucking agree with you. That clear?¡± ¡°Hmph, well, I do think that you¡¯re soft, but I can also see how you¡¯re better than those immoral, colonizing pricks. I have no problem following human orders, for that reason. Even if I don¡¯t understand, I trust you. My bluster is just a way of coping with everything they did, and you know that.¡± ¡°I do. But I¡¯d rather not assume and check, than have anything happen to you. I¡¯d be all shades of torn up if I lost you, Onso. You¡¯re my much smarter bro.¡± The blond human gave me a hearty slap on the back, and I tried to shake off the slight stinging sensation from that affectionately-intentioned gesture. It was fresh in my mind how Slanek had declared that he had predator disease, and outright stated that he was aggressive and unstable. My short fuse was something I recognized as a problem, but I was nothing like that Venlil. It was good to know Tyler would check on me, and that I could talk to him about anything. When I¡¯d confessed all of the buried baggage about my hensa after Sillis, prompted by the sight of Dino, my exchange partner had been sympathetic and supportive. Tyler may not seem like it from the outside, but he¡¯s such a soft guy. He¡¯s been helpful in letting me express and address my feelings for the first time since the Federation arrived. No predator or prey behavior shtick, just acceptance. I jogged down the sidewalk, not wanting to remain sidetracked. ¡°I just build rockets, Tyler. Anyone can do that.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t rub it in now. Save that remark for Sovlin,¡± Tyler pouted. ¡°Speaking of that racist old Gojid¡­you¡¯ll never believe this, but you know that Arxur I was guarding? Sovlin started lobbying for the UN to let Vysith enlist like she wanted to!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that gullible.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true! Obviously, we can¡¯t have Vysith on a ship with other herbivore crew, even if it wouldn¡¯t piss off the Dominion. Sovlin¡¯s on latrine duty for the entire trip over, so be sure to rub it in his face. Aliens gotta learn to respect orders, ya don¡¯t get a damn pass every other day.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go lumping me in with the witless Feds. All aliens aren¡¯t like that. I¡¯ve never disobeyed an order. Now, this is my one chance to show you around Rinsa, and I plan to regurgitate everything I know.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t have it any other way.¡± The unlucky Terran was subjected to verbose speeches on every landmark; with him present, my sadness over the cultural losses was a blip on my mental radar. I pointed out Tail Twine Theatre, which had a bustling ticket booth. Crowds had poured out in droves to see the classic play, which had been running for over a week now. The entire entertainment district could be refurbished off of the proceeds, with a fair being hosted next month. Yotul acrobats were returning, not having performed since the Federation swore off their stunts as ¡°senseless, primitive derangement.¡± Tyler was also shown to an unassuming tower of dirt down the road, an ¡°auspice field.¡± Yotul would toss a spare seed into the tilled soil, based on an old superstition that it would bring good harvests and fortune. The human didn¡¯t mock the practice as unscientific; instead, he wagged a finger at it like he recognized it. Surprisingly, despite their scientific advancement, many Terrans believed in luck¡ªI learned they had similar concepts, namely wishing wells and fountains that they threw coins into. I marveled yet again that a capable, advanced species of extraterrestrials could hold onto past practices. ¡°We got stuff we think¡¯s bad luck,¡± Tyler added. ¡°Walking under ladders, breaking mirrors, opening umbrellas inside. Sometimes it¡¯s as random as the number 13 or seeing a black cat. No rhyme or reason. You guys got anything like that?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± I noticed that I was passing the old, now-shuttered, predator disease facility, where that awful Farsul doctor had treated me. Though I knew this had once been a cutting-edge factory, I would rather talk about luck than this accursed building. ¡°It¡¯s bad luck to get rainwater in your ears. Something about stealing it from the plants? It¡¯s also bad luck to look at a sundial without light shining on it.¡± ¡°So not at night or in a storm.¡± ¡°Yeah. Some people are superstitious enough to cover sundials up in the evening, or when they see clouds on the horizon. I don¡¯t really believe in such things, but there¡¯s no reason to tempt fate. Just in case.¡± ¡°Same. It¡¯s easy enough to not limbo my way under a ladder.¡± I glanced back over my shoulder, in the other direction from Tail Twine Theatre. The research campus, where Sara Rosario had invited me to join her hensa preservation team, was that way. Tyler would be elated to meet a hensa and learn about the project, but I didn¡¯t want to explain what I¡¯d forsaken to re-up with his squad. The last thing I sought was for my friend to feel guilty over a choice I made of my own volition. That pathing also was the direction of my father¡¯s current worksite, where his crew were building a gun range, but I suspected he¡¯d be ashamed for me to introduce him to a human there. You know where the Federation wouldn¡¯t want us to go? The harbor. Tyler used to go fishing with his father, and I used to sail¡ªI know we both like water. I turned left, zipping toward the harbor. ¡°Here¡¯s where we end the tour, Tyler! If Mama¡¯s boat hadn¡¯t gone up in smoke, I¡¯d take you for a ride.¡± The blond human stepped onto the dock, and I noticed that several of his kind were present in the marina. Few recreational boats were left, with the rows of moored vessels mostly bringing cargo from outside the islands. The Federation, contradictory to their goals of preventing deep-sea exploration, seemed to have gone after anything that looked primitive. I guess their priorities got tangled up. Tyler patrolled the length of the boardwalk, and given his enthrallment, I decided my commentary wasn¡¯t necessary. The Earthling wandered away from the boats, finding a small sandy strip to admire the vista. A relaxed smile spread across his face, and he removed his shoes and socks. He wiggled his toes in the dull green sand, before wandering closer to the water. I tailed behind him, ignoring the irritating feel of grits in my fur. How could anyone see how drawn humans were to nature, and think that it was derivative of some hunting instinct? No other species appreciated beauty quite as much as the ¡°predators.¡± Tyler turned his head to look at me. ¡°This is wonderful! I¡¯ll tell you what, Onso. We make it back from Kolshian space, and I¡¯ll find someone to teach you how to surf. I need to see a Yotul hang ten.¡± ¡°Something to look forward to on our return? You got a deal,¡± I chuckled. The human flashed his teeth, mirth glowing in his blue eyes. With the hours ticking down before our time to ship out, we sat and enjoyed the sound of crashing waves against Leirn¡¯s shoreline. Together, the two of us could find a way to pull through against any foe. Chapter 146 Memory transcription subject: Chief Hunter Isif, Arxur Rebellion Command Date [standardized human time]: March 5, 2137 When Vysith referred to Arxur today as ¡°no longer people,¡± I decided the visitation was a lost cause. Secretary-General Zhao¡¯s directive to liberate Mileau would be my focus; we¡¯d have to stumble into morality the old-fashioned way, through trial and error. The humans could guide us down the roads of sophistication and ethics, with the principled backbone that held Earth together in the wake of the raid. As much as I loved Felra, allowing her to dictate my beliefs and behaviors was neither fitting nor desirable. The first phase to bring down the Kolshian empire was loosening their hold on the Dossur world, and thereby sending my friend home. I¡¯d decided to leave Felra with a human garrison at their fledgling colony in Mazic space, called Liberty¡¯s Bastion. It was unsafe for her to come with us to a vicious battle, when there was a non-zero chance of us being killed in action. A fine Arxur commander led by example, proving their mettle and relishing the opportunity for a contest of strength. Even if we had been relaying orders from far-off, I thought it wise to keep my mind tactically sharp. I couldn¡¯t afford to worry about whether Felra wanted Oleksiy¡¯s beef jerky, while plasma beams were sizzling around us. The Terran guards would be more disciplined without the ¡°cute¡± rodent around too; I had faith that they could conduct themselves well under peril. I observed the trusted Arxur I¡¯d called onto the bridge, filling in vital stations, and considered what this meant for my legitimacy. Forty thousand ships. That¡¯s the number the humans gave me, for the original force that seized Mileau. I gazed out the viewport at the fleet I commanded. The thick armor of Arxur warships merited respect, alongside the punishing twin plasma guns that could skewer an opposing vessel. The rotund belly of our vessels broke up the otherwise angular build; missiles were stuffed into the underside, as we shared the affinity for toting explosives with the Terrans. A traditional Federation ship would¡¯ve cowered at the sight of our firepower, but the secret fleet of the Kolshians had an answer for all of our inventions. Standing aboard a craft of the aforementioned make, I felt woefully exposed. Coordinating disruptions against Dominion targets was one thing; they weren¡¯t expecting resistance, and they didn¡¯t have any tools at their disposal that we couldn¡¯t predict. Waging a battle against a superior enemy, with the ragtag armada at my disposal, was daunting. Proper warships didn¡¯t comprise the entirety of my force, as we had to rely on anything with a drive that fell into our jaws. The Terrans had parted with some smaller or obsolete craft they had no use for, which did little but pad our spaceworthy ranks. Stolen Arxur transports, retrofitted with guns, were lacking in maneuverability, firepower, and armor. The classic, intimidating warships were the few that captains had been bribed into stealing. The other ship classes were designed with the intent of bringing soldiers to the ground to take a planet, not for exchanging blows with an advanced fleet of drones. Zhao had promised to support us, so I was hoping humanity had sent something substantial to our aid. We needed any assistance we could get; taking serious losses might as well be total defeat, with our limited numbers. The strategies I devised would also need to be good enough to outfox the Kolshians. ¡°Chief Hunter, there¡¯s an incoming transmission from the Yotul Technocracy. Shall I read it?¡± Oleksiy Bondarenko asked. I glanced up from my holodisplay. ¡°Please do.¡± ¡°¡®The humans have requested that we aid you in retaking Mileau. We have been amassing an armada since the Battle of Earth, with aid from Terran engineers, and feel that these vessels are ready for deployment. Two thousand newly-minted ships will warp in just behind your position. We¡¯ll advance on your signal, and see how our weaponry fares in action.¡¯¡± ¡°So this is the first battle for these Yotul ships¡ªcrewed fully by Yotul, without human intercession, yes? This is how Zhao interpreted me asking for assistance?!¡± ¡°The tail end of the message says that more help is on the way, sir.¡± A growl rumbled in Kaisal¡¯s throat at the sensor station. ¡°We all know how well the prey wage war. Our number are barely above the five digit range. If the humans expect us to push forward, uncertain we can create a decisive edge, we must rethink our strategy.¡± ¡°Yes, I appreciate your input, Kaisal. I trust you to preside honorably over your station. Humans, do you have any ideas of what this ¡®other help¡¯ might look like? I cannot feel confident in an aiding force¡¯s abilities when it¡¯s all militaries of former Federation members.¡± Lisa Reynolds glanced up from her briefing report. ¡°I¡¯ve been in touch with my UN contacts. As I understand it, the Duerten Homogeneity are not responding, even to Sapient Coalition parties that aren¡¯t us. It¡¯s possible that they¡¯re ignoring us, but given their involvement in the assassination plot, it¡¯s suspected that Kalqua is under siege. A show of force¡­a warning.¡± ¡°Nikonus may have been in league with Giznel, but his death changes little. I would not be surprised if the Duerten incurred the full wrath of the Federation. Even with their so-called Shield, they stand little chance against the shadow fleet.¡± ¡°I agree, and I don¡¯t know what they were thinking. All I know is they were livid about having their free thought brainwashed away. Humanity¡­despite our differences, we would likely bail the Duerten out if they asked. With their hatred for us, they would sooner see their world burn than invite predators into their territory.¡± ¡°Why do you side with, and help, the very races that despise you?¡± Kaisal demanded. ¡°I agree with the runt.¡± My nostrils flared, as the Yotul¡¯s promised ships arrived on cue. Human empathy could be directed to undeserved places, at times. ¡°If the Federation weren¡¯t a greater threat, and it were possible to secure Earth¡¯s obliteration, I hazard a guess that the Duerten would do so without question.¡± Olek shrugged. ¡°We need more ships fighting for us and less ships fighting against us. Simple. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.¡± ¡°The Duerten have unusual motives, but humanity always holds out hope of a species warming to us. We didn¡¯t want to fight everyone like this,¡± Lisa said. ¡°Look at all that¡¯s happened. The Dossur have been occupied for months, for the crime of befriending us.¡± ¡°We have to break this stalemate here and now. No matter what, we have the human forces that are deadlocked here, in the system, holding the line as we speak. What we¡¯ve got isn¡¯t even a third of the total size of their fleet¡ªbut it has to be enough to turn the tide.¡± ¡°I suppose it does, Olek,¡± I sighed. ¡°Thank the Yotul for their aid, and patch them into our comms. We¡¯ll see very soon if they¡¯re at all competent.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The Yotul vessels were visible on the viewport, and had a different aesthetic from any craft I¡¯d seen before. There was some mild displeasure on the rebellion¡¯s channels over integrating with herbivore forces. The Technocracy¡¯s commanders seemed capable of mobilizing craft into formation, though it was their combat readiness we all doubted. If the supposed reinforcements turned tail and fled when the gunfire commenced, I¡¯d have some scathing remarks for Zhao once this was over. It was my hope that the humans knew what they were doing. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. If the Terrans hadn¡¯t proved themselves to my men at Fahl, I suspect I¡¯d hear more objections. After that demolition, saving our hides, the UN could put a syasara in charge of the armada and receive only grumbles from our people. Humanity has earned our trust. Olek told me that humanity was involved in designing these vessels, which meant the Yotul warships could be more devious than they seemed at first glance. The strange shapes and features of the unknown classes suggested something was up with them. Conspiracy-loving Bondarenko adjusted his glasses, seeming to read a message on the comms station. Kaisal¡¯s posture stiffened by the sensors, and I parsed that our other assistance had arrived. My tail lashed with expectancy, waiting for one of those two to fill me in on the new development. ¡°1000 new contacts on screen, ID¡¯d as human drones,¡± Kaisal announced. Olek scratched his chin scruff. ¡°Can confirm. I¡¯ve received a communique with the info needed to relay commands to the drones. They¡¯re human, but we¡¯ve entrusted them to your overarching directives.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not as many as I¡¯d hoped Earth would send, but I suppose you have little left to give,¡± I mused. ¡°Very well. Place them on the front lines, and forward our planned course.¡± The human drones deciphered the gist of my plan, and maneuvered their way to our leading edge. I could see that the Kolshian occupiers had detected our arrival, though they couldn¡¯t afford to break off from their current engagements. A lapse in the deadlock line would allow for the Terran drones in system, already pressing, to make headway. A worrisome issue crossed my mind, as I watched opposing beams traverse wide swathes of space. With the only sizable manned contingents being from my rebellion and the Yotul, which foot soldiers would clear Mileau of enemy troops? If we liberate the system, I hope the humans will supply ground forces. Arxur landing will be perceived as a raid, and I wouldn¡¯t expect herbivore soldiers like the Yotul to be able to drive out any trained military. My focus was on executing the battle plan I¡¯d devised; when my skeptical commanders relayed an openly disdainful explanation to the Yotul, the herbivores acted as if they understood. It¡¯d been conveyed in terms suited for a toddler, since that was about where the Federation¡¯s military competency stacked up. Despite the disadvantages we faced, I had to remember that this was for Felra. My best friend¡¯s people were subjugated, and while she never complained, I knew that had to weigh on her mind. The Arxur rebellion commanders followed my orders without question, with the obsequiousness and reverence owed to a Chief Hunter. It was simpler to mingle with my people without Felra miring my image, but the cruel acts I¡¯d committed in the past hadn¡¯t escaped my underlings¡¯ memory. After witnessing my interactions, they¡¯d seen defective behavior that didn¡¯t align with that history. I had to prove that I could be a respected commander without cruelty. It was not just about retaining their loyalty, but also being able to interact with other Arxur as equals. Vysith had reminded me that true shamefulness stemmed from not acting empathetic enough. ¡°We¡¯re keeping our strategies as simple as can be. Approach the skirmish line from a wide angle, and split the Kolshians¡¯ attention,¡± I ordered. ¡°With any luck, it¡¯ll disorder their formation, and give the Terran forces already present a chance to break through for the kill.¡± Kaisal was busy highlighting each Yotul ship on the sensors. ¡°If these prey-crewed vessels can¡¯t commit to a simple flanking pass, they¡¯re dead weight.¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯m not counting on the Yotul to do much more than draw fire off of us¡ªwhich is fine by me. Onward.¡± In strict formation, the fleet careened to the outskirts of the action, and coasted in for a bird¡¯s eye view of the Kolshian forces. Thousands of automatons were warding off the primates, having kept the battle well outside Mileau¡¯s sanctum. The hum of our engines in the floor was tame now, but we were ready to burn hard to swoop across our foes¡¯ exposed side. Our weapons station was locked and loaded, as soon as we got within optical range of the enemy fleet. I strapped into the commander¡¯s chair, in case the inertial dampers were pushed too far during combat. The enemy drones definitely spotted us, because the nearest elements pivoted toward us to prepare for an onslaught. An AI¡¯s omnidirectional view trumped even the ranging periphery of herbivores. A few foes lunged forward toward the existing Terran line, in an attempt to dissuade the friendly automatons from pushing ahead and capitalizing on our arrival. I was grateful that the vessels leading our own charge were the handful of reinforcement drones Zhao coughed up; I¡¯d prefer they absorbed the worst of the hostile fire, rather than a ship with lives aboard. I didn¡¯t dislike the Yotul, and despite mistrusting their competency, that was a ¡°guilty by association¡± view. I respect how they try to act brave; that¡¯s half of actually having bravado, yes? Of all the parties at the Summit that heard my speech, only one ex-Fed was willing to work with me. With an enemy force engaged at a ninety degree angle to our approach vector, we pushed the thrusters to full burn. Numerous Kolshian craft had re-oriented their weapons to face us, anticipating the greater threat of our flanking force raking their line. If the onboard programs were aware the lead commander was an Arxur, I suppose I¡¯d been predictable. Our reputation indicated that I¡¯d choose an aggressive course of action. Simple maneuvers amid a crowded battlefield were proven across eons. Attempting to outwit a machine with faster decision-making power was an exercise in futility, unless you were a delusional Terran. Their spontaneity and wild ideas were nothing if not unpredictable; it was both their genius and their derangement. Lisa¡¯s eyes were focused on our human allies. ¡°Sir, I recommend we keep our movement vectors clear of any friendly nanodrone swarms or shield-breakers. With your permission, I¡¯ll keep combat stations apprised of such deployments and the affected radius.¡± ¡°Good idea. Fifty seconds to first volley; we are not to stumble into friendly munitions, but we will not shy away from engagement, yes?¡± I hissed. Olek cracked his knuckles. ¡°We¡¯re back where Lisa and I first met you, Chief Hunter. Those military black budgets had to turn up something useful, huh? Let¡¯s get it done.¡± Subordinate Arxur on the bridge maintained submissive postures, though I could see a zeal for bringing down the Kolshians in many eyes. Nikonus had partnered with the oppressive Betterment office to ensure that our kind would never seek peace; that was enough to spawn a growl from my own chest. With narrowed eyes and a surge of adrenaline, I soaked in every detail. The bulk of the Kolshian drones remained locked in their struggle with Terran opposites, and thirteen thousand rebel-controlled ships were barreling toward the enemy¡¯s poorly-defended flank. Could shadow fleet drones withstand the initial onslaught, long enough for manned Kolshian reinforcements to reach them from Mileau? Any commander knew there was nothing easy about overcoming five digits worth of ships. The drones under my oversight led the way, weaving through enemy fire with mechanical precision. Our armada glided behind them, as billowing explosions rocked the lines of both parties. My warship was insulated from the brunt of the fray, but we were vigilant for any munitions that slipped through the crack. Salvos of missiles were being traded like claw swipes, deflected or landing based on the receiving party¡¯s situational awareness. Debris littered the system from the months-long battle, and we were only adding to it; disabled ships drifted helplessly along vectors from when maneuvering power was lost. ¡°Navigations, I¡¯m forwarding hazards I¡¯ve located to avoid collisions,¡± Kaisal barked. Lisa¡¯s head snapped toward me. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen any shield-breakers coming from the UN line, but they¡¯re pushing forward to take advantage of distraction. Many Kolshians have shield outages, so I can assume that occurred well before our arrival.¡± I drew a measured breath. ¡°Thank you. Adjust trajectory as needed, and await my orders to fire on any important foes.¡± Our vessel wove around the wreckage of an eviscerated enemy craft, and our plasma guns sizzled in wait of Kaisal¡¯s next target offering. The rebel ships weren¡¯t as nimble as hostile drones, but our heavy hitters packed more firepower. Twin railguns from warships scorched the flesh of nearby foes, taking advantage of the shields that were downed in lieu of our arrival. The Terran armada was surging forward all along the defensive line, rallied by the obvious devastation we¡¯d sown. A pair of Kolshian drones collided, overwhelmed by the combined crossfire, and we were gift-wrapped an easy shot against another short-circuiting defender. I ensured my outward stoic professionalism, despite my internal celebration, as our plasma tore a gash in an enemy¡¯s circuitry. The Arxur portion of the plan was going swimmingly, but I noticed worrying movements in the wings. Rather than playing a supporting role, the Yotul had separated from our ranks and were spreading out across the Kolshian lines. Why were they breaking formation? Those herbivores should¡¯ve let the predator militaries handle this! We couldn¡¯t have the humans¡¯ long-awaited chance to break through ruined by bumbling incompetence. With the feeling that I was watching a disaster in motion, I diverted my focus to the Technocracy ships going off on their own. The Kolshians were bound to teach the marsupials a lesson in humility. Chapter 147 Memory transcription subject: Chief Hunter Isif, Arxur Rebellion Command Date [standardized human time]: March 5, 2137 The Yotul warships had split from our formation, and attracted the ire of the Kolshian drones. It was impressive, in a way, that herbivores were able to organize proper movements, but this demonstrated reckless abandon. These craft were fresh from Leirn¡¯s shipyards, and weren¡¯t automated like the enemy; no biologic could reach decisions as quickly as a computer. Terrans could circumvent this by stumping the onboard programs with new technologies and strategies, yet it was absurd to anticipate exceptional advances from a vegetation-munching species who hadn¡¯t shown war mastery. The enemy drones swiveled their railguns with perfect precision, and plasma lances spooled out from the barrels as the Yotul drew close. The marsupials were unflinching; they seemed to be flying themselves directly into the weapons¡¯ path! Were these Technocracy pilots suicidal, or did they assume out of inexperience that shields would prevent any damage from seeping through? My eyes zeroed in on one allied vessel, knowing I couldn¡¯t get my own people killed to bail out herbivores dabbling in stupidity. An arc of brilliance was racing to greet the vessel, which was forging ahead with no thought to self-preservation. The Yotul vessel was strangely shaped, looking more like a cube than a sleek, aerodynamic contraption. The blocky form made it more of a target, rather than one that could twirl away or place lengthy guns along a slender back. With an inbound munition hellbent on its demise, the Technocracy ship bobbed as though riding a wave. The hull plating unclasped before my eyes, revealing a normal-looking craft below. The metal shell propelled itself into the plasma beam, immolated while the ejected fuselage remained intact. The outer layer acts as a decoy against the targeting systems, while the key mechanisms can break from the hold¡ªthe way primitive rockets detach stages after their purpose is fulfilled. Were humans involved with building these Yotul ships? The leaner boat released from within the shell had its weapons ready, though it wasn¡¯t utilizing traditional plasma, kinetics, or explosives. The Yotul¡¯s chosen weaponry was almost like a cannon protruding from its belly, but there was no trace of any visible munitions being fired. The flash was only perceptible as something struck the Kolshian drones, scorching their hull from the close-range vantage point. It was an invisible force which seemed to leap across space in an instant, like it was traveling close to light speed in realspace. Without shields, the enemy was unprotected from the heat generated on my readout from the unseen impact. The enemy drone I was focused on wasn¡¯t alone in having its plating liquified and the sensitive circuitry within fried in seconds. There was nothing the Kolshians could do to fight back or defend themselves; they were blindsided by this vicious innovation. Though our foes¡¯ initial count had been ten thousand strong, they were dropping like flies. With my rebels and the Terran line hounding them, the automatons began a hasty retreat. The disbelief over the Yotul¡¯s showing was palpable on my bridge, and Arxur voices on the comms channels, chastising the marsupials for venturing off, had died down. Kaisal looked astonished. ¡°How could prey have come up with a new weapon? What are they even doing?!¡± ¡°I do not know, but I see that the humans have not led us astray with their chosen reinforcements,¡± I remarked. ¡°Olek, Lisa, can you offer any insight on this development?¡± Olek whipped around, with his signature ¡°I knew it¡± grin on his face. ¡°Particle-beam weapons! This is what the death ray that melted the Grand Gulf reactor was; I looked into the proof a ton. We¡¯ve had them since 1989. Charge up in a particle accelerator, shoot quantum shit at near light speed, and voila!¡± ¡°Olek is off in crazy land again, but he¡¯s right about what it is, according to my contacts,¡± Lisa sighed. ¡°The Yotul worked closely with the UN on their shipbuilding, and apparently, were able to make a feasible ion cannon. Unlike lasers, a particle beam can¡¯t be reflected, and even with shields up, the charged particles disrupt the current.¡± Kaisal relaxed his posture. ¡°I see. It is a human development that you gave the prey, because you do foolish things like that.¡± ¡°We worked hand-in-hand on this, just like¡­you know who we worked in tandem with, when we came up with shield disruptors? The Yotul. They¡¯ve been excellent, not only to bounce ideas off of, but to expand on what we give them.¡± Perhaps these herbivores are more capable than any of us assumed. Humanity always had an ability to see a species for what they really are. It is remarkable; this makes taking Mileau much more feasible! With less worry bogging down my heart over the Arxur lives that would be lost in the battle, I ordered our vessels to press the advantage. The Kolshians had given up fending off the Terrans they¡¯d been stalemated with, and were getting overrun as they retreated. The Yotul took a few hits, despite their crafty countermeasures, but their particle beams also rendered missiles lobbed at them useless. More than once, I saw warheads erupt well before their intended target, picked off like syasaras in a riverbank. The particle accelerators didn¡¯t seem to have the cooldown requirement that standard plasma weapons did either. The Kolshians fired off parting shots, as their numbers dwindled; few enemies had escaped the Yotul¡¯s invisible net, with their ships disabled within seconds. Our weapons station was scouring for stragglers, and I saw our gunners take some iffy shots in the hopes of scoring kills. The Arxur vessels had been outshone, though our sheer numbers helped to clean up any remaining foes. However, there was still a chance to test our prowess by Mileau itself. I wouldn¡¯t expect the resounding success we¡¯d had against the battle line, now that particle beams weren¡¯t a surprise. Still, with my thirteen thousand ships and the Terrans¡¯ long-present drones, there was a good chance we could come out ahead. ¡°There¡¯s forty thousand ships total,¡± I announced. ¡°So there¡¯s loads more waiting at Mileau¡¯s heart, and foot soldiers occupying the land. Let¡¯s go hunt them down.¡± Kaisal issued an awkward tail lash. ¡°Er, what should we say to the Yotul, sir?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll handle it.¡± I switched on my microphone, tuning into the joint comms for a brief second. ¡°This is Chief Hunter Isif. I wanted to congratulate the Yotul Technocracy on a well-fought battle; might I add, we are delighted that you are on our side.¡± A few barks of laughter came in response. ¡°So much for being primitives that are beneath the wider galaxy. The Yotul will never be mocked or taken for granted by anyone, after today! We¡¯ll lead the way to Mileau.¡± ¡°You deserve to champion the hunt. I shall be quite pleased when the Dossur are fully liberated, and only then, but I wished to acknowledge your display of acumen. Good fortune.¡± I switched off my transmitter, and did a brief survey of my bridge team. There had been a handful of grumbles, when I agreed to let the herbivores lead, but it was the Arxur way for the strongest to take charge. I disliked that the newcomers to the galaxy already had a leg up on my fleet, though I didn¡¯t expect Zhao to work so closely to provide us weapons; the waters were muddied, in terms of any relations between humanity and us. We couldn¡¯t afford to be complacent anymore. A new goal of the rebellion needed to be what the Yotul and the Terrans had achieved: bringing together scientists that could innovate and grow our technology. We did it once, before science was a distorted field and we were steered toward a forever war. Giznel didn¡¯t want us to get stronger, but I wish to see us victorious. Technology could be a key field in helping us best the Dominion¡­if we can¡¯t get the Terrans¡¯ help soon enough. My ragtag band of rebel ships mobilized behind the Yotul craft; the detachable, blocky layers the marsupials had sported were gone, but having lost only a few dozen ships, I trusted them to find new ways to stay effective. Kaisal was busy combing sensors, as Olek turned the focus of the comms array to broadcasts from the planet. I squinted at the scruffy human, whose expression had shifted in an instant. Knowing we had time before reaching the system¡¯s heart, I wandered over to his station to peek at his viewing materials. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°What is this issue, Olek?¡± I asked. The human pursed his lips. ¡°Sir, the Dossur are claiming they have control of their broadcast channels again. The Kolshians packed up shop and just¡­left the occupation, with quite a few local prisoners in tow. Apparently, they targeted troublemakers.¡± Lisa cleared her throat, while absent-mindedly fiddling with her brown locks. ¡°I¡¯m hearing the same thing. My UN contacts are telling me that the local government re-established contact, and that they¡¯re being apprised of Ambassador Alar¡¯s decision to join the Sapient Coalition.¡± ¡°I see. The Kolshians are fleeing, surrendering the planet, and acknowledging they lost?¡± I hissed. ¡°That is excellent news! Felra will be pleased. There¡¯s not much we can do about the Dossur prisoners, but there¡¯s no way the enemy can initiate a total evacuation and vacate the system before we get there. Perhaps the Yotul can disable and board the prisoner ships, and¡ª¡± ¡°Sorry to interrupt, but that¡¯s the thing, sir. It seems they started making preparations to leave, and¡­left, days ago,¡± Olek mumbled. Kaisal smacked his tail on the floor. ¡°I¡¯ve adjusted the sensor settings, and observed the breadth of the planet¡¯s spaceports on the viewport, at maximum magnification. There¡¯s not a trace of any Kolshian ships left here, sir. I can detect some subspace trails, suggesting they left within the hour. Mileau is free.¡± I narrowed my eyes. ¡°That does not make sense. They started leaving days in advance of our arrival; the Kolshians would not have expected a thorough trouncing. It must¡¯ve been some ulterior motive, yes?¡± ¡°The fact that they continued to hold us at bay is telling,¡± Lisa mused aloud. ¡°They didn¡¯t want us to know they were gone; we¡¯re only picking up communications now, so the drones were jamming various channels. Why keep up the illusion, unless you don¡¯t want humanity to know your thirty thousand ships have relocated?¡± Olek¡¯s brown eyes widened with realization. ¡°Holy shit. They left because they were given orders to attack somewhere else. The question is, where have they gone?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t a clue, but I suggest we relay a warning to the United Nations.¡± My head turned toward Olek, and the human seemed to pick up on the message to open a channel. ¡°Your intelligence may have a better idea of this, yes? It is also your jurisdiction how to proceed, with Mileau freed; Zhao will wish to hear of our success.¡± ¡°Already on it, sir. Give me a moment.¡± I did my best to avoid crowding the male human, though I was impatient for him to pass me along to the Secretary-General. With this new information in mind, there were decisions to be made about what roles the rebel fleet should play. From what Kaisal imparted, we had just missed intercepting the Kolshians; since they had warped out mere hours before, we could follow the subspace trails and see where they led. The goal of this mission was already accomplished, with Felra¡¯s world liberated, but I was torn over whether to intervene. Zhao¡¯s words from our conversation about the war plans were still fresh on my mind. Should the tables turn at Mileau, I imagine the Kolshians are biding their time to hit human territory. We know they want to cure us, so I¡¯d find the use of biological weapons against a civilian populace likely, the Secretary-General had said. The last thing that Earth wanted was a repeat of the months-long hostage situation in this system, but with human prisoners in tow. Regardless of what actions I would personally take, I needed to pass along a warning about Zhao¡¯s speculation looking more like prophecy. Perhaps the death of Nikonus had accelerated the Kolshians¡¯ aggressive timeline, or perhaps his successor carried out what was already planned. Either way, Venlil Prime and Earth should be on their guard for any incursions. I donned a look of seriousness, as Olek beckoned me over to the screen. The Secretary-General was staring back with interest in his brown eyes. ¡°Hello, Isif. I hear your mission at Mileau has been a massive success. I¡¯ve been in touch with the Zurulians, and their doctors and aid workers are en route from Colia,¡± Zhao said. ¡°However, I¡¯m hearing that the Kolshians left before your arrival.¡± I chuckled. ¡°As usual, you know things before they have been relayed; General Jones¡¯ department, yes?¡± ¡°In this instance, it was simple enough to piece together a timeline of events, with Mileau able to reach out to us. We¡¯ve been in communication with our people aboard your ship too. Regardless, congratulations on your success; there are many bright-eyed humans toasting your accomplishments back here on Earth. The United Nations appreciates your help¡­we would¡¯ve sent more to fight alongside you, but we¡¯re stretched thin.¡± ¡°I know, Mr. Secretary-General. I¡¯m not sure I ever misjudged someone so thoroughly as I did the Yotul; you sent us worthy fighters. That was enough aid, and it pains me to profess, but it was the reason for our success. I wished to get in contact to apprise you of these developments, and also to warn you that the Kolshians may have left to attack another target. It should be seen to that Venlil Prime, Earth, and anywhere else that is strategically important to humans is vigilant.¡± ¡°I swore a promise that ¡®not one more¡¯ civilian would perish on Earth¡ªnot under my watch. Twenty percent of the deaths during the attack were in my home nation. I lost family, like many other people, and for that, I will do anything to protect Earth. I have done everything I could think of to protect Sol, and there are no lines I wouldn¡¯t cross to keep us safe. Skalga is also under our umbrella of protection; the Venlil are treasured by humanity. You need not worry.¡± ¡°Good. I do not know whether I should pursue the Kolshians, and offer aid.¡± Zhao¡¯s eyes, which had darkened during his previous remarks, rolled back in thought. ¡°Isif, you¡¯ve done as much as you promised to do. I won¡¯t ask any more of you; if you wish to help, we¡¯d welcome your assistance, and your swift response time could make a difference. The Yotul have already agreed to chase the subspace trails, and continue the battle wherever the Kolshians have gone. What course of action do you wish to pursue?¡± ¡°That depends on where they are attacking. Do you have any guesses?¡± ¡°I¡­have a sneaking suspicion, but I genuinely have no desire to manipulate you. Please, whatever my colleagues might do, know that I respect your goals and autonomy.¡± ¡°You are blunt and forthright with your aims. I find that to be a respectable quality in most instances, except when your aims are perpendicular to my own. Fortunately, we find ourselves in agreement for our peaceful aspirations, is that not correct?¡± ¡°We both seek a long-lasting peace, for all species. First off, I don¡¯t know this; it¡¯s based off my interpretation of the data. My best guess for where the Kolshians are heading is Liberty¡¯s Bastion, since to the Federation, it symbolizes ¡®predator expansion¡¯ outside our own space.¡± The human¡¯s words caused my heartrate to spike, hearing that my Dossur friend was in the line of fire again. ¡°To be clear, I¡¯ve asked for the Mazic patrollers to fortify our defenses, and we¡¯re moving colonists off-world. Now, before you worry about Felra, I got in touch with her hosts and evacuated them. You don¡¯t need to swoop in and rescue her.¡± ¡°Why would you bring my friend to safety, before tending to your people?¡± ¡°Felra doesn¡¯t take a spot from a human. She¡¯s tiny, she can fit in a cupholder.¡± ¡°You could¡¯ve left the Dossur there, and manipulated me into helping. It would benefit you strategically.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to win that way, or to treat humanity¡¯s friends as tools. Like I told you on Earth, moral principles give you integrity, but you can¡¯t just hold onto them when it¡¯s easy or beneficial. I won¡¯t abuse emotions or use lives as bartering chips.¡± Remarkable. Zhao could¡¯ve all but ensured that I would show up at Liberty¡¯s Bastion, but he chose to get Felra to safety. The Dossur means a lot to me, so perhaps I do owe him a favor in return. I dipped my head in gratitude. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll have my fleet follow the subspace trails with haste. We¡¯ll chase the Kolshians to Liberty¡¯s Bastion or wherever they may be heading.¡± ¡°Your aid is appreciated. I promise I¡¯ll remember this, when it¡¯s time for us to bring our full might to your side. You may not be a member of the Sapient Coalition, Isif, but you¡¯re just as much of an ally.¡± ¡°I desire for you to win. I desire for the Federation to lose even more.¡± ¡°Where I¡¯m from, we call that spite. We¡¯ll bring their leaders to their knees before the sun sets on this war. There¡¯s no stopping what¡¯s in motion now.¡± ¡°I have faith in your abilities. I will be in touch if we have additional intel, or if we need to converse with UN forces at our destination. Take care, and fight well, Secretary-General Zhao.¡± ¡°Just M¨ªngz¨¦ is fine. We¡¯re friends. You called Elias by his first name, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Actually, I referred to Elias Meier as the sum of his two full names. Human nomenclature is most confusing to the uninitiated.¡± The Terran general chuckled. ¡°I see how it could be confusing. Regardless, I won¡¯t waste anymore of your time; I know you¡¯ve got to be present while you track those assholes down. Take care and fight well yourself.¡± The arboreal alien disconnected from the call, and I swept a gaze around the bridge. While I was certain the Arxur crew had overheard the bulk of our conversation, there didn¡¯t seem to be any objections over following the Kolshians. We were fortunate to escape Mileau with few casualties, largely thanks to the Yotul stepping up. However, we didn¡¯t want to be outshone by plant-eating marsupials, who were willing to come to Earth¡¯s aid as often as needed. My goal was to make a positive impression on the United Nations, and I also could respect that they had taken the honorable road with Felra. Altruism was a novel concept, but it was worth it to attempt to reciprocate the kind gesture. The rebel fleet pressed closer to Mileau¡¯s inner sanctum, and we locked onto the subspace trails left by the fleeing Kolshians. Wherever the Federation planned to strike, my forces would help prevent them from getting their tentacles on any other humans. If there was one thing the Terrans had in common with my entire race, it was that we both had no interest in being ¡°cured.¡± Chapter 148 Memory transcription subject: Onso, Yotul Technical Specialist Date [standardized human time]: March 7, 2137 The auburn hair, cut just above her shoulders, was all I could see while staring intently at the back of Samantha¡¯s head. The ¡°Aussie¡± UN guard was brewing her daily cup of coffee, a routine I¡¯d observed for multiple days. I had a perfect plan to spur her into action, when she turned around; my analysis of human behavior was conclusive on exactly what poked their buttons. The Terran turned around to find a Yotul hovering behind her, and I struck a pose as soon as her jade-green gaze narrowed. I tilted my head, ensuring that my eyes stretched as wide as possible. My ears slanted inward enough to touch, and my tail wagged in half-hearted motions. ¡°The fuck are you doing?¡± Samantha hissed. ¡°Not even using your words? You want coffee, brew your own! You know how.¡± I emitted the whine of a wounded animal, and lowered my head in the saddest way possible. My eyes shifted upward briefly, gauging the human¡¯s reaction. ¡°I¡¯m not doing it, you lazy¡­fuck!¡± The human waved a dismissive hand at me, and crossed her arms. ¡°Try to manipulate me with the puppy dog face. Unbelievable! I¡¯ll tell you this once; you¡¯re playing a dangerous game, mate.¡± I struggled to maintain my act. ¡°Coffee? Please? I have to strain on my hind legs because of your counter height¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get you a bloody stepstool to stand on, but I¡¯m not making it for you. Who taught you this? Knock it off, ¡®cause you¡¯re not getting coffee out of it.¡± ¡°Hey, c¡¯mon!¡± A tall soldier with angular features pointed a hand at me; I vaguely remembered his name as Frank. ¡°Give the space capybara some coffee. You¡¯re making him sad.¡± ¡°Fuck no. You¡¯re so keen on it, then you wait on him hand and foot.¡± Sensing that I had a new mark, I wagged my tail happily and started bouncing up and down. Frank pressed a hand to his heart, cooing at me. A disgusted Samantha stomped off, carrying her own coffee to an empty table. There was a hint of a smirk on her lips, though she attempted to mask it. I flicked my pupils in the direction of the machine, and returned to shameless begging. It was mind-boggling how easy it was to influence the so-called predators; smug satisfaction filled my chest as the newcomer hopped to it. ¡°Aw, you poor thing. That mean lady didn¡¯t want to share, but Uncle Frankie¡¯s got you.¡± The aroma wafted into the air as it brewed, and I could already feel the pick-me-up working its way through my bloodstream. ¡°Do you want sugar, cupcake?¡± I imitated a human nod, in case he turned around. ¡°Please.¡± ¡°Okay. Uh, what else do we got for the precious here¡­non-dairy creamer?¡± ¡°Sure. Thanks.¡± ¡°Any time! Lordy, you¡¯re adorable as those Gojid kids. It¡¯s not fair.¡± My mask slipped for a half-second, wondering which Gojid kids Frank was talking about. Had he been on the ground during the cradle¡¯s fall? Regardless, I couldn¡¯t afford to get too chatty, given that I slated to help out with maintenance soon; I loved tinkering with machines, and there were always minor repairs and calibrations needed during transit. It was an extra duty I was happy to volunteer myself for. The computer had alerted us to a nanometers wide-hull breach, right beneath the drive core. It could weaken the load-bearing structure if left unchecked, and unfortunately, that area of the ship was only accessible from the outside. By the time we stop outside Kolshian borders and await orders, I need to be ready to venture out on a little spacewalk. It¡¯ll be wonderfully quiet. Frank poured the coffee into a disposable cup, stirred a packet of sugar into it, and then dispensed a helping of creamer to make it taste more like a treat. The Terran slipped the drink into a sleeve so I wouldn¡¯t burn my paw pads too. My begging act ended the second it was transferred into my grasp; I scurried off after a brief ear flick of acknowledgment. What else could I get humans to do with that routine? Outside of my areas of interest, there were quite a few tasks I¡¯d be delighted to shirk. This was an eye-opening discovery that I needed to experiment with further. ¡°Proud of yourself, you little rascal?¡± Sam grumbled, as I approached her table. ¡°Didn¡¯t even tell the guy thanks.¡± I slurped down a mouthful of the coffee. ¡°An ear flick is thanks.¡± ¡°Uh-huh. I¡¯ll be telling Tyler about this juvenile stunt. It¡¯s not acceptable behavior¡ª¡± ¡°I think me taking advantage of humans being suckers is more acceptable than Sovlin inventing new forms of racism.¡± The Terran snorted. ¡°Point taken. I still think you¡¯re a jackass.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m a Yotul.¡± ¡°Oh, fuck you.¡± ¡°Fuck you too.¡± ¡°Hmph. I guess this is as good as alien interaction gets¡ªa mutual volley of ¡®fuck yous.¡¯¡± ¡°We created a nice bonding ritual here. But on a more serious note, I was surprised to see you returned for this stint. Carlos seemed more attached to Sovlin than you, yet you¡¯re both along for the ride.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t dislike Baldy, but I didn¡¯t tag along for him. Melbourne doesn¡¯t exist anymore; I have nothing to return to. I¡¯m here ¡®cause it¡¯s all I got, hunting the Kolshians down. Carlos is the one who probably came out of loyalty, maybe even brotherly love for Sovlin¡­and he¡¯s also the one you should¡¯ve pulled your coffee begging act on.¡± ¡°That might be a good idea, er, if Frank¡¯s not around. I got a feeling he won¡¯t mind helping out again.¡± Samantha rolled her eyes, sipping at her coffee at a leisurely pace. Meanwhile, I began chugging my latte with gluttonous energy; her binocular gaze shifted to the droplets dripping off my chin. The human shook her head in disappointment. I gulped down the last of my drink, and slammed the empty cup down. The female primate wordlessly passed me a napkin, which I used to clean my snout. Peacekeeper Harris seemed to be biting back a comment on my table manners. I pitched my trash into a wastebin. ¡°Just out of curiosity, Sam, how close was my begging to working?¡± ¡°That will never work on me,¡± the human muttered. ¡°Why not? I thought I got the pitiful eyes down pat. You want to see it again?¡± ¡°Fuck no. Scram, Onso. You did feel us drop out of warp, huh? Go be useful.¡± I gave an innocent wave, and Samantha purposefully turned her body away from me. Chuckling to myself, I skipped from the rec room to the nearest airlock. It took some persistence to wriggle into the Yotul spacesuit; with multiple Sapient Coalition species among the ship¡¯s crew, the United Nations carried vac suits tailored to each race listed aboard, with at least a few spares in case of defects. I pulled up a small readout on my wrist, syncing it to my holopad. A beacon showed the exact location the computer had given for the breach, so that just left ejecting to the ship¡¯s exterior to complete the repairs. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. I ran through the required visual 360 to ensure that no other people were within the airlock, before sealing the compartment. Various tools were already affixed to my belt, but I did the diligence of triple-tug-checking the tether hooked onto it as well. Once all items were confirmed to be secure, I held my paw over the atmosphere catch button. After the hatch cycled, I gave myself a slight push into the starry expanse; my suited form drifted over the body of the ship in the drive¡¯s direction. It was a short glide, and the handholds distributed along key paths could steer me if additional momentum was needed. I relished the feeling of weightlessness, surveying the serene panorama out of my periphery. My sense of utter insignificance blossomed, with only a few layers of fabric between me and the everlasting void. There was only the faint glimmer of distant starlight, rendering the metal of the ship¡¯s hull a shadowy slope. Its entire length stretched for over a hundred meters, leaving plenty of space for humans to tuck powerful weaponry. I¡¯d chosen an airlock a short distance away from the drive compartment on purpose; it was best not to waste thruster gas or oxygen, in case it was needed in a future emergency. Tapping the microphone button on my wrist readout, I transmitted a message back to the ship. ¡°I¡¯m thirty seconds out from the repair site. This will be patched in no time,¡± I said. Samantha¡¯s voice filtered into my helmet. ¡°Copy that, Onso. I¡¯ll stay on this frequency and be waiting outside the airlock, as requested. Just don¡¯t expect a picnic lunch when you return.¡± ¡°Pretzel sticks and a jar of peanut butter will do.¡± ¡°Well, you got two perfectly good legs, and you fucking know where to find whatever food your conniving heart desires. Now get off this channel, ¡®less you got any official business.¡± ¡°Right, right. Well, I officially want¡ª¡± ¡°Off.¡± I tugged on my tether, slowing my glide and directing myself toward the source of the hull breach. It was nearly impossible to see with the naked eye, but the above-expected dip in ship oxygen levels substantiated the computer¡¯s findings. A moment¡¯s inspection identified the breach, which revealed itself as a subtle line of differently-colored metal. I popped the can of sealant off my belt, causing it to float up slightly; it had its own tether attaching it to my suit. After filling the microscopic hole, I covered it with a colored patch that fused itself into the hull. The simple handiwork solved the problem without a hitch, until we could seek a thorough repair. I tugged on my tether, propelling myself back toward the airlock. It was rare that spacewalks were necessary for repairs, since most areas were accessible from the interior. However, issues in general were becoming a common experience during our voyage. This warship had seen significant wear-and-tear, so even with Earth¡¯s desperation for artillery, I wondered if the United Nations would retire it soon. This hasn¡¯t come close to a worst-case scenario. When unrepairable damage was sustained during combat, sometimes entire compartments had to be sealed off; I was pleased that my initiative had saved us from taking such steps. My paw drifted to the microphone button on my wrist, tempted to jab Samantha with my status report. I shouldn¡¯t have said the word pretzels aloud. I was joking, but now I actually want them. They are good gaming food, if we¡¯ll stay put here long enough for a session with Tyler. My nostrils twitched with amusement. ¡°Hey, Sammy¡ª¡± Surprisingly, the human didn¡¯t cut me off to strike down that nickname. ¡°Onso, get back here now. Whether the repairs are done or not!¡± ¡°Already moving. What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Energy signatures out of nowhere. Bastards must¡¯ve predicted our course, and that we¡¯d stop before the disruptor buoys. I think they powered down their fucking ships and parked ¡®em outside their own territory. You know, to ambush us, ¡®cause there¡¯s hostiles practically right next to us! You don¡¯t wanna be out there if we¡ª¡± ¡°Have to take evasive maneuvers or get hit. I got it, and I was already heading back.¡± ¡°Double time it, you crazy fucking marsupial. I¡¯ll be right here.¡± I powered up my jet thrusters, accelerating my movement toward the airlock. With visibility no longer being an issue for stealth reasons, given that the Kolshians were already upon us, our warship powered on bright exterior lights to illuminate nearby hostiles. One beam struck the hull of a foe, which was gliding adjacent to us at minimum power emissions; they¡¯d snuck into position without attracting attention! Rather than striking us down, they appeared to be preparing to insert a boarding party; their craft latched onto our exterior before my watching eyes. I hated the Kolshians, but I couldn¡¯t deny it was a bold move to board a human ship. That would, at the least, catch the primates off their game. The United Nations had shown they could adapt under pressure; however, the shadow fleet¡¯s foot soldiers had yet to clash with Earthling forces. While the Terrans were skilled against other foes, it was unknown how they stacked up against trained Kolshians or how well they could defend their warships from intruders. I needed to get inside, obtain a weapon, and ensure that I wasn¡¯t separated from the other troopers. I sucked in a sharp breath, seeing the airlock come into view. ¡°Sam, it¡¯s me. Open the door, now!¡± I turned my shoulder inward, and hurtled toward the still-shut inner door. I braced myself to slam into it at high-velocity, though I knew obtaining injuries in a clunky spacesuit wasn¡¯t ideal. Mercifully, my tail latched onto a pawhold, halting my momentum; I could see the whites of Sam¡¯s eyes through the window slit to the control room. As the outer airlock clicked shut on her command, artificial gravity returned to the room. I rolled onto the floor for a rough landing, feeling the definite stings of new bruises taking root. Adrenaline helped me bounce to my feet without slowing, and I rushed to shed the suit. Samantha unsealed the inner compartment, and shoved a sidearm into my grasp. ¡°Take it. We need to work our way back to a chokepoint, or if all else fails, hole up in the bridge with the officers and a security detail. Let¡¯s go, Onso, now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going as fast as I can,¡± I panted, spilling out of the suit like potatoes tumbling from a sack. ¡°What if we get cut off from the core of the ship?¡± ¡°Then we¡¯re on our own. Every soldier had orders to fall back; hell, the fucking ship might be put on lockdown¡­and we¡¯d be stuck.¡± ¡°Why did you wait for me? You should¡¯ve saved yourself.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t usually leave my squadmates behind¡ªnot if I like ¡®em, anyway. It is what it is. We move out and we deal with it.¡± Samantha didn¡¯t wait for further questions, jogging down the hallway to the rec room. I recalled exactly where the Kolshian soldiers¡¯ insertion point had been; since I¡¯d sized them up while returning toward the airlock, I knew enemies would be found in the direction we were heading now. It might serve us to reverse course, but given our orders, it could leave us stranded from our comrades. The key points for the United Nations to hold were the bridge controls and the armory; everything else could be sealed off to avoid any funny business. The warp drive, as was obvious during my spacewalk, was inaccessible from the inside. Sparks were visible further down the corridor, the telltale sign of the Kolshians scorching an incision into the hull. Samantha crouched behind a table for a moment, weighing her options. The human and I were up against an entire boarding party, and I knew that ended with both our brains splattered on the wall. There wasn¡¯t time to book it past the entry point before they made it inside. The UN soldier also opted to fight another day, slinking back in the direction we¡¯d come. I had no idea how we could hope to make it out in one piece, other than attempting to dodge Kolshian sweeps. How good at stealth and hiding are humans? I¡¯ve read a bit about guerrilla warfare, but I don¡¯t think hit-and-run tactics work in close quarters combat. The primate and I ducked around a corner past the airlock compartment, and the clang of the wall coming down echoed behind us. From the footsteps I heard clashing with the floor, there must¡¯ve been dozens of Kolshians; it was unthinkable to peek back and find out for certain. I warred with my nerves, as it sank in that we were cornered and hopelessly outgunned. It¡¯d always been my impression that Tyler and I would have each other¡¯s backs, but now, I just hoped my buddy was safer than I was. It was a fair assumption he was holed up in the bridge with the other officers. I needed to survive on my own, if nothing else, as a ¡°fuck you¡± to everyone who called the Yotul primitives. That was the Kolshians¡¯ rhetoric, and I wasn¡¯t going to let them put me down like the animal they thought I was. A sharp-witted human like Samantha might scrounge up some options for us; I shuddered to think what would happen to her, if the boarding party was able to capture a ¡°predator¡± alive. Mileau¡¯s cured Earthlings were experimented on, and had their central nervous systems drugged to senselessness just like me. I wouldn¡¯t wish that existence on my worst enemy. My grip became more secure on the firearm, and resolution took over my mind. If there was no escape for me, I planned to go down fighting instead of submitting to a fate of that sort. With any luck, the Terrans would figure out a way to clear the intruders from our warship before it came to such a drastic ultimatum. The push toward Aafa certainly hadn¡¯t started off as humanity intended. Chapter 149 Memory transcription subject: Onso, Yotul Technical Specialist Date [standardized human time]: March 7, 2137 Samantha Harris had the bright idea to try to set up as many traps as possible, and also suggested silencing our electronic devices. The last thing we needed was to receive a communique from our officers that tipped the Kolshians off to our position; humans might be excellent marksmen, but they weren¡¯t able to take on a solo mission against fifteen enemies, regardless of what their video games might suggest. That was a power fantasy if I¡¯d ever seen one, rather than a plausible demonstration of their actual abilities. As for myself, the hasty Yotul training that I¡¯d received had been enough for me to hit a target down-range with a firearm. It¡¯d served well on Sillis, but that had been a different scenario from close-quarters combat. ¡°Do you think the others are safe on the bridge?¡± I messaged Sam over our text comm-link. The human¡¯s green eyes turned toward me for a moment, before she typed a response. ¡°Sovlin¡¯s racism is so thick that it¡¯ll keep the squids out.¡± I shoved my paw into my mouth, muffling my laughter. It had once been offensive how derogatory that Gojid was toward Yotul, humans, and many other species, but I¡¯d realized by now that bigotry was embedded into his every waking thought. Not that I¡¯d wish for Sovlin to be in grave peril, isolated from the rest of the crew, but I almost wished the heroic captain was at my side. He was a renowned strategist capable of routing the Arxur with a Federation crew, and his bullheadedness rendered him defiant in combat. Short of Tyler having to watch my back, I would¡¯ve felt more serenity with someone I¡¯d been in ground action with before. Sam was a competent soldier, but I couldn¡¯t predict her moves or her strengths. Likewise, she has no idea about how I react during bullets-flying scenarios. It was noble of her not to leave me behind, but I¡¯m sure she has mixed feelings about only having a herbivore at her side. I¡¯ll have to prove that I¡¯m not dead weight all over again. Thinking about what my best contributions would be, I tapped into the ship¡¯s security feeds so we could keep tabs on our enemy¡¯s movements. The Kolshians had split into two teams, with the smaller contingent sweeping the corridors away from the bridge. The hostiles were wearing envirosuits, so venting the atmosphere was rendered ineffective. Sealed bulkheads had come down outside the central areas, which would take significant time to cut down; those were designed to contain fires, or to keep out intruders. In our central hub, I could see the bridge personnel by the officers toting high-powered rifles, as well as Tyler, Carlos, and Sovlin in deep conversation by the sensors station. I hoped they weren¡¯t plotting anything too nonsensical, but that wasn¡¯t my concern right now. Machines and technology were my specialization, so it occurred to me that I could tap into the automated weaponry built into the vessel. I didn¡¯t want to step on toes, if our commanding officers were planning to commandeer the fortifications to their directives, but I knew I could allocate those resources to my advantage. Assuming I received permission, the guided turrets and wall-mounted defenses could be turned against any encroaching enemies. Samantha was waving at me to hurry, so I fired off a typo-ridden message to the comms station as I ran. The Terran shoved me through an open maintenance access panel, then began spilling liquid across the floor. Peacekeeper Harris had snatched a massive jug of water meant for the coffeepot, back at the kitchen, and was now using it to coat the floor in life-giving fluids. Was her idea of a trap to make the ground slippery? As amusing as it would be to see the Kolshans losing their footing, that was a minor annoyance at best. I could see the telltale wicked smirk on her face, however, and decided to trust her machinations. If anyone could make the basic elements of carbon-based life deadly, it was a human. ¡°Permission granted, Onso, and good luck,¡± the comms station had transmitted in response to my request. ¡°Utilize the resources near your location for any tactical advantage. Neutralize as many enemies as you can. The defense we¡¯re mounting will focus on the area around the bridge; the United Nations cannot afford to lose control of a nuclear-armed warship.¡± This would be an excellent way to make it look like humanity was attacking innocent worlds, or that they were behind any other manner of atrocities, I realized. Is that why the Kolshians are boarding us? Ralchi, they could try to fly in to Leirn or Skalga under the UN banner. This ship had to go down before we allowed those monsters to have our resources at their disposal. Even if they didn¡¯t have anything so devious in mind, capturing a Terran craft for study would give them an edge at reverse-engineering our latest advancements. It could also tip off some features of the Yotul vessels that we¡¯d just raised from our shipyards. Suddenly, this mission had become less about forging ahead toward Aafa, and more about keeping our toys out of Kolshian possession. As much as I loathed those bastards, I couldn¡¯t deny this ambush was a clever way to turn the tables. ¡°Dammit, we need more,¡± Samantha growled to herself, nigh inaudible, as the water ran dry. ¡°If you¡¯ve got admin access to the right functions, Onso, trip the fire suppression system.¡± I swiped at my holopad, abandoning the camera view for a moment. ¡°Done. You know, I love the ocean, but creating one inside the ship seems ill-advised.¡± ¡°So dramatic. Acting like it¡¯s some torrential downpour that¡¯ll flood the whole craft.¡± ¡°Well, drowning¡¯s pretty much the only lethal use for water. If that¡¯s not it, then fill me in on your plan?¡± ¡°Or what? You¡¯ll give me puppy dog eyes?¡± ¡°Maybe. It could be my new resting face.¡± ¡°You have fun with that. You¡¯ll never crack me. Now cut the chatter.¡± The human ducked into the maintenance shaft, and resealed the panel. Deciding to humor her request, I turned the fire sprinklers to full blast. Samantha had already climbed atop a pipe, gesturing for me to join her; she whispered something about keeping my limbs out of the water. I was growing more skeptical about her plan by the minute, so I decided to work on my own options in case this didn¡¯t pan out. The primate fetched the emergency supplies from a box on the wall, pulling out a defibrillator and bottles of water. She uncorked the liquid and spilled it onto the floor, mixing with the small pool seeping beneath the panel. I can¡¯t fathom what she¡¯s doing, so it¡¯s time to look for other avenues. There¡¯s no turrets by our current position, and there¡¯s Kolshians heading our way. The enemy likely would¡¯ve swept any ducts or hiding spots regardless, but the water on the floor could tip them off to our presence at once. I balanced myself carefully on the pipe, where it was proving difficult not to crowd Samantha in the tight space. Her verdant eyes were glowing with delight, as well as a sense of pride. She peered over my shoulder at the camera feeds, tracking a group of about a dozen boarders as they drew closer. They had finished sweeping the airlock compartment, and were moving further down the hall toward us. ¡°Alright. Here goes nothing.¡± Samantha dropped the electrode pads into the water, and waited for an opportunity to pounce. I finally got an inkling of what she was trying to do, but there was no time to strike down this folly. ¡°Time to ride the lightning, fuckers.¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. As confused Kolshians waded through the wet floor, the UN soldier triggered the shock button on the AED. Nothing happened: the lifesaving device searched for a heartbeat signal and found none, preventing any shock from being rendered. Samantha scrunched her nose in confusion; I suspected the human anticipated more devastating consequences from the electric current. Amid a slew of muttered curses from Sam, the invading troops continued their search in progress, entirely unaware of the attempt. With the primate¡¯s plans yielding underwhelming results, I racked my brain for an alternative. A single holopad swipe led me back to the fire suppression system, where I workshopped the beginning of an idea. Fire-fighting foam was still available for deployment, according to the computer. My best idea for a defensive measure was to deploy the goo in full force in this hallway sector. The substance was a novelty compared to Federation ships, which only had overhead sprinklers and manual extinguishers if further flame retardants were needed. I recalled how ill-equipped Yotul were to ward off blazes when I was a child; most roofs in Rinsa were thatched by our staple grain, eard, or by wetland grasses (reeds, as humans referred to them). Those dry materials were quite flammable, which led to an infamous fire caused by Ralchi¡¯s priests on Leirn¡¯s largest continent of Thysun. The temples in Thysun were massive and superfluous; it was fitting that the twin villages of Kalstor and Pyora were both caught up in a purification rite gone wrong, at the sacred ground that serviced both settlements. Our only technique to stop a blaze, prior to first contact, was using water pails kept on customary fire brigade hooks by our homes. Needless to say, that Ralchian ritual claimed dozens of lives and tenfold more buildings; it was only stopped via hasty demolition surrounding the inferno to starve it of fuel. The tragedy had been a humbling reminder of fire¡¯s raw power. If the humans devised something that could bury nature¡¯s exothermic killer¡ªcombustion that could claim entire neighborhoods¡ªhoped it was good enough to encumber the Kolshians. I quieted my nerves, seeking a clear mind before leaping into action. With a few succinct swipes, fire-fighting foam was bucketed atop our tentacled foes, like shaving cream falling from the sky. Genuinely, it looked reminiscent of the goop I¡¯d seen Tyler lather his face with, before running sharp blades atop of it. Humans were strange in more ways than one, but chopping off their own hair down to the root was special. Most species preferred not to grow their fur in clumpy patches; if I shaved off the fluff on my snout, I¡¯d look like I went sniffing around in a wood chipper¡­minus the smattering of green blood that would entail, of course. My whiskers twitched with amusement, holding onto that mental image of my reflection. Sam bared her teeth with hostility. ¡°What¡®s so funny?¡± Something told me it would be suicidal to answer honestly. I switched over to the camera view on my holopad to show her my handiwork, rather than passing along my views on human grooming. Copious amounts of foam were clumped atop Kolshian soldiers, dripping down their envirosuits. The bubbly spray encroached on the viewing strips for their bulbous eyes, blinding them; multiple enemies were pawing at their faces, struggling to wipe it away as more kept coming. I silently slid the maintenance panel open, and pressed myself flat on my stomach. This was as good of an opportunity as we¡¯d get, this far away from the automated defenses. The primate also pressed herself prone on the ground, assessing her own target with her depth-perceiving eyes. My immediate assessment of distances was nowhere near a human¡¯s level, but it was good enough to get the job done. Focusing one eye down the sights of my pistol, I fired a shot into an enemy¡¯s center of mass. Samantha¡¯s synchronized bullet burst through another Kolshian¡¯s stomach like a xenomorph (a creature Tyler had giddily taught me about), spraying chunks of organs and violet blood onto a nearby compatriot. My breathing was purposeful and concentrated, as I calculated my every move. Don¡¯t let them catch their bearings. The enemy are caked in foam, unable to move fluidly or see where the shots are coming from. If they were other Federation soldiers, they would¡¯ve already panicked. I wheeled my gun toward another target, and fired an instinctual shot with steady paws. My aim wasn¡¯t perfect, but it was enough to rend the tip of its tentacle clean off; the Kolshian¡¯s gun clattered to the ground, without two arms to grip it. Trusting that the maimed enemy couldn¡¯t fire back in the next few seconds, I searched for my next mark. Samantha was popping off shots one after the other. I tried not to register the last enemy she had hit, who was missing a clean chunk from the side of his skull. Swallowing the nausea that rose in my throat, I staved off jitters enough to shoot yet another foe near their heart. Our enemies couldn¡¯t return accurate fire without a visual. With our unconventional tactics, the Kolshians were falling into disarray; none of their training prepared them for a Yotul twisting a human fire suppression system for nefarious purposes. The few hostiles that were left standing turned their guns in the direction of the gunfire, but the blind shots went at what would¡¯ve been chest height¡ªslamming into the wall above the access panel. A pawful of enemies, in their blind attempt to return fire, fumbled off shots that hit friendlies between them and us. I dished off several shots in quick succession, and with my newest expansion of their dead and wounded, the dazed boarders chose to stumble backward down the corridor. Samantha poked her slender arm out from our crawlspace, lobbing bullets after the hastily-retreating, foam-drenched foes. The human chuckled to herself. ¡°You¡¯re one deranged, coffee-loving Yotul. I like you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not deranged. My plan worked, while I think yours was made up by Tyler. Water is a poor conductor of electricity, so at low voltages, that was never going to be fatal,¡± I rambled happily, swishing my tail. ¡°To shock someone to death, you need the contact area to be a large portion of the body¡¯s total surface area¡ªooh, and electricity entering through mucous membranes would also increase sensitivity.¡± ¡°Have you been watching people get electrocuted and taking notes?!¡± ¡°No, I just think electrical currents are interesting. I understand more than most people think I do. I¡¯m going to repeat this for the furthest planters in the fields¡ªI¡¯m a rocket scientist.¡± The primate ducked out of the maintenance shaft, wrinkling her nose at the corpses. ¡°I¡¯d treat you with the appropriate respect for that role if I hadn¡¯t seen you beg for food items multiple times today.¡± ¡°Hey, you¡¯d do it too if you could get away with it. I¡¯ve seen you point at a remote on the other side of the couch and say that it¡¯s too far away.¡± ¡°That¡¯s conserving energy¡­or just being comfy.¡± ¡°That sounds an awful lot like ¡®lazy¡¯ to me. You know I¡¯m right, because you¡¯ve looked into your heart and seen it to be true. Now that we¡¯ve settled that important matter, what¡¯s our next move with the eye placement police?¡± ¡°Ha, fuck, I guess that nickname fits the squids; assclowns can¡¯t even figure out directional eyes don¡¯t mean jack shit. Uh, next, we find a proper place to hole up. Something tells me those Kolshians won¡¯t be back, and I say we¡¯ve done our part. It¡¯s time to let our friends take care of the rest.¡± ¡°I¡¯d say it is. If the two of us could take on a squad with our wits alone, our friends can handle themselves. You know, I could be sitting at home, napping next to a hensa or attending a stageplay right now. Leirn¡¯s being built back to something amazing.¡± ¡°The Yotul do have less of a stick up your ass than other aliens. Leirn¡¯s great by the sole factor of not having the Feddies around anymore. And Onso, we all want to go home, free of this God-forsaken war, so let¡¯s not fuck this up in the final lap. I have faith that we¡¯ll drive these boarders out. We made fools of them, and we have to keep making fools of them all the way to Aafa.¡± My claws tightened around my gun, recalling my own outrage toward the Federation. ¡°I¡¯m just happy we¡¯ve survived this bout up to now, with those numerical odds back there. After today, there¡¯s a few less of those bastards out there to owe us that debt. Eventually, we¡¯re going to make every Kolshian that partook in, or helped with this shit, pay for their crimes against sapience. But here and now, I just want them the fuck off our ship.¡± ¡°Damn straight, Onso. This is our ship. Nobody takes what belongs to humanity, and lives to tell about it.¡± ¡°From now on, that shit¡¯s going to be true about the Yotul too. Nobody fucks with either of our species. Thank you for sticking with me out here, Sam.¡± The human grinned. ¡°It¡¯s been a pleasure, brainiac.¡± Having thwarted the Kolshians¡¯ attempts to flush us out in the ship¡¯s furthest reaches, I could only hope that UN personnel holed up in the bridge had found a crafty way to defend their position. There were dozens of boarders intruding on our warship, and we couldn¡¯t relax our guard until every last one of them was taken out. Like Samantha and I found mutual agreement over, humanity had no intention of letting the enemy succeed with this takeover. The push to Aafa might be slowed, but it wasn¡¯t going to be halted on our watch. Chapter 150 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, United Nations Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: March 7, 2137 I was proud to serve among a multi-species crew, back in my days presiding over my own starship. The Federation had been the emblem of unity, the glue holding the galaxy together from collapse at the Arxur¡¯s claws. I didn¡¯t spend much time thinking about my own kind, until Vysith and Hunter both prodded me for stories on the vid-links today. With the lockdown on the ship, I probably shouldn¡¯t be dwelling on days long-gone and a now-obliterated planet. The truth was, I hadn¡¯t felt much like a Gojid since long before what happened to my family; I¡¯d become detached from my culture through exposure to other species. That was ironic from someone who¡¯d been at the right paw of the Prime Minister, wasn¡¯t it? Writing it all off as depraved was easier, without the requisite to pass it along to my daughter. I¡¯d been telling Vysith and Hunter about a Gojid holiday called Keilren, where the children would receive gifts left and buried by the ¡°Spirit of Youth.¡± A supposed aspect of the Protector that was really parents, preserving that feeling of mysticism for the kids. I¡¯d taken painstaking hours to draw a map to a gift Hania wanted, a claw flute. I recounted digging on my paws and knees in the middle of the night, with my burrowing claws churning up red clay outside our settlement of Lirren Orchard. Hunter sarcastically asked if every town was named after orchards, before Vysith lashed him on the ear with her tail. The town nomenclature was just as generic and uninspired as everything else Gojids named, though I didn¡¯t think a species with such a poor aptitude for naming stellar observatories had any right to judge. ¡°Very Large Telescope?¡± Granted, humans at least had telescopes, which was more than Onso could say, but they could use a little humility. Regardless, I found my mind lingering on a culture I¡¯d lost all interest in; the ancient Arxur, of all creatures, called Keilren a ¡°delightful tradition.¡± What madness was the galaxy coming to? How could I ever get past the lies and deceit to determine if there was any beauty in our culture? Tyler jostled me, forcibly snapping me out of my stupor. ¡°Yoo-hoo, Sovlin. We¡¯re under attack, and we need to be alert once they get to the bridge. Quit sucking your thumb.¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t have thumbs,¡± Carlos chimed in, a second before I could snap the same line, ¡°but he¡¯s happy to suck on his claws. Think we should get him a pacifier?¡± ¡°I do. Every time he says ¡®primitive,¡¯ stick a pacifier in it.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. If you give me orders, I¡¯ll get it done, sir.¡± I attempted to shake off the emotions stirred by my abruptly-ended video call; a not-insignificant part of me would have preferred to be with Hunter on Earth, acting as the father figure I missed being so much. I owed a debt of service to the Terrans, and I couldn¡¯t let myself forget that I hadn¡¯t earned sitting in a swaying chair on the porch. ¡°Where¡¯s the atavist?¡± Tyler scrunched his nose, rubbing the region of his translator implant. ¡°A-ta-vist? Must¡¯ve plucked that from someone else¡¯s feed, ¡®cause I don¡¯t know that word. Ahem¡­don¡¯t tell me, Carlos, I¡¯m consulting the good ol¡¯ search engine.¡± The male guard raised his tattooed arms innocently. ¡°I believe you can figure this out on your own. You¡¯re a big boy¡­sir.¡± ¡°Very big,¡± I agreed. ¡°Big enough to smack some sense into both your heads, mocking a superior officer.¡± Officer Cardona checked that the Kolshians hadn¡¯t reached the bulkhead yet, then squinted at his holopad screen. His blue eyes widened with indignation, and he jabbed an accusatory finger at me. ¡°¡®A creature that has traits of a more primitive type of that organism.¡¯ Did you seriously find a new word for primitive?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m a learned man, Tyler. You might not know this about me, but I used to read Gojid philosophy. Now answer the question: where¡¯s the atavist?¡± ¡°Use his fucking name. I don¡¯t know where he is, and it¡¯s a little worrying, but Onso must¡¯ve reported to a closer chokepoint. Could use him on the sensor station; that kickass Yotul¡¯s a damn fine wizard with tech stuff, according to everyone here but you. Not an a-ta-vist. Pretentious word for a pretentious Gojid. How¡¯s that for a big word?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a lot of syllables, for you,¡± Carlos chimed in. ¡°You¡¯ve been spending too much time around Sam. You got no chill now! I just try and talk like a normal human being. Nobody sane uses words like that in conversation. I¡¯ll give you two some orders; point your guns at the door in perfect silence, and think how lucky you are that your commanding officer is so forgiving.¡± Humans are strange. It seems like they¡¯re the most chatty and raucous in the moments right before danger. ¡°Whatever you say, sir.¡± I turned my expression serious, and tried to focus, despite wishing I could return to my off-duty call with Hunter and Vysith. My hatred for the Kolshians was a solid distraction, after seeing how they¡¯d tormented so many species and held an entire planet hostage back at Khoa. ¡°Do we have a plan to deal with them?¡± The sandy-haired predator shrugged. ¡°Shoot them all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good plan.¡± ¡°I was hoping you¡¯d say that too, sir. They¡¯re fish in a barrel,¡± Carlos offered, with a metaphor that had darkly predatory implications. The male guard had always been sympathetic to me, so it was easy to forget how connected to hunting culture even a human like him was. ¡°I doubt they¡¯ve seen combat action before, and if they have been on some black ops mission, it wasn¡¯t against a real enemy.¡± ¡°They made sure they neutered every other race in the galaxy. That ain¡¯t helping them here. We¡¯re not just gonna roll over like a dead cockroach. ¡®Sides, home field advantage is with us. We chop ¡®em all down, and we go look for Onso soon as the coast is clear,¡± Tyler said. I turned my attention to the camera feeds manned by Terran comms technicians, who were relaying live information on the enemy¡¯s location. The Kolshians had broken up into two teams, with the largest on a direct course to the bridge. Strange events were befalling the smaller group on a different display, who were bogged down in cartloads of foam. Some stealthy operatives must¡¯ve gone off to spring this trap, and gun down the enemies who moved toward the rear of our vessel. Humanity wouldn¡¯t want any area to go uncontested, even if it wasn¡¯t of strategic importance; deep in their fighting spirit, it was still their territory. The comms station was tracking the party en route to our location, and hounding them with devious machinations built into our walls. Turrets blazed as the Kolshians snaked around one corner, pumping a few soldiers full of holes before they could blink. The team ducked back to what they thought was safety, to have an automated gun roar to life from behind. It would be hilarious if they were picked off before they got here, even if Tyler had gotten me riled up to take them out. The enemy group found cover in a small storage closet, however, and set off EMP charges to prevent the massacre from worsening. Several bodies were sprawled on the floor, but the heartless bastards made no efforts to revive any comrades that couldn¡¯t move on their own. I remember how I used to say the Arxur have no regard for life. That¡¯s true, at least with the monstrosities that they are today, but these Kolshians don¡¯t have a nurturing brain cell in their skulls either. Stolen story; please report. As my mind brought up my recollection of Keilren again, I wondered if I could be helping my daughter bury presents for her own children, had it not been for the Kolshians and the Farsul. All of the pain in the galaxy traced back to those meddling bastards, and the Aafa natives were here to perpetrate a further legacy of death and destruction. If they¡¯d sabotaged a ship, killing my prot¨¦g¨¦ Recel to make it look like humanity attacked their friends, how many prey lives would they sacrifice to point the claw at Earth? We were going to take this mission all the way to their homeworld, free Slanek, and return to a safer galaxy so I could help Hunter adjust to this century like I promised. I¡¯d have no qualms killing as many of these emotionless monsters as possible. The way I thought about predators before discovering humanity, I could see all those traits within the Kolshians, clear as day. There was no mercy or negotiating with them; they imposed their way and killed anyone they didn¡¯t have a viable use for. Maybe they disguised their brutality a bit more than the Dominion, but the manicured worlds they created were cattle pens just the same. Our lives, our suffering, and the blood we¡¯d given to their cause meant nothing to them. My features hardened into a scowl, as my eager claw moved over the trigger. This wasn¡¯t only to help Marcel and redeem myself¡ªit was personal. ¡°Hostiles moving across the walkway to the bridge,¡± a comms technician barked. ¡°They¡¯ve got a blowtorch to cut through the bulkhead.¡± My spines bristled from forceful rage, rather than fear. ¡°Let them come. The walls will be painted violet by the time we¡¯re through with them.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve said it once and I¡¯ll say it again. We don¡¯t go down without a fight,¡± Carlos agreed. ¡°Not to a merciless enemy. These guys make a spectacle of basic sapient rights.¡± ¡°I finally get it. Predators aren¡¯t monsters by default, and Gojids weren¡¯t either. We were just people.¡± Tyler gritted his teeth. ¡°So were we. They can¡¯t fuckin¡¯ treat us that way, so I¡¯ll be damned if they get their filthy tentacles on this beautiful ship. Paint it purple, you racist old Gojid.¡± As the bulkhead¡¯s edges were melted to slag, the team of Kolshians kicked it over without hesitation. The humans had entrenched themselves behind cover, and found opportune angles to pick off anyone who attempted to make headway. An orchestra of bullets played across the bridge, as half of us saturated the single path into the command center with gunfire. The enemy rolled a grenade at us, but an audacious Terran rushed forward. He scooped it, and, utilizing his exemplary arm torsion tailored for stoning prey, he returned the explosive to its sender. I watched the cartridge fly through the air at the panicked Kolshians, who were perhaps amazed by the perfect precision of the impromptu throw. While our enemies dove away from the returned explosive, it detonated in mid-air, impaling them with shrapnel. It was difficult to tell if the device was a copycat tool of Terran throwable weapons, or if it was another killing device that the conspiracy had concealed from other species. Simmering with wrathfulness, I trained my barrel right at where one enemy¡¯s heart allegedly was. The trigger was pulled within a second, and my aim was dialed in enough to strike true. Reset and finish them off, Sovlin. There can¡¯t have been more than four dozen with this posse, and that was before the turrets and our defensive setup here struck them down. The dazed Kolshians found their composure, and one crept forward with a cannon-like object; the grenade launcher was a weapon I¡¯d only seen used by Terrans and by the Arxur before them. It shouldn¡¯t surprise me that the tentacled bastards would replicate the Dominion¡¯s butchery tools. The humans attempted to pick off the threatening enemy wielding the weapon, but it was too late to prevent the incoming munition. The boarder had propped the launcher onto his shoulder, and hurled a shell in our direction as he fell. I tugged off an errant shot at our foes, before hunkering down at the sensors station. Tyler and Carlos shielded their heads, fully hitting the deck in a short timeframe. We were fortunate the rocket wasn¡¯t bound for our station, but powerful explosives could still be devastating in close quarters combat. Beyond the risk to life and limb, the projectile could tear apart crucial systems; I hoped the Terrans had redundancies built into any key functions. As the shell cleared the doorway and connected with a barricade, a human security detail, just shy of the navigations station, erupted in flames. The sprinkler system was triggered, forcing the small pockets of flame to fizzle out. My ears rang from the shockwave, my fur was soggy from overhead water, and my stomach lurched as I saw mutilated, screaming predators still moving. ¡°You okay?¡± Tyler screamed, knowing I could hardly hear. All I could manage was imitating a human nod. ¡°Keep it together. Get up. Shoot them!¡± Carlos shook his head with vigor. ¡°Fucking hell. Any closer, I think they¡¯d have ruptured our eardrums. They¡¯re not pulling any punches.¡± ¡°Neither are we. I want to see a KO¡ªthey shoulda never stepped into the ring. Put them on their ugly asses.¡± What the fuck is a KO? It doesn¡¯t matter, I guess. I have to do my part, so we lose as few innocent lives as possible. The Terrans deserve better than to lose any more good people to this needless war. Bullets peppered the approaching Kolshians, as retaliation for the explosion in our midst. The enemy popped off quite the kinetics volley of their own too. I could feel one whisk by my ear, and see a handful of bullet holes marring the station. Shattering glass echoed behind me, as a holodisplay was taken out by the flurry of metal. I righted my rifle, not allowing myself to contemplate how close I was to metal slugs that could end my life. While I¡¯d attempted to cease my self-hatred, I wasn¡¯t afraid to pay the ultimate penance on humanity¡¯s behalf; that still wouldn¡¯t cover the sum of what I owed their species. My claw hooked around the trigger with practiced certainty, hitting an enemy with a gutshot. Downing a single enemy could mean the difference between Tyler or Carlos catching a bullet. I watched the blond human taking his own measured shots, his binocular eyes hungry for a target. Carlos¡¯ bear tattoo was facing me as he inched forward for a better angle; in the chaos, it was tough to tell if he was responsible for any of the blood-spurting Kolshians. I popped off several shots in quick intervals, hoping to hit enemies with haste. The bridge was in disarray, with carnage in the fray¡¯s wake. Predator barks sounded through the air, calling to wounded comrades, alongside pained emissions from the enemy side. Whoever can mop up the other side the quickest will be victorious. Right now, that looks like us, but we can¡¯t get lackadaisical. The humans closest to the ravaged entrance had taken the most hits. Captain Monahan was behind a tactical map display with a sidearm drawn, a stern look on her face; she¡¯d been consulting with tacticians and the comms station since the firefight began. They were prepared to mount a final stand, if our defenses failed. However, I could see various angles from our cameras the Terran staff were monitoring, which showed that few Kolshians had gone unscathed. Forward progress had proved tantamount to suicide, plunging headlong into our unyielding bullets. The walkway was being painted violet, with listless corpses splayed out in heaps. The dead were becoming an obstacle to our enemy¡¯s motion into the bridge too, so they were forced to hang back and trade blows from afar. Humanity had the edge with depth perception, and also had fortifications to offer some refuge from the chaos. I was glad to be crouched on the far side of the sensors station¡¯s table; at least there was something between me and any munitions flying through the air. My own shots toward the discombobulated boarders were staccato pops, sent as soon as I could switch between marks. The screeches and yelps were becoming much stronger on the hostiles¡¯ end than ours. With Kolshian ranks getting decimated, self-preservation was kicking in for the sparse survivors. The bullets shredding our walls had ceased, but the predators didn¡¯t slow down because of a lull in enemy fire. If anything, our barrage became more energetic, determined to drive these raiders out of our ship. The humans were a merciful species, but this was the shadowy tentacle of a government that had spit in the face of their good intentions. There would be no restraint in finishing the job, and seeking retribution for their malevolence. ¡°Listen up! Not a one of them escapes, or becomes a stowaway on this ship!¡± Captain Monahan decreed. ¡°It¡¯s not enough that their insertion failed. We defend every piece of UN territory like it¡¯s Earth¡ªzero tolerance for attacks. Move! Comms station, keep us posted on enemy movements and escape attempts.¡± The humans remaining intact on the bridge slunk off in search of fleeing combatants, while medics hurried toward our wounded to patch them up. Our warship had taken an internal beating from various explosions and projectiles, but it was still in our possession, and would be free of intruders soon. Tyler ventured off to the comms station on a detour, asking for information on Onso¡¯s whereabouts. A strange look flashed on the blond officer¡¯s face, before he hurriedly led us down the gore-riddled walkway. I consulted my own holopad, and found the Yotul closer to the maintenance airlock with Samantha. Was that atavistic marsupial the one responsible for the fire-foam massacre at the rear of the ship? That makes no sense, but I guess that just checks the standard box for life among Terrans. Nothing is as it should be when I¡¯m with these predators. At the end of the day, I was glad that our posse had come through the mission¡¯s first engagement without casualties. I¡¯d grown to care for the alien soldiers I worked with, and I wanted to see Aafa¡¯s fall alongside each of them. With the Kolshians¡¯ bold-faced attempt to swing the war in their favor turning out as a miserable failure, I hoped it was a sign of what was to come. Chapter 151 Memory transcription subject: Governor Tarva of the Venlil Republic Date [standardized human time]: March 7, 2137 With election day drawing closer, the final debate could be crucial to winning over undecided voters; the polls were neck-and-neck. Veln was savvy with the mass appeal items on his docket, and I trusted that he would maintain his suave demeanor on stage before a live audience. While, at least before the arrival of humanity, I¡¯d been regarded as personable, this venue would be playing into my opponent¡¯s forte. It was one thing to deliver organized speeches that Cheln curated, but no matter how much I rehearsed for expected questions, off-the-cuff replies and the head-to-head format of a debate weren¡¯t my strengths. So much was at stake for the fate of Skalga, so I needed to put on the best performance of my life. Venlil debates were usually simple affairs, with a few minutes devoted to back-and-forths on each policy issue. However, with the human and Federation issues at the crux of the debate, Veln and I struck a mutual accord to devote the entire first half of the schedule to those topics. The other issues could be condensed, as this point was the true schism of this election. I knew how contentious our membership in the Sapient Coalition, and our close ties with Earth were; for would-be voters, everything else was unimportant compared to the millions of predators living among us. For the primates who¡¯d been granted citizenship, attempts to have courts block their voting privileges had mixed success, from one jurisdiction to another. In this cycle, I couldn¡¯t rely on the Terran vote saving me. I steadied my paws on the podium, and gazed out at the assembled crowd. Most non-pundit attendees were Venlil, though I could see a masked Noah sitting all the way at the back for moral support. The human noticed me looking at him, and raised a single thumb in a gesture I assumed was encouraging. I gave the slightest tail swish back, wishing I understood all of the Terrans¡¯ non-verbal cues. Their communication was so unique compared to other species, but they were expressive and animated if one knew what to look for. This debate is nothing compared to Noah¡¯s speech on Aafa; I have no right to be this nerve-wracked, when he was so brave with rifles trained on his face, trapped on a hostile world. If I can¡¯t sell Skalga on my love for humanity, I don¡¯t deserve to win. Veln, as the challenger, mounted the stage second, relishing the crowd¡¯s cheers beneath a fa?ade of modest, dismissive tail waves. His slate gray fur was perfectly smoothed out on his chest, while his tail had been puffed out for a regal appearance. His ears wiggled with enthusiasm, as he offered the audience a sweeping tail swish. My opponent wandered away from the podium, leaning down toward the first row to wave to a particularly-enthusiastic supporter. When I took the stage, my reception had been more mixed and tepid; my supporters were more the ¡°stay the course¡± types than the gamechangers. Those who were against me, despised me¡ªand hatred was something Veln could weaponize into passion for himself. ¡°Hello!¡± Veln said into the microphone, clearly studying me with a direct, side-on gaze. I¡¯d kept my impassive composure, and swiveled an ear toward my rival with politeness. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to have this opportunity to discuss my ideas in a comparative format with Governor Tarva. I do hope that we¡¯ll have an excellent, enlightening discourse!¡± I flicked my ear in acknowledgment. ¡°Likewise, I look forward to engaging with the pressing issues of our time. I believe that the candidate with the best ideas will rise in this format, and I¡¯m grateful that so many of the voters are listening to what we each have to say tonight. Major decisions for the future of our society are at paw.¡± The Venlil moderator, a journalist named Jonek, straightened his notecards. ¡°Now that the candidates are both here, let¡¯s launch into the issue on everyone¡¯s minds: humanity. Tarva, as the defending governor, you open this segment; thirty seconds for your reply. Why do you believe that your friendly policies toward Earth are ideal for Venlil society?¡± ¡°That¡¯s an important question, Jonek,¡± I said, adding in a practiced pause. ¡°We¡¯ve seen the worst of what is out in the stars. The Arxur. The Federation, who¡¯ve hidden their atrocities for centuries. Humanity came seeking genuine friendship, and have defended us on multiple occasions, at the cost of many of their own. We would never have known what was done to us, never have woken up to our own manipulation without the so-called predators. Now more than ever, us Venlil need true allies and comrades, because how can we afford to be alone with so many threats out there?¡± The crowd seemed pleased with my reply, issuing a few whistles of agreement. Noah mashed his meaty hands together, and gave the thumbs-up gesture again. I tried not to focus on the human for too long, not wanting to be caught staring at him on live television. With the first question done, I could feel myself begin to lighten up on the anxiety. Veln waited for the audience¡¯s response to cool off, before leaning toward the microphone. Moderator Jonek gave him the ear flick to go ahead with his thirty second rebuttal. Veln pointedly trained both his pupils on me. ¡°That¡¯s a wonderful set of lines, Governor, but it¡¯s not indicative of reality. If we need to entangle our society with humanity, and their values, to attain their friendship, then they are just as bad as the Federation. We have known them for the sum of a few months, so I would not bet the direction of the Venlil people on such a small sample size, and such limited knowledge. Terrans are not one entity with us, and we are not responsible for saving them. Under my leadership, we would seek more separation from the Earthlings, for the sake of our autonomy. If I might add one more thing that doesn¡¯t add up? If you recognize the threat of the Federation, why have you placed us into a new one with many of their former members? We don¡¯t need to be beholden to anyone who wishes to determine our future and our choices for us. My slogan is very simple: No More Federations!¡± I waited for his round of cheers to die down, signing ¡°argue¡± in tail language to tell Jonek I wished for a counter-rebuttal. ¡°Let me impart some thoughts of my own on ¡®reality.¡¯ The reality is, right now, we can¡¯t defend ourselves from the Federation on our own. My platform focuses on building up our military so that we can stand on our own, without leaving ourselves vulnerable to outside attacks. I lost my daughter to a raid, as the Arxur bombed schools¡ªtargeted children. I saw how furious that made the Terrans, so I know enough about them, even in this short time, to know that they¡¯ll stand fast beside us. Veln, how do you expect the Venlil to stand a fighting chance, alone? You think the Federation will just let us leave, or do you imagine they¡¯ll seize on our vulnerability to snuff us out and send a message to humanity. They¡¯ll do anything to get back anyone who helped the predators, or is important to them. We have no choice but to stick together; that¡¯s what the herd is for!¡± Veln¡¯s ears straightened, sensing his chance to reply. ¡°Since you asked, I don¡¯t think that asking others to solve our problems is the answer. Humans have a fundamentally different culture to us. I¡¯m not proposing to fully go it alone; I¡¯m proposing to be more responsible with the alliances and commitments we get ourselves into. Who out there helps carry the burden of predator refugees, or has had their child exposed to the sight of carcass food? We shouldn¡¯t accept this on Venlil Prime. A strategic alliance is fine, because Terrans are excellent at fighting, but we don¡¯t need to be joined at the hip¡ªsomething I imagine you and Ambassador Noah know about.¡± ¡°What is that supposed to mean?! Campaigning by starting unfounded rumors: it¡¯s unbecoming of someone who wants to lead an entire planet.¡± ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t mean to insinuate anything, but you two spend a lot of time together outside typical work hours. I¡¯ve seen him at the governor¡¯s mansion in a month more than any other species¡¯ ambassador visits in a year. Extraordinary circumstances, I know, but I think your judgment might be clouded. It¡¯s a conflict of interests if you¡¯re elevating human interests so highly, compared to Venlil priorities. Should I elaborate more? I want to make sure nothing is misconstrued, of course.¡± Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°I care deeply for Ambassador Noah, but I¡¯m shocked that you would weaponize my empathy for how much he¡¯s endured, as the face of humanity, into a negative attribute. We¡¯ve been through many stressful situations together, from nearly getting shot down en route to Aafa, to our efforts to stop the genocide of Earth, to working hand-in-paw with the cattle rescues that my government and his bargained for the release of, and now to our collaboration for the Summit! It¡¯s brought us both into a special and cherished bond, and I won¡¯t let you shame me for it.¡± Veln lashed his tail with smug satisfaction. ¡°I¡¯m only suggesting the people have a right to know about any special bonds. You make decisions for all of us. The citizenry should be certain who you¡¯d protect, if it came to us or them, and that certainty should be beyond a shadow of a doubt. I know I¡¯d fight for our own. Regardless, I don¡¯t want to stall on this topic, moderator, so shall we move on?¡± It was all I could do to conceal how much I was fuming on the inside; it was a clever way to lob a personal attack at me, and one that was difficult to defend. I was well-aware that the strongest criticisms against me were that humanity was pulling the strings on my agenda. Ever since I shut down the predator disease facilities on Terran urgings, my dissidents claimed that I wouldn¡¯t stand up to them. While I had a refutation prepared for that specific line, going after my ties to Noah wasn¡¯t an attack I wanted Veln to expand upon. Defending myself against a valid accusation left me with few options. I¡¯m not ashamed of how close I am with Noah, but what would happen if that got into the media? Glim, for one, was outright told we¡¯re together; I¡¯m lucky he¡¯s working with me as a campaign advisor, or he could give Veln a juicy scoop. That rescue has been dispirited since fainting before Isif at the Summit. Jonek read the second question on his card. ¡°Veln. You¡¯ve learned about the gene editing the Farsul forced on our ancestors, yet you¡¯ve been outspoken against Tarva¡¯s proposals for a voluntary instinct suppression program, and for returning Venlil Prime¡¯s name to Skalga through a referendum. Why are you against these options for returning our planet to its natural state?¡± ¡°First off, the Governor and I agree on reversing the gene edits. It¡¯ll be a priority in either agenda, so let¡¯s set that part aside,¡± Veln began. ¡°Now, I find that Tarva rushes into drastic changes with haste. Slanek was the first subject of a program like what she proposes, and he became a violent assassin! We don¡¯t understand the consequences of the psychological changes we¡¯re making to ourselves, so we should take the time to do so¡ªespecially before we raise the government¡¯s spending even further. The programs formed since first contact have tanked our economy, and have been a massive drain on our system and resources. I love the idea of saving the cattle rescues, but the fiscal mismanagement¡ªwe don¡¯t have infinite money. It comes from somewhere, just like the instinct program would. Now, I know I¡¯m over my time, so let me be quick on why I don¡¯t want ¡®Skalga.¡¯ I don¡¯t like the name ¡®World of Death.¡¯ We can do better.¡± As laughs rippled through the crowd, I donned the look of a mother who wasn¡¯t amused by a child¡¯s shenanigans. ¡°I sure hope you don¡¯t make all your decisions based on whether you personally like, or dislike, something, Veln. The choice of whether the citizens like the name Skalga should be left up to the people themselves, not just forbidden by your decree. As our moderator pointed out, the instincts program is also voluntary. I dream of a future where we¡¯re strong, not weak like the Federation claims, but my entire platform is about choice. Slanek was an incident caused by military training and prolonged exposure to the horrors of war; I want my people to not live in artificial fear. It won¡¯t cost the average citizen a credit, because it¡¯s taken from bloated exterminator budgets and the power bills of electroshock machines. That is wasteful spending which could go to improving and saving lives. Before you cut me off, Veln, since you can¡¯t conform to the time constraints, allow me to tack on a little extra too. The loyal members of the exterminators¡¯ guild want accountability for their actions. They want a better understanding of predator attacks, and real predator disease, to limit violence on the streets. They want people who abuse their title ousted, so that they can maintain a true force that protects people. If there¡¯s science that can keep them well-informed on animal threats, and ways for them to be safer and not damage property on missions¡ª¡± ¡°You¡¯re well over your allotted time, Tarva,¡± Jonek interjected. ¡°Exterminators want those improvements, because they want to make their planet proud,¡± I spewed hastily. Veln pinned his ears back with disbelief. ¡°The guild devoted to fighting predators doesn¡¯t support you, Tarva. Let¡¯s not waste time pretending they do. You¡¯ve shoved humans down their throats, while allowing them to be mocked, and by your own admission, you slashed their budgets. The money they need to defend us and themselves. Those are heroes, and I¡¯m not ashamed to say it. But you wouldn¡¯t say those words, because behind your pandering, you question everything they do. Humans matter more to you than exterminators ever have. You basically said so in your own words. The guild¡¯s budget is not wasteful spending, because their job is about improving and saving lives. I won¡¯t let them apologize for burning creatures that¡¯d threaten and eat our children! Furthermore, I¡¯ll give them every credit they ask for, and I¡¯ll talk about raising their salaries for the thankless work they do. Save your cheers; I¡¯m not done! It¡¯s funny how you condemn predator disease treatments, and leave us impotent to defend against ¡®predator attacks.¡¯ We learned that predator disease was more prevalent than ever, with those twisted Venlil who live among us, and conceal conniving, predatory minds. We knew they were dangerous, but we didn¡¯t know they struck so often. How can you see that evidence, and close the facilities? Do you¡ª¡± Jonek cleared his throat. ¡°Veln, you¡¯re also past your time.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The question¡¯s to Tarva,¡± my opponent countered. ¡°Do you really think that talking about your feelings can make these monsters herd safe?¡± ¡°If the treatments made Venlil safe before, why were there so many attacks?¡± I shot back. ¡°The methods we have now are clearly, by the evidence, unreliable for detecting threats. Look at the distress for family members, who¡¯ve had a harmless loved one hauled away and tortured for being different¡ªwhen the real murderers roamed free. Why would we ever want that to continue?¡± ¡°Because our search isn¡¯t thorough enough. I don¡¯t buy into your argument of humans being predators, so they can identify predator behavior. In the next breath, you tell us they¡¯re friendly and innocent, not at all like predators are! The reality is, and I don¡¯t say this out of dislike for Terrans, but asking predators to identify dangerous predatory behavior is like asking us to qualify what¡¯s extreme prey behavior. Their boundaries are much looser than ours.¡± ¡°Our boundaries of acceptable behavior are engineered by the Federation. That¡¯s the difference. Humans are civilized people who haven¡¯t been told how to think. They have a better idea than we do of what¡¯s actually predator behavior, and what was just an instrument of Kolshian-Farsul control. Every part of our society was engineered so that the conspirators could keep us subservient and mock us. Veln, I don¡¯t want to listen to a single word those cripplers said, especially when innocent lives are involved. This planet deserves a leader who doesn¡¯t buy into those centuries-old lies.¡± Judging by the crowd¡¯s enthusiastic cheers, I¡¯d come out ahead in that exchange; resenting the Federation''s lies was a convincing reason to overhaul every tenet of the system. It was clear after what we learned the Farsul did to our ancestors that nothing they forced on us had good intentions. Predator disease was their creation to stop us from resisting, and I was certain enough of the populace could see that. My opponent likely agreed with my logic deep down, though he had to be contrarian to demonstrate his opposition to radical change. Veln seemed to be weighing whether to concede that argument, and move on to a different topic. However, it was a moot point, as Jonek jumped in. ¡°That was certainly a spirited exchange, but that is all the time we have available for human and Federation-focused topics,¡± the moderator said. ¡°We¡¯ll take a short break, and move on to the other issues on your ticket: including infrastructure, schools, and tax policies. Stay tuned!¡± I relaxed as the cameras switched off, and studied my opponent out of my periphery. In this crucial debate, it was a good sign that Veln wasn¡¯t walking all over me; I was pleased with how I¡¯d stood up for my actions and beliefs. My gaze turned outward, past the various Venlil spectators who chatted among themselves. The human ambassador lifted his mask for a brief second, when my eyes reached him; his pearly teeth flashed all the way from the back of the auditorium. Noah quietly clapped, ducking his head as a commendation. His approval filled me with confidence; if the silver-tongued predator believed in what I was saying, my words must be enough to resonate with others. The question now was whether this final appeal to the Venlil citizenry would carry me to reelection. Chapter 152 Memory transcription subject: Chief Hunter Isif, Arxur Rebellion Command Date [standardized human time]: March 9, 2137 The subspace trails allowed my fleet to pursue the Kolshians, who, without reason, had abandoned their already secured position at Mileau; after a few days of pursuit, it became clear that our enemies weren¡¯t bound for the Liberty¡¯s Bastion colony. Secretary-General Zhao had evacuated the human colonists there out of an overabundance of caution, but curing predator expansionists was no longer the priority of the government caste. This route was steering us through the territory of the youngest Chief Hunter, Ilthiss, who was keen on proving himself to Betterment. It wasn¡¯t only Federation onslaughts we had to watch for. I kept my bridge on alert, in case we were plunged into real space while clearing the parsecs between us and our foes. There were no human strongholds in Ilthiss¡¯ territory, to my knowledge; the lone Sapient Coalition member in his reach were the Nevoks, and with their manufacturing abilities, they kept enough of a fleet for themselves to thwart simple raids. Most powers within this sector were either on the side of the Duerten Shield, since Kalqua and its neighbors were centered there, or Federation loyalists such as the Malti and the Drezjin. Keeping track of every herbivorous race was a real headache, though my talks with Felra had been useful in picking up Federation customs. If I wanted peace between us and the leaf-lickers, it was my role as a leader to learn about them all. I¡¯m done with this Arxur-and-syasara game, I messaged Felra on SwiftPair, as we¡¯d returned to doing throughout this tracking expedition. You¡¯re trying to force me to be curious, by offering zero details about what you¡¯ve been up to¡ªand talking about anything else! So fine, you win, can you not see that? What was it like on Liberty¡¯s Bastion? The rodent began typing back at once. You have to show that you care, Siffy! Admit it, I¡¯m way more helpful and special than Vysith. Now that we don¡¯t see each other daily, you have to work for my friendship. Why should I bother with such a colossal effort, you irritating, no-good Dossur? You love me, but you¡¯re too moody to admit it. You like that I think you¡¯re harmless and sweet. Want to video call? I will not let you make a fool of me while I¡¯m on the bridge. If my men think I¡¯m soft, they will not respect me. It does not matter if you believe you are helping; it is detrimental to my authority when you demand that I pet you, like one of those human idiots. Answer my question about the colony, or I will rescind my interest. You¡¯re such a goofy gray, Siffy; once you admit you¡¯re interested, you can¡¯t take it back. I¡¯ll answer because I¡¯m feeling generous. It¡¯s the humans¡¯ furthest colony away from Sol, and the habitation modules are cramped and practical¡ªmost of the settlers came because the UN offered free housing to the first people to sign up. The Mazics have some weird hero worship thing going on, and they have a joint military base with the UN for patrols and such. It¡¯s quiet and unglamorous. The Terrans I lived with called it ¡°life on the new frontier.¡± I don¡¯t know what that means. I¡¯m sure the Terrans would tell you if you asked, no? I¡¯ve never met a human that was not elated to divulge their thoughts at an unnecessary length. Humans are as friendly as can be! I can¡¯t believe I thought they were scary, back at work. I kinda miss inspecting starships, and I wonder if the Terrans could find me a job. If they let us go back to the colony, I might stay there. After visiting my family on Mileau, of course. I really appreciate how you came back to save my people. That proves that you care, no matter what you say. I huffed in irritation. Why would you not wish to return to your planet, now that it is free of Kolshians? Your life was disrupted, and this must have brought some degree of emotional difficulty. Well, I don¡¯t want to go home. It¡¯s more exciting out here! How could I go from bossing predators around to filing safety complaints with bureaucrats? Seriously, I¡¯m way too curious about predator stuff to bury that side of me ever again. Mileau couldn¡¯t handle me. I snorted. That I believe. I cannot handle you. Now, our present course is leading us directly into Duerten Homogeneity space¡ªtoward their homeworld, no less. We know how hostile they are to the Rebellion, after they walked out of the Summit on my account, yes? Decisions must be made about how to proceed. I have to go. Bye, Siffy! Don¡¯t die. My annoyance was heightened by that flippant dismissal, so I decided not to bother with a farewell response. Placing the holopad into a drawer, where it would be out of my sight, I snapped my attention to the bridge activities. Kaisal had just returned to his post, taking over the sensors console from Oleksiy, who¡¯d been filling in while the runt slept. All personnel were ordered to combat stations, when we saw that our trajectory was bound straight for Kalqua. In my eyes, we had to follow the Kolshians to their destination, even if it took us through Duerten space. However, taking roundabout pathing might be ideal: we could pick up the trail on the other side of their system. Kalqua was under siege for their part in Nikonus¡¯ assassination, last I heard, so the Duerten might not have resources to divert to us. Lisa told me they were not responding to any communications. The signs pointed toward the Kolshian forces from Mileau heading to Kalqua, except for the fact that the initial strike force had been enough to thrash the Duerten and silence their people. Still, it was within the realm of possibility that the Federation sent every ship available to annihilate the Homogeneity with absolute certainty. Secretary-General Zhao postulated, back on Earth, that the shadow government was plotting to strike human territory. Perhaps the avians¡¯ scheme on Aafa, making the Kolshian Commonwealth out to be fools, had shifted the priorities around. Where the conspiracy wanted to cure humanity, the goal seemed to be eradicating the Duerten. The rebel fleet emerged into real space on my command, and the Technocracy ships followed suit a second later. I elected to touch base with the Yotul on this decision, through our shared comms link. ¡°We¡¯re approaching Duerten space. I¡¯ll have my sensors station catch their bearings, and see if we¡¯re close enough to detect where these subspace trails wind up.¡± ¡°We ran continuous scans to trace the end destination while in warp.¡± The marsupials¡¯ response was a casual indicator that their sensor capability while in FTL transit had surpassed our own. ¡°It does appear to be Kalqua. UN and Technocracy generals are currently conferencing to determine our governments¡¯ position.¡± ¡°I see. What is your personal opinion? As the ones spearheading this hunt, I would take your judgments into consideration on why we should or should not intervene.¡± ¡°Well, I doubt the Duerten would lower themselves to ask a primitive to bail them out. Ralchi knows they¡¯d never ask an Arxur to step in either, if they¡¯re too prideful to turn to the humans. There¡¯s no love lost between the Sapient Coalition and the Duerten. I did want to finish the muzzle-kicking we gave the Kolshians at Mileau, but fuck if I want to sacrifice any Yotul lives for a lot of ingrates. Point is, I think we should see how many enemy ships we¡¯ll be dealing with, and run some risk-reward calculations.¡± ¡°I will take that under advisement. After we have gone all this way to pursue the departees, I see no harm in gathering visual information from the system¡¯s outskirts. In the event we enter combat, it would be helpful to know how many foes we¡¯re up against.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll seek clearance from the Technocracy to scout the battleground. My two seeds; I doubt the Duerten will pay us any attention. They won¡¯t be able to. They got walloped by a couple drones when they tried to ¡®help¡¯ at the start of the Battle of Mileau. Humanity¡¯s not covering their asses this time; they¡¯re on their own.¡± ¡°Most herbivores are not worthy fighters. I do not imagine the Duerten Homogeneity would fare well against any shadow fleet attack, let alone an all-out assault. Keep us posted on your movements, or any new information. We will do the same.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± It felt peculiar to defer strategic decision-making to the Technocracy, but the Yotul had more than proven their competency. If human generals judged their officers as equals, then I trusted the United Nations and their close friends to reach an appropriate decision for our interests. Out of gratitude for Secretary-General Zhao¡¯s attempts to protect Felra on my behalf, my offer to assist stood in spite of my disdain for the Duerten. The lack of activity meant I should occupy my mind on other matters, while awaiting a verdict. I rummaged through a few briefings on the Dominion¡¯s movements, knowing that we needed to return to wreaking havoc on their formations and locations after this clash. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. This pathing plants the idea to go after Chief Hunter Ilthiss; the fires of youth mean we want to weaken him, before he tries anything bold and reckless. Then again, while I¡¯m sure the humans would call this ¡°Machiavellian,¡± perhaps it¡¯s better to leave him active. This is a Federation and Shield sector, so we could afford for the Arxur to keep raiding them. Freeing cattle wasn¡¯t going to make the most die-hard believers or fearful subsidiaries jump ship. I could rifle through intelligence on the Malti and the Drezjin when I had more time; from the little I knew, the monotreme Malti were willing to go along with anything the Kolshians said in exchange for favorable treatment. The Drezjin, meanwhile, were cave-dwelling mammals, and coincidentally, the only non-avian sapients that could fly. From what little I knew, they had an entire faith that viewed the Federation¡¯s founders as divine avatars, due to a few ancient cave paintings they¡¯d found. If the Dominion took those two out, they would be saving the Sapient Coalition the trouble. Olek tapped me on the shoulder. ¡°Sir, General Jones is on the line for you. Should I put her through?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a name I have not heard in a while. The Secretary-General is allowing her to meddle again, or is this some new attempt on her own to procure something from me?¡± I sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know. She¡¯s virtually attending that conference of UN and Technocracy generals. I¡¯d wager she¡¯s keeping you in the loop on whatever hush-hush intel is factoring into their decision.¡± ¡°We should hear what she has to say, whether it¡¯s with the SecGen¡¯s blessing or not. Jones is the only one bringing us up to speed live. Knowledge is everything,¡± an eavesdropping Lisa chimed in. ¡°Yes, yes¡­but I¡¯m not doing anything extra that Jones asks of us. I have no patience for games. Put her through.¡± Peacekeeper Bondarenko tapped a button, and gestured to his workstation. I sidled up to the display with my most serious expression, indicating to the short-haired American general that I wouldn¡¯t tolerate double-edged aid. My prior cooperation with her had resulted in Zhao believing I was an enemy, and later, me being burned as a source to strong-arm me into launching a rebellion. I couldn¡¯t afford to push aside any contacts from Earth; the United Nations hadn¡¯t come to blows with the Dominion directly in months, but total war was on the horizon if they trounced the Federation. Still, I was leery of getting dragged into Jones¡¯ scheming. ¡°Chief Hunter,¡± Jones greeted me. ¡°Taking an interest in UN colonies all of a sudden? I¡¯ll have you know humans aren¡¯t interested in jawing off about natural security issues, after Earth.¡± I narrowed my eyes. ¡°Flaunting how you listen in on my private conversations won¡¯t win my favor or my trust. I was asking after a friend.¡± ¡°Please. I¡¯m actively tapping Felra¡¯s comms, not yours, and it¡¯s for your protection. She¡¯s a major liability; if anything happened to her, I can¡¯t predict what you¡¯d do. The last thing I¡¯d want is the Dominion or the Federation snatching her for the sake of extorting you.¡± ¡°¡­what?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make me spell it out. Just know my people are watching out for you, covertly. I¡¯ve always thought we can help each other, Isif. With how valuable of an asset you are, you can¡¯t blame me for not entrusting you to anyone else¡¯s oversight.¡± ¡°I gave you much, at great risk, and got very little in return. I implore you to cease these games, and turn over whatever information is at the root of this call.¡± ¡°I was getting there. I¡¯ve tinkered with our computerized recreations, and we fed known telemetry data, subspace activity, and acoustic readings into our programs. Take a look at our¡­highlight reel. I¡¯ll narrate.¡± The Terran general transferred a video file, which replicated an overview of Kalqua¡¯s sphere. The overlay presented estimated ship counts, and I nearly choked as I saw the figure of enemy vessels swarming the Duerten homeworld. The count had crossed the six figure tally in the first wave, dwarfing the number that had taken Mileau. I wasn¡¯t sure how the gray avians had withstood an attack of that scale at all, even with forty-four Shield allies¡¯ mediocre militaries coming to their aid. It also was concerning that the shadow fleet had this many craft to throw at an enemy that pissed them off, despite knowing an attack on Aafa could be coming. How many more ships were being held by the Kolshian homeworld? If these colonizers have six figures worth of bonafide ships on reserve, I¡¯m not sure how even humanity executes Phase 3 of their plans. Aafa should be able to rebuff anything that¡¯s thrown at them. General Jones raised a placating hand. ¡°Before you go looking all concerned, these aren¡¯t shadow fleet ships. Most aren¡¯t even Kolshian ships, and the ones that are¡ªthey¡¯re from the public military. Average ¡®herbivores¡¯ by their definition. The Federation has over 200 allies, so ask everyone to kick in a few hundred craft and this is what it gets you.¡± ¡°This is¡­some attempt to soften up Kalqua with expendable resources,¡± I suggested. ¡°I think so. Kalqua got word of the attack in advance, thanks to an anonymous tip¡ªand you know who let that intel fall into their laps. They would¡¯ve been wiped out without the forewarning. The Duerten Shield¡¯s allies sent some assistance, though not every party was willing to get involved. They started off with roundabouts sixty thousand ships and planetary defenses on their side.¡± ¡°That count is disproportionate, but not guaranteeing a Federation success. How much did the first wave whittle the Duerten fleet down?¡± ¡°Well, see for yourself.¡± I returned my attention to the recreation, noting how the first Federation ships flew headlong into a rock-solid formation of Duerten craft. Kalqua¡¯s moon harbored a planetary defense station, with enormous power built into its cratered surface to fuel energy weapons. Punchy lasers carved through enemy vessels, and pushed them away from orbital range. The defenders had other fortifications to their advantage; Jones¡¯ tip-off had allowed them to imitate a ¡°predatory¡± tactic, sending a few ships to hide within a gas giant¡¯s gravity to later encircle the Kolshian-led attackers. The Federation¡¯s lone advantage was the gigantic scale of their onslaught, which made the extermination fleet that leveled cities on Earth look like a small militia. The Duerten weren¡¯t as green at the spacefaring game as the primates who, at that point, had discovered alien life and FTL a single season ago; they also had more allies to call to their aid, while a few hundred Venlil and late-arriving Zurulians were all the Terrans had cobbled together. However, despite a strong start and those factors offering a favorable prognosis, the avians lacked humanity¡¯s coordination and tactical knowhow. They executed a few basic plays, before their ingenuity and organization faltered. The Federation fleet focused fire on the defense stations on Kalqua¡¯s moon, as well as a handful of satellite modules with defensive weapons strapped to them. Duerten Shield vessels were out of their depth; even while using the public fleet as cannon fodder, the Kolshians placed legitimate commanders in charge of this assault. The raiders had sacrificed a few thousand ships to take the defenses out of commission. The weakest flank encircling the avians¡¯ homeworld became the new epicenter of the attack, now that the hostiles were free of any devastating lasers that would hound them. I could see, to my amazement, that the Federation vessels had missiles primed. How had the Kolshians gotten their allies onboard with turning a prey species¡¯ cradle to ash? The native Homogeneity fleet were panicking, desperate to keep the raiders away from their precious homeworld. Taking a glance at General Jones¡¯ face, as the simulation sped through these events, the rare sympathy in her eyes told me she understood that feeling all too well. I recalled how Terran-crewed vessels had flung themselves at Kalsim¡¯s murderous minions, powerless to stop the bombs from hitting Earth. None of these races participated in that extermination fleet, but they can¡¯t claim to be any different. While the Duerten were far from my favorite species, and I had presided over bombing events like this one myself, it was saddening once I linked Kalqua and Earth in my mind. Federation ships plowed through the Shield¡¯s weak links, pirouetting through a sea of plasma and missiles; several invaders went up in smoke, but some slipped through toward the vulnerable planet. The missiles set sail in the simulation, while a wince took over Jones¡¯ features. Detonations rippled across the continents, targeted without mercy at population centers. The estimated civilian death tally climbed as the recreation progressed to the present time: dozens of bombs had made it to the surface. ¡°That takes us to where we are now, with thirty thousand shadow fleet ships arriving from Mileau to clean up,¡± General Jones concluded. ¡°The Duerten are down to their last legs, holding at about ten thousand, though they felled most of the Federation invaders to the same tally. I wouldn¡¯t take their odds at one-to-one against the Kolshian¡¯s secret sauce. It¡¯s three-to-one, and that¡¯s not counting the equal contingent of leftovers from the first wave.¡± I lashed my tail with flustered emotions. ¡°We all have our own problems, General. The Duerten spit in our faces and called us monsters; us, at least, with more cause than you. Is the sentiment in your generals¡¯ meeting that you¡¯re expecting us to risk our lives for them?¡± ¡°Nobody¡¯s going to make any decision for you, Isif. It¡¯s up to you and the Yotul to commit, or not commit, resources. If we don¡¯t act, the Duerten race will be wiped out to functional extinction; that¡¯s a fact. I thought you should see everything with your own eyes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s unlike you to not openly push a course of action on me. I will consider both the reality of the situation, and what the Yotul plan to do. Tell me, is the Technocracy likely to step in?¡± Jones offered a cryptic grin. ¡°I could give you the likeliest answer, but where¡¯s the fun in that? With the urgency of the situation, discussions won¡¯t stretch on much longer. The Yotul will tell you themselves, when they¡¯re ready.¡± Before I could protest the Terran general¡¯s non-answer, she disconnected from the call. A few displeased hisses and growls rumbled in my throat, earning looks from the nearest bridge crew. My conscience was torn on what to do; what was best for the Rebellion was to leave the predator-hating avians to suffer the consequences of their actions. Yet despite how they¡¯d smacked down every hand of friendship humanity offered, I didn¡¯t want to see them dead. From what Olek and Lisa told me last time I broached the subject of the Duerten, neither did mankind. The Yotul¡¯s advancements were magnificent, but it was a tall order for three thousand of them to tackle this alone. The decision to assist could be attributed to softness by my people, if it was made of my own accord. My gaze turned to Kaisal, the Arxur runt who was acting as my second-in-command. Consulting him would demonstrate consideration for the sentiments of my subordinates, and lift the sole responsibility from my shoulders. This was the field test to gauge his empathy; perhaps there was some, lurking beneath his hatred and resentment toward prey. With a heavy heart, I walked over to leave the Duerten¡¯s fate in his jaws. Chapter 153 Memory transcription subject: Chief Hunter Isif, Arxur Rebellion Command Date [standardized human time]: March 9, 2137 The Yotul¡¯s decision was relayed over our comms, within minutes of my conversation with General Jones. The marsupial commander didn¡¯t sound entirely thrilled at the prospect of saving the Duerten, but humanity had been a major force in pushing for the preservation of the civilian masses on Kalqua. Had the avians been willing to ask, I suspected the predators would¡¯ve been there for the first wave. The United Nations, stretched across hundreds of light-years and multiple engagements, could only warp in a few thousand drones to pad our ranks; they¡¯d been amassing that contingent nearby in case the Homogeneity reached out. My rebel fleet brought the most numbers to the table, of our trifecta, but that was if Kaisal elected to send us to battle. The Arxur runt was deep in thought at his station. He''s never been thrilled about anything that benefits prey; he despises every species in the Federation. The fact that he tolerated Felra, even at the behest of an Arxur superior, was a hefty concession. What is he considering? I lashed my tail with impatience. ¡°We need a decision, Kaisal. The United Nations and the Yotul Technocracy are moving out; time is of the essence.¡± ¡°Chief Hunter, it is my conclusion that we should take action against these Kolshian warships. Before the crew voices remonstrations, I think we cannot afford to be seen as weak,¡± Kaisal answered, in a voice that sounded more certain than his posture looked. ¡°We pursued the shadow fleet from Mileau, and letting leaf-lickers fight our battles gives us a shameful reputation. They¡¯ve tried to attack us before at Fahl, so choosing this engagement now is optimal: while we have numbers and allies.¡± ¡°You do not have a quarrel with aiding the Duerten, in spite of their insults and combat incompetency?¡± ¡°The reasons that I was given, when asking why humans aid those who despise them, were pragmatic. Keeping the Duerten as an active power results in greater numbers to fight the Kolshians, and should improve Terran odds of taking Aafa. It is also beneficial if the Commonwealth must spend more resources attacking Kalqua, rather than us or our limited number of allies. If Earth is under threat, that means they can¡¯t afford to spare ships upon our requests.¡± ¡°Very well. I agree with your line of reasoning, and concede that these aggravating prey have some strategic merit. It is in the interest of the rebellion to thwart the Kolshians¡¯ aims, even at the expense of our pride and dignity. Olek, Lisa, communicate with the Yotul and the United Nations respectively. Tell them that we will join their efforts to assist the Duerten Shield¡¯s defense.¡± Olek ducked his head. ¡°Right away, sir. Is there anything else you¡¯d like us to communicate?¡± ¡°Not yet. I¡¯ll spend our short travel time crafting the appropriate use of our resources. We must minimize our losses, for the sake of this movement¡¯s continuance, do you not agree?¡± ¡°We agree. If the United Nations has any insight on what role they think is suitable for us, I¡¯ll pass that along,¡± Lisa said. ¡°I¡¯ll also keep an eye out, in case the Duerten hail us.¡± Kaisal hissed in annoyance. ¡°I doubt they would communicate with any predator, let alone us. I will keep an eye out for the likeliest scenario¡ªthose ingrates taking aggressive action against us, when we¡¯re here to help.¡± ¡°If the Duerten attack us, that will bring a swift halt to any attempts to aid them¡ªwhether that is practical or not.¡± The muscles in my jaw tightened, and my eyes narrowed. A single shot fired from the Shield on the rebel fleet would result in us vacating the system and leaving Kalqua to its fate. ¡°Our fleet will not bow to prey hatred like the Terrans do, yes? Arxur must keep some honor, if not pride.¡± Calls of assent echoed throughout the bridge, and I turned my maw toward my readout to dismiss the conversation. The two UN soldiers informed our allies that the rebel fleet would join the operation to rescue the Duerten; I circled back to the simulation Jones had given me, and compared it to the current, murky sensor data. The Arxur were viewed as a terrifying menace, to the average herbivore. I recalled how Kalsim¡¯s ships had fallen into flighty chaos when we showed up and nipped at their heels. It might serve us to attempt to replicate that response by targeting the ten thousand remaining ships of ordinary Feds from the first wave. Even with Kolshian oversight, Arxur warships arriving to slaughter them will bear psychological ramifications. All we need is for a few commanders to panic, and the entire formation could collapse. By comparing Jones¡¯ recreation to the current ship data, I pinpointed two locales where the first wave¡¯s remnants were centered. Just as the Kolshians had targeted the Duerten¡¯s weakest link, we should return the favor to achieve the maximum impact. The Yotul¡¯s particle beam innovation meant they were the best bet to occupy the shadow fleet drones, and the Terrans could take out enemy shielding at each key flank. The engine¡¯s hum resonated beneath my feet; as we coasted into Kalqua¡¯s system, I was drafting a rough briefing of my plan. Ensuring that it was a satisfactory visual aid, I had my subordinates transmit it to both the Yotul and human vessels. I switched open the comms channel, once the mission summary was received. ¡°Yotul commander, as you are quite competent in tactics, I imagine you¡¯ve reached similar conclusions to us. We¡¯ll take advantage of those syasara-brained instincts the Federation forced on their people, and handle what¡¯s left of the first wave, while you keep the real threat away from the planet.¡± ¡°Well, looks like humanity is going to cover the Duerten¡¯s asses after all. Dumbfucks don¡¯t deserve it. Bright side of these orders is we¡¯re gonna put our hindlegs below the Kolshians¡¯ tails; the Technocracy will be delighted to send the shadow fleet back to the shadows. Blow for blow, one of ours has got ten of ¡®em beat. I¡¯ll forward what we learned from our scouting forays, and then it¡¯s up to us both to pull our weights.¡± ¡°I do not anticipate worthy fighters among the Federation¡¯s expendables. We¡¯ll be hunting lesser pilots. I imagine you are in the same position with those Kolshian drones, yes? Good fortune, and good hunting, to the Yotul fleet.¡± ¡°Likewise, Chief Hunter. Give ¡®em a generous helping of Ralchi¡¯s fire for us.¡± My Yotul counterpart switched off the transmission; I¡¯d be thrilled to sink our charged weapons¡¯ teeth into hapless Federation vessels. The rebel fleet split into two movement vectors, at my command, in order to strike both of the manned contingents. Hundreds of species had brought forth offerings to the attack fleet, though the neighboring Malti and Drezjin ships appeared to be dispensing most of the planetbound bombs. My best guess was that the Kolshians concocted some rationale that Kalqua would be a threat to their safety, if left alone, and that the Duerten would come for them first. I was highly doubtful the Homogeneity was capable of hiding that many Venlil assassins in statues, but Federation loyalists seemed incapable of finding logical discrepancies in any rhetoric from Aafa. Kalqua enlarged on the viewport under our magnification settings, as we cruised within striking distance of the ongoing battle. Evacuation ships launched from the surface, but despite their civilian payloads, the lengthy-yet-slender silhouettes of Malti tube bombers turned toward them with hostile intent. The Federation-crewed vessel blew the escaping Duerten inhabitants to confetti before they could clear the atmosphere; in my opinion, departing shuttles would be best off keeping to suborbital skies. That would prevent the civilians from having antimatter rained on their metropolitan homes, without getting picked off by merciless attackers once visible. Kaisal focused on his sensor array with determined eyes. ¡°Sir, the Malti and the Drezjin are proving particularly hostile to the native lifeforms. They¡¯re carrying most of the high-yield bombs.¡± ¡°So I¡¯ve noticed. We¡¯ll target those bombers first; we do not want the Duerten wiped out, under the present circumstances,¡± I responded. Lisa cleared her throat. ¡°Sir, if I might offer a suggestion¡­remember how we tipped off the Arxur when the Krakotl and their buddies sailed off into the sunset to kill us all?¡± ¡°What are you suggesting?¡± Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°Perhaps I could get our contacts in UN intelligence to send an ¡®anonymous¡¯ tip about the Malti and Drezjin¡¯s bombing holiday to that Chief Hunter Ilthiss. If we serve them up on a platter, his profile suggests he¡¯s single-minded about proving himself. It¡¯s an easy way to weaken two Federation loyalists, and to keep them off the Duerten¡¯s backs in the event we win.¡± ¡°It also gives us a fallback option, in the slim chance that our arrival doesn¡¯t scatter their ships to the wind. Granted, that strategy failed to dissuade the delusional Kalsim, but I presume his wires were a little crisscrossed. Good work, Reynolds.¡± The human soldier ducked her head, focusing her intelligent eyes on her display. My warship had locked a distant Malti tube bomber in our sights, and we burned hard across space to catch them. The Duerten Shield were getting pummeled by the overwhelming force, lacking the resources to allocate to their own defense. I could watch the Yotul and Terran vessels off on their separate courses, with the primates showing a disconnect from reality much like Kalsim; they were hailing Kalqua, despite knowing they were persona non grata in this system. While I wouldn¡¯t bother with listening in on that conversation, it was a fair guess that Coji was telling them that predators were anything but welcome in this territory. Oh, I¡¯d rather die than be beholden to the whims of beasts, I imagined the bird squawking, after the Terrans passed along a simple message of being here to help. You humans are just such terrible, bloodthirsty creatures, trying to stop our planet from being bombed. Honestly, that sounded about like what a typical Federation-indoctrinated herbivore would offer in response to humanity¡¯s kindness. Sighing to myself, I turned my attention to the battle before us. The Malti tube bomber was cresting toward an open swath of space, but its engines were nothing to marvel at; the majority of its storage was devoted to housing warheads, rather than a propulsion system. Its shape was awkward regardless, not lending itself to maneuverability or acceleration. The other vessel classes would be responsible for its defense, much like a prey herd¡¯s mothers encircling their pups. That weakness left the entire contingent tied down to the defense of a specific grouping. The Drezjin had spread out some of their own craft as a rearguard, watchful for any attempts to encircle them. I supposed even deluded prey could wizen up to recurring tactical motifs, without dogma obstructing them from analyzing ¡°predatory¡± behavior. As the Malti bombers alerted to our presence, they pushed their pitiful engines further; Kalqua beckoned them toward orbital range. It wasn¡¯t clear exactly how many antimatter warheads had smacked the surface so far, but the devastating explosions were visible from space. Add in the sensor data indicating fallout sites, and it was all but certain that the tally of felled cities had reached triple digits. ¡°Arxur fleet, draw as close to the Drezjin ships as you¡¯re able to. These vessels have been engaged for a lengthy duration, so they¡¯ve sustained damage; they¡¯re not at their strongest. We¡¯ll utilize ballistics and point-defense systems, where they¡¯re especially soft,¡± I ordered. On a psychological level, squaring off with an Arxur at close range, where the Feds could see our menacing visages from their viewport into ours, would strike at their already dwindling morale. The rebellion¡¯s cruisers took charge, zipping in on an erratic course to dodge plasma targeting. With my command ship in the rearguard, Kaisal lined up vulnerable targets for our twin plasma railguns; our blinding beam pierced through a Drezjin¡¯s drive compartment, and the subsequent reaction culminated in a staggering explosion. I trusted the sensors station to pick out a new target for weapons to mop up, so as our railguns recharged, I turned my gaze back to the front lines on the viewport. Our cruisers had reached their intended destinations, though a few had been on the receiving end of Drezjin plasma. With our guns breathing down their necks, the prey crews began a hasty course reversal; they were desperate to pad the distance between them and the vicious Arxur. However, backward thrust brought us closer to the slow-moving Malti bombers, which they couldn¡¯t afford to sacrifice. Kalqua would take much longer to lay to waste without the party with the most firepower. A satisfied growl rumbled in my throat, as I watched our rapid-fire kinetics slice through critical components. The Federation crews dispensed their entire caches of combat missiles in an attempt to push us away, though without targeting, the accuracy was lacking. For every four explosives that missed the rebellion craft, one aimed itself in the right direction. Our point defenses picked off some before they could fully orient on us, and with the close proximity, that meant several warheads blew up in the Drezjin¡¯s face. However, I could still see orange fire erupt across a handful of Arxur hulls, alongside the light shows in the void. Tipping the scales in our favor, the volume of lead we were pumping at hostile engines wasn¡¯t deflecting harmlessly; shields were a non-factor at that close of a range. There was only so much force that could be absorbed. Not every bullet stream was enough to incapacitate or implode an enemy, but I was certain it was enough to get the warning bells ringing. ¡°Sir, the message has been passed along to Ilthiss,¡± Lisa piped up. ¡°Do you want to inform the enemy of this development?¡± I narrowed my eyes. ¡°Negative. Let¡¯s keep some¡­meat in the icebox. If we can win this of our own accord, it¡¯s strategically beneficial that the Malti and Drezjin are unaware of the impending assault, yes?¡± ¡°Understood.¡± The toughened exterior the Drezjin were presenting was beginning to crumble back into familiar prey dynamics; the remaining ships began to swerve any direction to escape, in the space version of a stampede. It was every Fed for themselves, with the Malti a long-forgotten objective amidst their haywire instincts. Whatever the humans had said to the Duerten Shield had been enough to get them to play along with our plan, it seemed. The avians had diverted focus to the shadow fleet, trusting the loathsome Arxur to handle the first wave leftovers. I was confident that we could deliver on that promise soon, with the enemy¡¯s deficits in every category. There are other species among those that came at the Kolshians¡¯ request, but these two are the leaders and are sticking together. If their central core collapses, not only will this contingent be lacking in antimatter, but the other species¡¯ following them will likely flee as well. Initiative wasn¡¯t a word that a Federation military seemed to have in their vocabulary. Kaisal had been diligent in finding lone vessels for us to pick off, and now, our entire fleet had a clear angle on our desired targets. The Arxur runt determined that it was time to utilize our missiles; on his command, a barrage booked it toward a trio of Malti bombers. The craft deployed interceptors in the nick of time, but we followed it up with a second barrage. Other rebel warships chipped in, ganging up on targets across the skirmish line. Enemies were being taken out like fires on a rainy night; one after another was puffed out of existence by our combined firepower. The lumbering Malti ships weren¡¯t able to run and save themselves, as the Drezjin had. Their vessels were picked off with cold precision, just as we had dominated them in our past raids. I could feel a tinge of the old powerful feelings, coursing through my veins like motor oil. It felt invigorating to command such a lopsided display, and to recapture the role of savior I¡¯d had on Earth months ago. The other Federation craft saw their ringleaders succumbing to our might, and decided they¡¯d had enough. Kalqua¡¯s extinction was a long-forgotten goal; I watched them beeline toward any open path out of the system. The shadow fleet were on their own against four powers. ¡°Yotul fleet, come in,¡± I barked into my comms link. ¡°We¡¯ve cleared the manned vessels from the system. While they were expendable to the Federation, it lightens the pressure off of you and the Shield. I have a few ships chasing down stragglers and finishing off immobilized hostiles as we speak. How are you faring?¡± The marsupial commander was on the line in an instant. ¡°I¡¯m afraid we¡¯re quite outnumbered, and the Duerten Shield are little more than bodies. That said, the Technocracy can take out a shadow fleet drone in seconds. They can block plasma and standard kinetics real well, but those neverpouched squids are plenty weak to particles moving at 0.98c. We¡¯ve had to absorb a few punches, and most of our ships didn¡¯t have that dispensable outer shell intact after Mileau, but the Terran drones have been acting as a buffer. My feed attributes eight thousand confirmed kills from the three thousand of us¡ªnot too shabby, huh?¡± ¡°Indeed. How many losses have you sustained?¡± ¡°A few hundred Yotul ships down, but the fact we haven¡¯t lost more is thanks to the Terrans. They¡¯ve bled about two thousand drones to preserve our lives. We could use your numbers to keep the near twenty-thousand remaining ships off our tail. The Duerten can¡¯t seem to do much more than sit slack-jawed and watch.¡± ¡°We do not have the capacity to replace our ships that are lost, so we will play only a supporting role. You just need extra guns, yes?¡± ¡°Anything¡¯s better than nothing, Chief Hunter. We can¡¯t be everywhere. You get involved in the picture, and suddenly, assuming you count the Duerten, we have a numerical advantage. As the humans say, we¡¯re in business.¡± ¡°Very well. You¡¯ll have long-range plasma support.¡± ¡°Excellent. Once you arrive into the picture, the Terrans are going to try to convince the Duerten to charge guns-blazing. Humans are damn good talkers and all, but by the purification rites, I wish them sincere luck with that! They¡¯ll need it. Contact us if there¡¯s anything at all you need to relay; otherwise, let¡¯s make some robot calamari.¡± ¡°We are happy to heed that directive. Good fortune, as always.¡± I switched off the line, and rerouted my vessels toward various requests for backup sent by the Technocracy. The other group of rebel craft, dispatched to pick off a separate group of first wave leftovers, had also chased their quarry from the system; that left just the drones of the shadow fleet. I spotted several Kolshian automatons encroaching on Kalqua¡¯s inner sanctum, and watched warheads tumble out of their bellies. Before my watching eyes, a Terran drone flung itself in the path of one missile, sparing a metropolis from a city-leveling dispersion. Unfortunately, the other explosives were jettisoned out of interception range. Since the Duerten were not a Sapient Coalition power, they lacked the missile defense systems that humans had been posting on their affiliated worlds. With more murderous munitions striking Kalqua¡¯s flesh, adding to a tally of detonations that was approaching the second hundred, I vowed to help the Yotul and the Terrans secure the region. The goal of my rebellion was as much to thwart the Kolshians¡¯ aims as the Dominion¡¯s, now; both parties presented a threat to the peaceful coexistence I desired. Chapter 154 Memory transcription subject: Onso, Yotul Technical Specialist Date [standardized human time]: March 9, 2137 Our vessel was in dire need of repairs, after the high-octane firefight that took place inside of our walls. The Kolshians had been rebuffed in most of their boarding attempts, with the Terrans¡¯ superior reflexes and wits providing a massive advantage. However, the enemy had been able to take the bridge on two of our ships, but the UN captains triggered the self-destruct before they could assume control. The primates were defiant to their last breaths, willing to sacrifice themselves to a fiery end if it meant that the bastards couldn¡¯t get their tentacles on our gadgetry. I liked to think that I had a great deal of courage, but I wasn¡¯t certain I could¡¯ve set off the detonation sequence without hesitation, knowing I was still aboard. Human bravery never failed to impress me. Tyler had embraced me in the tightest hug I¡¯d ever received from him, after the ordeal Samantha and I went through. Despite the fact that the intruders had been cleared from our vessel, my exchange partner had been hovering at my side as much as possible. He didn¡¯t make a single jibe about my prior controller-smashing episodes during our gaming sessions; though he¡¯d never get overtly weepy, I was touched to see how terrified he was by the prospect of losing me. I deigned to stick by my brother-in-arms, so we could protect each other going forward. As we docked with a mobile repair gantry that had warped in, I was excited to tour the latest developments in the maintenance department. This entire construct was a novel idea; it allowed ship touchups to be expedited! The bridge would be back in tiptop shape in no time, and I imagined they¡¯d place a permanent seal in the microscopic hull gap I¡¯d patched while we were out. I¡¯d love to pick a Terran engineer¡¯s brain, comparing their knowledge to my own and exchanging opinions on the latest technologies. Likely, the rest of our warship¡¯s crew would¡¯ve found the repair gabbing boring; I almost felt a little bad for Tyler tagging along on my sightseeing expedition. However, I imagined he¡¯d be more miserable worrying about a repeat of the boarding incident than listening to me spew facts like a geyser. ¡°We need to have a talk, Onso,¡± Tyler grumbled, as we descended down the exit ramp into the station¡¯s walkway. ¡°There¡¯s some rumors about you causing trouble on the ship.¡± I perked my ears up, widening my eyes to look innocent. ¡°For the Kolshians?¡± ¡°That look right there is exactly the problem. Sam told me you¡¯ve been doin¡¯ the begging shit to get folks to do stuff for ya. She¡¯s right that you need to knock it off.¡± ¡°Ooh, a scolding from my commanding officer. Worried I¡¯ll turn it on you? You know, I would, if you could cook anything other than instant ramen. Sovlin told me all about your unimpressive efforts.¡± ¡°I know you think it¡¯s fun and games, but listen here. It¡¯s kinda funny, but Onso, you want everyone to treat you equal. That particular stunt is gonna have folks treating you like their fucking pet, and I don¡¯t see you in the same light as my dog Zeus. You don¡¯t wanna align yourself with animal behavior, right? Guy who¡¯s sharp as a whip shouldn¡¯t be seen as anything below that.¡± ¡°Aw c¡¯mon. Maybe I¡¯m sacrificing a little dignity, but a so-called ¡®cuteness overload¡¯ gets humans to do stuff I don¡¯t wanna do.¡± ¡°We already see Yotul as cute by default¡­I just never told you ¡®cause I didn¡¯t wanna insult you. I¡¯d be pissed if someone pinched my cheeks and was like, ¡®Aw, you cutie pie.¡¯¡± I swiveled to face the human, grabbing his cheeks as his blue eyes widened with indignation. ¡°Aw, you cutie pie! Who¡¯s a precious human¡ª¡± Tyler reached out with a hand, yanking on my tail. The Terran tugged with enough force that I yelped and leapt backward; several human crew that passed us openly turned their heads to gawk at the scene. My exchange partner dusted his hands off, a satisfied smirk on his face. I growled at him, and he beckoned with an open palm for the, ¡°Come at me¡± gesture. I considered launching myself at him, hindlegs first, but that might be taking the playfighting a bit too far. With reluctance, my posture shifted to something meeker, and I fell back in at his side. Tyler might be bigger, but I could spar with him. It¡¯d be funny to plant him on his ass with a dropkick; deep down, I genuinely want to try that on a human. ¡°You¡¯re actually the worst. You¡¯re damn lucky we¡¯re bros, and I think you¡¯re cute,¡± the blond human chuckled. ¡°So, as I was saying, if you want to take advantage of our affectionate nature, you can just ask us to do whatever it is you want like a person. We¡¯ll probably still do it, man. In my case, I¡¯d be there if you asked me to ¡®cause I¡¯m your friend. Since you¡¯re my friend, don¡¯t you dare play games with me, you hear?¡± I stuck my snout up high in the air, closing my eyes. ¡°No promises. Or is that an order, sir?¡± ¡°Oh, fuck you. I¡¯m serious, dude.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. I got the message loud and clear.¡± ¡°Good, because there¡¯s more important matters at hand. Sovlin¡¯s cooked up a new name for you, and I swear, the ¡®primitive¡¯ shit is definitely about getting around the jar to spite me at this point. I¡¯m so tempted to tattle on him to his shrink.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll love this. What¡¯s the name? Train lover? Barbarian? Ralchi forbid, taushana?¡± ¡°That last one didn¡¯t translate.¡± ¡°It¡¯s, um¡­a slur toward Rinsians. It means shit-sniffing island savage, thereabouts. Thysunites can¡¯t stand that we¡¯re isolated from their ¡®culture.¡¯ Don¡¯t you ever use that word toward me.¡± ¡°Oh. That kind of name. Got it. Lips are zipped. Sovlin is unaware of that word, I reckon. He¡¯s taken to calling you an a-ta-vist. I fucking hate saying that.¡± ¡°So Sovlin just changed how he calls me a primitive? That¡¯s not so bad. It¡¯s almost a term of endearment. He can¡¯t admit the Yotul who was born without electricity is brighter than him.¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t get that, Onso. I hope you don¡¯t take this the wrong way, but I can¡¯t imagine growing up without electricity or running water. I dunno if I¡¯d even make it; Yotul were damn tough. From where you started, to how quick you learned everything about an interstellar society? It shows you got a good head screwed on your shoulders.¡± ¡°Thanks, I guess. You¡¯d make it, if it was all you knew. You can¡¯t think ¡®the best there is¡¯ is rough.¡± ¡°That checks out. Can¡¯t miss what you don¡¯t got.¡± After jawing off along the way, I spotted a hangar bay where a group of Terrans were clustered around a computer screen, talking animatedly about something. This could be an unparalleled opportunity to discuss my passion with people who shared it, and wouldn¡¯t look down on me for being too ¡°primitive¡± to be considered an academic equal. My tail wagged with happiness, and I bounded away from Tyler without a moment¡¯s notice. The blond human sighed with resignation, before trudging after me. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. A Terran engineer¡¯s head snapped up, and a toothy grin took over his face. ¡°How¡¯s it going? Hey, you¡¯re the Yotul that took out a dozen Kolshians with fire foam, aren¡¯t you? We watched the footage earlier today¡ªyou¡¯re a badass. What can we do for you?¡± ¡°I¡¯d be happy to talk about anything tech-related, if you have time,¡± I replied. ¡°Then you should check out the feeds we¡¯re looking at now. We just launched the biggest fucking cyberattack the Feds have ever seen. Word is, this is Zhao¡¯s sideshow to keep Feddie minions from running to Aafa¡¯s aid. Look and see.¡± Interest showed in Tyler¡¯s gaze; we both coveted news about the war from other fronts. I¡¯d done some light reading on the humans¡¯ forays into digital attacks during the Satellite Wars, but the Treaty of Shanghai put restrictions on cyberwarfare due to its astounding consequences. Under the present circumstances, I didn¡¯t imagine the United Nations was applying the letter of their internal laws to obstinate Federation powers. This could be a unique opportunity to parse why the late 21st century skirmish was so devastating to Earth¡¯s largest countries. I joined the crowd of Terrans, following their directional eyes. The total pandemonium depicted on screen, filmed from hundreds of worlds, was jaw-dropping. Without dropping a single bomb, or even positioning a single ship in orbit, the humans had brought entire societies to a standstill; it looked as though the Federation worlds were on the brink of anarchy. Riots occurred in the streets, despite the supposed certainty that prey weren¡¯t capable of such behavior. I knew from the lessons of the Grain Wars on Leirn that when food was scarce or other basic needs were denied, civilization could break down in a matter of days. What digital assault could have harvested these results? I don¡¯t see a direct correlation between a loss of internet service or a computer network, and blood in the streets. Perhaps the news anchor¡¯s commentary will explain. Detail by detail, the affected technology and its ramifications were expounded upon over our airwaves. Malware had been placed into the power grids of every Federation-allied entity, resulting in mass blackouts; unless the citizens were remotely located and sustained their facilities on independent power sources, this had a variety of rippling effects. In regions tormented by bitter winters, this left homes in near-freezing temperatures, needing to run appliances off limited backup energy stashes¡­for those who had any. Affluent neighborhoods were best prepared to weather the storm, while others had to cultivate fires or head out to shelters for refuge. Hospitals running on minimum power were struggling to fuel their machinery, spawning desperate pleas to military hospital ships to take on patients. The most dire impact of all was the fact that, without refrigeration, entire food stores spoiled; to confound this problem, the humans had also taken out the water mains with their invisible software. Lacking both of the essential building blocks for life, civilians attempted to complete transactions to purchase the remaining supplies at stores. However, the banking system had also been the target of hacking operations. The Terrans drained every credit from each account, and targeted backup servers as well. Without funding to buy food, and with their livelihoods vanished, protestors marched down to their governments¡¯ doorsteps. Many states instituted rations and handouts from what was left of the supply chain, but shelves still ran bare as everyone rushed for morsels of food. ¡°It¡¯s everything,¡± I breathed. ¡°An entire society brought to its knees by the things they took for granted, and depended on electronics to fuel. Bet they wish they had primitive systems now.¡± Few elements of society went untouched; the Terrans were ruthless in going after anything that was tapped into a network. Some military personnel had been tricked into downloading malicious files on their closed system ships, allowing the UN to trigger their self-destruct function from afar. The once-secret FTL comms infrastructure was taken out alongside civilian planetary broadcast systems, which meant the armed forces were left unable to transmit intel. The populace was, likewise, stripped of their ability to receive news, government instructions, or contact their relatives during this time of unrest. The pure genius of humanity¡¯s ploy was undeniable. The Federation¡¯s allies couldn¡¯t come to Aafa¡¯s assistance while there were problems at home, their vulnerable technology was untrustworthy, and communications would be cut off with their command and leadership. Earth would be delusional to attempt to combat over 200 species at once. Now, whatever shadow fleet resources are amassed in the Kolshians¡¯ systems have to fare for themselves. The Commonwealth might have to backpedal their other operations and defend their homeworld. After seeing cyberwarfare in action, I could grasp why the Satellite Wars ravaged Earth¡¯s industrialized nations, punishing them for every advancement they¡¯d made in any field that revolved around technology. Civilians could be caught in the cross-fire, with every facet of their lives unraveling by the invisible hand of a digital threat. It was my new directive to bring this information back to Leirn, assuming humanity wasn¡¯t already collaborating with the Yotul on cyberwarfare strategies and defenses. The Technocracy needed, first and foremost, to safeguard our fledgling systems and ships from such attacks. However, it would also be apt if us primitives uncovered ways to cripple the very advancements the Federation had lorded over our heads. ¡°Would ya look at that? We really fucking did it!¡± Tyler cheered. ¡°I believe we can take Aafa, y¡¯all, just like we took Talsk. This is it. Nikonus Junior, or whoever the fuck their new despot is, will be facing a war tribunal lickety-split.¡± I swished my tail lazily. ¡°I know what you said about not crossing lines. I¡¯ll follow your orders, even if I do see them as soft. But I think the only way to be sure we¡¯re rid of the Feddies is to wipe them out once and for all. There¡¯s no benefits to keeping a source of such evil alive if we have the chance to cap the well.¡± ¡°Bah, we¡¯re all tempted to wipe ¡®em off the map or whatnot. But it¡¯s a bad precedent for us to do that, and it ain¡¯t gonna get the other Feddies to stand down. It won¡¯t let us free Slanek or any civilians that¡¯re under heel too¡ªany kids who ain¡¯t had nothin¡¯ to do with this horseshit. No, we wanna end this war and keep it ended. It doesn¡¯t end by following the same old cycle this whole galaxy¡¯s been on.¡± ¡°They have to pay for what they¡¯ve done, as a collective society! Respectfully, I don¡¯t think it matters if there¡¯s a precedent for washing our paws of a race that has genocided millions. Do you think it was justified to launch this cyberattack against these Federation subordinates?¡± ¡°Well, yeah. Sucks that civilians got wrapped up in it, but it¡¯s an option that saves human lives and ships we don¡¯t got enough of.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t it save human lives to bomb Aafa, and not have to take it by foot?¡± ¡°In the short term. You¡¯ll pay the blood price of the other Feddies fighting to the death. And you also show the rest of the SC races, including the Yotul, that we¡¯re a buncha fuckin¡¯ hypocrites. I¡¯d like us to be the ones who show ¡®em there can be something better. Heroes aren¡¯t heroes on a part-time basis.¡± ¡°I want a peaceful life back on Leirn, helping rebuild my culture. I don¡¯t need to be a hero.¡± ¡°Of course you don¡¯t need to, buddy. You¡¯ll do it because you don¡¯t want the foundation of our peace to be built on sand. You¡¯ll do it because you¡¯ve seen that we¡¯re different, and because, even if it¡¯s just from a science point of view, you think life means something. We¡¯ll do it for each other, ¡®cause we owe it to ourselves and our friends to finish this with dignity.¡± A Terran engineer whistled with appreciation. ¡°That¡¯s a hell of a speech. For what it¡¯s worth, I agree with you. Killing a shit ton of people, or any form of mass punishment, has never fixed or helped anything. Always come back to bite you in the ass.¡± I sighed. ¡°Just out of curiosity¡­would the ¡®puppy dog eyes¡¯ help at all to win this debate?¡± ¡°No! Bad Yotul!¡± Tyler scolded, a disbelieving glint in his eyes. ¡°You can¡¯t beg the UN to let you murk some civvies.¡± ¡°Maybe not, but if a couple of antimatter bombs happened to fall into my control, it wouldn¡¯t be their¡ª¡± ¡°Clearly you¡¯ve seen enough chaos and destruction in HD for one day. I¡¯m taking you back to the ship. That is an order!¡± I struck a pouting posture, while waving a farewell with my tail to the human engineers. This journey hadn¡¯t morphed into the technical conversation I¡¯d craved, but it had lent me insight into an entirely new field of study. I was determined to acquire knowledge on digital vulnerabilities, and tinker with how I could engineer safeguards into Leirn¡¯s grid, in case we ever ended up on the wrong side of someone with cyberwarfare capabilities. With its present deployment against the Federation¡¯s allies, our mission to Aafa suddenly seemed much more feasible. Once our warship was repaired and ready to return to action, it would be up to us to take down the Kolshians through any means necessary. After everything I¡¯d seen in the past few months, I believed that humanity had what it took to win this war. Chapter 155 Memory transcription subject: Chief Hunter Isif, Arxur Rebellion Command Date [standardized human time]: March 10, 2137 Twenty-thousand foes remained active in the system; I wasn¡¯t sure how the Terrans planned to gain the Duerten Shield¡¯s compliance with their plans. If the local remnants, figuring at about half of the invading force¡¯s tally, surged toward the Kolshians, it would make our support much more effective. Their motivation for aggressive action was obvious, with Kalqua rocked by antimatter bombs. Planetary defenses were long since gone, and our rescue operation was the only reason their last remaining forces hadn¡¯t been cut down by overwhelming opposition. The Yotul¡¯s particle beams gave us a chance, especially since they lacked the recharging requirements of plasma weaponry. Enemy drones had invested their focus on the Technocracy¡¯s pesky vessels, giving the Duerten some breathing room. Most of humanity¡¯s drone aid had perished in the initial engagement, protecting life and limb over unbreathing, unfeeling metal. I was pleased that the Duerten hadn¡¯t turned their guns on us or the UN, but I suppose even they weren¡¯t foolish enough to invite extinction. It was easy to claim that it was better not to exist than to ¡°bow to a predator¡¯s whims¡±, when that ultimatum wasn¡¯t staring an herbivore in the face. Self-preservation was an instinct that transcended all classes of lifeforms. With the Malti, Drezjin, and other Federation subsidiaries driven out by us, there was hope of keeping some of Kalqua¡¯s infrastructure intact. I winced, thinking what percentage of the populace lived in the cities that had already been hit. Per my documents, the last census data suggests a population of about six and a half billion, including foreigners on work visas or diplomatic stays. It¡¯s a smaller number than the amount of people on Earth, largely due to the constant casualties brought on by this endless war. It was important to take inventory of exactly what was transpiring around my command ship. Through the near-microscopic dots Kaisal had highlighted, I could glimpse human nanodrones on the fly. The Duerten Shield seemed to lack a strategy with their remaining ships, with every unit operating out of independent desperation. The Yotul were being hounded by any drone that could burn toward them, and could only fend off so many guns-blazing foes, even with exemplary flying. It was obvious where our plasma support was best spent. If humanity¡¯s manned ships had taken on automatons in prior engagements, there was no reason Arxur crews couldn¡¯t hold our own too. It would reflect poorly on my abilities as a commander if we couldn¡¯t drive the Kolshians out in one fell swoop. ¡°Focus plasma on targets who are in pursuit of the Yotul. Save our missiles for any Kolshians who come for us,¡± I ordered. Kaisal narrowed his eyes. ¡°Understood, sir. I¡¯ve forwarded a handful of possible targets that are almost in range of our weapons.¡± Lisa looked up from her spot beside Bondarenko. ¡°Sir, if I may, I¡¯ve been informed that the Duerten have been persuaded to charge the enemy.¡± ¡°All our ducks are in a row. It happens right now, all at once. We¡¯ll be throwing everything but the kitchen sink at them!¡± Oleksiy declared, with a chipper grin. ¡°Everything but the kitchen sink?¡± The idiom didn¡¯t compute with me, and I figured I could attempt to utilize human levity to build ¡°rapport¡± with my crew. If I was going to bring Arxur back to our old ways, and I couldn¡¯t learn from Vysith, it would behoove me to replicate the Terrans¡¯ bedside manner. ¡°That saying does not make sense. Why would we be throwing a faucet tool in a space battle? Is this a remark on using anything as a weapon?¡± ¡°Well, not that we wouldn¡¯t; you know, there were secret programs to use cats as acoustic listening devices! This saying was popularized during our second world war, or so I hear. Anything usable went to the war efforts, so I guess it took off then.¡± ¡°I regret ever asking to learn more about your inane rationale. Let me know if the United Nations has anything useful to impart, rather than using confusing excerpts about household appliances.¡± ¡°Uh, yes sir. It is about to get serious, for sure. You could say we¡¯re about to go out of the frying pan, into the fire.¡± ¡°You think it¡¯s funny to use this idiom after I warned you, yes? You¡¯re lucky your government would not tolerate me breaking your ankles like I did Kaisal¡¯s.¡± The Arxur grunt winced, drawing his tail closer. ¡°Do not remind me¡­sir. Given that humans must char their food, and their culture, like ours, revolves around meat-eating, it computes that kitchenware is a priceless contributor to their daily lives. I can see why the Duerten would be relegated to the kitchen sink; as incompetent herbivores without a shred of common sense, I do not expect their charge to be useful or deliver on its promised effects.¡± ¡°A bunch of inadequate resources together may be enough, is that not correct? The Terrans must have completed a similar assessment in their stratagems. We are to save the herbivores and do our part, lest we look to be bumbling idiots like the Duerten.¡± ¡°Understood. I¡¯m on it.¡± Our weapons station was attempting to lock onto a Kolshian drone, utilizing the data that Kaisal had forwarded. Several captains in the rebel fleet were coordinating their fire, cultivating synchronicity to deal massive damage once we drew within range. The Yotul were clever enough to keep just ahead of the enemy pursuers, and to slowly loop toward us on an indirect path; they were routing the Federation fleet toward us, which would make it easier to get a crack at our targets. Power was diverted away from non-essential systems aboard my command vessel, ensuring that our initial volley was sizzling with intensity. The dazzling flashes of thousands of plasma beams, fired off in unison, was an impressive display of control. The robots could dodge through some of the plasma, calculating the munitions¡¯ intended course and abruptly twirling out of the way. However, that meant they had to ease up on their pursuit of the Technocracy vessels; the Yotul were ready to bombard them with particle beams, as quickly as their weaponry would allow. The Duerten had also diverted most of their remaining ships into a formation advance, and were using ¡°everything but the kitchen sink¡±: that is, they were using whatever weapons they had left over from the prolonged engagement. Kaisal had ordered our weapons station to hold their fire, and only now granted the permission to annihilate a target. With the Kolshians being pressed on all sides, our chosen target was paying no mind to any rebel fleet follow-up. I see the point of bringing the Duerten Shield forward. On their own, they pack very little claw strength, but with the drones ignoring them in favor of greater threats, they can choose their marks unimpeded. The slim number of remaining Terran drones had drifted away from the Yotul¡¯s side, as we stepped into the fold. Humanity¡¯s computer-piloted fleet mobilized beside the Duerten Shield, protecting their remnants in the scarce cases they were fired upon. My best guess was that the UN didn¡¯t want the Duerten to start sustaining heavy losses, and crumble with their already frazzled nerves. The brazen charge wouldn¡¯t hold if they started dropping like prey. I waited with impatience for our plasma railguns to recharge, wanting to pin down the Kolshians before they could craft an evasion strategy. The Terran nanodrones I¡¯d spotted on the sensors earlier zipped toward any Kolshian drones who had resumed their pursuit of the Yotul; I could see that a few dozen Technocracy ships had been on the receiving end of missile barrages, from debris scattered in the void. The microscopic human automatons pounced on the enemy¡¯s lack of shielding, and I watched one swarm ram itself into a foe¡¯s thrusters. While it wasn¡¯t as decisive as a reactor strike, it was enough to immobilize the drone. A Duerten Shield vessel moseyed in to mop it up, as even those foolish avians could take down a paralyzed target. ¡°Kaisal, how many more drones do you expect we need to kill before their algorithms recognize they¡¯ve lost?¡± I asked. Lisa shifted on her feet. ¡°If I may interject, I think it¡¯s not so simple. The shadow fleet has the kind of numbers that losses aren¡¯t their concern. Should the algorithms assess that the battle is lost, I imagine they¡¯ll shift their focus to taking out as many souls on Kalqua as possible before going down. This has always been about teaching the Duerten a lesson.¡± ¡°Their aim was to engineer the complete eradication of the species that defied them, so I cannot argue against your conclusion. My question to the runt¡ªto Kaisal, stands. What¡¯s the number where it¡¯s decided that all is lost?¡± The scrawny Arxur lashed his tail. ¡°In my estimation, we have already crossed that threshold, sir. Between the Yotul, us, and the Duerten Shield scoring kills, I count 6500 fallen enemies. If there¡¯s anything the calamari wanted to try, they have to make that push while they still have numbers.¡± I squinted at the viewport, assessing where a push might come from. Several shadow fleet drones had ramped up the pressure on Technocracy vessels, despite understanding it left them vulnerable to the three species covering the Yotul. Another contingent was feinting toward the Duerten homeworld, knowing full well that the Terrans would ram automatons into their foes if needed, to stop them from drawing close enough. The final break-off group I spotted was waltzing into our crosshairs, right into the waiting missiles that we¡¯d conserved to avoid such a head-on assault. Between all of those ostensible last-ditch efforts, there was a small number of hostiles that were unaccounted for. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! With the Duerten closing in on the Kolshians from the planet¡¯s direction, the Terrans functioning as a middle man, and us backing up the Yotul on headings from the system¡¯s outer bounds, that left a single avenue of possibility. The only path to slip away was to blaze off horizontally, while locking the other engagements into a limited area. It was difficult to detect which direction they would¡¯ve chosen, with the craft having escaped visual range; debris, course data, and a slew of active weapons were drowning out sensor leads in a sea of information. Rather than allowing the Kolshians to dilute our senses, we needed to filter out the irrelevant matters. I hurried over to the sensors station to preside over the full array, and moved Kaisal out of the way without explanation. Despite grasping that it would leave us blind to a target lock, I switched off all data correlating to in-flight weapons. My next subset to subtract was anything less than half of a ship length, even though that would entail manual spotting to avoid flying into debris or friendly nanodrones. It still remained difficult to parse a particular group of renegades from their buddies, so I resorted to removing all vessels which had been marked as friendly. It was less than ideal to not know our partners¡¯ vectors, on top of not viewing their weapons¡¯ trajectories. However, if my theory was correct, we had little time to mitigate the shadow fleet¡¯s plan to double the casualties on Kalqua. I pointed with a claw to faint energy readings. ¡°Peel back. See these readings here? The shadow fleet snuck some ships off that way, to bomb Kalqua. Send our fastest craft after them!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll send word to the United Nations,¡± Lisa chimed in. ¡°They¡¯ll be responsible for filling in the Duerten Shield, who I¡¯m sure have been so pleasant to work with.¡± Oleksiy narrowed his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll tell the Yotul, though I don¡¯t imagine they have a hope of intercepting ships that are closer to us. We have to stop the squids! Each drone probably only has one antimatter bomb aboard, but if there¡¯s a few hundred ships that¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡°We do learn arithmetic on Wriss, contrary to common beliefs. That would induce more city hits than they¡¯ve already racked up in the sum of the battle. Over a billion more dead. Unlike Kalsim¡¯s fools, the Kolshians have been strategic enough to take out key military strongholds and seats of government across Kalqua already, so now, it¡¯ll be pure population.¡± ¡°The Duerten will have a fraction of their former power. As is, they may lose the deciding stake in their Shield alliance,¡± Lisa postulated. ¡°That might be for the best, except that they¡¯re a driving force in hating the Federation. Plus, their manufacturing capacity is second-to-none in their little group.¡± ¡°We cannot afford to lose virtually all of their major urban centers, yes? The fastest ships in the rebel fleet have already received a communique to pursue this vector, but we will trail behind to supervise. Divert all power to propulsion.¡± Kaisal squinted. ¡°With respect, sir, we cannot hope to catch them in a ship of our size. I do not know that our speediest vessels can catch them.¡± ¡°I did not specify thrusters. Lisa, your job is to get us in touch with the Duerten Shield, through the UN. Charge our warp drive through the standard, stationary protocol, and coordinate a fraction of a second for us to warp to their intended destination. My hope is that we are in-and-out, before the Kolshians notice the opportunity. Get a small enough number of our other warships to jump at the same time, but not enough that the drones notice we¡¯re prepping for warp and become wise to it.¡± Peacekeeper Reynolds ducked her head. ¡°I¡¯m on it, sir. I¡¯ll coordinate with navigations.¡± ¡°Pardon my audacity for asking questions, domineering Chief Hunter, but if we¡¯re catching up through FTL, why are you sending the speediest ships after them at sublight velocities?¡± the Arxur runt spoke up. ¡°It¡¯s a mere diversion, Kaisal, so that they think we¡¯re going after them in that hopeless fashion.¡± I paced back to the captain¡¯s station, allowing him to resume full control over the sensors hub. ¡°What do the prey accuse us of so often? It¡¯s a ruse.¡± The gravity disturbances of the FTL disruptors were preventing warp travel now; if the Kolshians realized that they¡¯d have an opportunity to slip into subspace, that would allow them to poke their units directly through to orbital range. It was quintessential that they wouldn¡¯t have the slightest clue of our intentions, and that the field was reasserted as soon as it was opened. This might mean we¡¯d be thrown back into realspace the hard way, but despite the unpleasant variables, this was the only hope of catching the Kalqua-bound bomb-toters. It was a necessary gambit for the continuance of the Duerten as a galactic power. This entire rescue mission was a pointless waste of resources if this doesn¡¯t succeed, beyond the senseless loss of life that would mirror an Arxur raid. I hoped to never see a planet come to that again, so this must work. As we stalled in position, protected at the far reaches of the rebel fleet, I watched the warp drive uncoil suitably to chart a path. If I had time to process what was unfolding, I might¡¯ve even been nervous, despite my immense battle experience. However, it was over before I realized it had started; my command ship lurched into subspace, before our violent expulsion as the disruptors went back up near instantaneously. In that sliver of time which was imperceptible to any lifeform, we¡¯d punched our ticket ahead of the shadow fleet¡¯s path. Our warship could stand in the path of the incoming, bomb-bearing foes. The havoc the FTL disruptors wreaked on our biology wasn¡¯t something that could be trained away. The sudden transition confounded the senses: the skin wrapped around my brain felt too tight, my ears bore the sensation of being turned inside out as deafening bells rang within, my body temperature was climbing like I was under a sun-lamp, and my eyes were projecting psychedelic patterns onto everything I saw. An unspeakable level of vertigo made it difficult to think, let alone direct my equally-dazed soldiers to battle stations. The humans had turned flushed shades of red, and were on the floor struggling to coordinate movements. A growl rumbled in my throat, as I leaned against my station with the full force of my weight. ¡°Divert power¡­back to weapons,¡± I huffed. ¡°MOVE!¡± A weapons technician slumped against the buttons, managing to move a paw that weighed a ton to the needed buttons. He collapsed with exhaustion after completing the sequence, and I swiveled my slowly-normalizing vision back to Kaisal. The Arxur runt was on his knees; judging by the concerned look in his eyes, he couldn¡¯t read the overlay. I tried to consult my own, but the dots all bled together through the blur. My eyelids squeezed shut in merciful darkness for a few seconds, and I sucked in measured breaths. My gaze snapped back open with renewed focus, allowing me to gauge the situation. The Kolshian drones were mere seconds from arriving, so I hoped that my crew could shake off the FTL disruptors'' effects in the next few moments. To my surprise, there were a small handful of Terran drones and Duerten Shield vessels that had made the jump with us, forsaking their counterparts for the good of Kalqua. At least the friendly automatons couldn¡¯t be shaken by the transitional effects on biologics. The rebels on my bridge got their tails back into motion, and tended to the now-ready plasma railgun. We had to throw everything we had at the shadow fleet. I straightened with pride, despite how much that segue had taken out of me. ¡°Arxur are the finest warriors in the galaxy. We stop them here. We stop the Federation here!¡± Confident growls echoed across the bridge, as my followers tapped into their strength reserves. The Duerten Shield still looked a bit listless, so their fire might be a bit behind our initial volley. Kaisal zoomed in on a Kolshian drone, and with startling efficiency, our plasma weapon fired. Two other rebel friendlies targeted the same vessel from different angles, making evasion improbable. The automaton fired off a desperate stream of missiles before it was blasted into oblivion; Terran robots deployed a stream of interceptors to neutralize that parting gift. I didn¡¯t wait for the light of the reactor explosion to die down, before ordering weapons to unleash the missiles that we¡¯d been preserving to save our own hides. The meandering Duerten Shield caught on enough to dump every missile they had at the oncoming enemies, since that was an easy task to complete. Terran drones forged ahead of us, cruising along vectors that put them on collision courses. Despite the contentious resistance, the Federation were getting close to orbital range of Kalqua. The fractional contingent of craft we warped here had to put a swift end to the few hundred shadow fleet bogeys. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d be fighting side-by-side with leaf-licking apes and the Duerten Shield,¡± I muttered to myself, before bellowing orders at a pitch where my crew could hear. ¡°However fast is the quickest you can get that plasma gun online, I want it done faster! Throw ¡®everything but the kitchen sink¡¯ at them; if we have it in stock, use it.¡± Zhao will definitely have to afford us some maintenance and restocking after this escapade. Our resources are limited, and now depleted. Our interceptors were repurposed to be hurled at the drones, hoping that anything that landed would hinder their approach. The Duerten Shield had finally brought their plasma guns alive, and were spitting off beams in defense of Kalqua. The shadow fleet dispensed shield-breaking missiles of their own across our joint line, before returning another round of plasma, tailored toward the Duerten ships. I saw that, with the small number of ships we had in their way, our enemy intended to push through our weakest link. Three craft might fall, but one making it through would lend consolation to them. There had been a negligible number of Terran drones to protect the Duerten from their folly, and the Arxur rebel fleet was otherwise occupied with targets of our own. After running the mental math in my head, it was clear to me that we couldn¡¯t stop every planetbound vessel alone; we had to handle what was in front of us. Due to the efforts I¡¯d led, my forces were cutting down two hundred-odd ships that would¡¯ve ravaged the planet. It spared Kalqua the majority of the damage, but despite our heroic victory approaching certainty, it wasn¡¯t possible here to save the Homogeneity from a few final losses. The Duerten Shield failed to hold their defensive line, and the Kolshian drones broke through the final stretch to orbital range above the inhabited world. The Duerten pivoted in desperation, with a few desperate enough to save their loved ones that they mimicked the actions of the Terran drones¡ªramming into the bombers. Though most hostiles became easy pickings, due to taking no actions to protect themselves, about five dozen enemies made it through to their destination. Plasma beams and missiles struck true against the genocidal metal hunks, but it was too late. The Shield tossed kinetics at the antimatter payloads, hoping against hope to strike the fast-moving warheads, yet knowing it wouldn¡¯t work. In rote silence, my claws switched onto the comms channel, to hear the Yotul declaring they were cleaning up the last remaining Kolshian hostiles back at the warp point. A dark part of my soul almost admired how the shadow fleet sacrificed thousands in a losing battle to increase their casualty count. Our intervention had saved the Duerten from total extinction, and it was an effort that would garner respect from the United Nations. It remained to be seen how this would affect relations between the Homogeneity and the Sapient Coalition, but it might even open the birds¡¯ minds to cordial relations. However, as sixty-plus antimatter bombs delved into Kalqua¡¯s atmosphere, I couldn¡¯t feel any sense of triumph. Today was another bleak mark on the Federation¡¯s bloodstained history in this galaxy. Chapter 156 Memory transcription subject: Governor Tarva of the Venlil Republic Date [standardized human time]: March 16, 2137 The election required a colossal effort across Venlil territory to ensure that each voter¡¯s voice was heard. The digitization of the election campaigns meant that votes could be cast electronically, in the privacy of their homes, and well in advance of the opening of physical polls. Several identifiers, including biomarkers, were used to verify their identity; early votes could be changed at any time up to the closing of the ballot collection. However, in the interests of not singling out anyone with connectivity problems or who couldn¡¯t access an electronic device, in-person voting facilities were open on the big week. Many citizens preferred being part of the herd, and exercising their civic rights among a crowd. The results from the large percentage of online voters would be accessible almost instantly, but physical votes from each city, outpost, or colony had to be forwarded by local governments. I hadn¡¯t felt this nervous during my first election, yet the uncertainty of who would emerge victorious today gnawed at me. Polls were indecisive, with turnout from certain demographics likely to play a major part in who was victorious. A major setback was that most human citizens had been barred from participating in the election, which could¡¯ve pushed me over the edge. The soul of Skalga was at stake, in my opinion, and I wasn¡¯t sure how much of our progress Veln could reverse if he took office. His isolationism would bring us further away from humanity at the worst possible time. I¡¯ve done everything I can with social media outreach and campaign ads. I¡¯ve visited every major city, and run myself ragged going to rural villages and colonies where my popularity is¡­subpar. Any voters I could sway in Veln¡¯s strongholds would increase my chances. With the polls due to close in only a few minutes, I found myself watching a compilation of attack ads that Veln had spent significant money circulating on the airwaves and the internet. It wasn¡¯t as if I was innocuous on this front; I¡¯d gone after his meteoric rise as the nominated challenger, claiming he gained the most signatures by inflating his accomplishments within a small colony¡¯s government. ¡°Veln isn¡¯t ready to handle the responsibility of all Venlilkind,¡± my tagline had proclaimed. I did see my opponent as clever, but someone who lacked a moral backbone or a good vision for our future. My rival was clever enough to claim his platform worked on any scale he¡¯d tackled so far, and slammed my policies by clipping out-of-context quotes. ¡°Tarva has proven that she cannot handle the responsibility for Venlilkind. Her unilateral decisions have given you no say in your future,¡± the ad narrator declared, as images of predator disease patients being led out of facilities by humans played on screen. ¡°She takes her ideas straight from the new predators. This was her claim about humans¡¯ knowledge of predator disease.¡± A clip of me from the debate played on-screen. ¡°They have a better idea than we do of what¡¯s actually predator behavior.¡± ¡°Do you want a puppet leader that trusts humanity¡¯s judgment over our own? Do you think predators have better ideas than us?¡± The footage showed my rival touring an exterminators¡¯ guild on his colony, and signing documents. ¡°Veln is not a follower. He¡¯s a leader who will listen to what the people want. You know who to vote for.¡± I leaned away from Noah on the couch, and held the remote out of his reach as he tried to cut the feed. Glim seemed apathetic from his position in a reclining chair; the rescue had been taken off my last campaign stops, despite how useful he would be to court the exterminator vote. In his current state, he would¡¯ve done more harm than good to my message. It would look like the Terrans were coercing him into supporting me. The next ad in the compilation rolled, going after me on my ties to Earth again. ¡°While Tarva was running around, chasing the human ambassador, Veln was working for his constituents. Listen to her own words about how much of her policies and recent efforts have centered around Earth,¡± a different narrator read. My eyes were narrowed with indignance on screen. ¡°We¡¯ve been through many stressful situations together, from nearly getting shot down en route to Aafa, to our efforts to stop the genocide of Earth, to working hand-in-paw with the cattle rescues that my government and his bargained for the release of, and now to our collaboration for the Summit.¡± ¡°Not only did Tarva admit to negotiating with the Arxur, a true predator scourge that eats our children¡ªand ate her own¡ªshe also listed all her accomplishments as things on humanity¡¯s agenda. There is no difference between our planets under her leadership.¡± Behind the narrator¡¯s words, images played of me running with Meier and Noah, as humans stampeded and smoke rose in the background. ¡°By her own admission on the debate stage, your goods will cost more because of higher value-added taxes to fund these adventures. And for all of that, the question remains: what has she done for you? Is your planet better now than it was six years ago?¡± The clip ended with the words Vote Veln. No More Federations. flashing atop a picture of my rival holding a baby Venlil. I couldn¡¯t deny that he was excellent at the political game, and it made me seethe. Noah didn¡¯t want me to wind myself up, pouncing toward me to grab my wrist. He pried the remote from my grasp, and switched it over to a livestream of a news channel. The human winked, before pointing to a clock on the mantle. I flicked my ear in acknowledgment, hearing activity through my campaign headquarters. My diplomatic advisor, Cheln, peeked his head. ¡°Right on time. The polls have closed. I prepared speeches for both outcomes, ma¡¯am, and sent them to your holopad.¡± ¡°Thank you. Whatever happens, it¡¯s been an honor working with you,¡± I acknowledged. ¡°How are the exit polls looking?¡± ¡°Depends on the jurisdiction. You¡¯re polling poorly in rural areas, colonies, or the places with the strongest exterminator guilds. Dayside City is leaning toward you, which is good.¡± Noah bared his teeth. ¡°Think good thoughts, Tarva. You have a heart of gold; they¡¯d be silly not to re-elect you.¡± ¡°Maybe. We both know the amount of change I¡¯ve brought has put me in a precarious position. The polls seem to have slid toward him since the debate; I thought I did well, but those sound bites about humans are hurting me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯ve stood up for us, even when it¡¯s not easy. What do you think, Glim?¡± The rescue offered a blank stare. ¡°I think we¡¯re going to lose. Not because people all hate humans, but because people hate how Tarva is way too close to you. And they¡¯re right. You two literally bite each other¡¯s faces.¡± Cheln pinned his ears back against his head. ¡°Wait, what?¡± ¡°Glim¡¯s not well. You¡¯re dismissed, Cheln,¡± I said hastily. The diplomatic advisor couldn¡¯t depart from the room soon enough, and he rejoined the larger crowd assembled around a massive screen in the lobby. I would be there when the results were expected to be known, but in this election, it could come down to the wire. Noah seemed aggravated at Glim, despite the fact that the sweet human rarely showed anger toward any Venlil. Even his patience had limits, though he forgot about the rescue¡¯s snide remarks as his eyes darted to our television set. The Terran beamed and pecked me on the cheek, as the 64% who voted early had tilted 50.8% in my favor, compared to Veln¡¯s 49.2%. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! However, I knew better than to celebrate this early, with it being this close and the rural villages being the ones that skewed toward in-person ballot casting. It would¡¯ve been preferable if my margin here was wider, rather than depending on the last third of the votes to be favorable. I cozied up to the astronaut with unspeakable weariness, shooting a warning look at Glim not to mouth off again. After the unfathomable stress of the past few months, I wasn¡¯t sure I was ready for this claw-biting, long night waiting for results to come in across our space. --- Dayside City, the capital and home of the most humans on Skalga, was among the first provinces to send results. 65% of the in-person voters called for my re-election, though I wasn¡¯t sure how much I should read into that. The ones who were Terran dissidents had long since moved out of the city, so if anything, it was discouraging that nearly a third had sided with Veln. Other major cities turned out even less promising results, with me narrowly holding the physical votes in almost all, except for Tonalu City skewing 53.4% toward my opponent. That still padded my lead, and Noah seemed ready to take a victory lap. I respected his optimism. I don¡¯t know why, but I¡¯ve had a bad feeling about this election since the day began. Maybe it¡¯s just my nerves¡­internally, I¡¯m not confident I have the support of my people. Even if I do win, it¡¯s clear from these margins that the planet is divided. That was the last good news we¡¯d had in the evening. Rural villages like Celgel Falls, home to Glim¡¯s aunt, poured in their tepid amounts of votes, but several skewed around the 75% mark in Veln¡¯s favor. While one small settlement wouldn¡¯t have been enough to make a dent in my lead of millions, together, they were eating into the metropolitan vote. These people had always been traditionalists, and were known to be less than cordial with human refugees; lack of interaction with Terrans meant they never had the opportunity to change their minds. ¡°You can¡¯t win them all,¡± Noah had said, trying to massage the tension from my shoulders. The issue was that I wasn¡¯t winning any, and that my campaign efforts in those areas didn¡¯t seem to have stopped the bleeding. It was a blowout in every single village, which I could imagine Veln feeling the swing of momentum. The colonies only lowered the gap further, and the numbers made my heart plummet. My opponent had been actively ferrying voters on his home colony, Milna, to the polls, and even been on one of those transports himself to plead his case in his already strongest territory. I thought it had been a foolish play, since he already had their votes as a popular governor, but rehashing his beloved tenure paid dividends. Milna was one of the last colonies to report their totals because they nearly doubled a record in-person turnout; Veln was seen as their candidate. ¡°Veln is a hometown hero who hasn¡¯t forgotten his roots, if you ask voters on Milna,¡± Jonek had announced on the election coverage broadcast. ¡°Off of Venlil Prime¡¯s soil, she¡¯s seen as the Governor of humans. Perhaps it would¡¯ve been wise to distance herself more from the UN.¡± Not good. Colonies never feel attached to affairs of the homeworld, but even ones without Veln the visitor are bringing turnout. They have a stake in the humans¡¯ arrival, and the ones who don¡¯t are no more inclined to vote than past elections. My numerical advantage had been millions away from my opponent, and seemed insurmountable to Noah, had shrunk to a sliver as the night progressed. The rural villages whittled down my advantage to half of its original count; the unexpected turnout at Milna was the start of a continuing skid. By the time all colonies had reported, my lead was at a mere 493 votes. I fielded calls from the UN Secretary-General wishing me luck and thanking me for everything I¡¯d done for humanity, which I think was Zhao¡¯s way of saying they thought there was a good chance I might lose. The Earthlings must be scrambling to figure out how to deal with a possible Governor Veln, and they didn¡¯t want to spring goodbyes on me if I was unseated. Jonek perked his ears as the camera, as the news broadcast returned from a break. ¡°Hello! If you¡¯re tuning in expecting us to hear who the new Governor of Skalga is, we have one province outstanding¡ªthe science settlement of Eliga, which has been under sandstorm conditions and is just making contact now. I¡¯m told we can expect results from them in a few minutes. What an election it¡¯s been! Polling in Eliga has been a tossup, and it wasn¡¯t visited by Tarva or Veln: this could go either way.¡± ¡°We should go outside with the others,¡± Noah whispered. ¡°Governor or not, I¡¯ll always love you.¡± I wrapped my prosthetic tail around his wrist. ¡°I love you too. If I had to do everything all over again, the only thing I¡¯d change is sending that distress signal in the first place. We¡¯ll get through this.¡± ¡°Of course we will! Worst that happens is you retire from public service, and we get to run off together like I¡¯ve imagined for months. That¡¯s not so terrible, right?¡± ¡°It is what I want, but humanity needs me in charge of Skalga, to preserve our close alliance.¡± ¡°The Venlil can¡¯t go back completely, love. You gave us a chance, you made sure millions of people who never would¡¯ve thought about dealing with predators did the same, and you saved our species to boot. You¡¯ve done so much; we couldn¡¯t ask any more. Don¡¯t worry about humans, because you¡¯ve done more than your part on our behalf.¡± Emotion swelled in my throat, as I marched toward the doorway to enter the lobby with the rest of the staff. These could be my last moments as the leader of Skalga; regardless of what Noah said, I felt responsible for the efficacy of my campaign strategies. How could I justify keeping our relationship quiet to maintain my office if I lost my position to a populist charmer like Veln? How could I have any say in decisions affecting millions of Terran refugees on this planet? I cared about what happened to the Earthlings; that was the sole reason I sought re-election at all¡ªfor their sake. Noah glanced over his shoulder toward Glim. ¡°Do you want to come with us, and watch the results with the group? We¡¯d love for you to join us.¡± ¡°No,¡± the rescue mumbled. ¡°Why not? You were a part of this team as much as anyone else.¡± ¡°I helped Tarva because I owed her my life¡­not b-because I think she¡¯s a fitting Governor. A real Venlil wouldn¡¯t have argued for¡­f-for an Arxur to speak at the Summit. I hope Veln wins.¡± I flinched at that sudden admission from the cattle rescue. How could he oppose my candidacy, after my policies freed millions like him from abhorrent conditions? I had volunteered to help with the reintroduction program because I cared about these mistreated Venlil. A scowl took over my astronaut¡¯s features, and his fist clenched beneath my coiled tail. Noah didn¡¯t speak another word to Glim, instead hurrying out with me to the lobby. I tried to clear that exchange from my mind, but the sinking feeling that plagued me all day had reached its crescendo. I didn¡¯t have a good feeling about how the votes from Eliga would shake out in my gut. ¡°Ma¡¯am.¡± Kam flicked his ears in acknowledgement, as we fell in beside him and Cheln. ¡°The moment of truth. I¡¯ve argued on behalf of your policies, even when I didn¡¯t agree with them. You couldn¡¯t have been more right about humans. I¡¯m proud to have served your administration.¡± ¡°Thank you, General,¡± I whispered. ¡°Thank you for your service to our planet. Let¡¯s save the goodbyes or congratulations for after we hear the results, though.¡± ¡°Copy that.¡± An eerie silence overtook the lobby area, as dozens of staffers saw Jonek scan some new information off screen. The Venlil journalist took a moment to prepare himself, savoring the suspense of the ultimate verdict. The knowing glint in his eyes confirmed that the results of the election were known, before he ever said a word. Eliga flashed orange to signify that it had been tallied on the visual aid map; all we needed was to hear the counts that would usher me into a second term, or elect a new Governor in my stead. It was all I could do not to bury my eyes in Noah¡¯s chest, and press my paws over my ears to avoid hearing. The impending news was almost too much to bear. Jonek cleared his throat. ¡°Eliga has submitted its votes, and with the last outstanding province in, Dayside News Feed can now declare the new Governor-elect. After winning the city¡¯s vote by a percentage of 54.6%, the 103rd Governor of the Venlil homeworld will be¡­¡± The journalist paused for dramatic effect, and my breath hitched in my throat. The election would be delivered with his next words, signaling what the voters had chosen for the future of Skalga. I hoped that, whatever decision they had reached, it would turn out well for both the Venlil people and our sincerest allies. Chapter 157 Memory transcription subject: Tarva, Exiting Governor of the Venlil Republic Date [standardized human time]: March 17, 2137 Jonek straightened his ears, and pronounced the name of the next governor. ¡°¡­Veln.¡± My campaign had ended with the dramatic loss of my title; I¡¯d given my concession speech in a daze, and issued thanks to the United Nations¡¯ people for all the work we¡¯d done together. With nothing left to lose over our secret, Ambassador Noah and I stood hand in paw at my desk, as I prepared to hand over the governor¡¯s duties to Veln. My most trusted advisors were also present, though Glim was a no-show after his barbed words yesterday. When I¡¯d tried to broach the subject with my human astronaut, he''d deflected, saying he was concerned about how I was handling the loss. I believed that was a true statement, but Noah clearly was furious at Glim¡¯s opinionated outburst toward me. It was customary for some staff from previous administrations to be kept on, if they were viewed as competent in their duties; Cheln had been a holdover from the previous organization to me. Military advisors like Kam would¡¯ve had a better shot at sticking around, had the Venlil general not been a strong proponent of the human alliance. It remained to be seen how firebrand Veln would be as the man-in-charge, and how thoroughly he would cash in his campaign promises. The governor-elect strolled into his office, having given an acceptance speech I didn¡¯t bother to watch on the reception lawn. I can be gracious in defeat, even if I¡¯m worried about what will happen to our alliance with the humans. Veln can¡¯t undo all the progress we¡¯ve made, after we¡¯re in this deep. The people spoke, and they didn¡¯t have faith in my agenda¡­so I didn¡¯t deserve to win. Veln wrapped up his speech to arrive in my office with exact promptness, on the dot for when the highest seat in Skalga was officially his. Away from where the cameras were rolling, he was all business; there was a shrewdness in his eyes, though he made a point not to acknowledge Noah and I¡¯s intertwined grips. The new governor took the long way around the desk, to avoid passing us as a couple, and leaned back in the chair. He flicked his ears in satisfaction, and gestured to the recently cleared off desk as though imagining where his personal possessions would go. He then took inventory of the advisors that showed their faces, before finally speaking. ¡°You. You should consider yourself relieved of your position,¡± the former colony governor spoke, indicating to Noah with his tail. ¡°I want a real diplomat from the United Nations here. Someone who can talk policies, negotiate our disagreements, and represent your government on a technical level. I know humans have people like that.¡± Ambassador Williams offered a tight smile. ¡°I¡¯ll reach out to them. Someone from the embassy staff will be in contact within the day.¡± ¡°Good. But don¡¯t go yet, because there¡¯s more to that message¡ªsome of what I tell Cheln may apply to you. My diplomatic advisor will do much more legwork than under the previous administration; are you up for that, Cheln? Do you want to stay on?¡± Cheln gave me an apologetic ear flick. ¡°Sir, I¡¯d be happy to continue to serve the governor¡¯s office.¡± ¡°Very good. Then I want several orders on my desk today, so start taking notes and preparing papers for my signature, press releases, and social media posts. Yes, I do understand the last one isn¡¯t your job, but I want a cohesive communication strategy. You¡¯re going to work with my online presence manager so we¡¯re on the same page.¡± ¡°Understood, Governor Veln.¡± ¡°Okay, my first order¡­businesses and municipalities have the right to require visors for binocular-eyed individuals.¡± I couldn¡¯t hold in my gasp of outrage, at the thought of humans being forced to conceal their eyes on our streets. It was better than Veln attempting to throw the Terran refugees off our worlds and revoke their citizenship, but this insulted a piece of their very existence: implying that they were offensive to look at. Such an infringement on the rights of human residents who were equal under the law, singling them out for eye placement, made my prosthetic tail stiffen with fury. How much damage could this do to our alliance with Earth? How would I feel, out on a date with Noah, if he was forced to wear a visor? I remember how the external pressure to hide the predatory aspects of his appearance caused him to devalue his own worth on Aafa. I won¡¯t let anyone hurt Noah: not even the rightful governor of Skalga. ¡°How dare you?¡± I hissed, flailing my tail with outrage. Noah squeezed my wrist. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Tarva. Calm down; you don¡¯t have to stick up for us anymore.¡± ¡°I want to. You¡¯re people, just as much as anyone else, and I won¡¯t stand for anyone treating you like monsters.¡± Veln swished his tail in a patient gesture. ¡°I admire what you tried to do, Tarva. A member of your campaign staff told me about you and your human lover¡ªI could¡¯ve gone a lot further than vague insinuation on the debate stage¡ªbut I didn¡¯t. I don¡¯t hate humans, but I find that highly inappropriate. Tell me, do you think that¡¯s the sort of thing that should¡¯ve been disclosed to the public?¡± Fucking Glim. The rescue said he wanted Veln to win; he must¡¯ve been upset when my rival didn¡¯t use the information to ruin me. No good deed goes unpunished. ¡°I don¡¯t see what my personal life has to do with denying millions of people the right to show their face!¡± I spat, fury causing my pitch to climb. ¡°I¡¯ll explain for Noah to pass along to the United Nations in a moment. But what I¡¯m saying, Tarva, is that the people don¡¯t want change. Not all at once. They want stability, and to feel in control of their destiny,¡± Veln announced, as if it were self-evident. ¡°Shit, if I went as all out as my campaign promises, they¡¯d resent me too by next election.¡± ¡°What are you saying?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying I won¡¯t uproot any lives, but I read the planet¡¯s temperature and I plan to take it down a notch. I¡¯ll give them enough of what they want to avoid civic unrest, and enough of what the humans want so that they can live with me. Public perception is what¡¯s important, and I plan to be a very popular governor¡ªlike I was on Milna.¡± ¡°You think humans can live with a regression of their civic rights? You still haven¡¯t addressed what this order means for them!¡± ¡°I have plenty of time; I was getting there. Rural villages were asking to have humans banned from setting foot in their towns; frankly, I¡¯m not sure why they¡¯d be suicidal enough to go there, but I digress. Businesses want to be allowed not to serve humans without fear of reprisal. So all in all, this is a lukewarm policy, and I have valid reasons. Noah Williams, do you know how many Venlil have been hospitalized on this planet due to binocular eye-induced fainting, since the Battle of Earth?¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. The astronaut shifted with discomfort. ¡°No.¡± ¡°12,931. Though those could be outdated statistics, since it¡¯s from this morning. I won¡¯t tell you how many died from their fright, because it¡¯s not fair¡ªbut I¡¯ll tell you it¡¯s not zero. So yes, I think that if an elderly business owner feels they can¡¯t look at your eyes without fainting, they should have a right to require visors. Or maybe they don¡¯t want the liability if someone passes out on their premises. It doesn¡¯t hurt you¡­and when you send me an actual diplomat, I¡¯ll be happy to pencil in exceptions should you need to remove them for safety or to engage in an activity.¡± As much as I wanted to argue against the proposition, Veln had a valid point over the public health concern. It lingered in the back of my mind that Noah felt responsible for stampede deaths from his arrival, so I knew he¡¯d personally sacrifice his comfort to ensure the safety of Venlil citizens. When framed in that light, the astronaut likely was nodding along with the new governor¡¯s logic internally. Most businesses, at least in Dayside City, would be unlikely to employ such a policy, since it would cost them millions of potential customers. It also might help to lessen potential hostility toward Terrans in backwaters like Celgel Falls, where Glim¡¯s aunt was housed; despite prohibition of travel technically being illegal, several businesses and villages already tried to ban humans from their territory. Veln¡¯s intention seems to be to score points with his core constituencies, but at least he¡¯s thinking of humans¡­and doesn¡¯t seem hostile toward them. ¡°Venlil don¡¯t make decisions for humans, and vice versa. I suspect Terran refugees would be happy with that bargain: not having our values imposed on them.¡± The new governor signaled ¡°free planet¡± in tail language, before launching into his next policy. ¡°Alright, Cheln. I want some funds allocated toward exterminator upgrades, conveniently to upgrade equipment and add new departments to ¡®spread the workload.¡¯ See what I did?¡± I twisted my ears in confusion. ¡°You want them to separate their duties?¡± ¡°Totally. They¡¯re worked too hard, and that¡¯s all I¡¯m going to give you on my motives. Right, next item: predator disease facilities. We¡¯re launching the Violent Crime Prevention Program pronto. I¡¯m targeting violent strains of the disease with the majority of our resources¡ªwhich conveniently, should give you the majority of what you wanted. Human experts are welcome to draft some guidelines for warning signs.¡± ¡°Because they know all about violence? Is that the implication?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s not my fault what people assume. I have no control over that¡ªand I¡¯m sure Venlil who¡¯d jump to that conclusion would believe that about humans regardless. Right, just a few more things, gotta have a productive day one. Next up¡­immigrants to Venlil Prime from other worlds will not be allowed to vote until six years have passed from the acceptance of their citizenship, to prevent foreign nationals from influencing our politics.¡± ¡°Mostly to keep Terran refugees from voting in the next provincial governor elections.¡± ¡°Humans shouldn¡¯t be able to move to our planet and tell us what to do. Remember what I said about imposing values? I want people who vote to have stayed here and showed their commitment to us. If I didn¡¯t want any Earthlings voting, I wouldn¡¯t have let those who¡¯ve already gotten citizenship cast ballots in the next governor election. The humans will know who gave them a path to voting rights, and the Venlil people will know who stopped a sudden influx of predators from swaying our elections. Win-win.¡± The more I listened to Veln detail his policies, it seemed that he was attempting to play both sides with compromise items. The governor seemed to agree with various revelations that humans gave us, if I could read between the lines, but he wanted to appease the constituents who weren¡¯t thrilled about our entire foundation of knowledge being ripped apart. By my own grudging admission, it was a clever strategy; for the sake of political gain, he was more worried about appearances than reality. I could understand I gave the perception that I went along with anything suggested by humanity. What I couldn¡¯t understand why he¡¯d insisted on spelling out his planned changes with me, a deposed rival, in the room. Perhaps this is, as humans say, a wink and a nod to show Veln is on my side, for some issues¡­and that his rhetoric is aimed at winning over the masses? Or is this about gloating that he¡¯s a better governor? I heaved a flustered sigh. ¡°Congratulations on your victory, Veln, but as the unseated governor, now an ordinary citizen, I¡¯m not sure why my presence is needed here. What I think of your policies doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°Oh, but it does, because I have something in mind for you,¡± the Venlil replied, with a casual tail swish. ¡°It¡¯s about the Sapient Coalition. Now that we¡¯ve made our planet¡¯s affairs independent from human influence, I have decided it¡¯s best to remain in the organization to keep an eye on them¡­write this down, Cheln. As I was saying, to keep an eye on them so we know what they¡¯re planning, and can enjoy the pure military benefits of the alliance.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that you won¡¯t try to withdraw from the Sapient Coalition, but if that¡¯s all you wanted me to hear, you could¡¯ve led with that.¡± ¡°Tarva, that¡¯s your project. Before you were governor, you were our ambassador to the Federation. I want you to resume a role you were actually well-suited for: to be our ambassador to the Sapient Coalition. It¡¯ll keep you in diplomatic contact with humanity, and honestly, I doubt there¡¯s anyone more comfortable or connected in the Earth department. Plus, I¡¯ll be too busy with affairs here to handle that myself.¡± I was silent for several seconds, shocked by the request. ¡°Uh, with respect, you just said that you didn¡¯t want us entangled with humanity. In that role, I imagine I¡¯ll be expected to follow your orders and wishes. You¡¯ll want me to sell them on policies I don¡¯t agree with: your policies.¡± ¡°I know you know how to do that, Tarva. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be difficult, after being governor, to take a step down, and to answer to the same person you lost to, no less. But I want to show that we¡¯re not enemies, like I said earlier, to lower the political temperature¡­and if we show how magnanimous I am along the way, wonderful. I thought you¡¯d have some reservations, so I did think of a small incentive as a¡­signing bonus.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that? Don¡¯t you dare lord something involving the humans¡¯ welfare over my head.¡± ¡°Nonsense: my offer was a benign topic. I wouldn¡¯t play with lives; I¡¯m not the Federation! My incentive was about that referendum for the planet¡¯s name. In the interest of self-determination, it should be up to the people¡ªthough I do intend to speak my piece on why I¡¯m not a fan of ¡®Skalga.¡¯ You agree to be my ambassador, and I¡¯ll get the process in motion.¡± I turned an inquisitive gaze on Noah, who¡¯d been silent throughout the process. The human was attempting not to interfere with the newly elected governor, and he wasn¡¯t more vocal about what decision I should make. Without saying a word, the sideways glance of his binocular eyes told me that he thought I should follow what I wanted to do; I could rely on his affection and support, as long as I was happy. Beneath that, I could sense that the former ambassador wasn¡¯t fond of people like Veln. On a personal level, it was difficult for me to trust anyone who was so calculating with their appearances, but having a chance to ensure our continued friendship with Earth and its allies trumped that. Securing positive relations with the predators had been my life¡¯s most meaningful work. My ears flattened with reluctance. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°Glad to hear it! Oh, and before you and Noah run along¡­if humankind has a particular objection to anything I proposed, I¡¯m willing to negotiate. However, I¡¯d need a concession in return that can score me equal political points,¡± Veln said. ¡°Will that be a suitable arrangement, Mr. Williams?¡± Noah dipped his head. ¡°We¡¯re accustomed to people like you. I¡¯m sure we can work with that.¡± ¡°Delightful. I look forward to more productive conversations with your replacement. You both may leave. Kam has classified briefings for the governor¡¯s ears only, I¡¯m sure.¡± I forced a polite farewell in tail language, not appreciating that parting shot; Veln couldn¡¯t resist sneaking in a reminder of his victory, perhaps in response to Noah¡¯s thinly-veiled distaste toward him. As we departed the governor¡¯s office for the final time, I reminded myself that protecting humanity from persecution was more important than pride. The governor could¡¯ve been more radical with his newfound power, and it was a small victory that I wouldn¡¯t be iced out of galactic politics. I couldn¡¯t say that the responsibility of an entire planet would be one I missed. If anything, my narrow defeat allowed Noah and I to spend our future together unrestricted. What came next for humanity and Venlilkind was out of my paws now, but I hoped I¡¯d done enough to lay the groundwork for a peaceful future between our two species. Chapter 158 Memory transcription subject: Chief Hunter Isif, Arxur Rebellion Command Date [standardized human time]: March 17, 2137 Knowing how unbeloved my species was on Kalqua, there was no offer extended to the Duerten Homogeneity to help with rebuilding and search-and-rescue; that had been a courtesy to humanity that I couldn¡¯t imagine my kind going along with for prey. The avians didn¡¯t attempt to drive us and the humans from the system, but they only sent a formal thank you to the Yotul. I wasn¡¯t sure whether the Terrans felt slighted, though I sure did. The Duerten were fortunate that my request for temporary aid in restocking munitions, to tide us over until we could contact the United Nations, wasn¡¯t phrased as a demand. My lack of diplomatic aplomb meant it was best that I left the leaf-licking primates to deal with the fallout, especially after how the Shield-allied races behaved seeing me at the Summit. A cryptic communication from Jones pointed us to a repair outpost within a day¡¯s travel, repaying our expenditures without me asking. It was strange to have our fleet congregated so far away from the Central Sector, since the rebellion¡¯s early focus had been pestering agents within Wriss¡¯ territory. I was aware of the fact that we¡¯d devoted an inordinate amount of attention to the Federation, after the surprising partnership between Giznel and Nikonus was revealed. Protecting Kalqua thwarted the Kolshians¡¯ primary target, and now, the crux of the war hinged upon whether the Terrans¡¯ single-minded push toward Aafa could succeed. That was Zhao¡¯s third phase of the war, and rumor had it that stage two, cutting the conspiracy off from hundreds of allies, had been achieved through the Federation¡¯s staggering lack of cybersecurity. If humanity can get the Kolshian dynasty to surrender, then they¡¯ll be able to fight against the Dominion. Giznel knows that he is weaker than the Federation, by his own admission, which is why Betterment avoided their ire. I narrowed my eyes in the briefing room. ¡°The Dominion has not been trying to win a war, yes? I think they do not know how. They have not been active since Shaza¡¯s failure at Sillis, which brought shame upon the Chief Hunter¡¯s repute. It may be possible to dismantle their operations enough that it is decided not to fight humanity at all.¡± ¡°Do you really believe that Giznel would just surrender? I¡¯m pretty sure he wishes to keep power at all costs,¡± Lisa responded. ¡°I think if he believes there is no choice, and sees a way to bargain for some control, it may be possible. I am committed to a peaceful future for our people, and in this instance, I imagine your little SC buddies will not stand for Betterment¡¯s survival. With our rebellion left outside the organization, I am concerned with ensuring our continued existence as an independent entity. So the more we can reduce Dominion control, the more bargaining power we have over the Prophet-Descendant if Aafa falls.¡± Kaisal heaved a weary sigh. ¡°Survival. I see why you have been focused on co-existing with prey. What we¡¯ve done, returning cattle, trying to communicate, and saving the Duerten, might temper the calls for our race¡¯s genocide.¡± ¡°Indeed. I do not think humanity would allow us to be attacked, given how they seek to end this forever war. However, I am concerned over how much free reign we will have and how we would move forward toward a better future through the galaxy¡¯s mistrust. And I want Wriss under our control, not some other world with no history. Giznel must not take our home with him.¡± Olek adjusted his glasses. ¡°So you¡¯re looking for ways to reduce Betterment¡¯s authority. What could leave Giznel more paranoid than stripping him of yet another Chief Hunter who¡¯s seen as loyal to the cause? We¡¯re in the neighborhood anyways.¡± ¡°Ilthiss? All our intelligence suggests he will stop at nothing to prove himself to Betterment. Young, hot-headed, a true believer. What on Earth would convince him to jump ship?¡± Lisa countered. ¡°Well, we did hand him the Malti and Drezjin homeworlds on a silver platter. If he accepted a tip he knew came from us, then it can¡¯t be any more treasonous for him to accept a parlay.¡± I lashed my tail. ¡°That was a different circumstance; a raiding opportunity proves his fierceness to Giznel. Ilthiss will not respond to talking. He responds to open strength and personal rewards, and the idea of a world without violence would disgust him.¡± ¡°Then show him that the Dominion is weak, Chief Hunter.¡± Kaisal¡¯s eyes glowed with new confidence, and his maw parted with eagerness. ¡°Show Ilthiss the footage of the Dominion, and how they negotiate with the Kolshians because they cannot best them. How they do not wish to win the war or hunt well.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea. Perhaps we can show humanity¡¯s strength to Ilthiss. If humans have the power going forward, rewards from Giznel are empty. He¡¯s proving himself to the wrong team. True strength isn¡¯t staying within your role to avoid being crushed by calamari, yes?¡± Olek chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you learned that word.¡± ¡°I listen to the babbling of you humans when it serves me. If the Yotul are calling the Kolshians a human food delicacy, I would be remiss not to adopt this term. The calamari are responsible for the starvation of my people with the cure, regardless of whether Betterment released the cattle virus, so I have few moral quandaries about anything done to Aafa.¡± ¡°I hate those leaf-lickers. I hope the Kolshians are burned alive in their homes, for how miserable they have made my life!¡± Kaisal growled. ¡°Convince Ilthiss that true strength is joining the fight at Aafa, for his personal glory across and beyond the Dominion.¡± ¡°Well, the humans are en route to Aafa as we speak. All they must do is get past the border stations and systems in between. So while I can support bringing Ilthiss into the fold, we should craft a plan for how to establish contact with him at once, if you want him to arrive in time.¡± I drummed my claws on the table in deep thought; Ilthiss¡¯ location was a given, with him likely trying to bloody the Drezjin and Malti¡¯s nose. Unlike Kalsim¡¯s fleet, the duo had retreated some of its ships even without the stark warning that Krakotl captain had been given. It was my sincere hope that, among the young Chief Hunter¡¯s attempts to grab easy cattle¡­especially with the egg-laying Malti offering scrumptious delicacies in the form of their unhatched young¡­I hoped that he had the foresight to take out their shipyards and bases. Coupled with the human cyberattack, that should ensure those loyalists didn¡¯t ever come kicking around again. Even if Aafa was defeated, the true cultists of the Federation, like the Drezjin and the predator-sacrificing Yulpa, would be unlikely to drop out of the fight. ¡°Alright, Kaisal, I imagine your plan is for us to head to Drezjin and Malti space and offer assistance? I do not particularly wish to preside over raids myself, especially with the harm that would do to our image. This rebellion is about proving that the Arxur are capable of being more than brutal, senseless beasts,¡± I growled. The runt flared his nostrils. ¡°I merely wish for you to travel close enough to pinpoint Ilthiss¡¯ command ship. It won¡¯t be engaged at the center of the battle, though someone as cruelty-proficient as this Chief Hunter will be trying to get some kills himself. You can extend a hail from there.¡± The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°If I may, why don¡¯t we contact UN intelligence and see if they¡¯ve tapped the Arxur comms enough to connect us via FTL channels? There¡¯s no need to put ourselves in the line of fire,¡± Lisa said. ¡°Very well,¡± I acknowledged. ¡°Zhao is the ideal figure to bargain with, though¡ª¡± ¡°Jones is your go-to contact for intelligence. With respect, sir, I¡¯ll attempt to go through her, as long as I have your blessing; I can keep her from pushing anything.¡± ¡°Fine, but if that plotting human tries to pull some shenanigans, I want us dialing Zhao and only Zhao.¡± ¡°Of course. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make sure this is quick and to the point.¡± I watched in silence, along with the rest of my advisors, as the primate dialed General Jones. The American intelligence guru had a knowing gleam in her eyes, something which never sat right with me; it was as if she knew what we wanted to ask before any words were said. Terrans could certainly have prying eyes and ears in unexpected places, using technological infrastructure as a weapon. I didn¡¯t quite believe her claim that her agencies weren¡¯t spying on my people. My guess was that the humans listened in even on Tarva¡¯s governorship activities, despite the close alliance. It was fortunate for Earth that they had such a devoted friend in Skalga¡¯s highest office. Let¡¯s see if Jones gets any ideas about how to use me to her advantage. If Lisa can¡¯t get the spymaster to help the rebellion out of decency, then I¡¯ll never work with her again. I¡¯m not being pushed into doing things outside of my agenda by manipulative means. General Jones raised her hands placatingly. ¡°Isif, no need to look so skeptical. All we wanted was to split the Dominion, and tilt the scales of this war. It was in my national and planetary interests to spur you to action at a few key places, but now, there¡¯s no need for subterfuge. I can see you doubt my intentions, but know I¡¯m happy to advance your rebellion¡¯s aims.¡± ¡°Lisa, I believe you said you would handle the chatter. I do not feel like chatting; you know how Arxur tire of socializing.¡± Lisa snorted. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard most Arxur do. Uh, ma¡¯am, we were hoping you could patch us through to Chief Hunter Ilthiss. Speaking to him could provide a key opportunity to siphon away Giznel¡¯s allies, or that¡¯s the plan.¡± ¡°Yes, I definitely support attempts to weaken them without direct engagements. Let me consult my database¡­ah, what a coincidence!¡± the general exclaimed, wagging a finger. ¡°I happened to be looking at Ilthiss¡¯ file when you called. I¡¯ll transmit his coordinates, and with this access code, you should be able to communicate with his ship.¡± I stifled a sigh as Jones made a few swipes with her fingers. Olek gave me a nod to signify that he received the data, and Lisa disconnected the call after a formal thanks. I was pleased that we¡¯d been able to attain the information with minimal back-and-forth, and that it wasn¡¯t a conditional offering. My eyes narrowed, before I gestured for the two humans and scrawny Kaisal to exit the picture. We couldn¡¯t afford to have any sapients nearby that Ilthiss would see as a sign of weakness. The mask of cruelty that I¡¯d perfected for my facade around Betterment returned, an unwelcome reminder of my own bloody past. I bared my teeth to signify ferocity, and signaled for Olek to initiate the call to the fiery Chief Hunter. Ilthiss responded, after a long stretch of our entreaty going unanswered, as a proper holographic avatar; the Chief Hunter had taken the time to send the full image of his toned form onto my projector, rather than the basic 2D visual. I suppressed a huff, realizing that I should¡¯ve done the same. That was how the highest-ranking Dominion officers communicated, so out of the gate, my status seemed inferior to him. The hot-headed Arxur had scars sliced across his muzzle that seemed artificially inflicted, perhaps to signify his toughness. His gray skin had a bit of a green pallor to it, and his features were locked in a permanent scowl. This commander had the swagger of someone who¡¯d fought a thousand battles. It¡¯s apparent he¡¯s trying to compensate for his lack of experience through intimidation. Does Ilthiss know what it is to command enough to hold up to the Kolshians? ¡°Well, if it is not the traitor to the dominance of our people. The filth that bargains with prey, consorting with our enemies,¡± Ilthiss sneered. ¡°What is it that you want?¡± I raised my maw in defiance. ¡°For starters, I would like some gratitude for the easy hunt I gave you. I know many things about the state of the galaxy. I also know how to position Arxur for survival and strength. You forget the first item, is that not so?¡± ¡°I would not pass up prey and a chance to showcase my hunting ability. My raids are much crueler than yours; the best you could do was gassing Venlil schools and a few movie reels.¡± ¡°Your raid, I¡¯m sure, is quite impressive. That is why I wish to speak with you about more opportunities to demonstrate your talent, and make a name for yourself as you seize power with the utmost prowess. Once you hear my reasons for joining our hunt, and what I can offer you, you will have no doubts about which side is weak and which side is beneficial to your agenda.¡± ¡°I have no reason to listen to your prattling, and I tire of this conversation. Words mean very little, when I do not have any reason to believe you are anything but past your prime and defectively weak. This groveling to the feats of my raid acknowledges my superior cruelty with no resistance. You must prove that you are a better Chief Hunter than me, if I am to listen to this at all. The softened up worlds you placed in my jaws are the sole reason I took your call; in the interest of more feasts you may know about.¡± ¡°A contest of strength is one I can handle. I have seen many battles and am certain that I can outmaneuver the likes of you. One thousand of your ships versus one thousand of mine. No tricks or subterfuge, no reinforcements for a coward¡¯s win, just a direct confrontation in space. If you best my people, Giznel will be delighted that you defeated the pesky rebels, and lured us into the open.¡± Ilthiss snorted with a dismissive tone. ¡°I¡¯ll gain no satisfaction by crushing your ragtag force. It is you, the very head of power, that I doubt. I have a separate proposal; an honorable one. You come to my base, without any army or backup, and we engage in ritual swordfighting, tliskis. Unless you¡¯ve forsaken your weapon ornaments.¡± ¡°Why would I be foolish enough to come alone, to your territory, for a tliskis duel?¡± ¡°I want to show my worth by defeating the supposedly great Isif. Sending your memory to the prey pastures where it belongs. I am no coward that would back down from a fight, especially an easy one against a weak defective.¡± ¡°Fine. I trust that you are not so petrified of your betters that you would seek a cheap victory.¡± I noticed that the humans looked horrified at my swift agreement, as if they believed it was folly. Whatever the leaf-lickers thought, I had pride left over, and I could tell Ilthiss had too much arrogant confidence to backtrack on his challenge. ¡°I will see you humiliated at my blade, and we will speak about why you should join me afterward.¡± ¡°Empty words, like all of this talking you adore. When I win, I will execute you. Giznel will know who has slain the traitor from our ranks, and that it was through my superiority!¡± Ilthiss hissed. The Chief Hunter pounded away at his console, forwarding the coordinates to his base; given that I wished to recruit him to our side, I was not going to take the opportunity to strike the clandestine facility. There were more important enemies than one overly proud Arxur. The less Dominion ships I needed to slaughter to complete my rebellion¡¯s aims, the better. Ilthiss disconnected from the call after a threatening roar, as disdain swirled in his eye slits. I surveyed my advisor¡¯s expressions, and noticed that Kaisal seemed a bit jealous. The Arxur runt must envy how respectable and powerful a soldier slightly older than him had become through the merits of his strength. If Ilthiss thinks I¡¯ve lost a step, he¡¯ll be in for a rude awakening; I can be calculating and patient. Too much eagerness to prove himself will mean his judgment is clouded by his anger¡­that doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t physically prepare myself. Without any discussion with my advisors, as the matter was settled, I stood from the table. This was not up for debate, since we needed to strike at the Dominion¡¯s very foundation. It was time for me to prepare for the confrontation with Ilthiss. I intended to sharpen my sword and retrain myself in the art of tliskis. Achieving maximum readiness for our duel would ensure that the probability of victory was turned in my favor as much as possible. Chapter 159 Memory transcription subject: Chief Hunter Isif, Arxur Rebellion Command Date [standardized human time]: March 18, 2137 The humans, and their higher-ups, believed that my tliskis duel with Ilthiss was a poor idea. There was a history on Wriss of high-class society settling feuds through this strength display; though there was no obligation to accept such a challenge, I knew I couldn¡¯t afford to be seen as weak by my rebels. Doubt had been sown by my friendliness with the humans, and my personal secrecy to hide Felra¡¯s presence in the past. Tliskis was nothing so disorderly and random as a single turn and draw of a gun, as I¡¯d read about on Earth. It was practiced as both a sport for training sessions, and an unequivocal contest of who the better fighter was. It might be the most social aspect left in our society, even if it was just locking swords. I checked that my ceremonial armor was snug, while adjusting the padding underneath it. The extravagant sword and exquisite gear were fine pieces of craftsmanship, gifts Betterment bestowed upon its worthy hunters as symbols of rank; I wore these for important communications and ceremonies, such as when the Prophet-Descendant issued commendations for terror-inducing raids. It brought back memories of when I executed the Arxur who refused to eat a Gojid, knowing I had to play the fanatic. Slipping into that cruel, familiar persona would be easier than I¡¯d like to admit. After years of practice putting down any comrade who challenged or insulted me, there was no reason I couldn¡¯t go toe-to-toe with Ilthiss. My claws hooked around the ornament case: there were three fragile squares the size of a Terran Rubik¡¯s Cube, which were crafted from a red crystal called kweshua native to Wriss. The intricate patterns that showed up under the UV lights of a tliskis match made it near impossible to pull off any fakes, not that I would stoop to such means to win our battle. The crystalline squares had to be attached between our chest and our waist, facing the opponent, and not on any limbs. The winner of the duel was whoever could break all of their rival¡¯s ornaments first; each time a crystal broke, the round concluded so the loser could reset their adornment. It was a simple, yet brutal, contest. While attacks toward the head and the neck were prohibited, any other area was fair game for stab wounds. I can withstand the pain of a few cuts. The question is if my greater experience can counter Ilthiss¡¯ faster speed; success will be achieved by outwitting his strategy. As I approached the fated site alone, there were no treasonous moves from the young Chief Hunter. His morality was self-serving and dubious, but he respected strength and courage; he wanted to best me beyond any doubts, so that meant no tricks were forthcoming. It would be strategically prudent to take me out of the picture and forsake pride, yet his hot-headedness prevented him from suppressing his arrogance here. At this age, in his prime, Ilthiss likely thought he was invincible. His aggression, attempting to humiliate me out of the gate, was almost a certainty. I also believed that if I won, he would humor a persuasion attempt to join our side, per his word. Kaisal hailed my transport, as it docked with Ilthiss¡¯ designated habitat. ¡°Ancestors speed your victory, Chief Hunter. May his blood wet your sword.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± I responded, steadying my nerves. ¡°I have a purpose to fight for, beyond myself: the purpose of our entire people. A future that is worth great sacrifices. Besides, there are some selfish gains; I will have your eavesdropping human friends know that I am no softy.¡± ¡°Swinging a sword won¡¯t prove that,¡± Olek chirped. ¡°It will when I swing the sword at your neck, and lop your thick skull clean off. That would put an end to your conspiracy theories, yes?¡± ¡°Actually, no. In the event of my death, I¡¯ve set up a cache of evidence for various government plots to be uploaded, so that nobody can silence my findings. For instance, I don¡¯t trust them doing ¡®cure research¡¯; they¡¯re undoing the cure, but what else are they doing? There¡¯s no oversight, and the planetary security excuse is horseshit!¡± ¡°What are they doing, Olek? Cloning people for bullet fodder? Putting a kill switch in the DNA of anyone who likes conspiracies?¡± ¡°There¡¯ll come a day where they¡¯re able to know everything about you, even your deepest thoughts, just by observing a few elements of your biology, and it¡¯ll be a lot sooner than you think. Laugh all you want, Lisa, but we¡¯re welcoming the death of privacy with open arms!¡± I heaved a flustered sigh. ¡°Enough! You are distracting me before an important contest with your incessant chatter. If you ever talk like this on the bridge, I¡¯ll feed you to Ilthiss in pieces myself.¡± ¡°Ah, yes, cannibalism is such a funny joke with your hist¡ª¡± I disconnected from the channel, hissing with exasperation. At least those two humans being their infuriating selves brought me a notch closer to combat mode; sometimes, I yearned to take a metal blade to their ornaments. My facial features hardened into a menacing mask, devoid of emotion, and I disembarked to face off with Ilthiss in person. The Chief Hunter was waiting with the smugness of someone who believed they¡¯d already won; my paw drifted to the hilt of my sword, though it stayed in my scabbard. I wasn¡¯t going to take a premature swipe at him, but the gesture of animosity would get through. I don¡¯t miss having to communicate in cruelty, unable to hint at any emotions. That said, I was pretty good at pretending, isn¡¯t that right? Ilthiss smacked his tail on the ground energetically. ¡°Hss, this fool believes he is the finer Chief Hunter. I¡¯m sure he was great in the old days, but he¡¯s strayed from the path. I¡¯m surprised he remembers how to hold a sword.¡± ¡°What a lovely greeting. I say we go straight to the tliskis, since this conversation is a waste, yes?¡± ¡°Works for me. But I¡¯ll have you know that my raid against the Drezjin was sublime; we landed raiding parties, and set off demolition charges in their caves. Burying villages like that, ha! That¡¯s a new one¡ªmy idea.¡± ¡°How masterfully cruel. I imagine you would not have come back if you managed to keep the planets. You did not even mention the Malti.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not idiotic enough to waste resources. Those mindless animals are fighting among themselves, so I hardly need to bomb them. I¡¯m surprised the cowardly prey don¡¯t stampede the second one of their own throws a claw swipe!¡± ¡°The humans can be attributed to this unrest. They put your raid to shame; they dismantled the foundation of over 200 worlds.¡± ¡°As if I¡¯d believe that. There were none of those Venlil-loving apes in sight.¡± ¡°That is why they are so terrifying, Ilthiss. You do not see a lethal virus in action; it kills in its silence.¡± ¡°The Terrans I know of refuse to kill anyone. That was the whole premise of the fight at Sillis and Fahl: warring so those who helped bombed them would live. The enemies of Earth that fell were by your maneuvering.¡± ¡°A point of contention between us. They choose to minimize bloodshed, but I have no doubt that humanity could lay waste to the galaxy if they didn¡¯t. The Federation should be afraid of what they tried to awaken. Their cleverness¡ª¡± ¡°Isif, no sales pitch from you means a morsel until you have any strength to flaunt. I suggest you think of your last words for when you¡¯re executed for your defeat.¡± ¡°I do not need to waste time preparing for things that will not happen.¡± Ilthiss growled at me, eyes narrowed to crazed slits. The two of us had reached the tliskis arena. On opposite sides, I could see starting pads scattered a few seconds of running apart; the pedestals in the center offered places to climb or use the environment to our advantage. As the rival Chief Hunter strapped his first ornament over his armored stomach, I considered the placement of my own object. If the ornament broke, even as a result of my actions, it would count for Ilthiss as long as it didn¡¯t happen after a tally of mine. Staying up on my feet, and avoiding dropping my weight onto the fragile item, would be crucial. With a grunt of determination, I tightened the band around my sternum, and fixed my ornament right in the center. In range of both arms to defend, so it¡¯s safer from any sidelong stabs toward the hip. If I fall, I can catch myself on all fours to avoid breaking it. Everything aside from head-and-neck shots, and attacks such as biting or headbutting were fair game, so I needed to watch for any ambitious tail swipes from Ilthiss. I also should throw in the occasional kick or slash of my own, to keep him on his toes. It might serve me to knock over his platform, rather than contest the elevation, if the young Arxur went for the high ground. I drew my sword with confidence, ready for a frenetic clash of wits and body. Tliskis was an exhilarating format, though I wasn¡¯t sure whether my reflexes were quite as sharp as they used to be. Still, my experience was nothing to laugh at, and I was certain I could outthink any Dominion lackey. A cautious approach would take the wind out of his sails, along with granting me insight into his strategy. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. I stepped onto the starting pad, and lowered myself to a lunging stance; with my body facing toward the ground, the ornament would be angled away from Ilthiss. The other Chief Hunter was going to meet only my sword, and if my head was facing him, he couldn¡¯t swing at it without being disqualified. (If my head was intentionally maneuvered in the path of a blow, that was the sole way it could be ruled a fair shot.) I lashed my tail to signal readiness, and Ilthiss did the same. The young Chief Hunter had no sooner smacked his pad with force before he raced toward the pedestals, cresting one as tall as an Arxur without using the lower platforms as stepping stools. He stared me down from the powerful vantage point, realizing I was staying put. ¡°Coward? What, you¡¯ve frozen like prey? Going to wet yourself and faint?¡± Ilthiss jeered. The Chief Hunter lunged with staggering power from his hindlegs, leading sword-first. With the pointed tip blazing toward me, I was doubtful I could parry his blistering momentum. There was no time to sidestep, before Ilthiss landed nearly atop me; careful to keep his maw turned away from me, his sword finished its trajectory. The young Arxur wasn¡¯t aiming for the ornament I guarded, instead driving his blade into my thigh. I staggered from the pain, shoving him away with the pommel. My rival landed with grace on all fours, absorbing the momentum through his paws and keeping the crystal strapped to his stomach safe. He took crazed swings toward my kweshua token, and though I saw his tail coming, I could barely fend off the sword by itself. My hindlegs were swept out from under me with a brutal lash, and it was all I could do to keep my blade from clattering to the floor. Ilthiss scrambled toward me, wrapping his tail around my weapon; he wrenched it from my dazed grip, ignoring how the sharp edges lacerated his skin. A gloating glint shone in his eyes, as he shattered my crystal into tiny fragments with an unnecessarily forceful swing. I could feel the impact through my armor, and struggled to shake it off. After collecting my weapon, I disguised my limp on my walk to the ornament collection. Failure to reset quickly was considered forfeiture. I donned my new cube, and hustled back to the pad. With how impressive my opponent¡¯s aggression was, I could see why he climbed the ranks at a young age. I lashed my tail. ¡°Is that the best you can muster?¡± Ilthiss signaled his readiness, and this time, I opted not to wait for him to come to me. I sprinted toward the pedestal at the same time as him, weaving around the column while keeping low to the ground. The Chief Hunter had climbed the platform again, but was unable to get a clean stab at me. He twirled in my direction, just as I wildly swatted with my sword toward his belly. My rival¡¯s blade moved in a blur, an instinctual response; his reaction was near instantaneous, deflecting my brazen attempt. I scrambled backward as he rolled to the ground, and tracked his movements and cues. His legs tensed before he dashed toward me. Forget the ornament; I need to cripple him, and limit his speed. I feinted a swing at his crystal, before thrusting my blade into his knee and twisting. Ilthiss howled, but had the presence of mind to hold my blade in his wound. I couldn¡¯t pull it away without giving him clean access to my crystal, so I released my grip. Crimson blood gushed from his deep gash as he ripped the weapon out. The Chief Hunter favored his leg so much that he barely put weight on it. The young Arxur crossed my blade with his own, flaunting his dual wielding; I couldn¡¯t conjure any unarmed strategies. It might be best to break my crystal on purpose, get my sword back for the next round, and avoid further injuries¡­but that would leave me with one crystal. Was I that confident? My leg was injured from its own stab wound, though it was less destabilizing. I was without a weapon, left to defend myself with my arms and a nimbleness that was long gone. The possibility of my total defeat crossed my mind, but I recognized that this was the best strategic option¡ªeven if my pride spurred me to keep pressing. The humans had taught me anything could be a weapon¡­everything but the kitchen sink. I ripped the ornament from my chest, and hurtled it at Ilthiss; if I was going to destroy it, I might as well rain glass shards on his other leg. Arxur might not have Terrans¡¯ arm torsion, but chucking an object at the ground was within my capabilities. The Chief Hunter snarled at my opportunistic forfeiture, losing his footing when pain shot up his good leg. He stayed down for several seconds, still not standing after I donned my last crystal. ¡°My sword,¡± I demanded, snatching it from his grip. ¡°You cannot fight on, Ilthiss?¡± The Chief Hunter used his own blade to prop himself up, and leaned on it to stagger back to his pad. He lashed his tail in defiance, raising his sword into a defensive posture. I signaled my readiness, while collecting my wits; this was now a must-win duel, but Ilthiss looked hobbled after the previous round. As the new sequence commenced, it was my enemy remaining stationary in his starting spot, grimacing as he stood. The Arxur was flexing the leg that the ornament shattered against, but the other limb had lost its functionality altogether after the surgical cut. He brandished his sword with frustration, snarling. I took my time stalking forward, and kept just out of range, moving from side-to-side so he was forced to turn awkwardly; the longer this went on, the more Ilthiss would be testing his exhausted pain tolerance. I faked a lunge forward, laughing as he made a frantic sword move to block. I moved just within range and swiped toward the ornament, connecting with his metal weapon on purpose. While my rival struggled to bat away my blade, my tail snapped his better leg out from under him¡ªall of his weight was thrown onto the wounded limb, causing him to shriek in anguish. His focus waned as he fell, and I snaked my sword around his to break a crystal. The Chief Hunter took several attempts to get up, and stewed as he realized he needed to walk to retrieve a new item. ¡°The only prize of a loss is to talk about something that will benefit you,¡± I said. ¡°Forfeiture would spare you the pain; you can go get treatment.¡± Ilthiss almost hopped one-legged over to his box. ¡°I should¡¯ve watched for the limb cut a round ago, but an Arxur fights on. All I need is to break one more ornament of yours; you¡¯re still slow, old, and weak to be empathizing with my pain.¡± ¡°This is not empathy, as much as an admission of your pathetic state, unworthy of a duel with me. Hurry up, or you will be disqualified.¡± The Chief Hunter secured his jaw around his sword to muffle whimpers, and tried to run over to his pad. He crashed onto the starting spot in the nick of time, thumping his tail as he was still on all fours. To my surprise, Ilthiss stayed down this time, deciding he was better off low to the ground. It was a valid play, given that I couldn¡¯t swing at his head from my high angle; however, it surrendered all mobility and exposed many vulnerable spots. My rival hugged his knees to his chest with his tail and arms, shielding the ornament with his flesh. I inched forward, considering my strike with caution. Before I could jab at the sensitive wounded area, Ilthiss sprang to his feet, despite the pain, and swept his sword in a wide arc. I barely leapt back in time, leaning my upper body backward to protect the ornament. His sharp instrument clanged against the armor of my stomach, and sucked the breath from my lungs from the force. I parried a second attempt to swing upward, and stumbled backward in a hurry, knowing he couldn¡¯t follow my retreat. Ilthiss¡¯ eyes looked crazed and his nostrils flared, before he sank back to all fours, stripped of his willpower. Certain that he couldn¡¯t lunge from this awkward fall, I rushed forward and swung at his wounded leg. The Chief Hunter overcommitted to defending that painful area, allowing me to twist the point towards the true target. My sword glided up just enough to glance his crystal, shattering it. Ilthiss grunted. ¡°Fuck you. I¡­only need one hit.¡± ¡°Are you delusional? You cannot fight me in this state, and it will only damage your reputation to crawl around like this,¡± I spat. ¡°No. I fight¡­to the last.¡± The Chief Hunter hurried over to the box, as best as he could with a maimed limb, and thrashed his tail once he was hunched back over on the pad. I was growing tired, but that just prompted me to end this bout with swiftness; all I needed was to break the final ornament, and I could achieve my goal of persuading him to abandon Betterment. Our cause could use the extra forces a Chief Hunter would bring to the table, and if he agreed to raid Aafa after hearing about Giznel¡¯s arrangement with the Kolshians, that might help the Terrans to focus on the Dominion after this clash. I marched back to my pad, thrumming my tail to start the deciding round. Ilthiss stumbled forward with aggravated hisses. Stealing a page from his book, I waited for him to draw close enough, before using a small pedestal to boost myself up to the highest one. My rival paused, expecting me to lunge at him. However, not willing to risk my crystal shattering in the chaos, I leapt short of where Ilthiss waited. It was then that I kicked in my last burst of speed, jabbing my sword at his gut with all of my strength and willpower. The enemy didn¡¯t bother to defend, instead taking it as an opportunity to go for my crystal. I drove my blade through the fragile kweshua, and heard my own shatter a half-second later. The young Chief Hunter recognized that I¡¯d landed the break first, rather than contesting who won, and conceded the match with a grudging huff. He seemed relieved to be able to sit down and mend his wounds. ¡°Fine, fine. Spill out why the fuck you think I should side with a defective like you, but I doubt I¡¯ll be persuaded. I¡¯ll honor my word and let you leave after this is through,¡± Ilthiss growled. I pulled my holopad from atop my waiting belongings. ¡°I¡¯m going to show you a single video of Giznel talking to the late Nikonus, yes, then the leader of the Federation. If you can¡¯t parse that the Dominion is afraid of the Kolshians, and that they don¡¯t want us to win, unlike humanity and me, nothing I say will matter. You do have much energy and fight, and I respect those qualities. Betterment isn¡¯t worthy of your strength, not when they are the ones in league with all of our leaf-licking foes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s preposterous. Betterment would never bargain with prey like you do.¡± ¡°Good thing I have evidence to prove this very statement. Hear it with your own keen ears, yes?¡± The young Chief Hunter took my holopad with reluctance. I watched his facial expression grow enraged, as he listened to Giznel appeasing the Kolshians, and promising not to push too far in the war as to actually win it. It was the humans who Nikonus blasted as a ¡°major setback¡±, and my rebellion which the Prophet-Descendant claimed thought we could rule all by ourselves. I was ready to jump in with evidence of our triumphs and innovations, how our side pushed the boundaries of warfare, when this video was over. Something told me that there was a good chance of getting Ilthiss to send his troops to Aafa; this was the fight Betterment shied away from, and weakness was an admission he abhorred. My success in the duel could give both humanity and the rebellion an advantage in our respective fights. Chapter 160 Memory transcription subject: Ambassador Tarva of the Venlil Republic Date [standardized human time]: March 22, 2137 The first Sapient Coalition convention felt like a trimmed-down version of the Federation¡¯s meetings, with the familiar markings of diplomacy I¡¯d seen for years. These were the parties that I¡¯d devoted my life to negotiating with, long before I knew the peaceful union in the stars was a lie. Today¡¯s agenda was centered around anything relating to genetic research, though I imagined the Duerten¡¯s salvation would be brought up later. The United Nations was owed basic courtesy, after sparing Kalqua, so I hoped the avians had finally seen reason. On a personal note, Noah was present as my aide, though that was a bit reductive of his true purpose; I wished to try to see the species I¡¯d known for years through his eyes. Humanity had cultivated an array of 38 races, more than just the ones who were recognized across Earth. The Takkan representative¡¯s gray hide, hunched over his station, told me their polity was ready to work. The infamous Doctor Zarn who¡¯d cheered on Sovlin wasn¡¯t indicative of the larger Takkan species, who¡¯d opened embassies to humans and had been ready from the start to stick it to the Kolshians. The iridescent carapace of the Verin ambassador was visible across from a Terran aide; some predators were less than fond of insects, but this particular race had only ever gone from neutral to friendly. The Letian diplomat, who¡¯d always struck me as a little creepy, seemed to be hitting it off with an entire group of Earthlings. The Drilvar attach¨¦, unsurprisingly, was snoozing on his desk. For the more well-known members of the audience, the Krakotl, Harchen, and Tilifish had chosen spots in the back of the hall, avoiding wandering UN diplomats. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Yotul ambassador Laulo appeared to be flaunting battle footage to anyone who would watch, making exaggerated gestures to accompany his boastful rhetoric. Mazic Vice President Quipa had allowed a human colonial leader from Liberty¡¯s Bastion to share her station, which showed respect to the Terran settlement in Khoa¡¯s vicinity. The distant Paltans were flipping through a leaflet on their refugee problem, clearly wanting to insert it into next week¡¯s agenda. The Fissans and Nevoks were full-on hawking deals on materials until the meeting started. If anyone would¡¯ve told me when Noah first landed on Skalga that all these species would be sharing a hall, and things would seem so normal, I would¡¯ve laughed. To think Terrans would be so ready to leap into diplomacy, despite their checkered past; it was unthinkable from what we all knew of them. Noah offered a gentle smile. ¡°It¡¯s nice not to have to worry so much about appearances, love. Honestly, the United Nations is probably happy on the conflict of interests issue, from my side, I mean. The Venlil were¡­special circumstances, or our people would¡¯ve never allowed an astronaut who¡¯s very close to the Governor to be handling our business.¡± ¡°Yeah, I suppose our connection was a diplomatic dilemma. Hopefully Governor Veln doesn¡¯t prove too much to manage for your successor. He¡¯s ambitious.¡± ¡°Veln is shifty, but two can play that game. If he wants to try to outmaneuver a genuine human diplomat, well, he doesn¡¯t know what he¡¯s in for. The Venlil people didn¡¯t know how lucky they were to have someone honest, feeling, and sincere like you in office. Heaven knows, I wish we had heartfelt people like you filling positions of power back home. Earth will never forget what you did for us, and I¡¯m glad we have you here at the SC now. You care.¡± ¡°Of course I do. That¡¯s why when I heard from some Terran counterparts that you wanted to talk about various gene edits, namely research done to reverse the cure, I made sure to put the Venlil¡¯s tampering on the list. And I invited a guest to speak about what affected humans have gone through.¡± ¡°I appreciate what you¡¯re going for, but this might not be the most sympathetic audience for ¡®a predator wanting to regain the ability to eat flesh.¡¯ I¡¯m surprised the UN saw that as a good strategy. Who did you invite?¡± ¡°Me,¡± a gruff voice echoed behind me. Noah failed to mask his obvious surprise, as he sighted a red-haired human with a twisted nose and crisscrossed scars below each eye socket. Marcel Fraser was almost as well-known as my astronaut, after the footage of his torture was broadcast to billions across the galaxy; if any Terran could be a sympathetic face to the Sapient Coalition listeners, this was the one. There were some controversies around what happened with Slanek, of course, but by all accounts, Marcel was a long-suffering, herbivorous hero. He was also well-acquainted with how Venlil thought, and could frame why it was important to seek remediation, even for a vegetarian. It''s all part of my plan, because what the SC really needs to talk about is beyond cured humans. It¡¯s about any omnivores forcibly converted into herbivory who want to go back. That idea would be a touchy subject, given how taboo predator diets had been throughout our lives. It took concentrated efforts to turn a blind eye to how Terrans operated; the first time Noah had a ¡°ham-and-cheese¡± sandwich around me back at his place, I¡¯d felt my years of brainwashing try to desapientize the man I loved. On the bright side, at least it wasn¡¯t blood-soaked, carcass munching like I envisioned that first time on Aafa together. If someone told me I¡¯d accept nourishment of that kind, years ago¡­but it didn¡¯t matter. I understood the nutritional requisites some species had, and whether the intent was to go back to omnivory or avoid allergic reactions, other SC races should have a say in their diet too. I extended a paw in the human handshake gesture. ¡°Marcel! I¡¯m delighted to see you again, under much more pleasant circumstances than on war-torn Earth or the prior time at the outpost.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to be doing something to help, Gover¡­Ambassador. It does sting a little that all of these listeners will just see me as the poster boy of human victimhood,¡± Marcel sighed. ¡°I¡¯m here to make everyone feel more sorry for me than they already do, right?¡± ¡°Put your chin up, unless you feel sorry for yourself! The Federation has done shitty things, and several of those shitty things happened to you: you are the perfect spokesperson for millions affected by this. But why we¡¯re really here is to fix this mess, and you¡¯re here to convince them it needs fixing. Like it or not, you have sway over choices made at the highest echelons of government. Clear all your uncertainty and decide how you plan to use that power.¡± Noah whistled in appreciation. ¡°What she said. It¡¯s good for us to see you here, standing tall, from where you were not too long ago. You don¡¯t just earn pity¡­you¡¯re a damn inspiration, a testament to the human spirit.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. I¡¯ve always tried to do right by people, and believe me, there¡¯ll be no theatrics needed for what this cure has taken from me.¡± Marcel forced a smile, shoving his hands in his pockets. His hazel eyes swirled with brooding intensity. ¡°I volunteered for the prototype antidote. The risks are worth it to me. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I appreciate all our researchers, but having the Archives spell out exact gene edits is what made it feasible. I wonder whether you¡¯ll pursue reverse mods for the Venlil.¡± I tilted my head to one side. ¡°Yes, Noah and I were just discussing that. It¡¯s definitely something almost every Venlil can agree on, and I have Veln¡¯s blessing to declare our intention to move forward with the reversal. On the debate stage, he acknowledged that we both see this as important to our people. The UN has been tabulating which changes need undoing for us since the Archives.¡± ¡°That¡¯s awesome. I wish Slanek was here to see that. He couldn¡¯t stand¡­seeing what they did to you.¡± My astronaut scowled. ¡°I don¡¯t support what your buddy did, but I get it. It infuriates me that Tarva¡¯s lived her whole life, deprived of basic things, because someone hundreds of years ago decided to kidnap her ancestors¡¯ children and transform their genome.¡± Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°It wasn¡¯t so bad until we knew what had been taken from us,¡± I sighed. ¡°But don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll do what it takes to see that future generations aren¡¯t shackled, for humans or Venlil. The stage is all yours, Marcel, if you¡¯re ready.¡± The red-haired human nodded. ¡°No sense delaying. I¡¯ll be going¡ªshort and sweet.¡± I offered a polite wave to the former UN soldier, who¡¯d been cured during an incident at the Battle of Mileau. What I hadn¡¯t told Noah when mentioning Venlil genetic reversal was the decision I¡¯d reached for myself; with my safety on the line, I wasn¡¯t sure he¡¯d approve. The Archives files of ¡°45-G¡± detailed the exact modifications the Farsul made, with unique specificity, even compared to info on the protovirus used for different cure bioweapons. That entire file cluster was a changelog for my species. The Terrans had run simulations suggesting they could reverse the gene edits for Venlilkind, but it might be difficult to persuade others of my kind to trust those supposed corrections. For starters, we would never enjoy the benefits of properly developed limbs or olfactory organs. Still, if we wanted to erase the Farsul¡¯s impact on our society, the majority of the herd needed to choose to go back to our empowered selves. It was a tough sell when it could have consequences for us in the present, and entailed having our DNA altered by another group of aliens. The success of the reversal, and any side effects on newly-grown children, wouldn¡¯t be seen for years. That left the¡­other part of my plan. It was going to be one fireball of a topic to broach with Noah; I hadn¡¯t asked how the human felt about children. Obviously, it wasn¡¯t possible between the two of us, so starting a family never had a reason to come up. Noah would make a wonderful father, but even if he¡¯s somehow okay with this outlandish idea, it won¡¯t truly be his kid. Bloodlines are important to humans, as I understand it. Marcel stepped to the podium, clearing his throat. ¡°Hello. Ambassadors of the Sapient Coalition, it¡¯s an honor. I¡¯ve always loved the diversity of life on my homeworld, and though finding it in the stars has brought a ton of suffering for me and my people, it is wonderful to see dozens of races that do share our vision. Maybe other humans haven¡¯t told you this, but we revered and feared extraterrestrials when you were the stuff of myth. I find that our fears may have lacked¡­imagination. An attempt to destroy our planet, followed by a bioweapon designed to force fundamental changes upon us, bested our spooky sci-fi tropes.¡± The Thafki ambassador raised a paw. ¡°Excuse me? You¡¯re Marcel, right? The one that was beaten half to death?¡± ¡°Um, of course, I should¡¯ve introduced myself. Most of you know me as the exchange participant who was taken prisoner, and got this face makeover from a Gojid¡¯s claws, with a complimentary ten days of starvation. Fun times. What you may not know is that I was later dosed by an aerosolized version of the cure, which triggered a severe initial reaction that left me bedridden for weeks. Breathing in vapors of animal products¡­it can send me into anaphylaxis. I carry an epipen around at all times just in case now, even here.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying you¡¯re a forcibly converted omnivore, like us,¡± Krakotl ambassador Nuela chirped. ¡°Precisely. I¡¯m here to lay out why that¡¯s a problem: a public health hazard for anyone who¡¯s had the effects of this bioweapon passed along. I was already a vegetarian, yet the slightest trace of anything that¡¯s an animal can kill me now. I can¡¯t live on my homeworld, around my family. I shudder to think how many unexplained incidents occur on worlds of fully cured species. You can have sincere intentions never to go near predator food, but a bug accidentally gets in the meal or an animal brushes up against a crop you don¡¯t wash fully? Problem. It could be you, your children, or anyone you care about; everyone¡¯s biology reacts differently. Forced herbivorism cannot be allowed to exist in a free society.¡± Mazic dignitary Quipa looked displeased. ¡°I¡¯m not an¡­omnivore, but wouldn¡¯t undoing the cure mean people could eat meat? That really isn¡¯t acceptable in our cultures. Maybe it should just be left alone, and the cured peoples can be more careful with food prep, rather than all of us opening the door to dead meals.¡± ¡°Look, I care about what I put in my body too. I always understood how you feel about predation, and how the idea of it sickens you. But if you believe in something this strongly, you won¡¯t change your mind just because you have the choice to change. You believe that these societies are moral and righteous due to dietary abstinence, yet they don¡¯t have the free will to do anything else: they¡¯re forced to comply. How is it righteous at all when it¡¯s the only path you can take? All the cure does is risk the lives of people who would supposedly stay the course regardless.¡± I raised my tail. ¡°For my fellow delegates¡¯ information, Marcel will be on a human trial of a cure reversal drug, to test its efficacy. I can speak to the fact that Farsul gene edits are never harmless, and always about controlling anyone who defies their indoctrination.¡± ¡°Thank you, Ambassador. I¡¯ve said my piece, but I wanted it to be clear how much suffering it¡¯s caused me. I don¡¯t feel that I deserve this. I don¡¯t feel that your grandchildren deserve this either. I¡¯ll take my leave, and according to my notes, you¡¯re supposed to have a short recess to discuss this? Please support safety and choice.¡± The red-haired human ducked his head, and some of the more Terran-familiar individuals tried to make smacking sounds against their desks to imitate applause. It was always refreshing to see bits of human culture catching on; I appreciated clapping as an unmissable way to let the speaker know their words were appreciated. Part of me wondered where Marcel Fraser¡ªand Slanek¡ªwould be if not for his capture all those months ago. Another aspect of my brain wondered where the Venlil would be now, had we never been turned into our present state. I didn¡¯t know if it would be a better outcome, but it would be more authentic. Marcel is right about none of the gene-modded species deserving this. We need to make this right for the next generation. I have to hope Noah takes what I¡¯m about to say well¡­ ¡°Hey, Noah?¡± My chest was a bundle of nerves, though not in the same way as when I first accepted the binocular-eyed captain¡¯s hail. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to spring this on you, but can we have a word somewhere private? There¡¯s something I need to tell you.¡± The human flinched. ¡°Uh-oh. I don¡¯t like the sound of that. Have I done something wrong? Are we breaking up?¡± ¡°What? No! It has to do with¡­what we¡¯re about to talk about, when I take the stage. Please, just¡­follow me.¡± I scurried out of the meeting auditorium, finding my way to a private discussion chamber; Noah looked apprehensive, but shut the door behind him. What if he was offended by what I was about to propose, or despised the idea? Would he get angry that I recklessly wished to be among the first to have my gene edits undone, and bring an uncrippled child into the world? My ears bunched up with frustration, as I struggled to think how I would explain my sudden shift in future plans. The astronaut was growing more concerned by the moment, so I knew I needed to just spit it out. ¡°I¡¯m getting the gene edits reversed. I want to be one of the first, to show my people they can trust it. Like Marcel said, the risks are worth it, to see what was taken from us undone,¡± I blurted. Noah tapped his chin with his fingers. ¡°Tarva¡­you know I¡¯ll support your decision. You should have bodily autonomy. That said, it won¡¯t change anything about your present circumstances, now or ever; it¡¯s about the future generations. Is it worth the risk when there¡¯s no, um, offspring?¡± ¡°Yeah. About that.¡± ¡°Oh. I¡­I see. It¡¯s wonderful that you¡¯re thinking about motherhood, though I admit I¡¯m caught a bit off-guard. I, um, I know I should never say this aloud, but aren¡¯t you past birthing age? You know, haven¡¯t you hit menopause? Fuck, this is awkward.¡± I recoiled in confusion. ¡°Menopause? I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Noah¡¯s expression became more flustered. ¡°It¡¯s¡­human women, er, they stop getting periods and being able to have children during their¡­middle age? Gah, I¡¯m going to stop talking. I really should¡¯ve researched more about Venlil by now, but I didn¡¯t even think of that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a thing for us, or any other species that I¡¯ve heard of. I love you humans, but you¡¯re extremely strange on an anatomical level. Also, what¡¯s a period?¡± ¡°Maybe¡­maybe you should talk about this with Sara? I don¡¯t think I¡¯m, um, qualified, in this department. But, I don¡¯t have a problem with you wanting children, per se. It¡¯s just, you know that¡¯s not something that could happen between a human and a Venlil; that¡¯s why you pulled me aside, right? Are you asking for an¡­open relationship? Frankly, I want to be exclusive.¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking if you would be okay with me seeking a reverse-modded donor, so that you and I could raise a child, uncrippled and free of gene edits, as our own. If that would violate what you see as exclusivity or as starting a family¡­¡± Noah was quiet for a few seconds. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m processing that. Tarva, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. If this is what you want, then we¡¯ll make it work. I¡¯ll love our little Venlil goober with all my heart.¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­so relieved that you¡¯re okay with it. I know it¡¯s a lot to ask, but I need us to be a part of building that future generation. Our legacy.¡± ¡°I guess peace in the galaxy and saving the human race won¡¯t be enough of a legacy?¡± ¡°Never hurts to add a little more. With you by my side, I feel like I can always go beyond what I ever dreamed was possible. Now let¡¯s go get the SC on our side. I can¡¯t wait to tell them all about our plans to restore the Venlil to our true selves.¡± My human wrapped an arm around my shoulders, and I gave him a grateful ear flick for his unwavering support. As long as the predator stood beside me, no challenge was insurmountable. Together, we returned to the main venue to rally our allies around the gene reversal program that would play a huge part in our future lives. Chapter 161 Memory transcription subject: Onso, Yotul Technical Specialist Date [standardized human time]: March 23, 2137 The march to Aafa defied expectations, with the lack of open confrontation we faced. The Kolshian Commonwealth had a vast expanse of territory; as the original founder, their most storied colonies predated the Federation itself. Their population had necessitated spreading out across the stars, so even after a hypothetical conquest of Aafa, it would have to be seen whether the scattered billions would surrender. The tentacled bastards used every system of their official twenty light-year territory bubble, which was how their manufacturing power was so absurd. It was also why I expected us to be stopped by border outposts like the Gojids had¡­but those sat unguarded, with only automated turrets and lasers left behind. The stationary targets could be picked off at little risk to us. Within inhabited systems, FTL disruptors were running, which impeded our journey. We chose the pathing that traveled by the fewest settlements, but were forced to burn days in sublight travel. Wary of the Kolshians using humanity¡¯s tricks against us, we kept our own anti-FTL signals online; the last thing we needed was asteroids being warped atop us, or ships leaping right into the center of our ranks. It might¡¯ve been possible to take the colony worlds, except that Kolshian bombers were clustered around their own planets. What was the point of that? I grasped that they only cared to defend Aafa, but this maneuver must¡¯ve been with the intention to paint humanity as butchers. Perhaps it¡¯s a bluff, but even if we got the UN to agree to glass the colonies, it¡¯d waste our munitions. Maybe it¡¯s some cold-blooded sacrifice to tilt the scales at the main event. Taking the outpost worlds by foot isn¡¯t viable, when we¡¯ll be lucky to successfully occupy Aafa. I couldn¡¯t imagine how the Kolshians on the ground felt, seeing their own government using them as hostages. Several humans suspected a trap in the planet¡¯s bounds, whether it be from planet-to-surface munitions, kamikaze bombers, or hidden orbital defenses. We opted to stick to the mission parameters, and limit our engagements before Aafa. I couldn¡¯t help but notice the barebones defenses by the backwaters, with patrols seeming to be canceled. Was the Commonwealth planning to go out with a glorious last stand? Had the cutoff from over 200 allies caused them to conserve their numbers for their home system? Whatever the reason for the quiet deployment, it felt like the calm before the storm. It was strange that they¡¯d expended so much manpower on failed boarding ambushes, though as the galaxy¡¯s most populous species, lives seemed to have little proportional value to them. The Kolshians knew we wanted to occupy their world, so targeting manned ships would mean those vessels needed repairs. What was the point of stalling our advance beforehand if they weren¡¯t impeding us in surrounding systems now? I couldn¡¯t figure out what their angle was, but they¡¯d been buying time for something. ¡°Well, this is it.¡± I verified the sensor calibrations, as we dropped outside the FTL disruptors around Aafa¡¯s system. ¡°I¡¯ll have a read on how many ships they have soon. Ralchi, I hope it¡¯s not millions. They¡¯ve always been hiding their true capacity.¡± ¡°What if it is millions? Carlos can¡¯t exactly say ¡®Shoot them all¡¯ to that,¡± Sovlin grumbled. Carlos scrunched his face in confusion. ¡°Uh, why not?¡± ¡°Do we have the fucking ammunition for that? Even this atavist Yotul can count bullets.¡± Samantha swept her auburn hair out of her eyes. ¡°We¡¯ve been planning to get these fuckers for a long time. Time to fix the galaxy¡¯s crazy alien problem. I¡¯ve got a bullet with Melbourne¡¯s name on it for the first Kolshian to walk in my sights.¡± ¡°Likewise, I¡¯m doing this for Leirn. We cleared those colonizers off our planet once,¡± I said. ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can do to these bastards that would match the thousand-year sum of their evil.¡± Tyler snorted. ¡°First, I don¡¯t disagree, but it¡¯s not the damn Olympics. Before ya aliens ask, that¡¯s a big athlete contest with the shiny medals and the swimmers and the hurdles¡ª¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t ask.¡± ¡°Huh, that¡¯s rich comin¡¯ from the living geyser of fun facts. See, much better name for him than atavist, Sovlin.¡± ¡°Hmph. If I have to fight alongside a total barbarian, I¡¯m glad it¡¯s this one,¡± the Gojid admitted. ¡°I never would¡¯ve imagined how much I¡¯d care about a Yotul and literal fucking predators when I turned myself in. Though you all leave much to be desired, you¡¯re my crew.¡± Samantha glowered at him. ¡°I don¡¯t know why I expect a racist war criminal to give proper compliments, but you¡¯re making me glad we¡¯re about to see action. Please dole out some ¡®now shut the fuck up¡¯ orders, Officer Cardona.¡± ¡°Fine, listen up, here¡¯s what I need handled. Onso, numbers. Sovlin, tactical suggestions,¡± Tyler barked. ¡°Good luck. Y¡¯all know what we¡¯re up against. The squiddies got home field advantage and they¡¯re packing heat. We scrounged up over 100K of our own ships, so that¡¯s the good shit. But it¡¯s us, a smaller number of Yotul Technocracy ships we could bring in, and another bit of Sapient Coalition padding. There¡¯s been calls to other powers, but¡­¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have them now,¡± Carlos sighed. ¡°It¡¯ll be alright. Whatever they have waiting for us, I know tactics are on our side.¡± ¡°Well, we haven¡¯t unlocked an infinite ammo glitch in reality, so tactics won¡¯t matter if they¡¯ve got us too outgunned. Plasma has to recharge, and the rest of our munitions ain¡¯t gonna replenish on the fly. Onso, do you have the enemy¡¯s numbers?¡± I straightened my ears, waiting for the inconclusive blips to solidify into a proper count. Our glide had almost brought us within visual range of the nearest ships, but there was a larger formation scattered through the system. Orbital ring by orbital ring, it became clear the Kolshians hadn¡¯t left any stop along the way uncovered. Pushing through to Aafa itself would mean vanquishing a brutal onslaught at every step, and I couldn¡¯t imagine other surprises weren¡¯t lurking for us. My readout sourced data from our vast array of vessels, running predictive analysis to fill in the gaps from vague, far-off points. My ears pinned back in unease, as I watched the total number of hostiles climb. Worst of all, a solid chunk of the foes in our vicinity couldn¡¯t be matched to known shadow fleet markers. There were an estimated ninety-six thousand vessels from the manned, public Kolshian armada, and over two hundred thousand that were shadow fleet: a jaw-dropping number that dwarfed our attack force. However, I was watching the full enemy tally climb past five hundred thousand before it leveled off; the computer didn¡¯t buy that the rest were Commonwealth-made. It racked its data banks for other alternatives, including the simplest possibility that some of their two hundred allies had come, despite the catastrophic cyberattacks. Yet the homogeneity of the ships suggested it was a single entity, which led my brain to a startling possibility. Which parties in the galaxy have that many ships? I¡¯d assume it was the Arxur Dominion, except that I don¡¯t see how the grays could¡¯ve been persuaded to fight alongside Federation prey. ¡°Let¡¯s start with the easy news, while it¡¯s running a search for more comprehensive analysis,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯re looking at about five hundred thousand hostiles in system.¡± Tyler narrowed his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s the easy news?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not a million ships like Sovlin was afraid of.¡± Sovlin waved his claws angrily. ¡°Oh, half a million ships, that¡¯s so much better. Wait, what if Onso applied sensor filters by mistake? Maybe he¡¯s overselling it.¡± Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°The very first time we worked together, you accused me of that same shit. My work is damn good, good as any human here. If you can¡¯t see that, you¡¯re the neverpouched primitive.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, who was the captain of a warship? Who¡¯s trusted for tactical advice?¡± ¡°Captain Monahan?¡± ¡°Technically, that¡¯s a correct answer, wiseass,¡± Samantha laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t see a problem. We beat ¡®em with numerical odds against us many times over, ¡®cause the best minds are on our team. How is this any different?¡± Carlos scowled at his fellow guard. ¡°This is it. Every trick they have up their sleeves, they¡¯re going to use on us. We expect some of those plays to be dirty as fuck. They also have defensive fortifications to support their ships all across the system; there¡¯s a reason the plan is to manually take over their moon¡¯s orbital defenses. The brass must think we can¡¯t get close enough with bombers.¡± I flinched as my console flashed, confirming my suspicions. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what else is different. Two hundred thousand of the ships are from the Arxur Dominion.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Tyler hissed. Sovlin¡¯s spines bristled with dangerous lividness. ¡°Those fucking¡­the heartless grays do know who starved them, right? And after everything the Arxur did to us, to the herd, Aafa is working paw in paw with them? It wasn¡¯t enough that this all started because of the Federation; they have to keep it going? I know our suffering means fuck all to them, but the grays and the Kolshians really are one and the same!¡± ¡°Keep your head, Captain Racism. We know there¡¯s no bar that¡¯s too low for them. I can¡¯t say I expected this, but I also think the Dominion is less dangerous than the shadow fleet. We still have a mountain to climb¡­but it¡¯s now or never. When the other two hundred species get back on their feet¡­¡± ¡°Those numbers would be a million plus,¡± I finished. ¡°Insurmountable. Channel your anger, Sovlin, and use it to kill them all.¡± The Gojid gritted his teeth. ¡°With pleasure. It¡¯s time to correct my final mistake: years of service to this lying, Sivkit-brained Federation.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your tactical input?¡± Tyler questioned. ¡°Sir, I feel that we should target these Dominion ships. No, this isn¡¯t solely due to my personal vendetta with those bastards. They¡¯re manned ships, but ones that are more competent than the Kolshian crewed vessels; it¡¯ll keep us clear of the lights-out drones too. Our weapons have the advantage, so we can cut the grays down to size.¡± ¡°Onso, do you agree?¡± I masked my surprise at having my opinion solicited. ¡°I do agree. I don¡¯t know what these Dominion crews were told, but I¡¯m sure several aren¡¯t thrilled with their present alliance. There appears to be a group massing by the nearby gas giant, attempting to spring an ambush if we leave them be. We don¡¯t want to lose their signatures, and have gravity fields muddy the waters.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll advise the captain; she¡¯ll handle coordination with our allies. Find us a prime target on sensors, Onso, and center the viewport on them.¡± ¡°Consider it done.¡± As Tyler strolled over to Monahan¡¯s post, I brewed in my unvoiced doubts over our numerical disadvantage. It seemed like we didn¡¯t have enough ships to take the system, under the circumstances; the best option might¡¯ve been to circle back, and avoid a confrontation that was slanted so heavily against us. However, another part of my brain knew this was the best that the odds were going to get. Now that the Federation wasn¡¯t donning the guise of a peaceful organization, they could crank out more ships than humanity could with the sheer scale of their empire. If we let the Kolshians have time to get new manufacturing plants off the ground, there was no way for the Terrans to match it. It''s impressive how quickly humanity ramped up their shipmaking capacity, putting Earth¡¯s entire industrial might into overdrive; going from zero battleworthy craft to thousands upon thousands, whether by slapping drives on donations from allies or by splicing drones together from scratch. That said, it¡¯s now or never for taking Aafa¡­and hopefully, the Federation¡­down. Tyler gave me a confident nod upon his return; my selection had been a Dominion bomber that was showing battle scars on its hull. Much like our own, the enemy craft had undergone repairs, but nothing could truly be put back to the same quality after it was broken. Other sections of our invading fleet were designated to separate tasks. Yotul Technocracy ships were joining Terran drone advances on shadow fleet hideouts, pushing deeper into the system. The meager assortment of Sapient Coalition forces were challenging Kolshian-crewed ships, pitting the two weakest links against each other. That last one seemed like a tossup of who stampeded first, though I supposed it was derisive to think that way. ¡°Small laser station powering up from within the ring debris,¡± I barked, spotting the warning on my screen. Captain Monahan pursed her lips. ¡°Don¡¯t deviate from our present course. Lock plasma fire on the Dominion hostile, and prepare for evasive maneuvers if we¡¯re fired upon.¡± As our powerful railguns faced off against the Dominion¡¯s pair, I trusted that we had the edge on range, while lacking recharge speed and anti-evasion measures. The true advantage was the shield-breaking missiles, which were dumped into the gas giant-adjacent enemies. Unless the Kolshians had done something so reckless as passing along their replicated technology to the Arxur, the grays wouldn¡¯t have an answer. Unshielded foes were forced to pirouette behind cover of the planet¡¯s rings, where ice particles and small rocks absorbed several beams. We didn¡¯t have a clean shot, while they could pick their angle from a strategic location. To make us feel more surrounded, station-based lasers torched a path through Terran ships; they had enough energy to cut through several of our craft, shields and all, with a single blow. Our advance turned to address the troublesome planetary defenses, chucking any high-yield bombs we had in the station¡¯s direction. Its defenses were able to cause some premature detonations, though the indirect exposure was enough to clear its surrounding debris. That left a clean ticket for an antimatter munition to punch through, blowing the installation to Ralchi¡¯s domain. While we¡¯d been able to mop up that issue, I could see why larger versions around Aafa would be a major problem. The Kolshian homeworld must be a fortress. The Arxur picked the perfect location to set up shop, and compensate for their weaknesses. They might be lazy in the present day, but they¡¯re not stupid; there¡¯s no question why they¡¯ve been able to terrorize the galaxy for centuries. ¡°We still have a long way to go after this, sir,¡± Sovlin advised Tyler, amid nerve-wracked claw chewing. ¡°They¡¯ve been able to mitigate their losses, and we¡¯ve taken some hits. If they whittle us down at this rate, all the way to Aafa¡­we won¡¯t make it. We need to rethink our strategy; I don¡¯t know, figure out why the Dominion is working with the Federation at all? I fucking hate the idea of working with them, but I don¡¯t see how we can take them on; turning them might be the best tactical advice I can give.¡± Officer Cardona looked surprised by that suggestion. ¡°Thank you for your objectivity, Sovlin. Intelligence back home has been apprised of the Dominion¡¯s arrival, but we don¡¯t have enough information to try any outreach yet. I¡¯ll be candid with you all; we could use double the ships at our disposal to have a viable chance. Wish we¡¯d got more than 38 fucking allies, ¡®cause it¡¯s real David vs Goliath.¡± ¡°Real¡­what?¡± ¡°Little guy vs big guy. We just have to keep fighting, and pray for a turnaround. We¡¯ll take Aafa¡­or die trying. That might be bleak, but it''s God''s honest truth.¡± With those ominous words hanging in the air, I felt inertial dampeners rushing to keep up as we zigzagged; dodging plasma required constant surveillance of target locks and inbound munitions. Interceptors deployed in front of us, as an enemy missile homed in on us. Weapons had only just gotten our plasma back online, having to rely on kinetic turrets in the downtime. We fired off another shot, and a glancing plasma response from the Dominion caused a slight dip in our shielding. Finding cover was the best way to hold our own. The Terran fleet had deployed a few barrier walls to replicate the gas giant ring¡¯s advantage, but those could only absorb a few hits. It was nothing compared to millions of fragments, created by nature, to hide within. I squinted at the sensor screen for any useful insights to pass along, and my tail drooped as I spotted ship activity from the edge of the system. The Kolshians had more vessels at the ready, warping in to encircle us? It had looked like they vacated every outpost or colony garrison in their possession, but I supposed that had been a trick as well. While our Terran comrades had left a rearguard, anticipating this strategy, we were already stretched thin against half a million defenders. The idea of juggling more combatants and flanks would put an even greater strain on our resources. As much as I¡¯d been excited to take the fight to the Federation, I wasn¡¯t sure this was a battle we could win, if the enemy still had more resources to summon. ¡°Onso, you alright? You look like you just saw a ghost,¡± Tyler growled. I attempted to correct my downcast expression, but my body language stayed deflated. ¡°I did: ours. I¡¯m counting thirty thousand new Dominion signatures, freshly warped in at the edge of the FTL disruptor boundary. For every few we cut down, they could just bring in more. There¡¯s no telling how many ships they really have.¡± ¡°That changes things. We have to win this fight, but no commander would advocate suicide for our fleet. If the other side¡¯s true numbers are still in question, this battle is already lost. I¡¯ll bring this to Monahan¡¯s attention, and maybe, like Sovlin said, we do have to rethink our strategy. I hope we can find another way¡­I¡¯ll keep you apprised.¡± I ducked my head in acceptance, and watched the primate hustle over to the captain to impart the worrisome message. Optimism was becoming a colossal struggle, as we swerved across the battlefield to maintain our very lives. Once we found a path to cut through the Dominion¡¯s ring fortress, I had faith that we could start pushing our momentum in this arena. The question was how many engagements we could survive before our fleet collapsed under the pressure; if tons of enemy reinforcements were sitting on the sidelines, getting to Aafa might be too much of a hurdle for even humanity to surpass. Chapter 162 Memory transcription subject: Onso, Yotul Technical Specialist Date [standardized human time]: March 23, 2137 The captain bore a somber look on her face, as Tyler first imparted the news of Dominion reinforcements from the direction of Kalqua. There were a few hushed and hurried conversations, as I strained to pick up the comms chatter. While I couldn¡¯t hear what our personnel were saying, I could see the humans¡¯ faces cycling through different emotions. The bridge crew were dividing their attention between this new situation, and waging battle against the Arxur ships entrenched in the gas giant¡¯s ring. Our progress was slow and steady, careful not to overplay our hand; their cover was being chipped away at, though it cost us a few ships. Plasma arced from our railgun, seizing a clean angle that I¡¯d forwarded through my analysis of the battlefield. I tried to focus on that single enemy erupting into smithereens, and the increased ability we had to avoid hazards from our closer vantage point. The Dominion didn¡¯t budge from their positions, as a few allies fell; our own ship was the recipient of an attempted target lock, likely the same foe that singled us out for a previous plasma strike. I put my head down, and searched for whichever miscreant was gunning for us. Through close inspection, I located a small warship hiding in the shadow of a larger ally. Not wasting a second that could mean the difference between life and death, I forwarded the new target to weapons. ¡°Plasma is recharging, but with those nanodrones we stocked up on, I say now¡¯s a good time to use them!¡± I shouted. Captain Monahan angled her ear toward me ever so slightly. ¡°You heard the Yotul. Unload the nanodrones, and deploy a mini-missile salvo to distract them in the meantime.¡± The Terran commander¡¯s addition to my plan was sound, but it was disappointing that I hadn¡¯t presented the solution myself. The new Dominion blips, thirty thousand of them, were distracting me; a part of my brain was mapping their trajectory, and had reached a gut-wrenching conclusion before my conscious mind connected the dots. As the mini-missile delivery vehicles wove around the larger hull, and their payload battered the shieldless hull of the foe targeting us, I checked to confirm my instinctual suspicions. All of the new reinforcements were closing in on our manned vessels to aid their Arxur brethren. We had chosen this engagement because it was the most viable option on the competency gradient. Have we walked into a trap? What do we even do; peel back and push through the ambushers, weapons at full blast, to regroup? Summon drone backup, when our automatons are already contesting the shadow fleet? The nanodrones reached their intended target, punching through the drive compartment; there was nothing the Arxur harassing us could do to avoid going up in flames. The explosion lobbed icy debris from the planetary rings at nearby comrades, which damaged several of its allies. I was certain that Monahan would advise other ships to pivot to nanodrones, but that tactic didn¡¯t address the inbound problem. We had a few minutes before the Dominion completed its pincer movement. While I racked my brain for out-of-the-box solutions, the sensors readout glitched. The unmistakable raiding vessels switched over to green, friendly markers. ¡°Tyler, thirty thousand Arxur vessels are coming in hot on our heels,¡± I announced. ¡°I advise immediate action to address this threat. Also, the enemy may have tapped into our systems, since they¡¯re suddenly denoted as friendlies.¡± Sovlin huffed with skepticism. ¡°Did you press the wrong button by mistake? All that bouncing and fidgeting you do on your hindlegs¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t touch it. You are disrupting matters of the gravest importance; does Tyler need to remove you from the bridge?!¡± ¡°Well, I spoke up to offer sensical advice. Unless it¡¯s that nasty Chief Hunter Isif¡¯s ships, it¡¯s obvious Dominion ships aren¡¯t friendlies. And Isif is buddy-buddy with Zhao, so I¡¯d venture since we didn¡¯t know they were coming, it¡¯s not him. The grays don¡¯t have cyber capabilities like Terrans, as Onso should know; hacking is a fantastical notion. That leaves the possibility that the markers were mislabeled by the Yotul, or by someone else in a high-ranking position. Would any humans betray their kind to aid the Arxur?¡± Captain Monahan snapped her head toward us. ¡°No. We¡¯re pulling back to fall in line with the new Dominion ships. We have new intel being forwarded that says they¡¯re here to take Aafa¡­and are very much against cooperating with the Kolshians. I¡¯ll be hailing the new arrival¡¯s commander to gather info for the fleet; XO Schwartz has control over battle stations. Comms, extend the hail.¡± I blinked in confusion, doubtful over whether to trust these sources. Sovlin could have a point about power-hungry traitors to the Terrans¡¯ cause, though I knew very little about this ¡°Isif¡± he mentioned. Tyler told me that he was an ardent supporter of some Archives gray, but I didn¡¯t know the specifics. However, it wasn¡¯t impossible that this sensor anomaly was an inside job to sow confusion, a betrayal from within. As was evident in the seediest parts of Yotul history, all it took was one person in the right spot who was tempted by grandiose offerings to sell out a movement. If the primates were too trusting of the wrong people, our vessels could be waltzing blind into a crossfire! ¡°Our intelligence hasn¡¯t dropped the ball yet, Onso, knock on wood. If this was entire agencies¡¯ conclusion, there must be some basis for it,¡± Tyler reassured me. Carlos dipped his head in agreement. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a new addition to the Arxur rebels. I thought they preferred insurgent tactics to direct engagement, but maybe this group buys into the prideful aggression doctrines.¡± ¡°Aggression sounds great. Hell, as long their bloody guns point in the right direction, I don¡¯t care if they follow the whims of the Flying Spaghetti Monster,¡± Samantha huffed. Our warship reversed its momentum with gradual thruster changes, and glided backwards; the hostile Arxur wouldn¡¯t concede their strategic location by the gas giant to pursue us. Of the thousands of Dominion ships in this cluster, we¡¯d picked off a few percentage points. I could see nearby remains of a few of our craft too; we hadn¡¯t escaped unscathed. Even with shields, a few well-placed hits in close succession would turn a Terran vessel to scrap metal. Captain Monahan was aware of the singular focus required during a space battle, which was why she was in a hurry to complete the call to our mysterious ally. Seconds passed without a response from the thirty thousand ships, who were almost upon us. If there was no answer from this gray bunch, it would certainly elevate my suspicions. Any genuine aid would want to coordinate with their allies. What could possibly be the delay? Before my doubts could creep back in, regardless of the humans¡¯ faith in their intelligence, a strange Arxur blinked onto the screen. Abundant scars laced his face, which was an unusual greenish-gray. Rather than standing in their typical display of strength and ferocity, this commander was in an unusual seated position. If he was answering our hail, this must be the Chief Hunter presiding from a command ship; given that Sovlin wasn¡¯t reacting with recognition, this wasn¡¯t the ¡°friendly¡± Isif. The carnivorous alien bared his teeth in a true snarl, rather than the relaxed teeth flashing Terrans favored. ¡°Humans. I am Chief Hunter Ilthiss, and I am here to help you deal with these traitors to Betterment,¡± the Arxur growled. ¡°Betterment is an ideal of cruelty and dominance. A friend of yours reminded me of this; I was able to contact Chief Hunter Usliff from my neighbor sector, before Giznel could get to her with that plea.¡± Monahan narrowed her eyes. ¡°Why are you helping us, Chief Hunter? We like to know who we¡¯re fighting alongside.¡± ¡°Usliff and I both wanted to show these Kolshians we don¡¯t need their permission to do anything¡­and that we don¡¯t work with prey! I¡¯ve obtained a copy of some damning footage between those codgers Giznel and Nikonus, but the Dominion ships have disabled communications for that reason. The command ships are jamming inbound signals to be sure, under the guise of cybersecurity. I could convince many others here to turn if they saw this one clip!¡± This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°There¡¯s no way to get them to accept file transfers or hails, without hacking their systems and forcing them to listen. If we had malware on their ships, I suspect it would¡¯ve been activated the second our brass heard the Dominion was here. You¡¯ll need to fight your comrades. Will that be acceptable for you?¡± ¡°Hss, you speak as if I care about my associates, human. I¡¯m not so pathetic. They are in my way, they are defending the leaf-licking scum who think they can control us, and I¡¯d rather fight with a sniveling predator like you than join the piss-ridden Federation. At least you don¡¯t shy away from a threat.¡± ¡°I think the Federation finds us humans to be most troublesome. Clearly, the Dominion¡¯s not a fan of the strength and gumption we bring to the table either. If I may, Chief Hunter, do you know how the Arxur were persuaded to work with the Commonwealth?¡± ¡°Hrr, they claimed that you will eliminate any threats to your claim over the prey animals that populate the galaxy. Therefore, the Arxur will not have a right to exist, and pooling forces with an undesirable herbivore is to protect future raids. They say it¡¯s about the right to cruelty, but it¡¯s really about control and a lack of ambition. Isif told me that you¡¯ll back a society with a different despot to Giznel; I¡¯ll answer to no more cowards. That senile, defective Chief Hunter has the right idea with a power grab, but the role seems better-suited to me.¡± ¡°We can settle the future of the Dominion after the Federation is gone, Chief Hunter.¡± The perfect tone of diplomacy from Monahan, for this self-centered individual. ¡°This is a chance to defeat them entirely, and stop the Arxur from being directly controlled by the herbivores who insulted you¡­by trying to starve you. Who do you want to be the one responsible¡ªa hero even¡ªin their defeat?¡± Ilthiss¡¯ eyes glowed with malice. ¡°Generations will know of my power. A true Chief Hunter would never fight for the Federation. We¡¯re taking the gas giant; if you leaf-lickers want to come with us, you better keep up!¡± The Arxur disconnected from the hail, and Captain Monahan allowed her neutral mask to fall. She closed her binocular eyes with a bit of weariness, no doubt from her negotiating attempts all being centered on crazy people from deranged regimes. That would tucker anyone out, and challenge their professional tone. I could at least rest assured that this newcomer¡¯s motives checked out, so human intelligence had read the situation correctly. The Terran manned ships merged with Ilthiss¡¯ vessels, coordinating with Arxur commanders over comms; with thirty-thousand new craft on our side, we should be able to clean up the inferior force much quicker. I checked my sensors readout, gauging the other battlefronts. ¡°Sir, an update on our allies¡¯ status. The other Yotul ships have pushed deeper into Aafa¡¯s system; if I¡¯m reading this correctly, it seems Terran drones quietly slapped on their own particle beams. The shadow fleet is sustaining disproportionate losses. The Sapient Coalition is struggling against the enemy¡¯s manned ships, though, and appears to need urgent backup.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t afford to divert any resources. We¡¯re committed to pushing forward with Ilthiss, and if the A-team is succeeding against the shadow fleet, they should keep the foot on the gas too. Taking out those ships is the top priority, after all.¡± ¡°What happens when the SC ships fall on their first engagement, of many? We¡¯re at the outer bounds of the system, not Aafa.¡± ¡°If we spend this battle bailing them out, we won¡¯t be able to focus on our goals. They knew the risks. They need to hold their own, unless we get more magical reinforcements out of left field.¡± While I knew that my human exchange partner was correct, having only two main groups to deploy would hinder our capabilities to address evolving threats. It was a shame that herbivore-crewed militaries were always bumbling fools; I think that knowledge colored Terrans¡¯ initial perception of me, in this role, more than the primitive accusations I faced elsewhere. Determined to set myself apart from other ex-Federation volunteers, I hunched over the sensors to find us an edge. The green dots denoting Ilthiss¡¯ ships were throttling ahead at full burn. It was convenient for us that they sent themselves to the front lines to absorb the worst of the incoming fire. This is a novelty, seeing Dominion ships fighting against themselves; untold aggression canceling each other out. Ilthiss will want to push into the ring for close-range angles, blasting his opponents with kinetics and plasma they can¡¯t dodge. It¡¯d be a no-win bloodbath, except that we can seize the distraction for mid-range strikes. ¡°Ilthiss is likely to get up close and personal with his old friends,¡± I advised. ¡°We should be careful not to hit him¡­¡± Sovlin grumbled to himself. ¡°Should we now? So much for ¡®Wise sage Sovlin, handle tactics.¡¯¡± ¡°Ahem. Don¡¯t hit him, because we need his vessels alive to increase our chances during later engagements. I suggest we hold our fire to precede him by just a little bit, so the enemies are distracted when he pulls up alongside them.¡± Tyler grinned with approval. ¡°Good work, Onso. Chart Ilthiss¡¯ intercept vectors, and inform us when you estimate a ship is ten seconds from deploying kinetics.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Thirty-thousand overlapping lines blinked onto my sensors readout, but I knew our vessel needed to protect one; other Terran craft would handle the others. I applied filters to chart vectors only for Ilthiss¡¯ speediest ships, and those who were the closest to the gas giant¡¯s ring. After combing through the data, and allowing our new allies to get nearer to the target, I pulled up a nimble warship¡¯s pathing. It was flying headlong into a barrage of plasma, while we conserved the brunt of our weaponry for the climax of this aggressive strategy. The fresh Dominion ships had an abundance of missiles to unload at the Kolshian-allied hostiles. Scores of casualties were racking up on both sides, but the arrogant Chief Hunter had almost gotten his ships inside of the icy debris. I pulled up one vessel; we could just barely catch an angle of its belly. ¡°We can blow a hole in the underside of this one, or at least make it startle. Plasma needs to get a shot off in the next few seconds.¡± ¡°Weapons, fire on this target now,¡± Monahan ordered. My ears perked up as our beam was dispatched with impressive haste; somehow, the humans hadn¡¯t sacrificed anything in the way of precision. Our Arxur foes were paying more mind to their kinsmen than the UN fleet hanging back, perhaps under the assumption that the debris lent them enough shelter to disregard us. Their negligence allowed us to tear a gash in the mark¡¯s belly, compromising its integrity. Terran vessels around us fired off similar shots, landing strikes wherever we could. A few kills, along with many damaging hits, were notched on our enemies. Several enemy guns, which had been preoccupied raining hellfire on a charging Ilthiss, zapped plasma in our direction in response. The Terran manned fleet was able to avoid prolonged fire, since Ilthiss regained their attention with his arrival. The scarred Chief Hunter had lost thousands of ships with his recklessness, but it was one way to flush the Dominion from the icy rings. The Arxur friendlies stormed the natural-made fortress, cycling between their three main munitions as fast as biologically possible. More missiles were spit off from close-range in an overkill, wasteful gesture, while turrets revved to life to pump kinetics across entire ship bodies. Plasma had barely flashed from twin railguns, before it collided with our enemies. Ilthiss¡¯ strategy was to shoot everything his force had, all at once, without giving them a second to breathe¡ªand it was working like a charm. Now that our plasma has recharged, another supporting volley should cause them to crumble. Even the Arxur themselves didn¡¯t expect this much aggression from one of their own. This Ilthiss gray is unhinged; not my ideal choice of ally. I served up another target on the platter, and weapons needed a quick go-ahead to sizzle energy toward the fray. The Terran fleet had drifted nearer, allowing a shorter time to impact. I had the viewport focused on our current mark, as human technicians blasted plasma straight into key systems; the craft somehow stayed together, but the gaping hole through its hull left it listing off-vector. Ilthiss¡¯ people were on it in a second, killing a vessel that was already out of the game for good measure. The Dominion¡¯s numbers had dwindled in light of our new arrival, though they pumped out desperate last shots toward the new Chief Hunter. Our crazy ally was able to pounce on the final remnants, with our help, but the swift victory was at the cost of an eye-watering ten thousand of his ships. ¡°Ilthiss¡¯ help won¡¯t last long, if he keeps bleeding ships like this.¡± I adjusted the viewport toward the open expanse of stars, as our warship banked to join our allies deeper in the system. ¡°Speaking of allies, that Sapient Coalition situation I mentioned has gotten worse. We should help them.¡± Samantha rolled her eyes. ¡°In a shocking turn of events, our alien help leaves much to be desired. Except for the Yotul ships; you¡¯re pretty much as good as ex-Feds get.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so flattered. Not that you¡¯re completely wrong. With help like this, we certainly could use more ships. We just made it past their first bastion of defense, and the numbers won¡¯t get any prettier.¡± Sovlin tapped a claw against the screen, finding faint indicators from the edge of the opposite side of the system. ¡°Then you¡¯re going to like this. Already marked a tentative green: computer must think they¡¯re not Kolshian or Dominion. We should ask these guys to head toward the bulk of the action, rather than drifting way out yonder.¡± The first wave of reinforcements that were on our side had quieted my doubts, but the Gojid war criminal was speaking as if more new additions were joining our fleet. I snapped my attention to the activity that he picked up, seeking out supplemental information so I could brief the captain on their origin. The subspace trails were a bit strange, and would take a moment to untangle from this range, but I was confident I¡¯d figure it out. Whoever this latest group was, I was hoping it was someone more reliable than gunslinging Ilthiss. Humanity needed proper aid to bail out their Sapient Coalition partners. Chapter 163 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, United Nations Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: March 24, 2137 Now that humanity and its allies were here at Aafa, I could feel the weighty gaze of history upon us. The chance to free our societies from the Federation¡¯s grip was both terrifying and inspiring; the Kolshians had stripped us of our own cultures, and thrust us into a censored life of suffering. A government that valued control above all else must not be allowed to exist. Just as I had once considered humans a menace incapable of feeling, out to conquer and pillage, I saw the same creatures that deserved anguish fighting in this system. The Dominion and the Commonwealth, paw in paw: both responsible for my tormented lot in life. If it weren¡¯t for Recel, I might stand with Onso in wanting Aafa glassed. The personalized anger always shaped my strategizing for the better, though the Yotul had been piping up before I could assemble my tactics. I guess that primitive wanted both jobs at the sensor station. However, I had no intention of taking a backseat during the attempt to vanquish the Kolshians; my eyes stayed alert for anything useful that could kickstart new ideas. While monitoring the sensor feed for data relevant to our tactical options, fifty thousand friendlies at the edge of our detection range caught my attention. In the span since we first arrived in system, our fleet had now gained eighty thousand new participants¡ªnearly doubling our original count. Of course, I¡¯d like to have Ilthiss¡¯ head on a pike, but thankfully, that warmongering Arxur seemed capable of killing off the beasts under his control by himself. One-third of his force dying back at the gas giant saved human lives, so I could tolerate grays getting blown to dust in our stead. That said, I hoped the computer wouldn¡¯t identify these new arrivals as more Dominion monsters, answering to some other Chief Hunter with a vicious ideology. The confusing bit was that they were denoted as friendlies; if these were Federation or Arxur vessels, their signatures would have been matched to the ones in system. Had someone from the Sapient Coalition decided to send more ships? I snapped my head up, catching onto a remark from Onso about needing more ships. ¡°Then you¡¯re going to like this. Already marked a tentative green: computer must think they¡¯re not Kolshian or Dominion. We should ask these guys to head toward the bulk of the action, rather than drifting way out yonder.¡± The Yotul had been pensive since the battle began, likely worried about our odds of taking down this army¡ªa joint force from the two greatest powers in the galaxy, which shattered the records for any battle force. Onso had understood that our outlook was grim, going in; I think the primitive saw this as a suicide mission. Reality hadn¡¯t looked upon us with kindness, at first. The Terran shipyards at Proxima Centauri, built up adjacent to a colony with temporary housing, and the cumulative manufacturing power of Earth held significant output for a single species. The predators seemed as if they could do anything, when faced with a challenge to their kind, yet it paled in comparison to the system-filling numbers we were up against today. I knew what hopelessness looked like from gauging the morale of my Gojid crew, back when we squared off against the Arxur. The charge we led against the cradle¡¯s raiders had a few realists, like Onso. It was only when Ilthiss showed up that I saw the first glimmer of hope within the Yotul, and with fifty thousand new additions to our roster, optimism was gleaming in my crewmate¡¯s eyes. I could see that the marsupial was trying to temper his rising spirits; it was important to verify that these were friendlies. If these latest additions were truly on our side, we might be able to fill the system with our own fleet. There is the issue of the two hundred thousand enemies that are shadow fleet, but it sounds like the Yotul and Terrans have their number. Something about beams of particles. ¡°Before we hail these fellas, we should know who they are,¡± Tyler decided. ¡°For all we know, it could be some trick by the Kolshians to dress their fleet up as Venlil ships.¡± Samantha rolled her eyes. ¡°That would never work. The Venlil gave us most of their military. Fifty thousand ships don¡¯t grow on trees.¡± ¡°Are you sure about that, Sam?¡± Carlos teased. The blond-haired officer blinked in irritation. ¡°Enough. You get my point; we can¡¯t afford to be wrong here. Who are we dealing with?¡± ¡°Just one more second, sir.¡± Onso furiously applied some filters to the subspace trail data, before his optimism seemed to fizzle. ¡°Oh. That¡¯s¡­it¡¯s the Duerten Shield.¡± I shot a withering look at the Yotul. ¡°Why are you saying that like it¡¯s a bad thing?¡± ¡°Because, like all Federation militaries except for the one we¡¯re squaring off against, they¡¯ve shown they¡¯re completely incompetent.¡± ¡°I was in the Federation military.¡± ¡°My point stands, old man.¡± ¡°Insolent prick. Do you know who was the only captain to spot the Terran ambush on Gojid border outposts, despite their stealth deception?¡± Samantha curled her nose at me. ¡°Why are you saying that like it¡¯s a good thing? Besides, maybe my memory¡¯s a little hazy, but didn¡¯t you do nothing to intervene? Something about expecting us to be unable to resist slaughtering the civilians on your colonies, so you camped by an inhabited world instead of your base.¡± ¡°I might¡¯ve been a little offsides¡­my point is, I saw through your tricks, so I was somewhat competent. Not all Federation captains are the same.¡± ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Tyler was visibly trying not to laugh. ¡°This really shouldn¡¯t be amusing, should it? Guess compared to the shit that came after, it¡¯s the good old days. Now sit back; we¡¯re going fast as we can to help out those SC ships. Unfortunately, Onso has a point about Federation captains not¡­holding up under pressure. They need us.¡± ¡°Damn right they do,¡± the Yotul declared. ¡°Well, now that they¡¯re here, don¡¯t we have to contact the Duerten Shield? Make sure they don¡¯t wander off unsupervised?¡± ¡°Er, I¡¯m sure we wouldn¡¯t put it that way, but yes. It¡¯s a good number of ships, and maybe this time will be different. Believe it or not, I heard they held up surprisingly well defending Kalqua.¡± ¡°Cornered animals, sir. Sovlin probably needs that concept explained, since prey could never hurt anyone just because they¡¯re out of options.¡± I scoffed. ¡°I don¡¯t take explanations from medievalists and microwave chefs. Go make your fucking call.¡± Officer Cardona ran a final confirmation with Onso of the data, before passing along the news of Duerten Shield reinforcements to Captain Monahan. The UN commander gauged the distance between us and the floundering Sapient Coalition; the manned Kolshian vessels were making quicker work of our direct allies than the Shield¡¯s last stand. Pairing the two groups together could grant them more backbone¡­and adding the Kalqua natives to the mix took our tally above 180,000. The real question was whether the avians were finally friendly toward the humans, or whether they¡¯d cause fractious disruptions. The tone of this conversation would indicate their disposition toward us. Without humanity¡¯s kindness, the Duerten species would be in the same positions as the Gojids post-cradle, if not worse. I don¡¯t see how they could find it in their hearts to still harbor hatred for us. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. A Duerten commander blinked onto the screen. ¡°We were hoping a Yotul captain would speak to us about our integration, but I suppose a predator will suffice. We¡¯re here to make Aafa pay for what they did to us.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Monahan growled with a neutral expression. ¡°If I may, weren¡¯t the Homogeneity¡¯s numbers devastated at Kalqua? I thought you only had¡ª¡± ¡°A little less than ten thousand ships total. I do know my own fleet strength. Look, we lost more people than you did on Earth. I¡¯m so angry I can¡¯t think straight. If the Kolshians attacked us again, we¡¯d be fucked anyways, so we might as well point our guns at them, here and now.¡± ¡°Understood. The other forty thousand are Shield allies?¡± ¡°The Leshee felt guilty for not sending any ships to Kalqua, some grudge about being iced out of the Federation military. The Jaur saved most of their fleet for today, because, surprise, they wanted to help out with this anyway. The¡ªwait, why am I telling a predator this? I¡¯m sure the motives of forty-four species, and which ones turned up, don¡¯t matter to you. What registers is violence, and there¡¯s forty-thousand Shield ships that want to dish that out.¡± ¡°You know, we¡¯re happy you¡¯re here. We¡¯ll forward the coordinates of our herbivore allies¡¯ advance, and you can team up with them. They¡¯ll fill you in on any details you need. Oh, and Commander?¡± The avian stiffened. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Humanity is not your enemy.¡± ¡°We¡¯re¡­starting to see that. Thank you for saving us.¡± The Duerten struggled to say those last words, and hurriedly disconnected from the call. Samantha chuckled with disbelief; it seemed the avians hadn¡¯t put the entirety of their predator distaste aside. However, I trusted the Shield to fight by our side, as long as it meant dishing out retribution to Aafa. The look in the Homogeneity commander¡¯s eyes when she spoke about her anger struck a chord. It wasn¡¯t dissimilar to how I¡¯d felt after losing my family, stewing in hatred and a desire to make the responsible parties suffer. In her case, that grief was fresh. Trusting the Duerten not to do something rash would be foolhardy under the circumstances. ¡°We need to keep an eye on them. They¡¯re not thinking straight,¡± I said. Carlos nodded in agreement. ¡°I know. Every human on this ship knows how they feel. Many of us came out of Earth¡¯s attack willing to do anything to the Federation.¡± ¡°However much they¡¯re not of sound mind now¡ª¡± Tyler began. Samantha sighed. ¡°Or ever.¡± ¡°¡ªwe need their numbers. Their desperation could make them fight better. You heard it from their mouth; they know if this battle isn¡¯t won, they can¡¯t defend Kalqua anyway. Their fleet is in tatters.¡± Onso flicked his ears. ¡°The Archives told us how loud and individualistic they are, and it shows. They do crazy, illogical things during bursts of emotion. Assassinating Nikonus because they were angry over their uplifting? Leaving Kalqua with zero ships to their name now?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not tell them that,¡± I responded. ¡°It won¡¯t matter as long as we win this fight. Unlike the Kolshians, the United Nations isn¡¯t a habitual practitioner of genocide.¡± ¡°Yet the Federation said we¡¯d conquer and enslave them all.¡± Carlos shook his head, as if disappointed by our continued reality. ¡°They accused ¡®predators¡¯ of what they themselves do. I wonder if they hate us because our darkest moments are a mirror of their finest.¡± Samantha patted his shoulder. ¡°Oh, you sweet little thing. They hate us because of our eyes and our food, and don¡¯t need another reason. They wanted us to be conquerors; it just turns out the system we¡¯re conquering is theirs. Now, let¡¯s go bail out those bumbling SC idiots.¡± ¡°This should be an ¡®easy¡¯ stop, but let¡¯s not get complacent. Man your stations, everyone,¡± Tyler ordered. Yotul Technocracy ships and Terran drones were also moving their vectors toward us, after tallying a resounding victory against the shadow fleet. The Sapient Coalition bunch were the last group still engaged, for our initial skirmishes by the outer planets. A light formation of manned hostiles were giving our herbivore friends a world of trouble; tactics on both sides had broken down into a disorganized shooting match that was tilting toward the Kolshians. The SC¡¯s numbers had been nearly halved by an enemy band much smaller than them. It wasn¡¯t worth waiting for the Duerten Shield, or our autonomous allies, to join our rescue. Human crew members can handle a straightforward task, and do a clinical job cleaning up this area. The quicker we deal with this, the sooner we can push toward the inner planets. Onso pulled up an enemy target on-screen, as we coasted within range, while I monitored whether any foes turned toward us. The Commonwealth vessels seemed a bit dispirited, like they believed that their government was sacrificing them to the cause. With those extenuating factors in mind, it wasn¡¯t a surprise that they were slow to react. If Recel were still alive today, would he have been called home and roped into ¡°serving his nation?¡± I almost felt guilty as we nabbed our first mark, nailing them with a plasma beam that was all too easy to land. The Sapient Coalition regained a bit of their senses, with humanity coming to their aid. Our herbivore allies regrouped enough to coordinate fire on specific Kolshian vessels; I passed along which ships were being targeted by our allies, so we could pool our resources on the ones they neglected. The manned enemies turned their last missiles toward human-crewed ships out of spite, bitter at the predators who sealed their suicide mission. The barrage could be batted aside by most of us, except for smaller vessels that had too many inbound explosives centered on them. With the rapidly-dwindling number of Commonwealth survivors now out of projectiles, it simplified cleanup even further. A small handful of Kolshian ships attempted to flee, and were pursued by the fastest Terran craft. We couldn¡¯t allow them to fall back, bolstering the largest contingents near Aafa. I knew the point of the staggered resistance was to soften us up for when we reached the inner sanctum; excessive planetary defenses and the best Commonwealth-Dominion vessels would be waiting. Having less threats to contend with improved our odds, given the daunting scale of the task ahead. Taking the Federation founder¡¯s world wouldn¡¯t even be the end of our mission. ¡°Finish off anything with a Kolshian warp drive!¡± Monahan barked. ¡°We have new orders from command. While it¡¯s ideal to split our forces, UN manned ships are being paired with the Shield and the Coalition. We can¡¯t afford to leave them to their own devices, so we stick to them like glue! Navigations, sensors, find us the best point of attack by the inner planets. Weapons, bring me an update on our ammunition stores. Comms, patch us into allied channels and keep us synchronized.¡± A chorus of assent came from the stations the captain called upon, while the last Kolshian resistance in this region was mopped up. It was troublesome that our Sapient Coalition allies had bungled such an easy assignment; I hoped the furious, revenge-seeking Duerten Shield would have a higher level of competency. If none of our partners could handle their own, our warship would be strapped to an anchor. Human leadership needed to have the good sense to cut them loose, if it came down to it, and make the requisite sacrifices to win this battle. I peered at the sensors screen. ¡°I see we¡¯ve plotted an intercept course, to rendezvous with the Duerten Shield. After that, I say we go toward that oblong rocky planet¡­Caato, if I remember its name. An unimportant research colony with a few hab modules; unless you want to bomb it, I wouldn¡¯t concern yourself with settlements aside from Aafa.¡± ¡°Sovlin is right,¡± Onso agreed. ¡°It¡¯s a prime target. There¡¯s a mix of Commonwealth manned vessels and Dominion ships. I imagine neither side likes that, so they might not be fighting¡­or coordinating at their best.¡± ¡°Precisely.¡± Tyler ducked his head. ¡°I¡¯ll forward our suggested destination to navs, along with the location of known enemies. Anything else we should know?¡± ¡°Well, just some tactical advice, sir. From what we can see on here, the enemy resistance only gets thicker as we go forward. I recommend keeping the SC and the Shield in supporting roles.¡± ¡°No, that won¡¯t do. The Duerten won¡¯t be happy taking a backseat here,¡± Onso challenged. ¡°They want revenge for what was done to them. We already established that they¡¯re highly emotional, and not thinking straight.¡± ¡°Then what are you suggesting? We let them take the lead, despite their questionable competency?¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m suggesting, Sovlin. Let the Duerten pick their role, and see how they fare. Caato is the test of whether it¡¯s best to let them go off on their own.¡± Tyler pursed his lips. ¡°I don¡¯t see a better option to keep them in line, and getting in their way could make them turn their guns on us. This might convince them we¡¯re on the same side. I¡¯ll fill the captain in; she can have someone that¡¯s an herbivore ask their decision on how we want to play this.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hope this goes better than we all expect,¡± Samantha grumbled. As the sensors officer marched off for a conference with Monahan, I found myself questioning the Yotul¡¯s suggestion. I hated to admit that Onso¡¯s advice was normally sound, but in this case, his idea could be detrimental to the fleet¡¯s success pushing deeper. It would be enough of a challenge to protect weaker allies without putting them in charge of our next move. The humans were attempting to manage a tricky situation, with the numerous parties for and against them in the battle, yet this seemed like a ludicrous gamble. I hoped that the Duerten Shield¡¯s combat actions today would be as bold as their words. We needed not just to win this next stage of the clash, but also to swing momentum to our side heading to Aafa. None of this factored in Ilthiss¡¯ ships, which had moved off on their own vector, rather than aiding our Sapient Coalition friends. That bloodthirsty Chief Hunter must not have wanted the appearance of teaming up with prey. There was no question that the Duerten would not appreciate our Arxur aid. I didn¡¯t envy the Terran brass, trying to juggle these different interests. If anyone could keep this tinderbox from erupting into flames, it was humanity; the predators had been agents of peace since day one on the galactic scene. Chapter 164 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, United Nations Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: March 24, 2137 The crewed vessels of the Terran fleet advanced on Caato, where the unlikely Commonwealth-Dominion alliance waited. On a separate course, UN drones and Yotul Technocracy ships were flushing the shadow fleet out from the system¡¯s asteroid belt; their band had been saddled with Ilthiss, since their particle beams allowed them to match his aggression. I was hopeful that the Chief Hunter¡¯s ships would fall over the course of the battle, even if humanity didn¡¯t believe that was the ideal outcome. However, the fifty thousand Duerten Shield vessels surging ahead toward the rocky world, which was somewhat similar in use to Sol¡¯s ¡°Mars¡± as I understood it, could be a problem too. The avians couldn¡¯t afford to throw away their numbers, both for our sake and Kalqua¡¯s. We were a seed¡¯s flight away from Aafa, after soaring through the moderate resistance near the gas giants. More vessels were amassed by Caato, but the bulk of the enemy fleet was anticipating our eventual arrival at the Kolshian homeworld. Their hope was to whittle us down along the way, despite how that knocked tens of thousands of ships from their half a million strong tally. The Terrans needed a full docket of information for the upcoming engagement, to stave off any traps or devious intentions. I surveyed the Shield with interest, trying to gauge what their strategy would be for engaging the hostiles. With their hulls packed into our ranks, it was then that I noticed a strange anomaly on the nearest scans. ¡°I¡¯ve noticed something unusual about these vessels, compared to the standard Duerten make,¡± I piped up. ¡°It¡¯s as if they¡¯ve stapled some mix-and-match storage bays to the bottom of their ships. High amounts of mass concentration there too.¡± Onso tilted his head. ¡°Were they trying to turn standard warships into bombers? The mass distribution is congruent with what I¡¯d expect for a few standard antimatter missiles, typically used in extermination fleets.¡± Samantha¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Like the extermination fleet that came to Earth.¡± ¡°Or to Kalqua, even if they didn¡¯t go by that moniker. I will note that there¡¯s some variance between Krakotl technology seen on Earth, the Malti tube bombers specialized to colony foundation, and the Duerten¡¯s rather antiquated technology. The blast radius of their bombs is limited by how inefficient the subatomic collision mechanisms¡ª¡± I jabbed my claws at the Yotul. ¡°You don¡¯t need to hijack my observations by regurgitating science textbooks. Stop trying to prove your intelligence through rote memorization.¡± ¡°I¡¯m providing insight into the destructive capacity of different species¡¯ weapons technologies. Ralchi forbid I find it interesting!¡± ¡°Here¡¯s some fucking insight. Any antimatter bomb can flatten a city, but the Duerten¡¯s warheads don¡¯t have quite the same reach as others when they blow up. Isn¡¯t that simpler?¡± ¡°Simpler isn¡¯t always better, Sovlin. You just don¡¯t want a primitive to know anything more than you. If I was a human, you¡¯d gush about my intelligence.¡± ¡°Well, who¡¯d expect a predator to behave that way? The bar is lower for them. Um, no offense. Humans just tend to have very specific interests, like how Tyler likes murdering fish and shooting things in simulated games.¡± Tyler scowled at me. ¡°I have other interests. Sorry that I can¡¯t gush about philosophy and zoology like Marcel. You two need to quit your bickering, especially at a time like this, and conduct yourself with proper discipline. Am I understood?¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± I grumbled, as the Yotul said nothing. ¡°I think you caught the point buried in there. Despite his excessive information, Onso is right about the Duerten strapping themselves with as many roughshod bombs as they could.¡± Carlos¡¯ brown irises darkened. ¡°Do you think they intend to bomb Aafa, sir?¡± ¡°I think so. I also don¡¯t see how humanity could stop them without throwing ourselves into the Kolshians¡¯ tentacles, so we should cross that bridge if we get there. For all we know, the Shield flounders and panics at Caato,¡± Tyler answered. I chewed at my claws. ¡°But you said you thought they¡¯d fight better because of their desperation, sir.¡± ¡°I said they might. I don¡¯t think it does any fucking good to raise tensions before we even get to Aafa, because after seeing they taped bombs to their bellies, I¡¯m certain they¡¯re off their rockers with rage. Our orders are to destroy enemies posted in this area; focus on that.¡± If the humans didn¡¯t want to address the Duerten¡¯s vindictive plans, then I was content not to dwell on the prospect of bombs. While the thought of innocents like Recel getting caught in the crossfire hounded me, the personal resentment in my heart yearned for the Kolshians¡¯ to suffer, as we all had. Our lives meant nothing to them, so my sympathy was a bit strained. The Yotul would be able to ignore the looming problem as well, given that his opinion was in favor of glassing Aafa. What was Onso going to do, beg the Terrans to stop the Shield from completing his desired course of action? What we need is for the Duerten to carry their weight in combat. The United Nations doesn¡¯t endorse or crave genocide, but I can¡¯t imagine they¡¯d be sacrificing human lives to protect Aafa. Caato¡¯s cratered surface was becoming more detailed on the viewport, with a few artificial lights enlarging where hab modules had been installed. The settlements on its surface were cramped structures packed beneath a translucent dome, relying heavily on electrolysis of recycled water to create oxygen (I could read up on such topics, just like Onso). The Dominion and Commonwealth hadn¡¯t struck defensive positions tailored toward protecting Caato¡¯s orbital range, due to the negligible collateral on the surface. Both entities had a blatant disregard for sapient lives, so I supposed they deserved each other. More concerning was the fact that we barely had a numerical edge over their sixty-odd thousand encampment. Few manned ships remained in operation for the Terrans, so the bulk of our advance was the fifty thousand Duerten arrivals and Sapient Coalition survivors. There weren¡¯t enough of us to keep the Shield in check, even if we were meant to babysit them. It was a small relief that the Duerten weren¡¯t charging in blind, like Ilthiss had. That said, at least there was a guarantee with Arxur ships present that the birds could deal some damage in the attack. The Coalition and our revenge-seeking allies were huddling together, thronging toward the hostiles in a massive group. I wasn¡¯t sure what the avians were doing, but I still was worried about how the Terrans would handle an assault against civilians. Months ago, I could¡¯ve never imagined that my main concern, standing among a human crew, would be that their mercy would cause quarrels with other powers. ¡°Well, that doesn¡¯t look like any bombing formation I¡¯ve ever seen. If this is a practice run for bombing Aafa, you¡¯d think they¡¯d be more spread out,¡± I grumbled. Tyler crossed his arms, inspecting the viewport. ¡°The Sapient Coalition has tipped us off that they plan to ¡®mob¡¯ certain ships, as one big cluster.¡± ¡°To me, it looks more like a clusterfuck,¡± Samantha chimed in. ¡°I¡¯m inclined to think the same. They were using plenty words related to herds or herbivores too; I don¡¯t know what the Duerten fed the SC, but they lapped it up. What kind of military strategy is this? Do you have any idea, Sovlin?¡± Realization pinged at the recesses of my memory, triggered by those keywords. Were the Duerten trying to employ prey strategies from nature against predator warships? I combed my brain for hunting safeguards in ancient Gojid history, which they taught about in evolutionary science class; the obvious factor for us was the spines, but the Shield hadn¡¯t taped any bristles to their craft. Somehow, I doubted the efficacy of that defense mechanism when the beastly ¡°bite¡± was from white-hot plasma rather than teeth. This ploy seemed to center around safety in numbers, relying on the herd for protection. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡°I think this is an attempt at communal defense?¡± I posited with uncertainty. ¡°It¡¯s not unheard of for herd animals to team up against predators. Also, clumping together as a herd makes it difficult for the predator to target any one prey creature.¡± Tyler groaned. ¡°It also makes evasion impossible when your fleet is a giant target!¡± Onso squinted at his sensor readout. ¡°Swarming might be the only way they can get kills in a calculated way. You saw how the Sapient Coalition performed as a proper military. At the very least, it won¡¯t be any strategy our enemy is expecting from us¡­so it could surprise them. Like we did with Ilthiss, we can use our ships to distract the Kolshian-Arxur team.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think just shooting at the enemy will be enough to distract them from the giant ball of incoming ships,¡± Carlos pointed out. ¡°That¡¯s why you humans need to pull one of your crazy stunts. Like moving another miles-wide moon?¡± ¡°Onso, that requires a ton of planning, and days-long acceleration in subspace.¡± ¡°I know, but my point is I¡¯m sure you can repurpose something as a distraction.¡± ¡°What do you expect them to do, materialize an asteroid belt around Caato?¡± I hissed. Officer Cardona¡¯s icy eyes lit up with sinister delight. This distinct snarl was an expression that played on a human¡¯s face when they had a diabolical idea, a wry proclamation of mischief. Nothing that would benefit an enemy¡¯s welfare ever followed from that predatory marker; it usually indicated that a Terran had dreamt up some novel way of killing, or disrupting the natural order. For all their noble sensibilities, that was the expression of cruelty that lurked within them¡ªperhaps even the bloodlust they didn¡¯t believe they had. I shuddered to fathom what Tyler¡¯s latest idea might be, and felt my spines bristle from the elated malice radiating from his binocular gaze. It''s been a long time since humans triggered my instincts, even during combat or when they¡¯re killing others. Somehow, right now, I sense that it¡¯s justified to fear their creative capacity within the field of death. ¡°So the Duerten want to swarm the enemy? I think we can do that one better,¡± the sandy-haired officer chuckled. ¡°Nanodrones. We still have plenty of them.¡± Onso¡¯s eyes also gleamed, unafraid of the scheming human. ¡°Instead of using them as tiny impacts, where they¡¯re unable to be shot down, we fashion them into¡­¡± ¡°Locusts. Bingo.¡± Despite the fact that I was at a loss, Samantha and Carlos both seemed to catch on to what the exchange pair were talking about. Officer Cardona stepped over to Captain Monahan, passing along his idea in hushed tones; I tried not to sulk that the nerdy marsupial always understood the predators much better than me, a veteran starship captain who was supposed to be a brilliant strategist. What had the Yotul exchange program been like? If Onso was a proper indicator, their response to military innovations seemed to be, ¡°Wow, cool! Weapons are awesome! We should play with these killing machines for our ships too!¡± My attention turned to the viewport, not wanting to express my inadequacy by asking for more details. All I¡¯d grasped was that the Terrans found a new use for their nanodrones, aside from the standard ¡°death by a thousand scratches¡±; given that Tyler selected the word swarm, I imagined he had a larger-scale plan for them. Hopefully, the Duerten wouldn¡¯t be rubbed the wrong way by us springboarding off their idea with a better version. It would take the onus off them, depending how successful this distraction was: human distractions tended to morph into the main event, as an impetus toward chaos. According to my sensor contacts, the primate vessels were unloading their nanodrones and pooling them into a giant clump. All it took was a contribution of about a hundred microscopic robots from each of our ten thousand-odd ships to cook up a monstrosity. The swarm looked like a dust storm in the void, a primordial-looking blob that challenged all notions of size and scale. There wasn¡¯t a crew in the galaxy that was trained for a million tiny dots descending on them as one. This tactic had the downside of making it possible to target the nanodrones with conventional weapons; the Arxur and the Kolshians wasted no time lobbing plasma, bullets, missiles, and anything else they had in stock at our ¡°distraction.¡± ¡°Well, they certainly seem distracted,¡± I commented. The wicked grin hadn¡¯t left Tyler¡¯s face. ¡°It hasn¡¯t even started raining nanodrones over by Caato yet. We¡¯ll have enough striking their hulls at once to rack up some kills.¡± The Duerten¡¯s herd formation wasn¡¯t attracting much fire, allowing them to move forward with their group attack. Terran manned vessels pressed ahead alongside the avians, but kept our distance from their single cluster. Our plasma guns were charged, and Captain Monahan was waiting only to draw within range to give the order to fire. The Kolshians and Arxur were preoccupied with the tiny specks zipping toward them; the nanodrones could gather significant velocity in a short time frame, due to their insignificant mass. Our foes couldn¡¯t cut down enough of our swarm, and there were mere seconds until its impact. Every time I think that humans are normal people, and don¡¯t have any particular propensity to evilness, they conjure up something like this. Something that nobody else in the galaxy has ever heard, or even thought of. I trusted humanity to utilize their creations for good, but I was suddenly very grateful for that empathy which might drive a wedge between us and the Duerten Shield. This latest plot exemplified how dangerous they were when their hunting prowess was allowed to flourish. Shivers ran down my spine as nanodrones struck home, in quantities that defied imagination. An assortment of holes blossomed on enemy vessels along their entire length, with our robots hammering drive compartments through brute force. Explosions besieged the Kolshian-Arxur line, as shielding and plating were both helpless against an attack of this magnitude. While the nanodrones were continuing to pelt them from all sides, encircling and swallowing the enemy whole, we took the opportunity to deploy shield-breaking missiles. This softened the defenders up even further for the Duerten Shield, whose herd moseyed ahead to mob small segments of remaining hostiles. Humanity targeted foes away from our allies¡¯ line of sight, picking off any dazed opponents with plasma. The numbers of Caato¡¯s garrison had taken a significant hit from the nanodrone swarm, and a second wave of attack was on them without a moment given for recovery. It was a brutal trouncing, even as they tried to fight back in desperation. The panic among the enemy formation wasn¡¯t just in the prey-crewed Commonwealth vessels; even the Dominion¡¯s order had disintegrated with a million mites of dust pummeling their craft. The Kolshians and the Arxur didn¡¯t team up with each other well to begin with, so the result was predictable. We were facing isolated survivors, hurling munitions at us and the Duerten in a blind frenzy. The Shield sustained several hits due to their strategy of flocking together, which had made them an unmissable target. That persuaded the hostiles to concentrate munitions on the herd rather than us. ¡°The nanodrone swarm inflicted a catastrophic amount of casualties,¡± Onso remarked. ¡°Formation outside of Caato is dwindling rapidly, down to a few thousand. The enemy appears to be targeting the Shield primarily, by virtue of taking out as many ships as possible.¡± ¡°The Duerten could mitigate their losses, except some vessels seem disinterested in targeting the last enemies.¡± Tyler pointed to a Duerten breakaway sect on the viewport, and his scowl intensified as the Yotul zoomed in on the movement. ¡°Shit, they¡¯re moving toward the planet! I don¡¯t exactly see any new hostiles coming up from the surface.¡± Terran manned vessels zipped closer to expedite the cleanup of the last few hostiles, but our sensors station was entranced by the Duerten¡¯s erratic behavior. Homogeneity ships had made a beeline toward Caato, breaching orbital range with as much speed as they could. I flinched as their plasma guns revved to life, cutting down a lone evacuation transport. It made sense that most Kolshians stayed put, since they assumed humanity would ignore the colony in favor of Aafa. However, from what I¡¯d guessed the avians¡¯ wishes to be, that was a grave error of judgment. Gasps of horror sounded from the predators across the bridge, as the Duerten unloaded antimatter bombs without hesitation. Where there otherwise would¡¯ve been celebration as we cut down the last enemy ships in the area, there was instead a somber silence. The wait for the inevitable felt both long and short, as warheads hurtled toward each settlement on the colony. Orange flashes popped atop the surface¡¯s beacons of artificial light, though when the radiance died down, Caato¡¯s electrical glow did not return. The importance of the colony clearly hadn¡¯t mattered to the Shield, as much as the fact that there were any Kolshians living down there. The Duerten Homogeneity had broken off for a hot-headed action of their choosing, not even waiting to secure orbital victory to move on to bombing the civilians. The avians had snuffed out every settlement they could spot on Caato; if that didn¡¯t make their intentions for Aafa clear, I didn¡¯t know what would. Our plans were also set in stone, pledging to displace the Commonwealth government and bring their homeworld under our control, alive. My crewmates had stated that we needed the Shield¡¯s numbers, and couldn¡¯t afford to clash with them due to our conflicting ideas of justice. Where each side stood and what was at stake was as unambiguous as the result of the Battle of Caato. The question was what humanity would do about the murderous atrocity their allies had just committed. Chapter 165 Memory transcription subject: Ambassador Tarva of the Venlil Republic Date [standardized human time]: March 24, 2137 The first meeting of the Sapient Coalition was in the past, but now more than ever, my sights were set on the future. Humanity¡¯s assortment of allies had been very receptive to the idea of fixing the Venlil¡¯s hindrances, since in our case, it had nothing to do with us not being herbivores¡ªit was about us not being meek, deformed herbivores that followed the Federation¡¯s guidance. Noah and I returned to Skalga with a new lease on life; a week from today¡¯s date, I was set to be the first Venlil to have my gene tampering reversed. It would be televised through a press conference, which Governor Veln insisted on being a part of for optics. My summons to the governor¡¯s mansion had mainly been to brief our leader on what happened during the convention, but Veln saved the topic of today¡¯s referendum for last. Veln flicked his ears placidly. ¡°Thank you both for coming to fill me in. I made sure to expedite a planetwide vote on the planet¡¯s name, as promised; I¡¯ll abide by the results, regardless of my distaste for Skalga. I¡¯d also prefer not to keep Venlil Prime around, so the options were ¡®Skalga¡¯ versus ¡®Other or Stay the Same.¡¯¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be wonderful to shed another part of the Federation¡¯s influence. That was our point of mutual agreement,¡± I replied. ¡°I was planning on submitting my vote online, as soon as we¡¯re done here.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t keep you long. Noah, I can see your feet blatantly pointing toward the door. A sign of where you wish to be?¡± The astronaut grimaced. ¡°Do I have to answer that?¡± ¡°No, but may I remind you, I didn¡¯t ask you to come. When Tarva brought you, I let you tag along as a sign of goodwill toward your people. I¡¯d say I¡¯d prefer to talk to my SC ambassador without a foreign government¡¯s agent in the room, but I imagine she¡¯ll tell you everything anyway.¡± ¡°For your information, I can keep my work separate, especially when Venlil interests are involved,¡± I hissed. ¡°Noah wouldn¡¯t say anything that wasn¡¯t meant for UN ears, though; he¡¯s honorable.¡± A dark emotion flickered in Veln¡¯s pupils, and he hesitated. ¡°I must ask, how in the stars did you keep the humans at bay, Tarva? Insight would be¡­accepted from Noah, at this point. They have¡­ways of being persuasive, by coercing people to do what they want. Trapping you with your own words, finding every loophole and technicality in the law. Is that why you went along with everything they said? Was I wrong about your motives?¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound anything like the Terrans.¡± ¡°Oh, that sounds everything like us, love,¡± Noah growled, a low chuckle rumbling in his throat. ¡°Our diplomats are quite skilled at protecting our interests.¡± ¡°I understand what you¡¯re capable of, and what you¡­can do when threatened. But contrary to what Veln thinks, we disagreed on plenty. I never felt pressured to do anything I didn¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°Because you care about us, and we care about you. Everyone at the UN knew you had humanity¡¯s back, so we had yours. We knew you wanted what was best for us, for Venlil, and for the entire galaxy; that was the one issue we had to agree on. It¡¯s really that simple. Veln over there wants to play hardball and trade favors, so he¡¯s asking for an entirely different relationship between us.¡± The governor narrowed his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m trying not to ice humanity out. Venlil are my top priority, but I don¡¯t mean any active harm to you!¡± ¡°If you watch out for the Venlil first, then the UN will elevate human interests above yours. Tarva considered us as much as Venlil, just as we considered you on the same level as us. It¡¯s up to you what relationship you want with Earth, Veln, but the way you¡¯re operating now won¡¯t merit true brotherhood. We are fiercely loyal, but we also give what we get. I think you know that¡¯s fair.¡± ¡°What I know is that I want us to be independent, and I don¡¯t want anything dictated to us from outside our borders! It¡¯s not personal, it¡¯s just business.¡± I stood from my chair, grabbing Noah¡¯s hand. ¡°It was always personal to me and them. Humans are sweet, but they¡¯re not pushovers. What you told them was you didn¡¯t want your talks to be personal, so they¡¯ve taken emotion out of their decisions. It is just business now: I don¡¯t see the issue?¡± ¡°The problem is their tactics are downright predatory, Tarva! They¡¯re ruthless and manipulative!¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re perfect for each other. And Veln, don¡¯t ask my advice unless you want to know how to start treating the Terrans as friends again. Like I said, their welfare is personal to me. Let¡¯s go, Noah.¡± My human was trying not to laugh at the outraged look on the governor¡¯s face; I suppose it could be viewed as audacity, that I¡¯d spoken to Veln in that manner, but ousting me as ambassador would sour his political points. There was some curiosity in my mind about what humanity had done that the shifty Venlil found predatory. Still, it was enough to know that the United Nations was well-equipped to handle his self-centered schemes. I had noticed some major modifications on the visor law released to the public. My mind also harkened back to how Elias Meier had warned me about certain elements of his own government being ¡°snakes in the grass¡±, which Noah agreed with. Governor Veln invited out a side of humanity they¡¯d been keeping away from us. With legislation being targeted at their species, it¡¯s self-defense. Noah allowed himself to smirk, once we reached our vehicle. ¡°It was funny, but I¡¯d advise not antagonizing Veln going forward. You¡¯re not going to be able to get any favors from him, if you make an enemy of him.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t exactly welcomed Veln with open arms, and you made sure he knew you can¡¯t stand him,¡± I protested. ¡°I was never that forthright, Tarva. You basically called him predatory; I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s the worst insult in your culture.¡± ¡°Only after Veln used it against humanity. That Venlil should not think himself above you.¡± ¡°I know, but I know how important it is to you to have breathing room with the Sapient Coalition. You don¡¯t want Veln to put you on a short leash¡ªuh, forgive the predatory metaphor.¡± Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. I flicked my ears in acknowledgement, digesting his point. Governor Veln had been willing to take some of my ideas under advisement, and he¡¯d thrown his full support behind certain initiatives that mattered to me. The gene edit reversal and the Skalga referendum were genuine positives that¡¯d sprouted from his rule, while there was little to gain from turning my successor into an enemy. Noah watched with curious eyes as I pulled out my holopad, eager to see our voting process in action. I completed a double retinal scan, authenticated my conscious decision to vote through a code sent to my email, and scanned my ID card in front of the camera. The two options¡ªSkalga and Other/Stay the Same¡ªshowed as buttons in large font. I tapped Skalga, clicked a checkbox to confirm my choice, and submitted the ballot after pressing ¡°Yes¡± when asked if I intended to pass along the results. Noah smiled as I snuggled up to him, before prying the holopad from my grasp. The predator searched up the exit polls, and his teeth flashed vibrantly as he turned the screen around to face me. Overwhelming public sentiment was in favor of retaking our ancestral name, with over 75% of those surveyed being ¡°Skalga¡± supporters. Veln¡¯s attempts to dissuade the populace from bringing back the name the Federation stole from us failed. Though it wasn¡¯t a certain guarantee, it gave me the assurance that one of my initiatives had been taken to heart. Our child is going to grow up on Skalga, able to run, jump, and smell. They¡¯ll be free of the instincts that have held us back too, if I have my way. Noah¡¯s eyes fluttered over to me. ¡°What do you say, before the SC meeting next week, we finally take that vacation to Earth? We haven¡¯t been able to go through with it for so long.¡± ¡°I¡¯d love to see where you grew up. After all, I want to make sure our child is familiar with Earth; we¡¯ll be spending plenty of time on human soil, as a family,¡± I purred. ¡°You¡¯re really excited about that¡­step, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯ve been thinking about it too. Settling down and having kids just wasn¡¯t ever in the cards for me. Exploring the universe was my calling, and that ruled out what might¡¯ve been. The fact that we found extraterrestrials: it was like reaching the finish line of a race I thought I just started! It was the culmination of my dreams.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not excited about the idea of children, Noah, you don¡¯t have to pretend for me. It¡¯s okay. Your feelings are important too, and I don¡¯t want you to be unhappy in silence out of kindness.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m trying to say. I¡¯m just explaining that it¡¯s the first time I thought about this, and I have no idea what to do raising a kid¡ªa kid from a different species, no less. You, meanwhile, have experience with parenting and have ideas about how you want to raise the little fella; I¡¯m not sure I can contribute or be as prepared for it as you. It¡¯s a huge responsibility, and the more I think about it, the more I know it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re overwhelmed by the prospect.¡± ¡°Well, yeah. I had an amazing dad, and I want to be just like him. I¡¯m not worried that I have the wrong temperament or anything, but I don¡¯t want to undersell the work and commitment it¡¯ll take from us both. The fact that it¡¯ll be a massive undertaking as is¡­it¡¯s why I¡¯m worried to suggest the idea I can¡¯t get out of my head.¡± ¡°Breathe. We¡¯re going to figure out what¡¯s best for us both, and it¡¯ll be okay. What¡¯s your idea?¡± ¡°It might be too much to ask. I don¡¯t want to spoil your vision.¡± ¡°Noah, I sprung on you that I¡¯m getting experimental gene mods and looking to have a kid with zero warning. I think we¡¯ve already crossed ¡®too much to ask.¡¯¡± The human¡¯s hands were trembling from nerves, and I gently coiled my tail around his wrist to calm him down. Our conversation back at the Sapient Coalition meeting had been harrowing from my side, so if Noah was addressing a topic of that magnitude for our personal lives, I could understand his apprehension. He was worried about putting our relationship on the rocks or scaring me off. I gently cupped his chin with my paw, giving him my best look of affection. Whatever change he felt compelled to suggest to our plans, I was willing to listen. Both of us were from different cultures and lives, so we could handle opinion schisms in a mature way. Maybe Noah¡¯s not ready for the responsibility quite yet; he sounds stressed. We¡¯re not getting younger, but I could wait a few years if it¡¯ll make it more palatable for him to ease into. I want to do this together. The astronaut drew a shaky breath. ¡°Obviously, I¡¯m not capable of giving birth, but¡­what if we adopted a human child?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± My voice came out flat, as I tried to keep my emotions from spilling over. The thought of splitting up with Noah cut me like a knife, but a difference in interests that severe would be difficult to overcome. ¡°I¡­understand if raising a Venlil is not right for you, but the entire reason I wanted this was about having a child that can live the life I¡¯ll never have. I can¡¯t give that up, even for you.¡± ¡°No! I¡¯m not saying not to have the Venlil child, at all; I¡¯m sorry for being unclear. I¡¯m talking about raising a human child, alongside our little fluffball¡ªraising them together. It¡¯s an added responsibility, I know, but I found the idea really¡­beautiful. A family that bridges the species gap.¡± It was my turn to be taken off-guard by Noah¡¯s suggestion toward our plans, though I didn¡¯t feel averse to the idea. I could imagine a little primate and a tiny Venlil running around in the park, laughing as one big family. Of course, I had no idea what was needed to raise a human, but I supposed that put me in the same boat as my partner; he was clueless what went into rearing one of my species¡¯ younglings. Having helpless sapients that were dependent on us to survive would mean we could learn about the other¡¯s kind at a fundamental level. Calling a predator my own child, caring and loving them just as my astronaut would love a Venlil, felt right. It was a daunting challenge for us both, yet I couldn¡¯t agree with the heartwarming idea fast enough. ¡°That sounds like a wonderful idea, Noah,¡± I replied. ¡°Raising a human and a Venlil alongside each other, as siblings? I¡¯ll love our little Earthborn¡­I don¡¯t think I can call them a ¡®goober.¡¯ Can you suggest an adorable nickname?¡± The Terran¡¯s pearly fangs showed with a radiant smile. ¡°You could call them a goober. But why go for that when you can say, ¡®Our little vicious predator?¡¯¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Humanity, the vicious species whose first contact with the Zurulians¡­was the visiting ambassador curling up on a human diplomat¡¯s shoe.¡± ¡°A human diplomat¡¯s vicious shoe.¡± ¡°How can a shoe be vicious?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure the Federation would drum up some evil intentions we have with our foot coverings. Obviously, we use it to harden our feet to kick prey animals, like this.¡± Noah lightly batted his shoe against my ankle, amusement dancing in his eyes. ¡°Wait, I actually heard a story back at the embassy about someone throwing a shoe at a receptionist to distract security at a UN base. I don¡¯t know how true that was.¡± ¡°You could¡¯ve stopped with the first part, but you just have to correct your words, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Accuracy is important. Science doesn¡¯t mess around with truth, my love. I wouldn¡¯t want anyone to say I omit unflattering aspects of the truth; I value my integrity.¡± ¡°I value your integrity, and everything else about you, Noah Williams. You¡¯re the person who completes me, who gets me, and makes me feel like I am free to be happy again. I¡¯m so glad the universe crossed our paths; I love you with all my heart.¡± The human¡¯s binocular eyes fixed on me with intense focus. ¡°I love you too. Now, forever, and always. I¡¯ll love you to the heat death of the universe.¡± I rested my head against the predator¡¯s sturdy chest, exhaling with contentment. All I¡¯d hoped for in recent months was a peaceful future between us and humanity. While I couldn¡¯t work as fervently toward that on the political stage, events in my personal life could align toward that sincere goal. My passion could also be devoted to returning the Venlil to our roots, and finding out what we were without the Federation. The referendum looked like a lock to return our name to Skalga, which meant the public was on the same page. Maybe after Noah and I paved the way for a post-gene reversal life, others would follow. For the first time since my daughter¡¯s death, I felt that the best days of my personal life were ahead. Humanity¡¯s arrival was what gave me the chance to have a family again, freeing me from my ignorance and opening new doors into the future. I was grateful to have a partner who¡¯d invested himself in my dreams, and morphed them into a joint effort that could give us a unique, wonderful opportunity. There was no telling what came next for us, but I was excited to see where the journey would lead. Chapter 166 Memory transcription subject: Onso, Yotul Technical Specialist Date [standardized human time]: March 24, 2137 After my wishing for the Kolshians to face steep retribution for everything they¡¯d done to Leirn, it turned out there was no need to prompt humanity to begin bombing. The Duerten Shield had been eager to obliterate anything housing life on Caato¡¯s surface. Watching the settlements vanish beneath a fiery glow, visible from space, did nothing to temper my rage. It didn¡¯t give me back the twenty years of my existence spent in a neurochemical haze, because I had predator disease. The Terrans seemed no more pleased than I was, and Sovlin¡¯s face showed a mixture of horror and concern. Chewing on his reaction for a few seconds, I believed the old Gojid was worried about how the humans would respond to the Duerten¡¯s bombing endeavor. Tyler had spelled out the UN¡¯s intentions to end the cycle of violence, and not to become like other murderous factions in our neck of galaxy. I respected the Terrans enough to heed their direction; without the Earthlings¡¯ arrival, Leirn would still be overrun by Federation colonizers today. In my heart, I felt that the Kolshians needed to pay for the millions¡ªbillions of lives¡ªthey genocided through their tenure. Yet a coldness gripped me as I realized how easy it was to kill an entire populace. This is what it means to wipe the Feds out once and for all, the reality I¡¯d wished I could bring about. When Tyler said I think life means something, he wasn¡¯t wrong. This feels no better than watching all the things they did to us. The Duerten ships veered away from the surface, knowing the life-facilitating habitats weren¡¯t able to withstand a dose of antimatter. As if they¡¯d never gone astray, the birds rejoined Terran and Sapient Coalition forces in cleaning up the last Kolshians in the systems. I forwarded a final target for us to pick off in a fog, still reeling from the suddenness of the bombing. My concerns regarding the Duerten had been about how effective they¡¯d be in the thick of combat, but now, I was worried about how much they¡¯d lash out due to their ¡°cornered animal¡± mentality. It wasn¡¯t out of the question that they¡¯d turn their guns on us within their rage¡ªnot dissimilar to how years of bottled anger led me to behave in explosive fashion at times. The humans needed to handle the situation delicately. I wasn¡¯t sure how the primates might go about getting us and the Duerten on the same page. As the last active foes by Caato were picked off, the Terrans decided it was an appropriate time to break our silence. I could see a brief discussion between our officers, as the rest of the crew moved ahead with battle plans as though nothing was wrong. Navigations pulled us closer to the herd-like cluster of Shield and Coalition vessels, and synced us with their vector toward Aafa itself: the prize of the system. Captain Monahan stewed by her station, scowling at the viewport. ¡°Hail the Duerten Shield, yesterday! They¡¯re not going to launch an orbital raid over Aafa¡ªespecially not with our boots on the ground!¡± ¡°If I may, sir,¡± I began, swiveling my ears toward Tyler, ¡°the Sapient Coalition doesn¡¯t seem to have any objections over what the Duerten did to Caato. Your allies¡­won¡¯t challenge you, but they think that bombing was justified.¡± The blond human pursed his lips. ¡°We know they¡¯re angry about their entire lives and societies being a lie. I know that you¡¯re angry about them stomping out the Yotul spirit for decades. But those people had nothing to do with that, and that¡¯s a damn straight fact.¡± ¡°I know. It kind of¡­hit me, that everyone down there was just dead, in an instant. Even if the Kolshians deserve it, it¡¯s terrifying to be the arbiters of which civilizations live and which ones die. Humans don¡¯t want to set the precedent of who you chose not to save.¡± ¡°When you stop believing your enemies are people, that opens the door to monstrous acts,¡± Carlos agreed. ¡°Humanity is making a conscious choice to care about all life, even when it feels impossible to do so.¡± Samantha snorted. ¡°All life. I don¡¯t see how we ever fix this authoritarian clusterfuck. Besides, I have as much sympathy for Caato as they had for Melbourne, which is zero. But since we saved their asses, the Duerten have no right to show up, circumvent our wishes, and give us the runaround.¡± ¡°Well, they did,¡± Sovlin grumbled. ¡°Ons¡ªthe atavist is right. Your allies agree with them, not you, and infighting would fuck us over. Tread carefully with that rebuke.¡± Tyler heaved a weary sigh. ¡°Not my department. My job is to make sure whatever goes down, we keep an eye on it. We¡¯ll see what the captain says and provide support accordingly.¡± Monahan¡¯s hail had gone unanswered for several minutes, a sign that the Duerten weren¡¯t eager to give humanity an account for their actions. I tried not to fixate on the outstanding call. Even if tensions erupted within our own ranks, it would still be vital for me to have a full picture of what was happening throughout the system. My gaze filtered down to the sensors screen, where I could gauge the success of our other group; Yotul Technocracy ships and UN drones had kept pace with Ilthiss, gunning into the asteroid belt. The shadow fleet had taken up positions there to utilize terrain to their advantage, and it seemed our Arxur allies had reenacted their reckless strategy from the gas giant. The Chief Hunter sacrificed thousands of his vessels again on a headlong charge; the particle beam-armed ships accompanying him were the ones who had the Commonwealth¡¯s number. The Arxur reinforcements were still afloat with about fifteen thousand ships, while the Technocracy and UN top artillery were reigning supreme in this conflict. My team engaging the Kolshians¡¯ second-rate ships here allowed our heavy hitters to demolish their secret arsenal without distractions. When our forces joined up to storm Aafa, we¡¯d make it a grueling challenge for the Federation to defend their core world. The enemy hadn¡¯t whittled us down along the way as much as they hoped. The only thing that could fuck this up is if we get into it with the Duerten, right before the final stage. We need unity, so I hope Monahan will be pragmatic. That¡¯s assuming the Shield answer? After several minutes of waiting, the same Duerten commander from earlier appeared. ¡°What is it you want, human? You said we can choose our role, and we chose what we came here for. Do we have a problem?¡± ¡°Easy. I wished to coordinate our plans for taking Aafa, without using an intermediary. We¡¯re not enemies, so we need to be on the same page,¡± Monahan said. ¡°For a predator, you show zero appreciation for a display of violence. Your SC friends tell me we¡¯re not on the same page, at all. And also, you let us take charge at Caato, just to bump us when we get to the main event? Nice try.¡± ¡°Duerten commander, this isn¡¯t a contest. This is about the fate of both of our people, and for that matter, all intelligent life in a thousand-light year radius. I heard what you said about being angry, and coming here to dish out violence. I assure you that humanity understands, appreciates, and empathizes with your feelings. We know you¡¯re hurting, but I know we both agree that we have to win this battle. Us being divided or miscommunicating could spell disaster for our chances.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not divided, unless you try to stop us from finishing the job! If you truly grasped how we feel about the billions of our own lying dead, there would be nothing to talk about. Don¡¯t pretend you aren¡¯t about to plead for us not to bomb those soulless bastards.¡± ¡°I¡¯m pleading for you to stay your explosives long enough for us to have a mutual discussion on what to do with Aafa. And most importantly, for humanity to head to the surface and gather information to ensure the Kolshians become a non-factor in the galaxy. Please, listen to my next words: we know very little about the shadow caste. We want to know their motives for starting this entire cycle of hatred, so we can have closure for Earth. If you¡¯re truly grateful for our help in saving Kalqua, you¡¯ll let us have that.¡± The Duerten¡¯s beak parted in confusion. ¡°You¡¯d go to all the trouble of landing, risking human lives, and merely delaying what we plan to do¡­for information on why they did it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s beyond the why. The practical reason is one I think you¡¯ll agree with. Our lack of information on the shadow caste means we have no idea where they hid. It could be on another planet far-off, perhaps even in a system belonging to you or one of your allies. It could be under the very oceans of Aafa, like the Archives were; if we don¡¯t find out the truth, those bombs could miss the people who are undeniably responsible for what was done to you. We succeed by doing this by the book, and without letting our emotions cloud our judgment. Trust us to be predators, and hunt every Kolshian conspirator down.¡± Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°You will share your findings with us, and not omit anything for your own purposes?¡± ¡°We are not the ones who hide our true intentions. I see no reason we can¡¯t work in harmony, to dig up any other dirty secrets the Kolshians might have that will threaten us all. What do you say?¡± The gray avian was silent for long, brooding seconds. ¡°Assuming you can get unequivocal command of Aafa, I¡¯ll have my fleet hold their fire. If things go astray or it looks like we might be losing the fight, we¡¯re glassing as many cities on that blighted rock as we can.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s make sure we win,¡± Monahan declared. ¡°Take care of yourself, Commander. I¡­I hope this is the start of better relations between our species. And I hope that you can find peace, someday.¡± ¡°Hmph. I hope that you find the closure you¡¯re looking for, human. Good luck.¡± The Duerten commander vanished from the screen, and our captain¡¯s face lit up with visible relief. Persuading the Shield to let us land bought us some time, without worrying about the first bombs landing as our soldiers touched down. On a personal level, it allowed Tyler and I to accomplish the mission that brought us away from our easy assignments in the first place¡ªfinding out what the Kolshians had done to Slanek. Perhaps that mystery would overlap with the broad answers the United Nations was seeking out. Even when I felt certain that Aafa¡¯s glassing was the optimal outcome, I¡¯d wanted to help my best friend first. With a temporary solution to our internal disagreements, that eliminated one hurdle to taking the Kolshian homeworld. I tried to wipe what happened on Caato from my mind, and focus on what was ahead of us. The entirety of the Terrans¡¯ efforts since first contact led to this moment. The Duerten Shield and Sapient Coalition fanned out, while we maneuvered to the heart of the formation; meanwhile, Yotul Technocracy, Terran drones, and Arxur allies took up angles from opposite headings. Our collection of ships was forming a net that encircled Aafa, merging into a cohesive unit that¡¯d swallow the planet¡¯s defenses from all sides. I pivoted our viewport onto the luscious world, a series of faint violets and greens dotting the continents from native vegetation. City lights were more prolific on Aafa¡¯s form than the electric glimmers on Caato, while the oceans were unbroken swaths of blue. I couldn¡¯t rule out the possibility that the shadow fleet planted its cities beneath the waves, where no one would ever look. The Kolshians¡¯ ectolan ancestors had aquatic origins, and as the Thafki proved, species who were drawn to water never truly lost that itch. Whatever secrets were hiding down there, we needed to steamroll the hundreds of thousands of Commonwealth ships above it to find them. Now was not the time for any missteps. Tyler cleared his throat. ¡°You see the planetary defenses on the lunar satellite? Those are gonna prevent us from getting close enough to Aafa for a landing or an airdrop, and they¡¯re gonna be a massive problem for our ships. It¡¯ll be a bloodbath to get a clean angle to take them all out from above, ¡®cause they got a fuck ton of outposts.¡± ¡°We understand from the crew briefing,¡± I replied. ¡°Secretary-General Zhao¡¯s drawn comparisons to Normandy, an amphibious assault where, according to my research, one coalition stormed a desired target¡¯s beaches to take them over. We want to overrun the Kolshian planetary defenses and claim them for ourselves.¡± ¡°Yes, precisely. If we can turn their own powerful lasers and ground-based artillery on the shadow fleet, it¡¯ll give us a massive boost. As an officer of this ship, I have no intention of volunteering for this mission; infantry and security personnel have been assigned from our vessel, and many others. But if anyone does feel their skillset fits a job like this, I¡¯m giving you the opportunity to join the landing party in the hangar bay.¡± ¡°Fuck no¡­sir. I¡¯m staying with you.¡± ¡°Good. After the boarding incident, you¡¯re sticking with me whether you want to or not. That prompt was mainly directed at Harris and Romero.¡± Samantha narrowed her eyes. ¡°What, because we¡¯re foot soldiers who got stuck being Baldy¡¯s watchdogs?¡± ¡°Pretty sure that¡¯s why Officer Cardona asked us. We stormed the Archives and that Arxur cattle ship, and we¡¯re the most qualified ones at this station,¡± Carlos sighed. ¡°Qualified ones to pad the cannon fodder. Also able to shoot a gun and clear a building, unlike the Feddies. You know what, fuck it, I¡¯m in. Might be the only place the damn UN lets me shoot at those Kolshian dickwads.¡± ¡°You¡¯re truly eloquent, Sam. A way with words.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to get the job done. I don¡¯t hear you volunteering to leave this cozy ship.¡± ¡°I¡¯m in if you are, you absolute psycho. Let¡¯s gear up and head to the hangar¡ª¡± Sovlin swatted Carlos with the blunt side of his claws. ¡°Wait for me. None of you even asked me, after the three of us have been through several gunfights together.¡± ¡°Whoa, I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s a good idea,¡± Tyler protested. ¡°Are you¡­sure? It involves a spacedrop: you know, jumping out of this ship. Also a jump where you¡¯ll be far back enough to need the use of jet thrusters ¡®til you¡¯re within lunar gravity range.¡± ¡°What?! You want to pull the crazy shit you did on the cradle, but from space?¡± ¡°And while dropping military rovers too. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re getting the picture¡ª¡± ¡°So let¡¯s skip to the part where Baldy wimps out and says a tearful goodbye,¡± Samantha interjected. ¡°Fuck you! I don¡¯t like the idea at all, but if you can do it, so can I.¡± The Gojid¡¯s remaining spines bristled, tipping off his fear. ¡°Who flew the shuttle down to Sillis, pushing it harrowingly close to its breaking point?¡± ¡°Yeah, but you also freaked out when the aerosub started sinking on Talsk.¡± ¡°That was water. I don¡¯t know if you know this, Sam, but that¡¯s different from land. There¡¯s no water on the stupid hunk of rock there. As long as you¡¯re not crashing this moon into a planet, we¡¯re good.¡± Tyler hesitated. ¡°You are qualified infantry, but aliens just don¡¯t have the training for orbital drops. However, if you want to hurl yourself into the line of fire, I won¡¯t stand in your way. Tag along with Harris and Romero if you¡¯re sure.¡± ¡°Sure as can be. They¡¯re not getting rid of me.¡± ¡°Pfft, great. Still stuck babysitting the war criminal with spikes that could poke my eyes out,¡± Sam lamented, though I caught the teasing lilt in her voice. ¡°That¡¯s right, my remaining spikes could poke your ugly-ass eyes out, so you better be nicer! Let¡¯s move.¡± The trio vacated the bridge, leaving Tyler and I to man the sensors station during the crucial battle. When I proved myself more than capable of supplying tactical insight in Sovlin¡¯s absence, it would be difficult for the Gojid to use racist perjoratives toward my capabilities. I centered the viewport on the Kolshian and Dominion ships between us and the lunar satellite, while also setting my filters to watch for any planetary defense lasers vectoring toward us. Our goal was to get the infantry that would be storming the enemy fortifications as close to the target as possible. It was also preferable that they didn¡¯t deploy right in the middle of a plasma beam contest. I ran a hasty analysis on the makeup of the first ships we¡¯d be facing; pinpointing enemy weaknesses required knowledge of what we were up against. The shadow fleet had staked a massive claim within Aafa¡¯s bounds, while the Dominion also had camped eye-popping numbers by the target. It was a little surprising that the Arxur captains had been dissuaded from dropping a few bombs on the Kolshians, with their cruelty-centric culture. Furthermore, of the hundreds of thousands of craft here for the final stand, very few were manned Commonwealth vessels. Most of the public military appeared to have been sacrificed along the route. ¡°Among the Aafa-based ships marked as ¡®hostiles¡¯, very few appeared to be manned, sir,¡± I informed Tyler. ¡°I will just bring your attention to the contacts designated civilian: standard evac transports. Out ahead of the front lines, and the only manned ships that I can see.¡± The human nodded. ¡°How many souls aboard?¡± ¡°Hundreds. No sign of weapons on board or anything anomalous. They are flying straight toward us, but we¡¯re also blocking all the ways out of the system. Assuming you don¡¯t want them blown up, you might want to direct the Duerten away from their flight path.¡± ¡°Understood. I do wonder why they didn¡¯t evacuate civilians sooner. They¡¯ve known we¡¯re coming for weeks. Sure, they¡¯re arrogant, but there had to have been some civvies who wanted to get out when they heard the flesh-eating predators were coming.¡± I tilted my head in befuddlement. ¡°Um, I do think some of the populace would¡¯ve wanted to leave with advance warning. The only thing I can come up with is that they didn¡¯t tell them ahead of time?¡± ¡°That¡­is a reason. The squids sure do like keeping their control, and not giving people the option to leave¡­could be part arrogance and part tyranny. I dunno, but we ain¡¯t gonna shoot evac shuttles.¡± ¡°The Duerten might want to. It was done to their civilians, trying to leave Kalqua. They only agreed to spare Aafa so humanity could eradicate the shadow caste.¡± ¡°I heard you, Onso. Plus, I get that those fuckers might¡¯ve sent the evac ships up now, so we have to fight around the civvies to get to the military targets. I¡¯ll notify the captain, and we¡¯ll get our SC pals to quietly push the Shield as far away from those transports as possible.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll keep an eye on their path, so weapons knows where they are.¡± The blond officer strode off to confer with Captain Monahan, while I mulled over the circumstances on the battlefield. Within the hour, we¡¯d be squaring off for our first engagement near Aafa; the civilian ships were an unwelcome variable, and the Terrans were too honorable to take them out of the equation. It was important to determine why the evac shuttles had been held back until now, before they complicated a testing battle even further. The humans hadn¡¯t expected the Kolshians to fight clean, so it was possible the hostiles meant to sacrifice their own non-combatants or use them as living shields. Solidifying our understanding of Aafa¡¯s motives for this launch timing could be necessary to stave off any dirty tricks they had in mind. I hoped humanity wouldn¡¯t be forced to make the decision between innocents and victory, but I knew they were willing to do whatever it took to end the war. Chapter 167 Memory transcription subject: Onso, Yotul Technical Specialist Date [standardized human time]: March 24, 2137 Our fleet crested toward our waiting enemies, with the greatest tools and allies mankind had been able to assemble. As impressive as Earth¡¯s wartime innovations had been, it was their relentless pursuit of friends that we¡¯d reaped the most rewards from so far; having others to back us up made it possible to challenge a multitude of foes. The road to reach Aafa¡¯s orbit hadn¡¯t been pretty, but war never was so beautiful or clean. The Terrans hadn¡¯t escaped entirely free from compromising their beliefs, or sacrificing lives they wished they didn¡¯t have to. Assuming we gained orbital control, I wasn¡¯t sure what we¡¯d do about the Duerten¡¯s determination to glass this world. My grim realization was that humanity might have to bend their values again, with the Kolshians sending up civilian ships amid the battle. The evacuation shuttles hadn¡¯t lowered their thrusters, despite the oncoming onslaught. The United Nations hadn¡¯t fired on the transports, though we were in range to take the first ones out; I could see weapons growing antsy the nearer they got. The Terran allied fleet ceded a slight opening, altering our path enough to drift out of their way. With thousands of weaponless refugee vehicles coasting ahead, it was difficult to steer clear of all of them. I eyed the sensor readout, and noticed them sending power to directional thrusters. The evac shuttles might be trying to sidestep us¡­but if they¡¯re afraid enough of Terrans to leave, why would they trust them not to fire? My head snapped toward Tyler. ¡°Get weapons to fire on those shuttles! They¡¯re hostiles!¡± ¡°Hang on. What evidence do you have for that, Onso?¡± the human asked, in a wary voice. ¡°I know you think they deserve to be wiped out, but¡ª¡± ¡°The evidence is they¡¯re not acting afraid of you. None of them are flinching! My gut instinct says they¡¯re up to no good.¡± ¡°The Kolshians have a better understanding of what¡¯s the truth about us. They might know our code of ethics against shooting civilians.¡± ¡°The shadow caste knows, but the average citizen doesn¡¯t. That means the secret fleet must be piloting those shuttles! It¡¯s the only thing that explains their behavior.¡± ¡°Sensors would know if they¡¯re hiding weapons, so that¡­no. My God.¡± Captain Monahan frowned, having overheard our exchange. ¡°That¡¯s a bold assumption, but it has the ring of truth to it. Weapons, patch us in with our allies. Advise them to hold their fire, but shoot any transports that draw too close.¡± As comms fired off a hasty communique and I passed along the nearest shuttle for weapons to target, the speediest Kolshian transport swerved at a UN drone. The automated vessel was programmed not to shoot at civilian targets without authorization or clear hostile activity. When the evac ship rammed into our unpiloted vehicle full speed, it smoked through its hull; both spacecraft were shattered in the collision. Hundreds of life signatures from within the shuttle vanished in an instant, strewn to cosmic dust. On the thousands of ships carrying refugees, similar passenger counts showed on my readout. Given the lack of panicked movement within the interiors, I assumed they had no idea what their fate was going to be. The civilian vessels turned on the first Terran ships they could encounter, with several hundred crashing before we¡¯d reacted to the unthinkable. I could feel a knot of horror in my stomach, as I realized how little the Commonwealth thought of the lives of their own people. While humanity chose to care about all life in the galaxy, the Kolshians cared for none. Those civilians had been loaded onto the shuttles without a clue to their fate, with the promise of escaping the system. The shadow fleet knew we wouldn¡¯t shoot a genuine transport down, and conned hundreds of thousands of their citizens into climbing aboard to make it believable. They waited to start evacuations until the last minute, because they intended to use innocent lives as a weapon. How will they ever explain this to their people? How do military commanders, at least the ones from the public fleet, have no gripe with this strategy? Captain Monahan¡¯s teeth were bared with contempt. ¡°Shoot down every one of those transports. And sensors, from now on, don¡¯t mark any Kolshian ships as noncombatants.¡± ¡°Understood, ma¡¯am.¡± I applied filters to label anything with a Kolshian warp signature as hostile; if there were any innocents, their government¡¯s deranged actions had revoked their right to protection. ¡°The transports are shown as hostiles now. I¡¯ve left a new class indicator to reflect their unarmed status, so weapons can fully assess our priorities.¡± ¡°Good work, Onso,¡± Tyler grumbled, though his gaze was far-off, struggling to process such a senseless gambit of civilian lives. ¡°You were right. After what they¡¯ve done to entire planets, I guess this shouldn¡¯t surprise me.¡± ¡°This time, it¡¯s not just them letting it happen, like they did with the Thafki, or the attacks on Nishtal and the cradle. This is intentionally and knowingly sending civilians to their deaths. How did they sell this to the people outside of the conspiracy?¡± ¡°If I know one thing about the Federation, it¡¯s that they love to blame predators for anything they have to do. Better dead than cattle¡­what¡¯s the sacrifice of a few thousand people, if it saves the herd? Yet our empathy is what¡¯s under a microscope. That¡¯s a bad fucking punchline, huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a punchline if it¡¯s not the least bit funny.¡± ¡°It ain¡¯t funny, but it sure is a joke. We coulda had hundreds of friends if the Federation didn¡¯t exist. I¡¯d sure like to have seen what kinda shake we woulda gotten. Like It¡¯s A Wonderful Life, except that it¡¯s a good thing they weren¡¯t around.¡± ¡°Once again, I don¡¯t understand a word you¡¯re saying.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how I feel with you and your science words. Forget my movie references, and put that big brain of yours to work. We gotta get Baldy and company within range of the moon.¡± ¡°I¡¯m working on it. We¡¯re needing to pass through the shadow fleet wall ahead¡­slated to make contact in a few minutes. After we clear out the civilian transports.¡± The human nodded. ¡°Eyes on the Dominion¡¯s main activities?¡± ¡°They¡¯re on the offensive. Gunning for the Shield and the SC when they can, since they get off on hunting prey, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s our primary concern.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not. Keep at it, buddy.¡± The Terran warships sliced through the remaining transports like putty. The shuttles¡¯ lack of shields or armor allowed them to be downed with relative ease. The Kolshians¡¯ ghastly trick had taken out a few hundred ships before the first shots rang out, but I knew our true casualties would surface once we engaged the enormous armada. I angled the viewport toward the moon where the planetary defenses sat, which was doling out carnage with any lasers that landed. It was difficult to imagine Sovlin in a vac suit, traipsing around; the rovers dropping to the ground were the only way he¡¯d keep up with the persistence predators¡¯ trek. Their mission could entail heavy resistance, so the more we could simplify the landing process, the better. While our manned ships were pigeonholed into closing on the moon, in order to unload infantry, other contests were being waged across the planet¡¯s breadth. Flashes of orange and white, signifying explosions and plasma respectively, detonated above the world¡¯s entire circumference. Speedy UN drones on this side of Aafa were targeted by the planetary defenses from afar. Meanwhile, from the globe¡¯s opposite half, missiles blazed into space from the depths of the ocean. It lent credence to the theory that the Kolshians had constructions within abyssal waters. These warheads appeared to be nuclear-armed, and their ability to escape the atmosphere and find targeting was an impressive feat of engineering. I¡¯m sure they didn¡¯t stuff those missiles onto one side of the planet¡¯s oceans and not the other. I¡¯ll stay vigilant for anything at the atmospheric fringes on our side; we don¡¯t want to get blindsided by nukes. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The Terrans had a better capacity to thwart the ballistic missiles lobbed at singular ships, although such mighty munitions packed a forceful punch even if they were stopped short of the target. The Yotul Technocracy also possessed particle beams that could slice through a warhead¡¯s arming mechanisms. However, Chief Hunter Ilthiss¡¯ craft got walloped by the influx of nuclear weapons; it was clear the Dominion ships had been ordered to pay no mind to defense. What was fortunate was that the Sapient Coalition and Duerten Shield were kept on our side of the globe, or else they might¡¯ve fallen victim just like Ilthiss had. Our Dominion allies were reduced to a small remaining force, cutting off one source of manpower. ¡°Sir, I know I said it¡¯s not our primary concern, but I don¡¯t think we want our herbivorous allies to take a shellacking like Ilthiss,¡± I remarked. ¡°Can they handle Arxur fighting them one-on-one¡­or two-on-one?¡± Tyler bobbed his shoulders. ¡°I doubt it, but we can¡¯t worry about that until the planetary defenses are offline. Hopefully the grays aren¡¯t ready for prey to actually fight back. The Duerten are out for blood, so hopefully that compensates for their lack of tactics.¡± ¡°I suppose they¡¯re lucky they¡¯re fighting Arxur, not shadow fleet ships. We¡¯re the ones who are pitted up against the biggest threat¡­and the sole path to the moon is through them.¡± The human tapped a marked radius of space. ¡°I input the region we need to get to for troop deployment, per the mission parameters. Worry about finding us the best route, and keeping us apprised of any threats. Might be a bumpy ride, y¡¯know?¡± ¡°Understood. I also know we want to be as close as possible, so I¡¯ll look for anything that helps us gain ground.¡± Our warships were joined by some UN drone support, since our manned vessels were at a disadvantage against Kolshian automatons. The lasers on the moon amped up their firing speed, putting an exclusive focus on our newest and strongest craft; outdated crewed vehicles were neglected all together. The amount of power that could be funneled through the lunar installment was astounding. Similar to how humans moved their nuclear arsenal to Luna, the Commonwealth had stationed some of their high-yield explosives on the natural satellite; that kept them closer to the action in the event of a raid, rather than buried in the ocean. Our flight path wasn¡¯t dissimilar to Kalsim¡¯s en route to Earth. I wondered if the Kolshians had taken notes from that clash. It didn¡¯t seem the shadow fleet had grasped our intentions, since they were regarding the UN drones as the greatest threat. Our highest concentrations of automatons found shield-breakers deposited in their midst, and were tag-teamed by ship weapons and planetary defenses. Manned Terran vessels were able to cruise forward with minimal fire trained on us; thousands of soldier-toting friendlies sailed toward the arbitrary boundary where our troops could deploy. It was only as we neared the skirmish line that our foes rounded on us, and plasma began zipping our way. I could see debris littering the edges of the viewport, a telltale sign of why thousands of our drones had vanished from sensors. If our finest vessels are getting mowed down by these planetary defenses, I see why we need to capture or eliminate the infrastructure. Imagine how the Duerten Shield would fare against weapons of this kind! This must be why the Kolshians thought Aafa was impenetrable. Navigations yanked our ship to one side, turning our casual glide into a spiral to avoid plasma. Shields blinked out on my readout, with the shadow fleet having ample shield-busters in reserve to handle us. I pinpointed a Kolshian automaton for weapon targeting, but its algorithms were one step ahead of our hastily-deployed shot; the beam fell wide by a large margin. Charging ahead against superior craft wasn¡¯t ideal, yet the threshold we needed to reach sat behind these vessels. Our own drones had to break free from their predicament and give us an assist, or we were going to end up in multiple pieces. I could see several manned craft flanking us reduced to tattered husks. I traced a vector toward a marginal opening in their ranks. ¡°This is the best opening I can find, but it takes us within their direct line of fire. My suggested strategy would be to set up barriers and hunker down, except that time is of the essence.¡± ¡°The Kolshians will close the gap as soon as we make a run for it, won¡¯t they?¡± Tyler sighed. ¡°Obviously. They don¡¯t know our true plans, but they don¡¯t want anyone getting in range of the planetary defenses. Hell, even if we get past them, we¡¯ll have lasers and nukes from that moon thrown in our face. Need to launch the troops and get out fast.¡± ¡°Why haven¡¯t they used those nukes?¡± ¡°Probably going to wait to launch them, in the event we get past their line. They don¡¯t want the shadow fleet caught up in the blast radius. Layers of defense.¡± ¡°So we need a distraction. We¡¯ve got a few spacecraft carriers; time for ¡®em to open their bellies and pester the squids with some fighters. Back where it all began.¡± I twitched my ears. ¡°It¡¯s a start, but we need more. If we have any antimatter bombs left after the gas giant fight¡­I think it¡¯s time to use them against singular ships. It¡¯ll punch an opening and give us a moment to breakthrough.¡± ¡°We do got some leftover warheads. Don¡¯t got any intention of dropping those on Aafa, ¡®specially after Monahan¡¯s little chat, so throwing ¡®em in the Kolshians¡¯ face sounds fantabulous to me. I¡¯ll bring the captain in the loop.¡± I locked in the optimal vector for our navigations, before offering a second set of targets that needed to be displaced. On the viewport, munitions whizzed past us; standard combat missiles were locked on Terran ships by the thousands. Weapons was working overtime to strike the explosives down before they reached us, though one rammed straight into our nose. Without shields, it blew off a large chunk of our underbelly, though thankfully, it was shy of the hangar where our troopers were congregated. We were fortunate the hull integrity held together, and that the fissures in our armor plating were not spreading throughout the vessel. Non-critical hit. Might lessen the power we can route to the railgun, but it could be much worse. We don¡¯t want to get hit by anything else lobbed our way. Tyler gave me a nod as he returned from the captain¡¯s station, signaling her approval of my plan; comms sent out the call for fighter support. It was rare to utilize such massive munitions in fleet confrontations, since their design was tailored to targeting sprawling regions from orbit. We prepared to divert all power to thrusters; there would be a single chance to make a break for it, assuming our plan worked. I watched as we bore down on the Kolshians, with some level of concern for our safety. Inertial dampeners were suffering the occasional lapse, pushed to the hardware¡¯s limits by our erratic maneuvers. The disadvantage of having biological life onboard was that we couldn¡¯t take severe evasion actions like drones without killing the occupants. I could see the bubble of space nearing on sensors, but despite the strategic advantage, I wasn¡¯t going to suggest we push deeper to give our friends a better launch point. It would already be perilous to get their jetpacks in range at all. Fighters slingshotted out into space from our behemoth carriers, who lurked at the back of the pack. That was step one of the distraction, as nimble UN frames weaved up close and nipped at the Kolshians¡¯ heels. Our bombing classes were preparing the deployment of antimatter weapons, ready to forcefully vacate the enemy from this patch of space. Humanity was too stubborn to turn back; we were pushing through to the target destination, here and now. Plasma clipped the already damaged part of our ship, as our jerky movements failed to skirt a close-range beam entirely. I moved closer to Tyler on instinct, drawing strength from having my buddy at my side. We¡¯d always known that deploying to Aafa was a risk, but standing by him was worth sacrificing the idyllic future that beckoned to me on Leirn. If those antimatter bombs didn¡¯t get out of allied bays soon, we were going to be lit up like a sacrifice to Ralchi. Kinetics raked across the front of our ship, mauling us even further. Navigations was overloaded with new threats, desperately dipping down and throwing out interceptors. There was no time to get our bearings and counter the inbound munitions, as we felt the ship rattle from impact after impact. ¡°Hey, Tyler?¡± I hissed. ¡°If this is the last thing I say, I¡¯ve got three words picked out. Fuck the Federation.¡± The blond human ruffled my forehead fur, earning a hiss from me. ¡°Damn straight, but I don¡¯t plan on dying none. We gotta rescue Slanek; promised Marcel. Onward and upward!¡± My quizzical look intensified, as I questioned whether that exclamation was in reference to hot-air balloons. There were worse things to die thinking about than Terran flight devices, and the technical chain of events that led them to the natural development of starships. A lot of people would¡¯ve sought something more meaningful to dwell on, but I want to go out fantasizing about what I loved. The red dots on the screen, indicating threats, faded into the background. I waited for the inevitable, even as the primates fought tooth and nail to press ahead. Instead of getting bulldozed by two plasma beams, our warship managed to turn on its axis; we glided between two searing arcs that were meant to ensnare us. My optimism for our prospects lifted ever so slightly, as the antimatter bombs began to unload from across our fleet. Hostile drones balked with city-leveling munitions incoming, and tried to maneuver out of the way. Their plan was to let each missile sail past, where it would be locked onto nothing and could be disabled at their leisure. However, another wave of human warheads chased them along their evacuation route, forcing them to widen the gap further. A third volley kept them back so we could pass unassailed, like wild beasts being fended off by a waving torch. The antimatter did connect with a handful of enemy targets, mainly those who¡¯d lost mobility earlier in the battle. Massive levels of energy were thrown out from the epicenter, and I had to hurriedly account for a plane of shrapnel which was generated in our path. The edge of the launch point was a few seconds out, so Sovlin, Carlos, and Sam could leap to the moon if we got a little further. UN fighters and drones mobilized in a circle around us, standing between the manned vessels and the shadow fleet. They were taking the brunt of the barrage, buying precious seconds, which must¡¯ve tipped off the Kolshians to our importance. However, it was too late for the shadow fleet to stop us from executing our plans. The region where we were cleared to spacedrop troops flashed green, as the sensor dot for our warship poked its nose across the boundary. Without an instant¡¯s hesitation, the hangar bay was flung open, and human soldiers leapt from the safety of our vessel to get boots on the lunar ground. Chapter 168 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, United Nations Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: March 24, 2137 The humans had really done it. The deranged predators strapped themselves into multi-layered spacesuits, and leapt straight into space. I wasn¡¯t sure what compelled my stout legs to follow their lead, but here I was, coasting alongside Carlos and Sam with no way back. The jet pack alongside my oxygen gave me a small push toward the lunar surface, with its flight computer having been programmed with my mass and height differential in mind. My claws wrapped around my rifle, which was tethered to my chest; the last thing I needed was for my weapon to float away. I wasn¡¯t fully convinced we¡¯d survive this stunt. Assuming we did, a single bullet which made it through or around the suit¡¯s armor plates would expose us to the vacuum. It was absolute lunacy, though it was made worse by the fact they¡¯d slingshotted military rovers¡ªof massive size and with gigantic guns¡ªtoward the moon atop thruster stages. It didn¡¯t seem possible for it not to break apart when it struck the ground, without a true engine tacked onto it. That was our likeliest fate too; it seemed idyllic floating through space now, but hurtling toward the cratered, slate-colored surface would be terrifying. Did humans lack cognizance of falling or heights? Why had I agreed to go with them: just to prove myself to these should-be predator disease inmates? The good news was a ship sniping lifeforms in the breadth of space was almost as difficult as nailing a nanodrone; we were microbes to a shadow fleet weapons station. That rendered the odds of us getting cooked by plasma low, though not zero. I cast a glimpse back at our warship, in time to see it making a hurried retreat from the planetary defenses. UN drones were fighting the Kolshians tooth and claw, but the enemies were easily sealing the temporary gap formed by our bombs. There was no telling whether our friends would survive the battle that raged overhead, as we careened toward the satellite¡¯s pull. The planetary defenses had to be disabled, if we wanted the rest of the crew to have a fighting chance. ¡°Sam, are you sure this is safe?¡± I asked over the comms link. The human¡¯s irate expression was something I could imagine beneath her helmet. ¡°Aw. Need a diaper change, Sovlin?¡± ¡°Fuck you. I¡¯d like a realistic idea of our chances.¡± ¡°Well, even if you pass out like a scaredy-cat, the pack¡¯s automated. It calculated the best route with its fuel reserves. We did a small-scale test of the tech on Luna, but it¡¯s pretty new. Even if it does orient us in the right direction on an alien world, when our measurements rely on trustworthy-as-fuck Fed science, it¡¯s up to you to land on your feet and haul ass.¡± Carlos patched into our helmet link. ¡°Thankfully, you¡¯ll only have to hoof it to the nearest rover. If the trajectory is on point, our ride will be a few hundred feet away. From there, we got some big guns, and a little more padding between us and a stray bullet.¡± ¡°You have armed ground vehicles specifically for moons?¡± ¡°And for harsh terrain planets like Caato or Mars. UN¡¯s had these bad boys out on Mars, mostly for search-and-rescue, but also in case any security action was needed. Dunno why they don¡¯t use tank treads; hm, you could ask Onso, if you wanted to know.¡± ¡°Bah, I bet that primitive read all the answers in a book somewhere. I could do that too.¡± Sam snorted. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m busy. Currently dropping onto a moon with just a jet pack, for example. But I¡¯m not establishing contact with that joke of an engineer until we need to patch ourselves back into the ship; all they need to know is when the planetary defenses are under our control, and we need a ride out.¡± ¡°UN Command will be in touch with our ground leaders the whole way through. We only need to phone home once we want off this barren rock.¡± ¡°How will the fleet know if we fail?¡± ¡°The installation will blow up,¡± Carlos answered in a voice that had too much levity. ¡°Giant fireball, base gone. Quite visible.¡± I flailed within my spacesuit. ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Yep. I thought you listened in the briefing? Each installation across the lunar surface, including the one we¡¯re raiding, has a self-destruct function so that it doesn¡¯t fall out of their control. However, it requires authorization keys from two individuals. They¡¯ll want the planetary defenses in the space fight as long as possible, so they¡¯ll be standing by the receptacle until their base is about to fall.¡± ¡°The part I did listen to was the part where we still plan to storm their safe house. Do you warmonger apes like complexes blowing up in your face?¡± ¡°We prefer not getting immolated in giant explosions. Thanks for asking,¡± Sam chirped. The lunar surface was enhancing in detail, and I could feel gravity playing a hand in my acceleration. The uptick in apparent velocity caused my stomach to churn, which made me desperate for the humans to keep talking as a distraction. My claws wanted to uncurl from the gun; instinctive panic told me I was about to die. The predators crossed their arms in front of their chests as they hurtled toward solid ground. Unfortunately, the more I heard about this plan, the less comforting I found their growling voices. The fact that they knew the base was prepped to detonate as soon as we got close suggested this was a suicide mission. What if the humans are sacrificing us to get the planetary defenses destroyed, the way the Kolshians sent civilians to their deaths on those evac shuttles? How can clever predators like my guards not see this as a death sentence? ¡°I¡¯m willing to die for what I¡¯ve done, but I would¡¯ve liked to have been told up front. I¡¯d still do it so Earth can survive¡ªfor that debt I¡¯ll always owe you¡ªbut I don¡¯t love the idea of getting blown to bits!¡± I hissed. Carlos¡¯ sigh was audible within my helmet. ¡°As I was saying, the two authorized Kolshians will need to stand by to initiate the self-destruct. Makes them a sitting target. Snipers take out one of them, and make sure no one else grabs the key. Our job will be to clear the facility, and assume control of the command center.¡± ¡°Hm. You left out the part of the job where we compete for the highest kill count of Kolshian asswipes,¡± Samantha interjected. ¡°Oh, and Carlos, Baldy¡¯s definitely thinking he shoulda stayed with Onso. The Yotul was the smart one, sitting in front of a bloody screen.¡± ¡°I do hope that nothing happens to that taushana,¡± I remarked, mischievously checking whether the humans knew that word. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°That didn¡¯t translate. What¡¯s ¡®taushana¡¯ mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a loving term of affection. Onso asked to be called that instead of primitive.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t fucking trust you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m being serious. If anything happens to me, tell him Sovlin was proud to work alongside such a bright-eyed taushana.¡± ¡°Hm. That almost sounds nice.¡± ¡°It is nice. I promise, taushana holds a special place in the Yotul language, especially in Rinsa. Onso and you battle-bonded, so it¡¯d mean a lot from you, Sam.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll¡­consider it. I do respect that wiseass firecracker. He¡¯s alright for¡ª¡± The rest of Samantha¡¯s slanted compliment eluded my comprehension. My focus was ripped back to my trajectory, once retro thrusters kicked in to slow my fall. With conversation failing to distract me, I noticed why boost power was kicking in. We were close enough to the ground that it was time to tap the brakes; my personal propulsion warred with gravity, yet gravity seemed to be winning. What spikes I had struggled against their bindings underneath the back of my suit. This free-falling sensation wasn¡¯t anything that Gojids evolved to withstand, and my head was spinning from the rapidity of it all. Fear throttled my heart without any reprieve, threatening to strip me of my faculties. The lunar surface expanded within my periphery, like it was being magnified across a viewport. Craters that looked like tiny divots from afar were becoming gaping basins; a few miles from our landing site, the planetary defense complex was taking on a three-dimensional appearance at last. My brain weighed the cumulative stimuli, and proclaimed my death was imminent. I couldn¡¯t imagine how the Terran troopers who airdropped onto the cradle felt, on a planet with full gravity that well exceeded this moon¡¯s attraction. Predators were built differently from us, but humans were a fearless breed even among hunters. I was certain the Arxur wouldn¡¯t tackle such daunting heights. Does that make me braver than the grays? That thought almost gives me the willpower to keep my wits; besides, it¡¯s not like I can undo the fact I jumped out of a spaceship with suicidal primates at this point. ¡°Fuck!¡± I screamed into the comms. ¡°Where is the fabric overhang you had on the cradle? Did you crazy, insufferable predators forget that?!¡± Carlos¡¯ chuckle sounded too carefree. ¡°Oh, this is better than normal skydiving! So gentle and tranquil¡ªI¡¯d do this for fun. The adrenaline, Sovlin. Don¡¯t you feel alive?¡± ¡°I feel like I want to know where the gliding tarp is! We need to slow the fuck down!¡± ¡°Well, a parachute would be useless. There¡¯s no air in space for it to catch on.¡± ¡°Duh. You don¡¯t have to be Onso to understand basic facts,¡± Sam jabbed. I gulped down the oxygen circulating within my suit, leaving myself a mental reminder to purposefully have Sam run into my spines if I ever had the option again. Those mind-warped humans had no right to poke fun at how petrifying this was. My body careened through hundreds of feet of altitude in a short span, while the boost pack¡¯s vibrations chipped in with more insistence. It was only when the ground was a skyscraper¡¯s length away that it slowed me to a leaf¡¯s glide; I floated on a bubble of air, placed down with a gentle touch. My feet pressed onto the lunar surface, with less force than if I was hopping out of bed. The predators touched down without issue as well, slowly lowered to the ground in tiny increments. The perfect calculation of the jet pack¡¯s computer was remarkable. I was beyond grateful to have my legs on solid ground; now, it was time to get moving toward the complex that could be detonated in our face at any moment. Across the surface of the moon, other groups would be storming similar installations without pausing for respite. Carlos checked the HUD within his helmet, before pointing toward a rover that had plopped down to the moon with elegance. It was awkward to run in my space suit under the low gravity, especially since the predators could maintain their pace with a light skip. I found extra energy for my legs as a rocket landed just shy of our position¡ªthe Kolshians had spotted us. It''s going to be a long few minutes driving toward the base. Thankfully, I don¡¯t think they have a large supply of missiles on hand, but they will be shooting at us the whole way. My lungs and core burned as we neared the rover, though I forced myself to press onward. Samantha ducked behind the wheel of the vehicle, while Carlos ushered me into the back compartment. As soon as we were inside, I collapsed from exhaustion; it would take a few minutes to catch my breath. The male guard took a brief look at me, before popping open a hatch on the vehicle. The human hoisted himself up behind a machine gun fixed to the top, just enough that his head poked out of the rover. His gloved hands turned the turret in all directions, and searched for targets. Samantha finished plugging in the coordinates, before turning to face me. ¡°Sovlin, you¡¯re gonna be the loader. You see those ammo boxes? Load them into the main gun, and don¡¯t fuck it up.¡± I pushed myself to my feet, and studied the task at paw. ¡°Yeah, I can do that. We don¡¯t use ground vehicles too often in the Federation¡­nothing like these¡­but I¡¯ve seen a few during Arxur raids. It won¡¯t be a problem.¡± ¡°Better not be, or you¡¯re walking to the base.¡± The rover was rolling ahead toward the Kolshian installation, and without sound in space, it was impossible to gauge when we were being fired at. I could see Carlos firing off rounds at targets, but I decided to keep to my lane and help him reload. It was the human¡¯s role to survey the battlefield, and assess hostile activities. Hopefully, the vehicle¡¯s armor could absorb kinetics sent off by Kolshians who saw us coming. An army of military space rovers, dropped from the sky, plowing across the cratered surface¡­we were impossible to miss. Perhaps it was better that I wasn¡¯t relegated to the stressful role of gunner, requiring myself to be exposed to anything sailing through the area. Samantha, as the driver, wasn¡¯t content without a view of the action. The rover lacked a windshield like I¡¯d expect from exploration vehicles, but it seemed to have a periscope she could peer out of. I kept to my dutiful task, refraining from asking questions about our progress. Minutes of sightless transit had me uncertain how much further we had to press on to our destination; from the way Carlos¡¯ legs had tensed up, we were receiving heavier amounts of fire. I knew that meant we had to be getting close, though none of us would exit the vehicle until we were on their doorstep. There was no telling whether UN snipers had been successful in eliminating the self-destruct keyholders. I guess we¡¯ll find out by whether the base goes ¡°Boom!¡± as we bust into the command center. Let¡¯s not think about that. I¡¯ll assume we get control of those stupid lasers, and then my knowledge from defending the cradle might come in handy for how to use them. Carlos continued to dish out bursts of fire, while helping Samantha keep an eye out for traps. The two humans communicated information only when it was necessary, otherwise preferring to fixate on our life-or-death circumstances. I was impressed as always by their efficiency and composure under extreme peril. The Terrans¡¯ confidence rubbed off on me a little, despite how insane this mission was. There weren¡¯t enough Kolshian foot soldiers defending the base to hold us back, as long as we could absorb an influx of fire a little longer. The rover appeared to have built-in systems that could mess with missiles¡¯ homing systems, or destroy them in flight. Explosives were the greatest threat to us in transit, and they could be neutralized. The incredible machinations crafted by these predators might be enough to get us to our destination in one piece. I couldn¡¯t help but give a satisfied grunt, knowing how the tide of the space battle might turn if we gained control of the planetary defenses. Such powerful weapons were a nightmare for the UN armada to deal with, something that could smite our most advanced spacecraft in one hit. Without these installations, the shadow fleet would be ill-equipped against our particle beams, nanodrones, and other superior munitions. I decided to break my silence for a quick word of encouragement to Carlos. I wanted to share the triumphant feeling coursing through my veins with the guard who¡¯d always given moral guidance of the highest integrity¡ªthe one who believed in a brighter future, and tried to understand what drove me from the beginning. However, as my gaze turned to the predator to weigh his demeanor, I saw a sudden spasm pass through his form. His head made a quiet snap backward in the hatch, and his hands slipped off of the turret. The human¡¯s legs crumpled underneath his bulky form, as if a rug was yanked from under him. Panic raced through my heart, realizing what had happened; I rushed to his side, and kneeled over his downed form. Samantha also whipped around in the driver¡¯s seat, yelling Carlos¡¯ name through our comms link¡ªto no response. My eyes peered at the bullet hole through the front of his spacesuit helmet, exposing the human to the vacuum, and the crimson blood bubbling at the cracked edges. Horror took over my consciousness as I scrambled for a way to keep the kind-hearted predator alive. Chapter 169 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, United Nations Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: March 24, 2137 I desperately shoved my paw over the bullet hole on Carlos¡¯ helmet, trying to seal the gap that exposed him to the vacuum. Viscous blood adhered to my suit, slathering over the smooth exterior. How was I supposed to give the human medical attention, when removing his mask would freeze him and strip him of all oxygen? Samantha knelt by my side, her body language distraught. I could see her checking the wrist readout of the male predator¡¯s vitals, while I desperately shook his unmoving shoulder. Despite my best efforts at revival, his form was limp against my touch. Whatever happens to me, I will be enduring as a tree and fierce as a bear. Our past doesn¡¯t define us, Carlos had told me, while describing the green markings on his arm. When all of this first began, I couldn¡¯t have imagined how much grief I¡¯d feel, huddling over a predator¡¯s corpse. I could feel the rover trundling along toward the base, autopilot still in gear even as Sam had crawled away from the driver¡¯s seat. Carlos needed to get back up and man the turret; it was a single bullet! An apex hunter, the most powerful creature on untamed Earth, shouldn¡¯t be downed by one lump of metal. Terrans were supposed to be ¡°enduring as a tree¡± and ¡°fierce as a bear.¡± I punched at his chest through the thick spacesuit, frustrated that it wasn¡¯t moving. ¡°Wake up!¡± I screamed; Sam winced from my volume, as the comm link was still open. ¡°There¡¯s going to be humanitarian missions after the war, the chance to do good in the galaxy like you loved doing on Earth. You can¡¯t just fucking quit!¡± Carlos¡¯ form didn¡¯t budge or react an inch, offering no signs of life. I could see the female guard shaking her head, and trying to collect herself. Samantha wasn¡¯t doing anything to help patch our friend up, though I could hear her sniffling. How could she give up on him like an Arxur, not doing a single thing to mend a wounded friend? These were predators with empathy, not callous monsters like the grays and the Kolshians who left their weaklings behind! And you are not going to refer to me as ¡®predator¡¯ again. I could hear his stern voice chastising me, with impatience for my antics toward the Arxur. What Carlos told me a little while ago served as a reminder of how he was my first friend¡ªthe one who sought to understand my motives, in spite of what I¡¯d done. I listened to your spiel on torturing an innocent human, and tried to empathize with you. Every word the human had said to me was rushing back burying me with an emotional avalanche. I remembered the time I¡¯d saved his life on the cattle ship, and first realized that I cared for my guards¡ªan alarming thought, back then. I reminisced when he visited me in my prison cell on Skalga, and had been the only one who could restrain his anger enough to speak to me. When I was at my lowest, thinking Gojids were monsters after the omnivore revelations, it¡¯d been Carlos who asked other humans not to bring that up to me. He¡¯d known how I felt about being a meat-eater, and how my entire life had collapsed in on itself. ¡°There¡¯s a Tilfish right there. They¡¯re g-going to¡­give you a hug,¡± I blubbered, with tears streaming down my face. The guard¡¯s fear of the insectoids had been on display on several occasions, to my prior amusement. ¡°You¡¯ve got to move. It¡¯s very creepy, right?¡± I turned Carlos¡¯ helmet from side to side, like I was rolling a ball back and forth on the carpet. There was no resistance; the stupid human wasn¡¯t answering. How hard was it to give any form of response, when he was freaking me out like this? The predator had known the risks, but I couldn¡¯t accept that he was just¡­gone. Snot bubbled in my nose, as I imagined what he would say about catching a bullet in the wrong place. He¡¯d always been much too calm about potential dangers, while I¡¯d been the panicky one in our sticky predicaments. We always hope for the best, but no combat situation is a guarantee. Just breathe, buddy, the guard had said on the submarine, when we were trying a last-ditch strategy to evade a torpedo. ¡°I won¡¯t breathe! I won¡¯t listen to you!¡± I screeched, as I sank to my knees in despair. If I were being honest with myself, I¡¯d realized the truth the second I saw his wound. ¡°Carlos?¡± Samantha¡¯s hands sank deep into my arm, and the human yanked me to my feet with force. I shrieked, swinging my claws toward her in a clumsy gesture; despite the bulky suit, the predator¡¯s reflexes made it easy for her to duck. Her chest was shaking, betraying her own emotions, but I could feel her binocular eyes leveling me with a pointed stare. She prevented me from returning to my attempts to resuscitate Carlos, and stood between me and the fallen soldier. ¡°Listen! Carlos is dead, Sovlin; he¡¯s gone!¡± her growling voice had taken the form of a commanding yell. ¡°I checked his vitals. There¡¯s no heartbeat or brain activity. There is nothing¡ªfuck all we can do. We need to keep moving.¡± I stumbled back in denial. ¡°No. You¡¯re wrong. I¡¯m not leaving¡ª¡± Samantha forcefully jostled my shoulders, and lowered her voice to a sympathetic growl. ¡°Carlos was killed, instantly. If someone doesn¡¯t get back on that gun, so we can defend ourselves moving forward, he died for nothing. Everyone who¡¯s died in this war, died for nothing if we fail here! Plus, we need to make the fuckers who shot him pay. I¡¯d get on the gun myself, but I¡¯m the only one who knows how to run the vehicle¡¯s OS.¡± ¡°The gun. Yeah, nobody¡¯s s-shooting it¡­¡± ¡°Snap out of it! I¡¯ll watch our navigations, but keep back here to help you reload; be quicker than you doing it yourself. You make some Kolshians¡¯ heads explode, and we take the fucking base, for Carlos and for humanity. You just need to stand there, head low. Pull the trigger, bullets spray: nice and simple. Can you handle that?¡± ¡°Yes. I miss him already, Sam. I¡­I always hated losing a soldier.¡± The predator¡¯s shoulders slumped. ¡°I miss him too. He was more than just a soldier¡­he was my friend. Our moral compass. When we get his body back to our ship, I¡¯ll see that he gets the burial and the honors he deserved.¡± I imitated a human nod in a daze, and tried to move through the grief suffocating me. None of what just happened felt real; it was all so sudden, how Carlos¡¯ life was snapped out of existence. Bitterness hardened within my heart, as I thought about the Kolshian in the base who¡¯d shot my friend. I was going to make them pay with their own life, returning the favor. There was plenty of anger to grant me courage; despite how I¡¯d seen the human sniped out from behind the turret, I moved his gunner¡¯s tether to my suit. It should¡¯ve been me gunned down in the first place, bringing it full circle with how I''d wished to sacrifice myself for my crimes. I used to think that I don¡¯t deserve happiness, but it¡¯s not about that anymore. Carlos doesn¡¯t have the checkered past I do. It¡¯s a basic equation that I deserved to bite the dust more than him. My head poked out through the hatch, and my claws didn¡¯t feel like my own as they hooked around the firing mechanism. Kolshian defenders had taken up positions with machine guns along the balconies of their installation, which looked like a glorified tower wedged between expansive weapons. Bullets assailed our rover; though their flight and collision with our armor was inaudible, the blurs of motions blinked across my vision. I could see one make a close shave to my position, while dust ahead of us was churned up by a vaulted missile. Another explosive appeared to be on target for our position, but was snapped off by the vehicle¡¯s automated interceptors. It was chaos on the lunar surface¡ªhundreds of rovers rolled over the bumpy terrain to our destination, just as I knew was happening at the other outposts. There were a few hundred Kolshians on site to defend the complexes, but they would be overrun if we reached them with these numbers. We needed to keep our vehicle intact for a few more minutes to reach our target; I was thirsting for blood in predatory fashion, embroiled in pain from the loss of Carlos. The fresh wounds drove me to sort out the kinks of the technology quickly. The gun was able to pump out multiple rounds in a minute, and the bullets could clear the miles-long gap without wavering. I set to gouging holes in the balcony, hoping to obliterate those bastards with lead. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°When it¡¯s time to hop out, we¡¯ll join up with the rovers to our left and right,¡± Sam explained over the comm link. ¡°Your rifle is still strapped to you, right?¡± While I¡¯d shifted my gun out of my way to operate the turret, I could feel it tucked against my side. ¡°Yes. I have a visual on the base; I¡¯ll know when we¡¯re there.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be obvious because the rover will stop. Assuming the squids don¡¯t have the good sense to duck and cover inside, we can shoot the outdoor campers from the rover¡­but I imagine they¡¯re retreating.¡± Through my heads-up magnification, I could see Kolshians making a break for the entrances. Scowling with unadulterated rage, I swiveled the turret toward their destination to choke it with fire; bullets nailed several soldiers in the back, liberating them of their violet blood just as they¡¯d spilled Carlos¡¯ crimson life force. The smarter ones were able to crawl inside using corpses as cover, but a few defenders were trapped outside as our tanks rolled closer. They were being peppered by hundreds of turrets, with the balcony wall looking more like paper ribbons. Unable to find an easily available target, I pumped extra lead into the corpses for good measure. If any of those assholes were playing dead, they weren¡¯t going to be playing much longer. Minutes whizzed by in an adrenaline-fueled blur, as the rover rolled toward its destination. I eviscerated one Kolshian who stood for the briefest second, before they could fire a shot at me or one of our allies. Samantha, meanwhile, was keeping an eye out for any mines through her periscope; she pointed out one metal circle hidden deceptively on the ground for my HUD, which I then set off prematurely. It seemed that the enemy¡¯s missile supply was depleted, but running into the barrier of landmines could upturn a rover and maim its inhabitants. I was grateful the predator¡¯s eyes were keen, because my focus was single-mindedly on revenge. I can¡¯t wait to get out onto solid ground, and execute these fuckers up close and personal. How many humans¡­how many innocent people have to die before their bloodlust is slaked? Anyone still serving the Kolshian army is a true predator, and deserves to suffer for everything they¡¯ve taken from me! Once we were within half a kilometer, the Terran snipers were able to set up shop; their work was quiet and efficient, detectable only through the appearance of tiny holes in the windows. Anyone visible, including the Kolshians with the self-destruct key, was picked off with the masterfulness of a hunter focusing on their prey. Terrans with perfect accuracy kept watch on the door, blowing one foe¡¯s head off as soon as he set foot into the command center. No one was going to be retrieving those arming authorizations. Our enemies were going to face real justice; the damned primates better not take prisoners, this time. Beyond my steaming anger, we couldn¡¯t afford to tote more bodies back to our ships. I kept my head low as the rover slowed, parking itself by the decimated complex. ¡°Hey, Sam? Something just occurred to me.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± the human offered. ¡°What¡¯s to stop the Kolshians from blowing the planetary defenses off the map, with us inside?¡± ¡°Same reason humanity sent us here, instead of picking ¡®em off from orbit. Too dangerous to take a direct flight at the lasers; it would¡¯ve cost us a fuck ton of ships. You gotta have precision bombing to ensure you take out something this small, but I imagine when they realize it¡¯s turned against ¡®em, they¡¯ll try. They weren¡¯t expecting us to thwart the self-destruct orders.¡± ¡°So it could still blow up with us inside?¡± ¡°Only a small number of humans are sticking around to operate the controls, after we clear the place. We¡¯re going to get back in the rover, and catch a drone shuttle back to our ship, at the evac point under friendly-controlled skies. Damned if I¡¯m going to leave Carlos to¡­decay at the ass end of this moon.¡± ¡°He should be brought home. Even if he wasn¡¯t tight with his family, there¡¯s m-many people who will grieve his passing and celebrate his life.¡± ¡°A life that should¡¯ve been longer, but that¡¯s a tired story I could say about my ¡®dead as a doornail¡¯ husband too. Fucking hell, now¡¯s not the time to get all teary-eyed. Get out of the vehicle. Now.¡± I ducked back through the rover¡¯s hatch, and bounced out after Sam toward the exit. The human fell into a pack with other soldiers, before we ascended the balcony stairs in a purposeful formation. Kolshian bodies littered the upper deck, with a handful having been picked off back on the ground. The rovers¡¯ onslaught had shredded any living enemies, especially as UN vehicles armed with grenades got close; as always, the predators¡¯ killing technology from their pre-FTL days exceeded anything seen in the galaxy. The extremity of the wars they¡¯d fought amongst themselves, brutal and bloody, showed in the advancement of their technology. With how quickly the Yotul were catching up without shackles, it raised the question of whether Leirn had a similar history. What will Onso and Tyler say, assuming we make it back¡­but with Carlos in a body bag? It¡¯s like every thought brings me back to the fact that he¡¯s gone forever. No more advice, shared meals, or adventures together. Irrevocably gone. I knew I needed to keep my composure, unless I wanted to bear responsibility for Sam garnering the same fate. The Kolshian command center was kept locked down by snipers, but we needed to flush out any stragglers taking refuge inside the obfuscating walls. As much as I longed to be the one to end these miserable bastards¡¯ lives, the humans were taking charge. A soldier clicked open the door, lobbing a grenade with ease through the lax gravity. Our helmet HUD switched over to night vision, which allowed us to see in the darkened kitchen. A Kolshian was trying to hide behind a trash can, but I fired a shot into his leg. While he jerked to the ground, I stomped up to him and placed a bullet straight through his helmet from point-blank range. The Terrans were shooting on sight as well, already poking gun barrels into closets and adjacent hallways. There wasn¡¯t time for any unwanted surrenders, to my relief; with how willing the Kolshians were to fight dirty and utilize the UN¡¯s morality against them, it was impossible to trust any attempts to turn themselves in. I fell back in at Samantha¡¯s side, as she kept an eye for any ambushes from behind. We followed a snaking corridor into a mess hall, where a few petrified hostiles shot at us from under tables. One bullet connected with a Terran¡¯s leg, but thankfully, the foes¡¯ low positioning made it difficult for them to fire on vital areas in close combat. I ducked enough to pump several bullets in quick succession, as the predators dispatched the other enemies with breathtaking ease. ¡°In ground combat, you guys far outshine them¡ªjust like you showed you¡¯re not in the same bracket during the ship boardings,¡± I remarked. Samantha finished patching the bullet hole in our wounded¡¯s suit leg, securing his air supply. ¡°We¡¯re trained properly and keep our wits. Federation fear and Kolshian complacency don¡¯t make for a good standing army. That¡¯s if they weren¡¯t outnumbered and blown the fuck out by the rovers.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad they were outclassed, because it means we can get control of the planetary defenses. That¡¯ll turn the tide of the battle and distract the shadow fleet¡­I hope. Carlos¡¯ sacrifice has to mean something.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s actually get those lasers in our possession, then we¡¯ll think about winning this shitshow. Just keep your head on a swivel. We don¡¯t need any traps or tricks catching us off guard.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need my head in a swivel. I don¡¯t have binocular vision.¡± ¡°Hmph. You still need to look behind you, Baldy.¡± I chuckled, before quieting myself with guilt. ¡°What?¡± Sam huffed. ¡°Carlos wouldn¡¯t expect me to stop taking swipes at you for anyone¡¯s funeral.¡± The UN soldiers finished sweeping the hall, before progressing down the final stretch to the command center; the complex was hardly spacious for its occupants, with few luxuries present. The premises were reserved for packing weapons to fend off raids and invasions. If that fact allowed us to reach the command center and bring the planetary defenses under our control quicker, then it was a blessing. The Terran who¡¯d taken the bullet in the leg was able to bounce after us, having gotten a tight patch secured around his perforation. Given that the command center was under lockdown by human snipers, there weren¡¯t likely to be many more enemies to clean up. Samantha found a single Kolshian, crouching outside the final entry, and gunned him down without remorse. The Terrans didn¡¯t relax their guard, despite the high likelihood that the vicinity was clear of hostiles. I was grateful that most defenders fell against the rovers, saving me from watching more humans perish at my feet. The senseless losses our side had incurred throughout this battle were staggering enough, just from the overhead skirmish. I waited as we communicated to our snipers that we were entering the command center, so watchful allies wouldn¡¯t pick us off at the first sign of movement. There was no time to waste in redirecting the planetary defenses, for the sake of our fleet. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go!¡± Samantha barked. I followed the predator soldiers into the command center, and watched a tech specialist work on switching the defenses¡¯ directives. Turning my gaze starward, I wished that Carlos was here to see our mission reach its successful end. There were still a herdload of enemies running amok above us, and we had no update on how our armada had fared in our absence. Nonetheless, I was certain these seized assets could give the United Nations the chance to put the shadow fleet down. Because of our actions on lunar soil, humanity might be able to level the playing field around Aafa¡¯s orbit. Chapter 170 Memory transcription subject: Chief Hunter Isif, Arxur Rebellion Command Date [standardized human time]: March 25, 2137 Landing on Liberty¡¯s Bastion, I could see the fruits of humanity¡¯s ventures into the universe. The colonists, who¡¯d been evacuated under threat of the Mileau shadow fleet ¡°curing¡± them, had returned to the frontier. Secretary-General Zhao was making his first in-person visit to the colony, and agreed to meet me here: a shorter journey than traveling to Earth. The dignitary knew I¡¯d like to pay a visit to Felra, who was now a permanent resident of the settlement. Her last message had been an irritating remark about how she thought I¡¯d look cute in a sequined hat, so she¡¯d bought one for next time we met. Dreadful. I would have to face that insufferable idea; however, the purpose of my visit was to brief Zhao on the rebellion¡¯s progress, and inquire about the status of the Battle of Aafa. The reality was that we didn¡¯t have ships to lose to contribute to a direct assault on the Kolshian homeworld; our tactics had always been guerilla warfare, through and through. There was nothing glamorous in breaking up supply lines and utilizing hit-and-run attacks against ship contingents, but it was the surest play for our purpose. If our rebellion broke apart, that would mean the Arxur had no optimistic future in the galaxy¡ªneither Giznel nor Ilthiss would detach themselves from cruelty. I couldn¡¯t believe what UN intelligence had told me about the Dominion fighting alongside the shadow fleet. I never imagined they¡¯d so openly show their mutual interest in continuing the war. Giznel must be desperate to stop humanity from coming for Wriss now, regardless of how Earth has ¡°refrained¡± from openly waging war against them. The majority of the Dominion ships being at the Kolshian homeworld meant that each sector was left with sparse defenses. We couldn¡¯t resist targeting ship counts in the meager thousands, depriving Betterment of much-needed numbers¡­assuming the band at Aafa fell. The copious spacecraft kept in Wriss¡¯ central sector was halved; my rebellion hadn¡¯t gunned for them first, since my next plan was to trumpet a certain video through open channels. Command vessels at Aafa were jamming comms to prevent the footage of Giznel and Nikonus¡¯ collusion from being passed along, but the brass weren¡¯t back babysitting the leftovers. That strategy had flipped several Arxur vessels that I¡¯d been able to contact in the external sectors. Lisa breathed in the fresh air, smiling. ¡°This is a lovely planet. Regardless of what happens at Aafa¡­maybe more so, if we win, I bet humanity is going to spread out. Like them. I think this colony has a lot of potential, to be the start of something new.¡± ¡°It would also be the perfect world to hide secret experiments,¡± Olek challenged, with dramatic arm motions. ¡°Much farther away from Earth than the three colonies that popped up in our territory. We could work on bioweapons and no one would ever know!¡± ¡°Olek, I¡¯ve never met anyone as paranoid as you. You need medication.¡± ¡°I do not! It¡¯s not paranoid when I¡¯m right. It¡¯d be easier if I was wrong, but other people just miss these things!¡± Though our posse of three (with Kaisal staying behind to avoid offending local leadership) was standing just in front of our landing ramp, the settlement looked ramshackle and unimpressive. There were two large buildings that I could scan with my visual translators, with one labeled a communal dormitory and the other as town hall. The sole independent constructions were hab modules in front of farming fields, where Earth crops had been planted. There was little in the way of shops, apart from market stalls for food and general goods. The Mazics were constructing an embassy with proper elegance, but that was still a work-in-progress. I thought I recalled some tidbit from Felra about the Terrans opening a new seed vault on Liberty¡¯s Bastion. That was the closest thing to a government mission on this world. There was likely a lab-grown meat factory tucked away somewhere, far from any Mazic eyes; I guess that was hidden, since it might qualify as a ¡°bioweapon¡± by the Federation¡¯s standards. Olek needed a reality check on his fantastical conspiracies, especially after the jaw-dropping revelations of late had encouraged his outlandish theories. The glasses-wearing human was talking about mind-reading technology just last week¡ªit couldn¡¯t get more detached from the realm of probability. I flared my nostrils. ¡°Silence! The likeliest secret on this colony is the fact that an Arxur is landing, within Mazic territory, yes? I recall they weren¡¯t pleased to see me at the Summit, so it¡¯s bold to invite me here.¡± ¡°It¡¯s our colony.¡± Lisa shrugged, bringing her arms closer to her chest as the chilly breeze nipped at her. ¡°We can do what we want, though I don¡¯t imagine Zhao wants to step on any toes. This planet is perfect for habitation, and we wouldn¡¯t want the Mazics rethinking their gift. I wouldn¡¯t mind settling down in a place like this.¡± ¡°I thought you wanted to open a coffee shop, and bring people together.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why there¡¯s opportunity here. Earth will pour tons of time and resources into building this place up. There¡¯s no conveniences or entertainment spots here yet, so the market isn¡¯t saturated like it is at home. Places like this could become something more than rushed attempts to get humans out of Sol.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Zhao chimed in, having approached quietly from the side. ¡°There were limitations from my target date of having residents here, and the United Nations¡¯ three other Bastion colonies, by 2136¡¯s end. In peacetime, we¡¯ll have higher standards for new construction. If all goes well, we¡¯re the de facto power in the galaxy¡ªand we need to look the part. It''s wonderful that you could make it out here, Isif.¡± I turned my maw to face the human. ¡°Secretary-General. I eagerly anticipate an update on the Battle of Aafa. But first, may I inquire how you¡¯re hiding my visit from the Mazics?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not. We don¡¯t plan to build our alliance on lies and secrecy, and foster mistrust within the Sapient Coalition. President Cupo knows who you are, and I¡¯ve told him that we¡¯re coordinating our war efforts with a rebellion leader in the area. He doesn¡¯t approve but won¡¯t interfere.¡± ¡°Very well. I assume you wish to speak of the war efforts. I¡¯d like to discuss further where the Arxur stand after this is over, because I believe my recent efforts made Giznel¡¯s capitulation likely. All I need is an update on Aafa.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let you begin with a summary of what the rebellion has been up to, and then I¡¯ll bring you up to speed on the battle. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll point you to the starship docking port to find Felra. We don¡¯t get much traffic here, but she fits in well as an inspector.¡± ¡°Felra is a strange Dossur, but I am grateful for that annoying rodent¡¯s safety, M¨ªngz¨¦. How much do you already know about our plans from Jones and her informant?¡± Lisa huffed, as I pointed at her with my tail. ¡°I am not Jones¡¯ informant!¡± ¡°You are always in touch with her, and promised to ¡®handle her¡¯ like you have some inside road? She always seems to know my plans. It doesn¡¯t take a genius to figure out how that might occur. I am not the Federation.¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Olek narrowed his eyes. ¡°You know, that makes a lot of sense! No wonder you shoot down my conspiracies; you¡¯re one of them!¡± ¡°Coming from the guy who instantly believed Isif was a UN spy,¡± Lisa Reynolds shot back. ¡°And he was a spy for us!¡± Secretary-General Zhao¡¯s eyebrows shot upward, as though he were conceding the point to Oleksiy. ¡°I have no idea if Reynolds works for Jones, though I wouldn¡¯t put it past her¡ªand I know she wouldn¡¯t tell me. Old habits die hard. Still, I¡¯m grateful that you three seem to have bonded. Now, forgive my impatience, but I¡¯d like to get back to keeping tabs on Aafa as soon as we¡¯re done. Can you fill me in on your recent whereabouts?¡± The entire goal of my actions had been to bring as many Arxur to my side as possible; I wanted to have enough people left to cobble together a society. Turning Chief Hunter Ilthiss had hopefully been an asset to humanity¡¯s cause, but with nothing left to lose, I¡¯d been determined to convert more Dominion personnel. From the secondhand information Jones had given me, I knew that the command ships at Aafa were blocking the Terrans from passing along Betterment¡¯s treason. It was my belief that we¡¯d achieved a workaround, though the fallout remained to be seen. I have no idea how humanity is holding up against two galactic powers. Any chaos or doubt within Arxur ranks could aid their mission. ¡°My people approached the vessels left behind in each sector, and forwarded the video of Giznel and Nikonus colluding. After the viewing of this footage, they were asked to join my side; a large percentage have committed forces to the rebellion, which takes Wriss¡¯ ship count down a notch further. We also have deigned to launch attacks against any who didn¡¯t join our side. This should help humanity to gather a Dominion surrender, yes?¡± I asked. The Secretary-General grimaced. ¡°I gave you my word that we¡¯ll help your cause, once Aafa is dealt with, and I¡¯ll follow through. The less ships they have, the better. I don¡¯t imagine you find fault in having more ships at your disposal either. However, I confess it would be of more immediate use to connect with the Arxur fighting us at this moment.¡± ¡°You¡¯re in luck. The Dominion does not have command ships to jam signals out here, since they are at Aafa. However, any fleet needs to communicate amongst itself. Specific channels are open so Chief Hunters can stay in touch with their sector, and be apprised of any attacks back here. If it comes from approved vessels and is framed as a status report, leadership has no reason not to pass it along. I have given pointers that should help some Arxur abetting the Kolshians see the truth¡­very soon.¡± Olek flashed his teeth. ¡°Isif is saying that the video will be playing mid-battle. We should have at least some Dominion assets turning to our side, and throwing a wrench in the Kolshians¡¯ alliance.¡± ¡°I thought it was wise to pass along the message to each sector in person, so there was no chance the Dominion could catch wind of our intent and block the video. It¡¯s important that they¡¯re blindsided,¡± Lisa said. Zhao tapped his chin. ¡°I agree that we don¡¯t want them to get a heads-up. I¡¯ll brief UN Command, and we¡¯ll fill the fleet in once we receive visual confirmation of hijinks. Might I say, excellent work, Isif. Without ever needing to send a warship of your own, you¡¯re responsible for all of the extra help we¡¯ve gotten. From saving Earth to swaying your people, don¡¯t think we don¡¯t know that you¡¯ve done more than anyone for humanity¡¯s cause.¡± ¡°Your cause is my cause. Ending the Federation. A better future. No more sapient cattle,¡± I responded. ¡°Might I ask what you mean by ¡®all the help?¡¯ This means Ilthiss has been useful perhaps, yet your reference seems to be corresponding multiple parties?¡± ¡°The Duerten Shield have come to our aid too. That¡¯s in no small part thanks to you, risking your people to stop the Kolshians from eradicating Kalqua¡ªwhen you had nothing to gain. It¡¯s telling that our chances ride on the friends and allies we have struggled so hard to get. We did what was right by ourselves and by the laws of decency, even when it was taxing. Our decisions haven¡¯t been perfect, and there¡¯s been some things we had to do that were unpleasant, but we opened enough eyes to the truth for it to make a difference.¡± ¡°You say ¡®we¡¯ as if I were a part of the outreach to the leaf-lickers.¡± ¡°You were, Isif. I¡¯m proud to call you a friend of the United Nations. While I cannot guarantee what the Sapient Coalition will think about the Arxur, after this is all said and done, I promise I¡¯ll try to do right by you. I¡¯ll try to build a path to reconciliation.¡± Lisa chuckled. ¡°That won¡¯t be easy, sir.¡± ¡°Believe me, I know. There are so many broken relationships, from centuries of cyclical hatred, that need mending. There are trillions of traumatized people¡ªfreed cattle, those grieving worlds that are bombed-out husks, brainwashed citizens with lives rooted in fear, and victims from the literal past. Trying to set the galaxy back on track will be a battle of its own.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve come a long way from protecting humanity¡¯s interests above all others,¡± I remarked. ¡°We gain nothing from the suffering of other races. Peace, equality, and community are humanity¡¯s interests. It¡¯s the only way Earth will ever be a safe, prosperous member of the Orion neighborhood.¡± ¡°You say that as if you believe they can truly accept predators.¡± ¡°I do. With time, I think they could even accept the Arxur.¡± My nostrils flared, considering whether that could be a possibility. Before everything that had happened in recent months, I wouldn¡¯t have believed it was possible for the prey to forgive what we¡¯d done¡ªand for us to forgive the long ago curse of starvation. That was before I learned that the Federation wasn¡¯t the sole party responsible for our plight; Betterment had been the agent that wiped out our cattle, and encouraged us to seek out a sapient food source. Likewise, the herbivores had learned that the Kolshians were complicit in everything the Arxur did, with the power to stop it at any time. Chief Nikonus wouldn¡¯t have allowed a predator race to be peaceful, and used us as a tool to justify their control. There were so many things I¡¯d seen on a personal level that gave me hope for the future. Felra had been willing to accept me, even after learning that I was an Arxur; that deranged Dossur tried to get a rise out of me often, and once dabbled in eating Olek¡¯s beef jerky. Governor Tarva had been willing to work with me during the cattle exchange; she¡¯d argued in my favor when the humans imprisoned me, and again at the Summit. There was the fact that the majority of thirty-eight herbivore species voted to let me speak at that Summit¡­and that the vote to join a human-led venture was still unanimous after Zhao admitted to working with me. There was even the Yotul reaching out after the event, and being pleasant to work with during battle. I¡¯d liked and respected the feisty marsupial I spoke with during the fight for Kalqua. There¡¯s even that the Mazics didn¡¯t throw a fit, with word that an Arxur Chief Hunter was landing in a predator enclave within their territory. Things have changed. ¡°I hope so. It seems that we will be on the outside looking in for some time,¡± I replied. Zhao tilted his head. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m personally making an effort to keep you in the loop. You¡¯re as much a friend of humanity as anyone in the Sapient Coalition. Just to drive my point home, the risks you¡¯ve taken for us haven¡¯t gone unnoticed. Now, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve been waiting to hear about the Battle of Aafa.¡± ¡°That would be appreciated.¡± ¡°In short, we¡¯ve pushed through to Aafa, and the planetary defenses are under the control of our ground troops. It¡¯s my expectation that we¡¯ll know who wins or loses this fight by the end of the day. It¡¯s not like that¡¯s the last leg of the journey, but with the new information you gave us about turning Dominion forces, I¡¯m hopeful that humanity won¡¯t be searching for a new home as of tomorrow. Once the result is locked, I¡¯ll make sure intelligence passes that along to you.¡± ¡°The fate of my people is in humanity¡¯s hands. I hope that you will succeed.¡± ¡°I hope so too, but there¡¯s nothing else either of us can do. You¡¯ve achieved more than I could¡¯ve hoped for, so take comfort in that and save the worrying for another day. Go enjoy your time with Felra, Siffy. Ask for her at the docking port over there¡­she should be on call now.¡± ¡°I will. Good luck, Zhao. Whatever happens, it¡¯s been an honor to work with you and all of humanity.¡± The Terran leader smiled. ¡°Likewise.¡± Olek and Lisa tailed behind me, as I padded off in the direction Zhao was pointing. It was a strange world where I could express my feelings, and meet up with an herbivore friend who cared about me against the odds. There was nothing else I could do at this point, to aid the rebellion and the UN fleet¡¯s chances. I hoped that my final contribution, ensuring that Dominion forces by Aafa got wind of Giznel and Nikonus¡¯ scheming, paid dividends; it had to work. How could Arxur not turn on Betterment, hearing how our suffering was their intent¡­in conjunction with the Federation? For all intents and purposes, I was assuming the news would cause a significant schism in Arxur ranks. Ilthiss couldn¡¯t be the only one to react to the truth with outrage. With the numbers a bit more in their favor, humanity might be able to eliminate the shadow fleet from Aafa¡¯s orbit. This would be the defining moment, where a verdict would be passed down about whether sapient predators had the right to exist in this galaxy. Chapter 171 Memory transcription subject: Onso, Yotul Technical Specialist Date [standardized human time]: March 25, 2137 After the human troops leapt from our ship toward the lunar surface, survival up in the stars proved to be a harrowing task. There were several factors that left our warship in a precarious spot. On a grander scale, the gap we¡¯d cleared with three rounds of antimatter bombs had sealed. The UN drones had borrowed seconds for us against hopeless numbers, falling by the thousands; half of our allies were situated on the other side of the shadow fleet, but were unable to help us retreat due to their own problems. Turning back wasn¡¯t an option, and with that door closed, it was a matter of avoiding immediate death. The nuclear weapons tucked away on the moon were launched as soon as we got past the fleet, leaving us quite the radioactive payload to evade. Drones scrambled to cut them down, despite having Kolshians spitting plasma at their heels. While our drones on this side of the globe had suffered heavy casualties, manned ships hadn¡¯t gone unscathed either. Our vessel had taken a beating, with several direct hits to our underbelly, and we lacked any shields once those were taken down. Honestly, if someone didn¡¯t engineer a way to facilitate a shield current despite magnetoresistance, they were all but useless in future battles; the United Nations hadn¡¯t scrounged up any alternative innovations on that front yet. While I had my eyes on any missile launches, we couldn¡¯t afford to take many more hits from conventional weapons as well; our craft was hanging together by a thread, with a single love tap able to cause structural integrity to unravel. Even if Sovlin, Carlos, and Samantha are able to gain control of the ground stations, that will take time. I¡¯m not sure how we¡¯re supposed to hold out against nukes, free shots for planetary defense lasers, and shadow fleet ships. The Terran fighters were mere nuisances to the drones, and were getting their asses handed to them. Though it was difficult to discern through the sea of sensor blips, the Duerten Shield and Sapient Coalition seemed to be struggling against a Dominion assault. The Arxur had brought tons of spacecraft into the fray; while the avian alliance was showing novel aggression, the grays were the seasoned veterans in that department. The carnivores hadn¡¯t been expecting such a fight from the Homogeneity, but they adapted their strategies swiftly. Concurrently, on the far side of Aafa, Chief Hunters Ilthiss and Usliff¡¯s fleet had been reduced to stray remnants. The UN drones and Technocracy craft there were left outnumbered, on their own, and unable to join our engagement by the moon. ¡°This is not how we wanted the battle to go. Particle beams alone won¡¯t win this fight,¡± I hissed. Tyler scratched his blond scalp. ¡°Let¡¯s hope taking the planetary defenses is enough. We don¡¯t have many tricks left in the bag. ¡®Less ya got something in mind, Onso?¡± ¡°My suggestion is to get somewhere those lasers can¡¯t have free rein to shoot us. Except we can¡¯t go back the way we came, and we¡¯ve suffered enormous losses. The way I see it, we just need more ships. The Shield and Ilthiss just don¡¯t cut it.¡± ¡°This goes to show why we ain¡¯t provoked the Dominion. We didn¡¯t wanna fight them and the shadow fleet at the same time, or for Betterment to know how much we had their number. Guess that ship has sailed, huh?¡± ¡°I think if things get much worse, the Duerten will follow through on their promise to bomb Aafa. Since we are on the brink of defeat, maybe you should tell them to.¡± My friend¡¯s jaw muscles tightened. ¡°I don¡¯t want to authorize that.¡± ¡°I know. Neither do I, after seeing how senseless the glassing of Caato was¡­but even if we flip the planetary defenses, it¡¯ll be too late to bring back our losses. We might¡¯ve lost fifty thousand ships across all our allies, which is a large chunk of our fleet. Enemy casualties are maybe twenty thousand so far, and that¡¯s almost solely from particle weapons¡­which most of our fleet doesn¡¯t have. I don¡¯t see a scenario where we win here.¡± The sensors officer¡¯s scowl deepened, displeased with my suggestions. His blue eyes seemed to be counting the minutes that had passed since Sovlin and his team leapt into space; they should be barging into the complexes by now, given how close their landing sites were. It was a miracle we¡¯d managed to keep out of range and alive that long. What would happen to the troops if we fell, and they were left stranded on that moon with limited oxygen? What would become of humanity and the Yotul, if our all-out attack came up short? I supposed before drastic, scorched-earth action would be authorized, we should see if the planetary defenses could be impactful enough. A laser from the moon was identified as aiming at us, leaving us mere seconds to swerve off its vector. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, as my brain came up empty of any last-ditch strategies. We would¡¯ve won this battle if it was just the Kolshians; we¡¯d done admirably to make it this far, with the Dominion joining in. But now, I could see two shadow fleet vessels tearing after us, lining us up for when their plasma weapons recharged. I desperately passed along the nearest drone¡¯s coordinates to weapons, but thanks to the foe¡¯s dramatic twirl, our shot didn¡¯t cripple it like I¡¯d hoped. It merely made a dent in its armor, so meaningless that the hostile didn¡¯t slow in its pursuit. There had been a momentary pause in the planetary defense firing, but I could see the entire complex lighting up below us now. It was a shame we were out of bombing range, and that we¡¯d committed to foot soldiers taking the installation regardless. I fumbled with the sensor readout, searching to map the laser¡¯s path. How were we meant to dodge two plasma beams that would tear off any second, and a laser? We still had a physical barrier to deploy to impede one incoming munition, but we couldn¡¯t shield both sides. I made a split-second decision, and relayed the suggestion to drop it in front of the shadow fleet. While the lasers were stronger, the chances of evading synchronized plasma arcs were slim without some fortress. Captain Monahan¡¯s weary eyes turned to the bridge crew. ¡°We¡¯ve received word from our unit leaders on the ground. All planetary defenses are under our control, except for a single module that was able to initiate self-destruct.¡± I could see an explosion near the shadowy border of the moon, where sunlight wasn¡¯t illuminating its cratered surface. The sensors readout had switched the defense complexes to friendly indicators, after that new info was fed into its database. I tilted my head in confusion, wondering why the nearest lasers were powering up and pointing at us. My befuddlement turned into a laugh, perhaps a sign that I was delirious from the stress of the battle. We might not be on track to win the battle, but it was amusing that the shadow fleet had no idea what was coming. A bluish flash radiated from the powerful weapons, and I tracked its lightning-quick path across the viewport. The complex¡¯s computer had charted the optimal angle to sizzle through both Kolshian drones, splicing them clean in half before the algorithms realized what changed. Planetary defenses revved to life on our side, finally granting some breathing room to our battered fleet. Without having to worry about flying straight into a stream of hostile lasers, I relayed a suggested course to sensors; it would take us as close to the lunar surface as possible. Further, that locale was in the blind spot of the complexes, so we didn¡¯t have to worry about friendly fire. It would also aid in getting the shuttles, evacuating our soldiers, back onto the ship. As insensitive as Sovlin could be, it felt weird standing on the bridge without his jabs. With our former pursuers dead in the water, our warship beelined toward the moon with a new lease on life. I highlighted the marker of the UN shuttle assigned to our vessel, seeing that it was circling over the evac point. The soldiers would need a few minutes to travel by foot to the pickup site; to my knowledge, the rovers had been left behind and jury-rigged with explosives, in case any Kolshians thought to retake the facilities. Sovlin, Samantha, and Carlos wouldn¡¯t return for a little while longer. I tried to focus on picking out long-range targets, knowing that we needed to tilt casualties in our favor. The lasers had struck down thousands of enemies, in the brief span we had them online, but the Kolshians were mobilizing on a bombing route. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. We had to push the shadow fleet back, despite how ill-equipped we were. It would be nice if we could rally the Technocracy and UN vessels from the other side of the globe, but they were in hot water. The shadow fleet was pelting them with missiles and plasma, and if the hostiles burned through their munition stores, they would ram themselves into Terran ships. We couldn¡¯t replicate that crash and burn strategy, given that we were outnumbered. Back on our side, it would be a sacrificial play, summoning the Duerten Shield and the Sapient Coalition to hound the Kolshians from behind. Still, even though the Dominion had them on their heels, I thought we had to bring them to us. If the planetary defenses are bombed out, with hardly a chance to rack up casualties, it¡¯s over. We got mowed down like flies taking the complex, so we need an equalizer. I pinned my ears back against my head. ¡°Tyler¡­sir. Have comms reach out to the Duerten. I know they won¡¯t like orders from us, but persuade them to abandon their positions against the Arxur. We need something to hound the shadow fleet from behind.¡± ¡°The Shield will be massacred, and then the Dominion will come at us too!¡± Officer Cardona objected. ¡°I know, but it¡¯ll keep them at bay for a few extra minutes. We¡¯ve invested too much in the planetary defenses. The UN drones took too many losses on our side to get us to the drop point, and we can¡¯t handle the shadow fleet alone. The lasers are all we have; it''s a simple calculation of what the greatest asset is.¡± ¡°Fuck. We can¡¯t have gone through all of this to lose the lasers, and the Shield are gonna fall one-on-one with the Arxur anyway. I¡¯ll¡­have Monahan pass along the message. She¡¯ll tell them the truth¡ªthat it¡¯s the only way¡ªand hope they go for it.¡± ¡°If you remind them that this is all to stop the shadow fleet from marching on Kalqua, I believe the Duerten will make that sacrifice. They want to bring the Kolshians down, at all costs.¡± My human friend shuffled off, and I snuck a glimpse at the shuttle¡¯s sensor dot near the lunar surface. It was lifting off with our crewmates in tow, assuming all had gone well. Sovlin was a brave Gojid, to pull that death-defying stunt alongside the primates; I couldn¡¯t wait to hear some version of how a primitive like me wouldn¡¯t have been able to handle a jet pack (ignoring the fact I¡¯d used them during maintenance spacewalks). Regardless of our fleet¡¯s dire straits in the battle for the galaxy, some things never changed. If there wasn¡¯t some kind of comment about my intellectual capacity, I would be concerned. My attention returned to the present circumstances on the bridge, where Monahan huddled over her comms. I didn¡¯t envy that conversation, but whatever she was saying seemed to be working. The Shield was trying to sidestep the Arxur vessels, who¡¯d moved in for an up-close-and-personal kill. The Sapient Coalition was running interference; as the weakest links, their prey crews still proved selfless, standing in the way of blistering guns. Our plasma weapons could land a few long range shots, but between drone evasion capabilities and distance, our accuracy was lacking. Watching our side¡¯s desperate actions now, I wished I hadn¡¯t gotten my hopes up back when early reinforcements entered the system. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t go doom and gloom on me.¡± Tyler tapped his palm against the work station for my attention. ¡°Your spirits look in the toilets, my man, and I won¡¯t be having that at my station. Give me one piece of good news, Onso.¡± ¡°Uh, we¡¯re not dead yet?¡± My tail drooped further between my legs, as I struggled to find a bright side. Reading the shuttle¡¯s passenger data, which showed 3 KIAs listed among the dozens of soldiers returning to our ship, meant I couldn¡¯t attest to our friends¡¯ safety. ¡°Oh, I got one positive. Sovlin, Sam, and Carlos are heading back on the shuttle now¡­assuming they¡¯re alive, we¡¯ll see them soon.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fantastic! Y¡¯know, I was worried about sending that Gojid out on somethin¡¯ extreme like that. He¡¯s really come a long way since we first met him, and I¡¯m glad we got a chance to make everything right between us.¡± ¡°By making things right, you mean that you punched him in the face.¡± ¡°Well, I was angry¡ªyou gotta know what that¡¯s like, Onso. My knuckles may have grazed his jaw, but it all worked out. This fight will work out too, so keep your head in the game. I need you to keep watch for the Dominion ships, in case they turn on us. We gotta fight to our last and be ready if the whole damn fleet comes at us.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. I¡¯ll have the Arxur¡¯s vectors mapped pronto. It might help to forward any assessments to the SC and the Shield.¡± Tyler gave me a hearty clap on the back, as I tried not to watch the Shield and Coalition bleed numbers. The Duerten were hurling munitions toward the shadow fleet with fury, forcing some to turn their attention away from our encampment by the moon. The Arxur hadn¡¯t relented for a moment, and I could see their ships burning full thrusters ahead in our direction. However, in between my last visual and the present one, it seemed like something had discombobulated them. Their movements looked uncertain and disoriented, like they¡¯d been thrown out of subspace by a disruptor pulse. My inquisitiveness prompted me to solve the puzzle, seeking out what had caused the sudden hesitation. The majority of the Dominion ships seemed to reach a decision, forging ahead with shaky focus. However, before my watching eyes, an inexplicable breakdown occurred. Some Arxur vessels began firing on their own remnants; other agitated hunter craft turned their sights away from the Duerten, and peppered the shadow fleet from behind. A handful were shooting at both the Shield and Coalition, and their own side, blurring their allegiance even further. Any semblance of cohesion broke down with the in-fighting, as no party had a clue where to turn their guns. The Kolshians were taken off-guard by the grays¡¯ betrayal, and after a moment of consideration, began shooting all Arxur vessels with blanket condemnation. ¡°Sir, the Arxur and the Kolshians started shooting at each other¡­why, I have no clue. Ilthiss said he couldn¡¯t get through the comms embargo,¡± I explained. ¡°What I can say is the same chaos is unfolding on the planet¡¯s flip side. Our drones seem to be having a resurgence in efficacy.¡± Tyler¡¯s frosty eyes widened. ¡°This changes everything. We have to seize this opportunity, while they¡¯re reeling!¡± ¡°How do you say it? ¡®Damn straight.¡¯ We need to kick their ass before Sovlin shows up, so he can know we did it all without him.¡± ¡°I dunno about that. There¡¯s still hundreds of thousands of ships to clear out, even if a shit-ton of the ones here were Dominion. How many are on our side? We could have numbers in our favor now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not so simple, sir, but the Kolshians are treating the Arxur all as hostiles. So I¡¯d venture the ones who hadn¡¯t turned on their mission will now. My¡­opinion is that we should target the shadow fleet with everything we have.¡± ¡°Damn straight. Whatever we have left, we¡¯ll have it flying at them ASAP!¡± True to my conjecture, the Kolshians¡¯ targeting of all Arxur vessels resulted in Betterment¡¯s entire fleet rounding on them. As the eye-popping number of ships on both sides traded blows, it was clear that the shadow fleet was annihilating the Dominion. While the grays landed thousands of kills through ship volume, their ranks were being ravaged much quicker. The Duerten Shield rallied among the confusion, eagerly shoving antimatter bombs meant for Aafa down the shadow fleet¡¯s throat. Any nanodrones and cluster bombs the UN had left assailed the enemy, capitalizing on the confusion. Planetary defenses had never been contested, thanks to the diversion, and were still cranking out ship-ending lasers without refrain. I eagerly passed along a target for our plasma railgun, and noted that the indicator denoting Sovlin¡¯s transport had crossed into our ship. With the Gojid likely on his way to the bridge, I spared a glance back toward the other side of the globe; there wouldn¡¯t be any gaps in my knowledge for him to question. The Yotul Technocracy was being aggressive in hounding the shadow fleet. With the Arxur to distract our foes, particle beams were surgically dissecting them. The Kolshians on that side were floundering enough that the UN could finally divert some drones to help our weaker flank here. We were on the cusp of winning the far half¡¯s engagement altogether, which should tilt the lunar fray heavily in our favor. My mind was reeling after, out of nowhere, it seemed that we could end the Federation within the hour. What had changed inside of the Arxur fleet, enough to sow that much division? Had humanity found a way through their cybersecurity, or was something else going on? Dominion vessels were falling in with Ilthiss and Usliff¡¯s remnants on the far side, though on this half, their numbers were rapidly sinking toward zero. We needed to keep the pressure up while the shadow fleet¡¯s focus was still on the Arxur. The Kolshians had lost not just their allies, but tens of thousands of their own vessels to the betrayal. Even with our losses earlier, we have the advantage after this change. We have particle beams and planetary defenses still in play, to aid our reinvigorated fleet. I watched with bated breath, as I wondered if this sudden infusion of chaos would be the deciding factor in the Battle of Aafa. Victory was within humanity¡¯s grasp, and now, it was up to us not to let this opportunity slip away. Chapter 172 Memory transcription subject: Onso, Yotul Technical Specialist Date [standardized human time]: March 25, 2137 The lasers from the planetary defenses gave the Kolshians no quarter, as humanity ramped up its efforts against the shadow fleet. While the Arxur were getting eviscerated by the higher quality drones, we took it upon ourselves to direct our allies. The Sapient Coalition, who¡¯d been distracting the Dominion so the Duerten could go after the Commonwealth, joined the avians in whaling on the enemy with everything they had. UN automatons mobilized from beside the moon, while the Federation was preoccupied with the frenzied grays. More of our drones swooped in to reinforce them, coming from the far side of the planet, where our foes¡¯ fleet was capsizing. Dominion ships had fallen in with Ilthiss, and were meandering toward our half of the globe; Yotul Technocracy vessels stationed over there took charge of hunting down the last stragglers. Our warship, meanwhile, fired off plasma shots and every mini-missile we had left, enjoying our cozy spot out of the firing lines. Even as isolated Arxur near our engagement floundered, they were hellbent on issuing parting gifts¡ªthat meant every missile or close-range kinetic they could throw against Kolshian metal. No algorithm could escape the quantity of weapons firing all around our enemy. The shadow fleet numbers were ticking down like sand in an hourglass. I was transfixed by the viewport, as far-reaching particle beams cut through Kolshian vessels with an invisible paw. The Dominion had comprised close to half of the enemy contingent here, so flipping their ship count alone put us on even numerical odds. The planetary defenses were built to tear any invading foes to shreds, which meant they could smite thousands of Aafa¡¯s defenders until they were removed from play. The enemy had no chance to take the complexes offline; we were really doing it! I wasn¡¯t sure the shadow fleet could fend off the assault even if the UN, the SC, the Technocracy, and the Duerten Shield ships were taken out of the equation. The Arxur are the miracle reinforcements we needed, here all along. It wasn¡¯t worth the risk of provoking Betterment before, but now was the opportune moment to flip the grays¡ªhowever humanity achieved that, it was a Ralchisend. I perked my ears up. ¡°Sir, I¡¯m sure you know, but we should take precautions with our manned vessels. We need as many ships like ours intact as possible to occupy Aafa; it¡¯s ideal if this doesn¡¯t turn into a two-way bloodbath.¡± ¡°Right on. I¡¯m going to the ground, when we end this fight, to find out what happened to Slanek. I don¡¯t know if you want to come with me, but you ain¡¯t got to. There¡¯s no telling what we¡¯re walking into,¡± Tyler replied. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t let you bumble off on your own. After their ordeal, we¡¯ll have to see if Sovlin and company are up for another ground excursion; they could be worn out. Might need some shuteye.¡± ¡°Well, this battle¡¯s been ongoing for a lot of fucking hours. We¡¯re all tired, but we can rest when the Federation no longer exists as an entity. Any ideas for how we help kill the ones up here, quick and easy?¡± I gestured toward the sea of explosions, as the Kolshians were bombarded by thousands of munitions. ¡°I say we sit back and watch the show. Is this what ¡®fireworks¡¯ are like on Earth? I see why you said it¡¯s beautiful.¡± ¡°This is a fine light show, but spectating ain¡¯t really seizing the opportunity, Onso. I thought you wanted to make them pay.¡± ¡°Well, I also want to make it back to Leirn, and see you and all the others on a return flight to Earth. We can still kick their ass from here. It just takes a little imagination.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll bite. What¡¯s your play?¡± ¡°Remember on the submarine, with the torpedoes¡­how they went past the enemy and looped back? Why don¡¯t we try that with our missiles? With the abundance of stimuli right now, the Kolshian drones might see them as off-target¡ªless warheads would be deflected.¡± Tyler tapped my screen. ¡°Forward your suggested pathing to weapons. I¡¯ll loop everyone into the picture.¡± Proud of myself for improvising that idea mid-conversation, I began passing along targeting vectors to weapons. The missiles could have new instructions transmitted to them mid-flight, coordinates I¡¯d have standing by for the humans to send them doubling back. There were still sixty thousand active shadow fleet ships, despite their enormous losses. While that count was much lower than our combined force, we had to take them down before they could land a counter-punch. The flipped Dominion ships were going to be a memory in the next few minutes. That meant we¡¯d bear the enemy¡¯s full attention soon, if we couldn¡¯t dial up the pressure. Plus, the racist old Gojid will be back any minute. I don¡¯t want him to get a word in, questioning my skills in this station. It was as if the thought of that former Federation captain summoned him. I could hear the clicking of claws on the floor behind me, the methodical plodding of Sovlin¡¯s feet; however, the light strikes of boots belonged to a single pair, and it wasn¡¯t the commanding thuds of Carlos¡¯ bulky form. Samantha looked unusually dispirited, the standard sneer wiped from her face. The Gojid¡¯s haughty air was also missing, replaced by his claws curling into a ball with rage. I drew in a sharp breath, as I put two and two together about what happened on the moon. While I hadn¡¯t known Carlos well, he had always been a kind-hearted presence on the bridge. Tyler¡¯s mouth parted with sorrow, as his bushy eyebrows slanted downward. ¡°How bad is it?¡± ¡°Carlos isn¡¯t coming back,¡± Sovlin said, in a voice that lacked tonality. He squeezed his eyes shut, as if to bury his emotions. ¡°Tell me the planetary defenses made a difference. If we didn¡¯t have a chance, our¡­whole mission was for nothing.¡± I placed my tail on his wrist for a brief second. ¡°Those lasers killed at least ten thousand of the shadow fleet ships. I¡¯ll tell you: revenge, it didn¡¯t make me feel as good as I thought it would¡­but you¡¯re wired differently. Turn toward the viewport, and watch the end of the Federation. I came up with a damn good idea for our missiles.¡± ¡°You have lots of good ideas, Onso. There¡¯s no need to prove yourself to anyone.¡± ¡°Um, who are you and what have you done with Sovlin?¡± Samantha¡¯s eyes landed on me. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what he won¡¯t. Sovlin agreed not to call you a primitive. He told me he was proud to work alongside such a bright-eyed ¡®taushana.¡¯¡± My tail snapped away from the Gojid¡¯s arm. ¡°The fuck did you just say?¡± ¡°It was a joke, but it¡¯s not funny anymore,¡± the Gojid sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t have the heart to mess with you.¡± The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°That¡¯s not messing with me. That¡¯s crossing a fucking line. The only reason I¡¯m not dropping you, military law be damned, is because you¡¯re suffering from Carlos. You ever say that word again, and I¡¯ll rearrange your facial features the way you did to Marcel.¡± Tyler glowered at Sovlin. ¡°Then I¡¯ll throw you into another cabinet for good measure. But I¡¯m gonna cut you some slack, and assume you weren¡¯t in your right mind ¡®cause of what happened to Carlos; it¡¯s a damn tragedy. I liked that guy. He had his whole life ahead of him.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Samantha grumbled. ¡°I didn¡¯t know there was anything wrong with that word.¡± The Gojid slumped his shoulders. ¡°I just wanted to get under Onso¡¯s skin. For what it¡¯s worth, I only took the time to even research Leirn culture because I like him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough on this topic for now, but you¡¯re gonna hear why slurs are real fucked up later,¡± Tyler scolded. ¡°I don¡¯t want to spit on Carlos¡¯ memory with this bullshit now, ¡®cause it ain¡¯t the right time. Also, I don¡¯t wanna miss the shadow fleet getting blown the fuck up for your bullshit. My best friend¡¯s ideas are gonna wreck those ships!¡± If anyone else had called me that charged term for Rinsians, I would¡¯ve resolved this issue on the spot. However, my opinion was that Sovlin was sincere in viewing it as playful banter, without understanding how it was far beyond acceptable. It was difficult to summon anger when the Gojid looked so devastated by Carlos¡¯ demise. I was forced to consider how easy it would be for any one of us to bite the dirt. After losing one of our station¡¯s personnel, it drilled home the risk we¡¯d be undertaking landing on Aafa. I tried to shake the thought of our peril, but I knew, now more than ever, that I was responsible to help protect our group. The pledge I¡¯d made to my best friend wasn¡¯t one I¡¯d back out on, no matter how much I¡¯d love to stay up here. What I did know was that Sovlin and Samantha were committed to see this all the way through as well. While we hadn¡¯t asked them, I could tell they intended to head to Aafa¡¯s surface with us, as soon as the shadow fleet was eliminated. It was difficult to muster up my old exuberance, following such heavy news, but I did want to burn the Federation¡¯s fall into my memory. Years of resentment for the aliens who stole our culture and made a mockery of my species led up to today. Humanity needed one more spike of enemy casualties, and the threat of Kolshian control returning would be gone. The primates¡¯ arrival had given us a chance at being our true selves again. The missiles are away, and sailing wide of their targets. Let¡¯s see if the underwater tactics translate¡­if we can deliver the final punch. I¡¯m ready for this all to be over; I¡¯ve seen and done too many things that risked my welfare. The stakes of this moment weren¡¯t lost on any of the binocular-eyed faces in the room; the Terrans had endured a great deal, in such a short timeframe. Much like the species who¡¯d suffered under Federation rule for centuries, humanity had their worldview flipped upside-down after first contact. I knew what it felt like to be treated as a primitive, but the burden of being viewed as a monster, unfit to exist, seemed worse. They¡¯d been staring down the potential extinction of their species for many sleepless nights. As the explosives began to snake back toward the shadow fleet, I echoed the Duerten commander¡¯s wish that the Earthlings could win and find closure. The enemy seemed mystified by the explosives passing them, as they cleaned up the last of the Arxur. Particle beams were cutting down hundreds of Kolshians, from far-side UN drones closing in on them. The Duerten Shield was flying with senseless aggression, not giving the bastards time to process what the missiles were up to; our armada badgered Commonwealth marks with plasma beams from afar. Lasers scored instant kills from the complexes that Carlos had lost his life to bring into our possession. When thousands of warheads sent from an array of Terran ships doubled back in a flash, the shadow fleet was too overwhelmed to respond. ¡°Here we go!¡± Tyler declared, a grin of schadenfreude on his features. He must¡¯ve been telling the truth about sharing my desire for payback, back on Leirn. ¡°This is gonna be some flashy fireworks, Onso!¡± I was mesmerized alongside the blond-haired human, as explosions rocked the shadow fleet. The hits landed in close succession, encouraging the Sapient Coalition to send follow-up missiles. Debris from the enemy detonations struck their own allies, as thousands of drones crumbled against a new tactic and sensory overload. It was now that the nearest human vessels swept in for the kill, going all-out for the finish. With the numerical advantage on our side, UN automatons found the surest way to eliminate the shadow fleet. They rammed themselves into surviving Kolshian vessels, with guns blazing on approach. Planetary defenses had their pick of the few remaining survivors, sniping enemies without the need to recharge. Meanwhile, Ilthiss¡¯ remaining band had arrived from the other side of the globe; the Arxur chased after the shadow fleet, hungry for revenge after the Kolshians wiped out their comrades on this half. Particle beams were still dissecting enemies, some from Technocracy ships that were hurrying to aid us. My disbelieving eyes stared at the sensor readout, as our flurry of threats made quick work of the few thousand enemies that remained, after the missiles and the UN¡¯s own kamikazes. It was difficult to find hostile indicators on the screen. Control of Aafa is ours, just like that. As long as the Duerten Shield will uphold their bargain about glassing the Kolshians and the Arxur will let us do the ¡°raiding¡±, it¡¯s time to start gearing up to head planetbound. I scrutinized my readout for the decisive moment, and wagged my tail with enthusiasm when it arrived. ¡°The shadow fleet has been eliminated from the orbital vicinity. It¡¯s over¡ªhumanity has control of the Federation¡¯s heart. We won!¡± Captain Monahan didn¡¯t quiet the cheers and applause, as my shouted announcement reached the ears of the crew. Humans embraced each other, with forward-facing gazes that watered with emotion. Tyler clapped his hand on my back, with a bit too much force. Samantha reached out for her fellow guard, to find he wasn¡¯t there; she finally let the tears overflow, while shooting brief glances toward Sovlin. My gaze hardened with resolution, since I knew what I said wasn¡¯t entirely true. It wasn¡¯t over. What came next was uncovering the truth about how the shadow fleet operated, to ensure they weren¡¯t hiding out somewhere in space. If we discovered the origins of the conspiracy along the way, that would finally close the case on why the Kolshians were doing this. I didn¡¯t care what their reasons were, but humanity did; Tyler mentioned something about recording history to avoid it happening again in the future. Assuming we were able to land safely, the United Nations still had to reckon with the fate of Aafa¡­and the entire galaxy. Tyler pursed his lips, once the celebrations settled down. ¡°Alright, we ain¡¯t breakin¡¯ out the champagne yet. Anyone who¡¯s heading to the surface, follow me to the hangar. We¡¯ll get a briefing there on everything we need to know, and any intel on the shadow caste that might help, then we¡¯re going. No time like the present. Everyone else, watch out for enemy stragglers and reinforcements. Intel says that was all the ships they had, but we can¡¯t afford to get blindsided. Now who¡¯s with me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m coming with you,¡± Sovlin said. Samantha bobbed her shoulders. ¡°I haven¡¯t shot enough Kolshians for what happened out there. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Glad we¡¯re all sticking together. Let¡¯s just be careful for any spiteful traps they set for us down there,¡± I growled. Tyler bared his teeth. ¡°Yep, the way I heard it, all human soldiers will be wearing gas masks. I¡¯m a red meat guy¡ªdon¡¯t want to be cured.¡± ¡°Red meat?¡± Sovlin wrinkled his nose with utter disgust, a trace of his normal attitude surfacing. ¡°You mean, blood-soaked?¡± ¡°Nah, I¡¯m talking about the color of their flesh, my dude!¡± ¡°Which is determined by how much oxygen is held in the muscles,¡± I added, with a tail lash of mischief. The Gojid flailed his claws. ¡°Why the fuck do you know that?! I didn¡¯t need to think about that, Onso! I mean, Protector, are you getting a doctorate in predation?¡± ¡°I know many things. You¡¯d be amazed what reading actual words on paper can teach you.¡± Tyler smirked. ¡°Something tells me Sovlin doesn¡¯t want knowledge about our culture. Why don¡¯t we resume the discussion about meat eating on the ride down?¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather not,¡± Sovlin spat. ¡°Just walk, predator.¡± My exchange partner snickered to himself; it was clear that our orbital victory had lifted everyone¡¯s spirits, except for the sullenly silent Sam. We needed to find a new normal without Carlos, so we could achieve success on our mission. As I marched toward the hangar bay, I considered how our stint on Aafa might play out. Humanity was likely taking its first actions as the default leaders of the galaxy. While I was grateful for how differently they treated aliens from the Federation, I hoped that they would continue to uphold a moral example in this new future. Chapter 173 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, United Nations Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: March 25, 2137 Aside from my visit following the Battle of Earth, I hadn¡¯t been to the Kolshian homeworld in a long time. Recel used to invite me to family celebrations, when he¡¯d return home and pass along his stories from the war front. On occasion, I accepted my prot¨¦g¨¦¡¯s offer to mingle with his family. I hadn¡¯t been interested in reminders of my nonexistent loved ones, by seeing his happiness with his relatives, so it had been years since I wandered this city. The UN transport touched down on a rooftop landing pad, and I could see that time hadn¡¯t changed the Federation capital much. Massive arrangements of flowers were maintained atop buildings, with the more complex artwork denoting prestige. Botany was viewed as the most peaceful, preylike pastime, but this was the sole planet where it was a lucrative career. There was no architecture with as many adornments as the School of the Flora, which took in students from across the galaxy. Each building had its own color scheme, with words spelled out in Kolshian and pretentious Common engravings. It crossed my mind that even the name of the diplomats¡¯ tongue stemmed from the word Commonwealth, showing who was really in charge. Yet for centuries, no race had realized who the Federation served. With the full scale of what had been taken from Gojidkind, the skyline that once inspired me with awe and purpose smelled rotten. While a masked Tyler and Samantha were enamored by the view from on high, I didn¡¯t want to waste a second sightseeing. There was still work to do, ensuring that the secret caste ended today; I couldn¡¯t return to Earth, where Hunter and Vysith needed my guidance, until the mission was seen to completion. I hadn¡¯t even allowed myself to think of the future until victory was ours. I could act as a father again. It blew my mind that we¡¯d defeated the shadow fleet, and that subservient species could reclaim power in our own lives. Aafa was at humanity¡¯s mercy, and I hoped the predators would use that power to sniff out any other secrets the conspiracy had. ¡°Let¡¯s get moving,¡± I grumbled. ¡°Remind me why we landed on the roofs, not the streets?¡± Tyler heaved a sigh. ¡°You know why. There¡¯s no telling how the Kolshians will react to predators touching down in their grill. Last thing we need is to get caught up in a stampede, or to get mobbed or shot at. For all we know, there¡¯s shadow caste agents lying in wait to gun us down.¡± ¡°I feel like there was something in that last thought. Maybe someone saw us landing here, and standing here admiring the view is painting a target on our backs?¡± ¡°Baldy¡¯s right,¡± Onso chimed in. My claws angled toward him in a threatening gesture, due to the use of that nickname. ¡°Sooner we find out what happened to Slanek and get out of here, the better.¡± Samantha leaned back on her heels. ¡°We need a way down to the surface.¡± ¡°Well, I can see the whole city, while I¡¯m ¡®admiring the view.¡¯ The crowds are over by the Federation hall, along with some shit burning. Means we¡¯re clear to head on down. I say we take the elevator and walk out the front door,¡± Tyler growled. The female human shrugged. ¡°Beats listening to Baldy screaming in my ear, rappelling down the side of the skyscraper. I¡¯m not sure what our plan is to flush out the shadow caste, but I¡¯m glad another team¡¯s responsible for seizing the governance hall.¡± ¡°That¡¯s where I¡¯m useful. I¡¯ve been here several times, and I know the basic layout,¡± I chimed in. ¡°Some civilian might talk to me about who¡¯s involved with seditious activity. That¡¯s our best bet to get any insider info.¡± Tyler nodded in agreement with my plan, before we hurried down the rooftop access. The skyscraper, which appeared to have been a hedge fund management venture, was all but vacant; pooling the resources of wealthy investors didn¡¯t seem to be a priority, with predator ships in orbital control. Electricity hadn¡¯t been cut off, so the four of us squeezed into the elevator. I shouldered my rifle, ready for any threats when we reached the lobby. There was nobody to greet us when the doors swung open at the ground floor. Even the dumbest Kolshian knew that camping out in a towering building wasn¡¯t ideal if antimatter bombs hit. While I said I might be able to get Kolshians to talk to us, that might be more difficult than it seems with the humans here. I remember how Recel shuddered when he first saw Marcel. The reason seeking out information would be a struggle became evident, once someone saw our group hustling out onto the streets. A single scream from a passerby, followed by pointing at us with an indigo tentacle, caused anyone walking nearby to scatter. I contemplated where the Kolshians wouldn¡¯t be able to run, which left anyone who stayed in their residences. After taking a moment to catch my bearings, I led the humans toward the setting sun. Our posse traipsed down the eerie sidewalk; I knew we were forced to barge into someone¡¯s home and intimidate them. All we sought was a small pointer in the right direction, for anyone who might talk to us willingly. ¡°Where is the shadow caste? They¡¯re not resisting our invasion at all?¡± Onso mused aloud, as we maneuvered through the walkable city. Samantha snickered. ¡°I think they¡¯re more preoccupied with keeping their own citizens at bay. The stunts they pulled today couldn¡¯t have been popular¡­plus, they lost to us.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see how the average Kolshian feels about their government and conspiracy, if we can get someone to have a conversation with us,¡± I mumbled. ¡°But first, I need you two to act predatory. Nobody¡¯s crawling out of the woodwork to speak with us, so we need to bust into someone¡¯s home and get some pointers.¡± ¡°What? You want us to go and intimidate people?¡± Tyler stiffened, as he noticed the row of compact houses, which looked like oversized storage crates. ¡°Fucking hell. How are ya sure there even is anyone left alive who stood against the government, before all this?¡± ¡°Because I knew Recel wouldn¡¯t have stood for the things we¡¯ve learned about the Commonwealth. He wasn¡¯t the only Kolshian with integrity, who would¡¯ve been revolted by this tyranny. I just imagine the smart ones operated in secrecy, like the shadow caste they¡¯re opposing.¡± ¡°You better be right, Sovlin, or we¡¯re wasting precious time they could be using to tie up loose ends.¡± ¡°What happens to Slanek doesn¡¯t hinge on my plan. You have no alternative ideas for where to start the search, and no intel on the shadow caste¡¯s location. Are you in, or are you out?¡± Tyler hesitated. ¡°You sure have wonderful ways of speaking to your commanding officer, but you¡¯re right that we ain¡¯t got nothing on these guys. They¡¯re ghosts. The civvies are likely as anyone to have theories. Maybe the Kolshians got an Area 51 place.¡± ¡°A what?¡± Onso questioned. ¡°Secret base that everyone guesses what the government¡¯s doing there. Even if it¡¯s under the ocean like their nukes, that¡¯s way too big a search area. We gotta narrow it down, so tell me what door we¡¯re kicking down.¡± I searched for the house with the nicest garden, and trundled up that doorstep. The humans followed, before Tyler¡¯s leg removed the barrier from its hinges with a powerful kick. The Terran soldiers stormed forward, sweeping the house with guns out. They found a whimpering Kolshian beneath her kitchen table, and dragged her out screaming. Samantha jabbed her barrel right beneath the civilian¡¯s chin, shushing her threateningly. Officer Cardona seemed to be keeping an eye on the guard, though he didn¡¯t voice our disunity. We picked someone who won¡¯t be willing to go toe-to-toe with human aggression. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll answer our questions, under threat of having her brains blown out. ¡°Do you want us gone?¡± Tyler barked, in the most guttural tone he could muster. The Kolshian froze, with two gun-toting predators hovering over her. ¡°Please leave. I¡¯m¡­n-not good food.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t want to eat you, dipshit. We¡¯re asking you to talk,¡± Samantha growled. ¡°You play nice and answer the Gojid¡¯s questions, you don¡¯t have to see us anymore. You don¡¯t sing, we shoot you and find someone else that will. What will it be?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help! P-please, just ask and leave. Whatever you need!¡± ¡°Not so fast. You play games with us, or we find out you¡¯ve been in any way untruthful, then we come back. You¡¯ll wish we killed you upfront, so think carefully about how you answer. Also remember that we¡¯re predators, so we¡¯re a lot better at deception than you are. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°Yes! W-what is it you want to know?¡± I ambled up to the Kolshian, as she quivered on the floor. ¡°It¡¯s an easy question. Do you know anyone who¡¯s involved with seditious activity against the Kolshian regime? Anyone suspected of treason, disloyalty, human sympathizing, or something in that vein?¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°I¡­I¡¯m not involved with that s-sort of thing. Wait!¡± the civilian exclaimed, as Samantha twisted the gun. ¡°Look, I only know of one p-person who¡¯s under serious suspicion: the sister of a hated Kolshian traitor. S-she¡¯s been, um, ostracized, since nobody knows how deep her involvement goes. Maybe her?¡± Tyler leaned forward. ¡°Where is this suspect?¡± ¡°She lives two blocks down¡­just go right when you exit my place. It¡¯s the bungalow with the vine braids, flowing from her window sill. You can¡¯t miss it! Is that all?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I grunted. ¡°¡­are you going to k-kill me?¡± Samantha stepped back with the gun, though I could sense her scowl. ¡°No. Time to go, guys. I¡¯ve heard enough pathetic pleas for one day.¡± I turned on my heel, ignoring the stare of an abnormally quiet Onso. That Yotul must¡¯ve sensed my own doubt creeping in; he was thinking, just as I was, that the Kolshian¡¯s rumor seemed like shallow guidance to act on. I hoped this lead would bear fruit, but our sweep could turn into a long search. Familial relations to a traitor didn¡¯t mean this suspect agreed with his ideas, or was involved with resisting her government. However, she might know which players her brother had been connected to, so we could question those people with her help. It merited investigation, even her partiality to us wasn¡¯t certain. Let¡¯s hope Sam is clear that we¡¯re not going in to intimidate this Kolshian. We need our potential ally to like us. We couldn¡¯t seek out the shadow caste without proper information. I kept my complaints about the ceaseless walking to myself, and instead led the way toward the suspected rebel¡¯s home. The single-story home was classier than the cramped dwelling we¡¯d broken into; the last stop¡¯s size had facilitated an easy sweep, for our initial interrogation. As promised, thick vines flowed in artificial entanglements from each window. Faint recognition chimed in my head, as I gazed at the peach stucco and manicured teal lawn. Was this somewhere that I had visited long ago? I hadn¡¯t associated with many people on this planet. ¡°This seems familiar,¡± I mumbled. Onso tilted his head. ¡°It¡¯s familiar because of the lawn. That quaint shade of turquoise matches the grass species indigenous to Skalga. That must¡¯ve been imported from off-world. The owner takes botany seriously, to spend that many credits on¡ª¡± ¡°Not that. It¡¯s like this place is tickling my memory.¡± Samantha crossed her arms. ¡°If you say it came to you in a dream, I¡¯m going to backhand you.¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s nothing, but it¡¯s not like every building on Aafa looks alike. Anyway, we shouldn¡¯t be wasting time. I¡¯ll knock, since we don¡¯t want her seeing you two first.¡± ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll stand off in the corner in timeout.¡± Onso perked his ears up, before trotting up to the doorstep ahead of me. ¡°And I¡¯ll talk to this Kolshian about interesting flora and their evolutionary quirks! We¡¯re going to hit it off if I have any say.¡± I hustled after him, rapping my claws against the frame. ¡°You¡¯ll do no such thing. We don¡¯t need a babbling primitive scaring her¡ª¡± The door swung open seconds after I knocked, suggesting the inhabitant saw us coming. The Kolshian¡®s skin was a light purple, with features that I would recognize even after a decade. Her demeanor was sheepish, but her posture shifted once she focused on me. Her bulbous eyes widened with recognition, emotions swirling within. I stared at her in shock, feeling the buried guilt for my treatment of Marcel return. That answered who her ¡°traitorous¡± brother was; my heart broke to know my first officer¡¯s name was being dragged through the mud. The Yotul squinted with puzzlement, as I threw myself forward and wrapped Aucel in a hug. ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re friends with this Kolshian?¡± Sam shuffled into view, huffing. ¡°I¡¯m thinking the same thing. Whose side are you on, Sovlin?¡± ¡°Right, it¡¯s¡­fine. I saw the p-predators on your approach; I knew they were here,¡± Aucel stammered, as she avoided looking at the Terrans. ¡°I, um, have many questions for you, Sovlin. The first of which is why you¡¯re with them.¡± ¡°Because they¡¯re good people who deserve support. They¡¯re trying to repair the galaxy, and I trust them with that responsibility. Besides that, I owe them,¡± I grumbled. ¡°I should¡¯ve protected Recel, Aucy, and I¡¯m sorry.¡± Tyler inched forward, tilting his head. ¡°Real talk. Why are you so familiar with a Kolshian?¡± ¡°This is Recel¡¯s sister, Tyler. You know, my first officer: the one who saved Marcel?¡± ¡°No shit? Well I¡¯ll be damned!¡± The tall human¡¯s body language warmed in an instant, abandoning his stand-offish posture. ¡°Marcel would love to talk to you, but for now, we¡¯ll take care of you. I ain¡¯t forgot how much humanity owes Recel; Gojids mighta wiped us out if not for him. That makes you one of us. Your name¡¯s ¡®Aucy?¡¯¡± Aucel shifted with discomfort, clasping her tentacles together. ¡°Um, my name is Aucel. You¡­don¡¯t hate me?¡± ¡°Why would I? ¡®Cause you were born a Kolshian? That¡¯s as dumb as folks hating us ¡®cause our eyes are different. We¡¯re here for the shadow caste.¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­not their biggest fan. Please, come in; I don¡¯t want anyone seeing you talking to me.¡± Aucel shied away, as the humans padded into the residence. Onso and I tailed behind, inspecting the interior¡¯s photographs and plants. My personal connection to this Kolshian likely helped her to accept that the Terrans weren¡¯t an immediate threat. There was no telling what she knew about the conspiratorial government, but I was pleased that she expressed distaste. It was also reassuring that Tyler spoke as if she was a friend, because I couldn¡¯t leave her to face whatever consequences were coming. I owed it to Recel to get her off this world, safely, with Duerten antimatter hanging over Aafa. One problem. If I¡¯m not mistaken, Aucel looks outright disgusted by the predators. I¡¯m not sure she actually wanted to invite them inside, or would want to stick with us, even with a guarantee of protection. Oblivious Tyler made himself at home, slouching in a kitchen chair. ¡°Right then. I¡¯ll get to the point. Is it true you¡¯re working against the Kolshian government?¡± ¡°Who told you that?¡± Aucel hissed. ¡°It¡¯s why we¡¯re here. We asked around, and were told that your brother¡­that Recel was a traitor, and you might be too.¡± ¡°Again, slandering Recel¡¯s name?! Um, forgive me for raising my voice. I¡¯m not challenging you.¡± I heaved a sigh. ¡°Aucy, the humans aren¡¯t going to go off at a single insult. Believe it or not, they¡¯re immensely patient. I¡¯ve challenged their wishes directly, even argued in bad faith, and nothing happened. They don¡¯t experience bloodlust.¡± ¡°My anger issues are much worse than Tyler¡¯s,¡± Onso added. ¡°Humans are soft. I was in the process of scientifically verifying that you can manipulate them just by adopting a ¡®cute¡¯ expression.¡± ¡°If you want to be treated like a child,¡± Officer Cardona growled. ¡°Look, Aucel, we¡¯re trying to figure out where the shadow fleet¡¯s been hiding all these years. We were looking for someone who already wanted to take them down, and has a head start searching. Given that I heard you say you don¡¯t like ¡®em, we¡¯re on the same side.¡± ¡°No, we¡¯re not! I haven¡¯t lifted a tentacle against the government!¡± the Kolshian protested. ¡°People spoke out after learning about the omnivores, and every one of them disappeared within a day. Our leaders scare me almost as much as you do. I know they don¡¯t have our best interests at heart, and they¡¯ll do things like sacrificing evac shuttles¡­but what could I do? I didn¡¯t want to end up like Recel. Everyone hates my race, so I can¡¯t leave.¡± I wrapped my arm around Aucel¡¯s shoulders, as tears streamed down her face. ¡°Easy. I understand what it¡¯s like to be viewed as a monster¡­maybe even to view yourself as a monster. So do the humans. Just because you didn¡¯t want to be killed doesn¡¯t mean you supported the shadow caste.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m not with humanity! I don¡¯t like or trust predators, and I¡¯m certainly not pleased they¡¯ve taken over my planet. Recel told me to trust humans, just like you did, Sovlin, but I hoped never to interact with them. Whatever you say about bloodlust, they¡¯re built for killing. The same way a flower is coded to bloom. So don¡¯t think I¡¯ll overlook their cursed lifestyle¡ªI won¡¯t serve you, humans. If you need to kill me for that, get it over with.¡± Samantha had turned her back on the conversation, struggling to withhold her comments. Onso had drifted to her side, since the Yotul¡¯s skill was in intellect rather than nurturing. I had already said my piece on humanity¡¯s kindness, to no avail. That left a stupefied Tyler, who rose from his chair in slow increments. The human sank to one knee in front of Aucel, rather than remaining at his full height. The Kolshian gasped as the predator pulled her into a gentle hug, despite the insults she¡¯d lobbed at his species. If this display of empathy didn¡¯t convince her, nothing would. Tyler pulled away, bowing his head. ¡°I¡¯m disappointed to hear those thoughts, but thanks for your honesty. I¡¯m sorry that we frighten you so much, but we won¡¯t kill you. Pinky promise. You ain¡¯t got to do nothing you don¡¯t want, or to like us. I mean, I wanted aliens to like me, but I guess it¡¯s hard when my lifestyle disgusts you. What I need is to remind you we both don¡¯t like the shadow fleet, so having ¡®em gone helps us all.¡± ¡°Plus, if we wanted to kill everyone on Aafa, we could¡¯ve glassed you,¡± Sam commented. ¡°She¡¯s right. But it¡¯s not up to us to decide what parts of nature, what lifeforms, and which lifestyles are acceptable. We believe the galaxy has seen too much death and suffering. We wish we all coulda got along. Even if you don¡¯t believe those words from a predator, the shadow caste can¡¯t go through the motions of pretending to care. Doesn¡¯t that prove we¡¯re less bad than them?¡± Aucel was silent for several seconds, before she forced herself to gaze at the human. ¡°I¡­I thought about reaching out to Earth before, but I knew you couldn¡¯t help me. You¡¯re dangerous. I must be out of my mind to be considering this. But the shadow fleet are predators too, so I guess I¡¯m just selling them to their own kind.¡± ¡°You know where they¡¯re hiding?¡± I gasped. ¡°I¡­I have a guess. The shadow caste always hides in plain sight, and their self-selected name is about hiding beneath the official government. What if it¡¯s literal? Where¡¯s a better place to camp under our noses than beneath the Federation¡¯s hall? There must be a reason the capital won¡¯t authorize construction of new bunkers, or anything underground.¡± ¡°That¡­actually makes sense,¡± Sam acknowledged, with a lilt of surprise. I flicked my claws in agreement. ¡°The hall is built like a fucking maze. Perfect for hiding corridors or rooms.¡± ¡°Ain¡¯t certain, but it¡¯s worth looking. Thanks, Aucel,¡± Tyler growled. ¡°Join us. I know how you feel about humans, but you don¡¯t really think Recel was all wrong. We can help you start over. Also, if we find the shadow caste, you can see the truth with your own eyes. You¡¯ll know that they are the enemy of all sapient life, not us.¡± The Kolshian shuddered. ¡°I¡¯ll join you, in case you need more insight about Aafa. It¡¯s for the best to see that those monsters are taken out. Besides, it¡¯s not really a choice. If the shadow caste hangs around, and they find out I helped you, I¡¯m dead.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t happen under our watch¡­and, you have my word, we¡¯ll make sure Recel¡¯s name isn¡¯t tarnished any longer. He had compassion for one of ours, and it cost him everything. I only hope that I can show half of the same kindness with you. Welcome to our family.¡± Onso wagged his tail. ¡°Welcome! I¡¯ll get in contact with UN command on the way. Let¡¯s go send those shadow pricks to an early grave!¡± Samantha raised her gun in agreement. ¡°C¡¯mon. You heard the Yotul.¡± I coaxed Aucel out the door, grateful that I could achieve some penance for Recel¡¯s demise. His relatives were the closest thing I had to surviving family, apart from Hunter. I hoped our theory about the shadow caste¡¯s location was correct, and that it correlated with where Slanek had been taken. Beyond rescuing that Venlil, we deserved the truth about why the Kolshians had set forth to rid the galaxy of predators. After everything we¡¯d endured to get here, I was confident our team could face these final revelations together. It felt right for humanity to bring down the Federation¡¯s secrets on the same day their empire crumbled. Chapter 174 Memory transcription subject: Onso, Yotul Technical Specialist Date [standardized human time]: March 26, 2137 United Nations soldiers were amassing by the governance hall, the very building where every Federation diplomat once gathered. If the shadow caste¡¯s hideout was in that intricate construction, I could almost respect the brazenness to keep the secretive underbelly so close to every other race. There was a wondrous arrogance to it, the very trait that made the Kolshians underestimate humanity, until they no longer had the chance to wipe Earth out. They always assumed they were untouchable and would handily win the war, until the moment Aafa was ours. While the Terrans were still calculating their moves, Kolshian civilians had stormed the hall, and fires danced precariously close to the building. Since the United Nations needed the information within, we were in the process of quelling blazes. The crowd had been incensed by their government throwing away evacuation shuttles, and also that they¡¯d lost to the predator invaders. Once we¡¯d assessed the situation, Tyler had found us a group of human soldiers to storm the hall with. I wasn¡¯t sure where we were going, but we needed one of the native guards to help us. Even the Kolshians responsible for protecting this place seem to have turned on their government; I don¡¯t think they¡¯re in on the shadow caste¡¯s locale. I¡¯ve advised Tyler we need a different way of asking. My gaze monitored Aucel, a Kolshian who seemed none too fond of us; while I didn¡¯t like her mingling with our posse, I could respect that she had a brain in her skull. If she was right about the shadow caste being buried belowground, it would make our mission much smoother. My main concern was that, should she end up representing a problem for us, I didn¡¯t trust Sovlin¡¯s loyalties. The Gojid wouldn¡¯t turn on humanity, but I doubted he was capable of pulling the trigger on Recel¡¯s sister either. This could be a trap set for us by the secret government, luring us into a place where they held the cards. ¡°I¡¯ll assume we won¡¯t just find a floor plan lying around, huh?¡± Samantha asked. The Gojid hovered close to Aucel, as we moved toward the door. ¡°I¡¯ve been to the basement. Your head¡¯ll spin trying to get there, through all sorts of twisting corridors, and finally down an escalator. They have a subway train that takes you from the hall to the office spaces. I didn¡¯t see anything related to the shadow caste back then, so...¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. Nikonus must have had some sort of bunker, where he¡¯d go if there was an attempt on his life. Idiot might¡¯ve not expected an assassination, but he ain¡¯t so dumb to not have plans for it,¡± Tyler explained. ¡°We just gotta ask the guards if they know where Nikky went in an emergency. Private bunker or some shit.¡± Aucel gulped with nervousness. ¡°What are you g-going to do about the civilians who¡¯ve pushed their way inside?¡± ¡°They don¡¯t bother us, we don¡¯t bother them. They wanna attack us, we have to defend ourselves, but hopefully, they know we¡¯re here for the shadow caste. If the bullets start flying, ya better duck for cover, ¡®cause I sure ain¡¯t givin¡¯ you a weapon. That blue helmet tells our boys you¡¯re with us. Coolio?¡± ¡°Uh¡­I don¡¯t feel good about being here, with a bunch of¡­p-predators with guns.¡± I bared my teeth with exasperation. ¡°Have those predators shot at you, with said weapons? Sovlin, your friend, vouched that humans won¡¯t snap. We¡¯ve lived on a warship with them for months, during life-or-death battles. Stay behind if you want to, Aucel, but we don¡¯t have time to tip-claw around your feelings.¡± ¡°I want to see what the shadow caste has been doing, while we all live up here. I want to know why they care so little about the lives of their own people, and why they lied to us. You¡¯re here on my planet now, so I doubt there¡¯s any avoiding humans anyway.¡± ¡°After everything your people are responsible for, I think it¡¯s high time you stop treating us like the fucking monsters,¡± Sam grumbled. Sovlin¡¯s spines were bristling beneath his vest. ¡°Aucel can¡¯t help how she feels, and she¡¯s not responsible for what the Kolshians did! It took me a long time not to be afraid around humans. It¡¯s not easy to see you as normal.¡± ¡°You always act like it¡¯s been so easy for us, Baldy! We said hello and everyone tried to wipe us out¡ªover a billion dead. Everyone¡¯s lost something, but you don¡¯t see humans cowering around every alien they see.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Tyler spat. ¡°I understand that you¡¯re angry at Kolshians, but Sovlin is right. Aucel had no say in what her government did. She can¡¯t help the feelings she¡¯s been programmed to have, and she deserves as much patience as we gave any other xeno. I know it ain¡¯t easy, Sam, ¡®specially after Carlos, but he¡¯d be the first one to warn you about lumping an entire populace together.¡± The Gojid mimicked a human nod. ¡°¡®The belief that makes monsters of us all.¡¯ He was talking about not seeing your enemies as people. Carlos never wavered in that belief. I don¡¯t intend to let you or Aucel make my mistakes.¡± ¡°And I don¡¯t intend to let us get saddled with someone who¡¯ll get in the way of our mission,¡± I countered. ¡°This is way more important than what you owe Recel. This is a favor for Marcel, and also the answers for why all of his, and our, torment happened. If Aucel can¡¯t control her feelings, then she¡¯s not coming with us.¡± Aucel wrapped her tentacles around her torso in a self-soothing gesture. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. They killed my brother, and what they did is the reason the¡­¡®predators with guns¡¯ are here in the first place. If you have a chance to get rid of them and expose their real motives, I won¡¯t be in your way. I just wish we¡¯d get it over with.¡± Is this as simple as facilitating revenge for her brother¡¯s murder? I still don¡¯t trust her not to be a liability, but she doesn¡¯t seem like a shadow caste plant. I know how I felt, just seeing my hensa burned by those exterminators. I could recall the aliens¡¯ truck arriving at my family home, and Papa shooting the hensa for a quick death. Why couldn¡¯t the exterminators give predators a swift, painless end, if they had to kill our beloved pets? Thinking about the look in our domesticated pest-killer¡¯s eyes, I could imagine her tan-and-black pelt vanishing beneath tongues of flames. The fact that Dino¡¯s coloration had been the exact same dug up all my memories, the moment I first encountered a Terran dog. Imagining what had been done to our beloved animals made me furious, just as much as thoughts of the Farsul who¡¯d placed me on predator disease medication. My claws curled up with fury, as the slights against the Yotul swirled in my mind. The glassing of Caato hadn¡¯t made me feel any better, but it hadn¡¯t eased my loathing of the Kolshians either. If I were honest, I hated having to work alongside someone who¡¯d lived a comfortable life on Aafa; by her own words, Aucel hadn¡¯t played an active role against the shadow caste. That made her complicit, as soon as she¡¯d known the truth about her government. I was here to fulfill Tyler¡¯s promise to search for Slanek, not for the secrets humanity sought. Whatever reason the Commonwealth gave for why this needed to happen, it wouldn¡¯t suffice. I couldn¡¯t care less. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Tyler placed a hand on my shoulder, making me jump. ¡°Onso! Did you hear me? We¡¯re moving, and I need your genius mind workin¡¯ for us. You good, bro?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I was just remembering the day they burned my hensa,¡± I admitted. ¡°Hearing the Kolshians justify what they¡¯ve done; I¡¯m not sure I want to be in the room for that.¡± ¡°Honestly, I ain¡¯t sure I can deal with their contempt for us neither. You don¡¯t gotta hear it firsthand, my man. Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know you came here for me, and I appreciate it. Let¡¯s see if the shadow caste¡¯s there, alright?¡± I lifted my rifle in acknowledgment, and bounded after the UN soldiers. We pushed our way through the thronging crowd, scaring them back by popping a few rounds into the ground. That proved an expedient way to clear a path, as we moved into the front door. We spotted a Kolshian in guard¡¯s armor, who seemed to be helping the rebels milling about in the ornate entryway. Towering pictures of species working together on legislation mocked me from the walls, the false promise of the Federation put in visual form. I tried not to focus on the amicable body language of diplomats past and present, and instead watched Tyler round on the guard. The blond human¡¯s impatient eyes could be felt beneath his biohazard mask. ¡°Do you know where Nikonus¡¯ bunker¡­safe room, whatever ya wanna call it¡­where that is? Where he¡¯d hide if shit hits the fan?¡± Ah, Tyler. Ever so eloquent. ¡°Um, yes. I do,¡± the Kolshian gasped out. ¡°Then you¡¯ll show us there. We¡¯d like to pay your leader a visit.¡± ¡°Okay, but Chief Maronis¡¯ bunker is sealed. Even us guards don¡¯t have high enough clearance to give you access¡­¡± Samantha raised an explosive charge. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have a key.¡± Tyler leveled his weapon at the local guard, who wisely took the hint to get moving. The path through the entrance hall had been walked by many diplomats, though protestors had taken to smashing anything that looked fragile. Unlike the one at our behest now, the few defenders of Aafa who resisted the mob had been overrun; they were in the custody of furious Kolshian civilians. Most rebels paid little mind to the hundreds of UN soldiers, swarming in the direction of this ¡°Maronis¡± fellow¡¯s bunker. The largest group of dissidents had filtered into the now-vacated auditorium, where Noah had given his speech not too long ago. It felt like another lifetime, but none of the Commonwealth¡¯s henchmen showed their faces there today. The shadow caste has gone into hiding, it¡¯s quite clear. They think they can stay off the radar, and regroup, but we won¡¯t let that happen. A handful of protestors did scatter in fright at the sight of us, but those who¡¯d quietly sympathized with humanity fell in behind our troops. They must¡¯ve figured that we were seeking out the shadow caste, who definitely lacked the backing of their citizenry right now. Sovlin was right about the hall being built in a disorienting maze; unless you treaded these paths every day, an escort was needed to find any particular destination outside the auditorium. Tyler questioned whether the guard was misleading us, before the Gojid piped up that it was, in fact, a meandering maze. Aucel was taking in the sights we passed in silence, and seemed to be considering whether to shrink back into the crowd of Kolshian followers. I wouldn¡¯t mind dropping her off with her kind. Before Recel¡¯s sister could act on that thought, the guard we were tailing steered us toward an escalator. Sovlin¡¯s eyes lit up with recognition, which was a good sign we were getting somewhere. There was an unspeakable awkwardness in hundreds of Terran soldiers, having to walk down the moving stairway in a single file line. Per Tyler¡¯s directives, Sam and I each perched on a rolling railing, with Sovlin in front of the large Terran on a step, so that four guns pointed at any traps below. Aucel stuck right behind us; she did look as curious as I felt to see whether her theory was true. I was excited by the prospect of bringing this mission to a close, and ensuring that the Kolshians¡¯ legacy of destruction came to a close. The Kolshian guard pointed away from a subway train, walked to his indicated spot, and popped out a false wall. ¡°Down another few flights of stairs, you¡¯ll hit a blast door. I¡¯m not sure your explosives are a big enough¡­key. You need to pass a retinal scan with authorization, and use today¡¯s code; I don¡¯t have either of those. Regardless, if Maronis is there, nobody will be allowed in or out.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s kept shut by a powered switch? Obviously, we just need to cut the power to the door,¡± I pointed out. ¡°Do we have any EMP grenades?¡± Tyler grunted with contentment. ¡°The range of those bad boys is short, but we sure do. We¡¯ll scan through the walls to find where the switch is, and light it up!¡± ¡°Okay. Hang on,¡± Aucel piped up. ¡°How do you know where to find Chief Maronis, or what¡¯s waiting inside?¡± ¡°Well, we don¡¯t, but I¡¯m gonna find someone who does. Let the specialists do their business, and we¡¯ll see if what¡¯s back there¡¯s really a bunker.¡± A human soldier searched for the exact location of the switch, before attaching an EMP grenade nearby. She gestured for anyone with electronic devices to step back, to keep them from getting fried, then triggered the device. Like its jaws had been pried open, the mechanism sealing the blast doors released its grip. The thick barriers slid open in slow fashion, and uncorked the mysterious construction behind. Aucel¡¯s eyes widened with shock, as she glimpsed the scale of cavernous space behind the entryway. Her theory about the shadow caste¡¯s location was spot on. The door hadn¡¯t concealed entry to the head-of-state¡¯s bunker; a city stretched as far as the eye could see, with rounded, cavelike edges above rather than a natural sky. Plants had been set up in pathways, between multi-story modules and miles-long spaceship hangars. Lights hovered above the greenery to aid its growth, simulating sunlight and illuminating the cavern. Thousands of Kolshians milled about the streets, with some flocking to shops. There were a few armed sentries posted by the opened doors, though none drew their weapons on us. The Terrans were quick to disarm them, and line them up by the doors. I could appreciate the impressive feat of engineering, to carve out an expansive settlement down here. It answered numerous questions about how the conspiracy sourced its perpetrators, and where their advanced fleet had been stashed for all of these centuries. I believed fully that, despite the negligible effort to send average civilians to bunkers, Commonwealth leadership had hidden here in the face of our invasion. It was in line with their standard selfishness and disregard for lives. Just wait until the Kolshian protestors waltz inside, behind the humans, and see how an entire society was kept from them. We¡¯re going to make someone point us to Chief Maronis! ¡°Where is Maronis?¡± Tyler barked, leaning close enough that his breath struck a sentry¡¯s cheeks. ¡°I think he should discuss the terms of your surrender.¡± The shadow fleet thug gulped. ¡°Chief Maronis¡­thought you might find us. Don¡¯t worry, he didn¡¯t run! He wanted to parlay, and told us to send you to him. The five-story building painted the color of seagrasses, straight to your right¡ªit¡¯s the true office of the Chiefs. A short walk from the hall.¡± I pinned my ears back. ¡°How do we know this isn¡¯t a trick?! You don¡¯t fight fair.¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s over. This is the only chance our work will be maintained, for the continuance of all life, and Maronis gambled that maybe you could understand. We know you want answers, so hear it from the top. Let us spell out our proof that you will kill all of your friends, whether you mean to or not.¡± Tyler hesitated, before stepping back from the Kolshian. ¡°Lead us to him. Try anything and you can forget any mercy. You can forget keeping your life.¡± As Samantha, Aucel, and Sovlin followed after Tyler, I found myself hanging around by a stationary group of UN soldiers. I didn¡¯t want to hear the root of the Kolshians¡¯ propaganda, explaining why humanity would snap and wipe out their sapient allies. What was the point of entertaining such wild delusions¡ªespecially when this could easily be a trap? I¡¯d meant to stick with my exchange partner the whole way, but he said he wouldn¡¯t force me to listen to Federation bullshit. I could watch his back from out here, searching for signs of shadow fleet treachery. When the time came to search for Slanek, I would be there to help my human friend fulfill his promise. I cleared my throat for attention. ¡°You go on ahead. I¡¯ll wait out here. If anything smells off, get out of there.¡± Tyler glanced over his shoulder, before giving a curt nod. ¡°I hate separating from ya, but I respect you takin¡¯ care of yourself. Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll see ya on the flip side, Onso.¡± I flicked my ears in acknowledgement, and watched as Kolshian protestors tailed his contingent of Terran soldiers; those answers meant a lot more to that posse than they did to me. All I cared about was protecting Leirn and my friends. A sliver of me was curious what justification the shadow caste thought humanity would care about, but it would be delusional ravings if they truly thought Earth would carry on their work. I rested back on my heels about a grueling day¡¯s exploration, and committed to a diligent watch outside the building where Maronis was supposed to be waiting. As long as humanity found the closure they were looking for, perhaps this wouldn¡¯t be an entirely wasted endeavor. Chapter 175 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, United Nations Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: March 26, 2137 The captured Kolshian sentry led us up several flights of stairs, after the UN soldiers rejected taking the elevator, and I waited with unease for a trap to show itself. There was only a modest room where an elderly Kolshian, with baby blue skin and a pompous air about him, waited. The figure claiming to be Maronis gestured to the seats, an offer Tyler accepted after some hesitation. I plopped down next to the blond human, while a skeptical-looking Aucel found a chair next to me. Onlookers from the UN and Kolshian dissenters packed into the room, ready to bring the Commonwealth leader into custody. Would he be wise enough to surrender? Maronis leaned forward. ¡°Well, humans, before you say a word, let me answer the obvious question. I¡¯m Chief Maronis, the successor to Nikonus, but unlike him, I don¡¯t paint a target on my back. I¡¯ve tried to operate from the shadows, and everything I¡¯ve done has been to crush dissent and ensure the continuance of our work. I don¡¯t know if your kind can understand, but you simply must.¡± ¡°I understand you¡¯ve built quite the underground city here. How many residents?¡± Tyler prompted. ¡°Millions in this city alone. This is the¡­shadow capital, a mirror to what you see aboveground, but there are other residences beneath our cities with separate entrances; you could find your way to one of them by bullet train. Much of our space was devoted toward the shadow fleet, before your breed destroyed it. I don¡¯t know what I hope for from this conversation. I believe you do care about your friends, so maybe if you realize that you¡¯re exposing them to tremendous harm, you¡¯ll do the right thing.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll explain everything. I can see several of my own citizens are curious to find out why we needed to protect them from predators. Let me start by directing a question at your off-world Gojid friend. Captain Sovlin, how would you feel, knowing you and any other herbivore who¡¯s interacted with humans could wither from the inside out? That your mental faculties could vanish in an instant, years later?¡± I waved my claws dismissively. ¡°I¡¯d feel nothing, because it¡¯s not true. Predator contamination is a lie, Maronis. Everything the Federation taught is wrong; the humans aren¡¯t a disease.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t sound so convinced. You came here to ask why we began taking action against predators. I intend to tell you the full story, and after I do, we¡¯ll see if you still want to be sitting right next to one of those things. A disease is precisely what they are, and I¡¯ll lay out a scientific accounting for why that is true. You cannot argue with a mountain of evidence.¡± ¡°Not unless you¡¯re the Federation,¡± Samanatha sneered. ¡°Did some animal rot after it died, and you¡¯re convinced it¡¯s tainted?¡± ¡°No. It was much worse than that. The Kolshian race was placed in immense peril, by the filth that festers in a predator¡¯s fluids. And in the humans¡¯ defense¡­I don¡¯t think they realize what they¡¯re doing.¡± Was Maronis really trying to sell this tired argument of predator exposure giving us predator disease? Terran therapists had shown that mental conditions were more complex, as were the actual neurological causes behind them. It was fear-mongering to allude that I¡¯d show ¡°signs¡± in a nonspecific amount of years. While we hadn¡¯t known the Earthlings long enough to disprove that, they¡¯d not passed any ill effects to the prey animals on their blue marble. I leaned back in contempt, though I noticed Aucel scooting her chair further away from the humans. She wouldn¡¯t take much convincing to believe that the primates were an infectious threat, given her instinctual disgust to them. I am curious what scientific account Maronis thinks he can string together; he does sound like he believes it himself, just like Nikonus did. I do want to know what pushed Aafa down the path of causing so much harm to hundreds of sapient species. Whatever the truth was, it could be as simple as one predator being a carrier for many diseases, and the Commonwealth applying that logic to anything that ate flesh. Even if it were true about humans, we knew that alien diseases didn¡¯t cross the species threshold, due to differences in biology. I was at a loss, conjuring my own explanations; it seemed my Terran companions were mystified too. Tyler confirmed that his helmet camera was rolling, fully intending to capture every word the Kolshian said on video. He rested his elbows on the table, sensing that juicy information was about to flow. The blond human¡¯s expression was hidden beneath his mask. ¡°Speak. Tell us everything, from the very beginning. How the shadow caste came to be is our business.¡± ¡°Well, it started with a string of mysterious deaths, decades before we made first contact with the Farsul. The strange disease was 100% lethal and unresponsive to our medicines, so if symptoms showed, it was a death sentence.¡± Maronis pulled up a series of mass graveyards, and ghastly images of sickly Kolshians. ¡°They would lose their memory and their sensibilities, resulting in aggression and delusion. At first, the plague didn¡¯t seem to be transmissible from person-to-person, so we didn¡¯t quarantine victims with¡­a strict enough tentacle. It was only years later that the people who had contact started showing symptoms.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a long-ass incubation period,¡± Sam commented. ¡°Indeed. There wouldn¡¯t be a trace of any microbial agents in their tissue, and yet their brains were rapidly and positively ravaged. Once we clued in to the staggering delay in symptom onset, scientists were able to piece together the origin; stories from years before the first victims, where a local predator called the tarani went off the deep end, and started dropping dead in the wild. Select other animals in the ecosystem, to a lesser degree, had also begun to decay. We established a link between the increased predator activity, and the deaths that had plagued us.¡± Tyler recoiled in confusion. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. How¡¯d the Kolshians get infected to begin with¡­how¡¯s it spread? Y¡¯all roamed the wilds enough for a plague to pop off?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t know what the contaminant was, and we still don¡¯t. What we¡¯re certain of is that it contaminated the soil and the water, because victims were linked to nearby water mains and food shipments from the tarani plague¡¯s epicenter. That¡¯s why we can tell you scientifically that contact with predators and their byproducts leads to an irreversible decline. We called the disease The Hunger, and the entire government banded together to nip it in the bud.¡± ¡°The Hunger,¡± I murmured. ¡°That¡¯s what you called the humans¡¯ vitamin deficiency in the Archives.¡± ¡°Now, you understand¡­and you¡¯ll understand how everything we¡¯ve done has been to stop this scourge from ever showing its face. I¡¯ll address the human element after I¡¯ve laid the groundwork, so there¡¯s no seeds of doubt. But to grasp where the shadow caste came from¡ªI hope our citizens can understand what we¡¯re protecting them from¡ªyou have to know how we stopped the spread of the disease.¡± Samantha groaned. ¡°Let me guess. Burn everything?¡± ¡°Actually, yes. Fire seemed to be the only thing that could cleanse away the contaminants.¡± While Chief Maronis searched up new images of the disease control efforts, I considered what I had just learned. The humans weren¡¯t reacting with enough concern toward this invisible plague that only showed the tendrils of its infection after years; the photographs that the Kolshian chieftain was displaying seemed like genuine historical documents. Had the Terrans not warned us about the risk of them spreading The Hunger, for fear it¡¯d push us away? Perhaps they had a cure in the form of this B12 vitamin, but I didn¡¯t understand why the transmissible agent didn¡¯t show on any tests. Aucel looked more petrified than I was, with her extended contact with my friends today. Maybe predator disease can be caused by other factors than an infectious agent, but the Kolshians were right about microbes being one cause. I just find it difficult to believe the caring humans would put the Venlil at risk like that; I¡¯ve seen firsthand how empathetic and protective they are toward their friends. Surely they would have warned Governor Tarva¡­except Maronis claims they¡¯re unaware? The Chief pulled up dated clips of Kolshian exterminators in full body suits, which had complex air filters atop the standard getup. I could see them burning the sickly corpses of curved-fang predators, and in some cases, living specimens that showed symptoms of the disease. In later timestamps, they had set out to wipe the tarani out entirely, even ones that hadn¡¯t presented with signs yet. The most horrifying footage was them tranquilizing their own infected citizens, before burning them alive. Corpses from the mass graveyard were also dug up and incinerated, to slow the soil contamination. This ghastly outbreak explained why they were so determined to cleanse predators from every ecosystem. ¡°The exterminators were born. That firesuit acts not only as a safeguard from the flamethrowers, but also a biohazard suit¡ªnot unlike the gear the humans are wearing now. Those masks just might protect the Kolshians you¡¯ve interacted with today,¡± Maronis continued. ¡°Other predators besides the tarani were attracting the disease too, so we aimed to kill all of them. Any animal corpses had to be incinerated, before its entrails could settle. Our own dead were reservoirs of disease too. It¡¯s the reason we have forsaken our aquatic roots; the water was its preserver. We¡¯ve kept up those practices to this day to prevent it from ever returning, here or on other worlds.¡± This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. I swallowed with unease, disquieted by my months in close quarters with Terrans. ¡°Chief, might I ask¡­does this relate to predator disease at all?¡± ¡°It does. By tearing down those predator disease facilities, those humans are crippling your ability to detect the disease early! Aggression is one of the primary signs. Besides that, we couldn¡¯t afford to have any nonconformists violating our quarantine policies, or engaging in predatory behavior. We barely kept a lid on the spread.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all well and dandy, but I don¡¯t hear nothin¡¯ about no shadow caste,¡± Tyler pointed out. ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound like you were doin¡¯ this in secret.¡± ¡°We weren¡¯t, with the public health measures being so obvious. The secrecy didn¡¯t start until long after we put the plague to bed, when we turned our attention starward. We made contact with the Farsul, and eventually told them about The Hunger. They were able to point out isolated instances of Talsk¡¯s animals suffering inexplicable declines in post-first contact times¡­while not as contagious as our case, it seemed to have jumped to their kind on occasion. We feared we brought the disease with us. We used old quarantine methods, before the contaminants could mutate to their most-transmissible form, to stop the Farsul from facing a similar outbreak to Aafa.¡± Sam crossed her arms. ¡°You magically knew it was the same sickness, and that it would turn out the same as your ¡®Hunger¡¯ shit?¡± ¡°Even if this one wasn¡¯t the same pathogen, it was close enough to hit home. Convergent evolution is our universe¡¯s reality, predator. It¡¯s why we see such similar patterns on all worlds. All lifeforms exist to accelerate entropy¡­chaos is the natural state of all we observe, and there is nothing that can facilitate such large-scale disarray and decline as this disease does. Lethal contaminants and predators are two tentacles of entropic force; it¡¯s why your ilk are found on all worlds. We do not accept this axiom.¡± ¡°And we don¡¯t accept people calling us predators, but you always find a way to do it anyway. Why don¡¯t you skip to the part where the shadow caste comes into the picture?¡± ¡°It all traces back to the Krakotl¡­and the Farsul stopping us from doing what was necessary. It was a regrettable mistake to chance flesh-eaters escaping our oversight. Shall I continue, or is the long-maned one going to interrupt my story further?¡± Aucel squeezed her eyes shut. ¡°Please let him continue, Samantha. It explains a lot about why we¡¯re disgusted by predators. That response is triggered by ancestral sources of disease¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s why humans are leery of insects,¡± I remarked. ¡°I¡¯d also like to hear the rest of Maronis¡¯ story, Sam. I¡¯m, er, concerned.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be. We¡¯re not radiating invisible biohazards, for fuck¡¯s sake. But since Tyler¡¯s so keen on getting this jackass on the record, I¡¯ll let him talk a little longer,¡± the Australian soldier conceded. Good. I need to hear what he was going to say about the Krakotl; Nikonus mentioned that they were aggressive, and that the Kolshians tried to find the source of it. Maybe Nishtal¡¯s population was carrying The Hunger too? The tenets I¡¯d thought hadn¡¯t held a shred of truth were starting to make sense, in light of such dangerous contaminants that predators could pass along. At this point, I doubted the Chief had any incentive to lie, and he had the weight of evidence on his side. Maronis¡¯ insinuation was that his people wanted to exterminate the Krakotl, the second they identified the dietary risk. The question was why the Farsul States had pushed back against it, and how they¡¯d crafted the curing process. This could be the reason my own species was converted away from omnivory, rather than killed; it might give us the full story of the conspiracy¡¯s founding and goals. Maronis waved a tentacle dismissively. ¡°You know the deal. The Krakotl were aggressive, and when we noticed their diet¡­it explained why their temperament was so much different from ours. Contaminants in meat impacted higher thinking, culminating in The Hunger after large quantities of buildup¡ªperhaps passed down after it affects genes. We wanted to glass Nishtal, but the Farsul couldn¡¯t live with killing another sapient race, not without exhausting alternatives.¡± ¡°The cure,¡± I breathed. ¡°Yes. The Archives were established on Talsk as a secluded location for the experiments, and a way to quarantine cured specimens. The Hunger didn¡¯t present symptoms for years, so lengthy testing was the only way to gauge whether they¡¯d been mellowed. The Farsul¡¯s gene edits worked, to our surprise, and the Federation¡¯s purpose was born. We¡¯d stop all sapients from eating meat, and cleanse their worlds, to prevent exposure to The Hunger.¡± Sam drummed her fingers with impatience. ¡°I still hear fuck all about the shadow caste.¡± ¡°That all happened because there was public backlash to what we did to the Krakotl. Nishtal didn¡¯t appreciate being saved at gunpoint either, and we worried they could seek regression some day. The shadow caste was formed of those who believed in the cause, and with the Farsul¡¯s aid, we set out to wipe the record and disguise future cures. The only way to ensure the cured species never found out the past was to make our own citizens unaware.¡± ¡°Why is it fair that we don¡¯t know the full extent of the predator threat? That our lives meant nothing to you? It clearly didn¡¯t even work, because everyone found out the truth!¡± Aucel spat. ¡°You helped the Arxur, and then these humans were left alive¡ª" ¡°Darling, our plan worked for centuries, until arrogant Nikonus blabbed everything to a reporter! Just like he set about to reclaim anyone who rebelled against us, instead of crushing them like I did¡ªthey had their one chance during their uplifting. I agree that not knowing the full threat was a problem. The plague is still in the history books but¡­Aafa forgot why the pandemic was so scary. We needed a threat to continue to enforce our laws, and remind people why predators were dangerous. The Arxur were perfect for that.¡± ¡°You wanted the war, for my family to get fucking eaten alive, so you had an excuse to keep up your quarantine measures?!¡± I hissed. ¡°Yes. You get it, Sovlin. Back to the Kolshian lady¡¯s point about our¡­predator occupiers here now, that¡¯s on the Farsul. They refused to kill humanity like we ordered and lied about it, even though it was clear these primates were beyond salvation. We tried to fix them, the same as any omnivore, but the quarantined Terrans in the Archives all exhibited traits of The Hunger. We know now that a¡­cobalamin vitamin gives them some strange, long-lasting immunity, rendering the disease dormant and allowing sustained sapience. This requires further study.¡± Samantha slapped her forehead. ¡°So you do know about B12 now?¡± ¡°We got some humans to talk about how they could adapt to plants without dying, during our personal experiments at Mileau. We believe these renewed curing efforts might¡¯ve been successful in ridding you of the disease, if you long-term abstained from flesh.¡± ¡°Ain¡¯t happening, for many reasons, not least¡ª¡± ¡°I know you can¡¯t give up your addiction on your own. But listen, if you care about the friends you¡¯ve been infecting, who could start dying in a few years¡­without warning¡­you must continue our work. If you care, you¡¯ll leave the herbivores alone. Maybe you¡¯ll even become a new threat¡­enough to remind the masses to be afraid of predators. It¡¯s a sacrifice someone must make.¡± My eyes watered with sorrow, as Chief Maronis finished presenting his case. His explanation fit with everything we¡¯d uncovered along our journey, and it gave a reason for the Federation¡¯s entire history. It seemed a cruel twist of fate that loyal, friendly humanity would be asked to make that sacrifice¡ªto isolate themselves so not to contaminate their friends. I¡¯d come to love my crew aboard Monahan¡¯s ship, and while the contamination sounded like a terrible way to go, I was willing to die for the Terrans¡¯ right to exist. Their culture was too rooted in hunting for them to give up their identity and cure themselves. If humans were immune to the Hunger, as long as they could access B12, keeping to Earth and forsaking the Sapient Coalition might be the best option. I knew they¡¯d never be the Arxur, not with how their empathy had prevailed time and again. My spines bristled as I waited for Tyler¡¯s response, which would address how the Terrans would handle this latent threat Maronis described. It didn¡¯t seem fair that, after all this work to usurp the Kolshians as the galaxy¡¯s supreme power, the predators had to take their place in some capacity. They didn¡¯t deserve to suffer for factors beyond their control. It¡¯s not their fault that they¡¯ve been spreading The Hunger. I don¡¯t think what the Kolshians did was right, but we can¡¯t let predatory diseases wipe out the galaxy. Tyler raised a finger, in a ¡°wait a minute¡± gesture. ¡°That¡¯s a nice theory, except for the fact it¡¯s all horseshit. We ain¡¯t infectious, and B12 don¡¯t work like that. Your ¡®Hunger¡¯ is caused by prions, man.¡± ¡°Misfolded brain proteins,¡± Samantha chimed in. ¡°Freak mutations that are transmissible if you make contact with infected tissue. The reason you see it most in predators is because they eat said tissue.¡± Chief Maronis blinked, dumbfounded. ¡°You know what causes The Hunger? You can treat it? I heard you did with your Archives¡¯ rescues¡­¡± ¡°The two aren¡¯t related. Prion diseases aren¡¯t treatable, but we can detect them with blood tests. We¡¯re not infected just by virtue of being predators or eating meat. That¡¯s the difference between us; we live in a world of science, and you live in a world of fear and speculation. We seek proof and answers, while you seek verification for your existing beliefs.¡± Tyler bobbed his head. ¡°Our vision might be narrower than yours, but at least we ain¡¯t blind as y¡¯all. Sounds to me like you did all of that horrible shit for nothing.¡± ¡°It sounds like that to me too,¡± Aucel hissed, while the Kolshian dissenters piped up with agreement. ¡°You believe Terrans are moral, and care for their friends; you said so! You have zero proof the humans¡­or any omnivores are dangerous, after all.¡± ¡°You tried to scare us into believing that it was dangerous to be around them. They¡¯re people like us, not biohazards or a threat; I¡¯m sorry I considered it for a minute,¡± I huffed. ¡°This is just another falsehood you broadcasted.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not possible. This human says it¡¯s transmitted by eating flesh!¡± Maronis protested, his tentacles flailing in frantic motions. ¡°The Hunger is seen on Earth, like every other world. We did this to save all sapient life!¡± Tyler slammed a fist on the table. ¡°We don¡¯t need your salvation. We need two things: your surrender, and you personally to show us where you keep your prisoners. This is our galaxy to run, and we ain¡¯t gonna be keeping up the death and suffering circus. ¡®Cause you¡¯re the real predators. You¡¯ve led the galaxy into ignorance; ¡®decline and disarray.¡¯ Your legacy is entropy, huh?¡± ¡°I¡­if my words haven¡¯t moved you, maybe that is all we leave behind. We were supposed to save lives, and without that purpose, the shadow caste is nothing. I¡¯ll order the workers to surrender, and lead you to the place where we keep humanity¡¯s friends. Follow me.¡± The Kolshian chieftain stood with a defeated posture, reeling from the humans¡¯ certainty that so-called prions were responsible for their plague. It was a positive sign that the shadow caste agreed to stand down, with their mission undermined and their fleet erased. I was relieved to hear that the Terrans weren¡¯t a hazard, and that their science had illuminated the dark corners of our past once more. Where Maronis claimed to have a mountain of evidence on his side, it was the predators who could interpret it correctly. Aucel, the other Kolshian citizens listening, and anyone watching Tyler¡¯s video would see who was in touch with reality. Once we recovered our friends, the next item on the agenda would be to set the galaxy onto a better path. There were many issues to iron out, but with the Federation¡¯s lies and deceit stripped away, I was hopeful we could birth a new era of enlightenment. Chapter 176 Memory transcription subject: Onso, Yotul Technical Specialist Date [standardized human time]: March 26, 2137 I was glad to have a moment to relax and contemplate the city, rather than listen to Kolshian spiels. There were engineering advantages to building underground. Natural disasters aboveground wouldn¡¯t touch the shadow caste, and the insulation of the encompassing topsoil entailed a constant temperature. It wouldn¡¯t need excessive budget expenditures on air conditioning and heating. It did pose the question of how close to the surface Aafa¡¯s groundwater was, and how they¡¯d handle any leakage. This seemed a modernized version of sprawling underground cities on Leirn, such as Thysun¡¯s Calamya¡¯s Burrow, a massive complex that could house tens of thousands of occupants. Its main intention was as sanctuary from invaders during the Grain Wars¡ª Human fingers snapped right next to my left eye. ¡°Onso, are you daydreaming about some engineering shit?¡± ¡°What can I say: I can¡¯t handle boredom. Glad you¡¯re back safely. That didn¡¯t take long,¡± I remarked, flicking an ear at Tyler. ¡°We got the shadow caste¡¯s surrender, and found out this all has to do with a prion plague. One more step ¡®fore gettin¡¯ out of here.¡± Aucel¡¯s bulbous eyes looked glazed over. ¡°The government never believed that humanity was dangerous at all. I saw prey-like behavior on their data dump, but it was so misaligned with my instincts. The reason I feel like I¡¯m going to puke, just looking at them¡­it¡¯s selective breeding, based on a false threat. It¡¯s all just lies.¡± ¡°I know how that feels,¡± Sovlin sighed. ¡°My society, my family, the Federation I wasted my life on, my identity as a Gojid, and my knowledge as a captain. It¡¯s all gone down the drain. If an old man like me can find a way forward, then you can too.¡± Samantha rolled her eyes. ¡°Stop right there. Your way forward is tricking people into calling Onso slurs.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Sam. That¡¯s what I expect from a spikeback,¡± I said cheekily, using the human-invented word. ¡°Now why the fuck are we drifting after some old Kolshian? I¡¯m just following you guys.¡± ¡°Maronis here is supposed to be leading us to Slanek, assuming he¡¯s part of their prisoner collection.¡± ¡°I hope that Venlil is alright. I feel responsible¡­for setting his fate in motion,¡± Sovlin sighed. Tyler pursed his lips. ¡°I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s there, but I sure don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be a welcome sight if he remembers anything. I ain¡¯t gotta tell you how he feels about you.¡± My whiskers twitched with nostalgia. ¡°Last time we spoke, Slanek told me he was unwell. I warned him not to use those two words.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we save the speculation on his mental state for if we find him?¡± Sam asked. ¡°Keep moving, stay alert. I¡¯d trust the word of the fucking boy who cried wolf over Maronis.¡± ¡°Me too,¡± Tyler agreed. ¡°But given how old this squid is, I doubt the lockup is a long walk from his ivory tower. We¡¯ll see who our supposed prisoner friends are.¡± Our posse, along with a sizable contingent of UN soldiers and angry Kolshian citizens, marched after Maronis for a firsthand glimpse at how the shadow caste caged insurrectionists. I processed the tidbits of new information as we walked, leaving a mental note to read up on transmission methods of this prion plague. While I hadn¡¯t heard the Commonwealth¡¯s rationale from their lips, I could assume they linked eating meat to the acquisition of the disease in some way. Somehow, they decided predators¡¯ elimination was for the benefit of ¡°all life¡± (except the predators, of course), then used that to justify forcing their ideology on hundreds of worlds. Why that excused a silent partnership with the Arxur, or crushing unruly herbivores like us Yotul, was another matter. There¡¯s no consistency, even in their internal logic. Whatever piss-poor justification they make for their all-encompassing control, I¡¯m happy with my decision not to listen to their disingenuous desperation. I knew it¡¯d be some shitty excuse. Chief Maronis shuffled toward a sprawling complex, a single-story structure which lacked exterior clues to what hid inside its confines. The decrepit concrete walls looked bleak enough to be a prison, and the sensory input didn¡¯t brighten at all when we stepped inside. Rows of hallways passing forward were arranged under Kolshian numerals, with the centermost one having the two slanted lines that represented ¡°1.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure why the count started at the center, and judging by how mystified Tyler behaved behind his visual translator, he wasn¡¯t either. The Kolshian leader started toward the dim corridor at the complex¡¯s heart, leading into its recesses; the humans were quick to stop him for a question-and-answer section. ¡°Why the central chamber?¡± Tyler barked, suspicion emanating from his voice. ¡°What are the other ones?¡± Maronis made a sweeping gesture with his tentacles. ¡°This isn¡¯t the only shadow caste prison¡­the one under the capital is reserved for disloyal citizens aboveground, and foreign actors who are working against our interests. They¡¯re arranged by the severity of their actions: the closer you get to Row 1, the more grave your misdeed. That, and it¡¯s usually reserved for individuals who are well-known in the public eye and could have propaganda uses. There are plenty of citizens in the other halls, but I know who you¡¯re here for. You want Row 1 and the lab.¡± I stiffened with alarm. ¡°The lab? A lab¡­for what?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like the sound of that neither. Are y¡¯all cookin¡¯ up some cure shit back there?¡± Tyler parroted my concerns. Chief Maronis blinked in irritation. ¡°The shadow capital¡¯s research lab is for several purposes. Yes, it¡¯s a backup, in the instance that we need to take up our own research: a prudent choice, given what happened on Talsk. We might¡¯ve¡­dabbled in some human experiments, after encouraging results at Mileau. With the new information at hand, it might¡¯ve been possible to integrate you, rather than relegate you to the Arxur¡¯s role. However, its primary service to our cause is as a¡­neurological studies facility.¡± The fur on my hackles raised, as I picked up on the implication. ¡°A predator disease facility. Is that where you¡¯ve been keeping Slanek?¡± ¡°I¡¯d say it¡¯s more focused on the success of our re-education measures, as well as analyzing the brain scan data to better understand and target aggressive areas. Some people need to be¡­reminded of the proper beliefs. The Venlil who shot Nikonus in cold blood, after exposure to humans, is a prime example.¡± ¡°What the fuck have you done?¡± ¡°He¡¯s here,¡± the elderly Kolshian purred, sick amusement in his eyes. ¡°But he won¡¯t be thrilled to see your predator friends.¡± My hindlegs bunched up to lunge at the elderly Kolshian, but Tyler hurriedly pushed me back. I could sense anger projecting from his gaze, beneath the biohazard mask, and wondered why he had stopped me from putting this old chieftain in his place. How dare he use such a flippant tone to talk about rewriting someone¡¯s brain, no doubt through cruel, invasive methods? The blond human revealed his rationale for stopping me, as his gloved hand curled up into a fist. Before hundreds of witnesses, he smashed his knuckles into the Kolshian¡¯s eye, smashing through the socket. I could see Sovlin wince, knowing from his first meeting with Officer Cardona how strong the gargantuan primate could be. Does Tyler think that I can¡¯t fight for myself? I¡¯m more than capable of taking on an arrogant, elderly despot, especially one who¡¯s so casual about horrific deeds. ¡°Let me take a swing at him!¡± I protested, as Maronis nursed an eye that was turning purple. ¡°For everything he¡¯s done.¡± Tyler shook out his hand, flexing his fingers. ¡°Nah, we¡¯re done now. I ain¡¯t gonna let you swing at him, ¡®cause if anyone gets in trouble outta this, it should be me. That was for Marcel, and for Slanek; don¡¯t you ever mock him again. To be clear, we will come back for everyone wrongfully detained here. Take us down to Row 1, and try to learn some empathy on the way.¡± This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Aucel turned to Sovlin. ¡°I thought you said the humans weren¡¯t gonna attack without warning!¡± The Gojid chewed at his claws with discomfort. ¡°Um, the Chief deserved it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t disagree; he threw away countless Kolshian lives. I¡¯m pissed at him too. I just want an honest answer about how high their threshold for violence is, so that I don¡¯t say anything that provokes an assault.¡± ¡°Unless you torture their friends, you¡¯re fine. Tyler saves his beatdowns for special cases.¡± Samantha rolled her eyes. ¡°But if I threw a right hook at a prisoner, I¡¯d be unhinged.¡± ¡°Well, I knew Slanek and Marcel, and I have a better right hook,¡± Tyler said. ¡°Pfft. Tell yourself whatever you need to sleep at night, but you don¡¯t have a boxing career in your future. Now make that Kolshian sot get his ass in gear.¡± ¡°I give the orders here¡­but get the fuck moving, Maronis, or I will let Sam swing at your other eye!¡± Chief Maronis marched down the central corridor, as the Terrans kept their wary eyes trained for any traps. The Commonwealth leader was still reeling from Tyler¡¯s punch; Nikonus¡¯ replacement leaned over a retinal scanner, mumbling a remark about the primates being lucky they hadn¡¯t tenderized both of his eyes. There were clicks as blast door mechanisms came loose, and it slowly creaked open to reveal the full hallway. Dingy prison cells lined both sides, with despairing inmates backing away from the bars at the sound of our footsteps. Some of the prisoners were, in fact, Kolshians, but there were a number of different species scattered in the hundreds of cells. Any resident of Aafa with serious aspirations of unseating the Commonwealth government would land themselves in here. The stench was unmistakable, showing that they¡¯d had negligible access to hygiene facilities. A handful seemed happy to see a human posse marching in, and begged for us to let them out. Some UN soldiers kept back to help liberate and document the captives, perhaps taking meticulous records for the Sapient Coalition or the Duerten Shield to witness. The Kolshian protestors tagging along seemed horrified, after hearing that some of their own neighbors could be thrown here, without due process. Aucel looked like she wished she could swing at Maronis herself. There¡¯s more prisoners here than I expected, but no sign of Slanek or a lab. If these are the average inmate¡¯s accommodations in this facility, I don¡¯t want to imagine what his life has been like. The bars of a cage next to us rattled, drawing our attention. I saw a tear-stricken Kolshian, pressing his face against the barrier; something about his violet visage tickled my memory. Sovlin paused for a brief second, before his eyes widened. Tyler craned his neck at us, confused why the two herbivores in his squad were stopping. The Gojid moved closer to the cell, and the prisoner¡¯s eyes¡ªtinged with a bit of instinctive disgust to the humans¡ªwidened with desperation. ¡°Help me!¡± the Kolshian pleaded, in a hoarse voice. Sovlin tilted his head. ¡°You¡¯re the Kolshian commander from the Battle of Khoa. I¡¯m sure of it. Captain Monahan talked you into having the fleet stand down. What the fuck are you doing in here? Did you realize what you were doing was wrong?¡± ¡°I¡­I didn¡¯t want to kill civilians. Herbivores. The human¡­I remember what she said. That you would reach Aafa. You have now, and if we¡¯re still standing, I did the right thing. I saved my men from a battle we couldn¡¯t win. If you wouldn¡¯t sacrifice the Mazics¡­how could I?¡± Tyler wheeled on Maronis. ¡°Why is he here?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know why every prisoner is here,¡± the Chief grumbled. ¡°This one, I do. Commander Telvos humiliated the Commonwealth, and disobeyed direct orders. He allowed your allies to survive, abandoning the battle. We could not tolerate treasonous defiance¡ªquestioning of our orders.¡± ¡°The greatest treason of all: asking questions.¡± My ears pinned back with fury, though it was cathartic to see Maronis¡¯ swollen eye staring back at me. I still wanted to beat the shit out of this pompous asshole. ¡°You tried so hard to snuff out curiosity and wonder for the universe.¡± Aucel scowled. ¡°In prison for not rendering the Mazics extinct. You shadow caste are monsters.¡± ¡°Spare me the indictment. Do you want me to take you to Slanek, or do you want to lament every prisoner¡¯s life story? If it¡¯s the former, I suggest we keep moving.¡± Chief Maronis didn¡¯t wait for an answer, stomping off down the hallway, as pleas for help rose from the furthest cells. A duo of UN soldiers stopped off to guard Telvos¡¯ cage; we weren¡¯t going to get involved with freeing an enemy commander, especially considering that he¡¯d threatened to obliterate a civilian populace¡ªunder orders or not, it was a war crime by Terran law. As we drew nearer to the far wall, which seemed to be a containment bulkhead on closer inspection, another prisoner clamored for our attention. This time, I recognized the alien face outright. It was the testy Duerten ambassador to Earth, Coji: the one who¡¯d jumped at the chance to abet Nikonus¡¯ assassin. She¡¯d been missing ever since, and unlike Slanek, the Kolshians hadn¡¯t publicized her capture. The Duerten were never overly fond of humans, and that started from the top. Coji may not have the knowledge that the UN saved Kalqua, given that she was captured well before that started. ¡°Humans!¡± the gray avian squawked, wrapping stress-plucked wings around the bars. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­for everything¡ªfor ever rebuffing your friendship. Please, let me out! It¡¯s horrible here¡­I hear screams from the lab, all the time. I think it¡¯s going to be me next. They kept my mind intact so I could watch what they did to Kalqua, clip by clip. Are there any survivors?! LET ME OUT!¡± Samantha crossed her arms. ¡°We bailed Kalqua out, though I¡¯m sure the Kolshians omitted that part. There were still billions that died, but without the UN, it would¡¯ve been the whole fucking planet.¡± ¡°The Shield fought beside us here, at the Battle of Aafa. Seems your side finally wants to be on better terms,¡± Sovlin grumbled. ¡°Your leadership definitely want to bomb this world, but the humans got them to hold off long enough for us to scope out the shadow caste.¡± ¡°The entire Homogeneity fleet came,¡± I added. ¡°I caught the reasoning as, if our side lost, then Kalqua would be overrun by the Commonwealth anyway. We have the chance to tear down the Federation¡­and for you to return as your homeworld is rebuilt. Their alterations of our societies, and stifling rule: over. Finished. Thank humanity for making it happen.¡± Coji¡¯s beak parted with hope. ¡°If what you¡¯re saying is true, it seems we owe humanity a huge debt. It did seem odd, that the Kolshians only showed me clips from a small time frame¡­and not the aftermath. I¡¯m relieved to know some of us survived, and I want to help with revenge on Aafa. Let me out!¡± ¡°Well, we would like the Duerten to be more open to our friendship.¡± Tyler hesitated, before punching the button to unlock Coji¡¯s door. The avian stumbled forward on unsteady feet, before wrapping her wings around his waist, sobbing. ¡°Easy now. Say, I wondered why you helped kill Nikonus too.¡± ¡°Thank you, thank you, thank you! The Archives: the Kolshians and the Farsul stripped us of individual thought. Our opinions were too strong, our intellect too sharp for them. How do you ever get that back? Who are we? The consensus on Kalqua¡­and my individual feeling¡­was that they needed to pay. We made a decision based on emotion, and it felt good.¡± ¡°Was it worth it?¡± I questioned. ¡°Billions of Duerten died because of that one irrational choice.¡± ¡°If I had known what would¡¯ve happened to my beautiful home, I would¡¯ve never put this plan in motion. We didn¡¯t think; we just wanted the figurehead who took our minds dead! I knew our role would be glaring, but I didn¡¯t imagine it¡¯d condemn Kalqua. When I tried to fly away from Nikonus¡¯ corpse¡­a ¡®drone¡¯ had no trouble tracking me down and caging me. I¡¯ve all but forgotten what life looks like, or how it feels to have air under my wings. My sole thoughts are dreams of home.¡± My friend carefully removed Coji¡¯s arms from his torso, wishing to keep moving. ¡°We got a real special friend of mine to rescue. I don¡¯t know what you meant by screams in the lab, but I ain¡¯t wantin¡¯ to leave Slanek in there a second longer. We are happy you¡¯re safe, and you are goin¡¯ home, Ambassador. Head over to the medics back there, and they¡¯ll find you a transport.¡± ¡°Thank you, again! I¡¯m sorry that I didn¡¯t see your kindness sooner¡­but I hope we can meet again, so I can make up for my past hostility!¡± ¡°If you want to make up for it, keep your people¡¯s bombers at bay. We want to do a thorough investigation of the shadow caste, which could take weeks. Plus, there¡¯s a lotta victims to rescue. We need the Shield to stay patient and give us time to do our jobs, for everyone¡¯s sake.¡± ¡°Whatever pull I have with my government, I¡¯ll see that you have as much time as you need. Good luck, humans!¡± The Duerten ambassador trudged off in the direction of Terran medics, all but collapsing in their arms. Comprehending the stories of every prisoner in these walls would take months. After encountering a number of familiar faces along the way, it drilled home how punitive the Kolshians were to anyone who thwarted their wishes. From Khoa to Kalqua, there had been no tolerance for rebellion; any people who gave humanity the slightest aid were whisked away, if the shadow caste could get their tentacles on those poor souls. I doubted they¡¯d been more merciful during other battles and incidents. Maronis had gotten to work opening the bulkhead, which concealed the lab behind its structure. If the lab was the heart of Kolshian experimentation, I was worried about what state we¡¯d find Slanek in. I¡¯d heard the words from the Chief¡¯s lips, before Tyler threw a haymaker at him. There had been the idle comments about so-called neurological focuses, and it was a safe assumption that re-education was tantamount to rewriting neurochemistry. It was quite possible that our Venlil friend wouldn¡¯t be happy to see us, which meant he might not accompany us willingly. I could only imagine how devastated Marcel would be, if his exchange partner abhorred his existence. Our Venlil might not be the only person back there either. Maronis had claimed that the shadow caste ¡°dabbled¡± in human experiments after Mileau. This matched with Coji¡¯s mention of multiple screams hailing from the lab; the inhumane procedures could be stretched to several test subjects, for different purposes. It was a good thing that the UN soldiers wore biohazard gear to Aafa, because the cure was the only type of ¡°integration¡± efforts the Kolshians had for omnivores. There was no telling how terrible the conditions would be in the lab, but I was prepping myself for the worst. It would be a positive outcome if our friend¡¯s persona was still in there at all. Chapter 177 Memory transcription subject: Onso, Yotul Technical Specialist Date [standardized human time]: March 26, 2137 When the lab became accessible, I could see excesses of equipment; shadow caste workers must¡¯ve been cleared out, but the traces of their presence were still there. A dirty plate left out on a countertop, a chemical beaker which had been hastily put away, and crimson blood samples still on slates under microscopes. The Kolshian chief waited as we passed the last prison cells, stepping into the deepest recess of the facility. It was rare that visible fright displayed on Tyler¡¯s face, but I could tell that worrying about Slanek made him sick to his stomach. Sovlin and Samantha, meanwhile, were off in their own land, commenting on days long gone. ¡°Remember when you and¡­¡± the Gojid¡¯s voice hitched, as Carlos¡¯ name fizzled out in his throat. ¡°The Takkan ambassador was taken prisoner by the Kolshians, and you snuck off to set him free. Was the prison similar?¡± Samantha shook her head. ¡°Not at all. It was on a tiny ¡®quasi-satellite¡¯ of Aafa, and while it wasn¡¯t advertising its existence, it wasn¡¯t too hard to trace where they took him. I don¡¯t know why they didn¡¯t hide him away. Maronis, care to comment?¡± ¡°That was an interrogation facility, a public one, for predator diseased individuals,¡± Chief Maronis replied. ¡°Nikonus¡¯ plan wasn¡¯t to make Ambassador Wolrie vanish, but to blame him as an accomplice¡ªand show that we had caught the predator in a deceitful act, a little too late. We turned Wolrie in to the public caste with the claim that he¡¯d been overheard, telling Noah how to sabotage the engine. Their decision was to interrogate him, before he would¡¯ve been returned to a cell up above our heads, where other publicly-known traitors, like Recel, were held.¡± Aucel¡¯s tentacles tensed up, and her tail bunched up as well. ¡°My brother was not a traitor! You dragged Wolrie¡¯s name through the mud too over being an accomplice. I believed your story, that a bloodlusting human sabotaged the shuttles. You murdered my brother, and now I find out, he wasn¡¯t the only innocent person you wanted to smear.¡± ¡°There needed to be a reason why other species couldn¡¯t attempt diplomacy with Earth. Every diplomat¡¯s death, and selling the narrative that humanity turned an ambassador into an accomplice¡ªbecause Noah couldn¡¯t make it back to Skalga without dreaming about murdering an unsuspecting soul¡ª¡± ¡°Shut the fuck up,¡± I hissed. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to listen to your rationale before, and I sure as shit don¡¯t want to hear it now. Humans just wanted peace, and you didn¡¯t care who got hurt along the way, if it meant their kindness failed.¡± Tyler smacked his fist against his other palm threateningly. ¡°Let¡¯s not ask this sack of shit any more questions. I ain¡¯t able to keep my cool through more of his answers. I wanna get to Slanek, no stallin¡¯ or nothing.¡± ¡°I opened the door. The female predator asked me a question,¡± Maronis protested. Samantha shook her head. ¡°You answered it, but with way more grandstanding than was necessary. Let¡¯s try again with a different question. Where the fuck is Slanek?¡± The Kolshian chief took several steps back, before leading the way into the sprawling chamber. The right side seemed to be examination rooms and surgical suites, which left me shuddering to think of the implications. Off on the left wing, where Maronis was hurrying toward, were living quarters; cramped rooms with elevated, oval-shaped doors that reminded me of the brig on our ship. The first prisoners we passed were Dossur, which merited a pit stop from some UN soldiers. These must be the civilians the Kolshians snatched on their way from Mileau, and apparently dropped off part of the way to Kalqua. I was alarmed to see that the rodents acted petrified, upon sighting the humans¡ªit didn¡¯t bode well for how Slanek had endured re-education. Slanek was much closer and fonder of Terrans than random civilians, even ones selected for being troublemakers, I tried to reassure myself. He wouldn¡¯t crumble under pressure as easily. And I guess it¡¯s positive that these Dossur weren¡¯t ferried to Kalqua¡¯s battle, to be killed with the Kolshian ships? Multiple Dossur could be packed into the cells, though we didn¡¯t stop to coax or sedate them amid our panic. Tyler was single-minded in marching toward Slanek¡¯s alleged location, all but breathing down Maronis¡¯ neck as the chieftain stepped through a sealed partition. There were more holding areas, exactly like the ones we just passed, but less of these were occupied. My eyes widened with shock; even my friend, who hadn¡¯t wanted to pause for any other interruptions, skidded to a halt. The pensive visages staring back at us were humans¡ªthe more energetic ones pounded against the glass. I knew that the Kolshians got their tentacles on some Terrans, who were left behind at a Dossur maintenance station. However, since those poor primates had been rescued back when Marcel got dosed with the cure, I hadn¡¯t been sure what Maronis meant by ¡°dabbling¡± in human experiments. It would¡¯ve been difficult to elope in a hurry with predators, given there was no evidence they were moved to the Dossur homeworld. Less than a dozen total Earthlings were in this ward, which led me to conclude a single Commonwealth vessel slipped off with them in tow after initial successes. The shadow caste must¡¯ve been running the same cruel experiments here, adjacent to the ones in Mileau¡¯s system. These humans had been languishing under Federation integration attempts, which must¡¯ve entailed fundamental changes to their neurochemistry and behavior. The fact they weren¡¯t repulsed to see UN soldiers was a positive sign; it meant they hadn¡¯t been persuaded that Earth¡¯s government was backward and evil. I had never seen Terrans look this feeble, with thousand-yard stares and shaking hands a common trait among the victims. Was this the state the Kolshians would¡¯ve left the entire human race in, had their original uplift succeeded? It reminded me of how I felt under the predator disease drugs. A spectator in my own body, with stimulating thoughts locked far out of reach. I knew what it was like to have your personality suppressed under a haze of medication, with no end to the dreary days in sight. There was no greater part of any sapient that could be ripped away than their sanctity of mind. Seeing twenty years of my own misery reflected in binocular eyes, it evoked a painful level of empathy. I hoped the UN could free them from both the mental and physical cages. ¡°What the fuck is this?¡± Samantha spat, stomping her boot heel into Maronis¡¯ tail. The Kolshian chief¡¯s eyes widened with alarm. ¡°Don¡¯t hurt me! I definitely warned you about this. You¡¯re merely too aggressive, like the Krakotl. We thought you could become more docile¡­prey-like¡­more than the Arxur. Our ambitions went beyond curing you.¡± ¡°Do you have any idea what it¡¯s like, to be so medicated you can¡¯t feel anything?¡± My hiss was low and ostensibly calm, though my tail lash betrayed my emotions. ¡°For me, it was all because people derided my race and my loved ones until I couldn¡¯t take it¡ªwith words that aren¡¯t dissimilar to what Sovlin says now. I was deemed too aggressive for snapping. I deserved it for being a primitive, just like they¡¯re predators. What, pray, was your ambition with the Yotul?¡± ¡°To direct your culture along proper avenues. We gave you so many gifts, that you would¡¯ve never seen in your lifetime without us!¡± Sovlin flexed his claws, stepping between me and Maronis. ¡°That¡¯s not the least bit true. I¡¯m sorry, Onso. I didn¡¯t want to hurt you; I like you, I do, and the jabs turned into a game for me. I was just frustrated with Tyler and my therapist for harping on my language, and my thoughts, and it¡¯s so damn hard to change everything. I can¡¯t do anything right, so I¡­pushed back in defiance. I know you¡¯re smarter and better than me at everything, and I feel quite outshone by you.¡± ¡°You think I don¡¯t know you¡¯re jealous? It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s his fault, not yours,¡± I growled. ¡°But that¡¯s also why I know your people didn¡¯t need the Federation for shit. The fake Kolshian culture was fine for me, without knowing everything they believed in being a lie¡ªthen it broke me. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing anymore. It was easier believing the lie, easier not knowing the Gojids were changed too. Maronis, no gifts that you could¡¯ve given the Yotul would be worth the mental anguish and the millions of deaths that come with it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡ª¡± Maronis began. ¡°I¡¯m not done! You admitted not too long ago that your legacy was decline and decay, and your purposeless society is worth nothing. Your caste was an ignorant bunch of idiots living in fear, who wanted everyone else to be the same. All of us have suffered as a direct result of your actions: Onso and I have that so thoroughly in common. Aucel and Sam lost their loved ones to you, and Tyler is only here because his friend was almost driven to suicide¡ªby your cure and torture of Slanek. Do you understand that?¡± ¡°Yes, but I just inherited¡ª¡± ¡°You did nothing to change it! You excused it and created your own fucking mishaps, and the smug aura has returned after only a moment¡¯s hint of remorse. So unless you want to apologize, I suggest you shut up and take us to Slanek¡ªbefore I shove my claws somewhere you don¡¯t want me to shove them.¡± The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Chief Maronis withered beneath the Gojid¡¯s blistering scowl, and gestured to follow him in tail language. The humans might not have understood the exact words, but they could infer the meaning from Sovlin¡¯s reaction. While we proceeded to what was hopefully Slanek¡¯s locale, other Terrans set about liberating the cured test subjects; I knew what it would be like for the victims to cobble together the pieces of their mind. They were strong enough to find a way forward, but I didn¡¯t envy that journey. However, if the Venlil we were sent to rescue was no longer himself, I wasn¡¯t sure he could claw his way back. He¡¯d been upset by his own personality before any of this, which led to him going off the deep end. The most insightful bit of information was about my Gojid comrade¡¯s state of mind. My ears angled toward Sovlin, weighing his unexpected, passionate defense of the Yotul. I had never believed he hated me, instead believing that he was long in the tooth and set in his ways, but I hadn¡¯t considered a deeper struggle than that. The raw agony he¡¯d felt, every time he discussed losing his family, told me he¡¯d suffered as much as I had, albeit in a different way. His purpose for pressing on, seeking vengeance in their names, was a lie; how could he cope with his entire world being exposed as a falsehood? To that old man, the humans¡¯ revelations against the conspiracy must¡¯ve felt the same as it did to us Yotul, when aliens tampered with our entire belief system. The Federation mindset was as ingrained, and fundamental, as any sapient¡¯s identity¡­from Sovlin¡¯s perspective. Knowing how much guilt he felt over Slanek¡¯s predicament, I made a mental note to protect the Gojid, if the Venlil reacted poorly to his presence. Maronis had gloated that our Skalgan friend wouldn¡¯t be happy to see the humans, but I trusted the primates to subdue an herbivore who was burdened by reignited instincts. However, something told me that, if any of Slanek¡¯s anger still existed, Sovlin wouldn¡¯t fight back due to his sense of guilt. I readied myself as we entered a secluded room, complete with a projector and neurocranial instruments. The dark-gray fur, and black tuft atop his forehead, was unmistakable¡­but I was instantly worried the Venlil we knew was gone. If the Kolshians had tinkered with his brain to such extensive lengths, the damage could be irreparable. There was an apathy to his sluggish movements that went beyond what we¡¯d seen with the drugged humans, and his eyes looked like they struggled to take in the new visitors. However, once Slanek realized that binocular eyes were staring at him, he squealed; his limbs began shaking, more profusely than they had before. Tears matted his cheeks, though his gaze still looked empty and disoriented. The Venlil struggled to duck behind his bed, as his legs twitched like he wished to flee. ¡°M-monster! Help!¡± Slanek pleaded. I eased myself forward, signaling for Sovlin to stay where he was. ¡°Hi, Slanek. It¡¯s me, Onso. Do you remember me?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you before. B-but I know the h-humans brainwashed me, and I can¡¯t remember a lot of it. They f-fight the entire galaxy¡­I saw the war footage. Horrible things. Meat eaters. Made me k-kill people. They must¡¯ve done the same to you. I don¡¯t want to go back! I¡¯d rather die.¡± ¡°Everything you¡¯re telling me is wrong, Slanek. This isn¡¯t you; you can feel that. You were very close friends with the humans, before the Kolshians scrambled your brain¡­and made you forget how they crippled the Venlil. I know that you were angry when that happened.¡± Tyler tiptoed after me, with the biohazard mask covering his eyes. ¡°Slanek, we came to rescue you. You can come home now. You were part of the exchange program; you were there for the empathy tests! The Kolshians wanted to wipe us out, but you fought to protect Earth¡ªyou lived there. How can you not remember any of that?¡± The Venlil didn¡¯t seem to be listening to a word Tyler said, shutting down at the sight of an approaching Terran. I flicked my ears at my exchange partner, warning him not to intervene. The blond human seemed dejected by Slanek¡¯s condition, though I noticed him fiddling with his holopad. I took a cautious step toward the Venlil, resting a gentle paw on his shoulder. It was disheartening to find him in such a pitiful state; I wasn¡¯t sure the person Marcel and Tyler fought to save was salvageable. The Kolshians succeeded in making the poor guy believe humans were monsters, wiping his memories of their shared past altogether. He was worse off than his likely state during first contact. There was nothing left of the person we knew. We need to sedate him and take him to a hospital; there¡¯s no way to convince him humans aren¡¯t taking him off to be cattle ¡°again.¡± The Kolshians broke him. ¡°What¡¯s the last thing you remember?¡± I whispered. Slanek rocked back and forth. ¡°F-family. Brother died¡­Arxur. It¡¯s all fuzzy. Hurts to search¡­not there.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t have to push yourself. I wish you did remember, but it¡¯s not your fault. We all will help you, no matter what.¡± ¡°Last thing I remember¡­the h-humans landed to kill us all. Bunkers. Cold. Then, it¡¯s like I w-was unconscious, but not. Fragments and whispers to grasp at: mostly a name. Someone who meant the world to me.¡± ¡°Marcel,¡± Tyler interjected, startling the Venlil. ¡°WHAT DID YOU DO TO MARCEL?¡± Slanek bellowed, fur sticking upright. It was the first moment he looked alert during this entire conversation. ¡°How do you know that name?¡± ¡°You remember Marcel. Uh, Marcel is fine! He and I are very good friends; he¡¯s a great dude. You wanna talk to him?¡± Samantha raised a finger. ¡°I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s a good idea.¡± ¡°Me neither,¡± Sovlin chimed in, keeping himself hidden behind Aucel and Sam. ¡°Marcel was beyond depressed when Slanek was captured. He¡¯s tired of life kicking him down. I can¡¯t predict how he¡¯ll react if Slanek rejects him.¡± ¡°No. Please!¡± Slanek wailed. ¡°Want to talk to Marcel. M-miss Marcel.¡± Tyler offered an apologetic shrug. ¡°Uh, sorry guys, but I already called him¡­and he just picked up? Here.¡± I retrieved the holopad from my exchange partner, to see a befuddled Marcel staring at the screen. Slanek leapt at me with disjointed motions, ripping the device out of my hands with desperation. His brief excitement deflated as he laid eyes on the human¡¯s scarred face, though he didn¡¯t react with the repulsed fear he had to Tyler and Sam. The Venlil¡¯s ears twisted with confusion, and conflicting emotions rushed through his horizontal pupils. Captain Fraser, meanwhile, had watering eyes, and his face contorted with relief. The Terran soldier seemed unaware of how little his friend remembered. ¡°Slanek! I¡¯m so happy you¡¯re okay¡­I¡¯m sorry, sorrier than you can imagine, for what happened to you. Whatever they¡¯ve done to you, it¡¯s over; you¡¯re safe. You can come home!¡± Marcel gushed. ¡°Jensi! Come here¡ªhurry! Oh, thank you so much, Tyler¡ªyou¡¯re a real bro!¡± Slanek pinned his ears back. ¡°You¡¯re¡­human. Should be terrible. W-why do I feel like I love you?¡± ¡°What?¡± Marcel¡¯s weepy smile faltered, and his pupils darted back and forth, searching Slanek¡¯s expression. His eyes darkened with realization. ¡°Oh. You don¡¯t remember me. Um, it¡¯s because we loved each other. We were closer than blood brothers. We went through so much together, and there was nothing I wouldn¡¯t have done for you. If I could trade places and save you from your suffering, I would. I wish I was there, Slanek, to tell you that it¡¯s going to be okay. To protect you.¡± ¡°Why are you in my house? Did¡­did you capture my mother?¡± Jensi, who¡¯d just peeked into the frame, swooned with delight. ¡°Slanek, what nonsense are you on about? The last thing you told me before running off was to take care of Marcel, if I still loved you¡ªand that he¡¯d be a ¡®better son.¡¯ I did what you asked, but you are my son. I was never looking for an upgrade. You have no idea how much it hurt t-to¡­lose another son.¡± Marcel squeezed Jensi¡¯s wrist. ¡°We¡¯re going to remind him who he is. It¡¯s okay. It¡¯ll be you, me, and Nulia. Oh, that¡¯s right; she¡¯ll be delighted to see Uncle Slanek! She, um¡­showed up on our doorstep. Lucy doesn¡¯t want the responsibility anymore. That¡¯s okay, because we can have our own family. It¡¯s not too late to make a new life.¡± ¡°I want my old life! You¡¯re a predator, from a race of killers. I don¡¯t know you,¡± Slanek mewled. ¡°But I know you. The fact that you remember me at all means they couldn¡¯t take what we had away from you. Here, look! I¡¯ve kept these; I looked at them every day to think about you.¡± Marcel held up a printed photograph, with frantic enthusiasm. It showed a grief-stricken Slanek, sitting beside the human¡¯s broken body in a hospital bed. ¡°You were there when I was almost killed. You saved my life, and nursed me back to health. Can¡¯t you see how much you cared? You didn¡¯t leave me, even when you could¡¯ve had someone without baggage¡­or scars. Like I won¡¯t give up on you now.¡± ¡°You look¡­starved there. I look¡­sad? That looks real.¡± ¡°It is real! You were part of an exchange program between our species. I can show you all our chats. Hell, I¡¯d be happy to have them again.¡± Marcel flipped a series of pictures in quick succession, rushing to find evidence for Slanek. ¡°This is you being the first Venlil to visit Earth, standing with our leader. Oh, this is you with a can of potato chips: you can discover them all over again, Salt Monster! Here¡¯s us at the camp on the cradle.¡± ¡°The cradle?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long story. We fought the Arxur time and again; together, we were unstoppable. I¡¯ll tell you everything we went through, the good and the bad, and what really happened, with proof¡ªnot what the Kolshians said. I wish I could do so much over. But as long as you remember the slightest bit of what we were, we can get through this. Do you believe me?¡± ¡°My brain doesn¡¯t¡­but my heart does. I believe you. Only you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so proud of you, Slanek. Our memories might be gone for you, but nobody can take what we had. Those nice people are my friends, your friends, and they flew across the galaxy to bring you home. I need you to go with them, and I¡¯ll be here waiting, huh? You need anything, you call. I¡¯ll be as patient and supporting as you need.¡± ¡°Okay, but they¡¯re scary. I¡­think I¡¯ll go with the Yotul.¡± ¡°Yes, go with the Yotul! No time like the present. One foot in front of the other, and you¡¯ll be home in no time.¡± ¡°Talk more. Not ready. W-want to know everything.¡± ¡°We can talk for as long as you want once you¡¯re safe on their ship. That¡¯s all that matters. Please, be brave...for Jensi and I. I¡¯ll be in touch very soon.¡± Slanek¡¯s shoulders sagged as Marcel disconnected from the call; I gently pried the holopad out of his paws, and returned it to Tyler. The blond primate gave me the slightest nod, gratitude for seeing our mission fulfilled. It was more than I expected, to see any trace of the Venlil¡¯s old self still kicking. After sticking with my buddy through a ferocious fight, we could finally leave this rock, and return to a normal life. The galaxy could have a fresh start, just like Slanek, with humanity at the reins. All of us would be returning home to a new era led by the United Nations. I wrapped my paw around Slanek¡¯s shoulders, and coaxed him toward the exit before he had second thoughts. Sovlin sported an expression of visible relief, after how responsive the Venlil had been to Marcel. The Gojid caught me observing him, and gave me a grudging claw flick of respect. I returned the gesture with my ears, musing what kind of future the old man would have. It was then I noticed him guiding Aucel, with fatherly affection; it was clear he intended to bring Recel¡¯s sister back to Earth, where Vysith and Hunter waited. The former captain might¡¯ve figured out what to do with himself more than he thought. With the last part of our mission complete, it was time for us to seek out new lives in well-earned peacetime. Chapter 178 Memory transcription subject: Chief Hunter Isif, Arxur Rebellion Command Date [standardized human time]: April 6, 2137 After devoting hundreds of thousands of ships to the Kolshian cause, then having a large portion of those vessels turned against Betterment¡¯s mandate, Giznel¡¯s regime had all but collapsed as soon as humanity won. That selfish despot only wanted to save his own hide, at the end of the day; after an offer of exile to an uninhabited moon, he handed over his command to the rebellion without a fight. At this point, following the changes in allegiance mid-battle, we¡¯d had numbers on our side. I would¡¯ve liked to see ¡°Prophet¡± Laznel¡¯s line brought to an immediate end, but I¡¯d settle for avoiding further losses. My return to Wriss as the presumed leader would be the first time I¡¯d been there in years, since I¡¯d been stationed all the way out by Skalga. The future of the Arxur wouldn¡¯t be as sapient-eating monsters, beholden to basic needs and aspiring to cruelty. Assuming Secretary-General Zhao could persuade the Sapient Coalition to leave us be, during the upcoming convention to write the Treaty of Sol, we could start rebuilding our society into its former self. I wished at a time like this that Vysith hadn¡¯t turned her back on her people; a soldier from the long-gone Morvim Charter could be a leading voice in defending ¡°defectiveness.¡± It would be an arduous battle stretching decades to convince my people that empathy was not weakness, especially since sociopathic tendencies had been bred into our bloodlines. There will be the issue of challenges from those who see me as weak; I need to consolidate my allies, including the unsavory Chief Hunters I turned. The United Nations promised to get Usliff and Ilthiss to stand down, though given their lust for power, I can¡¯t imagine how. I wished that I could be a part of the Sapient Coalition¡¯s activities, but the prey races weren¡¯t ready for diplomatic contact with the Arxur. These deep wounds would take generations to heal; there was nothing I could offer that would atone for my complicity¡ªevery atrocity I committed to survive. Forgiveness would never be something I deserved, for all my efforts to bring about a new dawn. Humanity had escaped the label of monstrous predators, yet obligate carnivores with our past wouldn¡¯t be immune to judgment. Felra was an unmerited blessing: the only friend I ever had, and my only outlet for my suppressed emotions. While the Dossur didn¡¯t belong in strategy meetings, I hoped to consult with her on sentimental matters, in Vysith¡¯s role. Hey Siffy! How¡¯d your conversation with Zhao go? Felra¡¯s message came through in an instant, across the reinstated FTL networks. I know you¡¯re going to be a great leader. You have such a big heart! I tapped my claws against the keypad. Zhao needs to handle Usliff and Ilthiss before we talk. Those two wanted a larger role, despite the obsolescence of their methodology. We cannot afford coups, in-fighting, and power grabs, yes? With you finding a way to feed them and not killing lots of people, I think you¡¯ll be well-received! You just need to promise greatness in a way that¡¯s not keeping cattle. You did the right thing by forcing Giznel to free all sapient captives, before he left. The lab-grown meat will be fine; you know, Arxur can try beef jerky now! That is not real meat, you silly rodent. You cannot even tell that human meat is meat by looking at it, because it is so processed and unnatural. That is not a dietary practice befitting a hunter. Maybe you don¡¯t realize the grays do things boringly, Felra fired back. I¡¯m serious, Siffy, your culture needs to be more fun. Fun is part of expressing yourself. I question the validity of any advice coming from you. But you¡¯ll still listen to me: because I¡¯m that much fun! What would you do without me? Practice your sulking expression in the mirror? Hmph. I do not have to listen to your babbling. I can turn off the holopad. You don¡¯t want to do that! You must be lonely, not having Olek and Lisa around anymore. I am not lonely; I am relieved. No more spies and conspiracy theories. I feel bad for that poor adopted human on Skalga, who¡¯ll have to deal with Olek¡¯s derangement again. And I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll see enough of Lisa to tell me things I don¡¯t care about, since she transferred to Liberty¡¯s Bastion. I know! The coffee shop has been set in motion. Actually, I told her to put a drink on the menu called the Siffy! She can use food coloring to make it gray, and draw a BIG heart shape with the cream. I thoroughly despise you. Never contact me on this app again, Felra. Right, sure. Always so grumpy. I am not grumpy; I am just tired of you! Enjoy this, because it¡¯s the last time I¡¯ll ever respond to your messages. Okay then. Talk to you tomorrow! I considered deleting the SwiftPair app after the latest exchange with Felra, but settled for burying the holopad in its drawer with an exasperated tail lash. If that Dossur was the best candidate to steer us down an emotional awakening, perhaps it was better if we kept our single-minded focus on war. I didn¡¯t want to be anything like that. Hopefully, the Secretary-General¡¯s message, arriving any minute, would offer better prospects for the Arxur¡¯s future. Unifying my people under a novel purpose was my mission, and that meant I needed rival Chief Hunters mollified. I intended to ditch the authoritarian name, Dominion, during my rule, and to lay the groundwork for a new method of government; one where the rights spelled out in the Sapient Coalition¡¯s founding documents were mirrored for our citizens. The herbivores needed to be convinced we didn¡¯t deserve extinction, and showing them intended reforms might give Zhao something to work with. I believed that humanity would fulfill their end of the bargain: that promise to aid the rebellion following the Kolshians¡¯ fall. That might not be by sending their fleet, after Giznel¡¯s pathetic surrender, but staying the guns of their allies would be its own fight. My claw was hovering over the comms screen, and I swiped to accept when Zhao phoned. ¡°Greetings, Mr. Secretary-General. From your relaxed expression, I gather that your discourse with Ilthiss and Usliff went well?¡± Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°It did. They were given roles as chief generals¡ªa fancy way of saying military advisors¡ªand told that they¡¯d need to prove themselves willing to play by humanity¡¯s rules before we¡¯d back their leadership. That you have seniority, and showed your strength the best at Aafa. We framed it as a promotion, higher than the single sector they had before,¡± the black-haired human replied, a subtle grin on his lips. ¡°I assume that you have the officers who defected from the start under your control. They were already willing to follow you.¡± ¡°There¡¯s an understanding,¡± Kaisal chimed in, from where he¡¯d been pretending not to notice my discourse with Felra. ¡°We¡¯re withdrawing from the sectors like you asked, now that the cattle are released and the raids will stop. A few of the defectives will spearhead new colonies, for the suddenly returning soldiers. Others will take regional roles as governors. The more self-serving parties have been relegated to military training.¡± I narrowed my eyes. ¡°Yes. I suspect the Sapient Coalition will call for us to unconditionally rid ourselves of our military capacity, but I will not agree to that. We must be able to defend ourselves, should some prey take the initiative to try to wipe us out. Also, if I acquiesce to such demands, my leadership will be viewed as weak¡ªand doomed.¡± ¡°I¡¯m confident that I can bargain for you to be left to your own devices, as long as you agree to isolation within Wriss¡¯ twenty-lightyear bubble. It¡¯ll take some convincing, but after everything you¡¯ve done for humanity, I promise not to undermine your future. I believe you can be an instrument, to build something better. The United Nations will be here to offer guidance, as well as to help you navigate budding diplomatic relations, every step of the way.¡± ¡°I suppose that you¡¯ve heard that the Yotul offered us an embassy. I hope I did not cause offense, but I have not accepted the offer. It seems unwise for herbivores to reside on Wriss at this time, especially for if¡­I cannot guarantee that diplomats wouldn¡¯t become dinner.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why the Yotul extended that offer prior to the UN, though it¡¯s amusing that they beat us to the punch. Isif, we recognize the extraordinary complications that you find yourself with; you need time to sort your affairs out. We¡¯ll conduct relations virtually and directly, until you have time to train a corps of diplomatic intermediaries¡ªwho can be sensitive to other races¡¯ customs. I suggest you respond to the Technocracy¡¯s offer with, ¡®Not yet.¡¯¡± ¡°I will. At least that means you already have one vote against wiping us out.¡± ¡°Two. Ambassador Tarva will advocate for you; I trust we can pressure Veln into giving her some independence, for the treaty votes.¡± ¡°I cannot believe that the Governor lost her seat of power. She was a formidable ally on the side of humanity.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t discount Tarva, because she still is. Her choice of speakers and testimony about the Venlil¡¯s suffering was instrumental in getting the votes for gene reversal programs¡ªincluding the one for omnivores. She¡¯s a woman of conviction, regardless of who is on her side.¡± ¡°It was my firm belief that Venlil were weak, until I saw the decisions she made on my behalf and yours. You were quite lucky, out of all those indoctrinated squealers, that first contact was with someone so fortuitous. I¡¯m sure Kaisal would seethe to learn how much I respect Tarva.¡± The scrawny Arxur lashed his tail. ¡°I do not always agree with Isif¡¯s inclusion of weaklings, but if defectiveness saves us from living as we do now, I will back it. I do not have full trust in you humans, due to your tendency to forsake us. Twice, you rebuffed my attempts to defect to Earth; yet now, I have a life away from war. Acting as Isif¡¯s second, I seek peace and satiety. For¡­people of my stature not to be tormented.¡± After the pure disdain Kaisal showed when first introduced to my social, empathetic companions, it was a relief that he¡¯d come around to backing my cause. He was a solid representation of the average anti-Betterment rebel. There would be many Arxur citizens who carried resentment, or who continued practices that humanity would view as uncivilized; gradual progress was all that I could hope for. Tarva served as a cautionary tale of how a populace could reject sharp changes in a short timeframe. The fact that the average denizen would have the option to push back against demands from on high, and an accurate accounting of what happened in their government, would improve on Dominion policy. There¡¯ll still need to be enforcement of the rule of law; we need to expedite the building of meat factories, and acquisition of non-sapient livestock, to guarantee that. Secretary-General Zhao clasped his hands together. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t expect any serious hiccups at tomorrow¡¯s summit. You have the support of your people, judging by Kaisal¡¯s attitude. After their showing at Aafa, I don¡¯t expect the Betterment archetypes to go against the grain. Congratulations, Isif, on your new role and your bright future. It¡¯s been a long time coming; you risked your hide to earn it. I look forward to diplomatic relations between our planets in quiet times.¡± ¡°Wait, M¨ªngz¨¦? As a final matter, I seek your opinion on my new government¡¯s nomenclature, replacing the harsh tyranny associated with the old one. Dominion should be lost to time,¡± I said. ¡°The Arxur Collective is my idea. I thought it a suitable name, yes?¡± ¡°The Arxur Collective. It¡¯s a daring premise to live up to, but it does have a nice ring to it. It evokes that hope, that your people can work in altruistic cooperation and care for each other once more. One for all.¡± ¡°Everything I do will be for the good of the people. What do you humans say? Lead by example?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the only way to lead and stand for something. You seem to have discovered your emotional side just fine, without any prehistoric Arxur as a lighthouse. I¡¯m proud to have worked alongside you, Isif. You proved me very wrong about your people.¡± ¡°You proved me right about yours. Thank you for sticking up for us, after we have done our part. And thank you for defeating the conspiratorial tyrants that perpetuated this war.¡± ¡°We couldn¡¯t have done it without you, Isif. Your fortitude and compassion has saved countless lives, both today and in generations to come. Take care of yourself out there. Enacting lasting change: that¡¯ll be a fight we¡¯ll tackle for years to come. Our patience may be tested, but the end result is worth the tiring journey.¡± ¡°Wriss is free; that alone makes every risk I¡¯ve taken worth it. If no future Arxur will endure the shame I feel, for every meal I¡¯ve eaten and crime I¡¯ve sown, then I will fight until my dying breath. I hope you know you¡¯ve succeeded Meier¡¯s wisdom with more grace and intellect than Earth could¡¯ve hoped for. Farewell, Secretary-General Zhao.¡± ¡°Good luck, my friend.¡± I terminated the video call, allowing him to return to planning for a busy session of post-war decisions. Kaisal turned his binocular eyes to the viewport, with the glint I finally recognized as homesickness vanishing. The reds of Wriss¡¯ clay masses, and the greens of forests and plains, stretched out on the viewport. I was optimistic, as we prepared for the landing that would start my reign. Though Felra would be far away, I wouldn¡¯t be alone among my people¡ªKaisal would require continued mentoring, and I could form a social network within the Collective¡¯s fledgling bureaucracy. There was no longer an entity standing in the way of progress; the greatest benefit to Betterment¡¯s fall was that I wouldn¡¯t have to hide my true persona beneath a horrific farce any longer. This is home. It can be a place worth saving, worth fighting for. My life can be spent in pursuit of something good, not just with the purpose of staving off execution. The arrival of a second sapient predator had been the catalyst for the liberation of my entire people. Without humanity, I would¡¯ve had no empathetic sapients to reach out to who would¡¯ve seen me as a person. I would¡¯ve had no frame of reference for what a dignified society would look like, apart from Betterment and the Federation. I would¡¯ve never known that the two galactic powers were colluding to our detriment, and would¡¯ve never been connected with the Yotul or the Venlil: a pair of herbivores who could act with cordiality, despite my species. This war couldn¡¯t have been won if I hadn¡¯t saved Earth from annihilation, and trusted them to defy the odds at Aafa. Every encouraging moment led back to the Terrans, and our partnership to actualize a shared vision of the future. It might take decades for the wounds on all sides to heal, in any meaningful way, but the cycles of hatred could begin to dissolve today. The humans had given me hope for peace and friendship, and with Wriss under my control, I never planned to let it go. Chapter 179 Memory transcription subject: Ambassador Tarva of the Venlil Republic Date [standardized human time]: April 7, 2137 The past few weeks had been packed with important events, falling alongside the stunning victory at Aafa. With the prototype cure set to be injected into my veins, Noah and I had taken the opportunity to visit Earth after the Skalga referendum. Both of his parents were deceased, but he introduced me to a few of his surviving relatives: an aunt, a second cousin, and a cousin-in-law. Culture in his part of the world was centered on the nuclear family, rather than extended, but everyone I spoke to was proud to be related to an astronaut with such a sterling reputation. We were given a private tour of NASA headquarters¡ªthe organization responsible for our meeting. The evening was complete with the promised watching the alien sunset in a hammock, and dining with otherworldly food. I had been quite impressed with Earth¡¯s resilience, and was received warmly by the locals. One comment from a stranger about me being ¡°one of the good ones¡± confused me, but other than that, I was treated with reverence. To think I¡¯d ever been frightened of these predators, or worried about visiting the homeworld where their numbers were billions. Their enterprising culture was intoxicating, with contrasting places across the globe that could inspire our children. I wondered if Skalga could¡¯ve cultivated such differences, without the Federation¡¯s mellowing. Maybe we still could, with time to shake off their interference. When it was time to stand before my people, as the first to accept a human-engineered serum, I had been ready. There were no adverse effects that I noticed, as Governor Veln applauded my courage and renounced the Federation. For all the supposed risks, it hadn¡¯t been worth fretting; every blood test showed that the counter-edits had taken well, and that everything was as the science predicted. It was a matter of waiting for the next candidates to go through the process, though it was difficult to be patient. When a human scientist reached out to me about locating a donor, I couldn¡¯t rush down there quickly enough. However much I¡¯d failed my first daughter, I was stronger now than before¡ªand I knew Noah would protect our children with his life, too. We were taking the initial steps to transforming the Venlil, back into a fearsome, unyielding race. Now that I¡¯m expecting a child, Noah has been all but falling over himself to help me. He¡¯s trying to do everything for me; it¡¯s like he thinks I¡¯ll break at a gust of wind! We still have six months to go. The astronaut smiled softly at me, while wrapping his arm around my shoulders. ¡°The Treaty of Sol: signed unconditionally by Chief Maronis, before we ever penned the terms. How do you feel, trying to bring about lasting peace?¡± ¡°All I ever wanted was for you to have the right to exist. I want the same for us now. I know there¡¯s still a lot of work to be done, picking up the pieces of the Federation¡­an organization that stood centuries. Humanity needs to find a path for your era to last just as long. So many complications, parties, and old wounds that could impede progress,¡± I answered. ¡°We¡¯ve made it this far, and don¡¯t forget, we¡¯re persistence predators. We will dedicate ourselves to this role, as mediators, for as long as it takes. There¡¯s so much reason for hope. Herbivores cohabitating with humans beyond even Skalga. Earth, staving off extinction time and again, against all odds. Truth and reason prevailing over fear and ignorance, despite the fact it took centuries. The Duerten Shield showing up to our treaty signing. You and I, throwing off the Federation¡¯s influence with our lovely family.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I am surprised to see Ambassador Coji, looking all repentant. Hopefully, she won¡¯t make us regret delaying these proceedings until her faction arrived.¡± ¡°The Duerten Shield might¡¯ve used a lot of their bombs in the battle, but they still have ships in orbit. We¡¯ve been able to stall for a while, under our claim that we¡¯re doing a thorough job thumbing through prisoners, shadow caste citizens, information, and asylum-seekers alike. However, with food dwindling and no supply chain, they won¡¯t wait much longer for the green light. We need to sort out what we do with Aafa as the first item on our list.¡± ¡°After what happened to Kalqua, I don¡¯t know how Zhao plans to talk them down. I¡¯d hate for humanity to shoot the Duerten ships, just when we¡¯re finally making progress.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t need more enemies; let¡¯s hope it won''t come to that. I think we¡¯re going to find out the Secretary-General¡¯s plans now.¡± Noah hovered beside me at the Venlil station, and his brown eyes turned to the podium. Zhao was mounting the stage with methodical footsteps; the borrowed tradition of applause greeted him, this time with rousing fervor. The Sapient Coalition members chose to stand beside humanity, despite the mismatch on paper, and were thrilled that we had come out on top. Earth¡¯s cunning, daring efforts were both appreciated and respected, so it went unquestioned that the United Nations was taking charge in these proceedings. If these diplomats were told a year ago that they¡¯d be delighted at the fall of the Federation, by the hands of new predators, it would¡¯ve been unthinkable. I felt pride to be sitting among an array of species, with peers who could devote ourselves to peace without interference. My choice to befriend humanity will save trillions of future lives, and liberate the galaxy from tampering and oppression. Perhaps there were things we could¡¯ve done better¡ªsacrifices we wish we didn¡¯t have to make¡ªbut I wouldn¡¯t abandon the Terrans for the universe. Zhao raised his hands in a humble gesture, as the praise continued. ¡°Thank you for the warm welcome, friends. As you all know, Kolshian tyranny is no more, with the karmic resolution of the Battle of Aafa. While this meeting is about progress, and how we move forward to better days, I¡¯d like to take a moment to look back at all that we¡¯ve lost. Recent revelations showed how easy it is to rewrite history; we have a mandate to learn from the past, even with its darkest moments. Let us have a moment of silence for the innocent lives lost on Earth, and every other world that suffered from raiders¡ªNishtal, the cradle, Kalqua¡ªand many others throughout the centuries.¡± The chamber fell into a hushed silence, with many diplomats recalling a loved one taken as cattle and attacks on several worlds. I recalled what it was like to decide to pull the life support on my daughter, and the looks in the humans¡¯ eyes at Earth¡¯s memorial service, before the bomb that removed my tail. Noah placed a hand atop my prosthetic, as it tightened around his wrist. The choked quietness was broken only by the occasional cough and sniffle; there was a collective weight to the loss, with all of us gathered there. When the Secretary-General deigned to break the silence, it was a merciful reprieve from those heavy emotions. ¡°So much senseless slaughter, just in the short time we¡¯ve been an active force in space. It is why the items on my agenda are all related to dealing with our enemies, active and subdued, then followed by establishing protocols for diplomacy with powers outside our circle. There will be plenty of time for us to find our footing, and sort out what kind of organization the SC will be. My sole demand inside our borders is a simple one, anyway: that the Sapient Rights document all of you sign is applied, unequivocally, to humans. I want to trust in the safety of our citizens traveling abroad, as we attempt to integrate and spread out,¡± Zhao said. Gojid Minister Kiri chewed at her claws. ¡°Despite my repeated directives, it¡¯s difficult to get the exterminators in line. With only a few colonies left, the Gojidi Union is in tatters. You have my word that we¡¯re cracking down on bigotry, and punishing offenders; it would be remiss not to mention that it¡¯ll take time to normalize human residents.¡± ¡°I understand that you cannot eliminate all anti-predator radicals. I simply ask for a zero tolerance policy, and for your best efforts to weed out physical mistreatment of humans. I¡¯ll discuss this more at our internal meeting, next week, but the United Nations wishes to open embassies on all SC worlds¡ªand for you to open annexes on our soil as well. We will dedicate entire teams to learning your cultures and strengthening relations, but the same respect will be needed from you, as our partners.¡± Nuela, from the Krakotl delegation, raised a tentative wing. ¡°While more Krakotl side with my separatist movement by the day, the traditional government still contests our power. I¡¯m not sure it would be¡­wise, to grant you an embassy on one of our colonies.¡± ¡°Humanity has plans to implement you as the singular Krakotl faction, and back your government in the necessary ways: however, I believe that falls outside the scope of today¡¯s discussion. I¡¯ll be happy to address individual concerns at length next time. For now, let us focus on the fallout of this war, and what we¡¯ll do with our enemies. It¡¯s important to me that we don¡¯t preside over senseless loss of life, and that we make assurances to draw surrenders from the two hundred plus Federation subsidiaries. I seek the war¡¯s end, so that humanity can live at peace¡­so that none of us have to lose more lives. It¡¯s why reducing cities on Aafa to ash is an unacceptable outcome.¡± ¡°You¡¯re trying to stop us from finishing what we came to Aafa for, after we upheld our end of the bargain?¡± Ambassador Coji squawked. ¡°I helped delay for the sake of your investigation, and now, you¡¯re changing our agreement?¡± The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°We have a proposal that we believe fulfills our agreement, while sparing those who had no say or role in Kalqua¡¯s attack. We¡¯ve rounded up the millions of shadow caste members, and transported them painstakingly to a habitable exoplanet in an unclaimed system. We¡¯ll transfer them into the Shield¡¯s custody, no questions asked, in exchange for Aafa being spared. Whatever it is you want to do to the people responsible, that¡¯s at your discretion. This is much more efficient and accurate than dropping what bombs you have left on civilians; it is justice against the perpetrators. What do you think?¡± ¡°In those shiplog recordings, you said that you would hunt every conspirator down. That the bombs would miss the people responsible¡­who were hiding underground. I suppose this arrangement is suitable, but I don¡¯t want the entire Kolshian race to be roaming the stars like they did nothing! And what about their colonies?¡± ¡°Chief Maronis relayed orders for them to stand down, and self-destruct any remaining ships. We surveyed the colonies through extensive scans, for any hideouts or suspicious activity. You all heard the Chief¡¯s faulty rationale about predator disease, on our videos; we can combat his misinformation, now that we have the truth. Each of your offices should¡¯ve received an extensive packet of research about prion diseases that exist on Earth, as well as their modes of transmission and behavior. With their purpose invalidated, the Commonwealth are nothing. They will be sequestered and surveilled for some time.¡± Zurulian Prime Minister Braylen tilted his head. ¡°Have you acquired any of these prions for the Galactic Institute of Medicine to study, and confirm your findings? Why did the Kolshians never discover the infectious agent, despite years of study?¡± ¡°I believe it¡¯s near impossible that we¡¯ll find anything. To our knowledge, prions can only survive for a few years in soil and water¡ªit¡¯s been centuries. Contaminated grounds were isolated, and the water was treated with strict enough conditions to eliminate the proteins; ironically enough, sustained high temperatures are the only way we know to kill those things. By burning the corpses, the Kolshians killed the microbes, and by the time they had the means to detect the cause, they¡¯d succeeded in eradicating it. Now, are there any objections to our plans for Aafa?¡± ¡°How long do you intend for them to be surveilled?¡± the Thafki ambassador piped up. ¡°Years. We¡¯ll install a rebel government that operates under UN authority. Perhaps every half-decade, they¡¯ll be up for parole; we can evaluate their societal transformation. Regardless of if they¡¯re allowed to engage in some capacity, they won¡¯t have a fleet as long as this war is in living memory. The Kolshians need to prove their species¡¯ good intentions, to atone for an era.¡± The Secretary-General¡¯s eyes roved over the crowd, searching for any further objections. Punitive actions against the shadow fleet would be a start; I hoped the Duerten rendered agony upon all of the conspirators. I wished the Terrans had handed over the Farsul elders they¡¯d taken hostage, so that their trial would be a bit less civilized¡ªfor everything they¡¯d done to species 45-G. It was ironic that the humans and the Venlil were both above-average on aggression and emotionality, like our neighboring planets had evolved to be the closest pals. As much as they wanted to mend bridges, I hoped the predators would take the gravity of our injuries into consideration. Skalga would need an adequate plan spelled out for all hostile parties, especially for how Talsk would be handled. Locking the Farsul homeworld in a ¡°Kessler cage¡± was an impenetrable imprisonment, but if we can fully finish this war with the Treaty of Sol, there needs to be a long-term solution. They should be sequestered for just as long as the Kolshians, with their role of deciding how to alter other races. Historians and archaeologists, my ass. Zhao smiled, unmasked in this speech. ¡°I¡¯m happy we could reach an accord, Ambassador Coji. I¡¯m saving talks about most neutral parties for later, but I¡¯d like to continue our military alliance with the Duerten Shield¡ªa full-fledged mutual pact. While the handling of non-aggressors was the last item on my agenda, let me spare a moment to say humanity doesn¡¯t extend our embassy plan just to the Sapient Coalition. We¡¯d like embassies on every Shield world, and for your parties to come to Earth. Our relations don¡¯t need to be so frosty.¡± ¡°We wish to remain separate entities from the Coalition, rather than to join you. However, opening our doors to human diplomats should be acceptable,¡± Coji answered. ¡°Excellent. I¡¯m grateful for every friend we can find in the stars. It¡¯s a shame that there is a long list of parties who¡¯ve aggrieved us, siding with the Federation. The top of the list, as I¡¯m sure the listeners are waiting for me to get to, is the Farsul. We were unable to devote the manpower to an occupation of Talsk, and that remains true, even after the war ends. What we must do is monitor them, to ensure they don¡¯t build anything, and we can¡¯t do that without any ship traffic or sensor contact. The blockade must come down.¡± I lashed my tail in irritation. ¡°The Venlil Republic wishes for the species who crippled us to remain in isolation. Unlike the Kolshians, the Farsul civilians had an idea of what was going on. Founder¡¯s Day, a festival where they sold our artifacts back to us, was a community effort¡ªit¡¯s a glaring example of the rot at their heart. Respectfully, I don¡¯t see a reason why we¡¯d let any of them out, any time soon.¡± There were a few murmurs of agreement from the gathered diplomats. Noah knitted his brows together beside me, seemingly worried by me putting a voice to my government¡¯s position of vengeance. While it was Veln¡¯s official stance that the Farsul¡¯s alterations were monstrous, it was obvious I agreed with the idea that our cripplers couldn¡¯t get off lightly. Human compassion was something I adored about them, but with an issue this personal, I felt obligated to demand justice. How many years had the Venlil been mocked as the galaxy¡¯s weakest species? How many children, like my daughter, had died or been captured, because our paws were tied behind our back? With our natural temperament, we could¡¯ve fought back against the Arxur. The Secretary-General¡¯s lips twitched with sympathy. ¡°I was there when we told you about our findings at the Archives, Ambassador. Our hearts go out to the Venlil for what was done to you. I reiterate that we do not seek more loss of life, so unless we plan to glass them, we need to attack their ideology. To show them the error of their ways. Keeping Talsk totally cut off, as a form of collective punishment, will serve to radicalize civilians. We won¡¯t change hearts and minds like that. We won¡¯t rid their planet of Federation methods and propaganda, so this system will live on.¡± ¡°Where was the resistance on Talsk?¡± I fired back. ¡°You can¡¯t rid them of something with no pushback. This isn¡¯t about innocent people.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. The Farsul aren¡¯t innocent, not most of them. They don¡¯t realize they¡¯re doing anything wrong. But if there¡¯s one person¡ªmaybe a child¡ªthat¡¯s innocent, then it¡¯s worth it to try to fix it. None of this will be easy, since change and healing take years, decades. I know it¡¯s not easy to think of ever forgiving a wound as grave as what was inflicted on your species¡­just as we still feel rage for Earth. This is about the big picture, for our children and our children¡¯s children.¡± ¡°Mr. Secretary-General, I¡¯m more willing to tolerate the very Arxur who ordered the raid than these monsters. I want my children to have a bright future, but I cannot forget what was taken from us. The Venlil, and every other species who¡¯ve had their lives turned upside-down, cannot.¡± ¡°And you should not. Rest assured, we are not just letting the Farsul back into the galaxy, any more than the Kolshians. I propose the same parole system, and without reformation, they will never touch the galaxy again. We¡¯ll engineer one lane in and out, which will allow us to monitor that they¡¯re not building any weapons to disintegrate the cage from the ground. Any traffic will require UN approval, a stringent process reserved for asylum seekers and any needed supplies. I agree that they¡¯ve lost the right to be a part of our community in this generation. I¡¯m just proposing an action for a far-off day they earn it back.¡± I stewed over the Terran leader¡¯s words for several seconds, sensing the gazes of every diplomat on me. The Sapient Coalition didn¡¯t back humanity¡¯s decision not to bomb certain worlds, though they went along with it; there was a great deal of anger over centuries of oppression. My mind harkened back to how I¡¯d told Chief Hunter Isif that I could never forgive him for what he¡¯d done, even if I recognized that he was the best bet toward peace. Elias Meier had offered a dying wish of peace between me and the Arxur, and I¡¯d been moved by it. I could appreciate that Zhao had a similar desire for us to find a way to move forward with the Farsul. What did Zhao say back at the Summit? ¡°Humanity is willing to give everything of ourselves for peace?¡± If these sweet predators say that, after everything they¡¯ve suffered, how can I be a true friend to them without doing the same? Noah leaned down, whispering in my ear. ¡°The Farsul don¡¯t hold power over us anymore. Our children will have everything they took from us, and more. We are going to have a beautiful life. I trust you, Tarva, to do the right thing, even when it isn¡¯t easy. Even when your entire world won¡¯t agree.¡± ¡°This is different from trusting a predator race. It¡¯s harder.¡± My heart was tight with sorrow, as I answered my beloved in a hushed tone; it was about more than doing a moral, yet unpopular, deed. It was trusting humanity, one final time, to act in our best interests. ¡°I want you to have the peace and harmony you desire. If I believe the Arxur can change, I guess the Farsul deserve the same chance. I know you¡¯ll never let anything happen like that to us again.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be your guardians. There will be nothing stronger than our love and our kindness together. You can count on that.¡± ¡°I know, Noah.¡± Tears welled in my eyes, as I straightened up to give Zhao an answer. ¡°The Venlil Republic would like personal updates from the UN on all matters regarding the Farsul¡¯s handling. I ask for this as a personal favor, though I will put aside my own feelings either way.¡± The Secretary-General ducked his head. ¡°With how much the Venlil have been affected, that¡¯s a fair request; we¡¯ll see that you¡¯re kept in the loop. Thank you for working with us here. I can see that emotions are, understandably, running high, so I suggest we take a ten-minute recess, and clear our minds before tackling the back half of our agenda. We¡¯ll reconvene for the rest of the items then.¡± Chatter rose up as soon as the predator stepped back from the microphone. Noah was staring at me with a mix of pride, and also concern, perhaps that my stress levels would affect the baby. I allowed him to guide me out of the room; his hands grabbed a tissue from a table, and he dabbed at my eyes lightly. There was a question swirling in his pupils, even while he focused on comforting me. I made a mental note to ask him what was on his mind later. For now, my focus needed to be on keeping my composure, and engaging with the final aspects of our peacetime accord. Humanity could count on my cooperation, as well as my unwavering attention, as they sought to wrap up the treaty convention. Chapter 180 Memory transcription subject: Ambassador Tarva of the Venlil Republic Date [standardized human time]: April 7, 2137 As I turned to stroll back into the auditorium for Zhao¡¯s resumption, I noticed that Noah hadn¡¯t followed me. Immediate concern blossomed in my heart, knowing how unusual that was. Ever since I¡¯d begun my pregnancy, the astronaut had stuck close to me, like I was a fragile object that might fall apart, if left unattended. Mere moments before, the former Ambassador Williams had been comforting me after the Farsul topic stirred up my sorrow for my species. Was the human having sudden medical complications? I whirled around to check on him, and found that the predator had inexplicably lost his footing. Noah was hunched over on one knee, extending a velvet box in his hands. His binocular eyes peered up at me with love and sincerity; he popped open the container to reveal a metal band, with a sparkling gemstone atop it. I tilted my head in confusion, not understanding what the predator was up to. Was this some Terran ritual I was unfamiliar with? Despite my lack of recognition, I could sense the charged aura of emotion between us. The astronaut¡¯s lips curved upward, as he gave voice to the unspoken question that had been in his mind. ¡°Tarva, nobody has ever made me feel as complete and sure-footed as you. You are my world, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?¡± the human rumbled. ¡°W-what?¡± The tears that had been spilling from sorrow renewed, but this time, it was from an overpowering deluge of love. It seemed this was a tradition for how the predators proposed to their loved ones; Noah wanted a commitment, to uphold our relationship until our final days. ¡°Yes. Yes! I can¡¯t wait to start a family together, as husband and wife.¡± The human rose and clasped my wrist with a gentle hand, before carefully sliding the ring onto my toe. It felt a bit strange and tight, but it must be some sort of symbol of commitment. I¡¯d seen humans wearing similar objects before, and come to think of it, all of them were in long-term relationships. We hadn¡¯t talked about marriage rituals between our two species at all, though I was sure we¡¯d have plenty of time to plan and mingle our traditions. When my ex-husband proposed to me many years ago, it was with the storied tail signs of ¡°Marry me.¡± The ceremony was our traditional fusion of the families, where relatives and friends symbolically swapped sides between bride and groom. I commit to this union, two souls merging as one. The goals of the other are my goals, and their desires are my desires. I will stoke the fires of love in rain and sunshine; I will rebuild it from ashes or cinders. For the remainder of our lives, we will move forward together, the Venlil vows read. I hadn¡¯t fulfilled the letter of my first promise, after the devastation of our daughter¡¯s death made it impossible to spark anything from the ashes. With Noah, I believed I had a chance to start again¡ªto live up to those vows. It would be not just the merging of souls, but the merging of two cultures; I intended to integrate Terran customs with Venlil rites. The words should amount to supporting my human through both hardships and good times. Together, after all we¡¯d been through since first contact, I knew we could make it through anything. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you all about our traditional weddings¡­we can swap stories, so that we¡¯re clear what marriage means between us,¡± Noah growled. ¡°For now, we need to get back to the meeting. I just couldn¡¯t wait a second longer to ask you.¡± I nuzzled up to his side, as we ambled back to the auditorium. ¡°Unless your weddings are solitary affairs, we definitely need to think of a guestlist. Family, friends, and people we¡¯ve worked closely with?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d like to limit it to those close to us. Just don¡¯t ask Glim. I wish him well, and I¡¯ve directed him to get help, but he made it personal by selling us out. I know he thinks we betrayed him first by letting Isif speak, and he¡¯s¡­a very traumatized man, but he spat on our love. I don¡¯t want to work with him, and I certainly don¡¯t want him at our wedding.¡± ¡°I agree; what he did burned bridges between us. I imagine that means, just for appearances, we should make sure Sara Rosario doesn¡¯t bring Haysi. Sara belongs at our wedding, and I¡¯m happy that she and Haysi have stayed close¡­but besides not sticking it to Glim, we don¡¯t want anyone there who might diss predator traditions.¡± ¡°That means we¡¯re definitely not inviting Coji, regardless of how much she¡¯s changed.¡± ¡°Why not? I think it¡¯d be hilarious for her to cut you off at each word of our vows.¡± ¡°Hilarious is one word to describe it. I can think of another, but it¡¯s not very diplomatic. Anyway, it looks like Zhao¡¯s about ready to resume his speech, so we can hammer out every detail on the ride back to Skalga. I¡¯m right here, if you need any support over the Farsul or the war¡ªjust reach out, and don¡¯t over exert yourself! Please.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll control my stress levels, for the baby.¡± ¡°And yourself.¡± ¡°And myself. Don¡¯t worry, Noah, I¡¯m fine.¡± The astronaut steadied my chair as I sat back down, while I tried to focus on the Secretary-General despite my giddiness and excitement. There were serious matters to attend to, and I couldn¡¯t afford to be distracted; however, the prospect of marrying my soulmate had caused my earlier pain, over the Farsul discussions, to evaporate. I was ready to tackle difficult subjects with a clear mind, and to iron out the final details of peacetime. Whatever put an end to the war and the death, with humanity ushering in a harmonious era, I could live with it. What¡¯s left for Zhao to discuss, aside from the two-hundred Federation powers? The Dominion? I wonder how Isif¡¯s rebellion has held up¡­and whether humanity finds it appropriate, for the Arxur to be punished at all for their unthinkable cattle farms. The Secretary-General¡¯s eyes swept across the room, ensuring every diplomat had time to filter back in. ¡°Alright then. Before I fully move past the Farsul issue, I want to raise two topics I intended to broach in our internal meetings¡ªto emphasize that we hate our friends¡¯ suffering, and that we intend to address every issue discovered from the Archives. You know about the gene reversals, but we haven¡¯t gone over our ¡®Project Chronicle.¡¯ In short, we¡¯re recruiting historians to sort the data from each species¡¯ chamber.¡± ¡°Only human historians?¡± Laulo, the Yotul ambassador, called out with suspicion. ¡°I trust your people, but I don¡¯t want more aliens handling our history. Respectfully.¡± ¡°Of course, and at our internal meeting, we¡¯ll be discussing what each individual race sees as important and wants in their curricula. We¡¯ll be requesting professionals from your planets to work with us, and ensure that everything is fair and aboveboard. What we¡¯ve started on is¡­incentivizing some archivist prisoners to help us, and large-scale sorting. I intend to involve each of you in your own stories. Humanity¡¯s commitment is to undoing not just the gene mods, but every lie they¡¯ve ever told you. Please understand that.¡± I flicked my ears, recognizing that Zhao was addressing me. ¡°I do, and I¡¯m grateful for your efforts to expose the conspiracy for all of their crimes against sapience. Truly. They won¡¯t control us.¡± ¡°They won¡¯t be out abducting potential uplifts either. I recognize that some member states have welcomed back citizens from the past¡ªwho could be helpful with Project Chronicle. I recommend using them as windows to a lost era, but also setting out provisions to address their¡­unique circumstances. We recognize both the benefits and the dangers of advanced cryotechnology, and intend to discuss laws on cryopod usage next week. We take what they¡¯ve done quite seriously.¡± Mazic President Cupo flared his trunk. ¡°Then destroy the technology! Nothing good can come of preserving sapients like frozen fruit, for hundreds of years.¡± A few calls of assent came from the gathered diplomats, and I found myself wondering if Cupo was right. The abductees who¡¯d been transported into our time had difficulty adjusting, and lost their lives and their families. There were zero positives to rendering people obsolete on their own worlds. Cryopods would facilitate similar experiments done by anyone who bought into Federation ideology, and tried to reinstitute the cure on live subjects. If even Zhao recognized the potential dangers, why not just outlaw cryopod usage in our territory? The Terran leader cleared his throat. ¡°There are many valid concerns, but technology is often a double-edged sword¡ªthat is to say, it can be used for good or for evil. If someone has a terminal disease, and chooses to be preserved until a cure is found, cryopods may save lives. It could allow astronauts to hibernate through long voyages. Even with warp drives, it would take vast amounts of time and supplies to travel to neighboring galaxies. It takes years just to cross the full breadth of our own. We can have this debate at length at our next meeting, where I¡¯ll lay out scientific research on the positives this tech might achieve.¡± ¡°Very well. We will listen to your arguments then,¡± Cupo acknowledged. ¡°That¡¯s all I ask. Now, let us move on from the issues surrounding Talsk, and address what we should do with the rest of the Federation. As you know, the UN launched a cyberattack on all Kolshian-aligned principalities. Let me preface this by saying that this was the move that won the war; if those two hundred parties had come to Aafa, we would¡¯ve been slaughtered. However, the cyberattacks had the regrettable consequence of civilian loss of life, due to socioeconomic collapses.¡± Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. The Dossur diplomat, Alar, twitched his whiskers. ¡°These species picked their sides, and they supported the Kolshians after everything. The Federation didn¡¯t regret picking off Dossur civilians¡ªsome of whom were only just recovered from the shadow caste¡¯s basement, in terrible condition.¡± ¡°The treatment of the captives from Mileau was criminal, and worsened by the fact that it was simply for standing with humanity. However, I reiterate our desire to limit loss of life, and not to radicalize civilians; we seek healing. We want these two-hundred-plus parties to surrender, so that we¡¯re not forced into this war any longer. That means that we¡¯re willing to send humanitarian aid and put the lights back on, for anyone who capitulates. It¡¯s also important to note that not all Federation members are in the same category.¡± ¡°Forgive the interruption,¡± Coji began, with unusual tact, ¡°but how so? I just heard Ambassador Alar point out that they supported the Kolshians after everything¡ªincluding the attacks on Mileau and Kalqua.¡± ¡°The Duerten Shield originally hesitated to side with humanity, due to fears of opposing the Kolshians. Kalqua shows that there was true peril in challenging the shadow caste. Many parties were afraid of retribution, if they broke away from the Federation. There were quite a few who voted for neutrality, after Noah¡¯s speech, but didn¡¯t want to hop sides. You were in that same position once, Coji.¡± ¡°I¡­concede that point. I believe I once told a Venlil counterpart that it was hard to stick our necks out. It was why talks with humanity hadn¡¯t achieved results before us.¡± ¡°Precisely. For parties that weren¡¯t involved as aggressors, I believe we can come to terms. Their existence as neutral powers doesn¡¯t threaten us. Honestly, if they so desire, I don¡¯t feel this changes anything about our diplomatic efforts before. We still wish to sway potential friends. This might open the door to new members of the Sapient Coalition, should they seek that avenue in good faith.¡± ¡°Um, what about the ones who¡­don¡¯t act in good faith? Who acted against the SC?¡± Tilfish Governor Birla hesitated, recalling how her species had once been a hostile power. ¡°I recognize the value of parole and second chances, after Sillis has received one. However, not everyone can¡­be trusted, or should escape punishment.¡± The Harchen ambassador raised an appendage in support. ¡°I don¡¯t speak in defense of Fahl¡¯s actions any more than Birla stands by what the Tilfish did. I agree that we should separate those who helped from those who were captive bystanders. Yet the truth is, there are true fanatics in the Federation. Many of these people have had ample opportunity to break from the ideology, but couldn¡¯t even see anything wrong with¡­omnivores¡¯ treatment.¡± ¡°Humanity is aware of the aggressors, such as the Malti; a species who¡¯d practice orbital exterminations on sapients, at the Kolshians¡¯ behest, and see it as a normal military duty. We¡¯re informed about the most concerning subset, the ¡®fanatics¡¯ as you say. The difficult aspect of these is religion, something the Federation tailored to control worlds¡ªsomething seen in many cultures, such as the Gojids¡¯ Great Protector, the Krakotl¡¯s Inatala, or the Iftali¡¯s Consecrated Order.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t they see from the Archives that their religion is a lie?¡± an Iftali diplomat piped up. ¡°Even before we had hard proof, Cilany caught Nikonus bragging about co-opting omnivore religions.¡± ¡°Hm¡­for the ones who weren¡¯t omnivores, such as the two most¡­egregious examples, they believed their faith was natural. Even with proof, some wouldn¡¯t accept their beliefs as false. The reality is that cultists such as the Yulpa, who have actively sought human sacrifices, or the Drezjin, who worship the Federation as divine avatars, will fight to the last. We¡¯d like for absolute peace, yet these races must be treated as hostiles.¡± ¡°Are you going to wipe them out?¡± the Takkan representative asked. ¡°We don¡¯t seek extinction, but the only solution we see is to rebuild their society, from the ground up. We don¡¯t wish to allocate troops for an occupation, or to directly engage more than needed. We¡¯ll ramp up cyberattacks, forcing them back to the technological drawing board; we¡¯ll target their leadership, religious and political. Then, we drop pamphlets and combat misinformation, in the hopes of an eventual surrender. It may take years, and after we¡¯ve had time to recover, we may need to kickstart change by force.¡± Zurulian Prime Minister Braylen raised a paw. ¡°So the war¡¯s not ending?¡± ¡°Not altogether, but the threat to our safety is finished. There will still be cleanup for years to come; even on our own turf, we¡¯ll be rebuilding Kalqua, Earth, Nishtal, the cradle, and many more through titanic efforts. I regret that this is the only way to bring peace to the SC. This is seeking the path of least violence, yet it¡¯s still an ugly one that forces the compromising of our morals. We¡¯ve done the best we could to adhere to our ethics, while staving off enemies who don¡¯t afford us any rights. I take no joy in the suboptimal choices we¡¯ve been left with on several occasions.¡± There were no ensuing challenges from the assembled diplomats, while Zhao shuffled his notes. It was obvious that the final enemy, the one who¡¯d yet to be addressed, was the Arxur Dominion: the carnivores who had terrorized us for centuries. Isif had offered a non-aggression pact during his speech at the Summit, but some diplomats had been quite vocal about his species not deserving a continued existence. Either that conversation and the Nikonus-Giznel video had a lingering effect on the Coalition, or humanity would have to dig their heels in if they wished to spare their troublesome ally. I¡¯m willing to fight with Governor Veln, despite his undoubted concerns about how the public will react to him ¡°tolerating¡± the grays. As long as Isif keeps to himself, and that his kind is punished at the first instance of¡­reverting to old ways, I¡¯ll vote to allow it. ¡°I¡¯ll gloss over the unaffiliated Sivkit Grand Herd, who never reestablished diplomatic connections with us or the Federation. If they want to be isolationist, after learning the truth, we should respect that and leave them alone,¡± Zhao explained. ¡°So that leads me to the ¡®elephant in the room¡¯, which is the Arxur. The Dominion surrendered after their humiliation, and there¡¯s a new government now. As I recall, after Isif¡¯s speech, certain diplomats believe that we¡¯re partial to predators, and you have staunch stances on not treating an Arxur as a person. Many of you have trauma¡­some of you have even lost your homeworlds to their raids. Let me say, I don¡¯t expect you to forgive or forget.¡± The Thafki diplomat¡¯s silver-gray ears twitched with anger. ¡°We had no world to ourselves, until you helped us carve something out. There were 12,000 of us in the wild, until you freed millions of our cattle¡­millions of damaged, battered, broken people, just like those who have strained other worlds¡¯ resources with their predator-diseased states. The Arxur shouldn¡¯t be left alone, to do whatever they like without supervision! If you¡¯re not going to kill them, take away their damn ships.¡± ¡°Their bombers ravaged Nishtal; something humanity played a role in. You know what the Arxur do with their ships,¡± Nuela squawked. Gojid Minister Kiri flicked her claws. ¡°Isif presided over the raid that left the cradle in ashes, and my species as a mix of sparse colonists and refugees.¡± ¡°I understand how they feel,¡± I whispered to Noah. ¡°Isif was responsible for that raid, targeted at Venlil schools. My little girl would be alive if not for him. I was willing to work with him, but with the war over, he shouldn¡¯t keep his bombers. Those aren¡¯t used for good.¡± The astronaut grimaced. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine the grief, and I don¡¯t know how you put it aside to cooperate with Isif at all. Nobody would¡¯ve blamed you for wanting outright revenge. I won¡¯t tell you to change how you feel. I wish we lived in a galaxy where everyone could disassemble their bombers, us included. War is hell.¡± The argument raged on, with the Thafki ambassador Telikinn¡¯s voice growing more heated. ¡°They view the Thafki as a delicacy! I don¡¯t care if the Kolshians let it happen; the Arxur still did it. They should be locked in a ¡®Kessler¡¯ cage at a minimum. They can¡¯t be trusted, and I certainly don¡¯t foresee opening relations with a race that remembers eating us.¡± Laulo strained on his hindlegs. ¡°The Arxur were quite helpful at Mileau and Kalqua. Our commanders were able to establish a cordial, working relationship with Isif, who helped save prey lives by the billions. I have no reason to believe he¡¯d want to raid or eat anyone. He risked his own head to bring about the opposite, and expressed remorse to us.¡± ¡°This is about a better future!¡± I shouted, deciding that the Yotul couldn¡¯t argue for Isif alone. ¡°Isif always wanted that. He said something quite powerful to me long ago, that, ¡®One can be both a victim and an oppressor.¡¯ That is what that Arxur is. To everyone¡¯s surprise, we now know that the grays are capable of empathy, so I stress giving them a chance to change, just like the galaxy¡¯s other monsters.¡± ¡°Their entire culture is based in cruelty,¡± Cupo challenged. ¡°If that¡¯s not evil at every level, what is?¡± Secretary-General Zhao tapped the microphone. ¡°That is enough! Nobody is expected to even think about forgiving the Arxur for generations, but we also know they were warped into monsters. The United Nations has every intention of monitoring them, and forcing them to live by civilized standards. Without purposeful starvation, there¡¯s no reason for raids. Isif was crucial in liberating cattle, overthrowing the Dominion, and gathering allies against Aafa. Despite his past, we can¡¯t argue that we owe him our victory.¡± ¡°If there¡¯s no reason for them to raid, why can¡¯t you take away their bombers? Keep them out of our space!¡± Telikinn yelled. ¡°We have negotiated terms to keep the Arxur out of our space¡ªin a twenty-lightyear bubble, leaving the SC be. The Dominion¡¯s cruelty-based legacy means that Isif will be seen as weak, without maintaining a military. His government, the one that wants change, would collapse, so it¡¯s a necessity to allow him to keep his fleet. It¡¯s all for show; the UN will police him. Should the bombers vacate their territory, we have multiple cyberweapons ready to destroy the fleet. If Isif can¡¯t be trusted, he won¡¯t get past the SC¡¯s welcome mat. Will that satisfy you?¡± ¡°Not really. However, nonaggression is an upgrade over our¡­former circumstances. We¡¯ll trust humanity to handle it, for now, but we¡¯ll be watching them closely ourselves.¡± ¡°The United Nations welcomes assistance monitoring all powers confined to their territory, not just the Arxur; we don¡¯t trust them ourselves.¡± Zhao was hasty to pivot away, not allowing any further debate over his chosen resolution to Isif. He¡¯d baited Telikinn into agreeing so smoothly, that other SC members might not realize it. ¡°That settles everything. We¡¯re quite grateful for the cooperation of our allies, to finalize the war¡¯s resolution, with the Treaty of Sol. I look forward to discussions of our internal affairs next week, and I wish you all safe travels. Farewell.¡± As the human leader dismounted the stage, I relished in the knowledge that the centuries-long war was over. The predators had laid out a step-by-step process to steer the galaxy in the right direction, and to handle all parties that fell outside SC bounds. Noah¡¯s loving gaze studied me from the periphery, a warm blanket of security that drew my focus back to the band around my foretoe. His fingers traced over the ring¡¯s cool metal, which my brain had somehow normalized wearing. With today''s ambassadorial duties complete, I didn¡¯t have to worry about protecting Venlil-human interests anymore. My attention could center around our personal life together, with a wedding to plan and two children on the way. Now that I was starting a new family with such a remarkable person, I felt an eagerness for the future that was unmatched by anything I¡¯d experienced before. Chapter 181 Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, United Nations Fleet Command Date [standardized human time]: April 9, 2137 I wasn¡¯t sure what I imagined human funerary traditions would be like. Not too long ago, before I grew close to the gentle-hearted primates, I wouldn¡¯t have imagined a predator race would hold sincere burials at all. Carlos would be laid to rest in a funeral plot all of us chipped in to pay for, right in Tyler¡¯s backyard of Columbus, Ohio. It was a small ceremony consisting of people who worked with him in the past, and our ship¡¯s crew members, who¡¯d arrived on Earth after a dragged-out journey back from Aafa. Several stops had been made on our voyage home, to unload Kolshian prisoners and drop off passengers at Skalga and Leirn. Per my deceased friend¡¯s wishes, we hadn¡¯t invited his family, despite how heartbreaking that rift was. The quiet ceremony unfolded with little fanfare, and some human religious figure arrived to say a few words. Samantha Harris had made the detour to pay her final respects to her longtime companion. Tyler and Onso were watching a virtual livestream, since the two of them had moved to Leirn for the time being. The apartment had been left into my care, though I was told that ¡°ya gotta pay the rent now, Sovlin. Don¡¯t ya dare get me evicted.¡± I was surprised by my commanding officer¡¯s decision to move away from Earth, and wondered if it was all for his exchange partner¡¯s sake. Officer Cardona was never coming back to reclaim his dog from his father? Why wouldn¡¯t he want to continue his ramen chef duties, with Hunter and I as roommates? Overall, it felt good to be back on the predator homeworld, but I hated today¡¯s circumstances: knowing that Carlos hadn¡¯t seen the return home with us. His body would be lowered into a hole in the ground, with a simple headstone denoting the years he¡¯d been alive. That was what the one person who¡¯d shown me immeasurable kindness was reduced to. A human priest was reading a passage that stated, ¡°Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted¡±, before offering words of solace. I knew little about how Terran religions compared to Gojid religions, but that sounded like nonsense. There¡¯s no comfort in a loved one¡¯s death. Just pain, loss, and heartache. Mourning is knowing a person is gone, and they took a part of you with them. Unlike Sam, I¡¯d turned down the opportunity to speak at the funeral; her statement had been a short admission that she missed his kindness. I had no idea what I would¡¯ve said if I stood before everyone, but I could barely bring myself to be at this ceremony and honor Carlos¡¯ life. I could still see the bullet hole in his helmet, and recalled shaking his spacesuit. Too many people that I cared about had been taken in recent months. Ever since the cradle¡¯s fall, terrible events had played out before my eyes, all while I tried to atone for my own hatred. I was grateful that Hunter, Vysith, and Aucel were standing beside me, reminding me why I bothered to persist, confront my demons, and seek happier days. Tears rolled down my face, as the funeral drew to a close; I couldn¡¯t wait to bolt from the premises. I thought if I had spoken before the crowd, I would¡¯ve commented about the lessons Carlos taught me on open-mindedness, and understanding opposing viewpoints. That was how I wished to remember him, not as the embalmed corpse locked in a wooden box. We might¡¯ve unseated the Federation, but I¡¯d never forget the costs it had required. Regardless of what my plea deal and my conscience had said, there was nothing left for me to give to any war. I was an old man, who wanted to help his found family navigate their present reality. It was time to make a positive difference in the world, like the humanitarian work Carlos partook in before this all started. That was what the Peacekeepers were truly about, and those were causes that I could put my personal touch on. ¡°Hey, Baldy.¡± Samantha walked up to me, dabbing at her binocular eyes: watery pupils I¡¯d once thought deceiving, with false emotions. ¡°Wherever our friend is, I hope he¡¯s at peace. Too many burials in too short a time frame. I hope you¡¯ve got something happier on your slate, now that this is over.¡± I flicked my claws. ¡°I used to think I deserved my suffering. Since I survived instead of Carlos, I¡¯m going to try to find a way to heal myself¡­and to make a difference in post-war Earth. There¡¯s lots of people like my three younglings here, who could use some guidance. Setting them all up for a bright future is my new mission.¡± ¡°Fuck, I sure could use some guidance myself. Now that I¡¯m here¡­I either have to grapple with the fact my home and my family are long gone, or I¡¯ll find a way to ship out. There¡¯s nobody. Not even Carlos. I could live with running off with the UN if he were here.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to leave or go it alone. You can stay here, with us, Sam. You know Earth better than all of us. I know I haven¡¯t been your favorite person, but I care about you. I hate seeing grief tear others apart like it did to me. We can have our own family, a support network, right here.¡± The auburn-haired soldier forced a smile, before, to my surprise, she wrapped me in a fleeting embrace. ¡°Thanks for offering, but I¡¯m sure as fuck not living with the Yanks. Too much soda, guns, and star-spangled bullshit going on here; it¡¯d make putting up with a racist war criminal not even the worst part.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not all America is, any more than you¡¯re kangaroos and koalas!¡± Hunter protested. ¡°Well I like my kangaroos and koalas, and it beats dealing with Sovlin on a daily basis,¡± Sam responded, pulling away from me. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. Some time to grieve John¡­it can¡¯t hurt any worse. Ah, enough about me. Why don¡¯t we say goodbye with some happier news? Like how the fuck you don¡¯t have to uphold those minimum five years of service?¡± I shifted with discomfort on my paws. ¡°I have Marcel¡¯s blessing; I reached out to him. He wanted me to¡­get help before, and he still does. If there¡¯s anything I learned, it¡¯s that I¡¯m not predator diseased. I have PTSD. I told the UN the truth, and got a statement from Dr. Bahri advising that I was unfit for combat duty. With the war over, they¡¯re happy for me to fulfill our pact through community service. It¡¯s part of their mission.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t I know it. I reckon they want to not just rebuild Earth, but forge our cities into true interplanetary hubs. The UN wants multicultural acceptance, where, once they get past the ¡®predators scary¡¯ phase, aliens feel welcome. Since you¡¯ve acquired such an¡­interesting cast, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re up for it. If I heard about an Arxur, a Kolshian, and a 1970s human living together, I¡¯d have thought it was a joke.¡± Aucel kept me positioned between her and Vysith. ¡°I would have too. You should¡¯ve seen how I reacted when Sovlin told me. Living around a gray¡­it¡¯s a quick way to get over being disgusted by humans.¡± ¡°That¡¯s unflattering. My people might be monsters now, but I¡¯m not one of them. I have more in common with the Terrans than the Dominion,¡± Vysith commented. To say the living arrangement had been awkward at first would be an understatement. Once the United Nations gave the sign-off to Aucel¡¯s asylum, after learning her relation to the heroic Recel, it¡¯d taken a great deal of convincing about how ancient Arxur had been empathetic and civilized. The female Kolshian was more in line with the belief that humans were the exception to the predator rule; I could understand how long that notion took to work through. There was no telling whether she¡¯d seek a use for her botanist expertise now, perhaps cultivating a garden in predator lands. Helping her adjust to Earth, keeping her safe from humans who didn¡¯t like her citizenship, and coaxing her out of this fear, was the least I could do. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Sometimes, it just takes time to get over things, and I believe Aucel can come around. She¡¯s learning tolerance for how predators live, at their ugliest, by being here. She has a strong moral compass, and she trusts me. Everything we both believed is gone, but we¡¯ll shape something new. Together. While it was an accomplishment for Aucel to be in the same room as two predators, Vysith and Hunter had both graduated to the next steps of their life. The pre-Dominion Arxur had considered how despondent the other grays found in the Archives were, and decided to set up a support group. With Giznel unseated, the path had opened up for her to join the UN Peacekeepers: something she was leaning toward doing. Her presence on Earth no longer needed to be hidden, because of it being an affront to Betterment. As one of the few members of her species not involved with the atrocities, Vysith could prove Arxur weren¡¯t always monsters to the galaxy. Hunter Garner was still adjusting to present-day culture and technology, with occasional mishaps that reflected his primitive upbringing; however, his fiduciary field of study wasn¡¯t obsolete. When he approached me about delving into xenoeconomics, I thought it was the perfect use of his skillset. All of humanity would be exploring that field from scratch, and he¡¯d proven to be quite absorbent to those concepts. As the United Nations opened its doors for trading, there would always be roles for the numerically savvy. I still thought he should change his name if he wanted to do business with herbivores, but that was a moot point. ¡°While they¡¯re arguing about whether Arxur are disgusting, why don¡¯t you tell Sam your other service?¡± Hunter slapped me in the back, right on a large, bald patch devoid of spines. I flinched, not used to direct contact there. ¡°To your people.¡± I groaned, as Sam fixed me with a quizzical glare. ¡°I¡¯d rather not. Sam will make fun of me, and it¡¯s a sore spot.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let you in on a secret,¡± the Australian soldier replied. ¡°I¡¯ll make fun of you no matter what you say, because deep down, you like it. Plus, you owe me for having me call Onso a slur. Spill.¡± ¡°Ugh, Hunter, now I¡¯m fucked to the Protector¡¯s Cloud! Look, when I talked to the UN, I might¡¯ve gotten them to sign me up for the cure reversal. The first Gojid trials are moving forward this week, and I volunteered. Now, I know what you¡¯re thinking about how I hate being a former omnivore, but this is just about the allergy, like Marcel testified to the SC. If I¡¯m living on Earth, I can¡¯t die from a whiff of your grossness.¡± Hunter clapped his hands with delight. ¡°We¡¯re going out for burgers after the procedure. Take back that Gojid pride!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how Gojids are rebuilding our culture, and I don¡¯t want to be involved with it. After what happened to the cradle, I doubt it¡¯ll even be recognizable. I¡¯m not proud of my ancestry, even if they were just people. Meat-eaters aren¡¯t monsters, sure, but it¡¯s still sickening. It¡¯s like eating a slab of your¡­skin!¡± ¡°You already watch me eat raw, bloody meat,¡± Vysith commented. ¡°That¡¯s different. You will die without that, and I don¡¯t ¡®watch¡¯ you. I purposefully turn away, and I wish you¡¯d go do that in a closed room.¡± ¡°It takes me all of about two seconds to devour those tiny human cuts. Do I need to isolate myself for basic survival functions, just because I¡¯m a flesh-eater? I understand you may feel uncomfortable watching an Arxur tear into meat, after what you saw with your family, but I don¡¯t wish for you to feel ashamed of me.¡± Aucel shuddered. ¡°Being around you during mealtime is so¡­visceral.¡± ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not her fault that she has fangs that could snap us in half?¡± I offered, in an uneasy voice. ¡°Though she is terrifyingly capable of killing us with a single bite. It reminds me of certain things.¡± Samantha rolled her eyes. ¡°And yet our canines were scary. How exactly were we going to bite you, and snap you in half?¡± ¡°With the power of sass and evil sadism, obviously.¡± ¡°You make a compelling argument. My sarcasm is a weapon of sass destruction.¡± ¡°That was a fucking terrible pun,¡± Hunter griped. ¡°He won¡¯t even get the rhyme through his translator!¡± ¡°That sounds like Sovlin¡¯s problem. Seriously, Baldy, I¡¯m not gonna make fun of you; I think it¡¯s great you¡¯re getting uncured. I¡¯m not your shrink, but for what it¡¯s worth, I think chowing down on a burger might be a great idea. Not even because you want to switch your diet. One bite is all.¡± I scowled. ¡°Why the fuck would I do that? I just learned how you get lethal diseases from eating meat!¡± ¡°All talk to keep you afraid. Our stuff is monitored, and it¡¯s safe. I think you should try meat, just once, to prove the Federation doesn¡¯t have power over you. To prove to yourself that you won¡¯t change or struggle with bloodlust, because you broke your herbivore crap. It¡¯s a way to come to terms with what Gojids really are. Maybe¡­think about it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s eating carcasses, even if it¡¯s artificial. I hate what the Kolshians cost my people, and yours, but I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll ever do something like that.¡± ¡°I doubt you thought you¡¯d jump out of a predator spaceship to a moon either. Sometimes, you take the leap anyway. You¡¯ve come a long way from wishing we¡¯d all go extinct, and bristling up at the sight of me. I wish you the best of luck, Captain Sovlin. It was an honor to serve alongside you.¡± ¡°Likewise. Don¡¯t be a stranger, Sam.¡± My surviving guard ducked her head, awakening me to the reality that I was no longer a prisoner: not to my life, not to my genes, not to my guilt over Marcel and the cradle, not to the United Nations, and certainly not to the Federation. I was free to live my life however I pleased, whether that was down the path of burned flesh patties or not. Hunter¡¯s amber eyes twinkled with affection; to think I once would¡¯ve seen human vision as proof that he was incapable of kindness. There had been a great number of leaps I¡¯d needed to take internally, with everything I ever knew crumbling. Revelation after revelation challenged my certainties and beliefs until none survived. I had come a long way from my first encounter with humanity, savoring an innocent man¡¯s suffering out of misguided vengeance for my daughter. How laughable was it that even after I¡¯d been convinced of humanity¡¯s empathy, I¡¯d believed they were struggling not to pounce on us at a moment¡¯s notice? While my therapist had refuted the existence of Terran bloodlust, I had nagging concerns about Gojid proclivities. After what Maronis told us, it was apparent that such constructs were inventions to keep us afraid of regression¡­all because of a poor understanding of odd diseases. When I talked to Vysith, even she knew what it was: as an Arxur from hundreds of years ago! The truth is that I don¡¯t understand predators at all, but I know that they¡¯re not defined by their diet. I won¡¯t be defined by that either, anymore. Aucel gazed at Carlos¡¯ casket, as Samantha retrieved a flower and placed it atop the cover. ¡°They associate¡­beautiful plants with death?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know why they do it, any more than why the Venlil decorate their plots with flowering bushes,¡± I remarked. ¡°I¡¯d guess it¡¯s about making ugly things beautiful. Like why the City of the Flora is so gorgeous¡­to hide the shadow caste¡¯s ugliness underneath.¡± ¡°Is that a good thing?¡± ¡°It depends on what you¡¯re hiding. One is a gesture of love for someone who¡¯s no longer around, perhaps symbolic of life¡¯s fragility. Another is beautifying the oppression of someone no longer around, symbolic of their lies¡¯ fragility. If he was here, Carlos might¡¯ve said it¡¯s our beliefs that make a thing good or evil.¡± ¡°He must¡¯ve meant a lot to you, to imagine what he would say now. But that only asks the big question about our morality, with the causes forced on us in the past. What do we believe now?¡± ¡°I believe all of us have suffered enough for one lifetime¡­that we don¡¯t have to let the wounds of the past hold us back. That the truth about ourselves may not be pretty, but that it can¡¯t be something we run from. And I believe it¡¯s worth trying to build something better.¡± Vysith lashed her tail. ¡°Something better, hrr? Maybe one day, I¡¯ll find the strength to help my people¡­and you to help yours. But for now, let¡¯s go home.¡± ¡°Yeah. We can figure out the future together, Dad. I¡¯ll be ready for anything, as long as I have your support,¡± Hunter agreed. I ruffled the human¡¯s brown hair, just how I used to with Hania. In that moment, I wasn¡¯t a broken man who¡¯d been grieving his family for years, a captain who¡¯d unraveled his own life¡¯s purpose, or a devastated conscript burying a guard-turned-friend. I was a father who wanted to see his children succeed, no matter what path their lives took. The galaxy¡¯s future under the United Nations could be prosperous, and I couldn¡¯t wait to settle down and watch the future unfold. My life¡¯s intersection with the predators had not only freed me from my past, but like the casket¡¯s flowers, it made my present reality a bit more beautiful. Chapter 182 Memory transcription subject: Onso, Yotul Technical Specialist Date [standardized human time]: April 9, 2137 Rather than settling down on Rinsa after arriving back at Leirn, I had duties to fulfill for my people before heading home. I was summoned to mainland Thysun, after requesting to speak to the Technocracy¡¯s Intelligence Panel in closed testimony; departmental leadership, implemented when we drove foreigners and Federation sympathizers away in the Great Reclaiming, was comprised of leading experts in various fields. The committee was a band of geopolitical specialists, threat assessors, and continuity-of-government planners. After seeing the quiet devastation of cyberwarfare, I¡¯d entreated my government to create our own cyber division. The Yotul couldn¡¯t leave our infrastructure vulnerable to malicious programs. While I doubt the humans will be our enemies in the near future, they still have the capabilities to unseat all our advancements without sending a single ship. We don¡¯t want anyone to have that level of power over us, like the Federation did. It wasn¡¯t impossible that other planets would develop such capabilities either, especially without the Kolshian-led stagnation. Preparing for all eventualities was something that my people needed to prioritize, so we had protocol to fall back on for even the most unlikely of challenges. It was like building redundancies upon redundancies in engineering; if something went wrong, there should be more failsafes and backup plans than we¡¯d ever need. That was Safety 101, and it shouldn¡¯t be any different with the security of our society. The Yotul Technocracy had made leaps and bounds since leaving the Federation. We were technological leaders, pushing the forefront of innovation alongside the humans. Being one of the original three to aid Earth, after Kalsim¡¯s attack, meant that we were one of the most powerful nations in the Sapient Coalition¡­but it also meant we¡¯d be a target for any ex-Federation members who resented the primates¡¯ victory. The Technocracy was mistrustful of the surrendering ¡°neutrals¡±, who were being weighed as trial additions to the SC; I wasn¡¯t thrilled about parties who hadn¡¯t stood up to the shadow caste, and their imperialism, having a say in the alliance¡¯s internal affairs. I dropped a suggestion in my briefing, to enhance our digital espionage abilities, with that in mind. If anyone was plotting against us, militarily or diplomatically, we needed advance warning. I¡¯d left Thysun after several days of being questioned, on everything I knew about human and nonhuman military capabilities, and the exact details I¡¯d written in my combat report. The Intelligence Panel promised to grant me a commendation for my seamless integration with our UN allies, before offering me my choice of a posting or a promotion¡ªwith their preference being a top-tier job in the Research and Development department. The idea of playing a part in our shipyards¡¯ mass construction program had appealed to me, almost as much as Sara Rosario¡¯s prior offer to restore Leirn. It would be prestigious, squarely in my field, and come with a pay increase; plus, I imagined I could request to stay in Rinsa, my own backyard. Still, part of me wanted to leave the military behind. Tyler was waiting for me at the bullet train station, so I¡¯d like to acquire his thoughts. I attended Carlos¡¯ funeral virtually on the locomotive ride across the Rinsa-Thysun Connector Bridge, and stared out at the glistening ocean waves in somber reflection on all that¡¯d been lost. It once would¡¯ve taken weeks by boat to travel intercontinental like this. The harbor where I¡¯d spent days on the sailboat with Mama, salt spray on my lolling tongue and wind in my ears, was now replete with modernized haulers¡ªthough a few recreational ships, including an ¡°Island Cruise Liner¡±, were making a return. That turned my mourning to a bit of optimism, as we¡¯d restored traces of what made us the Yotul. ¡°Well, hello Tyler,¡± I murmured, spotting the tall human as the train pulled up to the station. His towering figure would stand out anywhere, even on Earth. ¡°Why did you hang out here in Rinsa, while I was busy in Thysun, instead of heading home? It can¡¯t be just to teach me surfing.¡± I¡¯d thought it was strange when Tyler took the shuttle down to Leirn¡¯s surface with me. After the entire mission revolved around rescuing Slanek, I expected him to assure the Venlil¡¯s return; instead, that fell to the handful of herbivore crew and Sovlin, who was lucky the Venlil didn¡¯t remember him. Officer Cardona¡¯s willingness to forsake the ship, with his promise to Marcel fulfilled, suggested he might want to put the exchange program first. This could be not just about the offhand remark to teach me surfing, but also about strengthening our friendship. The move seemed semi-permanent even, since he hadn¡¯t returned to his homeworld at all. According to our chats, he had his belongings shipped to him, and was living at a UN foothold on Rinsa. I love the idea of having some downtime with my friend, like we did in Brussels at our first meeting, but I can¡¯t turn down R&D for that. I already missed one prime opportunity for him. I need to help my family, and this pay hike could give my father retirement. Tyler grinned as he spotted me, and walked slowly up to the train station. The primate was in civilian pelts, a casual shirt with tropical trees printed on it and beige shorts. I imagined that choice of attire had something to do with loving Rinsa¡¯s warm and temperate climate; there had been reports not just of Terran refugees, but also of requests for tourism flooding in after the war¡¯s conclusion. The village council was discussing permits for a beach resort by the harbor, injecting life into our economy. They were even considering using old Yotul technology, to give a ¡°medieval¡± experience. It was strange for aliens to want to visit islanders that were considered ¡°backward savages¡± even among our own kind, but I was touched that someone saw the beauty in our way of life. ¡°Buddy! The Michelin-star ramen chef is here to rescue you!¡± Tyler boomed, earning mystified looks from the other disembarking passengers. ¡°I¡¯ve been waitin¡¯ here, all by my lonesome, for you. I got some stuff to show ya.¡± I twitched my ears with amusement. ¡°You know, the exchange program doesn¡¯t have any official oversight anymore. It¡¯s over. I don¡¯t have to go anywhere with you.¡± ¡°Too bad; you¡¯re my hostage. With that smart brain of yours, I think I could get quite a ransom. After all, ya been chumming it up with the who¡¯s who of Thysun. Wait a second, do y¡¯all got some spy agency that¡¯s following you, now that you¡¯re connected? I don¡¯t wanna be black bagged.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. If you want to go through with holding me for ransom, you can find out.¡± ¡°Nah. Don¡¯t feel like callin¡¯ your bluff today.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who bluffs. I¡¯ve seen your mathematically dubious poker strategy.¡± ¡°That implies that I have a strategy! Now quit taking the piss, and walk with me. I got something for you back at the UN compound.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± I agreed, allowing him to drag me off down the sidewalk. ¡°But you¡¯re gonna tell me why you¡¯ve moved out here, and sat around waiting for me.¡± ¡°Ain¡¯t it obvious? First off, I¡¯m here growing out my hair, though it¡¯s gonna take way too long to get those surfer vibes. You were in Thysun for long enough I was startin¡¯ to think I might have time to get some locks going. Now that you¡¯re back, I brought you a board, and I¡¯m gonna start teaching you how to ride the waves!¡± I was silent for a long moment, mulling over how to respond. While I didn¡¯t want to shoot down his enthusiasm, and the idea of learning Terran water sports sounded amazing, I wouldn¡¯t have all this time during the day to devote to recreation. If I took the R&D job, I intended to work my ass off to advance the Yotul¡¯s security. Sure, lazing around the beach under Ralchi¡¯s warmth sounded divine, just as we had before setting sail to the Battle of Aafa. It was a blessing that we¡¯d come back alive at all, with the enormity of casualties in the orbital battle. Carlos¡¯ funeral, which we just listened in to, had been a poignant reminder of that fact. Staying in touch with Tyler and trying to balance work and life would be my goal, but I also had to think of my family. My father isn¡¯t getting any younger, and the time I have left with him grows shorter, the longer he works himself to death. The paycheck will be good, but not quite as life-changing as Sara¡¯s program. I hope Tyler didn¡¯t make any drastic moves to the detriment of his own career without consulting me. While I¡¯d told myself I¡¯d confront my friend, my mind was all but set on taking the job. It would¡¯ve been a relief in many ways to leave the military behind, but I needed to secure my future, my loved ones¡¯ welfare, and my role in the Great Reclaiming. Very few people were offered two once-in-a-lifetime opportunities in short succession, so I¡¯d be foolish to pass on an upgrade like this a second time. Years of studying engineering pointed to this path, so I wasn¡¯t sure why I yearned for something more peaceable. When I¡¯d watched the bombs fall on Caato, my conscience had shuddered to think of building the tools to enable such devastation. Yet I knew the Technocracy wasn¡¯t the Duerten Shield; we wished to protect ourselves and level the playing field. It wasn¡¯t the same. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Seriously, Onso, all I wanted since first contact was to be friends with aliens. Problem is, I¡¯m louder and less cleaned-up than Marcel,¡± Tyler remarked, prompting me out of my silence. ¡°On Leirn, there¡¯s none of the fucking fragile prey act. I thought a change of scenery would be good for me, else I¡¯m gonna punch Hunter next time he makes one of his shitty comments. Sovlin needs a place to come home to more than me; he¡¯s doin¡¯ good work.¡± My tail swished in acknowledgement. ¡°That Gojid found his calling. I never thought I¡¯d hear him praise the Yotul¡¯s culture, but the more I consider it, the more I think those ¡®primitive¡¯ comments were rooted in jealousy¡­that we still have our identity.¡± ¡°Maybe. Point is, I got a transfer here, to literal fucking paradise on my favorite SC planet. Being near my best friend is a cherry on top. You can nerd out about all the Yotul culture you want, Onso; we don¡¯t got nowhere left to go.¡± ¡°Not even to check on Slanek and Marcel?¡± ¡°The beauty of FTL comms. I don¡¯t like the idea of going to Skalga with ¡®Put A Visor On It¡¯ Veln as leader. Those two can come visit here, but I doubt that¡¯ll happen any time soon. Shit, that¡¯s right¡ªI meant to give you the scoop on how they¡¯re doing! Marcel¡¯s been texting me, and he sent a video update a few hours ago, but I saved it to watch with you. One second!¡± The human flashed his canine teeth, nearly throwing his holopad into my hands after pulling up the video. It was the same enthusiasm that had led him to call Marcel back in the lab; which, in fairness, had paid dividends despite its risks. It was obvious how much Tyler cared for the people close to him, with how he¡¯d pledged to go to the galaxy¡¯s most spectacular battle to rescue a friend. Despite losing the Leirn restoration job, I was glad that I¡¯d gone with my friend; it would¡¯ve been much harder to coax the Venlil back to the ship without me. If love had lasted through the brain experimentation, it was possible the hatred for Sovlin would¡¯ve lingered too, once the Salt Monster laid eyes on him. I peered at the recorded face of the red-haired Terran, who had a sheepish Slanek curled up next to him in the video. Marcel smiled at the camera, with scars weathering his face. ¡°I¡¯m checking in with lots of good news, though it¡¯s not all swimming. First off, Nulia has shown trouble at first getting attached to female figures¡ªcan¡¯t blame her, after her mom abandoned her and¡­well, that¡¯s not fair. I should have shouldered more of the responsibility, but too many things were hitting me at once. Anyhow, she¡¯s finally starting to warm to Jensi. She really wants to join the mahjong games with Jensi¡¯s human friends, but she¡¯s a bit too young and those are¡­on hold, because Slanek finds that to be way too much.¡± ¡°Not¡­don¡¯t want in my house,¡± the Venlil croaked. ¡°Supposed to be¡­safe.¡± ¡°I know, buddy. I¡¯ll protect you, right? What the Kolshians told you about us isn¡¯t true. You lived on Earth and with our soldiers for months, and no humans hurt you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember. You said I trained with that¡­Tyler. It¡­he rescued me. When are we going to call him?¡± Marcel¡¯s expression fell. ¡°We¡¯re calling him right now, buddy. Focus up¡­look at the holopad camera. You see, it¡¯s on? We¡¯ve been filming for about thirty seconds. Tyler did go through the instinct suppression program with you, and we visited Skalga¡ª¡± ¡°Where¡­what is Skalga?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Venlil Prime¡¯s name now; they voted it in officially a few weeks ago. It was the name before the Federation¡­World of Death. You remember what I told you about them screwing over the Venlil? Don¡¯t cry, it¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll just keep reminding you of things.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard¡­keep things. Brain¡­catches nothing. I¡¯m tired.¡± ¡°You can nap right here, until the nice Zurulian doctor comes to try to help you. If the Kolshians did this to you, then maybe it can be undone, right? I just wanted you to remember how our first visit to your planet together was with Tyler, while a cute little Tilfish kid named Virnt rode on his shoulders. That was after he saved us on Sillis, flying into headlong danger; he¡¯s a bro. Why don¡¯t you be a brave Venlil and wave at the camera?¡± Slanek took a moment to locate the camera, before giving a disjointed swish of his tail. ¡°There. Sleep now.¡± Marcel gently pulled the Venlil¡¯s already-dozing head onto his stomach. ¡°Shit. You see what¡¯s wrong? I was going to start with the good news, like how my gene reversal went off without a hitch. No more allergic reactions from the slightest whiff of animal stuff. I can move back to Earth whenever, but I¡¯m staying because Slanek needs me.¡± ¡°Yes. Stay,¡± the Venlil murmured. ¡°Love Marcel.¡± ¡°You know I love you, buddy. I¡¯m right beside you. I won¡¯t sugarcoat it, Tyler; our pal here is pretty fucked up. They did a number on him. His short-term recall is hit or miss, since he can hardly focus, so I wind up explaining things several times. Any human that¡¯s not me, sometimes even just sighted out the window, makes him shut down. That¡¯s why I¡¯m recording this, and not calling you live. This is the best I can do to get him to talk to you.¡± I pinned my ears against my head. ¡°By Ralchi. This is terrible, seeing Slanek like this.¡± ¡°I remember when he struggled with anxiety around us, but this is heartbreaking,¡± Tyler whispered. Marcel forced his smile to return. ¡°We¡¯re making small progress, and Slanek¡¯s home. The best doctors at the Galactic Institute of Medicine are on it, and between Jensi and I, we can keep him on track. I hope you and Onso are doing well. You both risked your lives for us, so thank you for everything. It¡¯s a long journey ahead, but hopefully I¡¯ll be in touch with a more optimistic outlook soon.¡± The video flickered out, and I padded a few more steps after Tyler in somber silence. It would be difficult for Slanek to escape the lab¡¯s effects, though at least he wasn¡¯t separated from his friend; I hoped that, with medical aid, he¡¯d be able to regain his faculties. It was only as I passed the holopad back that I noticed we were nowhere near the UN compound, where Officer Cardona claimed to have a gift for me. I thought the primate spoiled the surprise by announcing that he¡¯d transported a surfboard here, but this¡­looked like the research complex for the Leirn restoration project. Sara Rosario was waiting by the gates, a lab coat over her shoulders. Did Sara reach out to Tyler somehow? She was definitely expecting us, and we didn¡¯t wander here by mistake. I don¡¯t want to get my hopes up, though; I turned down the job, and didn¡¯t expect her to hold it. Tyler clapped me on the back, his jovial mood returning as he saw my surprise. ¡°Surprise! My transfer was really as security for this complex here. You thought I wouldn¡¯t find out that you turned down this project for me, and didn¡¯t tell me so that I wouldn¡¯t feel guilty? I sensed something was off, so I did some digging.¡± ¡°When I found out from Tyler why you passed up the job, Onso, I was even more impressed with you. Your loyalty is admirable,¡± Sara chimed in. ¡°I was happy to hold the position for as long as it took. I also took the liberty of getting the go-ahead from your government. The posting is yours, at the same price tag as the original offer, if you want it.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be serious? You both did that¡­for me?¡± I blinked several times, recalling how enthusiastic I¡¯d felt on my tour of the facility; the hensas had been such a welcome sight from our past. R&D was a wonderful, technical gig, but this was the job that spoke to me. ¡°Yes! Ralchi, I could leap into orbit with joy! I want nothing more than to restore Leirn to its former glory¡ªeven if it means I have to work with this bozo.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not very nice, Living Geyser of Fun Facts,¡± Tyler objected. ¡°I spent weeks planning how to give you the perfect return home, and this is my reward?¡± ¡°What do you humans say? Cope and seethe?¡± Tyler scowled at me, before I tackled him in a hug. He pried my arms off of him, holding a finger to implore me to wait. His blue eyes winked at me, suggesting he had something else in store for fulfilling my dreams. I tilted my head to the side, watching as he hurried over to Earth animal cages outside the facility; I recalled the Terrans had been importing pets as a stopgap for Yotul citizens. The primate clasped a lead in his hands, coaxing a massive, mottled-gray canine from the enclosure toward me. I recognized the dog as his pet, Zeus the Great Dane. Officer Cardona hadn¡¯t left Zeus behind on Earth? I supposed it would be possible to get permission for canine companions, but why bring him here ahead of my arrival? His beloved pet should be at his place of residence, in comfortable surroundings. The human¡¯s smile widened, as he fitted the leash¡¯s loop around my wrist. Zeus turned around to sniff at me with a wet nose, before wagging his tail with affection; the domesticated animal must recognize my scent from his owner¡¯s pelts. ¡°Tyler and I both talked about how you wanted a big dog, after the war,¡± Sara commented. The blond human bobbed his head. ¡°I knew what I had to do. He¡¯s yours.¡± My eyes widened, staring at the gigantic canine. ¡°What? No¡­I can¡¯t take Zeus, Tyler. He¡¯s your pet; you love him!¡± ¡°Yeah, but I can¡¯t have him on the base. I know you¡¯ll take good care of him, so I wanted you to have him. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll tell ya everything you need to know about owning a pupper. Helps me too, ¡®cause I¡¯ll get to see him on a regular basis. It¡¯s a win for everyone involved.¡± ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know what to say.¡± ¡°Say that Tyler is the best human to ever grace this universe.¡± ¡°Fuck no. But I¡¯ll say you¡¯re a great friend¡­I¡¯m glad I¡¯ve gotten to know you. And if you¡¯re sure you¡¯re okay with it, I would be honored to have Zeus. He¡¯s going to be the most spoiled dog in the galaxy.¡± ¡°Damn straight! Especially when I come over and bring him treats and dog bones. Definitely couldn¡¯t talk about how predator Zeus loves chomping down on bones to any other herbivore!¡± ¡°Long as it¡¯s not my bones, I don¡¯t care. Hensas hunted live prey back on the farm.¡± ¡°Unless you got squirrel equivalents out here, Zeus won¡¯t chase nothin¡¯. He¡¯s a good boy.¡± ¡°He sure is. But I¡¯m not sure I can take him right now; I¡¯m sure I¡¯m behind on lots of work in the project. I¡¯m eager to get started, Doctor Rosario.¡± Sara chuckled to herself, stress lines fading from her face. ¡°Well, you start the job today, Onso. How about, for your first assignment, you take your dog home, and go to the beach with this guy for some surfing lessons? One day to enjoy time with your friend won¡¯t hurt anything. After all we¡¯ve been through, I¡¯ll call it worth it just to see a video of this.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s very kind of you, but it can¡ª¡± Tyler scowled at me. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare persuade her to assign you something, you deranged Yotul! I¡¯ve been waiting weeks for you to get your ass back from Thysun. I did bring a surfboard, and we¡¯re going, right now. C¡¯mon.¡± With my friend¡¯s stern expression leaving no room for argument, I acquiesced to his beach demands. The idea of building an entire society, rather than just spaceships, helped me feel that Leirn was in control of our destiny once more. I hadn¡¯t dreamed that everything would fall back into place so perfectly, but I had Tyler to thank for that; he¡¯d appreciated the sacrifice he was never supposed to know I made. There¡¯d be no more missions to drag us away from home, and our packmates¡¯ fates were out of our paws. It was time to make a life here, one that involved a big dog today and hensas in the future. I was grateful that I could live in a galactic community where I¡¯d be seen as an equal, and that I could work alongside my friend to fulfill the magnificent dreams I had for the Yotul people. Chapter 183 Memory transcription subject: Ambassador Tarva Williams of the Venlil Republic Date [standardized human time]: October 9, 2137 Under an immense amount of pain, it was difficult to remember why I wanted to have a child in the first place. I clung to Noah¡¯s hand as the contractions radiated pain through my body, finding it difficult to think. I forced myself to ruminate about how beautiful our family would be, and how much I loved my caring husband. Then again, no matter how supportive he wanted to be, he wasn¡¯t the one in excruciating agony; this required little effort on his part, didn¡¯t it? That wasn¡¯t a rational thought, but it was near impossible to be rational. Of course I wanted the astronaut here, to welcome his child. Just a little while ago, I¡¯d been elated to see his reaction. The doctors prompted me to push harder, and I strained against my own pain tolerance; if I¡¯d welcomed two predators to Skalga in the flesh, before I knew they wouldn¡¯t eat me, and wagered my entire civilization on a possibility, what was a little labor pain? I was a strong, fierce woman, and I¡¯d be damned if I waited a moment longer to hold my child. Noah had barely left my side since the pregnancy began, but now, it was like his hand was glued in mine. My human watched with nervous eyes, terrified of anything going wrong. He pressed the other palm against my back, though it wasn¡¯t comforting enough to make up for the fact that my insides wanted to be on my outside. ¡°We¡¯re almost there. You¡¯re doing great, sweetheart,¡± Noah whispered, inches from my ear. ¡°You¡¯re going to make the perfect mother. I believe in you, and I¡¯m here for you and our child.¡± There was a brief flicker of happiness, knowing that, despite his insecurities, my Noah would make a wonderful father. I remembered seeing his binocular eyes staring straight at me, as we exchanged vows¡ªthe astronaut liked the Venlil ones enough to choose them. Our wedding had been a quiet ceremony, closed to the public despite the fact that our relationship had controversially (on both worlds) been announced. We¡¯d started out from Skalga on a sprawling spaceship we rented, with friends and family we invited. The ceremony had taken place halfway on the journey to Earth, before we landed in my husband¡¯s hometown for the reception. To imagine how it once would¡¯ve terrified all of my maternal instincts, a predator being right next to my newborn child. Noah implicitly had my trust; my brain didn¡¯t register him as a threat anymore, not even in the subconscious bits. My abdomen screamed in unfathomable pain, warring for my attention, but I fought onward for our beautiful daughter. We¡¯d discussed names, Venlil and human, and settled on tribute to a friend of ours who spent his last breaths seeking peace. Elia, her name would be, harkening back to the dear Elias Meier. It felt right for the people we¡¯d lost to be a part of this new life¡­for their memories to be carried on. Elia is going to be beautiful, and I hope she takes after Meier¡¯s diplomatic spirit. I wish he¡¯d gotten to see this victory, and to know that humanity would survive as a prosperous power. Another wave of agony came with the newest spasm, as the process seemed never-ending. Stars, I loved my first daughter, but how had I forgotten how miserable this was? I had no more energy left, and even with desperate attempts to redirect my thoughts to Noah and his species, my motivation was waning. Why wasn¡¯t there a pause button on this ordeal? I tried to cling to something positive, though my brain begged for a reprieve. There were two cribs waiting in the nursery, where the planets of Skalga¡¯s system were painted on the ceiling. My human and I had a home together; it wasn¡¯t quite the opulent governor¡¯s mansion, but it was ours. What else¡­what else? Maternity leave from my ambassadorship would give me time to spend with my children. That was it. Children, plural. Despite all my research on how to rear a human infant, I was woefully unprepared for raising a predator. How strange it was that such a powerful, fearsome species would be so fragile, and dependent on me. After a lengthy discussion, we¡¯d decided to adopt a Terran boy that was six months old, since Venlil children matured quicker than the primates. Two newborns would¡¯ve been a massive undertaking, with the sleepless nights and round-the-clock care. While it wouldn¡¯t quite bridge the age gap, we wanted to bring the hominid home early enough that he¡¯d bond with us from his earliest memories. Noah and I wanted to hear his first words, and when he took his first steps. The two of us were slated to visit the UN embassy, where the paperwork had been prearranged; our little boy would be waiting for us in the Peacekeepers¡¯ care. Elia¡¯s big brother was sitting there in limbo, and we couldn¡¯t meet him until I finished up here. I didn¡¯t want to wait a second longer before making it official that he was my son. I didn¡¯t want to wait any longer to have a Venlil daughter again either; Elia¡¯s life was set to start today! A strength bubbled within me that I didn¡¯t even know I had, as I warred against my body to bring a pup into the world. The pain reached its crescendo, blinding me for several moments. The doctors latched onto a small, silver object, while I fell back to the pillow with exhaustion. ¡°My gosh! That¡¯s Elia; I saw her little head! Are you feeling alright, Tarva?¡± Noah asked. I perked my ears, as the sound of braying, feeble cries reached me. ¡°Elia¡¯s healthy, it sounds like. I don¡¯t know how I made it, but you have no idea how much that hurt.¡± ¡°I hated seeing you in pain, my love. I wish there was something I could do to help, but I¡¯m here every step of the way. You can rest now.¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t; Elia needs me. Let me see her. She needs someone to comfort her.¡± The doctors passed me the wet bundle of fur, which was wriggling within the blanket. In an instant, the pain and exhaustion was forgotten. It was all worth it¡ªworth enduring a thousand times over¡ªin a second. A dangerous protectiveness roared within me, as my precious daughter was passed into my arms. I held Elia close, trying to soothe her cries; her fragile body was so impossibly loud for something so small. Those little eyes peered up to me, not yet knowing me as her mother. Her snout was a bright pink, with two tiny slits that represented nostrils. Her legs were fragile, yet the important thing was that they were not crooked. She would be a force of nature, with all of the senses and abilities that Venlil were meant to have. While the deformed people of my generation had been known as the weakest species in the galaxy, Elia would not share that repute. Without gene mod gentling and prey instincts, she¡¯d have the fighting spirit my ancestors resisted the Federation with. It was true that we were the most emotional species, but that wasn¡¯t weakness. My husband belonged to the race I believed was number two in the rankings for the strength of their feelings, and they¡¯d toppled a millenia-old empire with their tireless spirit. The Farsul archivists had feared us in our anger more than humanity. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Once enough Venlil accept the gene reversal¡ªmore than the millions who already have¡ªthere¡¯s no reason we can¡¯t go back to being a species that will never be broken or surrender. Children like Elia can accomplish anything; her future is bright, and not subject to any artificial biological limits. I couldn¡¯t wait to see how she inherited the best traits of both of our worlds; our main residence was on Skalga, so that we could play a direct role in restoring the Venlil to our true selves. If the political situation for humans became more dire than Veln¡¯s pandering, I wasn¡¯t opposed to switching to Earth. I¡¯d upend any part of my life, or place myself in harm¡¯s way any number of times, if it meant keeping my children safe. Noah smiled behind his holopad, snapping a photograph of me holding the baby. He reached out with his sturdy arms, as if prompting me to pass what was now the center of my entire world. I loved my husband dearly, but that affection was a mere seed in the ground compared to the ocean of adoration I felt for Elia. All I could see in my head was the tragedy that occurred the last time I let a daughter venture out of my sight; what if something terrible happened, because I wasn¡¯t around to protect her? I thought I trusted Noah to keep her safe, but the reality of letting her go left me torn up inside. I wanted to keep her in my grasp forever, never to let go. The predator tilted his head, eyebrows arching up. ¡°Let me see the kiddo, Tarva. I know I¡¯ve never held a baby, but I¡¯ll be gentle. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t drop her. She¡¯s just the cutest thing; oh, my heart is melting!¡± Noah said. ¡°I¡¯m a father, and it¡¯s like nothing else in the whole wide world matters.¡± Tears swelled in my eyes, as I forced my heavy arms to pass the baby toward Noah. As the human¡¯s finger pressed through her fluffy, soft-as-a-cloud fur, I couldn¡¯t release my grip. What if there was something I hadn¡¯t accounted for, such as Terran mate¡¯s responding to a newborn in a way that would endanger a Venlil? It was irrational paranoia, but it wouldn¡¯t leave my mind. I took a deep breath, noticing the growing concern in his binocular gaze. This was the man who was my soulmate, who treasured me and who¡¯d fallen over himself to accommodate my sudden dream of having Elia. I wanted to share it with him, no matter how difficult it was to expose her to any risks¡ªregardless of how small they were. I steeled myself, and forced my paws to do something much more challenging than labor. I relinquished my grip on my daughter, and Noah took her out of my control. The Terran started grinning like an idiot, overjoyed to have her nestled against his elbow; she wasn¡¯t even the length of his forearm. The crying stopped the second the predator held her, and tickled her tiny nose with his fingertip. ¡°Oh my, Tarva. I want us to be everything Elia needs. How do we do that?¡± Noah whispered. ¡°Together.¡± My body finally relaxed, seeing my daughter safe in my beloved¡¯s arms. She looked like she belonged there, tucked against his chest. ¡°You¡¯re a natural father. I¡¯m sorry about earlier¡­it was just hard to let go.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll get easier: one day at a time. I was worried you were scared of me, for a moment.¡± ¡°Can you blame me? Everyone knows humans eat Venlil pups for breakfast.¡± ¡°Right next to the bacon and the orange juice. You make a good point.¡± ¡°I always do. It¡¯s one of my many endearing qualities.¡± ¡°You can say that again. You know, since sweet little Elia is related to you¡­I think she¡¯s gonna kick her brother¡¯s ass. We have to watch out for her. I¡¯ve heard true Skalgans are terrors.¡± ¡°I¡¯m hoping she¡¯ll take after her more mellow namesake. And on the topic of names¡­if we¡¯re going to bring home our other child today, we still need a name. We haven¡¯t settled on one; I don¡¯t know who else to pay homage to. I thought about Sara, or some variant of her last name¡­but Rosa is more feminine in your tongue.¡± ¡°We were both the first pioneers to set sail from Earth on an FTL flight. She¡¯s a great scientific mind who¡¯s done a great service to both truth and human discovery, from Skalga¡¯s survey, to the empathy tests, to Leirn. I like the idea of taking a bite-sized snippet from Rosario. How about Ari? It¡¯s a bit more subtle.¡± ¡°Ari. That does have a nice ring to it. We¡¯ll have to tell Sara who inspired it someday.¡± ¡°Hopefully, she¡¯ll come visit us from time to time so that we can. We¡¯re not that forgettable!¡± When Sara attended our wedding, it wasn¡¯t evident how often she intended to return to Skalga going forward; she¡¯d piled tons of work onto her plate with the Yotul. I hoped she¡¯d be involved as an honorary aunt, but I imagined her ambitions to repair the galaxy wouldn¡¯t leave her much time. It was fitting to give a nod to her, as one of my original Terran friends. Elia and Ari would be reminders of two figures who were instrumental in making our family possible, free of Federation control or Arxur threats. It wouldn¡¯t be easy to raise a human and a Venlil side-by-side, but I was confident we could handle the challenges. I could imagine the children tussling in the grass, playing together and running around on strong legs. I¡¯m not sure Elia can keep up with a persistence predator, but she won¡¯t tucker out easily. Maybe Noah will be proven right about her being a handful. With both of us regarded as important historical figures, our children would have a lot to learn. We¡¯d be under the spotlight, especially since I hadn¡¯t stepped down as Venlil ambassador, despite my interspecies marriage. Noah and I would teach our offspring not to be ashamed of our family, or their own differences. We¡¯d teach them to do what was right, regardless of the risks. A new era was dawning on Skalga, and this second chance at motherhood played right into the big picture. The Sapient Coalition could give us a forum to develop our own might, with the next generation bringing us back to our roots. The Venlil spirit might¡¯ve been suppressed for centuries, but it wasn¡¯t snuffed out. The more I thought about it, the more confident I was that Elia wouldn¡¯t need my protection; it would be all of us needing protection from her, should she embrace her wild side. It was probably a good thing her brother and father would be from a predator race. Which customs and mannerisms would jump the gap, in our multiplanetary household? How would the Terrans¡¯ kind-hearted nature manifest in my son? It was a relief that humanity wasn¡¯t under threat of extinction anymore; I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about Ari belonging to an endangered species. ¡°All of this started when I met you,¡± I told Noah. ¡°To think I almost let the Federation take away the one person who understands me implicitly. Who will make our family¡ªwho made my heart¡ªwhole.¡± The human handed Elia back to me, the loopy smile still on his face. ¡°I helped, Tarva, but you did all of that yourself. I just proved whatever was written about us in that dossier wrong.¡± ¡°You sure did. You want to know what I was thinking, when I saw your ship coming?¡± ¡°¡®Wow, that ship is smoking hot! The pilot must be a stud?¡¯¡± ¡°No, you big goof. I thought there were two known instances of a predatory species achieving sapience. I listed it all out in my head.¡± ¡°And now, you know it was all the omnivores too?¡± ¡°Actually, I know now that I was right about there being two. I was just wrong about who. The Kolshians and the Farsul were the two, bringing about cruelties and atrocities to maintain control. The ones who would¡¯ve kept us apart. I can¡¯t wait for whatever our family¡¯s future holds.¡± ¡°Me too. All I wanted was friendship and peace in the stars, but you gave me so much more. Looking at Elia¡­I didn¡¯t know it was possible to feel such deep emotions. I¡¯ll be by your side forever, Tarva.¡± Staring into Noah¡¯s loving eyes, I was certain that this was humanity¡¯s true nature. They were a species that would be loyal to the ends of the universe, and would endure anything to protect the people they cared about. Their mere introduction had brought out the best in dozens of races, and altered the course of galactic history. For all my internal fears, I knew Elia and Ari would be lucky to have a predator, the love of my life, watching over them. I couldn¡¯t imagine having a life and a family that was any more perfect than this one. Chapter 184 Memory Transcription Subject: Captain Kalsim, United Nations Prisoner Date [standardized human time]: January 1, 2150 Humanity was a species that I had equated to a virus: something infectious that would take over everything they touched. As I watched the galaxy transform through news reports and a closed internet link in my cell, I saw that I was right on that front. Their culture became a dominant powerhouse, with entertainment franchises that ballooned in ways unimaginable for predator ideas. Terran bands toured across entire planets, playing at festivals to diverse audiences¡ªsometimes, those gatherings were devoted to restoring the pasts shown in the Archives. Films and games with gratuitous input, from binocular-eyed characters to predator-diseased violence, sold like wildfire. Terran traditions and mannerisms became known across the galaxy. Earth became the heart of the Sapient Coalition, as they began to move past the bombing. I¡¯d regretted that I had no choice but to cut their cities down, even before my mission was a failure. One by one, the Terrans rebuilt every last one of the major epicenters from the ashes; their technological advances came at a staggering rate. Vienna, which currently hosted over one hundred alien embassies, had also become a hub of scientific research¡ªever since it had been deemed the host city of Project Chronicle. That was a project to restore the teachings of every species¡¯ depraved past, so they could go back to their barbaric, primitive ways. Tens of thousands of aliens arrived on Earth¡¯s soil to participate in the restoration efforts. Genetic advancements piled up from the sister project, as the United Nations gradually convinced more former omnivores to remove their meat allergies. That included the Krakotl, restoring their bloodlust, after Terrans replaced our honorable government with some wishy-washy plant, Nuela. I was appalled to see how far my species had fallen. It wasn¡¯t long before former-Federation oddities appeared on news programs about dabbling in these culinary sins. Part of why these races were so curious to try the full-fledged human meals was that their vegetable dishes had spread along with their culture, and wowed with their complexity. To think, those fools patronized a predator¡¯s banquet! The cure that I begged the Terrans to take; they truly did pity us for having our bloodlust removed. In a little over a decade, they¡¯ve undone millennia of progress! It had been hopeless the moment the Kolshians fell to their onslaught. The humans launched attack after attack on the very foundation of the Federation¡¯s beliefs. Exterminators, the very profession I¡¯d once been a part of, either shuttered their doors, or became something unrecognizable that went by other names. Terrans convinced the public that predator attacks were sapient assaults, and once that idea was planted, it became true. They¡¯d also activated pity for the burning beasts, like I¡¯d felt the first time I doused younglings in gasoline. It was a horrific process, sure, but necessary to remove their traces. ¡°How contaminated must all these worlds be now?¡± I mused aloud, staring at the dingy walls of my tiny cell. ¡°Humans have spread to almost every planet. They start more colonies before even filling up the old ones, just for some domineering drive.¡± My voice was fraught with both age and disuse; sometimes, I talked aloud to keep myself sane. When the humans gave me the internet link, it came with a caveat. They kept sending me profiles on Terrans who died during my raid, forcing me to look at the details of their lives. I couldn¡¯t access the rest of the web until I watched the morning¡¯s videos. Hadn¡¯t I been burdened with enough guilt, knowing they were feeling and compassionate creatures? I didn¡¯t know why I craved connection to this awful reality enough to go through such torment. For some reason, I always watched their October 17 ceremony¡ªa planetary holiday not just across Earth, but many SC powers as well. Remembrance Day, they called it. I remembered all of the impossible choices I¡¯d had to make, protecting other lifeforms over Terrans. I remembered standing on that bridge, desperately trying to fire off our bombs as the Arxur arrived¡­and I remembered it too well, even in my old age. Part of me had hoped either natural conditions would free me from this world through death¡¯s release, or that they¡¯d wipe my memory clean of the awful things I¡¯d seen. In the end, I knew I¡¯d damned Nishtal and killed millions on Earth in a sacrifice that amounted to nothing. The kernels of doubt were the worst part of it. Still, I remembered what was wrong with these Earthlings as I watched every aspect of the Federation crumble; predator disease facilities were a target of their assault. Despite their prior assertions that predator attacks were done by wicked minds, the humans thought that was something that could be talked away¡ªand that the herd shouldn¡¯t be protected at all! I recalled how dangerous Jala had been, even with someone like me to control her. Those violent desires, coupled with a lack of empathy, could result in attacks if extraneous behaviors weren¡¯t stopped. Terran psychology babble was one of their most outrageous takeovers. Nothing was sacrosanct. The humans fought to preserve wild predators that¡¯d eat anything that crossed their jaws, due to their warped view of ecology. It was a far cry from the doctrine of little predators becoming big predators, and reproducing exponentially. Species like the Yotul didn¡¯t have the refinement to resist uncivilized nonsense; those marsupials were among the first to welcome Terran attacks on all of these fronts. Governor Veln, who I¡¯d had such high hopes for, became a non-committal flip-flopper who seemed to be altering Venlil society¡­in crawling increments. He lost re-election by a landslide, and someone from Tarva¡¯s corner was right back in power. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. I¡¯ve seen all of our sacred beliefs attacked by humans, and how much damage they¡¯ve done to the chance the Kolshians gave us to be civilized. I¡¯ve watched them spread throughout the stars, just like I feared¡ªand I¡¯ve seen they¡¯re never satisfied. They still plan to push further. Years of my life were spent in a waiting game, for the eventuality that I¡¯d promised to Arjun, back when we held him hostage. Humanity¡¯s growth would lead to them building an empire off of the backs of prey species, as predicted by their history. Without being gentled and saved from their innate sin, their bloodlust would lead them to temptations¡­and the atrocities would begin. I assumed it would happen with the Federation powers that didn¡¯t surrender. When the United Nations¡¯ mighty military sent out manpower to overthrow governments, starting with the Yulpa homeworld of Grenelka, I assumed it was the beginning. My prophecies would be vindicated. These races, including their so-called friends, were weaker than them, playthings at best. With their foot soldiers back out on the prowl, they¡¯d get a taste for killing and enslaving other cultures once more. They didn¡¯t have to play at docility for their survival, so what was to stop them from giving in to their true nature? What was to prevent them from taking what belonged to others for themselves, with their military now stronger than the fledgling force that still defeated the thousand-year-old Kolshian empire? There was no reason for them to restrain themselves, or to be able to restrain themselves¡­and yet they did. Grenelka, and dozens of worlds that followed it, had their leaders cut down with precision¡­and then, they were rebuilt from the ground up. The humans took the time to create something new from their strike, setting up new agencies that were staffed by locals and wouldn¡¯t answer to the UN. With hostile powers under their crosshairs, the Terrans showed mercy. They wanted others to stand on their own as equals, a concept that violated the core of what being a predator meant. ¡°Humanity has spread everywhere, and taken our systems, just as I knew they would. Exponential growth,¡± I chirped aloud. ¡°Yet more herbivore worlds haven¡¯t fallen. What happened to their inner violence? Their phenomenal cruelty?¡± If my mission hadn¡¯t been for the Federation¡¯s survival, then I hadn¡¯t needed to spearhead the extermination fleet at all. All I saw in humanity¡¯s ventures, whether through implied or outward motivations, was endless compassion. For the weak and vulnerable. For the herd anomalies. For those who¡¯d sought forgiveness after grave insults. For those that didn¡¯t deserve their compassion: just as that Terran judge had spared me, despite what I¡¯d inflicted on his kind. I couldn¡¯t understand how it was possible, and yet their astounding empathy was all that I found. Predator volunteers rushed off to every world, working impossible hours daily for little compensation, as cattle rescues overwhelmed local systems. Human scientists used their new genetic capabilities to scrutinize diseases, even ones that didn¡¯t affect their species at all. The United Nations were the cooler heads among the SC, staving off vengeful deeds¡ªEarth was the sole party that actually processed asylum requests from caged Talsk, and spent inordinate amounts on ships capable of shrugging off the ¡°Kessler Syndrome.¡± War tribunals held in Vienna issued blanket pardons for all ¡°child soldiers,¡± much to the outrage of their allies. Human civilians¡¯ ventures were delighted to strike up partnerships, parallel to the government¡¯s close work with Leirn, Skalga, Colia, Khoa, and countless others. Had humanity truly deserved to be purged from existence like a disease? Was this all just hatred over their appearance and their diet, like the pilot begging for his family¡¯s life had told me? After all this time, their hunger and bloodlust should have surfaced¡ªwith unequivocal proof of what they were! They had every opportunity to at least sate their hunger for power; they founded the largest faction in the galaxy. Hundreds of millions of aliens lived on Earth, and the cultural blending meant they would have to hide their instincts at all times. Someone was always watching. Yet they never falter. What if they aren¡¯t masking their instincts¡­at all? It had been a simple truth that predators killed by nature, but now, I wasn¡¯t so sure. When Cilany interviewed me, before my trial, I¡¯d stood by my comparison of humanity to a virus. Their rejection of the cure was what led me to believe that their good side wasn¡¯t strong enough to salvage. I¡¯d waited for them to conquer the rest of the galaxy, yet with the passing of time, I¡¯d begun to understand that they already had. Not with guns, bombs, or starship armadas. Not with occupations or pillaging. The Terrans conquered the galaxy through compassion¡ªa desire for friendship and healing that existed without any modifications to their predator coding. Perhaps they¡¯d done horrific things to each other many years ago, but I could see that humans had become something else altogether. Their true selves, at the pinnacle of their advancement and the height of their power, were galactic caretakers: capable of emotion on par with the Venlil. For every Federation tenet they perverted, I couldn¡¯t help but notice they¡¯d ushered in a level of peace incompatible with any goals of violence. Life was better under their rule than the Kolshians or the Farsul. It was an unacceptable truth, to realize Earth would never be a spacefaring planet of domineering brutes. The enormity of the guilt crushed my very soul and conviction; the tragedy was how truly unnecessary my genocide had been. Everything that we¡¯d believed about humanity¡¯s intentions was patently false, despite all wisdom and prior experience. Their emotional depth drove them, with a legitimacy that shouldn¡¯t have been possible. There could be no greater punishment than to watch the galaxy move on without me, and to be forced into slowly realizing how erroneous my understanding was of the fundamental nature of predators. Chapter 2-1 Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem Scientist Date [standardized human time]: March 13, 2160 Attempts to send messages and search the skies¡¯ radio signals for alien lifeforms usually entailed a quiet day at the office. I was one of the preeminent experts on how Bissems would react to a first contact scenario, having written several papers on the subject; the protocols that Fishing for Alien Intelligence (FAI) had were created by me and a few veteran leaders from the institution¡¯s founding. It had always been a dream and a passion that consumed me, imagining what could be up in the stars. Would extraterrestrials be like us, or so radically different that we couldn¡¯t fathom it? Did they share our curiosity? If they contacted us in a non-aggressive manner, it had to be due to an interest in our people. What could they teach us, if we were able to communicate in a tangible way? Of course, I imagined that first contact would be identifying a radio message, or a garbled attempt to respond to our calls into the void, detected from a neighboring star system. It had been a few decades since my nation, Lassmin, launched the FAI program and began sending probes throughout our local planets. It would¡¯ve been possible for signals to reach stars within a few decades of light travel, assuming it hadn¡¯t been blotted out by dust clouds and cosmic radiation. As much as my childhood fantasies loved to toy at my mind, they were just that: fantasies. Aliens landing on the polar subspecies¡¯ ice shelf made a great thumbnail for a science fiction movie, but space was too large to traverse distances in a lifetime. If there were extraterrestrials capable of reaching our star system, their technology would have to be so far beyond our own. There would be no telling what they¡¯re capable of¡­I imagined various nations wouldn¡¯t be pleased with being entirely at their mercy. I had no idea what was going on when a convoy of military vehicles trundled up to our observatory, and Bissems decked flipper-to-toe in combat gear barreled in the front door¡ªbarking orders, and demanding that everyone abandon their workstation. My first thought was that one of Kail¡¯s cultists had infiltrated our space program, and was attempting to sabotage our search of the stars. What was I supposed to think? That morphed into confusion when a soldier grabbed me as I exited, announced ¡°she¡¯s Dr. Tassi, sir!¡±, then shoved me into the back of a military vehicle without any explanation. There was no way they suspected me of being an extremist or a saboteur! As I protested, with indignant questions about my rights, a hardened face shushed me from the adjacent seat. General Naltor, his tag read. That name jogged my memory, suggesting that he was someone far up the chain of command. My eyes widened once I remembered the full story¡­Naltor had been one of the first Selmer, the arctic subspecies, to defect from the South Pole¡¯s ancient kingdom. When we received independence from the tropical Vritala¡¯s primary power, we¡¯d invited all subspecies to live under our dome. Few that weren¡¯t Vritala took us up on the offer; Naltor was a trailblazer. Bissem history was complicated, with the major powers still reeling from the Global War, and with three subspecies bearing major physiological differences that kept us apart. It was part of the reason I¡¯d concluded in my paper that we weren¡¯t ready for contact with aliens. I wasn¡¯t certain we¡¯d be able to present a unified front, and to make a positive, irrevocable first impression on visitors. Perhaps part of the reason my fantasy persisted, occupying my waking thoughts, was the wish that some foreign power would descend and enlighten us. I focused my gaze on Naltor, trying to prevent my mind from wandering. ¡°What the fuck is going on? Why is a politically important general here, after your goons abducted me, a civilian? I swear I heard your soldiers shutting down all communications, and ordering the other FAI scientists to stay locked down indefinitely. We¡¯ve done nothing wrong!¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing that you¡¯ve done, Dr. Tassi.¡± The Selmer general was much taller than me, and his features much more rotund, but I could recognize a hint of panic in his eyes. ¡°I¡­need your expertise. We have a situation.¡± ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± ¡°To these coordinates,¡± Naltor answered, pointing to a highlighted map dot on his tablet. ¡°Approximately two hours ago, a signal was transmitted through our encryption to the highest entities in our government. All analysis shows that it¡¯s from the deepest recesses of the solar system. Let that sink in. Unless this is a fascinating hoax by a jealous rival, we believe that it¡¯s¡­not from us. Not Bissem in origin.¡± I froze in place, uncertain how to react to the very news that I¡¯d been waiting for my entire life; it was too good to be true. Surely it would be disproven somehow: a space probe being hacked, or a rival power bouncing transmissions off of our satellites. My first thought would¡¯ve been that it was a natural phenomenon, except for the fact that its purposeful targeting belied intelligence. There was so much to digest in what General Naltor told me, from the signal¡¯s senders being able to crack military-grade encryption like it was nothing, to the possibility of them being present in our solar system. This felt surreal, like one of the dreams I wished I wouldn¡¯t wake up from at night! The analysis must¡¯ve determined that the signal¡¯s origin is close by, since Naltor didn¡¯t say deep space. Have they come here looking for us¡­or maybe they¡¯ve located us by accident, and have been studying us? I sucked in a shaky breath, overwhelmed by the moment¡¯s gravity. ¡°Not Bissem in origin. Wow¡­I¡¯m at a loss for words. I¡¯m not sure we¡¯re ready for this, General, but we have to get this right. The first thing we should do is notify the Tseia, the Vritala, and the Selmer nations. All of the subspecies need to put aside our differences; we have to work together on this. We can¡¯t keep foreign powers out of this.¡± ¡°We¡¯re already sending a message through diplomatic channels. The fact is, these aliens contacted us; there¡¯s no reports of the others receiving any communication,¡± Naltor responded. ¡°The faction that preaches Bissem Unity, and that isn¡¯t divided. First contact¡¯s meeting is something that we are meant to handle, though we¡­must be vigilant. Ivrana is our planet, and she needs protection. I¡¯m concerned about allowing the aliens to trespass in our airspace, with whatever weapons and diseases they might have.¡± ¡°Slow down. Trespass in our airspace? What the fuck are you talking about? Is that why we¡¯re speeding off to some point on a tablet?¡± ¡°Yeah. When the message was decoded¡­it was in binary. Numbers, Tassi: it was coordinates to the Gray Basin. We weren¡¯t sure about whether to bring FAI into the loop, but we couldn¡¯t have this spreading to the public yet. We don¡¯t know what they want, so we had to scramble snipers¡­a defense response. We¡¯re just hoping their message means they¡¯re sending a greeting party, and not ramming relativistic weapons down our beaks! We don¡¯t know anything about their intentions, who or what they are, and what kind of threat they constitute.¡± ¡°One thing at a time. We don¡¯t know that they constitute a threat at all. I can hear the panic in your voice, but that is not the mentality we should have. I don¡¯t like the idea of greeting them with a military entourage at all, especially after they found such a simple¡­beautiful way to communicate. It¡¯s obvious they want to talk to us. We should view this as an opportunity to learn things that are beyond the scope of our knowledge. This will be a defining moment in Bissem history!¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know that they don¡¯t constitute a threat, and I¡¯m not willing to take a gamble. I respect your optimism, but I¡¯m not in the business of optimism. Let me ask you, Doctor; what happened to Nelmin¡¯s natives, when the Selmer and the Vritala showed up? They¡¯re not around to tell you anymore. What I see is that we are the natives now¡­and they are the ones washing ashore. We in Lassmin might just be the first ones whose lives and livelihoods they want to take, because we¡¯re the peaceful ones!¡± Discomfort bubbled in my gut, with that unpleasant theory between us. ¡°Let¡¯s not start with worst case scenarios. This is an advanced race, who went out of their way to contact us, and who do not seem hostile. Space is a lot further distance to travel than an ocean.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Yet they¡¯re here, Tassi. And no, I don¡¯t want to shoot them down, to risk pissing them off; so I have to wait and find out. We¡¯re going right where they asked us, because we have no choices¡ªand I don¡¯t like that. You wrote the first contact protocol. Tell me how we fucking do this. What do we even say?¡± ¡°I¡­don¡¯t know, though I¡¯m delighted to be a part of this. We need to extend our flipper in peace if anyone does arrive. We don¡¯t know what those coordinates mean. While they would be perfect to land a ship, they could be sending down a probe or other message. Perhaps they want to establish a radio link there. Whatever they sent the solar system message from¡­it might not even be manned.¡± ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s assume we do talk to them, one way or another. How the fuck do we extend peaceful sentiments to aliens?! How do we communicate, and avoid being misunderstood?¡± I was struggling to conjure up a plan of action, even as our dot grew closer to the Gray Basin; no matter how worried General Naltor was about leaks, I wished he¡¯d brought a few other FAI scientists into the loop. It was concerning how the military was suppressing information, as well as any chance that we¡¯d notify the Bissem populace. The internet would make it too easy for this to spread, though I wasn¡¯t sure how they¡¯d handle a stray camera capturing a strange craft landing¡­or videos of FAI staff being locked up by armed personnel. Rumors would get out, one way or another; it was the handling that left me alarmed about how Lassmin¡¯s government would address the visitors. The fact that our nations mistrusted each other was an issue, but my country¡¯s fear toward the aliens and over our own people¡¯s reactions didn¡¯t assure me that they¡¯d make sound judgments. This wasn¡¯t something we could afford to bungle. While I¡¯d love to believe that the extraterrestrials had peaceful sentiments, offending or antagonizing them could have catastrophic consequences for our civilization. I wished I had more time to plan this process, but I figured we needed to start with a small gesture. It must not be anything that can be misinterpreted, no matter how simple its meaning is to us. That rules out any of our emotional cues and nonverbals. It¡¯s important to define our own assumptions, and avoid falling into those pitfalls. Language was the primary issue with communication, given that, for all we knew, they might not even have verbal language. The aliens had shown us a roadmap through their usage of binary, reflecting that they understood both mathematics and computers¡­it wasn¡¯t impossible they were AI, with that in mind, but I didn¡¯t address that possibility for my sanity. While using numerals wouldn¡¯t be plausible, we could communicate in groupings of dots to form common ground. Assuming they were organic lifeforms, mirroring body language was inadvisable: we wouldn¡¯t know what it meant, or how it played into their potential hierarchy. Auditory and luminescent stimuli might work, except we didn¡¯t know if those would generate an adverse reaction. In essence, all I had was a basic way to demonstrate numbers, drawing rudimentary pictures on a chalkboard (perhaps teaching them a few simple words in the process), and a prayer to Hirs that his will would save us. Wonderful. ¡°Please tell me you¡¯ve thought to bring along some kind of whiteboard.¡± I breathed a sigh of relief, as Naltor signaled the affirmative with a beak toss. ¡°I would start simple. We can draw pictures of ourselves, standing beside them, and hope they grasp that as friendship. Maybe count out numbers with dots, and teach them our numerals. Show our understanding of mathematics as an expression of sapience.¡± The Selmer general blinked with a flustered expression. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything better. I¡¯m leaving full discretion to you, Tassi. I¡¯ll be right beside you, of course, but I want you to take the lead. Anything you need, you have authorization to ask for it.¡± ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll take a blank check bonus from the government.¡± ¡°Hmph. If you find a way to communicate with aliens, I could probably almost get you that. Good luck, Doctor. We¡¯re all rooting for you, and¡­we all want to keep Ivrana safe.¡± ¡°I know, General. Let¡¯s just not be afraid of them, until we see what they want. That¡¯s assuming we interpreted their binary correctly; the numbers could have meant something else entirely. We¡¯re assuming they think the same as us.¡± ¡°There are too many variables involved with this entire affair. I wish these people would just¡­leave! We¡¯re not equipped for something like this.¡± ¡°We never would be, but we¡¯ve found ourselves in this position. Please, try to keep calm. That¡¯s the best way we can show our peaceful intentions.¡± Naltor ducked his head in acknowledgement, trying to hide how his wings were trembling. It was rare to see an arctic-inclined Selmer shivering on our temperate continent, yet I knew it was because this proud man was petrified. For my part, I was both nervous and excited; the endless possibilities were running amok in my head, a thousand implausible scenarios that I pictured time and again. If these beings were hostile out of the gate, I recognized there was nothing we could do; fretting about it wouldn¡¯t change their intentions. Always assuming a worst-case scenario meant we¡¯d never waddle into any ocean of knowledge. It was against the spirit of curiosity. Of all the instances I imagined, it was never that the non-Bissem intelligence would be hostile¡­perhaps because I always thought the brutish colonizations that transpired on our world were fool¡¯s errands. Let¡¯s hope my one assumption¡ªthat an advanced society would feel the same¡ªis correct. It must be. My primary concern was that I would make a mistake with ripple effects on our planet¡¯s interstellar relations. Bearing the full responsibility for introducing the Bissem race to aliens was a daunting task; there¡¯d been no warning or prep time, as I¡¯d been ripped away from the safety of my desk. This was a critical moment for our species. What I did today could define our very future, and I didn¡¯t take that reality lightly. There was no telling how long we¡¯d wait for them, what we¡¯d discover, or whether they¡¯d already sent something to our location millions of years ago. Anything was possible¡­but I was ready. My flipper latched around the vehicle¡¯s door handle, and I hopped out onto the rocky ground. Warm air circulated around me, saving me from the chill of nerves running down my spine. I cast my gaze up at the sky, as the convoy skidded to a halt; General Naltor joined me, though at my urging, he prevented the armed personnel from disembarking. I knew snipers were monitoring the location, but at least this way, Bissems with assault weapons wouldn¡¯t be the first thing visible to the aliens¡¯ surveillance. I was prepared to sit back and wait for as many hours as necessary for a slight sign, but it only took a few minutes for the fateful moment to arrive. My beak parted in awe, when a gray silhouette pierced the clouds, descending with light expulsions from its thrusters. Naltor looked like he could barely resist calling in the anti-aircraft weapons, since the vessel hadn¡¯t registered on his radar. The aliens must¡¯ve been monitoring this location for our arrival via satellite imaging, or something that gave them a view from space. Our analysts were correct about their message being coordinates in our geomapping system¡ªa thought that only just dawned on me, for why the Lassian military¡¯s interpretation should¡¯ve been absurd. There was no time for that thought, and the implications it carried, to sink in. Our greeting party was going to discover firsthand just how much these creatures knew about Bissems, and how long they¡¯d been observing us, in mere seconds. The vessel¡¯s landing gear had touched down on the flat, rocky surface, sitting for a few moments while its propulsion system cooled off. A ramp opened from its belly, and I approached it with intrigued, inspired caution. Naltor couldn¡¯t resist calling in the soldiers, after seeing movement. I was horrified, as twitchy-flippered servicemen trained guns on the platform from close range, but there was nothing I could do to get the general to back off. Hopefully, the aliens would forgive that transgression. The lower limbs of three beings, who seemed to be from drastically different species, appeared at the top of the ramp. Their movements were slow, but with deliberate progress, and their features were cloaked beneath spacesuits; I took the time to soak in everything that I could gather about their forms. These were organic lifeforms similar to us, with an anatomy that was recognizable in many ways. Each of the creatures had two legs for bipedalism, two manipulator limbs, and a head atop their torso. Interestingly, none of them resembled Bissems, in the sense of looking avian; they seemed more like mammals than beings with wings. I could see the tallest alien leading the way, with long, flexible appendages and nimble digits beneath its gloves. A creature with stout legs, and extra space to accommodate a seemingly puffy spine, followed the lumbering being. The final member of the three was the only one that had a spot for a tail built into its suit, and it seemed both the shortest and the slowest of the posse. It was impossible to discern the features of any of their craniums, hidden beneath opaque, spherical masks. Questions raced in my mind, since it was evident these were different species. Did multiple sapient races evolve on the same planet, resulting in even starker differences than between Bissem subspecies? Was there something else at play here entirely? Who were they, and what did they want? How did they plan to approach first contact, once they reached the bottom of the ramp¡­and would General Naltor¡¯s army scare them off? Despite the tremendous uncertainty, I found myself wandering closer to the visitors, until I stood right where the ramp met rocky ground. The aliens halted a flipper¡¯s length away from me, seeming to size me up. I could feel the tension from the Lassian military, as their weapon barrels kept watch over the first interaction. My heart was hammering in my chest, desperate to find out what would happen. However, the next occurrence was about as shocking of an outcome as I could fathom. The tall creature turned its head slightly, as a microphone projected a gravelly voice from inside its helmet. ¡°Greetings from the people of the Sapient Coalition. We come in peace.¡± I nearly tipped over in disbelief, while gasps sounded among the military observers. The alien had greeted us in perfect Vrit: our language. That¡­that should not have been possible. Chapter 2-2 Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem Scientist Date [standardized human time]: March 13, 2160 The alien stood in silence after pronouncing those series of words in our dialect, waiting as we processed its message. Its two partners stood behind it, with the shortest one especially seeming deferential. I gawked at the visitors, setting aside all thoughts of approaching them with numbers and a slow exchange of vocabulary. Some of the clicks sounded strange from its vocal cords, reverberating with strength and power, but the usage was spot on. We needed to have a way to respond to them now, and I¡¯d never even thought what to say! It had been a possibility that I ruled out as fantastical, imagining how different they would be. What was I supposed to think of them knowing our language? They must either be able to learn unfathomably quickly through some kind of cognitive transference, or they¡¯d been monitoring us for quite a while. The latter seemed the most plausible, but then again, this entire premise of this scenario shouldn¡¯t have been plausible. If they had been present, observing us like our scientists would track a school of fish¡­that, coupled with their words, meant they didn¡¯t bear us any ill will. It was possible they¡¯d been here for a much longer duration, watching our entire societal history play out. These were advanced lifeforms after all, with capabilities that allowed them to travel light years through space! Perhaps they were progenitors of life in this star system; for all we knew, these were our very creators. I thought about their entity¡¯s name, ¡°The Sapient Coalition.¡± It sounded like an alliance of numerous species, and it didn¡¯t follow that they¡¯d evolved on the same world. Wait¡­were they inviting us to join a galactic community? We have to be on our best behavior. Naltor needs to call off his guns, and play nice; we¡¯re directly communicating with multiple worlds. ¡°Welcome to Ivrana,¡± I managed, a stupefied croak that barely escaped my beak. ¡°We¡¯re honored to have you here. Uh¡­may I ask how you know our language?¡± Several barks escaped the tall, slender figure¡¯s chest. ¡°We got your messages, and observed your world for several years to assess the best way to approach contact; don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re familiar with your culture, so you won¡¯t cause us any offense. Might I say, Journey Beneath the Ice is a great movie!¡± General Naltor blinked in confusion. ¡°You watched Journey Beneath the Ice?¡± ¡°A¡­guilty pleasure. I can sense the nasty looks from my colleagues, but we humans¡­we like to keep it light. Forgive me. To answer your question, we do have language model-driven translator technology, which decoded your four primary languages. However, to avoid any misunderstandings, mistranslations, and clunky machines, our team learned to speak Vrit fluently. It took ten years. It¡¯s really hard to teach those damn machines idioms and wordplay¡­as I¡¯m sure you, a species that¡¯s had the internet for decades, can imagine.¡± They are nothing like I imagined they would be. Wow. I¡­I need to sit down. ¡°We can imagine,¡± I managed, trying not to swoon. ¡°You¡­you spent ten years of your life learning our language, just to speak to us with minimal confusion? We¡¯re honored.¡± ¡°We¡¯re honored to be here. This is the Coalition¡¯s¡­first time initiating a first contact scenario, so forgive us if we¡¯re not the smoothest at it,¡± the puffy-backed creature spoke, in a lighter voice. ¡°I think we should introduce ourselves and our respective species, Dustin.¡± The tall creature paused, thinking for several seconds. ¡°Yes, I think we should. I¡¯m Dustin Curtis, and I¡¯m a xenobiologist. Discovering lifeforms from across the galaxy has been my calling; I confess, I¡¯m itching to get a look at your wildlife up close, once we become friends. As you might¡¯ve cued in on, I¡¯m a human¡­from the planet Earth.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Nulia. I have a doctorate in sociology, so let¡¯s say I¡¯m the one who¡¯s analyzed your national relations. I¡¯m a Gojid, technically from the cradle, but I¡¯ve lived on Skalga since I was a small child,¡± the mid-sized one chimed in. The shortest alien hesitated, before piping up tentatively. ¡°I¡¯m Haliska. I¡¯m here because my species is the only semiaquatic race in the Sapient Coalition, so we share your love for water. For what it¡¯s worth, the humans, despite being land mammals through and through, adore the ocean too. My species is the Thafki, and we¡­live on the Commune. Our homeworld was destroyed, long ago.¡± ¡°Your homeworld was destroyed?¡± My gasp of horror escaped a moment later, as I tried to imagine Ivrana just being¡­gone. The way Haliska said it so calmly was concerning; I didn¡¯t know what this ¡°Commune¡± was either. ¡°Forgive me if I¡¯m being insensitive, but what happened?¡± ¡°Did someone attack your planet?¡± General Naltor asked, disregarding all notions of tact. Haliska¡¯s tail twitched with sadness. ¡°If I told you what happened without context, it would alarm you¡­let me clarify that the species that did that to my homeworld has been isolated from the rest of the galaxy, and are monitored by the SC. I¡¯m afraid my planet was bombed¡­and our old allies did nothing to help us. Humans rescued some of our, um, hostages, and have helped us build an official Commune as something to call our own. It¡¯s a long story, and I¡­don¡¯t want to sour first contact.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not souring anything. We appreciate your honesty, and I¡¯m sorry that¡¯s happened to the Thafki,¡± I jumped in hastily, feeling a mix of shock and sympathy at this appalling story. ¡°I am worried by much of this history you¡¯ve described.¡± Naltor¡¯s eyes narrowed with suspicion. ¡°I¡¯m glad that my scientific friend shares my concerns. I also noted it was mentioned that you¡¯ve never initiated a first contact, despite the fact you all know each other. Am I correct in assuming you had some major conflict?¡± ¡°You can say that again,¡± Dustin muttered. ¡°The SC is a newer organization. I¡¯m afraid the galaxy¡¯s recent history is troubled, but I assure you that we¡¯ve come here, in the hopes of starting something better. It¡¯s of the utmost importance to us that we help you, yet minimize our impact on your culture. We wanted to come to you with honesty, while also not overwhelming you or stunting your individuality.¡± It was interesting to hear the human address Naltor¡¯s colonization fears, by expressing that they wanted to avoid a Nelmin situation. The Selmer general folded his flippers in front of his thick blubber, scrutinizing the aliens with caution. He hesitated, before signaling for the military assets to stand down; I noticed the visitors¡¯ posture relax. From what they¡¯d just described about there being a major conflict in the stars, I imagined they would recognize any type of weapon. It wasn¡¯t unlikely that they knew about our own history, and had studied our military from above as well. Part of me was¡­disappointed that these species were plagued by the same strife up in the stars that we were down here. What was the cause of this major conflict, one so horrible that entire worlds were destroyed? What brought the war to an end¡­and what happens if this quarantined species gets past the Sapient Coalition? The positives were that these beings were interested in communicating with us, and had expressed multiple times that they didn¡¯t mean us any harm. While I could tell that General Naltor wanted to press them on this war issue, and gather the entirety of the details, I wanted to learn more about why they decided to contact Lassmin before any other nation. There was evidence this wasn¡¯t by chance; the aliens had found our probe, and Nulia indicated they knew our factional tendencies. There was a great deal that they could teach Bissems, even if their minds were less beyond us than I envisioned¡­but we¡¯d have to find a way to juggle competing interests on Ivrana first. The last thing we needed was to be at each other¡¯s throats; it wouldn¡¯t take much for the Selmer, Vritala, and Tseia nations to turn on their counterparts. With literal visitors from another world, some na?ve voice in my brain prayed to Hirs that we would see the folly in our squabbles. However, if that meant that we¡¯d just unify our guns against other planets, as it seemed had happened among these aliens¡­I wasn¡¯t sure that was any different. I hoped we could find a way to make the Sapient Coalition into friends of Bissems from all subspecies, and to make them not regret opening up the galactic community. There were thousands of questions about much lighter topics at the tip of my tongue: how many aliens were out there? What were their cultural and anatomical quirks; their greatest achievements and homeworld marvels? How did their spacefaring technology grant them the means to violate the speed limit of the universe¡­or did it? Dustin, Nulia, and Haliska couldn¡¯t have known about FAI¡¯s messages any earlier than two decades ago, no matter how close their star was. That meant they were either within a few light-years of our space (accounting for the signal¡¯s dispersal time and their travel), or they had FTL mechanisms. ¡°Excuse me, miss?¡± Haliska prompted. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Blood rushed to my forehead from embarrassment. ¡°I apologize, I got lost in my thoughts. There¡¯s so many things I could ask you. I¡¯m Dr. Tassi from FAI, and this is General Naltor of the Lassian Military.¡± ¡°Dr. Tassi! Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯ll be time to ask us absolutely anything you want,¡± Dustin chuckled. ¡°I¡¯d like to thank your military friend for not shooting us.¡± The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Nulia sighed in exasperation. ¡°Don¡¯t joke about that!¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not joking. We definitely spooked these guys¡­I think we still have. I thought it¡¯d be a simple invitation, if they wanted to meet with us. I¡¯m sorry for any alarm our presence has caused you. We¡¯re sentimental bastards; we like to do things personal, face-to-face. If you for some reason want us to leave, just ask, and we¡¯ll go right now.¡± ¡°Do not leave.¡± Naltor¡¯s words were all but an order, and I cringed at how he spoke to the aliens. ¡°Why Lassmin? Why did you pick us?¡± ¡°You had the space program, and you¡¯re also the closest thing to a union of all Bissems,¡± Haliska answered. ¡°The Confederation of Vrital and the Merlei Huddledom haven¡¯t given a shit about space in over a century.¡± Never thought I¡¯d hear casual profanity at first contact, but let¡¯s just waddle with it. ¡°We thought about landing in Nelmin, since it¡¯s off-limits¡ªforbidden for any settlements because of the Nel Armistice,¡± Nulia remarked. ¡°That would be neutral ground, but it¡¯s also a sore spot to start our relations. We wouldn¡¯t want to risk you fighting about whether to return at all.¡± Dustin made a strange gesture with his appendage. ¡°Haliska didn¡¯t mention the third grouping, so I feel obligated to touch on it. We¡¯re aware of how well the Tseia Nomads react to visitors trying to land on Alsh¡­and that¡¯s with other Bissems. They¡¯re reclusive in the best of times, so I can¡¯t say how they¡¯d take to us. We like our spaceships without an ICBM in the hull.¡± ¡°You¡¯re smart on that front. Unpredictable, shifty fucks do what they want, when they want,¡± Naltor mumbled. I shot the Selmer general a concerned look. ¡°Let¡¯s not refer to other Bissems that way around the aliens? Common sense. They¡¯re here to speak to all of us.¡± ¡°We are. I¡¯ll tell you what a very wise leader told our species, when we bumbled out to deep space; we¡¯re not here to take sides, show favoritism, or meddle in your conflicts.¡± Dustin ducked his head, rubbing his digits against the back of his neck in a self-soothing way. ¡°Sort it out among yourselves, but you get one embassy. Ivrana is one entity to us, because we don¡¯t have the diplomatic bandwidth for anything more.¡± ¡°Lassmin has been seeking Bissem Unity for years, but we can¡¯t control the others!¡± Naltor spat. ¡°I don¡¯t think we need to decide on any hierarchies right now.¡± I interceded hastily, not wanting to have the aliens believe we couldn¡¯t get along. It had been kind of Dustin not to judge us for warring amongst ourselves, but it seemed his kind had moved past that at first contact; we needed to as well. ¡°Question on the spacesuits, if you don¡¯t mind. Is our environment not breathable for you? Or is it to prevent microorganism contamination?¡± Dustin and Haliska seemed to share a glance beneath their helmets, while Nulia tried to give the appearance of being distracted. My innocuous question, to pivot away from the topic of Bissem acrimony, seemed to have touched a nerve. It was possible the aliens looked drastically different from us, and were concealing their anatomy to avoid frightening us; they could have six eyes, no skin, or something altogether ¡°horrifying.¡± They also might not want to tip off their vulnerabilities, if it had to do with a toxin in our world¡¯s atmosphere. It was as if the human was a bit nervous. What is he frightened of: that we¡¯ll weaponize whatever we learn about his species? If it was just microorganisms, he¡¯d say it. ¡°Microbes can¡¯t jump between alien species; biology varies too much from world-to-world,¡± Nulia answered. ¡°It¡¯d pose no risk to you. The proof is the hundreds of years we¡¯ve been in contact with each other, though we ran simulations just to be certain.¡± Haliska thumped her tail on the ground. ¡°Your atmosphere is breathable to us as well; we all are dependent on oxygen. If we landed in Merlei Huddledom territory on the poles, that would pose an environmental hazard. None of us are suited to that kind of cold, but other than that, no standard environment on Ivrana should be dangerous to us.¡± Dustin stiffened, digits curling with reluctance. ¡°It feels early to take off the suits, before you¡¯ve truly gotten to know us.¡± ¡°We¡¯re asking because we truly wish to get to know you,¡± I prompted. ¡°You said yourself that your kind likes relations personal, face-to-face, yet you¡¯ve obscured your features.¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­complicated. I¡­I think that Haliska and Nulia should start.¡± Nulia hesitated, before popping off her helmet and sliding out of the suit. Thick, brown fur enveloped her features, along with some sort of spikes attached to her spine; the claws were both slender and lengthy, presenting an additional natural threat. It didn¡¯t seem that she could sprint well, given how stout her legs were. There was nothing especially alien about her, with the same quantity and layout of features as standard life on our homeworld. Her brown irises were warm as they stared back at us, reflecting sunlight with cool warmth. Haliska risked a glance at the enraptured soldiers, many of who were as absorbed in this pivotal moment as I was. She shimmied out of her own suit, standing well below the Gojid; the Thafki had a bluish-gray coloration, twitching whiskers atop cream patches on her chin, and webbed feet not dissimilar to our own. That matched with the story of her semiaquatic origins; the lithe form of her body and tapered shape of her tail were perfect for swimming. Overall, these two creatures were agreeable to the eyes, which meant the problem must be with Dustin. What was the human concerned about? ¡°Well, shit. Here goes,¡± the final masked alien muttered. Dustin¡¯s hands drifted up to his helmet, and Naltor scrutinized him as he slowly removed the helmet. The creature¡¯s rosy lips wobbled with nerves, as he trained two eyes directly at me; this species had a narrower scope of vision, best suited to depth perception. I did note how large the unpigmented portion of his sclera was: curious. His other features were even more peculiar, with a massive, triangular nose that jutted out of the center of his face. His ears were circular, with cartilage folded in swirling patterns that I¡¯d never seen before. There was no fur on his face, or seemingly further down his neck, but tangled, brown hair sprouted atop his head. He looks the most alien, but not especially frightening. His skin looks soft and delicate. It didn¡¯t escape my notice how Haliska and Nulia seemed relieved, when none of us reacted poorly to Dustin. The human¡¯s eyes fluttered, warming as he saw he wasn¡¯t being rebuffed. Granted, most of my wild assumptions about these aliens had been wrong so far, since this hadn¡¯t been anything like my imagined first contact scenarios. However, I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that someone had judged his species for something. This trepidation about merely showing his face wasn¡¯t natural. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet all of you,¡± I offered, in the most gracious voice I could muster. ¡°Naltor, what would you say to extending these aliens a proper welcome?¡± General Naltor¡¯s beak parted with alarm. ¡°I would say if we organize the necessary preparations, and then transport these aliens somewhere we can host festivities, there¡¯s no way to stop it from getting out to the public!¡± ¡°We wanted you to have the opportunity to announce the news yourselves, but if I may, they¡¯re going to find out eventually,¡± Dustin commented. ¡°Forgive my forwardness, but we¡¯re not going to play a part in hiding anything from the masses. It goes against our founding principles.¡± Haliska lashed her tail. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to fear. People adjust more quickly than you might think to their new reality. You¡¯d be amazed what they¡­can adjust to. Believe me, I would know.¡± ¡°I agree that we should be transparent with the public, sir.¡± I raised my flippers for emphasis, hoping to show the sincerity in my words. ¡°This is something all Bissems have the right to know. I understand you wanted to protect the people, at first, but I don¡¯t believe our visitors are a threat.¡± ¡°I suppose livestreaming it on the internet would make the dumbfucks in the other nations less inclined to do anything stupid,¡± Naltor grumbled. ¡°What¡¯s that look for, Tassi? Ah, right, I shouldn¡¯t have said ¡®dumbfucks.¡¯ I meant the ¡®nice people¡¯ in other nations.¡± The human flashed his teeth briefly, earning a lingering glance from me; they weren¡¯t impressive dental structures, but it was an odd expression to display at this time. I was keen on learning the aliens¡¯ nonverbals. While it was helpful that they¡¯d learned our own to avoid any misunderstandings, what appeared to be a threat display by our zoological standards was an example of why we needed to learn theirs. Dustin covered his mouth with a sheepish expression, noticing that Naltor had returned to an alert posture. ¡°I apologize. My species has the¡­odd habit of curving our lips upward when we¡¯re amused or happy. It¡¯s a sign of submissiveness and goodwill, believe it or not. It¡¯s instinctual, so despite how other species admonish us, it¡¯s difficult to control. I can put the helmet back on if it makes you uncomfortable,¡± the xenobiologist said. I raised a flipper to reassure him. ¡°Nonsense. You¡¯re an alien; of course, you evolved with different expressions than us. Now that we know what it means, I¡¯m sure Naltor won¡¯t take it as a challenge.¡± The general scoffed. ¡°I was not going to contest the alien¡¯s strength, even if he was provoking me. I just wasn¡¯t going to let myself seem intimidated. Why don¡¯t we bring these aliens onto a transport, make an announcement to the public, and set up a feast replete with the finest delicacies?¡± ¡°A feast?¡± Haliska whispered, with a tone that seemed fearful. ¡°We should stay that offer. We don¡¯t know the aliens¡¯ customs around mealtime, or whether they¡¯d be able to eat our food. It is a bit presumptive, Naltor,¡± I said hastily, wanting to cover whatever faux pas we¡¯d committed against the Thafki. ¡°Perhaps they don¡¯t like excess or wasting food, or they¡¯re private. Maybe they only share food with close friends¡­or maybe they don¡¯t eat at all.¡± Dustin shot the bluish-gray alien a smoldering glare. ¡°We know how central fishing is to Bissem culture, and how hospitable it is for them to extend an invitation to a feast. Don¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Yes. Of c-course we do,¡± Haliska whimpered. ¡°It¡¯s no different from the humans,¡± Nulia assured the Thafki quietly. ¡°We accept this now, ever since the deconversions. You know that I¡¯m uncured.¡± Uncured? Deconversions? What the fuck are they talking about? ¡°I feel like there¡¯s something I should know about here.¡± General Naltor eyed the visitors with concern, thinking the same thing by my assessment. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to cause any offense. I was trying to celebrate your arrival.¡± The human bobbed his head from side-to-side. ¡°No, you didn¡¯t cause us any offense. Your invitation was quite kind, and we¡¯ll accept it if you''re still willing to extend it. There¡¯s some¡­complicated matters that we¡¯ll explain to you in due time, but I¡¯d prefer not to get into our full baggage today. What I will say is that none of our allied species subsist solely on meat, so I must ask if it¡¯s possible for you to accommodate us with some vegetable fare? I know your bodies aren¡¯t adapted for eating it, but¡­¡± ¡°Of course, we should¡¯ve asked about that. It¡¯s hard to think of food as not fish,¡± I responded. There¡¯s something much deeper going on here, but I haven¡¯t figured out what. ¡°We have some sea plants and a small selection of land vegetables for our fish farms. That¡¯s what we¡¯d be able to bring in on short notice. It¡¯s not a massive selection, but we should have no problem accommodating your needs.¡± ¡°Great. Thanks,¡± a queasy-looking Haliska replied. Hesitation flickered in Naltor¡¯s eyes, debating whether to press the aliens. ¡°I¡¯ll make the necessary arrangements; the FAI convention center should be perfect. I¡¯m sure the rest of Tassi¡¯s fellow scientists will be delighted to chip in, work shifts be damned. Shall we head to the vehicles?¡± Dustin dipped his head. ¡°Lead the way.¡± The Selmer general clasped his flippers behind his back, and strode over to the convoy we¡¯d come from. My mind was dazed from everything that had unfolded, but a mystery had made itself plain to me. As tempted as it was to zero in on cultural details, I needed to devote some focus to learning the details of the strange attitudes relating to the human and the feast. Chapter 2-3 Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist Date [standardized human time]: March 13, 2160 The sound of an alarm clock detonating by my bedside jolted me from a dreamless sleep, much too early. I stumbled over to the sink and brushed my teeth, splashing some water in my face to wake myself up. The grimy mirror showed my binocular eyes, with twinkling blue irises, and the buzzcut attuned to the warm climate of this world. It was cooler and ventilated in the underground caverns, but when I traveled to the surface to hurry off the Krev, it would be punishing¡ªand we couldn¡¯t take off the layers for anything. I wondered how I¡¯d gotten saddled with the role of payment ambassador in the first place. I hated those fucking aliens as much as anyone. ¡°It¡¯d be too much to hope for, that we could just keep to ourselves. We send an ark ship to get away from aliens, and we find more of them,¡± I grumbled, knowing I¡¯d have to put on a pleasant face in a few minutes. When Ark Ship 3 carried us to this uninhabited, breathable world, I had been nine years old; suffice to say, I barely remembered Earth. We¡¯d kept documentation with us of the threat, just in case future generations forgot why we had to be leery of aliens. Heading to the stars, we found a vast majority of herbivores who despised us and wished us dead. Hundreds of species, all plotting our extinction despite our efforts of peace. The lone other predator, seemingly a rarity, were child-eating monsters, who we wanted nothing to do with either¡ªdespite what those fuckwit Krakotl had thought. Our homeworld, and the ten billion humans we left behind, were extinct, barring a miracle. The ark ships had been sent out in quiet fashion by the UN to ensure our species¡¯ survival, and told never to contact home again. Starting civilization over from scratch with a few thousand people aboard wasn¡¯t easy; it was as bad as when our kind almost died on our cradle, during an Ice Age. How long would it take us to bounce back to where we were? At least we had our knowledge and technology. We preserved our memories and keepsakes in vaults, a mere specter of what once was. ¡°Let¡¯s get moving, Taylor.¡± Cherise Benson, a security officer, waved her rifle in a lazy gesture. She was already wearing full concealment gear. ¡°Scaly fuckers are on their descent from orbit. We don¡¯t need more protests from our own people, or for the xenos to stick around any more than necessary.¡± I pressed a hand to my temple. ¡°I¡¯m not looking forward to this. The miners are behind schedule because of the strike, so we have to barter for a few extra days. Damn militia¡¯s already used up all the last quarter¡¯s shipments, and we can¡¯t dip into that. Fucking hell.¡± ¡°Tell the Krev they¡¯ll either get the payments in a few days, or they won¡¯t get jackshit. They¡¯re the ones profiting off our backs, taking what they haven¡¯t put anything into; making us hide down here like rabbits in a burrow.¡± ¡°I¡­I wish I knew what it was like to feel the sun on my face. To stand in the rain. Sometimes, I wonder what it would¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s our job, Taylor: to stop people from doing anything impulsive. Much as I hate those Krev bastards, we can¡¯t afford to fight them. Better to pay up than to have them kill us¡­or take us from our home.¡± ¡°I guess so. Wish we could just up and leave, but where else are we gonna go? There¡¯s aliens everywhere. For all we know, the next ones are worse.¡± ¡°Given that the Federation and the Arxur are out there, that¡¯s the truth. Makes the Krev Consortium not seem so bad. Now let¡¯s go suit up, before they¡¯ve got a chance to even wander from the landing pad.¡± The arrangement between the Krev and us felt like it was hanging on by a thread sometimes, but it beat the alternative of having no home or fighting for our lives again. It didn¡¯t mean resentment didn¡¯t fester. We¡¯d come to this system as our supplies were running out, and hydroponics contingencies meant to push us further had failed. This world, which we called Tellus (Earth in Latin), was our last hope; this was the place we had to settle. However, as we aligned our flight path for a landing, a warship dropped out from a gas giant¡¯s gravity well¡ªand broadcast a message that this was Consortium territory. They demanded that we leave, at least showing more gusto than ¡°prey¡± races back home. I don¡¯t like those fuckers, but they aren¡¯t scared of their own shadow. If anything, the Krev are emotionless, and all business; they¡¯ve never seemed interested in sharing any details about themselves either. Knowing how every alien we¡¯d encountered back in the Orion Arm had reacted, we knew we couldn¡¯t let any other race know what we were: predators. It would¡¯ve been our preference not to speak to any aliens at all, but our quick-thinking captain had covered her face with scarves, looking something like a mummy on the call. She pleaded for the Krev to let us land, noting that our supplies were out and that thousands of settlers would die without the planet. Our ships¡¯ language models interfaced during the hail, and allowed translator implants on both ends to facilitate communication. It was after a prolonged discussion that the Consortium struck the bargain I was carrying out now. They¡¯d allow us to colonize the world, in exchange for a cut of the raw materials unearthed during our efforts. We didn¡¯t exactly have a choice; we were desperate, and not in a position to bargain out the terms. Our efforts went to building our city infrastructure underground; beneath the concealment of overhead soil, this was the only place that we could show our faces. Up on the surface, full disguises were required to avoid our predatory features being spotted through satellite imaging. The security guards locked the clasp on our inner cloth helmet, which looked something like a fencing mask, and that ensured nobody could get the reckless idea to remove it once they got up there. I¡¯d had to put on the full garb now, before the elevator was unsealed. ¡°Well, let¡¯s hope for the best. I get the sense they already want us gone. Krev seemed to have a stick up their ass lately, with their snide comments about our secrecy.¡± I yawned as we strolled past lit interiors, carved into the sides of the cavern, and passed several tired people through the cobblestone street. The subterranean metro was visible beyond the elevator¡¯s sealed gates. ¡°It¡¯s not like they¡¯re forthcoming themselves.¡± Cherise stopped me with a hand, placing the cloth mask over my head and turning the key. ¡°You know the drill, Taylor. Time to be¡­Mr. Cordiality. Charm the shit out of them.¡± ¡°If anyone can buy us time, it¡¯ll be done. Let¡¯s get this over with.¡± I unslung the secondary cloth from my shoulder, and wrapped it around my forehead and chin for further concealment. Cherise shot a thumbs up at the control room, who watched up on the balcony; there was a buzzing noise as the gate sealing the elevator came undone. I called the lift, and shuffled inside as the doors chimed open. My security escort tailed behind me, tapping her fingers on the ascent button. I listened to the whirring noise of the gears, as we ascended up through the place of residence we¡¯d carved out. Aboveground wasn¡¯t populated by many personnel, aside from the handful of top-world farmers and the militia people working with starships. I raised a hand in politeness as I passed a group of service technicians, who were tinkering with a gunship¡¯s engines. Some days, I wished they¡¯d fire up the guns, charge the incoming rent collector, and tell the Krev where to get off. A scowl creased my face beneath the mask, as I saw the alien ship touching down on our landing pad. Cherise and I quickened our strides, to ensure we were hovering by the alien ship as soon as they disembarked. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Gress, who¡¯d been the Krev¡¯s rent collector for the past few years, strolled down the ramp with his usual unfriendly expression. His dark green scales brightened beneath the glow from the star, something we¡¯d guessed meant they evolved in the jungle. Gress¡¯ lengthy tail curled with distaste, and his tongue flitted with impatience. I found the quirky mammals a bit reminiscent of pangolins from Earth. That was what they were called, right? I wasn¡¯t too stellar with knowing things from home¡­our true home. ¡°Gress! How are you doing?¡± I gushed, with fake enthusiasm. The Krev sighed, a bored look on his face. ¡°Taylor, is it? It¡¯s difficult to recognize you, with you hiding beneath those masks.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not polite to insult our way of life, and our culture. You know we¡¯re a private people.¡± ¡°That¡¯s one thing to call you. I suppose we should know better than to ask you to answer basic questions about yourself. We still don¡¯t know who we¡¯re dealing with.¡± ¡°Your attitude doesn¡¯t seem in the interests of partnership, Gress. You¡¯ve benefited from our toiling immensely.¡± ¡°I just¡­I swear I remember that this arrangement was supposed to be temporary. It¡¯s starting to seem like it¡¯s anything but.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s harsh to ask us to pack up and leave overnight? Whatever you think of our ways, humans haven¡¯t undermined or harmed you in any way; we have the utmost gratitude for how you¡¯ve allowed our settlers to make a life for themselves. Why ruin a good thing for us both? Gress pawed at the ground, scowling. ¡°I¡¯d like to be anywhere but here, so let¡¯s get a move on it. I don¡¯t see the crates ready to load onto the cargo hold. Have you forgotten what day it is?¡± ¡°Of course not. Look¡­you know that we¡¯ve been reliable. We¡¯ve never missed any of our days before, which is another reason you should value how we honor our deals. I¡¯m afraid that we¡¯ve¡­experienced a setback in our mining efforts, and we need a bit of extra time.¡± ¡°Let me get this straight. You people let me land, with zero forewarning, then tell me you don¡¯t have what I traveled hours to collect? What¡¯s owed to us for our land?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to offer sincere apologies on behalf of humanity. Truly, we are a hardworking people, and I¡¯m humiliated to say we¡¯ve missed our deadlines; this is a rarity. An anomaly. But in the spirit of a reasonable response, perhaps we can come to an agreement. All we need is a few days, and we can tack on a little extra to make it worth the additional trip. Please, Gress.¡± ¡°Tell me what the reason is for this delay, and I will consider it.¡± I hesitated, unsure how much Mayor Hathaway would want me to divulge to the Krev. The only way to ever get promoted away from this detail, perhaps to a leadership role in recognition of my silver tongue, was to stay on the head honcho¡¯s good side. This alien probably wouldn¡¯t be understanding about a strike due to our laborers resenting the very payments he was here to collect. We were going to have to work overtime just to get enough to pass along to him in a few days; I wasn¡¯t sure I could fulfill the extra, but I¡¯d needed to throw in something. I needed to sell him a line of total bullshit, since at least these xenos didn¡¯t seem entirely devoid of sympathy. Whatever it takes to make Gress go for it, I¡¯ll go over to the mines myself, and make sure it¡¯s delivered. We can¡¯t fight them, and we can¡¯t leave everything we¡¯ve got left behind us. I truly hate this, but it gives humanity a chance. ¡°We had to replace a lot of our equipment due to safety concerns, and the overhauls took longer than expected. Computer glitches here and there,¡± I fibbed. ¡°Three days should be plenty of time for us to get back to our normal production. How much will it take to right this wrong, Gress? I don¡¯t want you feeling cheated or put off.¡± The Krev squinted at me for several seconds. ¡°Hm. You don¡¯t have any materials in surplus, to give us now?¡± ¡°Not the standard materials we give you. But, if there¡¯s something else you want¡­maybe we can hand over something now. I¡¯m telling you, if there were any leftovers we could give you, we wouldn¡¯t be having this discussion. I hate having to ask for charity.¡± ¡°As if letting you land on this world wasn¡¯t charity enough. Hmph.¡± ¡°You know humans are in your debt. You know we¡¯re good for it, in three days¡¯ time. That¡¯s not that long, in the big picture, and it¡¯s nothing worth tearing up a deal that¡¯s worked for decades. Decades, without anything going awry. We can come to an understanding here. I know you can give us some leniency: one exception.¡± ¡°Oh, for fuck¡¯s sake. One exception. I want double our usual cut from you squatters, in three days¡¯ time. You better have it.¡± Cherise¡¯s hands tightened around her gun. ¡°Double? That¡¯s rid¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s a deal, Gress. Thank you for your kindness and understanding,¡± I spoke, through gritted teeth. ¡°You won¡¯t regret your faith in us. I hope you have a safe voyage back home, and we look forward to delivering the goods in three days¡¯ time.¡± ¡°In other words, you want to chase me off. Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯d rather be anywhere else than this desolate world, overrun by humans.¡± The Krev stalked back to his ship, keeping one side-facing eye trained on us. ¡°Send the word back to your people. We are going to talk about setting an end date to your stay here. I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s years from now, but you¡¯re not staying here forever.¡± ¡°I understand, and we can discuss that once we¡¯re back on normal footing. Farewell!¡± The Krev wandered back into his vessel, and with the engines still warm, he rocketed up from the landing pad as soon as he reached the cockpit. I watched the alien ship rise into the clouds, grateful that I¡¯d managed to get him to agree to anything at all; Gress hadn¡¯t given me the impression that they were willing to cut us any slack. When the interloper vanished up into the atmosphere, I finally allowed my emotions to shine through. I was all smiles, figuratively speaking, to his face, but I wanted to knock that rude prick¡¯s lights out! I kicked the sand with my boot, as soon as I was certain he couldn¡¯t see. ¡°Assholes. No good, fuckfaced¡ª¡± ¡°Settle down, Taylor. You¡¯re just getting yourself worked up,¡± Cherise admonished me. ¡°You calm?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Good, because now, it¡¯s my turn to get pissed off. What the fuck were you thinking? Cranking the first shipment out would¡¯ve been enough. You¡¯re going to have to push the machinery to the absolute limits¡­pull double shifts, to bring two times the standard amount! I don¡¯t even know if we can do it.¡± ¡°We can do it. We¡¯ll work the main drill overtime, and blast as many damn rocks as humanly possible. I¡¯m not giving those cold fucks any chance to kick us out. All the Krev need is one perceived slight, and I think they¡¯re throwing us out. I can sense it.¡± ¡°You can sense it? That¡¯s the second time you¡¯ve said that! I know we¡¯ve all been trapped underground too fucking long, but I think you¡¯re losing your mind.¡± I placed my hands on my hips. ¡°Cherise, I¡¯m not taking any chances. If there¡¯s one thing I¡¯m good at, it¡¯s reading people, and Gress is all but done with us. Tellus is our home now, and we need to find some way to keep our foot in the door.¡± ¡°You want humans to break our backs to benefit those lazy fuckers, just to keep them from uprooting our lives? What happens if we can¡¯t deliver?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll deliver. Look, I¡¯m not in horrid shape myself. I¡¯m going to go in and supervise, be ready to jump in as an extra set of hands if needed. Maybe you could send any able-bodied security folks down there as well. We can do this, as a team. Nobody is taking our home; I¡¯m not leaving another planet. It¡¯ll be over my dead body.¡± The security guard¡¯s body language looked exhausted. ¡°Fine, Taylor. You win. Just¡­good luck selling this plan to the miners and to Mayor Hathaway.¡± ¡°Nothing a few fabrications can¡¯t fix. Mayor can tell ¡®em it¡¯s for urgent fixes to the military, since we want to be ready to scrap with the Krev. Any luck, and the miners will never know where we really sent the ore.¡± ¡°Lying? For them?¡± ¡°For us. I¡¯m doing my job, and buying us time. If anyone else has a better idea, or if the Mayor wants to question my judgment, that¡¯s his prerogative. I will do whatever it takes to keep us together. We¡¯re the last of humanity left around, and I don¡¯t want to do anything that¡¯d squander that chance. Too many good people died back home!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that the truth. It still blows my mind that they killed¡­all of those people,¡± Cherise murmured. ¡°I¡¯ll help you and keep my mouth shut, Taylor, but don¡¯t think I support this. You better be right.¡± ¡°I will be. Now let¡¯s get to the mines and put everyone to work; there¡¯s no time to waste. Come on.¡± I hustled back toward the elevator, suppressing my own groan of displeasure at the thought of heading down to the mines. Even with machinery to carry some of the load, it was still a gritty, exhausting job; I was probably going to be a bit short on shuteye, with the shifts we¡¯d need to pull for these quantities of materials. Once we got the Krev off of our backs for this cycle, we could focus on making it to the next payment¡ªwith a more reasonable timeframe to complete our work. I wasn¡¯t sure how I was going to keep the peace between humanity and the Consortium, but it would take a great deal of commitment to make this arrangement last much longer at all. Chapter 2-4 Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist Date [standardized human time]: March 14, 2160 With the minimal amount of sleep necessary, I found myself back on the metro train to the mines: holopad curled in my grasp. Dusty stone walls passed by through the windows, as several weary faces joined me on the daily transport. I kept to myself in the back corner, finding myself listening through earbuds to Noah Williams¡¯ speech on the ride over. It always brought me unspeakable sadness, to hear the astronaut pleading for our lives, and trying to convince those monsters we could be their friends. I wasn¡¯t sure why I was putting myself through this, except to remind myself that the Krev weren¡¯t that bad. I stared at my empty coffee cup, grateful that someone had the presence of mind to bring along our favorite caffeinated beans; it would be a lot more difficult to get up for an early morning on three hours of sleep without it. If I wanted the miners not to see me, and by extension, Mayor Hathaway, as Krev mouthpieces, it was important that I pitched in for the grueling work. The mayor hadn¡¯t seemed pleased when I mentioned that Gress had demanded double the standard due, though he agreed on not telling the miners the reason for the double shifting. They might find out sooner or later, but we¡¯d cross that bridge when we got to it. We couldn¡¯t afford another strike right now. As it is, we¡¯re behind the pace of what¡¯s needed to meet the quantity demands. When the mayor calls me to check in¡­ As if on cue, my earbuds delivered a light chime. I tapped the accept button and glanced at my holopad, wondering what Brandon Hathaway would have to say about our progress so far. We still had two more days to supply what the Krev demanded, but I doubted Gress would be giving us any extensions. Would the mayor have ideas for stalling the aliens, or bringing in more workers? Drawing any more personnel to the mines would look suspicious, with the security personnel already getting the stink eye. Hathaway blinked sleep out of his eyes, massaging the puffy bags on his coffee-colored skin. ¡°Morning, Taylor. Any update on our progress?¡± ¡°I worked with ¡®em all night, supervising and moving shipments, helping out as much as I could,¡± I answered. ¡°There¡¯s no ands, ifs, or buts about it; we¡¯re not getting it done quick enough to meet our deadline, at the current pace. We¡¯re already pushing the main drill to its maximum safe capacity. Our engineers advised me that they can¡¯t, in good conscience, funnel any more power to it.¡± ¡°I see. I always¡­I always knew we were going to butt heads with the Krev eventually, son. I might give you shit about giving them so much as an inch more than we have to, but we cannot afford to anger them any more than we already have. I¡¯m with you that we must make this happen, though I don¡¯t expect the people to get it. They¡­don¡¯t remember what¡¯s really out there. What it¡¯s like to have thousands of ships coming for you.¡± ¡°I know our military isn¡¯t cut out for combat, sir. We have a small handful of warships that don¡¯t hold a candle to the Krev¡¯s boats. We just need to make people see the big picture.¡± ¡°There¡¯s adults born out here, who never saw Earth. Even you barely remember it. Not a lot of old folks to tell you about it either. I know the UN wanted a viable population¡­young, healthy people to ensure the continuance of humanity, but we left a whole lot of experience and expertise behind. Too many tough choices. Me, a city councilman in a small town in bumfuck Tennessee, being the closest thing we¡¯ve got to leadership. Who woulda thought I¡¯d be leading what¡¯s left of humanity.¡± ¡°You¡¯re doing an admirable job, for what it¡¯s worth. We kept the Krev out of our turf for decades, but it could never last forever. What we¡¯re doing here maybe buys us a few more years; the more I think about it, the more I know our days are numbered.¡± Hathaway ran a hand through his silver hair. ¡°Damned if I don¡¯t know it. You better keep your voice down, Taylor, ¡®cause if anyone hears that we¡¯re thinking about giving up, there¡¯s gonna be a riot on our hands. I thought about us packing up and leaving, just being done with the Krev¡­but wherever we go, it seems we¡¯re going to find aliens. With side-facing eyes. I thought¡­at least they¡¯re not trying to wipe us out. We can cope with them.¡± ¡°Humans are wild horses, Brandon, sir. We don¡¯t like to be broken. It¡¯s real hard to keep us under heel forever.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been listening to old Earth songs from Noah¡¯s data dump, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Maybe I have,¡± I admitted, flashing my teeth. ¡°All those efforts for genetic and cultural diversity, they¡¯re a shallow imitation of what we really had on Earth. The only way we really saved our culture¡­the vaults. The files. When I look at their sprawling cities and gatherings¡­their arts and attractions¡­I feel like we¡¯re living life at one percent.¡± ¡°Better one percent than zero. Look, Taylor; I don¡¯t have much in the way of administration, or a counterpart, beyond the Security Chief. I need you to find a way to come through, and pay off the Krev for a bit longer. You do that, I¡¯ll let you have a trial run as a city planner. You and your honeysuckle words, I know you could help handle the day-to-day. Restore things to how they should be with the workers.¡± ¡°Come again? I just want to be sure I heard you right.¡± It¡¯s too good to be true. I come through with the mining supplies, and I¡¯m done with the Krev? Fuck yeah! ¡°You want me to work for you¡­directly?¡± ¡°I do. You¡¯ve toed the line and kept your head down, dealing with the Krev. You did what humanity needed you to do, you¡¯re reliable, and it¡¯s time you¡¯re rewarded for your patience. This is a moment where we can¡¯t afford to come up short. Prove yourself by getting the job done, when our entire colony is on the line, and we¡¯ll get you set up. Whatever it takes for the double payout. Can you do that?¡± ¡°Yeah. Of course I can, sir. I¡¯ll move heaven and earth to make it happen. You bet your ass you can count on me!¡± The mayor wagged a finger at the camera. ¡°That¡¯s the spirit. Keep me posted when it¡¯s ready. You need someone to run interference on the Krev, or anything at all, you let me know.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do that. I think it¡¯s time I get my ass into gear; I¡¯m off this train soon as the doors open! Goodbye.¡± I switched off the call, trying to stop my hands from shaking with excitement. Several people stared at me as I jogged to the doors, pushing past absent-minded passengers standing near the exits. My anger at the Krev for the position they¡¯d put us in suddenly was something I could use; I hated working with them, and if I staved off their eviction plans this one time, I¡¯d never have to kiss up to them again. My boots slapped against the rocky ground, finding my way deeper into the tunnels. I wasn¡¯t sure what to do, other than make my way to the main drill. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. The scientists set those drill limits as conservative estimates of its capacity, because they didn¡¯t want an accident. We could push it just a tiny increment further, for a short time, and it would be a slight risk. I¡¯d stand right there to help monitor it for any warning signs, and we¡¯d temper its pace if there was anything to sweat about. The only other idea I had was to dismantle our ships; that would never fly with Hathaway or the miners, and I didn¡¯t like scrapping our barebones defenses for parts myself. There was nothing to worry about. The mayor said to do whatever it took¡­push it, just an hour a day, and it¡¯d be fine. I grabbed a hard hat off the wall, and moved over to a familiar, exhausted-looking technician. ¡°Can you feed just a small amount more power to the drill?¡± ¡°Taylor? I told you, that¡¯s not a good idea! It¡¯s already in the red at its maximum capacity! I know you¡¯re supervising for the mayor, so I bet he put you up to this, huh? We¡¯re working as fast as we can. I won¡¯t endanger the lives of everyone here.¡± ¡°Kabir, I think that¡¯s a bit melodramatic. I¡¯m talking the slightest increase; this is an emergency situation. It¡¯s got to be able to stand a little more juice, right? You build these codes to not go right up to the threshold. I¡¯m just asking to go to the actual threshold.¡± ¡°You are not a scientist or an engineer. This is the agreed-upon limit for a reason, and even then, we probably shouldn¡¯t have it under such high-stress conditions! It increases the probability of an equipment malfunction, puts stress on the metal¡ª¡± ¡°Are you certain the reason for these limits isn¡¯t so that it doesn¡¯t siphon all the village¡¯s power? It¡¯s already dimming the lights. Hathaway won¡¯t care if we cause a blackout. You are experienced in this field, so I think you can find a way to toe the line¡­to push the boundaries. Between us, the colony¡¯s survival depends upon this. I¡¯m begging you to try, because there is nothing else to be done.¡± Kabir hesitated, hand hovering over the controls. ¡°I have a bad feeling about this. Maybe the miners deserve to know¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re all down here, taking the risks together. We know the risks, and frankly, we haven¡¯t got a choice. I¡¯m here, so I clearly trust you to find a way. Just do it. It¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Dammit, Taylor! I¡¯ll dial it up a notch just for sixty seconds, and then I¡¯m putting it back. That¡¯s all I¡¯m doing. I don¡¯t want to die down here.¡± ¡°Neither do I, so it¡¯s cool. I knew there was a little wiggle room! If you can do that once an hour, that slight increase in production should be all we need. Thank you for doing what¡¯s right for Tellus, and for all of us. I¡¯ll leave the controls in your care. I¡¯ll be going around to make sure there¡¯s absolutely zero unnecessary pauses from the workers, and getting my hands dirty. We are in this together.¡± ¡°Together. Yep.¡± Kabir took a deep breath, steeling himself. His fingers tapped a button, sending an imperceptible uptick to the drill; we could see it continue to chug along in front of us. ¡°I hope this is worth it, Taylor.¡± I slapped him on the back with a smile. ¡°It has to be. We¡¯ve just got to make it through these next two days, huh? See, nothing happened.¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s staying in the red¡­¡± ¡°But the gauge was already in the red. Right on the bubble¡­no movement.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s the top of the scale. I just¡­I think I should dial it back down.¡± ¡°Tell you what. I¡¯m going to walk off this way; you just count to five, and then switch it back. Alright?¡± ¡°Fine. F-fine.¡± I turned away from the control platform, nodding to myself to slow my heart rate. Kabir had spooked me a bit with his insistence on the hard limit, but there was no sign of any cause for concern. This minimal push should give us just enough of a boost to meet the requisites, and then, we were free. Maybe we should try to automate more of the machinery to prevent future worker issues from causing problems. I cast a glance over my shoulder as the relieved technician switched the power settings back to their former state, and slumped his head. No harm, no foul. I will say, I don¡¯t like the discordant rattling sound, but I guess that¡¯s mechanisms being pushed to the limit. The Krev really backed us into a corner here, so it sucks we had to play Russian roulette to make it through. All¡¯s well that ends well. Now that the brief phase of mechanical overexertion was done, the rattling and internal heat should simmer back to its former state. I thought about looping by the processing center, and checking if the impact of that tiny adjustment was enough. Hard numbers would confirm that we were back on track, with the changes; when Mayor Hathaway called for the next update, I wanted to be able to tell him that I¡¯d come through. That I¡¯d done whatever it took¡­wait, why was the screeching sound getting louder? ¡°Fuck. I¡¯ve got to shut it down!¡± Kabir shouted. I turned back to face him, eyes widening with alarm. ¡°No, don¡¯t do that! Don¡¯t do anything stupid!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Taylor. I have to, right now, or we¡¯re all fuc¡ª¡± There was a deafening sound like a clap of thunder, followed by the noises of metal colliding and striking the cavern walls. A panicked Kabir slapped a hand on the shutdown button, much too late, while panicked shouts from miners hit my ears; some cut off as if impaled by something. I whipped back around to see parts flying out from the towering drill. It had¡­exploded, like it had been a pressure cooker waiting to burst. This couldn¡¯t be happening, not when we had to get those shipments; how were we going to meet the Krev¡¯s demands without our most powerful mining device? Heat slapped my face from the explosion, as I placed my hands on my head with horror. It wasn¡¯t just the one segment of the drill going up in smoke; the entire thing detonated like a chain reaction, as the initial buildup spread and the shutdown failed. Finally sensing danger, I hit the deck on instinct, lucky to have my arms already atop my cranium. The groaning overhead intensified; the force of the entire contraption bursting into thousands of pieces of superheated shrapnel damaged the cavern¡¯s structural integrity. Dust trickled down from the ceiling, succeeded by larger chunks of stones and a deluge of sand. Was this how my life ended: buried alive while trying to appease greedy aliens, for a chance to finally not have to deal with them? My eyes watered with denial, as the air was shrouded in smoky dust. I should¡¯ve listened to Kabir, but how could a minor alteration have caused this much devastation? Choking sobs emanated from my chest, before a mound of sand slammed into my head. The world went dark, as I found myself suffocating beneath a layer of debris. I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m so sorry! I was just trying to make the mayor proud¡­to save our home. This is all the Krev¡¯s fault. I¡¯m going to fucking haunt them in the afterlife. I¡¯m going to make them pay for their indifference, in this life or the next! While I¡¯d feared that these would be the final waking moments of my life, as I was deprived of any oxygen, I found the last fleeting strength to kick out with my limbs. My hands managed to claw their way out from beneath a pile of debris, to find that the roof was precariously holding steady; or so it seemed. I couldn¡¯t see, with my face still submerged in dust, but I knew the sky had stopped falling. I poked my head out just enough, dragging myself forward and shedding a tiny bit of dust. A weak cough racked my chest, trying to spit out dirt and clear my nostrils. The back of my skull throbbed, suggesting a welt from where something connected with it. Despite how I willed myself to move forward, my limbs were going lifeless; the last burst of adrenaline-fueled strength was fading. I could hear voices rushing in, further out from the blast sight, helping to dig people out. I thought I heard Cherise above me, trying to wake me, but I had already lost my grip on consciousness. My body sank into the ground¡¯s embrace, exhausted. Knowing I had ruined any hope of humanity meeting its obligations, I fell into a deep, unwelcome sleep. Chapter 2-5 Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem Scientist Date [standardized human time]: March 13, 2160 When General Naltor relayed the news of our visitors to the FAI scientists, their indignance at being held hostage in their workplace evaporated¡ªjust as mine had once I was briefed in the convoy. The press had been alerted as well, as the Lassian government prepared an official livestream alongside several broadcasts. How would the aliens respond to a series of questions, if we allowed reporters to corner them? The aliens appeared to want to address the media, though they might not be prepared for provocative queries. Dustin, Nulia, and Haliska didn¡¯t seem unwilling to answer our inquiries, but there was such a thing as too much all at once. I whispered for Naltor to let the aliens address the populace, before allowing them to initiate a question-and-answer question only if they wanted to; the journalists needed to be advised to proceed with caution. Our visitors were friendly, as far as I could tell, but the last thing we wanted was to scare them off. It was apparent there were some abscesses in their past that they were slow to divulge. It had been my mission to figure out what we hadn¡¯t been told, but I found myself easily distracted by the human¡¯s banter. Dustin regaled us with stories from his society, and images from across the galaxy: all analysis of their food policies evaporated from my mind. ¡°So that great signal¡ªthe mystery frequency that kept showing up, and some people thought it was aliens¡ªthat we spent years researching? Hundreds of scientific papers written on it. What we thought were alien signals, were actually microwaves. Like I was saying, we heat our meals. The data points were microwaves from impatient folks forcibly opening the damn oven before it was done,¡± Dustin chuckled. Naltor¡¯s eyes twinkled with amusement. ¡°How many years were spent researching this?¡± ¡°Seventeen, if I remember. Seventeen years before someone goes: hm, wait a second, this frequency is one that¡¯s really familiar! All because a multitude of people don¡¯t follow instructions, and the oven leak was right by the signal receiver.¡± ¡°I would be so frustrated if FAI had spent years analyzing a signal that was from within our lab,¡± I groaned. ¡°I guess it¡¯s strange to have spent so much time finding ways to analyze the stars, and have first contact just¡­fall into our beaks.¡± ¡°It¡¯s happened to many of us,¡± Nulia remarked. ¡°Gojids knew about aliens since before I was born¡ªunlike Dustin¡¯s species. Dustin remembers when his kind first found aliens. Then humans¡­their soldiers landed on my planet. Our entire village panicked, and my mother¡­abandoned me. A human soldier came and saved me: raised me as his own.¡± Haliska lashed her conical tail. ¡°When you talk like that, you make humanity sound like the aggressors. We all know they didn¡¯t want that. I didn¡¯t think we were spelling out the details of the war here and now.¡± ¡°The Bissems already know that there was a conflict, and that terrible things happened. I don¡¯t see the point of sugarcoating it, especially when it¡¯s shaped all of our pasts. It¡¯s difficult to explain what Gojid culture was like, before the humans rebuilt the cradle¡¯s bombed-out husk, and Project Chronicle¡­wrote us a guidemap.¡± ¡°Bombed-out husk? You said earlier you lived on ¡®Skalga¡¯ since you were a child.¡± General Naltor¡¯s eyes looked like they were about to pop out of his skull. ¡°Are you telling me that¡¯s because your planet was destroyed in this conflict too?! The humans were fighting you¡­and they did this?¡± ¡°The humans fought with decency, as decent as a war can be, and did everything in their power to avoid civilian casualties. There¡¯s many videos of their sacrifice and valor, protecting innocent lives like mine. The same species that destroyed the Thafki homeworld centuries ago swooped in, while the Terrans¡ªsorry, alternative name for humans¡ªwere occupying our planet. Which truth be told, they only did because our generals wanted to wipe them out.¡± ¡°What the fuck? This history gets more and more fucked up, the more I hear. Do enlighten me on what motivated your species to wish humans extinct, at what sounds like their first contact. Would you ever get the same idea about us?¡± ¡°No. That government is long gone. We¡¯re allies with the humans nowadays, and committed to peaceful exploration of the galaxy alongside them.¡± ¡°You skipped my first question. What was the reason you wished for the humans¡¯ extinction?¡± Dustin slumped his shoulders. ¡°I¡­was hoping to touch on happier topics, General Naltor. Let¡¯s just say for now that it was hatred. It¡¯s been coloring every culture we¡¯ve come across, and it¡¯s been a painstaking journey to fix it. As I said, we¡¯ll tell you the¡­tragedy of our galactic introduction, at some point. I just see cameras outside, and I don¡¯t want our first words to billions of frightened Bissems to be about a war of extinction that happened twenty years ago.¡± ¡°The real question isn¡¯t whether you¡¯re ready for us, here on Ivrana. It¡¯s whether we¡¯re ready for you,¡± Haliska admitted. ¡°Whether we can¡­avoid making the mistakes of our predecessor organization. Maybe we can pen a new chapter of our history, together.¡± ¡°I need to know what is going on,¡± Naltor fired back. ¡°If there is a threat to Bissems¡ª¡± Nulia fiddled with her claws. ¡°We¡¯re not a threat. We¡¯re taking every precaution to avoid causing you inadvertent harm, to culture or to safety. The threat to¡­divergent societies was averted when the humans exposed centuries of lies and tyranny through their arrival.¡± Centuries? I inhaled in slow fashion, trying to process their words. ¡°I¡¯m beginning to suspect I have underestimated just how troubled the galaxy¡¯s history was.¡± ¡°You have no idea. Let¡¯s just say your first contact would be quite different, without us,¡± Dustin sighed. ¡°May I ask for us to enjoy the feast, through a cultural exchange: one with more levity than the current topic? I meant what I said about not wanting to get into this history in depth, yet it keeps coming up. I¡¯m quite excited to meet the FAI scientists, and to speak to the public.¡± ¡°I¡¯m nervous,¡± Haliska grumbled. ¡°Very nervous.¡± My flippers rested by the door, observing the crowd of cameras waiting for us. ¡°This is a celebration of the aliens¡¯ arrival. I agree that we should focus on what they are now, and not what they were in recent years¡­as they¡¯ve forgiven our own contention here. I¡¯m eager for every citizen of every nation to hear their words.¡± ¡°As are we. Our team only learned simplified Vrit, but that won¡¯t be a problem for you once we pass along our translators.¡± Nulia tapped a spot right underneath her tiny ear, suggesting she had some subdermal implant. ¡°May we exit the vehicle?¡± ¡°Of course you may. There¡¯s a podium with a microphone where you can address the watching world, before the feast begins,¡± the Selmer general sighed. The arctic-subspecies Bissem popped open the door handle, assisting me into the street with a flipper. Gathered FAI scientists looked like children who¡¯d caught their first fish, eager to steal a glimpse of the alien visitors. Military personnel were corralling the media, as well as public spectators who¡¯d torn down the sideswim at the news. PSAs were being broadcasted, warning anyone in the vicinity that their safety could not be guaranteed, and that this was an emergent situation. There was awe, excitement, curiosity, and fear commingling in the crowd. This was the moment Ivrana would be introduced to a galactic community, and we¡¯d be asked to rise to the occasion. Every Bissem will see how much work and effort the aliens have put into learning about us, and how similar they are to us. For a moment, when the human was talking about those microwave signals, it felt so normal. Dustin bobbed his head at each of his colleagues, before leading the way out into the open. There was a wave of gasps, from Bissems who hadn¡¯t envisioned an alien looking anything like him: the patchy fur definitely caught them off-guard. The shocked exclamations intensified once the two other visitors emerged with submissive postures. It was rare to see reporters tongue-tied; that effect didn¡¯t last long, though they seemed more subdued and taken aback than usual. The human raised a delicate hand, his palm facing the cameras, in a gesture that was likely some sort of acknowledgment. General Naltor helped usher the aliens toward the podium, though he seemed a bit leery of outright touching them; that might make it all real. The Selmer shushed the reporters¡¯ questions, and after seeing that the Terran intended to deliver a speech, they obeyed for once. Apart from a few shouts of ¡°Hello!¡± and ¡°Welcome!¡± from spectators that were likely science fiction aficionados, everyone was willing to wait in silence. I noticed several FAI colleagues shooting greedy glances at me, wishing they could transfer what I already knew into their minds. Our scientists looked more ready to strap the visitors to a chair and interrogate them than the reporters. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Wow. Hey there. I¡¯m humbled and honored to be speaking with you: to be here on your beautiful planet! Please, do not fear us.¡± Dustin waited a moment as a new round of gasps took off; none were more surprised than my fellow scientists, at his perfect Vrit. ¡°I know what you¡¯re all thinking. Really, I do! It was only twenty-three years ago that I sat in an orphanage on my homeworld, listening as our planet¡¯s chief diplomat told all ten billion of us we¡¯d met aliens. Now, I¡¯m here, as that mystical being a sea of cameras are pointing toward, and I know that this feels like a pivotal moment in your history.¡± I¡¯d love to hear Dustin describe more of what first contact felt like for humanity. I want to know if his people shared any of those transcendent emotions and wild thoughts that ran through my head today. ¡°I¡¯m here to tell you that all of this will become a lot easier to process, sooner than you think. Before you know it, Bissems might be up there helping a new generation: some child who listened to my words and felt compelled to explore the stars. It¡¯s a beautiful cycle. I¡¯m also here to tell you that none of us are mystical at all. We¡¯re a handful of species that happened upon warp engines, and formed an organization that ensures cooperation between eighty-two diverse civilizations. We¡¯re called the Sapient Coalition. We are devoted to science, to individual rights, and to peace.¡± Warp engines. That answers my question about their mode of traversing those vast distances. Imagine what that technology could do for the Lassmin Space Program! ¡°I also know that you¡¯re likely feeling self-conscious about how we might judge you for your worst moments. We felt the same: if I stood here and described all of the blunders, the mistakes, the divisiveness or just the plain stupidity of my people¡¯s history, I¡¯d be here for several lifetimes. We fervently believe in your species, and that you share our fundamental drive to explore this universe that we inhabit for only a fleeting time. That you can join us in celebrating new life and new cultures!¡± I heard from Dustin earlier that his people were divided before first contact. As much as I wished they¡¯d be perfect, there is something to be said for their flaws: that they haven¡¯t forgotten their past. ¡°We recognize our immense responsibility, introducing you to new technology. Great minds scattered across many worlds have made fantastic discoveries and creations that can save and better Bissem lives. I¡¯m talking about eliminating the language barriers on Ivrana that hamper communication. I¡¯m talking about curing diseases, advanced prosthetics, genetic knowledge, and life extension technology. Spaceships that can bring you to nearby stars! We want you to share our blessings.¡± Several cheers rose up from the crowd, as watching Bissems seemed delighted by the possibilities that the human had laid out. There was so much needless death and suffering that the aliens¡¯ advanced science could conquer; there was a great deal of knowledge the numerous civilizations in the Sapient Coalition must¡¯ve acquired. This altruistic rhetoric should make it evident that they intended to better our society: not to eradicate it like Bissem colonizers on Nelmin, or whatever had been done to the Thafki and the Gojids. If we were the first ones the SC had reached out to as an organization, I wanted to tell them they were doing well. I wanted to play a part in helping them learn, and create something better. ¡°But we must pass these marvelous things along with care. We wish to avoid their misuse, or for them to be twisted into harmful applications. We don¡¯t favoritize any faction. The last thing we want is to aid death and division, when we¡¯ve become so very fond of all of the cultures¡­the unique flames of life lit within billions of Bissem souls. We wish for you to retain that beautiful uniqueness, by maintaining your ways and customs. We hope you¡¯ll challenge us with new ways of thinking, and that you¡¯ll one day join our cause, as fellow beings linked by the strange experience of sapience. Thank you.¡± Nulia gave Dustin a congratulatory pat on the back, and his binocular eyes swelled with water from deep emotions. It seemed as though the human was moved by the prospect of Bissems hearing his words, and joining humanity¡¯s pacifist cause. The reporters launched into a vigorous set of questions, asking for the Terran to expand on his points¡ªand on other things he hadn¡¯t covered, such as how the SC found Ivrana. Haliska offered a brief comment that they¡¯d take interviews at a later date, while Nulia tacked on that they planned to share their culture and history through data releases. All of their knowledge, dispersed through the internet: to be used by all Bissems for the greater good! It was almost too good to be true, yet I didn¡¯t doubt their intentions for a second. Despite the seedy past I¡¯d heard about, I found myself swept up in this new era of idealism; what Dustin outlined had been my life¡¯s dream as well. Even if it wasn¡¯t perfect, or the transcendent society my heart desired, I still yearned to learn everything about it. I was glad that an official livestream would be recording the feast that took place inside. The FAI scientists permitted to dine with guests should offer up interesting questions. The public might see the beginning of those answers outlined during our communion. Dustin turned to face me, a glimmer in his eyes. ¡°Dr. Tassi, one of the data points humanity asked to share is called the Golden Record. We attached it to the first probe that left our solar system: much like Lassmin¡¯s space program did. A collection of our culture and our goodwill. We have so much more to share, but as the galaxy¡¯s sentimental people, we¡¯d love for that to be the first thing you see of us.¡± ¡°That sounds delightful! We attached something similar to one of our probes: a codex of greetings in our primary four languages. FAI scientists recorded a message as well¡­you may have seen our faces before.¡± ¡°I suppose we have, then. If I remember correctly, us discovering you caused quite a stir: semi-aquatic flightless birds! All sorts of facts about Bissems made the rounds on the internet. You¡¯re the first pre-FTL civilization humanity has discovered. This is big to us as well.¡± ¡°You stated our classification like it was noteworthy. Are birds¡­there aren¡¯t any other sapient birds?¡± ¡°We know two of them. The Duerten and the Krakotl.¡± The human¡¯s eyes darted back and forth, with jerky movements that seemed to be acknowledging the watching cameras. ¡°I¡¯ll happily provide you with a species codex when we transmit our data for your perusal; that info will probably come tonight. The Duerten are not SC members; they run their own group called ¡®The Shield.¡¯ We would¡¯ve brought a Krakotl along with our first contact party¡ªwe almost did¡ªbut they¡¯re still a bit¡­fractious. Complicated. We figured you¡¯d have more in common with the water-loving Thafki. You¡¯re both drawn to it, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s in our nature. It¡¯s why we build our nations on the coastline; it¡¯s the giver of food and comfort. I believe Haliska said you enjoy it too, despite being mammals?¡± The Thafki blinked at the sound of her name. ¡°Humans are quite fond of the ocean. They evolved to be arboreal, but they seem to do whatever they want. There isn¡¯t much in nature you won¡¯t find that they¡¯ve turned into some form of entertainment or escapism.¡± ¡°Earth is the galaxy¡¯s entertainment capital for a reason. There¡¯s something about their enthusiasm, their willingness to take on anything, that¡¯s singular,¡± Nulia remarked. ¡°I imagine some of their pastimes might expand your horizons.¡± The human chuckled. ¡°Bissems already share our pastime of making meemuhs. I bet my face is being plastered on dozens of them right now.¡± ¡°That was a Terran word you just used?¡± I prompted. ¡°Pictures with silly captions on the internet? That¡¯s our word for them; I know you have a different one, but I¡¯m blanking. Say, I bet you could make one of us three exiting the vehicle, and everyone staring at us. Some tagline like, ¡®How your parents look at you when you flunk a test.¡¯¡± ¡°You¡¯re an idiot,¡± Nulia sighed. ¡°You know millions of people can hear what we¡¯re saying?¡± ¡°Then they¡¯ll make the memes just like that. I planted the seed. A little fun and humor wouldn¡¯t be the worst thing in the world. It¡¯s a way of seeing the light in what¡¯s crazy. It¡¯s a very¡­human thing to do.¡± ¡°Did you make memes when Kalsim was bearing down on you?¡± ¡°Of course we did, but let¡¯s not talk about that guy now. Dr. Tassi, would you mind showing us to the feast?¡± General Naltor ducked away, from where he¡¯d been giving a statement calling for cooperation between the Vritala, Selmer, and Tseia subspecies. ¡°You¡¯re asking the wrong Bissem, but yes, we can show you inside. I think that went exceedingly well. You were quite personable and humble. I don¡¯t know if that¡¯ll resonate with people, but that quality of yours has impressed me, Dustin.¡± ¡°Thanks. I respect that you want what¡¯s best for your people, General Naltor. Protecting the vulnerable is the most honorable thing any sapient can do. Attitudes like that are one of the reasons I have high hopes for Bissems, to become a force for good¡ªsmashing down any preconceptions.¡± ¡°You talk a good game, alien. Let¡¯s eat, shall we?¡± I studied the Thafki out of my periphery, noticing her moving closer to the human. ¡°Are you alright, Haliska? I notice the suggestion of the feast seems to spark a reaction from you.¡± ¡°I¡­apologize. I¡¯ll be fine. This just isn¡¯t my favorite¡­activity,¡± the blue-gray furred mammal muttered. ¡°I¡¯d much rather be having a swim together, but I¡¯m here to learn and to be a positive influence. That¡¯s right. Positivity.¡± Haliska sounded beyond unconfident, though despite my increasing suspicions over her feast anxiety, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to advise Naltor to call it off. If the alien said she was fine, then surely I was worrying about her emotional state for no reason. Thafkis¡¯ demeanor could be more timid than other species, from living in a ¡°commune¡± without a homeworld; we couldn¡¯t apply Bissem standards to these visitors, no matter how similar to us they acted. Dustin had requested not to delve into the most disquieting issues tonight, and I was willing to respect that. However, it might be worth investing more mental resources into picking up on any clues¡­just in case the Thafki was in a vulnerable state. This can¡¯t go wrong, with a livestream of the feast happening; I don¡¯t want it to reflect poorly on Haliska, not without the context of what¡¯s up with her. I¡¯ll keep an eye on her, and I suspect General Naltor will too. With the entire world watching our shared meal, I led the way into the FAI convention center, and prepared to introduce the aliens to the other scientists who¡¯d spent a lifetime seeking proof of their existence. Chapter 2-6 Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem Scientist Date [standardized human time]: March 14, 2160 The human settled next to me at the table, fiddling with the utensils as if to gauge their weight. He¡¯d spent much of the time while FAI scientists were trickling in explaining basics, which had already been passed along to Naltor and I. Haliska, meanwhile, was doing her best attempt to sink into a chair, while Nulia seemed to be watching the reactions as real-time quality control. I noticed the Gojid speaking up, each time Dustin¡¯s words were misinterpreted or unclear to some Bissems. Perhaps I could encourage her to take the lead, and get her to open up a little about her personal life. The Terran xenobiologist had seemed like any other person, when he spoke of his past as an orphan. ¡°You say you were raised by a human, Nulia?¡± I prompted. ¡°How did that lead you to become a sociologist, and to wind up in this first contact party?¡± Nulia leaned back, hesitating. ¡°My home life was¡­difficult, at times. It¡¯s a long story, but much like Dustin, I wound up living on Skalga¡ªhome of the Venlil.¡± ¡°Hold on. I thought Dustin was from Earth?¡± ¡°He is. He was¡­forced to evacuate from his planet, like many other humans, due to unforeseeable events. Don¡¯t ask me. Stayed with a Venlil as a temporary refugee, and wound up getting permanently adopted. Without his adoptive mother encouraging him and a part-time job studying wildlife with the exterminators¡ªanother long story¡ªI doubt he would¡¯ve pursued his passion fully. If you¡¯d like more details, I suggest you ask him.¡± ¡°I apologize for getting sidetracked. I was asking about you, Nulia. We¡¯d like to get to know all of you.¡± ¡°There¡¯s not much to tell about me. I had a lot of resentment toward my own people, and the human soldier that rescued me also got stuck caring for a Venlil friend. Slanek, his name was; he had a few years where he got better, before there was nothing the doctors could do. Once I understood what was happening, I didn¡¯t want to be around and watch that decline. Poured myself into studies; to graduating and getting far away from Skalga. I started learning Vrit before I¡¯d ever gotten my certificates¡­perhaps that¡¯s a selfish motivation.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to open up to people, because you¡¯re afraid of losing them,¡± I guessed. ¡°That¡¯s understandable.¡± ¡°That¡¯s for you to judge. I was one of the youngest Gojids to graduate with a degree in my field. Whatever my personal issues, I can assure I¡¯m both qualified and stable enough to analyze your society.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not worried about your qualifications. I¡¯ve just started to get this crazy fantasy in my head that we could become¡­friends. We could bond.¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy to get to know more about Bissems, and see where it goes from here. Do you ever just people watch, Doctor? Just look around and make observations like you¡¯re some omniscient narrator?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say I do.¡± ¡°Perhaps I understand,¡± Naltor chimed in, from a few seats down. ¡°Always watch the exits. Count the potential threats. You never know when a situation could go sideways.¡± Nulia waggled a claw. ¡°That isn¡¯t what I mean at all. I just mean, you look at a person¡¯s behavior and imagine what they¡¯re feeling. What their life might¡¯ve been like. I do that on a microscopic scale, and it follows that, as a sociologist, that¡¯s what I¡¯m doing on a wider scale.¡± ¡°Any observations you can share about how our development compares to your own?¡± I prompted. ¡°As things stand, you have a lot less¡­outside interference. On a less bleak note, Bissem flightlessness influencing religion is one of the more intriguing topics I¡¯ve found. How you must¡¯ve compared yourselves to other birds, to the point of one faith proclaiming that Kail took that ability away from you.¡± Haliska glanced up for a brief moment. ¡°I find it interesting that Bissems view it as flight being taken away, rather than swimming being given to them. There¡¯s nothing more joyful than splashing around in the waves on a hot day.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll agree with that. It¡¯s too fucking hot here,¡± Naltor commented, gesturing to his Selmer blubber meant for the arctic. ¡°If there wasn¡¯t water, I¡¯d melt into a damn bubble.¡± ¡°The Bissems love water, Haliska, but the reason for their comparisons is simple. We often do not appreciate what we have, and we want that which is not within our grasp,¡± Nulia commented, ignoring the Selmer. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯ve spent so much of my life wishing my mother hadn¡¯t abandoned me, despite having a chaperone who nurtured me to the best of his ability. It¡¯s natural.¡± I tapped my tan flipper on the table, watching out of my periphery as platters of food were carried into room. ¡°I¡¯ve spent a lot of time, wishing that aliens would arrive and solve all of our problems. Do you think that means I don¡¯t appreciate Ivrana? I most certainly love our homeworld; I just want it to the best it can be.¡± ¡°Forgive my honest answer, but I suspect it reflects on what you believe about Bissem nature. You think that you need fixing because of your flaws. Accepting imperfection is¡­difficult, in general, whether it¡¯s wishing for flight or wishing for more love in the world. Sometimes, it¡¯s easier to believe there¡¯s a magical fix.¡± My eyes lowered toward the ground, weighing the truth in Nulia¡¯s words. Given that she¡¯d devoted her career to studying different societal motivations, and her professed affinity for watching people¡¯s behavior, I shouldn¡¯t be surprised that her assessments were so spot on. While I was a half-hearted believer in Hirs, and an afterlife at the center of Ivrana, I could recognize the validity of Haliska¡¯s comment on Kail as well. Instead of despairing at our own flightlessness, we could marvel at how swimming gave us the means to create a society; if we hadn¡¯t been driven to fish and circumnavigate the seas, we wouldn¡¯t have developed many of our gifts so soon. What would Bissems even be without fishing? Those other alien birds that Dustin mentioned before could fly, but if I could trade places, I wouldn¡¯t. For all our flaws, and all my hopes that we can behave in peaceful fashion, there is so much that I love about Bissem culture. We¡¯re unique, and blessed to be joining a sea of diverse cultures. Haliska¡¯s expression looked a bit queasy, as several fish cutlets sat in front of her. ¡°That¡¯s a¡­real dead animal in front of me. Not something grown in a lab.¡± ¡°You knew that,¡± Nulia warned. ¡°Pull yourself together.¡± Naltor leveled a direct stare at the Thafki. ¡°There¡¯s vegetable dishes as well, per Dustin¡¯s request. Is there something I can get you?¡± ¡°No. Thanks,¡± the blue-gray mammal murmured. ¡°Maybe, just¡­no one t-talk to me for a minute? Please? I need to breathe.¡± The human turned away from his back-and-forth with FAI scientists, who were hanging on his every word. ¡°What a bounty you guys have laid out for us! I see that you even cooked one of the trays; that must¡¯ve been Tassi¡¯s doing. You listened when I said we heat our meals.¡± ¡°Of course I listened. There¡¯s nothing I want more than to learn everything about your species,¡± I replied. ¡°I hope it¡¯s to your liking. Please, help yourself; as our guests, we¡¯d like you to eat first.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m not one to turn down something that smells so delightful. I appreciate all of your effort and the special accommodations; all of you staying late, on the last day before the weekend, away from your homes and families, just to spend time with us. Now, I¡¯m not just the first xenobiologist on your world; I¡¯ll be the first to sample your food! The flavors of Ivrana will be a blessing to my tastebuds, I have no doubt.¡± ¡°Now watch him spit it out,¡± Naltor joked, as Dustin heaped a preshfish cutlet and a scoop of greens onto his plate. ¡°Whatever it is, it can¡¯t be worse than surstr?mming. Fermented fish some crazy folks at home eat, despite the fact it smells like a rotten corpse! I better stop talking, or I¡¯ll kill my own appetite.¡± Haliska was pulling at her rounded ears, after the human¡¯s jovial remarks, and batted Nulia¡¯s paw away as the Gojid tried to intervene. I was about ready to step in on the Thafki¡¯s behalf, despite the fact I didn¡¯t know for certain what I was witnessing; my gut was telling me that she shouldn¡¯t be anywhere near this table. Cameras were streaming her erratic behavior to the world. I decided not to spoil the moment, and break up the festivities, until Dustin had enjoyed our offerings. The human¡¯s eyes twinkled, as he sliced off a meager bite of meat and inserted it into his jaw. He pushed it around on his tongue for a moment, before his lips curved up in approval. Nulia shot a concerned look at Haliska, before grabbing a preshfish cutlet for herself. That seemed to be the snapping point for the Thafki, who bolted from the table with manic eyes. Several FAI scientists gasped in alarm, while Naltor attempted to stop her; the blue-gray alien ducked his grasp, with the advantage of her short height. I watched in disbelief as she ran off, toward where the public was lurking. She couldn¡¯t just roam our streets at first contact; I knew the Selmer general was thinking the same thing. Outside of a controlled environment, there was no guarantee of her safety, or from the military¡¯s point of view, ours. There was nothing to stop reporters from cornering her either. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Dustin stood from his chair. ¡°Haliska! You can¡¯t run off. This is their planet; we¡¯re their guests! We don¡¯t have permission to wander¡­Hallie! Stop! You¡¯re causing a scene in front of hundreds of cameras. You can¡¯t run away from the Bissems on their own world. Ah, damn it!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t have an alien roaming loose on the streets. What the fuck has gotten into her?¡± Naltor spat. ¡°Please, don¡¯t hurt her. I know she has no right to scamper off, when we¡¯re just building trust, but she¡¯s having a panic attack. I beg you to forgive her transgression.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have my men collect Haliska, but you can forget waiting until tomorrow to give us the full story. I want to know why she did that, right now.¡± ¡°Not here. Let¡¯s take it somewhere private; Dr. Tassi can come as well, if she wants. For those watching, the Thafki species has some¡­residual trauma that caused Haliska to react in such a way. I¡¯d rather not spell out something so sad to everyone as part of our introduction.¡± The Selmer general narrowed his eyes. ¡°Fine. If you¡¯re not truthful though, I might have to find a reason to detain Haliska for questioning.¡± ¡°General Naltor! That is crossing the line,¡± I spat. ¡°I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m not having any detail left out when it¡¯s information Bissems need to know, and when it¡¯s affecting their self-control.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for us to get ruffled feathers. We can settle this privately, like adults.¡± Dustin wolfed down a few more bites of his food, before abandoning his plate. ¡°Please, show me to a secluded spot. I¡¯ll be more than forthcoming.¡± Naltor rose from the table, seeming to weigh bringing security along for the conversation, before deciding that he could handle the human¡¯s unimpressive physique. Nulia shared a few whispers with Dustin; the Terran asked the Gojid to stay with the other FAI scientists, and try to smooth things over for the cameras¡ªas well as to soothe Haliska if she was brought back in our absence. I followed with my own reluctant curiosity; while I wanted answers to what happened in that atrocious war, and how it tied into a feast, it felt wrong to threaten the human¡¯s teammate to ensure his cooperation. The Selmer general was just lashing out from fear, since whatever hypotheticals he was conjuring about the missing details were likely getting more sinister by the minute. Haliska didn¡¯t like seeing the fish brought out, and she definitely didn¡¯t like Dustin and Nulia putting cutlets on their plates. The human said it was a panic attack, and that the Thafki had ¡°trauma.¡± Does Haliska see herself as the fish, somehow? That¡¯s a deranged conclusion, isn¡¯t it? Dustin waited as Naltor shut the door to an unassuming office, before sitting down in a chair. The human¡¯s expression looked crestfallen; I could see that he was distraught over how the dinner had fallen apart. He knew as well as we both did how the populace would be reacting to Haliska¡¯s sudden departure. It made the aliens look emotional and unstable, as Ivrana¡¯s first impression of how they¡¯d interact with us Bissems. Speculation must be running rampant about the Thafki¡¯s behavior, and we¡¯d have to make a statement about it sooner rather than later. The Selmer general had a point about getting to the bottom of this without any further delays. ¡°I¡¯m going to tell you everything, without any exclusions, but I¡¯m begging you not to freak out, Naltor,¡± Dustin sighed. ¡°We need to try to¡­get through this, together. Humanity will help you every step of the way.¡± The Selmer folded his flippers with a cross expression. ¡°I have a feeling I¡¯m going to love what you¡¯re about to say.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not. The thing about galactic history is, it¡¯s an absolute clusterfuck. It just gets worse the more you hear. If it¡¯s any solace, we had to jump right into it with nobody to turn to, when it was still an ongoing phenomenon: not just a thing of the past.¡± Nerves constricted my throat. ¡°You¡¯re doing an excellent job at instilling¡­dread, over how dark this story might be.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Tassi, but I¡¯m trying to break it to you straight, without inspiring panic. So here it goes. That species that wiped out the Thafki homeworld? They¡¯re called the Arxur, and they perpetrated hundreds of gruesome raids, which were¡­tailored toward collecting sapient cattle.¡± Dustin waited as a gasp escaped from my beak, and Naltor leaned in with disbelief. What kind of abominable civilization would hold thinking people as livestock? ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s ugly. Haliska¡¯s kind only had 12,000 free individuals, while millions were only just liberated and brought to the Commune as part of the Treaty of Sol.¡± ¡°I¡­that¡¯s beyond horrible. Why would anyone want to eat other sapient species?!¡± I shrieked, before noticing Dustin wince at my volume. ¡°Sorry. I just¡­the feast brings up memories of this Arxur species¡¯ atrocities toward her kind?¡± ¡°Yes, but I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s more complicated than that. When humans came to space, we were considered¡­abominations by the Federation, the ruling entity that saw ¡®predators¡¯ as monsters. They had quite the liberal definition of predators, but our binocular eyes made us especially offensive. Many still consider it disgusting that we eat meat, even today. Now, the¡­founders of this Federation would abduct members of pre-FTL species, and use them in genetic experiments to ¡®cure¡¯ them. To make them¡­allergic to meat, and wipe everything predatory from their past.¡± Naltor¡¯s brain seemed to be freezing, or so his dumbfounded expression would imply. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what? What the actual fuck? When you were saying our first contact would¡¯ve been different, you¡¯re saying they would¡¯ve¡­cured us.¡± ¡°Nulia¡¯s species was cured, and you uncured her,¡± I added, feeling my head hurt as the gears turned. ¡°She mentioned it to Haliska.¡± ¡°We helped undo the gene edits forced on many races. We¡¯ve tried to uncover every species¡¯ true history, and give it back to them. Prejudice against us has been something we¡¯ve struggled with. Humanity was nearly wiped out when we achieved FTL, and it was the Federation that tried to kill us, because of what we were. They tried to cure us, and it failed by their own ineptitude. Like they would¡¯ve failed with you, because you¡¯re obligate carnivores.¡± ¡°So they would¡¯ve just killed us?¡± Naltor chirped. ¡°That¡¯s fucking great. Are these species still a threat? This is something the military needs to know about!¡± ¡°We won that war. We have control of this sector, and have neutralized or assimilated parties that might be a threat to you. Candidly, the threats you¡¯re facing are more¡­diplomatic in nature. We¡¯ll support your efforts and protect you, if anyone raises a wing against you. However, there are many who will compare you to the Arxur: the now-exiled species that ate sapients and fed on cruelty. Bissems are the only other obligate carnivores we know of. These prejudices will lead to a challenging and unfair introduction, no matter how much we try to step in.¡± I felt as though the human had kicked ice into my eyes, a cold shock that threatened to pull out my emotions via tears. After all of my fantasies about putting forth a good first impression of Ivrana, Dustin laid out that aliens would be prejudiced against us¡­because the other sapient carnivores fucking ate people. How could we convince them that Bissems wouldn¡¯t do that, if they¡¯d studied us for so long and still not arrived at that conclusion? Fishing was such a central part of our culture, that I¡¯d never even considered that it was what triggered Haliska¡¯s fright. For all my fantasies about what aliens would be like, and how eager I¡¯d been at Dustin¡¯s speech for what they could teach us, I¡¯m not sure there¡¯s a place for us in this Sapient Coalition. Besides, Ivrana isn¡¯t ready to hear that other spacefaring species would¡¯ve killed us, if we¡¯d been discovered before humanity! ¡°All of my life, I wanted to find you.¡± My voice sounded broken, discouraged, and defeated, as the realization that Bissems were incompatible with friendship in the stars sunk in. ¡°I wanted to learn about you, but not like this. Not such an unspeakable past.¡± Dustin pursed his lips. ¡°I know we¡¯re¡­they¡¯re not ready to contact you, but we couldn¡¯t wait. Your overfishing on Ivrana has reached the point of no return; without outside help, there will be global consequences and mass starvation. I won¡¯t sugarcoat it. You¡¯re amidst a complete marine ecosystem collapse. Your oceans are acidifying, and they store fifty times more CO2 than the atmosphere. It¡¯ll start making much of Ivrana uninhabitable to boot. Bissem scientists know this, Tassi; I think you do too.¡± ¡°I know the oceans are dying. The waters are becoming more orange, polluted with algae, than ever. I don¡¯t see what I can do about¡ª¡± ¡°We need to come in with lab-grown meat, so that you ease the burden of fishing on your environment: beyond what farms can do. We¡¯ll help you clean your oceans. We have robots that can scour for plastic, and we can help reintroduce endangered species, before it¡¯s too late. There¡¯s zero time for inaction. All of our simulations have shown this. We don¡¯t need all Bissems to cooperate with each other, but we need you to cooperate with us.¡± ¡°That¡¯s your plan? You said yourself you didn¡¯t know how the Tseia would react! That you didn¡¯t want an ICBM in your hull!¡± Naltor challenged. ¡°That¡¯s¡­part of my plan. I want you and Tassi to help us establish relations with the Merlei Huddledom, the Confederation of Vrital, and the Tseia Nomads. And if you can accept the unpleasant truth of the galaxy¡¯s past, we can plan your introduction to the Sapient Coalition. Humans defeated prejudices that were much stronger and more nefarious, so there¡¯s no reason you can¡¯t prove yourselves too. We could take you to many worlds, and you can learn so much about what¡¯s out there. Do you still want that?¡± I drew a shaky breath. ¡°I reckon we want to keep humanity in our corner. If there¡¯s something I can do to help our first impression, I¡¯d never forgive myself if I didn¡¯t try.¡± ¡°If we didn¡¯t try.¡± Naltor¡¯s eyes were unwavering, reflecting that there was no room for argument. ¡°If you¡¯re taking Tassi on a joyride across the galaxy, I wouldn¡¯t want to miss out on whatever she learns. I feel obligated to protect Lassmin¡­and all Bissems¡¯ interests.¡± ¡°Great. Then I say we give it a week or two for your diplomatic corps to give us some pointers, and make any advance calls that¡¯ll help us. My team can survey reactions to first contact from our outpost, to shape our decisions. In the meantime, I can take the two of you to see Earth; to be the first Bissems on another planet, as our guests. Does that sound like a plan?¡± Dustin asked. I composed myself, finding my resolve. ¡°It does. Thank you for¡­giving us the full explanation, Dustin. We¡¯re glad that Earth survived for us to visit.¡± ¡°We¡¯re glad you¡¯re willing to give us a chance, even after all that you¡¯ve learned. I¡¯m excited to see where our friendship will lead.¡± General Naltor dipped his head in acknowledgment, before leading the human out of our conference¡ªsatisfied with the explanation of the galaxy¡¯s history. I ensured that my expression didn¡¯t betray shock or sorrow, before following the duo back toward the feast. The Selmer military official spotted a sniveling Haliska standing with a group of soldiers, and in a rare display of tact, he ferried her into the private room where we¡¯d been: away from the feasting, cameras, and commotion. I tried not to slip into mourning for my dream, when there was still one prospect to be excited about. Friendly aliens had invited me to visit their planet, and that meant in a short time, I¡¯d be standing on soil that was light years away from Ivrana! Ingratiating ourselves to the Sapient Coalition might¡¯ve become more daunting than it already was before, but with the fate of our homeworld on the line, I wasn¡¯t backing away from the challenge. Chapter 2-7 Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist Date [standardized human time]: March 16, 2160 The heart rate monitor beeps were the first sensory input to break through the dreamless fog, bringing me into consciousness. My eyes blinked open, gasping, as my mind felt that I had been buried beneath the sand in the last waking moments. The blue lighting of the medical clinic hit my vision, and I sat up with hyperventilating breaths. Doctor Adebayo was nowhere to be seen, though I recognized her workshop instantly. My head throbbed, wrapped in bandages, and I groaned in discomfort. My fingers scrabbled at the linen sheets, trying to push myself upward. ¡°No, no, no. Easy, Taylor.¡± Cherise¡¯s voice sounded like it was being amplified within my ears. She rushed up from where she¡¯d been sitting on her holopad in a visitor¡¯s chair. ¡°There was an accident in the mines. You were injured.¡± I gritted my teeth. ¡°I know. I remember. Help me get up, Benson; I¡¯ve got to get back to work. We¡¯ve got to make sure the shipments¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s not happening,¡± Mayor Hathaway said, from where he was quietly hiding in a shadowy corner. ¡°The main drill is gone, son. Look around you. We have a lot of folks down, and not nearly enough medical staff available.¡± Gone? That¡­can¡¯t be. We¡¯re not going to be able to meet the Krev¡¯s demands, and there¡¯s fuck all I can do. While on Earth, there would¡¯ve been specialists for every condition under the sun, here we only had a handful of general practitioners, one general surgeon for emergencies (most surgeries were performed by robots due to understaffing), and a single dentist. I suppose for the last one, we wouldn''t want anything happening to our precious canine teeth; cavities weren¡¯t a good shtick. Getting buried alive hadn¡¯t hurt half as bad as that root canal I had to get. Once this generation of medical staff were gone, we¡¯d have to hope someone new trained on the AI courses we¡¯d brought from Earth. My head slowly lifted from the pillow, with my vision unblurring at last. The light pained me as it struck my optic nerve, but I forced myself to look around at the bed. There were people in full body casts, with breathing tubes down their throats, with missing limbs, or even with burned features¡ªlikely from being too close to the explosion. Considering how I¡¯d only just been making my way away from the control platform, I¡¯d gotten off quite lucky. My mind raced back to the last time I saw Kabir, who¡¯d only increased the drill¡¯s capacity at my prodding. Where was he? Had¡­had I caused this? I couldn¡¯t help but feel responsible for the catastrophe, and for destroying any chances of staying the Krev¡¯s hand. ¡°Where is Kabir?¡± I pleaded to Cherise, feebly tugging at her hand. Her eyes swelled with water. ¡°Kabir was killed almost instantly. They¡¯re still pulling bodies from the wreckage, but his death has been¡­confirmed. I¡¯m sorry, Taylor.¡± ¡°No. I¡­I killed him. How many people are dead?¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t your¡ª¡± ¡°How many?!¡± Mayor Hathaway lowered his head. ¡°Ten. Thirty-six more injured, with a third in critical condition.¡± ¡°I killed all of them. I never meant for any of this to happen. Kabir didn¡¯t deserve this. He was a good engineer, someone who really cared about the people using our tech. And he¡¯s gone. He¡¯s fucking gone. I just wanted to save our home, and now, we¡¯re for sure going to lose this place. The only home we ever knew. FUCK! I hate everything!¡± The beeps from the heart rate monitor quickened, as grief manifesting as anger threatened to consume me. Brandon Hathaway and Cherise Benson looked on with concern, both exchanging glances with each other. I was surprised the mayor wasn¡¯t chewing me out, when all of these deaths traced back to my one reckless decision; he must be beyond disappointed, when I¡¯d failed him and all of humanity in such a horrendous way. While I was happy to fall on my sword, I was livid at the Krev for forcing us to push ourselves with such cold, calculated rigidity. Those xeno fucks didn¡¯t care about us at all. They were the reason that I had killed my friend! We can¡¯t mine anything now; less bodies, no drill. We¡¯re so fucked. I didn¡¯t mean to hurt anyone, I really didn¡¯t¡­ ¡°Taylor? Breathe,¡± Cherise implored me, noticing that I was short of breath. ¡°It was an accident. Nobody blames you.¡± I squeezed my eyes shut. ¡°I blame me! Kabir warned me that it was past the safety limits, and I told him to push it just a bit further. I didn¡¯t listen, because I didn¡¯t want the Krev to take our fucking home¡­I thought it¡¯d be fine! I did. There¡¯s no fixing it now. Mayor, if you need a scalp for this, I won¡¯t fight you.¡± Mayor Hathaway slumped his shoulders. ¡°You¡¯re right that there¡¯s no fixing the drill. But I¡¯m not benching my star player in the ninth inning. If it¡¯s anyone¡¯s fault, it¡¯s mine for ordering you to do whatever it took and dangling a carrot in front of your nose. We both should¡¯ve seen that there was no producing anything faster.¡± ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have agreed to give them double in the first place. Cherise was right; I negotiated with absolutely zero backbone, based on my gut.¡± ¡°You have good instincts, son. You have a lot of ambition and charm too. Back on Earth, you would¡¯ve made something of yourself. You¡¯d be a company executive, a politician¡­some kind of leader. You¡¯re a natural at taking charge and reading people, so I see no reason you weren¡¯t right about the Krev. Anyone with half a mind knows they¡¯ve just been looking for as flimsy of a reason as they can find to push us out.¡± ¡°And now they will. Kabir¡­died for nothing. I could¡¯ve found another way; I could¡¯ve warned the miners like he said, so they¡¯d had a chance to clear out!¡± Cherise tilted her head. ¡°You probably could¡¯ve. Our situation could be worse though. I might¡¯ve disagreed with what you¡¯ve done, but not why you did it. We fight the Krev, and a lot more good people die than who¡¯s lying here now. You think the damn militia and a few security officers can stand up to them?¡± ¡°I know they can¡¯t.¡± ¡°And so do I. That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to go out there and have a chat, man-to-man, when Gress shows up in an hour,¡± Hathaway said. ¡°Wait¡­has it already been three days? I¡¯ve been out that fucking long?!¡± ¡°You have. We were worried about you; glad you came to before I¡¯ve got to trek out there. I¡¯m going to tell him the truth about the accident, and plead for a reprieve; they did display sympathy for us when we first came here, so maybe we can convince them to give us time. If it comes to it, though, we¡¯re just going to leave; there¡¯ll be no fighting them. I don¡¯t know if we have it in us to start all over again, but it¡¯s the only choice.¡± I snorted with bitterness. ¡°The people will be thrilled about that.¡± ¡°The people will call it a feckless move, but at least they¡¯ll be around to spit their criticism. Nobody can take a look at their warships and think we can win. We stay because they allow it. I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ll be able to persuade the Krev to grant us mercy like you; I don¡¯t quite have your knack for smooth-talking, Taylor. I¡¯ve still got to try.¡± The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I can handle it. Let me talk to Gress, sir. I need to do this, after my part in this mess.¡± ¡°Absolutely not! Doctor Adebayo wants you to rest; you just awakened from being out cold for days!¡± Cherise protested. ¡°I¡¯m fine now. You can be right there to help me, Cherise, and if I can¡¯t make it, we¡¯ll turn right back around. Mayor Hathaway can come too, if he wants to remember what sunlight looks like. Ah, the joys of being human.¡± Hathaway hesitated, squinting at me. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be going anywhere, but I won¡¯t deny that I need you. I haven¡¯t been topside in some time so¡­I think I¡¯ll stay here, and stand by, in case anything is needed. You sure you¡¯re up for this, Taylor?¡± ¡°I am, sir. Just put that blasted mask on, and we¡¯ll be going.¡± Cherise placed a gentle hand on my shoulder, steadying me as I forced myself to sit upright. Her eyes darkened with disapproval at the mayor¡¯s agreement, but the mayor was right; attempting to plead with the Krev, and stop them from taking away our sanctuary, was the least I could do. Now wasn¡¯t the time for me to be sidelined, and for Gress to be introduced to someone new. The security guard squinted as I struggled to steady myself, with a ringing in my ears that drove me insane. It was as though I could still feel the explosion rattling my eardrums, and remember landing with my nose down in the dirt. Pull yourself together, Taylor. It¡¯s a few minutes of walking to the elevator from here, straight through the common area, and another to the landing pad. The only way to stop people from considering me a Krev bootlicker is to stand up to them, and not to bend over so they can take our homes. I won¡¯t let them. Not after¡­good people died over their stupid fucking rocks. Mayor Hathaway pursed his lips. ¡°I know you feel bad about all this, Taylor, but this is just the cherry on top for our entire voyage. I¡¯m not in any way upset with you, and you don¡¯t need to prove anything. Call me a senile, old man, but it really feels like the universe is out to get us. There¡¯s nothing out there that¡¯s come easy to us¡­this is just the newest hurdle. It¡¯s not within your power to stop the endless tribulations.¡± ¡°I hate the Krev, sir. That¡¯s the only thing I need to keep me going,¡± I murmured. ¡°Don¡¯t we all. Play nice to their faces, especially now. Whatever you do, do not go playing the hero. Remember what¡¯s at stake here; getting kicked out is a lot better than having our doors kicked in. We can¡¯t piss them off. If you can¡¯t stop them from booting us out, buy us as much time as you can to come up with a plan.¡± ¡°I understand. That¡¯s all we¡¯ve been doing¡­buying time for twenty years. For all we know, this is the safest place in the galaxy for us.¡± ¡°We always knew it might come to this. The Krev told us upfront that it was a temporary arrangement, and Lord knows we¡¯ve tried to make it otherwise. Our pleas will probably fall on deaf ears.¡± ¡°They hate us, like every other alien race,¡± Cherise commented. ¡°Drain us dry, bleed us of every last penny, and then they¡¯ve got no use for us. Far as I¡¯m concerned, we should get packing.¡± I massaged my dizzy cranium. ¡°We¡¯re lucky those heartless bastards saw an opportunity, to let us land at all¡ªelse, we would¡¯ve starved with our supply shortage. Yippee.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to try to convince them to spare us. It¡¯s about time we¡¯ve gotten one act of kindness. For all those Federation pricks accused us of being devoid of empathy¡­sometimes, it seems like we¡¯re the only ones with an ounce of it,¡± Hathaway sighed. ¡°Life at one percent is starting to feel real pointless, like you said.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not disrespect the people who gave up everything to send us here. I carry on because my parents sacrificed themselves, so I could get on this ship. My mother had health issues, and the UN limited passenger slots to only those who could bear children and were in good health. Had to pick and choose, to ensure the healthiest progenitors. My dad stayed behind with her, but they both¡­wanted me to survive. I remember when they wished me goodbye. Their faces are shadows and figments now, but I can hear their voices in my head.¡± Cherise raised her eyebrows. ¡°What are they saying, Taylor?¡± ¡°That they¡¯d be proud of me, no matter what came next. That they¡¯d look down on me, and they wanted me to be happy. I don¡¯t think this was what they dreamed for me. I wonder what all the people from Earth are thinking, if they¡¯re watching from some kind of afterlife.¡± ¡°I think they¡¯re thinking that you¡¯re going to talk the Krev into taking their heads out of their asses. That if anyone¡¯s got this, it¡¯s you; even all banged up and beaten.¡± The mayor nodded. ¡°I agree with her. I wish we had more time to strategize, but you¡¯ve got to get going to the lift¡ªbefore Gress gets here. Don¡¯t want him getting restless legs. You need anything, or Taylor¡¯s unwell, you call me, Benson.¡± ¡°Understood. Off we go, buzzcut. One foot in front of the other: I¡¯m right here.¡± I limped out of the medical clinic, past a few other patients lying in recovery. My mouth felt numb and dehydrated, as the balloon expanding within my skull beat me up. Doctor Adebayo strolled back out of the operating suite, and began chasing me with alarm; the mayor stepped in, running interference on her as she attempted to contain me. My steps quickened with determination, though the vertigo made my balance a bit precarious. Aches and pains plagued me across my body; I imagined it¡¯d worsen from any exertion, but I was willing to sacrifice myself for humanity. If my parents had the strength to send off their only child so he could survive, I could be strong enough to face Gress. One gesture of genuine nobility. Gress wasn¡¯t very understanding about that three day buffer. How can we expect him to give us an indefinite hiatus, after a previous extension? It¡¯s clear that the Krev can¡¯t stand us, and don¡¯t care about our problems. I didn¡¯t see an angle to stand on. Cherise brought me a change of clothes: something more suitable for the outdoors than my hospital gown. My eyes roved across the common area, where studio apartments much like my own were cut into the rockface, and I inhaled the scent of burning meat for what might be the last time. We hid the lab-grown meat factories underground, deep in the bunker¡¯s recesses; we couldn¡¯t have the Krev getting wind that we were flesh-eaters. There were a handful of restaurants cut into the shop alcoves in the center pillar, which divided the walking space like a chunky median. They were devoted to keeping the culinary delights of Earth alive; a small taste of home and our cultures. Cherise¡¯s uncle worked at the bistro pub¡­a place I really wished I could collapse and get a drink right about now. My head was swimming in nausea, and it was all I could do not to keel over right here. It felt as though I had jogged a marathon, despite how I¡¯d barely stepped outside the med clinic. I needed some kind of injection of energy. My thoughts harkened back to the hatred for the Krev, and for my part in the entire disaster that forced us into this predicament. My steps became more sure-footed, as I staggered to the elevator. Cherise presented two masks, with keys bound around them. ¡°How many times have we done this together, Taylor?¡± ¡°Too fucking many,¡± I sighed. ¡°If this is the last time we take this ride together¡­humanity probably got a few extra years on this planet, because of you. Some things just aren¡¯t meant to be.¡± ¡°Slim comfort that is. At least we don¡¯t have to lie to the miners now. There¡¯s no ore to be given to anyone.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see if Gress can get that through his thick skull.¡± I managed to place the cloth mask over Cherise¡¯s head, before she fitted mine into place; it concealed our eyes, but normally, we could see through it. Right now, I felt like it was suffocating me, just like the sand that poured from the cavern had done. Darkening the harsh light that was searing my brain should¡¯ve been a welcome reprieve, but it was difficult to make out anything, through any interference. None of my moment-to-moment existence felt right, beyond the standard resentment of having to hide my eyes from the watching clouds. I wondered what the doctor had diagnosed me with. The security guard locked my mask, and stuffed the key in her pocket; I mirrored her actions, recognizing that there was no going back now. It was no further to the landing pad than it was to turn around and stagger back to the medical clinic. That would just leave me moping in bed, feeling powerless over what the Krev would do¡ªmore than I already did. If I couldn¡¯t stay upright for a few minutes with humanity¡¯s future on the line, then what kind of person was I? With trembling fingers, I twisted the key back into the guard¡¯s mask. I managed to pick up the secondary fabric left for my use, and wrap it around my own skull half-heartedly. It partially blocked my view due to my poor placement. Cherise gave me a concerned headtilt, before grabbing a cane from the control room. ¡°Here. This belongs to Ms. Cortez, but I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll miss it for a few minutes. I still don¡¯t think you should be going up there. If you¡¯re going to, you should use this. Something to lean on.¡± I accepted the walking aid with a sigh. ¡°I thought that something was you.¡± ¡°At that point, I might as well carry you on my back. Imagine what Gress will think at that sight.¡± ¡°I¡¯d love for Gress to make a comment, so I can whack that smug look off his face. Uh, please¡­let¡¯s get going. I don¡¯t have much left in the tank.¡± ¡°Alright, Taylor. Just take it easy. Talking isn''t my game, but I¡¯ll jump in to help you if needed.¡± ¡°I can handle the talking. It¡¯s getting up there that¡¯s the problem. Come on.¡± Cherise signaled to the control room, and our watchers unsealed the barrier to the elevator without hesitation. I took several deep breaths, as the lift came to our call; the upward motion immediately intensified my disorientation, and my hands clamped around the cane. What was I going to say to Gress, beyond a desperate plea, as Mayor Hathaway had advised me? I couldn¡¯t let aliens send us packing again, after everything we¡¯d built here. Humanity was here on this planet to stay, if there was anything I could do about it. I wasn¡¯t taking no for an answer. Chapter 2-8 Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist Date [standardized human time]: March 16, 2160 The sunlight from above compounded my headache, as I tried to think of what I¡¯d say to Gress. Each step against sandy ground felt as though there was nothing beneath my feet, and the bones holding me upright felt like nothing substantive at all. What I knew was that the Krev had never given us a break before, so this would be a singular occasion if they did demonstrate they cared about our lives at all. We didn¡¯t deserve the hatred and callousness they showed us. I could feel the warm breath dampening the cloth near my lips, the mask hiding my scratched-up features. I found my mind wandering during the punishing walk, thinking about how much of the opulence we¡¯d enjoyed on Earth was gone forever. Mayor Hathaway called me out for the old Earth songs we came up with, but there weren¡¯t exactly record labels or studios here to create new¡­anything. Not movies, not TV, not books, not paintings, not music. There were, perhaps, three or four musicians that¡¯d play on the street as a hobby, but there were no full-time entertainers; everyone needed to directly contribute to the city. The biggest events of the years were the school plays, which turned out thousands for the live entertainment. I still remembered auditioning to play Hamlet, and winding up as King Claudius instead. Half a millennium, and hundreds of stars away: the Bard¡¯s work survives. It¡¯s funny, because I used to wonder why they taught us the arts at all. Ms. Quispe was right, when she said when we stop creating, we stop being human. Have we stopped being human, without our expression? I remembered what the subjects taught us in school, where we¡¯d made a few crude instruments that children could tinker with, as some semblance of our heritage. My fingers twitched in real time, recalling the fluid movements I¡¯d learned against the piano; sometimes, I found myself walking down there to play a mournful piece. Those were bygone days though, and it wouldn¡¯t demonstrate my loyalty to the colony. I didn¡¯t apply to be a teacher, after all, and we all had our roles. There were other things with more substance. Because of our small population, it was agreed that the next generation needed to share a language, which after much debate, was set as ¡°English.¡± Secondary languages were optionally available under AI instruction, for cultural preservation. ¡°You remember¡­Crisanto? Cherise?¡± I croaked, struggling to place one foot in front of the other. ¡°He refused to take a job. Wrote¡­stories. Sent them around on holopads; I liked his one story, where we found a way to make ourselves invisible. Mayor¡­threatened to kick him out, if he didn¡¯t work¡­then, he was too tired to write. Dried up, just like we all dry up.¡± The security guard escorting me jostled my elbow. ¡°You¡¯re delirious, Taylor. Maybe we should turn back.¡± ¡°Fuck off with that shit. We already made it this far. I¡¯ve just been¡­thinking about how little career diversity there is here. Because of the Krev, we all have to work toward the colony.¡± ¡°There¡¯s only a few thousand of us. We don¡¯t have influencers or professional athletes anymore.¡± ¡°Imagine spending your life playing a game. Wouldn¡¯t fulfill me, but¡­it sounds a lot more fun than our life. Us¡­adults should have a pickup soccer game, in the streets¡­for old times. Like the kids do.¡± ¡°I thought we finally agreed to call it football.¡± ¡°And to use the metric system. We stop calling it soccer, and American culture is dead forever. I guess¡ª¡± Cherise failed to react in time as my legs gave out, and I faceplanted in the dirt; my head nearly collided with the cane. Somewhere along the way, my grip on the walking aid had loosened so much that it was ineffectual. I cursed my weakness, getting wrapped up in old memories during a pivotal time. Sand would be smeared all over my outfit, when we reached the landing pad. The security guard placed her hand on my back, while using the other arm to slowly lift me up. I struggled to all fours, and limped onward while keeled over. ¡°Are you alright? Taylor, you can¡¯t meet Gress like this. We shouldn¡¯t have let you go in the first place,¡± Cherise shouted. My eyes rolled back in my head, as I saw the landing pad in reach. ¡°I can hear his ship. Walking is the hard part; I can talk just fine. Maybe if he sees me like this, it puts it in perspective. Assuming good old Gress gives a rat¡¯s ass about me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not convinced they feel anything toward us. Remember how that Krev tried to take advantage of us, last time we came to bargain.¡± ¡°I know we don¡¯t have any negotiating power. We have no choice but to hope they feel something. For once, we could use some fucking help. I¡­I think he¡¯ll hear in my voice how awful that accident was. How terrible I feel about letting our obligations to our landlords exceed worker safety, partially for personal gain. I¡¯m a dick, really. This is my fault, whatever you say, and I¡¯m going to fix it.¡± The guard touched her ear with a frown. ¡°Mayor Hathaway is saying that you need to pull yourself together; that you can¡¯t be moping around out of guilt right now. He also says if you collapse again, I¡¯m taking you back and he¡¯s coming up here himself. Already suiting up.¡± ¡°Brandon¡¯s the one who said he needed me, so let me do what¡¯s necessary! I¡¯m not a fucking quitter. Get me to the pad, and I¡¯ll do my job. I know my orders.¡± ¡°You were seriously injured.¡± ¡°And other people were killed! I have all of my limbs, and you¡¯d think I could make them work for ten minutes. Give me a break.¡± ¡°We need to talk after this. I¡¯ve never seen you like this, in years, Taylor. I¡¯m worried about your stability, and I don¡¯t think you should be anywhere near the Krev. We take you to the landing pad, and you¡¯re sitting down and saying a few lines.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare undermine me in front of Gress, Cherise. Your job is to protect me and hold a fucking gun, not to shmooze these bastards like you¡¯re suddenly a diplomat.¡± ¡°You know what, you are being a total asshole. I¡¯ll let it slide because you¡¯re hurting and not right upstairs, but you¡¯re not gonna take it out on me again. We clear?¡± ¡°Crystal." I managed to shuffle the last few steps to the landing pad, before setting my backside down on a crate with relief. My head definitely was causing some issues in my basic functions, but I could think clearly enough to know what I needed to tell Gress. In a world where the Krev could empathize and have any pity on a predator¡¯s culture, I¡¯d spit back everything I¡¯d been ruminating on in my own mind, about the lost arts and our shell of a life. That was the one thing we could never tell aliens with side-facing eyes; we remembered how the prey lifeforms had reacted to what we were before. There wasn¡¯t much I knew about the Krev Consortium, other than we had some vague notion that it was a collection of the Krev and five other species. Conveniently all prey. Why are we the only ones so unlucky to have our eyes in this position? Why did it have to matter so much, that the entire Federation couldn¡¯t bear to look at us? These masks are hiding that we are¡­monsters. Repugnant monsters, to everyone up in the stars. I thought back to the wounded human faces in the infirmary, bearing wounds¡ªhiding all of the tumultuous emotions that coursed through my own blood. Some of the binocular eyes that I knew from our small settlement were closed forever, because of the accident, and I couldn¡¯t forget that. I couldn¡¯t unsee the mental images, even the ones that I hadn¡¯t laid eyes on myself. Friends and colleagues, the last of our near-extinct species: the last hope for the homo sapiens lineage to continue. All we built turned to dust eventually, no matter how we struggled. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. I sped along our society crumbling, and ruined our final chance at staving off extinction. Nobody could tell me otherwise; nobody could convince me that I didn¡¯t deserve the wounds I was bearing right now. I had to convince Gress, and I¡¯d do it by any means necessary; we couldn¡¯t get evicted from our home by aliens again. The Krev vessel touched down, as I¡¯d watched it do so many times, with graceful engines that were left running for our rent collector¡¯s quick getaway. The green-scaled mammal marched down the landing ramp like he owned this entire world, which as far as his kind were concerned, he did. I curled my lip beneath my mask, at the sight of his lashing tail. I wanted to wring my hands around his neck, and make him pay for all the guilt that was eating me up. Instead, I just watched as he spotted us, and stalked over to our position with disdain. ¡°Did you not know I was coming? Why are the supply crates not waiting, again, after you¡¯re all quite tardy?¡± the Krev spat. I inhaled sharply. ¡°Hello, Gress. I¡¯d stand up to greet you, but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not quite well. I¡¯ve been advised by our medical staff not to be here, actually, yet I thought it was too important for me to try to smooth things over with you not to show up.¡± ¡°You¡­do not look well. You look as though you can hardly sit up, Taylor. If I didn¡¯t recognize your voice, I wouldn¡¯t know it¡¯s you. I¡¯ll understand if you were to require a different representative for the handoff, and I hope that your medical issues clear up. That doesn¡¯t change my demands for the supplies.¡± I threw my hands up in the air, looking defeated. ¡°I¡¯ll level with you, but please, let me explain before you say anything. The supplies aren¡¯t coming. I was¡­overseeing our mining operations, to ensure that everything was on schedule and we generated what you needed. We pushed ourselves too far. There was¡­an accident. I sustained a head injury when I was nearly buried alive. Others¡­died. We can¡¯t get your ore, not for a long time, with our drill in tatters and our workforce eviscerated. I have no choice but to plead for¡­mercy.¡± ¡°I¡­see.¡± There was a brief hint of something in his eyes, which resembled sympathy. ¡°It was never the Krev¡¯s wishes for any lives to be lost. I am sorry for what happened to you. By the sound of what I¡¯m hearing come from your mouth, you wish for us to let you stay for free, because of your misfortune. This is after we haven¡¯t wanted you on our world for a long time.¡± ¡°I know that, but the accident happened¡ªit was out of our control, or we would¡¯ve given you everything! We need any mercy, no matter how granular: it doesn¡¯t have to be free. We could do something else. Anything else, as long as we can fit it or labor on it belowground. We just need time to repair the drill, and we can resume regular payments; we could renegotiate, so it could be beneficial over the long run.¡± ¡°The long run? How does that suit our purposes at all, when what we want is your departure in motion?! These payments haven¡¯t been cutting the trouble you humans are, for a long time. You are intruders in our space, and you always have been.¡± ¡°I¡­I know you feel that way. But please, if you truly feel sympathy for the tragedy we¡¯ve incurred, something we have no way of fixing; give us some reprieve, or at least some proposal to work with us. Don¡¯t throw grieving families out, some with children, from the only homes they¡¯ve ever known, because one thing went wrong with our deal in twenty years. You might think we¡¯re trouble, and think these masks make us untrustworthy because of our cultural differences, but we¡¯ve always met our pact before now. We¡¯re just trying to make a living: a life. I know we failed you, Gress, and I¡¯m asking for mercy anyway.¡± The Krev paced for several seconds, at least making a show of seeming conflicted. Cherise¡¯s body language relaxed slightly, reflecting some hope that my plea might¡¯ve gotten through to the snippy Gress. I wasn¡¯t going to set any unrealistic expectations, since our overlords hadn¡¯t ever shown us emotional consideration before. The most we¡¯d gotten from them was being taken advantage of, when we had no choice but to land on this colony; oh, wonder, they let us land. I guess we were supposed to kiss their asses, and sing their praises forever? ¡°Let me level with you, Taylor. I¡¯m sorry about what happened with your people, but I have orders to see you removed within the year, or I¡¯m fired. Which would be fine by me, frankly, since I never wanted this posting¡­but I was given it because they trusted me to put an end to this saga,¡± Gress sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not the type to kick people when they¡¯re down, no matter what¡¯s happened between us. So I have a proposal. Take me to the site of this accident, to see it with my own eyes, and I¡¯ll request for the Consortium to give you a bit more time.¡± I stiffened with disbelief. ¡°What? You want us to take you¡­into our city?¡± ¡°I do. What I¡¯ll accept as my payment is some hint of transparency. I¡¯ll give you the alternative to take off your mask, here and now, and look me in the eye. You think we haven¡¯t figured out it¡¯s not that important to your culture at all? I doubt they treated your wounds with that shit covering your skull.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. Obviously there¡¯s special circumstances, but we don¡¯t show our faces; it would be a disgrace!¡± ¡°If that¡¯s true, then what¡¯s the issue with taking me through your settlement to the mines? I want to know something real about you people. To see how you live, and to see what happened, so I can make my own judgment on whether you deserve mercy. Take me to the accident, or I¡¯ll carry out my government¡¯s will. Your choice.¡± Cherise tightened her fingers on her rifle. ¡°That¡¯s not possible, Gress. We don¡¯t like outsiders seeing our private lives.¡± ¡°Then I have no reason to help you people. You have¡ª¡± ¡°Wait!¡± I interjected. ¡°Maybe we can¡­arrange something? We probably could show you some pictures of the site.¡± ¡°You and I both know that photographs can be doctored to show whatever you like. Seeing it confirms your story beyond a shadow of a doubt.¡± ¡°Okay. Then, um, maybe you can give us time to bring out a bag so we, uh, can cover your vision on the way, and clear out any workers? We could walk you down to the mine.¡± ¡°Why do you need to clear out any workers? Because you don¡¯t actually wear those goofy outfits down in your cities, and you just hide yourself from us? Take me straight down there, like any normal society, or don¡¯t bother.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t, Gress. My people will never give permission for that; I¡¯d be considered a traitor to all of humanity. Please, give us some option that doesn¡¯t violate our privacy and the very¡­spirit of our traditions!¡± ¡°I¡¯m done giving you anything! You¡¯ve hidden yourselves enough to show you don¡¯t trust or respect us at all. This right here is why we can¡¯t fucking stand you, and why I¡¯m not sticking my neck out for you. You have one week to get off our planet, or we will remove you by force. You got that?¡± ¡°No, wait! You can¡¯t do that. Please, give us¡­a week to meet, and discuss how we¡¯ll handle our departure. We need time¡­to plan it! We just suffered a catastrophe; we¡¯ve been here for years!¡± The Krev snorted. ¡°I gave you a chance. You spit in our faces like you always do, behind those two-faced words you love to throw at us. Good-bye, Taylor. I can¡¯t say I¡¯ll miss you.¡± Gress turned around back toward his ship, with an arrogant swagger in his step. Cherise gasped in horror, at a loss for words; the mayor seemed to be passing something along into her earpiece, though I couldn¡¯t imagine what he could¡¯ve said that I didn¡¯t. Those heartless aliens hadn¡¯t spared us at all, after we laid our hearts bare to them! Kabir¡¯s face flashed through my mind, panicking as he tried to shut down the drill. An intelligent, dedicated young man who was dead because I put the greedy xenos¡¯ interests ahead of human life. I could still feel my nose being pressed into the dirt, as I thought I¡¯d suffocated alive. I could remember my final thoughts of regrets, and the horror when I awakened to find we¡¯d have no chance. My head was swimming even now from the aftermath of those wounds, leaving me in a sorry state that didn¡¯t move Gress at all! Would that Krev have cared if I died; if hundreds of humans died?! My fingers tightened around the cane in rage, before with a sudden rush of adrenaline, I found myself stomping after the rent collector on steady feet. I swung the walking aid back, and before Cherise could react, I clobbered it against the back of his skull. The Krev emitted a startled shriek, which cut off as he crumpled into an unconscious ball. Steaming with white-hot, blinding fury, I brought the cane back for another swing. Cherise¡¯s arms dragged me away with desperation; I could barely hear her pleas for me to stop. All I could see was Kabir¡¯s face, in the last moments I saw him alive, and that suffocating sensation I couldn¡¯t clear from my mind. Security guard Benson finally got a handle on me, wrestling me to the ground. My burst of strength fizzled in an instant, as I laid on my side, immobile. ¡°What the fuck did you just do? Hathaway¡¯s screaming it, and I fucking agree with him!¡± Cherise shouted. ¡°We can¡¯t go to war with them, Taylor. You know that. What you just did, could really get all of us killed.¡± I blinked, shameful tears welling in my eyes. ¡°Fuck. Gress¡­Gress is out cold. He¡¯s not waking up any time soon.¡± ¡°And now, we can¡¯t let him go. We all have to find a way to fix this. Hathaway, send medics! We need someone to carry Gress, while he¡¯s still out, down to a private infirmary. Bring someone to help Taylor get back too. We should¡¯ve never let him out like this.¡± I sucked in several dazed breaths, processing the gravity of what I¡¯d just done, assaulting Gress. Cherise was correct that we couldn¡¯t have the Krev return to his home, and tell his people that we physically attacked him. That could mean war between our people; the only thing I could think of was that we needed to hurry up and leave, before a search party came looking for the rent collector. Maybe it was still possible to get some information out of Gress, and persuade him to call off the dogs? As I waited for the medics to arrive, I desperately racked my brain for any possible way to correct my colossal mistake. This had only worsened the prior burden of guilt, over how I¡¯d ruined humanity¡¯s chances on Tellus. Chapter 2-9 Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem Scientist Date [standardized human time]: March 17, 2160 After the conclusion of the feast, Lassmin¡¯s government scrambled preparations for what we needed to bring to Earth. In the span of a few hours, Naltor and I were briefed on the administration¡¯s official policy, while the diplomatic corps were left to assist the Sapient Coalition in establishing relations with our other nations. I wasn¡¯t sure what their final assessments and dossiers to the aliens would look like, but with Dustin confirming that our oceanic status was dire, I hoped that collective threat would bring us together to work on the solution. Fishing and water were the gifts to our species, like Haliska said, and watching it slip from our grasp for good would be shameful. If dooming Ivrana wasn¡¯t enough incentive, visitors from another world were an awakening to Bissem similarities with each other as well. I haven¡¯t been following the diplomatic side of things too thoroughly, but it looks like the Thafki running off has led to wild speculation on social media¡­and from foreign powers. Even Naltor agrees that repeating what Dustin said to us in public would be ill-advised, yet our silence makes us all look guilty. The landing party informed us that it would be a three-day ride to Earth, on the edge of our galactic arm. It was mindboggling to grasp that they could traverse what was apparently over three hundred light-years in such a short span¡ªa shorter journey than it would¡¯ve been for us to travel to our moon. I had buckled myself into the seat, trusting the aliens¡¯ technology implicitly; it had ferried them here with success, so there was no reason to mistrust its efficacy. Questions raced in my head about how the warp drive worked (Nulia¡¯s simplified explanation of it bending space was insufficient for my curiosity), what it would feel and look like when it kicked into effect, and whether the technology would be passed along to Bissems. One day, this could be a normalized mode of travel for us as well, if the aliens were willing to share. I knew that Dustin was mindful about cultural side effects, from interfering with our natural development, but I believed they would gift these wonders to us in time; the human said they wanted us to join the galactic community. There would be nothing I¡¯d delight in more than to wander the galaxy, and gaze upon new civilizations. While I was bursting with excitement and frenetic theories as early as liftoff, Naltor displayed more apprehension. The Selmer general had been mindlessly applying waterproof oil from his tail gland, despite the fact we would be nowhere near water in the stars. Not even a hardened military man was immune to the majesty of Ivrana from above. The orange expanses of the algae-bloom oceans, mixing with the greens of the landmasses and the whites of the Merlei Huddledom¡¯s polar icecaps, were more evocative than any work on a canvas. General Naltor had never shared my ecstasy at the visitors¡¯ arrival; I believed he signed on to go to Earth out of fear that I was putting myself in danger, as well as a duty to report what he saw for Bissems¡¯ safety. However, ascending up from the globe that encompassed our entire society¡ªthe entirety of our lives and knowledge¡ªNaltor¡¯s eyes grew moist. It was breathtaking in a way that would only be mocked by pictures. The emotions that washed over me, as I gazed out the window at my home, were exactly how the Tseia astronauts who first orbited our world described them. Seeing the stars stretching out to infinity behind Ivrana, I felt unspeakably small, and more attached to Bissems from all parts of the globe than ever before. It was as though, for an instant, my consciousness was merged with everyone who¡¯d lived during my species¡¯ existence; here in this moment, we were one entity. Even our precious world was so small in the infinite blackness! I wanted nothing more than to preserve Ivrana; to avoid destroying the rock that¡¯d given us an abundance of beauty and gifts. Getting each Bissem nation on board with Dustin¡¯s mission was something I would die for. ¡°It¡¯s surreal to think how far away we are from Ivrana,¡± I murmured to the obfuscated viewport, still lost in that liftoff experience from days ago. I didn¡¯t know how I¡¯d ever get used to casually chatting with aliens, or playing our board games¡ªHaliska loved the Tseia game ¡°Migration¡±¡ªwith them. ¡°Dustin says we¡¯ll be reaching Earth within the hour; we¡¯re crossing into their system now. Apparently, they get a ton of starship traffic. The amount of people moving through space, coming and going¡­I could sit and watch them at the spaceport. I could stick around just in that building!¡± Naltor fixed me with a hard scowl, trying to disguise his apprehension at our locale. ¡°We have much more important tasks than sightseeing, Tassi. I appreciate that you¡¯re completely oblivious to our helplessness, but we¡¯ve been at their mercy since we boarded this ship. There will be no one coming to rescue us, if they decide to hold us hostage or turn on us.¡± ¡°Then what option do we have but to trust them? They trusted us landing on Ivrana; there¡¯s no reason to expect Earth won¡¯t be hospitable. They welcome all sorts of aliens.¡± ¡°Not carnivores! You should¡¯ve seen the looks the Lassian generals gave me, when I explained that if we reached out a few decades earlier, the entire galaxy would¡¯ve wished us killed. Dustin¡¯s kind assimilated those same species, with hostile intentions toward us, into their Coalition¡¯s ranks. He can say the threats are diplomatic, but there is nothing more dangerous than prejudice.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll agree with that,¡± the human said from behind us, causing us both to jump. ¡°Uh, sorry to intrude. I wanted to brief you on some technology, and my plans for the tour.¡± Haliska trundled up to our huddle sheepishly. ¡°I know I¡¯ve said it before, but I apologize for my behavior at the feast. You shouldn¡¯t have had to grapple with this so soon, and it¡¯s because of my weakness. My¡­failure to handle this like we all prepared for and agreed upon.¡± ¡°With what happened to the Thafki, and our habits bringing you reminders of that, I can understand,¡± I answered. ¡°If I had known, I would¡¯ve made sure that feast never happened. The last thing we wanted was to put you at the center of negative attention, all because you were under duress during a happy occasion.¡± ¡°You¡¯re polite, Doctor, but it¡¯s your planet. Your culture. I thought I was over it from videos and simulations, but in person, with all the sensory input, my mind betrayed me. I failed my entire team, and left them to cover for me; I also wandered on your world without permission. All I can say is how deeply ashamed and regretful I am.¡± ¡°They were going to find out sooner or later, Hallie,¡± Nulia chimed in. ¡°It was inevitable, if they were ever to meet the other SC members. General Naltor, I sympathize with your anxieties, but we haven¡¯t brought you to the galaxy¡¯s beating heart to hurt you.¡± Dustin bobbed his head. ¡°You might be on our world, but if you need anything at all, just ask: you¡¯re not helpless. We¡¯re taking you to Embassy Row in Vienna, so that you can catch a glimpse of many different species. We hope Bissems will open your own, in due time. Know you¡¯re welcome and safe here.¡± ¡°The humans are proud of the friends they¡¯ve acquired. This is much like the feast the Bissems threw for us, by intention,¡± Haliska commented. ¡°It is! We¡¯ve made arrangements in an absolutely top-notch, luxurious hotel¡­brought in chefs tailored to suit your exact palates¡­and brought in floatbeds, tightboxes, and smoothbeds, much nicer than the economical options we added here. If you¡¯re not careful, you might just enjoy yourself, Naltor.¡± The Selmer scowled. ¡°I doubt that. This isn¡¯t a vacation.¡± ¡°It could be. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t tell anyone what you were up to; you can act dutiful with your superiors. Actually, I know just what you need to unwind. Take a scented bubble bath in that absolutely ridiculous-sized tub. I can see you want to.¡± ¡°Hmph. You think you¡¯re funny, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ll get a laugh out of you one of these days, Naltor. No need to hold it back. We humans have a saying, that laughter is the best medicine.¡± ¡°Here I was thinking you¡¯d discovered antibiotics. Maybe you need our help.¡± ¡°Ha! I like that spirit,¡± Dustin chuckled. I placed my flippers on my beak with horror. ¡°I¡¯m glad you do, because Naltor should not be throwing out sarcasm and disrespectful assertions! If that didn¡¯t translate¡­¡± Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Then they throw me out the airlock,¡± the Selmer general lamented. ¡°It¡¯d be my lucky day.¡± ¡°Nobody¡¯s getting thrown out any airlocks. There¡¯s enough space debris around Earth,¡± Nulia quipped, and Naltor barely muffled his cackle with a flipper. ¡°Now, before we land, why don¡¯t we have a conversation about how you two will communicate?¡± I squinted for a moment, before landing on the obvious realization. ¡°With people who don¡¯t speak Vrit. I thought you had separate translator implants though?¡± ¡°We do. That¡¯s what we wanted to talk about.¡± Naltor¡¯s brief glimmer of personality waned, as Haliska grabbed what looked like a dart gun; the general flinched, finding himself worried once more about the aliens¡¯ intentions. I looked on with more curiosity, not sensing any threats within their behaviors. This must be linked to the translator somehow, so I could venture¡­they wanted us to receive an implant. The Thafki seemed to be the one who was trained for the procedure; despite how I couldn¡¯t imagine they would harm us, it looked painful. Something as sharp and pointy as that would be a tough sell to any Bissem. I¡¯m not a fan of needles in general, though who really is; that piercing feeling, after they pull apart your feathers to get to your skin. I want to be briefed on the risks¡­and how it works before I go along with having that embedded in my neck. ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking. That¡¯s the portable ones¡­the machine at the doctor¡¯s purposefully look much less aggressive,¡± Dustin said. ¡°Before you freak out, Naltor, you don¡¯t have to; it¡¯s an option. The concise version is, the people on Earth won¡¯t speak your language. They¡¯ll be able to understand yours from our database, but you won¡¯t be able to hear theirs.¡± I drew a deep breath. ¡°I believe what the aliens are saying is that, if we go forward without this, it¡¯ll be a one-way conversation. Or these three will have to be our messengers.¡± ¡°We have audio translators that can spit out words in another language. It¡¯d be inconvenient and slower, but you can have physical, external machines pass along words in Vrit,¡± Nulia answered. Dustin pursed his lips. ¡°The translator implants provide a seamless conversion as you process the words you¡¯re hearing. Instantaneous. You¡¯ll be able to have it removed or turned off at any point. This isn¡¯t a permanent decision, or one that presents any risks to your welfare. The procedure is quick and non-invasive.¡± ¡°It¡¯s our recommendation, for the best experience with the multitude of languages, foreign and human, that you¡¯ll encounter on Earth,¡± Haliska added. ¡°All three of us have one.¡± Naltor stared at the floor, face contorted in a grimace. ¡°You can¡¯t be asking me to stick alien technology right next to my brain. You outright said it messes with my brain. You could¡­control me, like a damn horror movie!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not how that works. But if that was our intention, we could¡¯ve done it by force,¡± Dustin remarked. ¡°We only want to help you with this visit, and all diplomatic interactions. Being able to understand our language means you won¡¯t be shut out from our broadcasts and data.¡± ¡°You¡¯re trying to tell me it could be valuable to Lassmin.¡± ¡°And to FAI,¡± I replied. ¡°Dustin¡¯s right. For me, the opportunity to engage with aliens and their media is too great to pass on. It opens the door to watch their movies, listen to their songs, chat with them: everything about their culture, at our flippertips!¡± ¡°Tassi, you¡¯re being reckless. Whatever you think of their intentions, it¡¯s untested on Bissems¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care. You can do what you want, Naltor, but I¡¯m here to learn about them. I trust them. Please, just get it over with quickly, Haliska.¡± The Thafki nodded, approaching me with caution; I noticed her nerves returning, as she moved into close proximity to me. Was it a genuine concern in her mind, that I might eat her, if she drew too near? I wasn¡¯t sure how I¡¯d ever wrap my mind around that; perhaps I could take a look at historical records after receiving the implant, and see how people from the time spoke about meat-eaters. I closed my eyes, blocking out the alarmed expression on Naltor¡¯s features. There was no telling what this would feel like, and how it¡¯d interface with my biology, but the risks were beyond worth it to me. Other FAI scientists would be envious of the position I¡¯d been placed in! I just don¡¯t want to see it coming, or have to brace for it. Sit still, so I don¡¯t spook Hallie and have anything go awry. There was a strange electric sensation, as if something was numbing the nerves; it was unsettling and peculiar, but not painful. I could hear Naltor squawking with disgust, and his webbed feet smacking the floor in alarm. Something tickled right beneath my skin, as though a small piece of film was applied against it. The area went frigid with the sudden absence of any sensation, and it was as though nothing was there. I couldn¡¯t feel anything at all; that couldn¡¯t have been the entire injection, from that giant drill. It hadn¡¯t stung in the slightest, contrary to what I imagined. Haliska pressed a sticky patch to my neck, covering a gash. Soft digits tapped my shoulder, causing my eyes to blink open. ¡°Hey, Tassi. You did great; it¡¯s all over. Tell me, do you understand what I¡¯m saying now?¡± The last words were guttural barks that I¡¯d never heard before, accentuated with hisses and drawn-out sounds. I could hear the distinction between Dustin¡¯s words in Vrit, and these in what must be his native tongue. However, it was as though I understood them retroactively; the meaning was placed into my mind as if someone was editing my interpretation live. It was disquieting to feel an outside force tampering with my experience of consciousness, and it took me several seconds to adjust to that alien sensation. How did the first contact team, or anyone who accepted these machines, get used to this? ¡°I understand you,¡± I croaked. ¡°Perfectly.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you get used to it, after a brief adjustment period.¡± Dustin placed a hand atop my flipper, still speaking in his human language. ¡°You won¡¯t even notice it, after a few hours. Pinky promise. The main caveat is, while it¡¯s decent at semantic translations, it can be a little off at times.¡± ¡°What the fuck is he saying?¡± Naltor spat. ¡°Tassi, is he giving you instructions for your new life as a mindless drone?¡± I rubbed the injection site with a flipper. ¡°The feeling¡ªit¡¯s like there¡¯s a disconnect between what I hear and what I think. Dustin just said I¡¯ll adjust to it after a few times, and that it uses semantic translations.¡± ¡°He said all that? Really?!¡± ¡°Hear for yourself,¡± Haliska murmured. ¡°Unless you want to spend every conversation wondering what¡¯s being said.¡± ¡°I watched you drill in her head like you were boring a hole to Ivrana¡¯s core! I don¡¯t know how she wasn¡¯t screaming.¡± My eyes narrowed at that description. ¡°Believe it or not, it didn¡¯t even hurt, Naltor. It just¡­tickled. I still feel like myself, and it seems to work.¡± ¡°How do you know if you¡¯re still you, Tassi?! That¡¯s the entire fucking point.¡± ¡°I recognize your fear, but it¡¯s time to move on. Lassmin¡ªIvrana is counting on us both. We¡¯re representing our whole species, on our first steps off-world, so I¡¯d say communicating is pretty damn important. Like Dustin said, if they wanted to harm us, they could¡¯ve ambushed us. We¡¯re at their mercy.¡± ¡°Fine. I guess I won¡¯t bother resisting. But if I turn into a killing machine, I want a note in my obituary that says this was your shitty idea.¡± Naltor folded his flippers together, trying to hide how his bulky form was quivering. I imagined the Selmer wished his military greeting party had tagged along on our joyride. Haliska sanitized the injection gun diligently, before walking over to the larger Bissem with a slight boost in confidence. The general flinched as her paw brushed his neck feathers; I wondered when he¡¯d get over his terror of what these aliens might do to us. My bravado froze in its tracks, as the Thafki lanced through his skin. It did look visceral from the outside, enough that Dustin and Nulia looked away. My eyes were glued to the scene, as it corkscrewed deeper, before the metal point rose from the gap. ¡°Time for your orders, Naltor,¡± Dustin teased in the human tongue; the Selmer looked both mortified and disconcerted as the meaning hit his ears. ¡°I command you to take that bubble bath when you reach the hotel. You also must think that I¡¯m handsome, charming, and that my expertise in xenobiology speaks wonders to my character.¡± The Selmer¡¯s eyes bulged. ¡°Fuck you! Gah. It¡¯s like you¡¯re speaking inside my head. Like I¡¯m lagging behind what¡¯s being said¡­and like my ears aren¡¯t matching with my mind. I don¡¯t like this. It¡¯s creepy as fuck!¡± ¡°Heh, like I told Tassi, it¡¯ll eventually be like it¡¯s not even there. It¡¯ll be just another step in the auditory process. Give it time.¡± ¡°It¡¯s already a little less jarring,¡± I mentioned. ¡°Thanks for your¡­patience.¡± Haliska wiggled her half-circle ear. ¡°Thank you for trusting us¡­and me, to perform the procedure, especially after my previous interactions with Bissems. I hope it¡¯ll improve your trip to Earth, and your interactions with all species.¡± ¡°The more we understand each other, the better. Now, you can people-watch us, like I did with you!¡± Nulia exclaimed. The vessel dropped out of subspace, as if on cue, a fluid transition to overlooking a picturesque blue globe; cloud wisps were visible from space, while even its central continents seemed to have more barren patches than Ivrana. From the darkened half of Earth, the orange glow of city lights lit up the landmasses in an ethereal snapshot. It was the unmistakable mark of civilization on a habitable world, far from our own; the kind of planet with biomarkers astronomers spent decades searching for. The automated processes steered our vessel toward the celestial body, in all of its glamor. I watched as we glided toward the atmosphere¡ªthe last thing between us, and that tour of the human homeworld. The galaxy¡¯s beating heart. ¡°There¡¯s no place like home!¡± Dustin made a shrill exhale, which the translator classed as a whistle, a nonverbal exhale signaling appreciation. ¡°It¡¯s almost time for that tour of Embassy Row. You¡¯ll get an excellent view of the spaceport on the way out too, Tassi; soak it all in. Next stop, Earth.¡± I buckled myself into a seat, restraining myself from any excited dances or uncontrollable flipper movements. Naltor settled down next to me, admiring the view in his quiet manner. While I¡¯d all but pushed it into the background, the Selmer wouldn¡¯t be forgetting about the implant in his neck any time soon. The sole factor commanding my attention was what it would be like to walk this alien planet, and take in what our hosts intended for us to witness. No doubt, there would be public attention on our entourage, so I needed my military friend to act presentable. I hoped to make a positive first impression on anyone we encountered here. Chapter 2-10 Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem Scientist Date [standardized human time]: March 17, 2160 The spaceport appeared to be in the middle of several sprawling complexes, many of which were adorned with starkly different vegetation and were manned by guards of unique species. I took a moment to soak in as many of the beings as I could, recognizing that these were Sapient Coalition members; the d¨¦cor on their embassies must be representative of their homeworld. What Naltor and I were gazing at was a snapshot of hundreds of worlds! Embassy Row was situated in the center of the city, replacing buildings that had stood there before. Further out from the unyielding street, and the surrounding diplomatic structures, was a city¡ªwith numerous humans bustling about. How complex and unique each of them must be, every single one with a story to tell like Dustin! These aliens were just going about their lives, paying little mind to how many offworlders surrounded them. If this many sapient species had set up shop in Lassmin, I¡¯d spend every day touring embassies, and talking with the staff: learning the nuances of their homes and cultures. They wouldn¡¯t be able to get rid of me. With us landing in this diplomatic berth, I might have the opportunity to start making the rounds on Earth. This was my opportunity to discover as much information as possible¡­and to plan for our official introduction. This is the first time many in the galaxy will see a Bissem, so it¡¯s important to put a friendly flipper forward. I can see cameras waiting outside the docking port, though they¡¯ve been kept back a ways. ¡°Naltor? Friendly talk only. I¡¯ll handle this.¡± I scampered toward the exit as soon as the clamps fastened to the ship¡¯s underside, and tried to calm my nerves. What if I said the wrong thing, compared to how Dustin had played the Bissem crowds like a flipperpad? The doors swung open, with Nulia aiding my escape, and I found myself blurting out the first thing on my mind. ¡°Hi, humans. Your planet is¡­lovely! We¡¯re delighted to be here, and to see everything you have to offer. We can learn so much from you, with your commitment to such a beautiful cause. It¡¯s so nice to meet you, and¡­I can¡¯t wait for the opportunity to meet every species!¡± Naltor trudged out after me, looking uneasy at the crowd of aliens behind the barricades. ¡°Um¡­how do you do? How many people are watching this?¡± ¡°Across all platforms and all planets? Twenty billion,¡± a human reporter answered. ¡°By Hirs, that is way too many eyes on us. I¡¯m not sure we¡¯re, um, prepared to make a statement.¡± I raised my beak, feigning confidence. ¡°It seems we have twenty billion friends out there already. That warms my heart¡­to know despite all of the aliens you¡¯ve discovered, you¡¯ll show the same interest in us that I feel about you. I¡¯ve heard first contact is new to the Sapient Coalition, and obviously, this is my first skid across the ice too. We¡¯re similar in a lot of ways, but I¡¯m elated to figure out where we differ as well. Whatever happens, I promise that Bissems will work toward a place for ourselves in the galaxy.¡± Haliska trotted out with twitching whiskers. ¡°The Bissems will prepare their full statement for the official SC meeting, but we knew you wanted to film this moment. It¡¯s obviously massive news for them, so we ask for some space and courtesy as they¡¯re introduced to a vast many things!¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been quite the whirlwind, I imagine,¡± Dustin chuckled. ¡°There¡¯s plenty of people on Earth who know exactly how they feel. At the least, I hope we can be more welcoming and charitable than the Federation.¡± ¡°From what I know, that sounds like a low bar to clear,¡± Naltor grumbled. ¡°Ahem. I quite agree, but perhaps let¡¯s not discuss this further here? Come along. We have to get scanned before the tour¡­it was part of our agreement.¡± Scanned? I spread my flippers out like a proper wingspan, trying to signal my positive intentions to the cameras. Several of the humans¡¯ eyes widened in a strange, patronizing way, which I couldn¡¯t interpret through my minimal knowledge of their body language. To dub it as ¡°patronizing¡± could be applying my own filter to them, given how we misinterpreted their teeth baring as a threat display. Perhaps my nonverbal gesture meant something else to them? It might not have been wise to use a Bissem cue for friendliness in ¡°open flippers.¡± I rubbed a flipper against my beak, feeling a bit mollified at my lack of judgment. Hopefully, that lapse wouldn¡¯t come back to haunt me. ¡°What do you mean by scanned?¡± Naltor hissed. ¡°Like a medical scan? I thought you said you couldn¡¯t pass contagions to us!¡± Dustin raised a placating hand. ¡°We can¡¯t. I don¡¯t know how to say this, but in essence, we¡¯re getting our brains scanned. From that data, our people can document how first contact went¡ªwithout us having to film or write down any mission logs.¡± ¡°Back the fuck up. You can read minds?!¡± ¡°We can interpret the brain¡¯s encoding of memories, Naltor. To know what you¡¯re thinking right now, or to have any untoward influences on those thoughts, is another matter altogether. Artificial intelligence has come a long way from being able to pick out single images from our mind¡¯s eye, but it¡¯s a field of study we¡¯ve been pursuing for over a century.¡± ¡°You can figure out what I¡¯m thinking now, as soon as it¡¯s in the past, by looking into my brain. Why would you give yourself the ability to do that?¡± ¡°Naltor, I don¡¯t think you have a right to judge them. As unnerving as the prospect is, they have¡­sophisticated technology,¡± I commented, though I was apprehensive about my every thought being easily accessible. ¡°It sounds like they¡¯re doing it for historical documentation purposes.¡± ¡°That means there is zero privacy, to the very core of your consciousness. There must be things people don¡¯t want the world to know. What right does anyone have to judge you for feelings you have no control over, and to expose your innermost thoughts? Why does nobody have moral qualms about this?¡± Nulia waggled a claw. ¡°Of course we do. The technology raised many ethical controversies and spawned a multitude of laws. However, there were many other concerns that made it worth pursuing. All brain scans of living individuals are completely voluntary, and even postmortem, we¡¯ve put rights in place.¡± ¡°It¡¯s logical to ask, ¡®Just because we can, does that mean we should?¡¯¡± Dustin turned to face Naltor, with his lips curving downward into a grimace. ¡°You asked why, General, so let me rattle off a few reasons. You know how the Federation wiped anything predatory from a species¡¯ history?¡± ¡°In something you might sympathize with, more than anyone, that included our natural drive to be in the water,¡± Haliska whispered. ¡°They let our homeworld die because we liked to swim. Even if you weren¡¯t carnivores, they would¡¯ve hated you for that.¡± ¡°No more. I don¡¯t want them to feel like there¡¯s anything wrong with them, Hallie. The Federation were sick bastards. My point is that a lot of authentic history was lost, because some alien hotshots decided which parts of a species¡¯ culture they could keep. Project Chronicle was what really poured research into these transcripts, because they were trying to piece together missing info. With anyone we have brain data on, we can cobble back information from the past: a biological, first-person source. Just as we are for your first contact.¡± ¡°Just slow down for a minute, please. I can¡¯t hear myself think.¡± I felt my eyes water, as I tried to process everything I¡¯d just heard; that AI could recreate entire lives from a brain scan, and that the Thafki had been left to die for swimming. How exactly was that predatory at all? ¡°There¡¯s so much I don¡¯t understand about your past.¡± ¡°And does understanding history really make it worth violating people¡¯s minds?¡± Naltor squawked. ¡°Is that single reason good enough for such a personal procedure?¡± Nulia chuckled. ¡°If you want to know for certain we harbor no ill will, or evil master plans, Naltor¡­you¡¯re welcome to read our transcripts. Though I imagine Dustin¡¯s has a few intrusive thoughts about how adorable you are.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me out like that! I would never say it aloud; it¡¯s especially bad for me, since I¡¯m obsessed with all kinds of animals,¡± the human grumbled. ¡°Scans will be mandatory for us to undergo on a regular basis, due to our importance to the program. If you¡¯d like to contribute, you¡¯re welcome to, but nobody will force you. Should you receive a transcript, you¡¯ll have full say over what to exclude.¡± ¡°With respect, I don¡¯t feel comfortable with the entire world knowing my thoughts. Seeing through my eyes,¡± I answered. ¡°Of course. I¡¯m only offering it, if you ever want to document your experiences for posterity. Before Naltor demands more reasons for its existence, I promise, there are some major gains to be had from this. Imagine if you get into an accident, and you lose your memories¡­or you have a memory-loss disease. These transcripts are a backup. They¡¯re a tool into better understanding consciousness, and the brain; treating any dysfunction.¡± Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°Remember Slanek, Doctor Tassi? The Federation captured him and tampered with his short-term memory. But there was an old transcript of him, made from a brain scan their scientists did to help destroy his mind,¡± Nulia commented. ¡°Tech like this could¡¯ve¡­restored a version from years ago, if the brain functionality was still there. Marcel¡ªmy adoptive father¡ªmentioned trying that, before he went off the grid. It¡¯d be top-secret if they did, I guess. I at least¡­hope that¡¯s where they vanished to.¡± Haliska placed her tail on Nulia¡¯s wrist. ¡°It¡¯s a nice thought. I like the idea that, if I died today, there¡¯d be something left of me. Maybe even a way to bring me back, eventually. This can¡¯t be the end; I can¡¯t just be gone forever, when there¡¯s so many things I wished I did.¡± ¡°Are you seriously saying this could be used to bring people back from the dead?!¡± Naltor exclaimed. ¡°It can¡¯t right now, but maybe one day, soon. We are our thoughts, like you said. I know if I could have one more moment with my loved ones, in any capacity, I would. My parents both drowned decades ago, trying to swim as far off-shore as they could: free from the Federation at last. They didn¡¯t bank on how grueling it¡¯d be to come back, and they didn¡¯t have proper swim training. I like to think they died happy, being able to follow their hearts. I wish I could tell them about the things I¡¯ve done. Just¡­talk.¡± ¡°We all have reasons we¡¯re invested in preserving consciousness, for ourselves and others. This research could bring great advances for our societies,¡± Dustin finished, noticing that the Thafki was growing teary-eyed. ¡°It¡¯s a way to grasp things we could never experience for ourselves. What it feels like for a Duerten to fly, something I suspect Bissems would be interested in. What it¡¯s like to be braindead, in a coma, or to die¡ªnobody lives to tell that last one. What it¡¯s like to experience schizophrenia, or the actual manifestations of dangerous thinking. Endless uses. Endless answers.¡± The Selmer general looked stricken. ¡°I¡¯m still discomforted by the idea, but I must confess that some of those uses sound interesting to me. What a valuable interrogation asset it must be, as well.¡± ¡°And you just gave a reason why the Geneva Conventions¡ªour warfare laws¡ªprobably need an update. Let us have our scans done, and we¡¯ll move onto a more laid-back tour?¡± Our posse had arrived in a secluded room, which had a metal basket with a few wires on the table: an unassuming device, for the insight its cursory overview would uncover. I watched with curious eyes, as each member of the first contact team placed it atop their craniums for a few seconds. Given how little hesitation there was, I imagined they¡¯d done it before; having their thoughts dissected was normal to them. Would that ever be a decision that I would choose? Were my memories valuable enough to sacrifice my privacy, so that Bissems could see how our first steps into the stars played out? That was without even addressing my mixed emotions on reinstating my consciousness, beyond death or during life. Haliska placed a paw on my shoulder. ¡°That was it. Thanks for your patience, and for your tolerance of our¡­different standards of culture. How would you feel about a stroll down Embassy Row? I¡¯m afraid the humans have sidewalks, not sideswims.¡± ¡°I figured as much. Whether humans love the ocean or not, they don¡¯t seem born to swim.¡± ¡°You¡¯d be surprised. We even have it as a sport; maybe we should¡¯ve sent a swimmer, and not a xenobiologist, along for the landing party!¡± Dustin exclaimed. ¡°C¡¯mon. I know Tassi wants a peek at every species out there, before we show you to your accommodations.¡± The human pranced out of the spaceport, teeth bared in jovial fashion. I turned my gaze upward, following him with my own childlike enthusiasm; I could feel the warm rays of an alien sun slapping the tan feathers on my face. As a Vritala, able to endure the most tropical weather, I appreciated that Vienna had a more temperate feel. The air had been crisp and breathable since we landed here, more like the known climate of Tseia Nomads¡¯ homeland, Alsh. I couldn¡¯t help myself, comparing every sensation to the world that I knew. What was there to measure my experiences by, except Ivrana? Earth was beautiful, but Ivrana was the very benchmark that influenced my judgments. Nulia fell in beside me, as Naltor¡¯s eyes darted around at each embassy. ¡°The nearest embassies to the spaceport are the Key Species: starting with Earth¡¯s original three allies, the Venlil, the Zurulians, and the Yotul. They spread out from there based on the order they opened diplomatic relations¡ªso somewhat, you can argue it¡¯s by importance. Some annexes you see are from outside the SC, whether it be from the Shield or from neutral parties.¡± ¡°There¡¯s over 150 embassies here, so while I¡¯m happy to walk you by all of them, it would be¡­a lot. We can just walk you through the most essential SC members and get your feet wet,¡± Dustin said. ¡°How about we start with the Venlil? I lived with a Venlil family, on their world, for years, so it¡¯s an easy one.¡± ¡°Are they going to oppose our entry?¡± Naltor blurted. ¡°Are they a diplomatic threat?¡± ¡°Um, the Venlil shouldn¡¯t be an issue. What you should know about them is that they''re our neighbors. A highly emotional species, which sometimes correlates to aggression. The Federation didn¡¯t like that, and crippled them. Yeah, Tassi, every time you hear the Federation in the past tense, just assume it¡¯ll be something horrible. You¡¯ll get used to it.¡± I cleared my throat. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s difficult to imagine why they would do that to innocent people. To an entire species.¡± ¡°Because they could,¡± Naltor sighed. ¡°Why does any fiend do anything?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t pretend to speak for the Federation, beyond them blaming a prion disease outbreak. The truth is, we¡¯ll never know if it was more complicated than that.¡± Dustin breathed out a flustered sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. ¡°My point is that, if the Venlil were willing to accept us, when nobody believed we were anything more than heartless predators, they¡¯re actually a safe bet for being allies. They saved our species back then, they have significant sway with the SC, and they¡¯ve been linked to us for a long time. Just don¡¯t find a way to piss them off, or you might regret it.¡± ¡°Noted,¡± I replied. Creatures with bushy, curly fur watched from behind the Venlil embassy¡¯s gates, plodding forward to observe us with interest. Some of the older ones had crooked legs, compared to much hardier-looking, young specimens; their coloration was primarily shades of gray, with a few exceptions. I was going to part my flippers in the same gesture from earlier, but stopped after recalling the humans¡¯ strange reaction. One of the aliens seemed to notice me, watching them all awkward and tensed up, and swayed his tail in a greeting. At a loss for what to do, I mirrored the motion with a flipper. ¡°On the other side of the street, the Zurulians! If¡ªProtector forbid¡ªanything happens to you, they¡¯ll be the ones who patch you up. Famous for their compassion, and the medical innovations that sprang from their kindness,¡± Nulia explained. ¡°Shortly after we discovered Bissems, their Galactic Institute of Medicine requested all the anatomical data and medical literature we could find on you. They wouldn¡¯t want any lives at risk that could¡¯ve been saved if they studied you in advance.¡± Naltor¡¯s eyes were narrowed with skepticism. ¡°Those tiny quadrupeds? They¡¯d be the ones stitching me up?¡± ¡°You¡¯d be surprised how crafty they are, and their robotic aides fill in where they lack strength. You¡¯d be in good paws,¡± Haliska replied. Dustin hesitated at the embassy ahead, presumably the third from their Key Species list: the Yotul. ¡°Right. Let¡¯s not make any ruckus as we pass here. If you want a diplomatic threat, the Technocracy thinks we never should¡¯ve contacted you. They¡¯re mistrustful of new members to begin with, but with you being an ¡®uplift¡¯, I imagine they¡¯ll oppose your entry in any way possible.¡± ¡°A species that was bullied mercilessly, but had power dumped in their lap during the war,¡± Nulia finished. ¡°Now they¡¯re a force to be reckoned with, and brimming with paranoia. They also have a habit of spying, so I imagine they can throw around some blackmail to sway votes, if talking doesn¡¯t work.¡± The Selmer general raised his flippers in exasperation. ¡°Well, they sound like pleasant fellows. Tassi, you want to march up to the gates and say hello?¡± ¡°I actually don¡¯t see how it could hurt to try to smooth things over. Just because these Yotul have decided to be our enemies, doesn¡¯t mean we have to give it back,¡± I commented. ¡°They¡¯re not your enemies. They think they¡¯re doing you a favor,¡± Dustin sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t imagine they want to exchange pleasantries, Tassi, so I advise keeping your head down. No need to risk a vitriolic bout making the rounds on the web.¡± I cast a brief glance at the building, which had green sand rooting down tropical-looking trees at the gates. Further back, there were small, tan animals bounding around in the grass, which seemed to have been ferried in from a different climate altogether. These four-legged beasts had binocular eyes, something which was possessed by Terrans alone, so that told me they were not the Yotul. The fact that the Technocracy chose to have these animals present at the embassy must hold some meaning, though. The actual sapients were toting menacing guns, which immediately caused Naltor to stiffen; several of the digitigrade bipeds scowled at us, folding their reddish ears back. So much for sneaking past without them noticing us. Dustin didn¡¯t seem to think they¡¯d take a shot at us, but I don¡¯t see how posturing like they might is ¡°doing us a favor.¡± Maybe I should¡¯ve gotten that brain scan, just in case I need to be brought back from the dead. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if we offended you,¡± I managed, causing the Yotul¡¯s glowers to deepen. ¡°We¡¯re moving on. We won¡¯t stand in front of your territory. I hope you have a pleasant day, and that you can forgive whatever we¡¯ve done to upset you.¡± One Yotul¡¯s eyes shifted slightly, making it clear she was looking at Dustin. ¡°We¡¯re not angry with you, Bissem. Humanity¡¯s stunt will fail, however, and we have the perfect ammunition. I¡¯m regretful you¡¯ll be caught in the crossfire. You never should¡¯ve been.¡± ¡°Perfect ammunition?¡± the human echoed, curious in spite of himself. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Ah, so you haven¡¯t seen what the Tseia are saying about you? I think you should familiarize yourself with it. The Bissems don¡¯t want you there. Stop being a fucking Fed. Because either way, when the Sapient Coalition sees what the Nomads said, they¡¯ll know Bissems are fractured and dangerous. The anti-carnivores will have a field day, as you humans say!¡± Naltor trudged forward with reluctance, a hint of worry in his eyes. ¡°What did those shifty fucking Tseia do now? I won¡¯t let them ruin things.¡± ¡°The Tseia expressed that they want nothing to do with aliens. Their official position is that xenos can¡¯t be trusted. With how you humans decided to swoop in, and play Ralchi, I¡¯d say they¡¯re right. This is a disunified species that isn¡¯t ready, and doesn¡¯t need your salvation. We¡¯ll show the whole SC that you¡¯re not respecting their wishes. We¡¯ll play the tapes for¡ª¡± Nulia grimaced, placing a paw on my back. ¡°Let¡¯s get moving. Now. We need to talk, in private at the hotel, about whatever the Tseia have done.¡± ¡°Agreed,¡± Naltor grumbled. Cutting the tour short, as the Yotul continued to shout at us and insist that we¡¯d never be admitted to the Coalition, the landing party hurried us away from the Technocracy embassy. I cast a glance over my shoulder, wondering what Dustin had meant by the fact that the former uplifts intended this opposition as a boon. Why were they so opposed to us getting a fair hearing at the Sapient Coalition, and becoming a part of the galaxy: a dream that sounded wonderful to me? Didn¡¯t these Yotul know it¡¯d be difficult enough for us, because of those anti-carnivores? With my joyful mood at visiting Earth erased, I walked toward our lodgings with defeated steps. There was so much about various aliens, and their past, that left me disappointed to my very core. I just hoped that Bissems hadn¡¯t generated a reason for me to be domestically disillusioned as well, with our own reactionary squabbles and in-fighting. Chapter 2-11 Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist Date [standardized human time]: March 16, 2160 There were several stares from unmasked passersby cast upon us, as concealed medics toted Gress to an isolated room. There were even a few cheers from miners who were happy, seeing the scaly alien knocked out. I¡¯d allowed the stretcher to ferry me to the bottom of the elevator, before pushing my way off the platform. Doctor Adebayo was waiting alongside Mayor Hathaway, with both sporting full cloth masks to hide their features, in case the Krev awoke. I could sense the mayor¡¯s immediate withering glare, as he saw me pushing my way into the room, desperate to correct my blackout moment. My head ducked with shame, as I tried to focus on the physician feeling the Krev¡¯s neck vertebrae. ¡°Well, the good news is that Taylor didn¡¯t get much power on the swing, and didn¡¯t hit anything critical. Drew a bit of blue blood here, but for a minor head injury, I expect Gress to awaken a few minutes after the blow. So, soon,¡± Doctor Adebayo commented. ¡°I¡¯ll let you handle the fallout, but don¡¯t be too hard on your buddy. He¡¯s concussed. His judgment is impaired.¡± I crossed my arms. ¡°That¡¯s the least concussed thing I¡¯ve done all day! I¡¯ve wanted to do that for so long. He was kicking us off of our own planet!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to see myself out. I have other patients to tend to. Make sure security keeps prying eyes out.¡± Mayor Hathaway tapped at his mask, waiting for the doctor to leave. ¡°Goddammit, Taylor. After everything I¡¯ve told you about what it¡¯s like to have an entire alien race come down on your head, you go do something like this?! This is your fault, not controlling yourself when there¡¯s things much bigger than you at stake. I trusted you not to fuck us!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. Gress wasn¡¯t listening, and he was being totally unreasonable, and I just¡­I lost it,¡± I whispered. ¡°Maybe I can talk him into letting it go?¡± ¡°You¡¯re done talking to anyone! We both agreed our militia couldn¡¯t fight off a paintball team, but now, these aliens will come looking for revenge. What happens when Gress doesn¡¯t return? What happens if we do let him go back? We, humanity, have to start leaving, right now. You¡¯ve basically forced me to hold this guy prisoner, in the hopes that we can negotiate something that doesn¡¯t involve us all being killed, should they come knocking.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think we should hold him hostage, sir. That¡¯ll just worsen the situation.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want advice from you. Get out! Get the fuck out!¡± Cherise raised a finger. ¡°Hold on. I think Taylor should stay. Gress knows who swung at him, and if there¡¯s any chance we can fix this, it¡¯d be by his aggressor apologizing¡­us showing we¡¯ll hold him accountable. The Krev does know that Taylor has a head injury, so maybe it will be understandable that he wasn¡¯t thinking straight?¡± ¡°You want me to hand Taylor over as a sacrificial lamb? I can¡¯t do that, because then, Gress takes off his mask and sees what we are!¡± ¡°We can hold Taylor to our own justice, locking him up and proving it: through an ankle monitor, or something? That¡¯s only if it comes to it. Do you have a better plan than just starting out with Taylor begging for forgiveness? Because I don¡¯t.¡± The mayor sighed. ¡°No. I don¡¯t have a clue what to do now. I swear to God, Trench, if you do anything else that fucks us over, I¡¯ll have you executed. You will stay and kiss up to this Krev, whatever it takes, and I don¡¯t care if it humiliates you. Our species dies if we get into it with these guys. We¡¯ve been hiding ourselves for so long for a reason.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to fix this. If¡­if it¡¯ll appease Gress, I know you can¡¯t hand me over, but I understand if, maybe, you can cut off my fingers¡­or execute me. I deserve some form of punishment, no matter how brutal, for what I¡¯ve cost humanity,¡± I murmured. ¡°That would show how seriously you take my offense.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not doing that! Beyond how repugnant that would be, it also would make us look like violent, sadistic predators more than your assault already did. Gress will be waking up any minute, and I won¡¯t be hearing any more of you trying to lay yourself out on the train tracks. I¡¯m pissed at you, but I don¡¯t want you dead, you fuckwit. Just shut up until you¡¯re needed to show some damn remorse.¡± ¡°I will.¡± Cherise turned her face to address Hathaway. ¡°Sir, we have a problem. I¡¯m seeing an ongoing broadcast on my holopad. Someone in my department¡¯s tapped into this room¡¯s security feeds, and is sharing them with the entire city. They want everyone to see what we¡¯re asking the Krev.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have time to move him! We don¡¯t need to be airing our dirty laundry in front of the whole group.¡± ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, maybe we should try to get some answers from Gress, about who they are. After all the prying the Krev have done into us, it would be fitting.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll¡­see what he has to say. Believe me, it¡¯s really fucking hard to protect humanity from aliens we know nothing about! We¡¯re trying to fix this, and to keep people safe.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve kept them safe, and failed to keep them happy,¡± I sighed, earning nasty looks¡ªI could sense them through the masks. ¡°I know I¡¯m not happy. Life at one percent.¡± Cherise clenched her fist. ¡°Taylor? Shut the fuck up.¡± I performed a sarcastic salute, and stewed in my own self-hatred. The silence between our posse was painful, as I could feel my friends¡¯ fury at me emanating into my bones. I tried to focus on what I could do to fix the situation, which I bore the full responsibility for. The Krev was laid out helpless in the operating chair, to be surrounded by the three of us for when he came to; I was hopeful that it was, in fact, a minor injury that I¡¯d inflicted. As much of a failure to humanity as I was, I wasn¡¯t a murderer¡ªor someone that took joy in maiming a living creature. Just as the doctor suggested, Gress¡¯ eyes blinked open in a daze, before his features took on a startled expression. Gress didn¡¯t expect me to attack him, or he would¡¯ve never turned his back. He believed we¡¯d just leave without any fight. Now, I can see it in his eyes; he¡¯s afraid of us. Perhaps he already suspects humans are predators? The Krev¡¯s nostrils twitched with anxiety. ¡°Hey, um, I can see that tempers flared. You don¡¯t have to do this. Just let me go, and we can all forget this ever happened. You don¡¯t want to do this; you can empathize with family, right? I have a child back home, who needs me in her life. I¡¯m supposed to have custody of her this weekend, and she has a dance performance; her name¡¯s Lecca. I love her with all my heart, and I want to get back to her. Please.¡± ¡°You try to pull on our heartstrings, when you couldn¡¯t show any empathy for us?¡± I spat. Cherise cracked her knuckles. ¡°Taylor, shut the fuck up, or I¡¯ll make you shut up.¡± ¡°Taylor Trench was in an accident, and his head injury seems to have made him prone to outbursts. Please forgive his aggression,¡± Hathaway said. ¡°We don¡¯t want any bad blood between our people, and it wasn¡¯t the will of this polity for you to be uncivilly assaulted.¡± Gress¡¯ eyes narrowed. ¡°Head injury or not, let him speak. It¡¯s what he really thinks, isn¡¯t it? Let him say what¡¯s on his mind.¡± ¡°I think dozens of people wouldn¡¯t have been hurt or killed, if you hadn¡¯t pushed us to fork over a quantity that was well beyond what was reasonably due. You were just waiting for any opportunity to kick us out,¡± I growled. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Of course we were, but that doesn¡¯t mean we wanted for anyone to get hurt! You abused our empathy to let you land in the first place, because we couldn¡¯t bear to play a part in people dying: even people like you. We wouldn¡¯t let anyone starve in space.¡± ¡°People like us?¡± Mayor Hathaway stiffened, as Cherise and I recoiled in shock; all three of us had immediate concerns that the Krev did, in fact, realize that we were predators. ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°Forget I said anything.¡± ¡°Nah, we heard you loud and clear. How exactly is it ¡®empathy¡¯ to rake us over the coals with the fees you charge?¡± I prompted. Gress¡¯ narrow tongue poked out of his mouth in thought. ¡°Those fees were intended to get you to leave of your own free will, because we didn¡¯t want to fight with you. We didn¡¯t mean for anyone to get hurt. This has been an ongoing arrangement for years, when it was always meant to be temporary; I¡¯d say your group of colonists have sufficient resources to move on. It is our planet, and we weren¡¯t going to let you have it for nothing.¡± ¡°We know you were looking for any excuse to kick us out. That doesn¡¯t surprise us,¡± Hathaway sighed. ¡°The question is what you mean by people like us?¡± Cherise nodded. ¡°That rhetoric is quite charged from aliens who were happy to profit off of us, and take advantage of our desperation.¡± ¡°Your desperation? That¡¯s fucking ridiculous,¡± Gress grumbled. ¡°You always want to take more from others. It¡¯s never enough with you! We just want you to leave us alone.¡± ¡°What is it you think you know about us? Tell us what the fuck you mean.¡± Righteous anger was shining in the Krev¡¯s eyes, as if he believed his species had a legitimate grievance with us; that was an emotion I¡¯d seen in the miners¡¯ eyes. There was some trepidation swelling in my heart, at the thought that our efforts were in vain, and these aliens figured out we were predators from day one. I supposed our shitty treatment as glorified indentured servants was an upgrade from being wiped out. Still, it boiled my blood to think we¡¯d hidden away underground when our secret was out. This would be the least fearful I¡¯d ever seen an alien at the truth. What does he mean by it ¡°never being enough¡± with us? All we ever asked for from the Krev was a home, so unless he knows the full extent of conquest and exploitation in Earth¡¯s past, that¡¯s a baseless accusation. ¡°I mean that you people are fucking CRAZY!¡± Gress screamed, hurting my eardrums. ¡°We saw where your subspace trail came from. Don¡¯t you have enough space in the Federation? You have to come and take what¡¯s ours? All we wanted was to stay away from you!¡± Mayor Hathaway seemed stunned. ¡°I beg your pardon? You¡­you don¡¯t like us, because you think we¡¯re from the Federation?¡± ¡°Obviously! We sent an expedition to your delusional corner of space, and we like our group just fine without your unscientific brainrot. We saw exactly what you do and what you stand for; let me say, you people should be ashamed of yourselves! The Krev Consortium just wants to avoid you, and fighting with your overpopulated herd. So much so, that we¡¯ve hidden our signals, stopped expanding our territory, and haven¡¯t accepted new members beyond our original six. So yes, we¡¯re a little zealous in driving out outsiders, but we just want you to leave us the fuck alone!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand¡ª¡± ¡°Oh, I think I understand perfectly. You humans are like the Sivkits, but worse? And that¡¯s why you¡¯ve come here, an invasive species carried to our shores? We had no choice but to meet you with a warship, to contest your claim, when you showed up one system away from our homeworld. There was no hiding. And frankly, I don¡¯t give an obor¡¯s ass what the Consortium says; I¡¯m done hiding reality to appease you people, with your shifty culture. We are herbivores, but we¡¯re real herbivores¡ªbecause real herbivores eat meat every now and then. So go ahead: burn me and get it over with.¡± The three of us sat in stunned silence, staring at a quivering Gress. The Krev seemed to be finished with his rant, and slumped his head back against his shoulders. Tears swelled up in his eyes from the force of his emotions, which were mirrored by my own. I couldn¡¯t process what he¡¯d just unloaded on us. The Consortium had discovered the Federation, and hid away their entire society just to avoid them? If there was a single motive that I could understand for their stand-offish behavior, it was steering clear of those bastards; it was the same fear that had us chasing them off, and hiding beneath these masks even now. I also couldn¡¯t believe that I¡¯d heard another sapient race claim to eat meat. How would the Krev react if they saw our binocular eyes, and realized that we¡¯re predators? Gress seems to agree with our scientists on what an herbivore is, but his kind are still preyfolk. He already sees us as shifty. I crossed my arms. ¡°We¡¯re not with the Federation. We¡¯re¡­running away from them.¡± ¡°Taylor! Shut the fuck up,¡± Mayor Hathaway warned. ¡°You¡¯ve done enough.¡± ¡°This time, I think I¡¯m doing the right thing. You heard what Gress just told us; he hates them as much as we do. Him seeing proof that we¡¯re nothing like them; maybe it wouldn¡¯t scare the Krev, sir. Maybe they¡¯d understand why we¡­had no choice but to come here.¡± The Krev squinted in confusion. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°I could show you. If¡­if my colleague, Cherise, would be willing to give me the key. I think we¡¯ve been afraid of¡ªangry at¡ªeach other for the exact same reasons. Maybe it¡¯s time for us all to take a step outside of that¡­fear.¡± Cherise stared at me for a long moment, hesitating over what she knew I was asking. I extended my palm in a simple gesture, and with a flustered sigh, the security guard pulled the key out of her pocket. Mayor Hathaway raised a hand to stop me, before seeming to reconsider, and standing back to watch it unfold. If Gress reacted poorly to what we were, then I¡¯d miscalculated; however, we could hold him here, and he wouldn¡¯t be able to tell anyone back in the Consortium. This might be the one final chance to earn their mercy, and I wouldn¡¯t pass up a third opportunity. I gently plucked the key from Cherise¡¯s hand. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be afraid of us, Gress. We¡¯re the same people we always were. Some people in the Federation think we¡¯re monsters, but¡­we don¡¯t want to hurt anyone. We just want a chance to survive, and we can¡¯t change certain things about ourselves. Heaven knows, I wish we could.¡± ¡°You¡¯re finally going to show me your face? Drop the privacy bullshit?¡± the Krev asked. ¡°Yes. In a few moments, you¡¯ll know exactly why we kept up that¡­bullshit.¡± I cast a final glance at Cherise for encouragement, and noticed that she¡¯d turned her head, unable to watch from nerves. I drew a deep breath, knowing full well that this next action went against everything we¡¯d been taught about how aliens reacted to the sight of us. This was an herbivore from an alien conglomerate who¡¯d taken us to the cleaners; we shouldn¡¯t trust him. Somehow, I managed to fit the key into the lock, and turn it loose. I slowly raised the face covering over my head, staring straight at Gress with the full weight of my binocular gaze. Shock spread across the Krev¡¯s face, once he glimpsed my cut-and-beaten skull; there were no screams at the intensity of my pupils, accelerated breaths at my harsh features, or any motor reaction that belied fear. Gress simply seemed stunned by our true appearance, and soaked it in for several minutes. I felt vulnerable and exposed, under his judgment¡ªwaiting for him to pronounce what he thought of our species. The surprise, and strange amount of disbelief, hadn¡¯t left his eyes. Wordlessly, he gestured with his tail to my gloves. I thought I understood, slipping them off of my hands and revealing my feeble fingers. ¡°You¡¯re¡­you¡¯re¡­¡± Gress struggled to speak, and I waited for him to call us the pejorative word we despised. Predators? ¡°Primates. The hands confirm it. How did I not recognize your appendage structure?¡± The mayor hesitated, lifting his mask off to reveal a skeptical expression. ¡°You know what primates are?¡± ¡°We do. We definitely do.¡± ¡°There¡¯s other primates out there?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes. I know you just clubbed me over the head, and were absolutely furious with me, but you¡¯re adorable, Taylor.¡± What the fuck?! ¡°How could I speak to you like that? Now I feel so guilty! Uh, I¡¯m sorry, I probably should explain before I make a fool of myself. To be clear, I¡¯m quite aware that you¡¯re sapient, and this might be weird, but¡­you know the obors? They¡¯re¡­nonsapient primates from our home, and we¡­domesticated them. We keep them as pets.¡± ¡°You¡­what? I didn¡¯t see this coming, at all. I¡¯m not sure what the fuck I¡¯m supposed to say to that.¡± ¡°Obors are such sensitive, loyal creatures. I have one of the cute little fellas on my ship; I take precious Juvre everywhere. I was worried who was going to look after him while I was stuck down here. Maybe you want to meet an obor? Unless that¡¯s a really weird thing to say, in which case, I¡¯ll shut up.¡± Mayor Hathaway pondered it for a moment. ¡°Okay. We¡­domesticate animals too, or at least, we used to, so we understand. Take us to your ship, but don¡¯t touch any buttons.¡± ¡°Splendid! Frankly, now that I know you¡¯re primates, you can stay forever. I can¡¯t believe it; real primate people. It¡¯s a dream! You¡¯re not prepared for how much the Krev are going to want to¡­help. Well, pet your fuzzy hair spot; we¡¯ve never seen primates as furless and babyish as you. Uh, I just said that out loud, didn¡¯t I? Pretend I didn¡¯t. Let¡¯s go introduce you to Juvre!¡± ¡°Lead the way. We¡¯ll show you part of the city, while you¡¯re at it.¡± Cherise undid her mask, turning to face me. ¡°Are you going to be alright to walk, Taylor?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to come, but I could, um, use some help,¡± I admitted. ¡°Okay. We¡¯ll get you a wheelchair, or something. I imagine you¡¯d kick yourself, not being able to feel the sun on your face at long last.¡± ¡°You know me too well. Thank you.¡± For the first time since ¡®36, I allowed a glimmer of genuine hope into my heart, that we could carve out an open life similar to our culture on Earth. It seemed that the Krev had misjudged humanity, and that we¡¯d misread their attitudes toward our colonists from the beginning; we¡¯d never needed to hide our faces at all, by the sound of it. Perhaps from what had been a powder keg waiting to explode, humanity could finally get some help in our quest to survive and rebuild our species. We could learn more about these alien neighbors¡ªones that weren¡¯t delusional like the Federation¡ªand we could tell the truth about why we¡¯d come to this system in the first place. Chapter 2-12 Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist Date [standardized human time]: March 16, 2160 It turned out for the best that a security guard broadcasted our conversation with Gress to the colony; dozens of citizens overheard his outburst leveled at the Federation. There were still a few shocked expressions, even people cowering or instinctively turning their faces away, as we led the Krev rent collector out into the common area. His eyes scanned the city, marveling at the sights and sounds. I felt strange being pushed by Cherise in a wheelchair, and even stranger to see an alien so unfazed, surrounded by primates. The green scales on his tail reflected the artificial lighting, as he cautiously approached a roaming child. ¡°Hi!¡± Gress whispered, kneeling with soft eyes. ¡°Look at you, running around, little girl.¡± The kid stopped with a puzzled expression. ¡°Mom says you would kill us if you saw our faces. Are you gonna kill us?¡± ¡°No. Parents are wrong sometimes. I¡­really like your faces, for what it¡¯s worth.¡± ¡°You do? Thanks! I didn¡¯t realize you were that big and scaly, but I like yours too. Can I touch your scales?¡± ¡°Maybe another time. Why don¡¯t you go tell your mother, and anyone else willing to listen, that the Krev have no issue with your species? It¡¯d be super helpful of you.¡± ¡°Okay! Bye Mr. Alien.¡± The Krev chuckled to himself, as the young girl ran off. Mayor Hathaway studied him for several moments, as did I; for someone who¡¯d only ever been rude in our interactions, Gress definitely could flip on a fatherly aura around children. I found myself feeling a lot more partial to him getting home to his daughter, Lecca. It never occurred to me that an alien species would see us for who we were, and want us to stay. My rash actions had somehow saved our home, assuming the rent collector was being straightforward with his promise to let us stick around. Their past deeds were a clever scheme, in hindsight, to force us out without violence through the constant demands. If they hate the Federation like we do, I¡¯m surprised they let us stick around at all. Wouldn¡¯t they be worried, driving us out, that we¡¯d report on the Consortium¡¯s existence to those prey snots? I supposed if we missed a presumed check-in, or the Krev imagined a Federation party might come after us to check on us, it¡¯d worsen the situation. ¡°You poor things. What did the Federation do to you?¡± Gress turned toward me, as if he wanted to hear it from my lips for some reason. He continued to tail the mayor, who was leading us to the nearest memory vault. ¡°I can imagine how they treated you, but it sounds like it was¡­the unthinkable.¡± I bowed my head in sorrow. ¡°Gress, they wanted to kill us. As far as we know, they murdered the ten billion people on Earth: bombed them from space with zero remorse. We pleaded with them, bartered and begged until we were blue in the face: and it didn¡¯t matter. Not one of their near three hundred members saw us as anything but monsters. When our ship left, they were marching an extermination fleet down on our homeworld. What you see in front of you, and the humble shops in that cavern¡­it¡¯s all we have left of humanity.¡± ¡°We have videos and music. Images of our cities. Little pieces of that history Taylor described,¡± Cherise added. ¡°Every species couldn¡¯t bear the sight of us. So we swore never to show our faces again, and give aliens the incentive to slaughter us.¡± The Krev¡¯s eyes watered, as he swiped up on a hologram of Earth. ¡°That¡¯s awful. I am so unspeakably sorry. I had no idea. If your world had been in our space¡­I know it¡¯s zero consolation, but it would¡¯ve been different. I¡¯m grateful you¡¯ve decided to trust me to see what you once were.¡± ¡°We all work toward the colony. There¡¯s not much room for expression or experimentation,¡± I sighed. ¡°I feel as though I want something so much more, then feel guilty for wanting that shit.¡± ¡°You can have more, from here on out. With your permission, I¡¯m going to bring this atrocity to the Consortium¡¯s attention. The Krev can help you, friends; your refugees would even be welcome, if any of you wished to integrate with our society, on our homeworld, Avor. I understand you might not want any people leaving, with preserving your species in mind. We can help restore your numbers, build up this world, and provide you with anything you need. You won¡¯t have to worry for a thing; you can express yourselves to your heart¡¯s content!¡± Mayor Hathaway narrowed his eyes. ¡°With respect, how do you know that your people will go along with this?¡± ¡°Because I know they¡¯ll love you! Even if you were a different species than primates, we¡¯ll protect anyone who wants to avoid the Federation.¡± ¡°You say that like it¡¯s a known fact. Does that imply that you¡¯ve taken steps to help other species before?¡± I questioned. ¡°That¡¯s¡­complicated, Taylor. The Consortium is committing to stopping any of our races from being found. I¡¯ll say that, hearing what they did to you innocent humans¡ªon the basis of your eyes and presumably, if you¡¯re like our obors, your diet¡ªI know we made the right decision with the Jaslips.¡± ¡°Jaslips? What decision? I want to know what exactly that means.¡± ¡°There are six species that are a part of our association, with the Jaslips being one. It means that we prevented the Federation from finding them. It was controversial at the time, but your story proves that it was a necessary evil. Why don¡¯t I tell you the rest later, when I go over each of our allied species that you¡¯ll meet?¡± ¡°Fine,¡± the mayor chimed in, cutting off my protests. ¡°I¡¯d like to hear this story, Gress. But you can take us to the obor first.¡± The Krev rent collector¡¯s features showed visible relief, as though he¡¯d bought himself time to avoid an unpleasant subject. ¡°Gladly. Can¡¯t be that far, I assume?¡± My mind was racing, weighing what Gress might mean by a controversial decision made to prevent the Federation from finding another species. ¡°Necessary evil¡± wasn¡¯t phraseology that my ears liked to hear. If after all of the leaps and bounds we¡¯d made with these aliens, it turned out they¡¯d killed them to stop the herbivores from finding them, that¡­well, our little colony on Tellus was fucked over by their protection. I couldn¡¯t bear having to reckon with another genocidal alien group lording over us. Perhaps our experiences with the Federation had made us a bit too paranoid over xeno intentions; this Krev seemed like a normal guy. Gress seems genuinely distraught over what happened to Earth, so it¡¯s a stretch to assume he¡¯d let us die. They let us land here because they didn¡¯t want blood on their paws. He said it would¡¯ve been different if Earth was in their territory. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± I cleared my throat, as I noticed the Krev pacing around me like I was a zoo exhibit to view from every angle. Gress tugged at my sleeve in response. ¡°Ah. I see. I probably should explain one thing, before we have another misunderstanding. Our¡­body attire is something we legitimately wear, even among ourselves. You can see that we have negligible fur, and just, er, bare skin.¡± ¡°It¡¯s considered highly¡­improper for us not to wear concealing attire in most situations, because of our unique biology,¡± Cherise chimed in. ¡°Yeah, we are genuinely a private culture; this isn¡¯t about not trusting you. Check our relics from Earth and you¡¯ll see it¡¯s ubiquitous across our daily lives.¡± Gress stepped away, trying to keep his paws to himself. ¡°Noted. I was simply curious if they had some sort of special meaning, or if they doubled as armor.¡± ¡°It means warmth. Not getting sunburned. Not signaling less-than-public intentions. If you check our films, there¡¯s a particular scenario where you¡¯ll see us without garments. I¡¯m not a bashful person, but I hope you won¡¯t make me spell it out.¡± ¡°Less-than¡­oh. It¡¯s part of your¡­no, I understand. Ahem. Uh¡­so who wants to feed Juvre? I¡¯ve got a nice bag of dried insects for him in the kitchen. You can, uh, hold him, if you want? Very nice obor¡­and it¡¯s an elevator! We¡¯ll be at the ship soon! Time for a tour.¡± Gress is easily embarrassed. That¡¯s good to know. I¡¯m glad he didn¡¯t decide to keep playing twenty questions, for what it¡¯s worth. The four of us crowded into the elevator, as Mayor Hathaway gestured toward the metro tunnel¡ªcommenting that the drill accident site, and the mines were past that transit line. That brought back images I was trying to force out of my head, of the accident I¡¯d caused and how Kabir was dead now because of that. I needed a more uplifting focus. My face turned skyward, waiting for the long-anticipated feeling of rays of natural warmth striking my skin. The ascent brought me new energy, as my antsy feet kicked against the supports of my wheelchair. When the doors swung open, I was ready to taste the outdoors on my lips, and to feel the sand between my toes. I bared my fangs in one of those toothy grins that the Federation thought were so ferocious, and slid off my boots with laughter. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Gress watched as, off-balance, I stomped around; curling my toes in the grainy earth, and pulling up clumps of it with my feet. Cherise hesitated, before crouching down, grabbing a handful of the sand; she let it slip between her fingers, without any gloves between her palm and the dirt. I whooped and hollered with delight, hearing the thunder of my voice echo into the distance. Several farmers and technicians who were out of the loop were gawking at us, masks pointed at us directly. My dizzy head caused me to stumble onto my knees, and like a madman, I kissed the coarse dirt against my lips. I felt alive. The Krev watched with a strange emotion in his eyes, before placing a paw on my back. ¡°You¡¯ve forgotten what it¡¯s like to be outside,¡± Gress guessed. ¡°No wonder you don¡¯t feel like you¡¯re fully alive. It¡¯s cruel to keep any primates penned in a small area for long.¡± I dusted myself off, plopping back in the chair. ¡°It feels¡­real. I want to run to the horizon; climb a mountain!¡± ¡°When you heal up, you can.¡± The Krev waited for Cherise to drift back behind my wheelchair, before leading the way to the landing pad. With how quickly the alien tried to scurry off in the past, I hadn¡¯t thought he would ever invite us to its interior. Gress paused by an entry airlock, opening it via a scale scan of his tail. The barrier zipped ajar with mechanical rapidity, and the rent collector stepped over the threshold. I admired the minimalist nature of the hallway to the cockpit; luxuries and supplies were kept exclusively to the wings, while the cargo bay was used to transport large shipments. There was no sign of a pet primate, though Gress was calling Juvre¡¯s name. I wondered which variant the obors would be like: nothing too uncanny and violent like chimpanzees, I hoped. The Krev seemed to take a scurrying noise to his left as a sign of Juvre¡¯s presence, jogging into what appeared to be a kitchen. My eyes saw movement near the low ceilings, as a hairy creature with light auburn fur was scampering down from the cabinets. The obor couldn¡¯t have been more than two feet tall, with a slender tail, a sunken nose on his pinkish face, and beady, binocular eyes. There had been no trickery to get back to the ship, like the cynical part of me suspected in the back of my mind. Gress truly had a pet primate; I supposed he couldn¡¯t have faked the look that he wanted to smother us with love. I watched as the creature stared at us from the countertop, and his lips curved up in a happy smile. Aw! Juvre recognizes us as primates. He likes us! Gress said I could hold him; that is too adorable. It makes me wish we still had our own pets, like we did on Earth. I rose from my wheelchair, opening my arms and returning my own happy grin. ¡°Come here¡ª¡± Juvre shrieked, lunging at me and latching onto my face. With an obor attached to my skull, I stumbled backward, and tried to pry him off with my hands. What the fuck was wrong with this thing; it¡¯d been friendly moments before! Gress¡¯ plan couldn¡¯t have been for his pet to attack us, and take us out¡ªhe should¡¯ve warned us if this was a junkyard obor. I yelped, as I crashed back into my wheelchair. My fall was awkward, while Cherise and the mayor tried to help me remove the stubborn fiend attached to me like sticky glue. The Krev gasped with what seemed to be alarm, throwing his own body forward. ¡°No, humans! Don¡¯t hurt him,¡± Gress pleaded. ¡°Juvre, NO! Bad obor! Come!¡± The scaly mammal lunged forward, yanking at the obor¡¯s tail; Juvre yelped, and relinquished his stranglehold on my head. Gress swooped him away from me, seeming to soothe his pet as though that terror was the victim. I grimaced, as Cherise helped me back into my wheelchair. Now that I didn¡¯t have a living creature stapled to my head, I found myself fuming at the Krev. Forget goodwill toward his obor for being a fellow primate. It was an animal that attacked me out of nowhere, unprovoked! My enthusiasm for this tour was soured, as I prepared to round on Gress with a tirade. ¡°What the literal fuck?¡± I hissed. Gress eyed Juvre, before placing the obor back on his shoulder. ¡°What the fuck is wrong with you? You¡¯d think a primate, of all the sapient species out there, would know a fear grimace when you see one. He was terrified of you, and you flashed your teeth to assert dominance in response, then made like you wanted to grab him? That¡¯s on you, Taylor. I have no words.¡± ¡°What? He was smiling! That¡¯s¡­that expression means happiness. I thought it was cute.¡± ¡°Wait. You¡¯re telling me that humans bare your teeth to signal that you¡¯re happy?! I¡¯ve seen relaxed mouth curvature that signifies submission in primates, but that extension makes zero sense. I thought that you were afraid of the sand, when you were baring your fangs outside; same for when you did it at me earlier. You¡¯re the most bizarre primates I¡¯ve ever heard of! ¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I, um, misunderstood. I should¡¯ve asked if I could approach him.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, Taylor. I¡¯m sorry Juvre attacked you. He¡¯s usually quite friendly with people, even aliens, but¡ª¡± ¡°Primates don¡¯t like other primates,¡± Mayor Hathaway chuckled. ¡°And we¡¯re territorial.¡± I scowled at him. ¡°Stop laughing! You¡¯re not the one who got your head taken off.¡± ¡°Unfortunately for us, it¡¯s still attached to your shoulders,¡± Cherise snickered. Gress tried to mask his own amusement. ¡°Are you alright, Taylor? I¡¯m aware you had a preexisting head injury.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m just swell,¡± I grumbled. ¡°Good. I suppose you¡¯ve gotten a taste of what it must¡¯ve been like for early Krev to domesticate the obor! Primates are¡­known to be extremely aggressive and violent animals in the wild, which is why frankly, I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t club me over the head sooner, Taylor. I¡¯m more willing to forgive the act with that in mind.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not an excuse for us. We¡¯re sapient. Whatever the Federation said about us, we¡¯re not¡­out-of-control animals. We¡¯re just a little prone to strong emotions.¡± ¡°I understand that. My point is, the obors weren¡¯t easy to mellow out at all. They figured out they could use us for food, and their species was close to extinction, so¡­living with the Krev probably saved them. They¡¯re lucky we¡¯re stubborn shits. The first obors would bite as a form of communication, they were destructive as can be, and completely uncontrollable. If you weren¡¯t domesticated over centuries, then I can imagine humans have those tendencies.¡± Cherise smirked. ¡°We actually are domesticated. Self-domesticated. We chose to select for more¡­docile behaviors over time. We even show forms of neoteny, which means¡ª¡± ¡°Juvenile traits that stay until adulthood. That must be why you have so little fur, and such short canines! Little Juvre probably has bigger chompers than you. That¡¯s why you¡¯re so cute!¡± I heaved a bewildered sigh. ¡°Uh, thanks? I guess this beats having aliens tell us how terrifying our canines are, but it¡¯s also kinda weird.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m just excited. You¡¯re so goofy, and furless, and you have all these weird traits; I¡¯m getting carried away. It blows me away who was really under those masks, after all the awful things I imagined about you. Every Krev needs to know!¡± ¡°Then we need to know what you were talking about earlier with the Jaslips,¡± Hathaway interjected. ¡°And we need to be briefed on every species in the Krev Consortium.¡± ¡°A deal is a deal. All I can hope is that you won¡¯t judge us too harshly for our choices. We¡¯ve only ever done what we thought was best for every species.¡± I crossed my arms. ¡°We¡¯ve heard that before, from a group of species who did anything but what was best.¡± ¡°Taylor!¡± Cherise warned. ¡°No, I think that you need some time to process what you¡¯ve learned about us; and Taylor needs time to rest and recover before we head to Avor,¡± Gress interjected. ¡°I would like to have him accompany me home, and speak to the Consortium. Before this all blew up, he was a wonderful advocate for humanity.¡± I gestured to my chest with incredulity. ¡°Me? But I attacked you! This isn¡¯t a ploy to whisk me off for punishment, is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not. I want you to come with me, and show that we¡¯re both willing to start over. I¡¯m going to need some trust from all of you, but I¡¯d like some time to think of how to explain our Jaslip rationale. I¡¯d also like to send word home that I¡¯m alright, so that they don¡¯t send in a pissed off fleet. When Taylor is healed up and I¡¯ve cleared your arrival with the Consortium, we can set sail¡ªand then, it¡¯ll be an appropriate time to brief you.¡± My eyes rolled back in thought; given that I had been the one who stopped the Krev from speaking, right when he was about to divulge the truth, it might be best if I agreed to his terms. The entire whirlwind of waking up in the medical bay, the tense encounter with Gress, and discovering his true feelings on primates and the Federation had left me exhausted. The others would be fine, but if I was the one he insisted on bringing, I needed to be in a better state to process whatever he had to say on the Jaslips. The mayor seemed to see that I was in dire need of a rest, because he nodded in agreement with the Krev¡¯s terms. ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll send Taylor to Avor, to plead humanity¡¯s case and request assistance, on one condition,¡± Hathaway said, after exchanging a look with Cherise. ¡°You take Cherise Benson with you as well. I don¡¯t feel right sending Taylor alone, with his recent behavior.¡± The security guard raised her eyebrows. ¡°Plus, he needs someone to protect him. We know nothing about what Avor is like.¡± ¡°And there¡¯ll be no more delays with the scoop on your controversy. We¡¯re sending our diplomats in blind enough as is.¡± The Krev petted Juvre absent-mindedly. ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll spend some time getting to know your people¡ªif you¡¯ll have me. It¡¯s long overdue. Taylor can find me when he¡¯s back on his feet.¡± ¡°Well, I guess I have no say in getting shipped off to an alien planet,¡± I grumbled. ¡°Nice of you to ask.¡± ¡°You owe us both,¡± the mayor challenged. ¡°After all the problems you¡¯ve caused, you¡¯re due for a little service to fix humanity¡¯s situation.¡± ¡°Heard. I¡¯ll barter for our survival, and clear up any misunderstandings. You¡¯ve got my word.¡± ¡°Good. Take him back, Benson. I have some things I¡¯d like to discuss with Gress in private.¡± Cherise nodded, before pivoting my wheelchair back toward the exit. I risked a glance over my shoulder, noticing Juvre seeming to giggle as I was carried away. I stuck my tongue out at the obor, who scowled back at me with an ugly expression. Riding on Gress¡¯ ship with that nasty pet sounded unbearable; it was obvious that thing didn¡¯t like me. If that obor ever tried to lay a paw on me again, I was going to teach it a lesson. No tiny monkey would get to antagonize me, just like nobody would ever oppress this colony and our species anymore! Huffing to myself, I tried to contemplate what exactly I should say to the Krev Consortium, and what else we might find out about their ways. To my amazement, I found that I somewhat liked Gress; I hoped the full story about the Krev wouldn¡¯t make me regret that generous assessment. Chapter 2-13 Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem Scientist Date [standardized human time]: March 17, 2160 The hotel was difficult to miss, seemingly tailored to extraterrestrial clientele; this venue must¡¯ve been where diplomatic guests from across the galaxy were brought in. Certain floors even had unique environmental controls, from what Dustin explained¡ªperhaps some of those could be useful for accommodating Bissem subspecies, who had varying climate preferences. The floor we were brought to was part of the ¡°Standard¡± lodgings, suitable for most species, including humans. My beak parted with a bit of enthusiasm, as the Terran waved at an indoor pool. I could see primate guests and Thafki being the primary occupants, with the massive natives somehow finding buoyancy. It was strange to see how violently they kicked the water, while moving a single arm at a time in rotational fashion. Certainly not the most graceful-looking technique. The Yotul¡¯s vitriol left my feathers ruffled, though I was attempting to shake it off. How could I squander the first opportunity to absorb everything about Earth¡¯s culture? One resentful species shouldn¡¯t ruin the entirety of the trip. I would¡¯ve loved to stop just for a brief moment, and enjoy a swim with Haliska, but the Thafki seemed engrossed in a joint call with Nulia. From the sound of it, my first inclination would¡¯ve been to assume they were checking in with Ivrana¡­but how would instantaneous communication across light-years be possible? I decided to keep my thoughts to myself, until a proper opportunity to question our hosts arose. The spaceships take time to ¡°tunnel¡± through space, as best as I understand it. The only way I can imagine FTL comms working is quantum entanglement: some variant of it. That¡¯s a bold assumption though. Even the Selmer, in their frigid polar environment, have trouble keeping it cold enough for quantum computers to function at all. General Naltor certainly had a brooding look on his face, throughout the entirety of our trek to our quarters. Dustin, meanwhile, was busy going through a speech about having room service laid out in advance; the thought of testing Earth¡¯s culinary delights excited me. After all of that walking, I was downright famished. I decided to trust our hosts, if he said that we could eat their food. The frozen fish they¡¯d thawed out back on the ship hadn¡¯t harmed us, even if the flavor was a bit reductive. The invention of modern fishing techniques was the cornerstone moment of Bissem history¡ªI wondered when, and how, humans began trawling their oceans. ¡°Dustin, are you sure that Haliska will be alright, with fish being served to us? I don¡¯t want to impact her trauma,¡± I remarked. The human flashed his teeth. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s kind of you to consider. I¡¯ll keep an eye on her, but she should be fine; she didn¡¯t have a problem with my choice of food during our training. I think the problem partially was the knowledge that your food was a real, dead animal, not something lab-grown. Knowing that human meat is mainly vat-created has allowed us to¡­excuse it away.¡± Naltor seemed to gag on his own tongue. ¡°Lab-grown? I swear, you and your team threw those words around earlier, but I let you fiends distract me with cure this, predator that. Shit, I was ready to agree to anything to save Ivrana. ¡®Vat-created?¡¯ What the fuck do you mean by that?¡± ¡°We take stem cell samples from animal embryos, and trigger them to grow into muscles and fat in a lab. Nothing dies, nothing has to be raised: you can create as much as you want, from a small collection of viable cultures. It¡¯s allowed us to supply food to a rapidly growing population, and give our oceans a rest.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me this is your plan for Ivrana! It sounds like these cells¡­metastasize. You¡¯re feeding us fucking cancer! There¡¯s no chance this unnatural shit is safe, or something I would¡¯ve knowingly put in my beak.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing like cancer: it¡¯s inducing a natural, biological process. Cells for lifeforms are meant to replicate. Actually, the shit that causes cancer is probably the growth hormones you use in your farms. Our practices are sustainable, they save land we need for agriculture¡­and we can even control how much saturated fat winds up in the final product, making it healthier.¡± I tilted my head in thought. ¡°I can see several advantages, Naltor. We¡¯re deeply overfishing our oceans, and this technology could help us. Plus, I doubt they¡¯d eat it themselves if it was dangerous. If this makes Haliska less uncomfortable, then I¡¯m all for it. We need to be mindful of our image, especially with certain statements making the rounds here.¡± ¡°We have done nothing to have an image problem, except exist!¡± the Selmer general challenged. ¡°Though I don¡¯t know what those Tseia fuckwits have done. I don¡¯t think they¡¯ve had any positive contributions to Ivrana, in our entire history.¡± ¡°You¡¯re correct about existing, Naltor, but perhaps you should reconsider your hostility toward the Tseia. They probably don¡¯t feel too positively about Selmer or Vritala, since you both tried to invade them. There used to be four subspecies of Bissems, hm? That was before the other nations pillaged Nelmin. Wouldn¡¯t the Tseia have shared their fate, if you weren¡¯t driven back?¡± Dustin countered. ¡°That was a long time ago. My country didn¡¯t even exist back then, and the Vritala had a damn fiefdom in those days. I thought you weren¡¯t here to judge our history: that you wanted us not to judge yours. That you¡¯d made your own mistakes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not judging your mistakes. I¡¯m encouraging you to understand a different perspective from your own. There¡¯s no reason you can¡¯t learn from the past¡¯s lessons; failure to do so makes it inevitable that they¡¯ll happen again.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all well-and-dandy, but if you want to talk about the past: the Tseia are reclusive and sketchy as Kail. Lassmin is considered to be on good terms with those war-happy nomads just because they¡¯ll humor conversations with us. I¡¯ve always thought they were a threat to our peace; that they¡¯d be the last to ever want Bissem Unity. Now, they¡¯re proving me right by fucking up first contact!¡± Concern caused me to clutch my flippers to my chest. ¡°There¡¯s no need to get so defensive, Naltor. We don¡¯t even know what the Tseia have done.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Dustin assured me. ¡°We should wait to have all the facts. I just¡­I think I already know what I have to suggest. If it¡¯s as bad as the Yotul say, we need to approach the Tseia, or all chances of getting into the Sapient Coalition will be gone. Arranging a parlay on Alsh, we can¡¯t afford such biases. We have to go there.¡± ¡°That¡¯s suicide.¡± ¡°So is letting Ivrana die,¡± I countered. ¡°With the up-ice climb we already have, we can¡¯t afford more opposition. I won¡¯t let first contact be ruined.¡± ¡°I appreciate your passion. Haliska and Nulia are conferencing live with our monitoring station, back in Ivrana¡¯s system.¡± Dustin¡¯s words offered confirmation of FTL comms. Makes it much easier for them to communicate across the Coalition, I imagine; and it¡¯ll help us stay in touch with Earth. ¡°Let¡¯s take this into a private venue; this is one of your rooms here. We¡¯ll see what my teammates have to say, and we¡¯ll make a plan to get all of the nations on our side.¡± The Gojid sociologist was jotting down several notes for herself, while the Thafki seemed to be listening intently to the latest intel from Ivrana. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder how the people back home were taking the news of first contact; it was clear, given how standoffish the Tseia were behaving, that not all Bissems were welcoming our visitors with open flippers. It was my hope that the Merlei Huddedom and the Confederation of Vrital were a bit more receptive to the aliens. The Lassian diplomats must be working overtime, banking on years of forged relations to make the other nations amenable. Did we have an in-road with the Tseia? How were the other countries handling the fact that the visitors only contacted us? Haliska looks worried, and I don¡¯t think it¡¯s about the fish. That can¡¯t be a positive sign. Dustin clapped his hands, finding plates set out under metal trays. ¡°Ah, food is here! The one with a green sticker is for you, Hallie. Dig in, please.¡± Naltor didn¡¯t look exhilarated about sampling the offerings, after learning how they were sourced, so I decided to set an open-minded example. My flippers grabbed a human culinary tool, and I dove into a tender fish cutlet; it was delectable, juicy and falling apart in my beak. Finally giving in to the pleas of his stomach, the Selmer general took some miserable bites from his own serving. The Sapient Coalition hosts picked at their meals, more focused on conferring among themselves. As we ate in relative silence, I absorbed the standard layout of a Terran lodging; the couch and television beckoned to me, granting access to an entire catalog of media. They hadn¡¯t spared any expense. The suite was spacious enough to be an entire apartment, back home! With my plate cleaned in record time, I found my willpower restored. ¡°Thank you for the meal. It was lovely. We appreciate the generous accommodations¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. We want you to see the best Earth has to offer. Need some reason for why you¡¯d want to join us, with all our baggage,¡± Dustin chuckled. ¡°It seems we have our own problems too. If you don¡¯t mind my forwardness, it¡¯s my job to ensure that first contact goes smoothly. I need to know what¡¯s going on back home with the Tseia Nomads, and the other nations.¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°Let¡¯s start with the positives. The Merlei Huddledom and the Confederation of Vrital both are eager to speak with us, and have taken assurances of our goodwill well. I think we should send a representative from our team to both, alongside an analyst from the outpost who speaks their language and some Lassian diplomats. Emphasizing that we intend not to favoritize any faction, or to play kingmaker, is key.¡± ¡°I like the idea of opening channels with all nations. I¡¯m sure you know, but be warned that the Huddledom are hypersocial¡ªand their frigid environment would be hazardous to you.¡± ¡°We¡¯re well aware,¡± Nulia answered. ¡°There¡¯s a reason the analysts we trained in each pole¡¯s Huddle Tongue were Jaur. They¡¯ll be able to handle the temperatures, whereas I was planning to volunteer as the landing party¡¯s representative. I don¡¯t mind wearing an environmental suit. Haliska can handle the Confederation of Vrital, who have the closest ties to your country. Hopefully, Lassmin can help coordinate our reception.¡± General Naltor set down his fork. ¡°I can make arrangements for your safe passage, but I can¡¯t go with you to Selmer territory. The Huddledom¡­sees me as a traitor. I was the first officer of my country to defect to a nation created by Vritala. I wouldn¡¯t be welcome there, though Tassi shouldn¡¯t have the same issues.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve done background research on you both,¡± Haliska commented. ¡°The disclosure is appreciated, nevertheless.¡± ¡°Given that you read minds, I shouldn¡¯t be surprised by your disregard for privacy.¡± ¡°I think they just wanted to know who they were dealing with,¡± I sighed. ¡°They¡¯d want something resembling a background check, for the first Bissems to cross their borders.¡± Nulia drummed her claws on the table. ¡°It¡¯s also that understanding you on a personal level helps us, to avoid offending you. We¡¯re setting the groundwork for relations between our species. If anything goes wrong between us, it could spell diplomatic catastrophe.¡± ¡°We¡¯re committed to making sure this entire process goes as smoothly as possible. There¡¯s enough complications as it is,¡± Dustin sighed. ¡°Nulia, tell them what the Tseia said in their¡­public address.¡± ¡°I guess I get the joy of being the messenger.¡± ¡°I had to tell them about the Arxur, and Earth being almost knocked off. You¡¯re getting a softball, compared to that.¡± ¡°You do have a point. The Tseia hadn¡¯t been communicating through diplomatic channels, right up until the point they released a statement on their government¡¯s account. In essence, they stated that Bissems shouldn¡¯t trust the aliens, and that they¡¯ll¡­defend their territory from threats from the stars. It¡¯s in line with their standard distaste for outsiders, yet it¡¯s brazen to outright threaten to shoot us on sight. Lassian diplomats haven¡¯t been able to reach them since then, either, so we can¡¯t even talk it through.¡± How could the Tseia be so blind to the bigger picture, treating a non-Bissem intelligence like any other outsider to be shot down? There are too many opportunities for our entire planet. Like Dustin said in his speech, their medicine and mechanical prowess can save lives. Naltor smashed his fork against the table, earning looks from all of us. ¡°Now, do you see my point? You can¡¯t just fly off for a civil conversation, Dustin. Tell me, how much research have you done on the Tseia? Did you observe more about them than we all know?¡± ¡°What Naltor is saying is that, even in the internet age, the Tseia haven¡¯t linked up with the rest of us. They seem to have their own isolated network. The Nomads talk to our diplomats, but nobody lands on their soil. They put metal overhangs atop their cities, just to hide them from satellites. There¡¯s not much we can tell you about their culture, apart from the fact they migrate from city to city, and have one home for each season,¡± I commented. ¡°Given how easily they acquired all of the data about us, I was hopeful our alien friends might be able to shed some light. Nobody can say why the Tseia do anything, but they¡¯re fucking strange. During the old space race, never having tipped off any interest in the stars, they launched the first rocket to Ivrana¡¯s orbit, before computers were invented. Then, they went to war with the world over Nelmin, when they¡¯d always kept to themselves; suddenly, it was meant to be theirs. Tell me, does the Sapient Coalition have any inkling on the Tseia¡¯s ways?¡± Dustin grimaced. ¡°Well¡­no. Those things are mysteries to us as much as you. We attempted to tap into their networks, but were unable to crack their encryption, even with quantum supercomputers. It¡¯s impressive.¡± The Selmer¡¯s expression was priceless. ¡°You¡¯re telling me those nomads were unhackable, when you got through our military-grade encryption like it was nothing.¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m saying. We only learned their language through your databases.¡± ¡°Their computer technology exceeds what we would expect from Bissems, given its recent discovery,¡± Nulia commented. ¡°It¡¯s possible that your date, on the advent of computers, is wrong altogether. That would answer your rocket mystery.¡± ¡°And possibly why they¡¯re reclusive. But not why they conceal their technology level from all of you.¡± Haliska lashed her tail, pushing a forkful of greens around her plate. ¡°Again, we can only speculate. There must be some kind of reason, cultural or otherwise, for the isolationism.¡± ¡°And to find out, we need to talk to the Tseia. The way they¡¯re threatening us¡­fearmongering about our arrival¡­I think they¡¯re scared, just like Naltor and his military were.¡± My mind was reeling from the aliens¡¯ hypotheses, which suggested that the Tseia had made sophisticated advances and kept those for themselves. How could Bissem technology hold a candle to alien marvels, whose capabilities should¡¯ve blown ours out of the water? It was a testament to how we¡¯d underestimated the Nomads, beyond just the obvious case of the surprise rocket launch. My immediate thought was whether they¡¯d tapped into the Sapient Coalition¡¯s outpost network, and learned about the Federation; that was the most logical reason to be frightened. If the war¡¯s horrors were released in an uncontrolled fashion, the effect on the Bissem public could be devastating. I hoped this was a case of isolationist paranoia, but if it wasn¡¯t, I agreed with the human that we needed to get a handle on it. I can picture the mass panic, learning about entire worlds being destroyed, carnivore hatred, and people being eaten. If I¡¯m right, that¡¯s the worst way the Tseia could¡¯ve found out the galaxy¡¯s history. ¡°I wasn¡¯t scared. I was alarmed about your arrival,¡± Naltor grumbled. Dustin¡¯s eyes rotated up toward his brain. ¡°Whatever you say. You know, I was tempted to wave at the snipers, but I don¡¯t think they¡¯d have liked that.¡± ¡°You knew about the snipers?¡± ¡°We have heat vision cameras. Just saying.¡± ¡°And your plan is to touch down on Alsh, where you can¡¯t see the snipers? Where nobody is granted entrance¡­after they openly pledged to blow your brains out?¡± ¡°Yes and no. I was thinking more washing up on their shores, under a Lassian flag. You¡¯re the only ones they talk to, and that means they might hold fire on a diplomatic vessel. I would¡¯ve liked to have a longer holiday here on Earth, but I believe we need to turn back for Ivrana tomorrow. Every day this drags on, the Yotul¡¯s case gets stronger.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t it make you look bad, not honoring their request for you to stay away?¡± I murmured. ¡°You told us you would¡¯ve left, if that was our wish. I also believe they¡¯re serious about their threat to kill you.¡± ¡°Hm. I will leave, should they ask politely in person. Perhaps we¡¯re wrong not to respect their ¡®Keep Out¡¯ message, but they simply¡­must recant the public statements, for the sake of our mission. Ivrana is in dire straits. I¡¯ll sleep fine at night, and to save an entire planet, I can stomach the risks.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve come to like you, Dustin, and though he won¡¯t admit it, Naltor does too. Neither of us want anything to happen to you. I would feel terrible if first contact ended in a tragedy, not to mention what it could mean between our two peoples. I want to fix this mess as much as you do, but perhaps it should be Lassian diplomats taking the plunge.¡± ¡°I agree with Dr. Tassi,¡± Nulia said, her spines half-raised in alarm. ¡°There¡¯s no reason for you to put yourself in such¡­grave peril.¡± The human slammed a fist on the table. ¡°The reason is that we need to communicate that we¡¯re not a threat. Sending the Lassians alone could make us at fault for the next Global War, whereas if I go, it¡¯s just one of their ships. I believe in Bissems. If I put myself at their mercy, they¡¯ll see that they have the power. That there¡¯s nothing to fear. It has to be me, and I won¡¯t be dissuaded.¡± ¡°Then let us go with you,¡± Haliska countered, nervously preening her fur. ¡°This could be my fault, for the meltdown at the feast. We¡¯re a team; you don¡¯t have to sacrifice yourself alone.¡± ¡°If they¡¯re going to kill aliens on sight, there¡¯s no reason for our whole first contact party to die. That level of carnage would give the United Nations pause, despite their commitment to help. I won¡¯t risk our entire connection to the Bissems. There¡¯s been too much blood, sweat, and tears into this program. A decade of our lives.¡± My stomach churned, knowing I couldn¡¯t let Dustin venture off alone. ¡°Then I¡¯m tagging along. This is my life¡¯s work, and I have to do my part to protect you. I¡¯ll make sure the Lassian government doesn¡¯t seek retribution¡­in the event of our demise. I¡¯m representing FAI, not them.¡± ¡±There¡¯s not a chance in hell¡ª¡± ¡°You¡¯re like one of Kail¡¯s cultists, trying to be a martyr,¡± Naltor interjected. ¡°If you want a Lassian boat, you¡¯re taking both Tassi and I with you. We¡¯re¡­in this together now. For all Bissems. And don¡¯t worry: I won¡¯t go spewing my thoughts about the Tseia to their faces. We go the three of us, or we don¡¯t go at all. Got it?¡± ¡°You could leave a little room for debate.¡± The human hesitated, a weary look in his eyes, but was unable to withstand the general¡¯s authoritative assertions. ¡°If you insist, but I don¡¯t like it. Putting people in harm¡¯s way isn¡¯t something I¡¯m used to.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re bringing a military man along. Too much naivety, between you and Tassi. This ocean crisis sounds like serious shit, and I won¡¯t let a single country doom our planet. I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to protect Ivrana.¡± ¡°Thank you. I¡­guess I¡¯ll have our people get in touch with Lassmin. We know how we¡¯re handling each of the factions.¡± Dustin stood from the table, clearly having lost his appetite during our discussion. The flavorful fish cutlet that I had devoured suddenly felt heavy as a rock in my stomach, as it occurred to me what I had insisted on; I¡¯d been watching the human lay himself out on train tracks, and I couldn¡¯t bear it. Just when Bissems discovered aliens, my life could be ending in a few days. There was some solace that I had lived to the point where we discovered extraterrestrial intelligence¡ªand had been the first Bissem to see another planet¡ªbut there was still so much I wanted to learn. Sailing toward the continent known for torching unwanted visitors on sight was suicide, even if it was the only way to attempt to save diplomatic relations. I rubbed the spot where my implant had been placed, feeling stress boiling within me. My first priority was to get a memory transcription before we departed for Tseia territory¡­in case this was my final week in the land of the living. I wanted people to know that I was willing to sacrifice myself for this cause, and to know how truly excited I was about these newcomers. When Dustin and Nulia got scanned before the ship launch tomorrow, I would quietly have my thoughts taken down. It would take a miracle of good faith from the nomads to depart alive, if the fact that they were ¡°friendly¡± with Lassmin counted for anything. We had no other choice to find out why the third subspecies had hidden so much from the rest of Bissemkind. Chapter 2-14 Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem Scientist Date [standardized human time]: March 20, 2160 My day-to-day life was a whirlwind, as we booked it back to Ivrana to put a muzzle on the Tseia¡¯s beaks. I could only imagine the Lassian chancellor¡¯s discontent, being asked to furnish a diplomatic boat with the most likely outcome of killing a prominent scientist, a high-ranking general, and the most notorious member of the first contact team¡ªwho happened to be from the galaxy¡¯s predominant power. Renewed efforts were put into contacting the Tseia through diplomatic channels, but the radio silence persisted. Knowing that my time might be ticking down, I studied every piece of alien media that I could on the ride back. General Naltor was even willing to watch a Venlil-human war movie called Escape from the Cradle, which was one of the first films Terrans made in conjunction with an alien species. The first contact team had set up a movie night, displaying their traditions of eating puffy kernels of ¡°popcorn¡±; sadly, Bissems couldn¡¯t share in that. Haliska had come for the popcorn, but left before the movie¡¯s violent opening. It was strange to think I was watching an interpretation of what destroyed Nulia¡¯s world¡ªthat such a catastrophe had been turned into story entertainment. There were many specifics that Naltor and I didn¡¯t understand, such as the mass stampedes at the humans¡¯ arrival. I inferred that was what the Gojid sociologist meant about her village panicking. To think that the galaxy found Dustin¡¯s kind that monstrous, to instill such a senseless response. Was that how they saw Bissems? Would they see¡­me as an abomination to run away from? That thought broke my heart into tiny pieces. I had grasped that there were prejudices against us, but not how fundamentally abhorrent we were to them; I wasn¡¯t sure what I could do to maintain our image that would transcend that fact. However much things had changed during the twenty-three year duration, Haliska¡¯s mind had kicked into flight mode as we welcomed her¡ªand she had trained to face what we were, as though carnivores were something that required exposure to tolerate. We¡¯re risking our lives to save first contact, not just because of the opportunities for Bissemkind, but because Ivrana hangs in the balance. How am I supposed to not just fend off accusations of wanting to eat people, but to stop other Bissems, like the Tseia, from panicking at the truth? How did the humans do it? The final day of our voyage, on descent back to Lassmin, came without offering any assurances. I couldn¡¯t help but feel woefully underqualified for the tasks on my plate; none of my thought exercises about first contact had prepared me for this. General Naltor had been focused on quietly making arrangements, ensuring that word was sent back to his family in the Huddledom¡ªdespite the fact they¡¯d disowned him after his exodus. I mulled over what I¡¯d squawk at the Tseia, even as I listened in on human podcasts and peeked at animated media. If only I could hole away and absorb knowledge about their lives, without complications burdening me. Still, time didn¡¯t slow for my troubles; Dustin, Naltor, and I loaded on to a small Lassian ferry, like fish swimming into a net. I listened to some alien music for part of the ride, before giving up on any escapism. ¡°Had enough of the Terran entertainment machine, Doctor?¡± The human leaned out over the railing, admiring the sea spray and searching for the coastline. ¡°You still haven¡¯t peeked at our sports, Tassi. You might enjoy our fishing competitions. There¡¯s also some video games that are just about sailing, or diving underwater.¡± I leaned my head back with exhaustion. ¡°How can you be so calm, with all that¡¯s hinging on our travels? We¡¯re almost within the range where the Tseia normally start shooting.¡± ¡°I¡¯m at peace. I said my goodbyes to my adoptive brother, Jimek. You would like his artwork. He¡¯s got a penchant for portraits, done some for really important individuals. I bet he¡¯d nail your likeness. He¡¯d see the same fire for the universe that I see in your eyes. I hope we get the chance to know each other better.¡± ¡°I would¡¯ve liked that. Actually¡­what is it you want to know? We have a few minutes left.¡± Dustin tilted his head in thought. ¡°I wish I knew what you were like on a personal level. I think we¡¯d be friends, Tassi, given enough time. What would you be, if you weren¡¯t a FAI scientist?¡± ¡°Uhhh? Dead, I guess? Figuring out what¡¯s in the stars was all I was ever interested in; the hypotheticals always captured me. It¡¯s the place I retreat to in my mind, a fixture of my identity. My family never understood my obsession, or why it mattered so much, but space is the single thing that ever fascinated me. Maybe I could¡¯ve been an astronaut, but then, I would¡¯ve been a passenger, not a scientific mover.¡± ¡°¡®Dead,¡¯ she says. Bold¡­I don¡¯t think anyone¡¯s answered that ice breaker quite like that. There¡¯s gotta be something else. You seem to like movies and shows.¡± ¡°Because they¡¯re your shows. They speak to how you view the world, your past, your emotions, your forms of expression and your criteria for artwork¡­the slight differences between things we take for granted! Such a wealth of information to be gleaned. I¡¯ve liked Bissem shows, sure, but they were always related to aliens. I used to go to Space Expedition conventions¡ªfictional Bissem explorers with a mission similar to FAI. I guess I¡¯m always the nerdiest person in the room, no matter what company I¡¯m in.¡± An amused rumble passed through his chest. ¡°I¡¯d give you a run for your money. When I first moved to Skalga, I read the entire xenobiology textbook for fun. How creatures evolve and specialize: it makes the world make sense. The things I could¡¯ve told you about Earth animals from the time I was in elementary school¡ªyou would¡¯ve been surprised anyone cared about such things.¡± ¡°Meanwhile, I intimidated my teachers into passing me in my classes,¡± Naltor remarked, mischief twinkling in his eyes. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not true, but you believed it for a second.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got to be curious about something in the universe, Naltor. There had to be some subject that spoke to you.¡± ¡°Do my strategy classes at the Selmer¡¯s military college count?¡± I scoffed. ¡°That¡¯s not something that invokes wonder and curiosity! There¡¯s more to this world than fighting and killing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s reductive thinking. It¡¯s important to know how to protect yourself from any threat.¡± ¡°There¡¯s some wisdom to be gleaned from cleverness of any kind, just like learning how scientists made their discoveries,¡± Dustin mused. ¡°Tactics makes you think about what lines you¡¯re willing to cross. Beyond that, there¡¯s some lessons in war that translate to other parts of life. ¡®Never stop your enemy when they¡¯re making a mistake.¡¯¡± ¡°Ha, I like that! It¡¯s a shame I don¡¯t see you as my enemy, so I had no choice but to try to stop you from this mistake. I could throw you overboard, and save the Tseia the missiles.¡± ¡°You are a disturbed man. The Tseia have to realize a war with us isn¡¯t to anyone¡¯s benefit. We just need to assure them we can work together, despite this carnivore shit.¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°Yeah, the nomads don¡¯t do that ¡®working together¡¯ shit.¡± ¡°Naltor? Shut up.¡± The Selmer chuckled to himself, contented with the alien¡¯s rebuke. I stared out at the empty seas, and thought over what Dustin had said about xenobiology occupying all of his brain space; he might¡¯ve been the first person who seemed to understand what is like to need to learn everything possible about a subject, down to the smallest minutiae. While someone like Naltor would find it a snoozefest, I would kill to get my flippers on a textbook like that. The things the human could tell me about each species¡¯ evolution¡­there were three hundred of them out there, and I knew so few. On account of that tragedy alone, I was determined to survive long enough to learn them all. I really just know the Venlil, Yotul, Gojid, Thafki, Duerten, Krakotl, and Arxur. There¡¯s so much left for me to learn. Whatever they think of Bissems, I have to show the Sapient Coalition who we are. I have to rise to the occasion. The GPS locator showed that we¡¯d crossed the official boundary of Tseia seas; I rose to my feet, waddling over to the receiver in case I needed to talk to them. If the nomads would shoot down diplomats at once for the slightest intrusion, our fate was already sealed. My heartbeat quickened, as I waited to see if supersonic missiles would crest the horizon. There was no sign of a response from Alsh, until an incoming transmission was targeted at us. The fact we¡¯d received a verbal warning was a positive sign; they didn¡¯t want the hostilities associated with shooting down a civilian boat, whatever Naltor might think. ¡°This is Alsh Lighthouse. Lassian boat, turn back at once. You¡¯re trespassing in Tseia territory, and no amount of goodwill between us gives you that right,¡± a stern voice squawked through the radio; the speaker addressed us in flawless Vrit. I steadied myself, before pressing a button to respond. ¡°We need to speak with the Tseia about the aliens. This affects all Bissems; we need to understand each other, and be on the same page. If there¡¯s something you¡¯ve learned about them, it benefits us all to share. If there¡¯s one moment where we have to work together, it is now. This will define the entire planet¡¯s future¡ªwhether it has one at all.¡± The voice was quiet for a long moment. ¡°To whom am I speaking?¡± ¡°Dr. Tassi, with Fishing for Alien Intelligence. I¡¯m a scientist. Our ferry is diplomatic and unarmed. You¡¯re welcome to search it, or to transfer us to one of your ships, if that¡¯s your concern. We need to have a conversation, and get channels reopened. Please, at least hear out what we¡¯ve learned; it can only help you. What is your name?¡± ¡°Zalk; I¡¯m in charge of the Tseia Coast Guard. You¡¯re fortunate I have the authority not to shoot you down. What you¡¯ve said about Ivrana having a future¡ªit¡¯s why if you knew what¡¯s good for you, you¡¯d cut ties with the aliens. You¡¯d see through all those grand promises Dustin told the crowds about peace and progress. Don¡¯t trust that thing.¡± ¡°Why are you so certain these aliens are a bad thing? I¡¯m sure whatever has soured your opinion, it can be explained.¡± ¡°I strongly doubt that.¡± The sands of Alsh were becoming visible on the fringes of my vision, along with a waiting army of Tseia on speedboats. The lighthouse was further back, rusted and looming over the obscured continent. ¡°This is your last warning, Tassi. Turn the fuck back.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have to shoot me, Zalk. Is that what the Tseia stand for: gunning down scientists who want nothing more than world peace, and to represent Bissems in a unified way? I didn¡¯t believe it was. Neither did that alien, who was willing to risk his life to understand why you¡¯re afraid of him. If you have concerns about Dustin, the best way to handle them is to question him in person.¡± ¡°The alien is aboard your vessel?¡± ¡°He is, and he¡¯s aware of your threat to shoot him on sight; that he¡¯s not welcome. We¡¯re all aware that we¡¯re not welcome. Dustin wanted to go alone so he wouldn¡¯t endanger us. He came all this way to try to save Ivrana, and he¡¯s willing to die for our sake. Zalk, you have to listen.¡° ¡°I¡¯m¡­listening. It might be valuable to subdue him, and acquire intelligence, since it appears he can¡¯t fight back. Questioning a xeno alive¡­the only prospect more fascinating than putting him at the bottom of the sea.¡± My beak parted in alarm. ¡°Just what are you thinking of doing to him?¡± ¡°That depends on the answers Dustin gives, I imagine. Don¡¯t worry your little head, Vritala. I¡¯ll¡­ask for clearance from the elders on how to proceed, and I might be able to tell you everything soon. It might be beneficial for us to stop Lassmin from crawling into a tightbox with these terrors.¡± Naltor shoved me aside, features brimming with outrage. ¡°What are you going to do with us in the meantime?¡± ¡°Ah, the Selmer general from the broadcast. Naltor, is it? We¡¯re going to detain you, since you so expressly wished to talk. I can probably let you watch as we extract information from that thing, by any means necessary.¡± ¡°Stop this madness. What is wrong with you? You can¡¯t lay a flipper on him. Dustin might be an alien, but he¡¯s a civilian! A humble scientist, and a surprisingly pleasant fellow at that.¡± ¡°Civilian? As if that matters. Whatever you think you know, Selmer, save your breath. You and your alien friend better lie out, face down on the deck. Resist and we¡¯ll put a bullet in your skulls. Why don¡¯t you pass that message along?¡± ¡°Wait, Zalk! It doesn¡¯t have to be like this; we could talk just over the radio,¡± I pleaded. ¡°Dustin will talk willingly.¡± ¡°He better. I¡¯ll see you soon, Tassi.¡± Zalk disconnected from the channel, as the coast guard boats closed in on us; Dustin¡¯s complexion had lightened, though he stretched out on the ground, grumbling something about being ¡°the new Marcel.¡± Wasn¡¯t that the name of the human who took Nulia in? What did that mean? I didn¡¯t feel right about letting the Tseia capture him, when they all but said their questioning would be less than civilized. The thought of them using advanced interrogation tactics on my fellow nerd made me shudder. After having already washed up to Alsh¡¯s shores, there wasn¡¯t much we could do; I supposed I should¡¯ve been relieved they didn¡¯t just sink us. Sharing a glance with the irate Naltor, I laid out alongside Dustin, and nudged him to offer some comfort. I swear, Zalk decided to spare us once he heard he could get his flippers on an alien, like Dustin will be some live test subject to them! I¡¯ve got to try to talk them out of this¡­to figure out why the Tseia are doing this, and what it¡¯ll take to stop them. I won¡¯t let my friend from the stars suffer in Bissem custody. ¡°If Haliska was afraid of our friendly welcome feast, what would she think of this reception?¡± Naltor grumbled. ¡°I bet she¡¯d make a swim for it. It¡¯s not too late for you to do the same, Dustin.¡± The human chuckled half-heartedly. ¡°Hallie wouldn¡¯t be alone in having that desire, right about now. Though I imagine it¡¯s an exercise in futility at this point. I¡¯m glad that I didn¡¯t let her and Nulia come along. Hopefully, they¡¯re having¡­a better time meeting the other nations.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s about guaranteed. It¡¯s tough to be worse off.¡± ¡°You really inspire optimism, Naltor. Remind me to never follow you into battle.¡± ¡°Optimism gets you captured by crazy nomads. Realism is a better philosophy to aspire to.¡± ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right. I should¡¯ve listened, not to talk to them. I mean, I knew the risks, but I shouldn¡¯t have agreed for you and Tassi to come along.¡± I drew a shaky breath. ¡°We¡¯re in this together, like Naltor said. I¡¯ll do everything I can. I¡¯ll make sure someone knows about how they welcomed you.¡± ¡°I hope you do, but¡­I don¡¯t want to start a war. Just save Ivrana¡­that¡¯s what matters to me. Goodbye, Tassi.¡± Tseia soldiers stormed onto the vessel, with every one of them surrounding Dustin; the mid-sized Bissems had yellow crests protruding from the sides of their heads, beneath their helmets. Several bodies restrained him, ensuring he was tightly bound. They bagged his head, before hauling him to his feet with a rough grasp. I couldn¡¯t help but notice the strange expressions on their faces, though that might¡¯ve been because it was their first time seeing an alien. I squeezed my eyes shut as they cuffed me, with only a touch more delicacy; Naltor¡¯s outraged barks echoed beside me. The nomads¡¯ greeting party placed a bag atop my head, blocking out any vision I might¡¯ve had of Alsh. Powerless to stop whatever their intentions were for Dustin and for us, I allowed myself to be herded to a different boat and ferried to the shore. Horror flooded my chest, once I overheard the chatter between Tseia soldiers; it wasn¡¯t the standard questions or apprehensions that¡¯d floated through the Lassian military, when the aliens landed. The sick bastards were laughing, practically rubbing their flippers together in glee, at prospective remarks about ripping the human open. How could any Bissem respond to our first visitor from another sapient species, by relishing in the idea of his suffering? I couldn¡¯t begin to understand what would drive such sickening behavior! General Naltor had been right about this being a mistake, no matter how necessary it seemed to our mission. As we disembarked onto dry land, I racked my brain in desperation to think of a way to get the human out unharmed. If the Tseia wanted to torment Dustin, they¡¯d have to get through me. I would fight to stop this, in any way that I could. Chapter 2-15 Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist Date [standardized human time]: March 20, 2160 I woke up drenched in a cold sweat for the third night in a row. My fingers were clutching the blankets as if my life depended on it; my breathing was erratic, with my brain locking me into fight-or-flight mode. I sank back against my pillow slowly, trying to collect myself. The thuds of my heart punished my ribcage, a frantic pace that felt impossible for the blood-pumping organ. All I saw when I closed my eyes was sand raining atop my head: burying me. The screams of the other humans echoed in my ears tonight, before I was teleported into the morgue. Kabir¡¯s corpse had been there, burned like the victims in the medical clinic, before his accusatory eyes turned toward me. In the waking world, I knew that horror wouldn¡¯t leave me. All of those people had died because of me. I should¡¯ve read Gress better, since that was the very thing I was trusted to do by the colony. How could I be furious at the Consortium, when it was our shiftiness that left them thinking we were with the Federation? The blame belonged on my shoulders, for my decisions. Everywhere I looked around Tellus¡ªwatching grieving friends, or seeing miners without any work¡ªI was reminded of the blood on my hands. They might as well have been stained red: proclaiming my sins to the entire community that I had failed. My entire life, I¡¯ve felt trapped underground, but it¡¯s never been on this level. If Gress is offering to take me away from here, it¡¯s time to get going. I have to get out of here. While I¡¯d spent the past few days recuperating in my quarters, the Krev rent collector had been making the rounds on the colony. When I chatted with Cherise over a call, she described him as keen to get his claws on any information about humans. It might¡¯ve been suicidal, not too long ago, to mingle with the miners, but being the first aliens to tolerate our appearance won him some favor. Everyone had gotten wind of his story by now, and many humans had finally put ourselves in their shoes. Who wouldn¡¯t want to keep away from the Federation? It was a miracle, but we might¡¯ve found the only sane species in the galaxy. That left me ever more apprehensive for news of the Jaslips; while I was disconcerted about the idea of handling any kind of responsibility, on humanity¡¯s behalf, Gress was adamant that I represent the colony. I needed to get back on the horse. The thought of a sightseeing tour of Avor did bring excitement to my chest. It¡¯d been a long time since I saw a proper city outside of a screen, and there were many outdoorsy activities I¡¯d never experienced. Did¡­did I even deserve those experiences? I popped in my earbuds, opting to call Cherise as I packed my bag. ¡°Good morning. I¡¯m back on my own two feet, and ready to head out if you are. Do you know where I can find Gress?¡± ¡°Not so fast,¡± she replied. ¡°Did Doctor Adebayo clear you to leave?¡± ¡°Well, she didn¡¯t explicitly say I couldn¡¯t. Genuinely, I am fine. My injuries were minor, and a few days¡¯ rest has given me my strength back. Walking, talking, a-okay. It¡¯ll be exciting to head to Avor. Been a long time since I¡¯ve been to space, you know.¡± ¡°Taylor, I know for a fact that you¡¯re not okay. We all harbored a lot of pent-up anger, after what the aliens have done, but you¡¯ve always been a maestro at kissing up to their faces. You were never this irritable; set off on a dime, at the expense of your own goals.¡± ¡°My temper was a little short, and I¡¯m sorry that I lost it with Gress. The drill accident was still fresh; I saw red, when he just¡­walked off! It was inexcusable, and I know I coulda fucked us all. I¡¯m beyond sorry. It won¡¯t happen again.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say part of me didn¡¯t like it when you clubbed him over the head. Hathaway¡¯s chewed you out enough. I¡¯m saying this because I¡¯m worried about you, and I want you to know it¡¯s okay to sit this one out. You went through a traumatic experience, almost dying, and it hasn¡¯t even been a week. You could have a form of PTSD. A lot of cases, it goes away with enough time, but¡­I¡¯m sure Gress would understand. You¡¯re unfit to travel.¡± I raised my eyebrows in disbelief. ¡°Stop psychoanalyzing me. You¡¯re not a fucking doctor. Besides, even if you were right, you really want to go crying mental issues to an alien? So he can assume I have predator disease?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no reason to think Gress believes in predator disease. He thinks the Federation are nutcases, just like we do. These guys might actually know a thing or two about head trauma. If he wanted to slap you with that kind of label, I think he wouldn¡¯t have excused away your assault.¡± ¡°Well, I appreciate the concern, but it¡¯s not needed. I can do this. I¡¯m upset about what happened, but it¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t handle. If you don¡¯t want to go to Avor anymore, I understand; it¡¯s dangerous. Just don¡¯t try to stop me from making amends. Now you gonna tell me where Gress is, or not?¡± Silence came from the other end of the earbuds, as I zipped up my makeshift travel bag. ¡°Ugh. I imagine Gress is at the bar with the miners. He got very shitfaced the first night you were sidelined, and tried to pet and hug everyone. Hasn¡¯t drank since, but still¡­he¡¯s there a bunch. I¡¯ll send a message to Hathaway, and we¡¯ll meet you there.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to go wait for us on the ship?¡± ¡°There¡¯s not a chance in hell I¡¯m leaving you alone with an alien. Especially since it¡¯s time we got some answers about those ¡®Jaslips¡¯, and however the Krev ¡®stopped the Federation from finding them.¡¯¡± ¡°Shit, I¡¯ll drink to that. We might not like Gress¡¯ little story, I think. See you soon.¡± I slung my bag over my shoulder, fantasizing to myself that I was a human on Earth, heading off to a beach resort in the Caribbean. We didn¡¯t exactly have summer holidays, or any sort of reprieve, holed away down here. I skimmed my packing list one last time, making sure I hadn¡¯t forgotten any essentials that the Krev might not have. I¡¯d squirreled away some snack bars, just in case their ideas of primate diets were the dried insects they fed the obors. Pea-brained Juvre might have no standards for what he¡¯d put in his mouth, but I was sapient. As much as I was itching to set off, it¡¯d boil my blood to travel with that crazed demon. Gress tried to tell me that Juvre was afraid of me, but that obor knew what it was doing: goes and perches, nice and innocent, on the Krev¡¯s shoulder afterward. Cherise thinks I¡¯m irritable now? I¡¯m gonna get that stupid monkey back. I sped up my strides as I entered the main cavern, casting my gaze to the elevator; with no reason to control traffic in and out of the colony, the gates and security restrictions had been lifted. From what I¡¯d been told in earlier calls, Gress had relayed that we were primate refugees of war, rather than Federation oppressors. The Consortium signed off on our visit to Avor, which I supposed was an optimistic sign that they might help. I hadn¡¯t even thought of what to ask for, but it would be wonderful if they could build a proper, aboveground home for us. It was bizarre to encounter aliens that had any semblance of charity or curiosity toward us. Smiling bitterly to myself, I propelled my feet onward into the bar: given our circumstances, liquor was never out of fashion on Tellus. Drunken escapades were one way to cope with your homeworld being eradicated, and living two decades in an underground burrow. Just as Cherise had predicted, the green scales of the rent collector were visible atop a stool. A muscular miner sat across from Gress, waving a pint of beer in jolly fashion. The Krev was nonplussed by the human dwarfing his own figure, or the impressive ¡°guns¡± that constituted his biceps. Several humans appeared to be eavesdropping on the conversation. ¡°So the real reason the payments weren¡¯t ready was a strike?¡± Gress echoed. ¡°I don¡¯t blame you. We wanted it to be unfavorable, so you¡¯d settle elsewhere. I¡¯m going to ask for the Consortium to repay the materials¡¯ shipments, and make it right. You don¡¯t need to toil on our behalf, ever again; sweet darlings. I wish I could tear those Federation fuckers a new one.¡± The human chugged the last of his beer. ¡°You and me both. Except for the Vennies. Sure, they¡¯d have piss dribbling down their fur at the bloody sight of us, but they tried to befriend us. To¡­stop what happened to Earth. They¡¯re probably dead now too, ¡®cause of it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Dale. Really, I am. I saw what you put yourselves through, trying to be their friends. However pitiful those Venlil acted, they¡¯re probably the reason you made it here at all. The exchange program idea was adorable¡ª¡± ¡°Except that we had to censor everything about our culture,¡± I spoke from behind Gress. ¡°We picked a lot of tree-huggers to talk to the Venlil, and that¡¯s the only reason they helped us.¡± ¡°Taylor! It¡¯s good to see you. I was getting worried; I only have two days to get home, before Lecca¡¯s performance. Maybe I can even take you¡­if you want. Please, grab a seat!¡± ¡°I¡¯m good, thanks. I came here to let you know I¡¯m ready to travel to Avor.¡± Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°As am I,¡± Cherise¡¯s voice said from next to me. ¡°Taylor, the Venlil died for us. Whatever the exchange program¡¯s faults were, some of those xenos called humans friends¡­short-lived as that was. Nobody else cared.¡± ¡°We care. My point was, I¡¯ve been thinking about an exchange program between the Krev and humans. Voluntary, of course, but our morale¡¯s been drained¡ªjust like yours. We¡¯d love to get to know you. Fostering a few friendships could be a wonderful thing for us all.¡± Mayor Hathaway strolled up to the table. ¡°I¡¯m sure we could drum up some interest. Humanity¡­has been in dire need of friends for far too long.¡± Dale finished his pint, standing up. ¡°You¡¯re not half-bad, scales. I¡¯ll leave you all to it, but count me in if you start an exchange program. Cheers mate.¡± I waited as the miner ducked away, mulling over what seemed to be Gress¡¯ latest idea. Cultural exposure wasn¡¯t a bad idea, but how could humans ever bare our souls before aliens again? The idea of the Krev being our friends was appealing, in practice, yet there was so much baggage from our prior exchange program. However much more fortitude the scaly mammals had than the Federation, it¡¯d be in the back of our minds about putting one foot wrong. Beyond that, I didn¡¯t know how to deal with the fact that we resembled their pets. In that case, the shoe was on the other foot, compared to how the Venlil exchange had fared. ¡°I have an idea for how to start the exchange program,¡± I murmured. ¡°Jaslips. Spill the beans. If you want to do it in the privacy of the ship, fine, but I want the damn truth. It¡¯s not easy to trust you.¡± Gress drummed his claws on the table. ¡°Exchange program? Officializing it, just like that. Does that mean that we¡¯re partners, Taylor?¡± ¡°You¡¯d want to be?!¡± ¡°As a matter of fact, I was going to request to be paired with you, if you joined.¡± ¡°I¡­see.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure why the fuck Gress wanted anything to do with me, but he wasn¡¯t nearly as punchable as I thought he was, before the mask reveal. There was a lot more warmth and affability from this Krev father than I anticipated. ¡°Fuck it. Why not? But your Jaslip story better not make us all hate your guts.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t my decision. It happened before I was born. I don¡¯t hate you for things humans did before you were born.¡± ¡°But you said it was the right decision. You agree with it, Gress.¡± ¡°Perhaps we should take this elsewhere?¡± Hathaway prompted. The Krev raised a paw. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t mind if others overhear. If you¡¯re ever to trust us, Taylor¡¯s right; you need to hear our full history. So I¡¯ll try to give you the rundown. Ah, so the Consortium was born a hundred years ago, made of our spacefaring allies. It was born¡­because we found the Federation.¡± Gress tapped at a small projection device, casting a 3D representation of a white-furred quadruped; there were a number of things that stood out, beyond the triangular ears and bushy coat. These beings had forward-facing eyes¡ªif these were the Jaslips, there were other sapients with binocular vision¡ªnot just us and the Arxur. I began to get a picture about why our Krev guest mentioned that these people needed to be hidden at all; their diet likely wasn¡¯t adjacent to the Federation¡¯s specifications. On Earth, these creatures had the form of something that hunted. My eyes did zero in on a trait that was truly alien; the Jaslip¡¯s tail seemed to split into three fluffy fronds at its base. Multiple tails? That¡¯s a new one. I won¡¯t disrupt his story, but I sure hope he gets to what the hell that¡¯s about. ¡°These are the Jaslips. I imagine the image is insightful. While you and I find it noteworthy that they have split tails¡ªmeant for carrying their pups like a basket¡ªthe Federation would be more interested in their eyes. In the fact they¡¯re carnivorous,¡± Gress explained. Hathaway tilted his head. ¡°Like the Arxur?¡± ¡°Nothing like those psychopaths! Good luck convincing the Federation of that, though. The Krev Consortium saw the threat posed to¡­any species their mindset touched, and you know that it was our job to stop them from finding us. To at least¡­buy a few generations of time. It was obvious the Jaslips were under the greatest threat of extermination, of all of our allies.¡± ¡°Because they¡¯re predators,¡± I hissed. ¡°Well, yes, but it was beyond that. Avor is seven days¡¯ travel from Sivkit space¡­the edge of Federation territory. We have hundreds of light-years between us and them. The Jaslips weren¡¯t just suspect to them at a glance, but they also were the closest of any Consortium species. A day¡¯s travel from Sivkit space. We saw it as a matter of time before they were found. An eventuality.¡± Cherise narrowed her eyes. ¡°The Federation didn¡¯t find any other predators. What did you mean by stopping them, Gress?¡± ¡°Please, dear God, tell me you didn¡¯t kill them,¡± I groaned. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t make me feel rosy about whether we¡¯d be sacrificed, for the ¡®greater good.¡¯¡± The Krev looked offended. ¡°Our job is to protect people from the Federation, not to finish their work! We could never wipe out an entire race; that¡¯s part of why we spared you, beyond fears of starting a war. We simply coordinated with the Jaslip government to move their population off-world. You see, their homeworld, Esquo, was absolutely frigid. We could offer them settlements on Avor¡¯s poles, as well as other Consortium worlds. The Jaslips agreed with our plan: offloaded civilians, billions of them! The Great Relocation was a process we spent thirty years on.¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be all you meant by a necessary evil. Getting them out of dodge from the Federation; that was the right thing to do.¡± ¡°Of course it was, Taylor. The¡­controversy of it all was the fact that there were Jaslips who refused to abandon Esquo, during the mandatory evacuation. Our plan was to make it look as though the planet had died via nuclear war; to wipe it of all traces of life, so they wouldn¡¯t come looking. The Jaslip government wouldn¡¯t sign off while there were still civilians on-world. The Reskets sent soldiers in, on our behalf, to round up the Jaslip stragglers. Got some of them, but others fought back. It was a damn clusterfuck.¡± Cherise¡¯s eyes darted back and forth, arriving at the same conclusion as me. ¡°You tried to forcibly relocate the Jaslips, and failed. But I get the distinct impression that didn¡¯t stop you?¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t. You have to understand, it wasn¡¯t just them. The Jaslips could¡¯ve led them straight to all of us. Every year that Esquo stayed inhabited, it was at risk of being found; you humans saw the consequences of being discovered. Hindsight is easy, to know the Federation wouldn¡¯t have expanded. Tell me, if you could¡¯ve left Earth and stopped them from finding humanity, wouldn¡¯t you have made any sacrifice?¡± ¡°I would,¡± Hathaway replied, in a measured voice. ¡°Knowing what happened to our true home, I was willing to make any sacrifice to avoid getting into a war with the Krev.¡± ¡°You know what it¡¯s like to have the fate of your entire species at the back of your mind. That¡¯s not an easy burden, and I doubt it was an easy decision. The Krev just couldn¡¯t wait any longer; time was up. We made the decision to pull the trigger, so the buffer between us and the Federation would be established.¡± A pit formed in my stomach, thinking about yet another homeworld glassed to smithereens. ¡°If you tried to evacuate all of the civilians off-world, and the majority agreed with your plan, I understand choosing the Consortium¡¯s survival. It¡¯s a shitty situation. I do wonder how the Jaslips reacted.¡± ¡°Not well; they¡¯re still bitter over what we did, and it was thirty years ago. A little before your arrival. The true controversy¡­the Jaslips hibernate during the winter, when the temperatures drop to a certain point. Their farms can¡¯t operate under such extreme conditions. We waited until their government on Avor was in hibernation, during its brief overlap with Esquo¡¯s hibernation season. We¡­bombed their world to oblivion only then, while they weren¡¯t there to protest or resist. The Jaslips woke up to find the planet gone, and everyone who remained on it dead.¡± I swallowed, feeling my throat run dry. Forcibly ripping people from their homes was reprehensible enough, regardless of whether the Jaslip government had gone along with it; the ethics were dubious, though I could understand the Federation threat taking precedence. The story had taken a further decline, with the Krev failing to remove the remnants, and deciding to bury Esquo like the Krakotl did to Earth¡ªwith people still on it. The brute calculation of the Consortium was something I could understand: billions of lives, and multiple civilizations, against a few holdouts. Letting the Federation find the Jaslips wasn¡¯t an option. Gress¡¯ people were trying to prevent a tragedy on the scale of our own. If that was what it had taken to save humanity, I would¡¯ve done it in a heartbeat. It¡¯s the cowardice¡ªthe scumminess of that move that leaves a sour taste in my mouth. I threw up my hands in disbelief. ¡°You waited until the Jaslips all were asleep and powerless, to glass their planet without their permission? Am I getting this straight?¡± ¡°You are, Taylor. It was a shitty thing to do, I know. I feel sorry for them, but the Jaslips have set up new lives on the poles of other worlds,¡± Gress answered in a despondent voice. ¡°Maybe their species still exists because of our choice. Maybe we could¡¯ve given them a few more years to evacuate. Maybe we didn¡¯t have to do it at all. I believe it was a necessary evil, but I agree it was evil. Deaths have never been our aim.¡± ¡°But you would sacrifice us, to save your Consortium¡¯s hide? Are you worried about the risk of the Federation finding us?¡± ¡°I¡¯m worried about the risk of the Federation finding any of us. You have my word that the Krev will protect you, whatever comes knocking. All we ask is that you help us ensure our collective safety¡­and that you can forgive the blood on our claws. Please.¡± Mayor Hathaway¡¯s giving me a look that says to play nice. We need the Krev¡¯s help, and whatever I think about their handling of the Jaslip shit, it was thirty years ago. It¡¯s better that we know. I forced a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s head for Avor, Gress. It couldn¡¯t have been easy to admit your species¡¯ lowest moments, but I appreciate the trust. I suppose I should return the favor a little. You can tell us about the other species on the way over. We wouldn¡¯t want to risk missing your daughter¡¯s recital.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s only two hours to Avor. That¡¯s why we had to have our warships intercept you; you¡¯re too close, even with a signal dampening field!¡± Gress¡¯ eyes brightened, as if he¡¯d thought of something. ¡°Lecca is going to love you. She has an obor backpack, you know; Juvre¡¯s her obor, much as mine. I¡¯ll have to properly introduce you to Juvre on the ride over.¡± ¡°Goodie. Lucky me.¡± Cherise snorted. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you still hold a grudge against that obor.¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m worried about getting my face taken off or anything.¡± Gress raised a single claw. ¡°Juvre will be on his best behavior, and so will you. Let¡¯s head to the ship¡­friends. To my amazement, I hope to be back here soon.¡± I arched my eyebrows, acknowledging my own shock at how this visit had played out. We¡¯d shown our faces to the Krev, who we believed were here to exploit our misfortune, and found that we shared a common enemy in space. It was strange to think that I¡¯d wound up verbally committed to an alien exchange program, and that I¡¯d been volunteered to represent all of humanity: this time, with a tangible chance of securing a future in the stars. With any luck, my diplomacy would play out to a fairer audience than Noah Williams¡¯ pleas had. I also hoped that the Jaslips were the worst skeleton in the Krev¡¯s closet; their history couldn¡¯t all be Machiavellian. I shouldered my bag, loping after Gress, and bidding farewell to the only home that I could remember. Chapter 2-16 Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist Date [standardized human time]: March 20, 2160 People that lived back on Earth used to travel in commercial airliners, flying across the skies as if it were a regular occurrence. Hundreds of passengers, flying to and fro across the globe; entire complexes that made up airports, welcoming visitors to cities of millions. For me, I thought the only way that I¡¯d ever lift off again was if we left Tellus, or if I joined the ragtag militia. It was strange to feel the thunderous engines uprooting us from the ground¡ªnerve-wracking, even. I gripped my harness with apprehension, while Cherise kept a keen eye on Gress. Juvre had been strapped to the Krev¡¯s chest, to prevent the obor from sliding around during takeoff. As we cleared the atmosphere, I took a look at the sandy landmass of the planet below; it was a barren image, compared to the luscious span of Earth. To think that sphere was so gigantic, yet we¡¯d only settled a tiny patch of its dirt. I couldn¡¯t imagine humanity ever growing enough to conquer a circumference like that again. Given that it had taken twelve thousand years to reach our old population numbers, our recovery wasn¡¯t something that would happen in any of our lifetimes. I laughed bitterly to myself, thinking about the young, able-bodied victims from the mining incident. There was always something ensuring we couldn¡¯t grow our numbers in peace. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Gress asked, as he waited for the warp drive to complete its startup sequence. I pursed my lips. ¡°Everything we have is nothing, nothing in the grand scheme of things. I got this job by being good at kissing folks¡¯ asses. It felt good when I let myself go. This trip on Avor, it¡¯s going to be the last fucking time I suck up to anyone. I¡¯m done pretending. Done talking. I want to take some tangible action, Gress.¡± ¡°Well, we could always use more bodies in the military, in case our favorite group of aliens comes knocking. If it weren¡¯t for my daughter, I might¡¯ve joined up myself. I¡¯ve never been much of a fighter, but there¡¯s other things I could do. Maybe it¡¯s worth it to be put on the reserve; I don¡¯t want to be idle, should anyone threaten Lecca¡¯s safety. Your story shows how dangerous the Federation is.¡± ¡°True that: those no-good assclowns were more of a threat to us than we ever were to them. Played judge, jury, and executioner.¡± Cherise tilted her head, brow furrowed in thought. ¡°Say, how the fuck did you think we were with the Federation, when we didn¡¯t torch the wildlife?¡± ¡°You hid yourselves underground. How did we know you weren¡¯t cleansing the caverns down there?¡± Gress protested, as the ship slipped into subspace. The Krev then unclipped Juvre, who clapped his grubby mitts together with delight. ¡°Humans made a point of obscuring every detail of your lives. For all we knew, you were amassing weapons on our doorstep. The Reskets wanted to barge in and find out what you were up to by force, or capture one of you.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you? Taylor and I would¡¯ve been easy targets, when we went up to meet you.¡± ¡°Again, we didn¡¯t want open hostilities with the Federation. The Krev hoped that you would move on.¡± ¡°And why did they believe you could bring that about?¡± I asked. ¡°You said they chose you for the position, because they trusted you to put an end to the saga. It wasn¡¯t your first time driving people from their homes?¡± ¡°Taylor, I was¡­a hostage negotiator with the police force in Avor¡¯s capital. I was involved in an infamous situation with some high-profile individuals and angry, relocated Jaslips. I¡¯d prefer not to talk about it any further.¡± ¡°Fine. We¡¯re just trying to get to know you¡ª¡± ¡°Any other subject. Please. This one awful incident took my marriage, my sanity, and it¡¯s the reason I see my kid once every other weekend. It¡¯s a sore spot.¡± Cherise unclipped her harness, popping her joints. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Gress. Of course, we¡¯ll respect your desire to avoid the subject. Maybe we should talk about the other Krev Consortium species?¡± ¡°Yeah, those Reskets sound interesting. I¡¯m fixing to hear what they¡¯re about,¡± I offered. ¡°We don¡¯t even know what they look like, or any pitfalls we could encounter when we see them on Avor.¡± Gress moved Juvre to his shoulder, tickling the obor¡¯s chin. ¡°Sure thing. I can hear my precious darling¡¯s tummy rumbling. Are either of you hungry? We can go to the dining area, and get some food.¡± ¡°That depends if you¡¯re gonna serve up dried insects. I¡¯d rather eat rubber.¡± ¡°I have other things. There¡¯s these Krev fruits called noskberries; they look like little tubes, very sweet. Juvre loves them. He can fit them over his pinky finger, and suck on them¡ªit¡¯s like a candy to him.¡± ¡°Shit, you had me sold at candy,¡± Cherise chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s been way too long. I still remember Halloween¡ªtrick-or-treating for candy, door to door, until our baskets were full to the brim. Given out by total strangers. A day of such wholesome innocence.¡± I smirked to myself. ¡°You left out the part where we¡¯d dress up in spooky costumes. I remember dressing up as a dinosaur.¡± ¡°I¡¯m certainly glad that sweet berries are up your alley, and bringing up fond memories,¡± Gress interjected. ¡°I¡¯m sure Krev would be¡­very happy to pass out sugary things to human kids, if they wanted to go door to door on Avor¡ªany time of the year. Please, come with me! I¡¯ll go over the other four Consortium species during prep time.¡± Cherise and I tailed after the green-scaled mammal, who seemed delighted to be feeding us: a far cry to how the Federation would¡¯ve felt, at the mere thought we¡¯d ever have to eat. I¡¯d wager Gress would happily spoon-feed us if we asked, given how apparent his enjoyment of pampering Juvre was. It was strange to be doted on with such intensity, though I imagined it was how the Venlil felt about our affection toward fluffy things. My mind was still a bit stuck on what the Krev had commented about his old profession, as a hostage negotiator. If this was a famous incident, I might be able to pry the details out of others on Avor, without forcing him to relive it. However, given that he was something of a friend, I was uncertain if that was a breach of privacy. The fact that the Krev would think to send a hostage negotiator to collect the supplies from us is telling. It¡¯s like they saw their very¡­space as a hostage, which needed to be pried free. It also tips off that their species is capable of ¡°unpreylike¡±, premeditated violence. ¡°So, where to start? The fundamental premise of the Consortium is that each species contributes something to our preparations, for the day when the Federation comes around,¡± Gress remarked, as he began rummaging through the cabinets. ¡°We¡¯ve turned the homeworlds into¡­hopefully impenetrable fortresses, growing an army as quickly as possible to meet a massive force. Signal-dampening cages. We don¡¯t have such measures in surrounding systems, to minimize the risk of detection. If you join the Consortium, we¡¯ll want to upgrade Tellus¡¯ security.¡± Cherise raised her eyebrows. ¡°We¡¯ll take all the help we can get warding off the Federation. Or more preferably, boatloads of assistance hiding ourselves.¡± ¡°Of course. We know if they see that we¡¯re hiding you, humans¡ªa species they believe they wiped out¡ªit¡¯d make the Consortium their number one enemy. It¡¯s in our best interest that you stay off the radar¡­especially if they find out about your escape, and come looking. It¡¯s our mission to protect innocent races like you, so fret not: we won¡¯t forsake you in your time of need. Like I¡¯ve said before, any human refugees that want to join us, or start an enclave on Avor, you¡¯ll have sanctuary.¡± ¡°I appreciate that Gress, but as you well know, we¡¯re concerned with maintaining our culture. Rebuilding our numbers,¡± I said. ¡°Splitting up the colony, with how close we are to the minimum viable population¡­it¡¯s not a good idea.¡± ¡°We might be able to help with that. I know it¡¯s not a decision you can make alone, but we have ectogenesis chambers¡­artificial wombs. Perhaps, if you¡¯re comfortable with it, Krev could raise some human children, and teach them your culture. It would shorten the duration needed to expand your numbers.¡± ¡°I hope you¡¯re not planning to raise them like obors.¡± This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°Of course not. You¡¯re sapient. I understand your concerns, given our tendency to infantilize you, but we¡¯d love and nurture you. We can send them to Tellus, once they¡¯re grown up enough. I know for certain that once we get the defenses built up, and mask the signals, we¡¯ll help build you a proper city aboveground. Any amenity you want or need: just ask.¡± Cherise tilted her head in thought. ¡°We could use better medical facilities. Perhaps a gym too: the training center below the sands, it¡¯s a bit sparse.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like some sort of concert hall, or auditorium. Bringing back live music, proper arts and entertainment: I know people might not think it¡¯s a priority, but I hope it¡¯ll help us feel human again,¡± I commented. ¡°We¡¯ve lost our soul.¡± Gress dropped the last berries into bowls, setting them down at the table. ¡°Food a-plenty. Eat up! I¡¯ll make a note of the things you both said, though you can submit a full list to the Consortium. Our automated construction should make it easy to build up your city¡­eventually, multiple cities.¡± ¡°That sounds wonderful. We¡¯re both touched by the prospect.¡± The four of us found seats at a small table, each with a hearty portion at our disposal. The Krev watched with eager eyes, as I grabbed a noskberry between my fingers. This would be my first time sampling alien food: while we¡¯d preserved as much plant life as we could from Earth, there couldn¡¯t be any harm in adding some of Avor¡¯s finest offerings. I rolled the fruit around my tongue, musing how it had the texture of a tiny pasta tube. It tasted like a peculiar mix of plums and bananas, smooth and thirst-quenching. Cherise grinned in appreciation, as she tried the delicacy. Juvre stared right at her, but seemed to take no offense to her upcurved lips. I scoffed in indignation. ¡°The lousy obor¡¯s okay with her smiling? Why didn¡¯t he lunge at Cherise¡¯s skull? He has it out for me, I¡¯m telling you!¡± ¡°Cry more. Gress doesn¡¯t whine half as much, after getting clubbed on his noggin by you,¡± the security guard countered. ¡°Ah, that was unfortunate. How is your head holding up, Gress?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. My scales are quite tough.¡± The Krev¡¯s tongue darted out, impossibly long, whisking up berries; I gave him a surprised stare. ¡°Let¡¯s get started on the Consortium species¡­before I find myself drafting up a hundred-part plan to save your species. You wanted to talk about the Reskets, Taylor?¡± ¡°Any place to start is good with me.¡± ¡°Alright then. As I stated, each Consortium species takes on a specialty, for the group¡¯s protection: to prove their strategic value. The Reskets are the footsoldiers, as our most intimidating race.¡± The hologram Gress displayed on his portable projector was of a pink-skinned, magenta-feathered bird with a lanky neck; it had long, dry legs as well. This was the most fearsome race in the Consortium? ¡°The Reskets are the final defense, if there ever was an EMP or cyberweapon that neutralized our automated forces. They also specialize in domestic security, putting down any revolt. They train other soldiers to join our ranks, since they¡¯re too big for close-quarters combat¡ªat least on non-Krev ships, which aren¡¯t built to fit their size.¡± Cherise squinted. ¡°Hang on. How big are they, exactly?¡± ¡°Six teccs tall.¡± [Nine feet], the translator decided. ¡°Don¡¯t let their size fool you into thinking they¡¯re slow or clumsy. They can run up to [thirty-five miles per hour] and cover twice your height in a single stride. If you piss a Resket off, you¡¯re best off not running; pray to whatever deities humans follow that they¡¯ll show you mercy.¡± I recoiled in surprise. ¡°I take it they¡¯re not the species to play ding-dong ditch with.¡± ¡°To play what?¡± ¡°It¡¯s where you ring someone¡¯s doorbell, and then run off to hide, so that they don¡¯t see anyone there.¡± ¡°Er, why?¡± ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s funny to make them look, I guess?¡± Gress pondered it for several seconds. ¡°Obor enterprise. It¡¯s a phrase we have, which speaks to a primate¡¯s penchant for silliness and mischief. I suspect this falls under that rainshield?¡± ¡°Yeah. We are little shits sometimes. Funny enough, we have a similar saying: ¡®monkey business¡¯, also meaning goofy hijinks.¡± ¡°I see a primate¡¯s tendency to get into trouble transcends worlds.¡± ¡°Imagine the trouble sapient ones can cause. Case study: Taylor,¡± Cherise snickered. I grabbed a berry from my bowl, chucking it at her face in faux outrage. Gress seemed surprised by my accuracy, as the throw connected with the tip of her nose. Witnessing the playful bout, Juvre shrieked, and grabbed a fistful of berries from his bowl. The obor flung them at me¡ªof course he targeted me, not Benson¡ªwithout hesitation, splattering fruit juices all over me. The nonsapient primate received a withering look from me, after he immediately hid behind the Krev¡¯s back, using his owner as a shield. I leapt from my chair, trying to find a better angle to pelt Juvre; Cherise was no longer my primary target. That monkey was going to get it. ¡°Please stop! I¡¯m impressed with your precision, but stop! You¡¯re going to make a mess,¡± Gress pleaded. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be in the line of fire. Juvre¡¯s an animal; he was just mimicking your behavior!¡± I pointed at the suddenly-bashful obor. ¡°He went for me. You¡¯re letting him hide behind you, so you¡¯re putting yourself in the way.¡± ¡°Taylor has the maturity of an obor, so he¡¯d be happy to get into a shit-flinging fight with an animal,¡± Cherise snickered. ¡°Sit down, Trench. Make us look slightly respectable.¡± ¡°Yes, Mother. Juvre won¡¯t get away with this though. I mean, this red shit¡¯s all over me now! I probably look worse than I did during the fucking mining accident. Go on about the Consortium species, Gress, before I change my mind.¡± ¡°Right then. I guess we¡¯re pretending that didn¡¯t happen.¡± The Krev blinked several times, before pulling up the image of an oversized pink worm with stubby arms. ¡°These are the Smiglis. I¡¯ll move on with them, since there¡¯s not much to explain about their contributions. They¡¯re dead weight. Their homeworld has little strategic value to us, due to its location and their general apathy.¡± ¡°Why would they be apathetic about the Federation? I thought the whole point of your organization is to stay away from them,¡± Cherise murmured. ¡°It¡¯s simple: they¡¯re the furthest away, so they think they¡¯d be the last ones attacked¡­and have ample forewarning. Whereas Esquo was one day from Sivkit territory, and Avor is a much more comfortable seven days away: the Smigli planet is thirteen days¡® travel from Federation space. Almost double the distance. Therefore, they lack¡­motivation. They claim their entertainment provides us a morale boost, but we all know they¡¯re not doing their part.¡± I slumped back in my chair, finishing off the berries. ¡°Dead weight is a pretty harsh descriptor.¡± ¡°Make your own judgment. Just don¡¯t bet on them to have your back in a fight. Oh, and something you should know? They¡¯re hermaphroditic, so don¡¯t go addressing their representative with gendered terminology. They all have¡­both parts.¡± ¡°Gotcha. That¡¯s good to know; we¡¯ve never encountered a sapient species like that. So we¡¯ve got the Jaslips, the Reskets, and the Smiglis. Who¡¯s the final duo?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll save the best for last, and start with the Ulchids.¡± Gress¡¯ hologram depicted a strange creature, with sleek brownish-gray skin, a tapered snout, and a fin on top of its body. Its flippers appeared to double as hands or forepaws, while its tail acted as a single leg. ¡°The Ulchids are tripedal, as I can see you¡¯ve noticed; their hindleg is powerful enough to stand on by itself, for certain activities. They do much of the legwork¡­pun intended¡­on comms and logistics. It¡¯s important to be able to talk interstellar and supply your forces and civilians, during any crisis.¡± ¡°Three legs. That¡¯s also a new one,¡± Cherise commented. I nodded, steepling my fingers. ¡°I¡¯d like to see how they move about in action, but I suppose we should finish off the list. What did you mean by the last ones being ¡®the best?¡¯¡± ¡°The Trombil. Their shells are bioluminescent, and perhaps that¡¯s why they¡¯re so comfortable around electronics.¡± Gress displayed the image of a reptilian biped, with a massive, glowing shell on its back. ¡°They specialize in anything tech, drones, or AI; their new-fangled weapons and automated fleet might give us a chance. The tinkerers. The champion engineers!¡± ¡°I see. Stacking up your fleets definitely sounds important, though most of the species seem to have found a niche. Hopefully, I can keep track of who does what. I still haven¡¯t figured out what you do, though?¡± ¡°The Krev? First off, we coordinate¡­we lead, and make decisions for everyone¡¯s safety. Our responsibility is hiding each species from the Federation, and masking the signals. I¡¯d say we¡¯ve done that quite well.¡± Cherise leveled a stare at him. ¡°What about the Jaslip refugees? Do they have any role? It might give us an idea about what¡¯s expected of humanity, as refugees ourselves.¡± ¡°In fact, the Jaslips do wonderful work on the preparatory side, and the fact they have communities on each world¡¯s poles makes it perfect for them. Their role is building defenses and bunkers, as well as planning evacuation routes¡­should it ever be necessary. I don¡¯t know what role humans will carve out, but I¡¯m sure you have much to add. You know more about our enemy¡ªwith more up-to-date information¡ªthat could lend itself to intelligence work and strategic insight, if nothing else.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°My first strategy suggestion is to broadcast our smiling faces at the Feddies, and then to eat meat aggressively. They¡¯ll all faint, neutralizing the fleet.¡± ¡°I recognize that you¡¯re joking, but you and the Jaslips could be used for psychological warfare against them. The Federation¡¯s manned ships lack resilient crews. You¡¯ll find that our species are nothing like that. I hope what little I¡¯ve told you prepares you for Avor.¡± ¡°It does. Definitely some tidbits that sparked my curiosity. Thanks for all of the help and the hospitality, Gress.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. You¡¯ll have a lot to take in once we get there, so don¡¯t be shy with any questions. Now I¡¯m going to take Juvre to his crate, before you get any bright-eyed ideas for revenge. I like my ship tidy, and I don¡¯t want him picking up any more naughty habits from you.¡± With my mind still aching from trying to retain the precise details of six novel species, I kept my snide remarks about the obor to myself. I couldn¡¯t resist pointing to Juvre, then to the emergency airlock, as the pet stared at me over Gress¡¯ shoulder; it would be a shame if someone spaced that primate, for science. Not that I would actually do that, unless¡­Cherise shook her head at me, before toting her dishes over to the sink. It seemed that help was forthcoming if I could keep up appearances, so I supposed I should knock off any ¡°obor enterprise¡± before we got to Avor. There were more important things to concern myself with, such as placating the other species and figuring out what humanity¡¯s place in the Consortium would be. Maybe one day, with the Krev aiding our restoration efforts, we might be capable of fighting back against those Federation bastards; making them pay for Earth was a much more serious vendetta than my food fight with Juvre. Revenge against my people¡¯s murderers was a thought that brought wicked delight into my heart. Perhaps our role in the Consortium could be planning how to take the fight to those skittish prey¡¯s doorsteps, as soon as we had enough strength to eliminate the threat. Chapter 2-17 Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem Scientist Date [standardized human time]: March 20, 2160 With my vision obscured by fabric, it was difficult to tell where the Tseia were taking us. It seemed they loaded us onto some sort of vehicle, which rattled along a bumpy road for some time; there was no chance for me to glean anything about the nomads¡¯ carefully hidden settlements. If not for Naltor¡¯s periodic complaints and the occasional grunt by Dustin, likely from being handled roughly or being jostled around the floor, I wouldn¡¯t know my companions were still with me. By the time we reached our apparent destination, I hadn¡¯t worked myself down from the panic at all¡ªand I had no more ideas to solve this predicament than I did before. My captors yanked the bag off, revealing where they had taken us. Naltor and I were standing in an observation room, in what appeared to be a silo¡ªone of their nuclear missile silos doubling as a holding cell, perhaps? Rather than peeking at a warhead, we were gazing down at Dustin; the human had been strapped into a chair. Several Tseia guards and scientists were conferring below, inspecting the alien like he was an animal specimen. My features contorted with outrage, eyes wheeling around in search of anyone to berate. I found a calm military officer hovering over a microphone, observing us from his periphery as well. His yellow head feathers were a dull shade, but his body glistened as if he had coated himself in our natural waterproof oil¡ªalways ready for a swim. This must be Zalk, from the Coast Guard. ¡°Dr. Tassi,¡± the familiar voice confirmed my suspicions about his identity. ¡°I¡¯ve obtained permission to brief you on everything related to the Starlight Incident, and for you to watch our proceedings with your friend. Soon enough, when we question him, you¡¯ll see these freaks for exactly what they are.¡± I narrowed my eyes. ¡°And what is that? Flawed? Troubled? I¡¯m already aware.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re not. They haven¡¯t told you what they¡¯ve done, but don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll find out what they¡¯re really playing at; their true intentions for Lassmin and the rest of us. The audacity of that monster, to try to approach us!¡± Naltor struggled against his flipper bindings. ¡°I can tell you what they want. The aliens chose to contact us now because of the critical state Ivrana is in. They want to introduce us to their union¡ªthe Sapient Coalition.¡± ¡°Dustin wanted to convince you that he¡¯s not a threat,¡± I added. ¡°He truly cares, enough that he was willing to die to try to smooth things over. Whatever you think of the feast incident or whatever you¡¯ve learned¡ª¡± ¡°That thing thinks he can pretend what happened a hundred years ago never happened,¡± Zalk spat. ¡°We haven¡¯t forgotten what they think of Bissem lives, or how the Tseia were singled out.¡± ¡°Zalk, what are you talking about? I¡¯m not following.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you the short version. Back in the 2980s, an unidentified flying object crested into the atmosphere above Alsh. Before we could so much as scramble fighters, they dropped a bomb on one settlement. Then another¡­and a third. Bastards zip in to admire their flipperwork, arrogant as Kail, and we nail them broadside with a nuclear missile. Managed to take the thing down and recover it.¡± The Tseia official leaned back, after recounting that bombshell story like it was nothing; to say that I was appalled would be a vast understatement. I wasn¡¯t sure what I¡¯d just heard, but none of that casual account computed. Aliens had not just visited Ivrana before, long before any of us were born¡ªthey attacked Alsh? What reason could there possibly be to slaughter Bissems en masse, beyond our carnivorous diet? There was no way of knowing for certain whether that was the work of the Federation or the Arxur, though it didn¡¯t make sense why a single ship would unload bombs with no follow-up; if it was Federation, Dustin would¡¯ve mentioned it, given that he¡¯d be open about the fact they would kill us. If it was the Sapient Coalition¡¯s predecessor, then that made it all too real what their intentions would¡¯ve been with Bissems. I need more information to figure out who was responsible for this, and why the Tseia would never tell any other nation about something of that magnitude. That¡¯s if it really was aliens, and not some Vritala stealth ship up to no good¡­that is horrifying. They should¡¯ve tried to stop FAI from calling to them! Naltor maintained a flummoxed expression. ¡°Let me get this straight. Aliens fucking bombed you, you recovered a ship¡ªpresumably with extraterrestrial tech and information that could be useful for all of us¡ªthat could threaten all of us¡­and we¡¯re only just hearing about this now. What the fuck is wrong with you?!¡± ¡°The aliens targeted us, and we had a chance to reverse engineer their technology: to get ahead in ways that finally gave us an edge over the Selmer and the Vritala. There was no Lassmin back then, only Bissems who¡¯d be happy to turn alien technology against us,¡± Zalk responded. ¡°I wish we understood more of their gizmos, but there¡¯s so much we don¡¯t know. It helped us far surpass our competition in terms of computers, and develop advanced spacecraft.¡± ¡°So why tell us this now? Selfish motherfuckers! They could¡¯ve come back and killed us all, at any point! You let us send out probes¡ª¡± ¡°Which attracted them back. A mistake, in hindsight. Look, our plan was to get Bissem Unity, just like you want now, through strength, but the Global War didn¡¯t go as planned. If the aliens came back to finish the job, it wouldn¡¯t have made a difference if we told any of you or not. However, at this stage, they¡¯re up to something, so it might be best that you¡¯re playing with a full deck.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t think we had a right to know, the second another species attacked Ivrana?!¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t your cities bombed, so no, I don¡¯t. In many ways, I imagine it¡¯s best not to know.¡± ¡°That wasn¡¯t your fucking decision to make! This goes so far beyond any one nation¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡°How do you know it was Dustin¡¯s people?¡± I blurted. ¡°They weren¡¯t even spacefaring themselves back then. That human shared a lot about how messed up the galaxy is: a massive war, with atrocities and devastation. He was quite open about it¡­and I got no impression he knew any of this. You¡¯re blaming the wrong aliens.¡± ¡°Even if humans didn¡¯t pull the trigger themselves, they affiliate with the beings who did. We recovered a few corpses from the wreckage.¡± Zalk fiddled with his tablet, before pulling up photos of charred, mangled husks being carried out by Bissems in hazmat suits. It was obvious none survived the fiery impact, likely why the Tseia were thrilled at a live specimen like Dustin, but the spikes made them recognizable as Gojids. ¡°Does this species look familiar to you, Tassi? I bet they didn¡¯t divulge this.¡± I recoiled, uncertain how fervently I should defend the Gojids when I lacked any knowledge of their prior slaughter of Bissems. Nulia¡¯s species had initiated the attack against Ivrana? I supposed that made some terrible sense, with what I knew about them attempting to wipe out the humans, and having their homeworld destroyed as the Terrans tried to stop it. According to the first contact party, that Gojid government was long gone; they were now allied to the novel, peace-seeking Sapient Coalition. I wasn¡¯t sure that Zalk would care whether the Gojids had reformed, but I did. It also mattered whether genocide was still their intention in the present; Ivrana needed these visitors to be here on a benevolent mission. We couldn¡¯t hold the Gojid sociologist accountable for deeds done under the predator-hating Federation¡­though I found myself wondering why the bombers hadn¡¯t even tried to ¡°cure¡± us. Dustin claimed it was standard practice for them to abduct and alter pre-FTL races, and that they would¡¯ve sought to kill us after failing in that regard. I had been able to process that claim as a hypothetical, but not as a plan once intended to be carried out. Why had their actions against Alsh been so atypical, and why had the Terran not mentioned it? I doubted the Coalition was senseless enough to send a Gojid, if they knew the Tseia would recognize Nulia¡¯s kind. It also seemed odd for the Gojids, who¡¯d amassed a massive fleet to throw at Earth, to send a single vessel that was shot down, and never follow up. ¡°I know you think I¡¯m na?ve, Zalk, but there¡¯s zero chance Dustin¡­or in all likelihood, humanity¡­knows about any of this!¡± I decided. ¡°I saw what their kind was put through by the Gojids, through media depictions; humans were attacked by them too! They did tell us about that. If the Gojids had set out to kill you, they would¡¯ve followed up with a fleet, like they sent against Earth. There has to be a reason it ended with that one ship. A rogue vessel of some kind: it¡¯s possible.¡± Zalk cast a second glance at the miserable-looking human below. ¡°The Gojids attacked his planet, you¡¯re saying?¡± Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡°Not just them,¡± Naltor commented. ¡°Humanity went up against the entire Federation, and Dustin told us they assimilated or neutralized hostile parties, left and right. Other races hated them, because of their diet, which was likely their quarrel with us.¡± ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± My eyes widened, sensing that Zalk was listening to our words. ¡°What we know from Dustin is the organization humans took down hated anything vaguely ¡®predatory.¡¯ They would attempt to alter genes and culture. It might also be worth mentioning the only other obligate carnivores eat people. Both of those things tied into Haliska¡¯s breakdown.¡± ¡°And before you start casting aspersions, I believe Dustin¡¯s telling the truth, if only because it¡¯s too fucking deranged to be made up,¡± Naltor grumbled. ¡°The humans seem genuine in trying to be better. It sounds like they¡¯ve had to sort through a mess of lies and cover-ups to have any semblance of truth to return to all foreign peoples.¡± ¡°Dustin might be able to make sense of what happened to the Tseia¡ªespecially if you have anything left over from that Gojid ship to be analyzed¡ªbut you have to give him a chance. Earth and Alsh were in the same position. You¡¯re not enemies.¡± ¡°That animal-loving nerd is fucking harmless. He was willing to die for you, when I told him you shifty fucks weren¡¯t worth it.¡± Zalk scoffed. ¡°Bold of you to say that to me directly.¡± ¡°After you covered up a Hirsdamned spaceship, and everything you gained from it, I am more sickened by you than ever. I¡¯m only still engaging with you because Dustin doesn¡¯t deserve to be gutted by you savages.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not savages. The savages are all around us: every visitor we ever got from the outside world and universe was there to take what was ours!¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough fighting!¡± I shouted. ¡°You want to prove you¡¯re no savage, Zalk? Act out of reason, and gather all the facts like a scientist. Don¡¯t hurt someone who came here to be your friend unless you¡¯re a hundred percent sure they¡¯re lying. Is that too much to ask?¡± The Tseia Coast Guard officer paced back and forth, studying the military personnel who were guarding the captive human. I could understand their glee at having an alien at their mercy, because of a desire for retribution¡ªespecially if they believed the Terrans were teaming up with the people who bombed their continent. If I had failed to persuade Zalk not to associate Dustin with those unspeakable sins, and to try ¡°extracting¡± information in a civilized way, there was nothing I could say that¡¯d convince the nomads. I shared everything we knew about the galaxy¡¯s bleak past, and about the Coalition¡¯s fresh start. It was possible the Tseia would never be willing to talk to outsiders, even if Zalk¡¯s people had finally spilled the truth to Lassian visitors. Maybe I was right the first time around, about the Tseia just being afraid¡ªterrified that the aliens would swoop back around to finish the job. The Tseia have made terrible decisions that kept them more isolated than ever, but that doesn¡¯t mean what was done to them isn¡¯t unspeakable. ¡°Leave it to a Selmer and a scientist to be a bunch of loudbeaks,¡± Zalk huffed. ¡°You¡¯re going to talk me to death, but you paint a convincing picture. I really wish I believed those promises of peace the way you do, Doctor Tassi. Problem is, even if I pause for a minute, you think my comrades and the leadership will accept me going easy on him?¡± I drew a shaky breath. ¡°You¡¯ll regret harming the wrong person more than not harming the right one, Zalk. You¡¯re calling the shots, so you¡¯ll have to live with it; you can always share what you were told, assuming Dustin doesn¡¯t convince everyone with his kindness. If you don¡¯t want innocent people getting hurt, stop it before it¡¯s too late.¡± ¡°I¡­I¡¯m not sure about this, but I¡¯ll pretend he doesn¡¯t know. I¡¯ll tell him what I told you, and hear what he has to say. No promises beyond that.¡± ¡°Thank you. That¡¯s all we can ask for.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t thank me yet. If your friend is lying, you¡¯re not going to like what I do to him. Come on. Follow me down the stairs, and we¡¯ll see how this all plays out.¡± Relief washed over my feathers, alongside the still-present horror that Bissems¡¯ true first contact had been a senseless assault. Our captor undid the bindings on our wrists, finally demonstrating some goodwill. I followed Zalk out a rear exit, noticing that he shared some of Naltor¡¯s twitchiness on the first day that we spotted aliens. The Tseia knew of their existence, but none of his kind had ever interacted with extraterrestrials either. The three of us trundled down a set of noisy metal stairs, dismounting near the chair that Dustin was strapped to; his eyes darted over to us, visibly brightening at the sight of his Lassian friends. The Tseia Coast Guard leader raised his beak to acknowledge his underlings, before walking up to untie the human. The alien looked surprised, as he gingerly shook out his wrists. ¡°Tassi, Naltor,¡± Dustin breathed, his voice sounding hoarse. ¡°Are you okay?¡± My stressed heart warmed a little, noting how that was the first thing he asked. ¡°We¡¯re fine. Are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m unharmed, though I, um, could really use some water¡ªespecially to talk and answer questions.¡± Zalk reached out to hand him a water flask. ¡°Here you¡ª¡± ¡°Dustin can¡¯t drink saltwater,¡± I interjected. ¡°He doesn¡¯t exactly have salt glands in his nonexistent beak.¡± ¡°Right. Let me get some freshwater from the faucet then.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Dustin offered. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Zalk. The one I assume you heard on the radio.¡± The Tseia finished filling a disposable cup from a nearby sink, before giving it to the human, who gulped it down gluttonously. ¡°Now that that¡¯s settled. Would you happen to know anything about ¡®Gojids¡¯ dropping bombs on Alsh a hundred years ago?¡± Water spewed from Dustin¡¯s mouth, with some spurting through his nostrils; there couldn¡¯t be a more obvious, biological display of shock. General Naltor leapt back, more than a bit disgusted that some of it sprayed all over him. The human coughed and retched, his face turning red as he choked on the water he had been swallowing. His binocular eyes watered, while he desperately shook his head from side-to-side in an attempt to communicate. If I recalled correctly from the Terran TV shows and the body language I¡¯d gleaned from that media, that was supposed to convey the negative. I watched as he struggled to clean himself up with his chest fabrics, mopping water off his upper lip; for a moment, I¡¯d been worried about how flushed his cheeks had turned. Zalk inspected the xenobiologist with skeptical eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a no. Tassi vouched quite strongly that you didn¡¯t know, so perhaps I need to explain. An alien ship bombed three of our cities, but we managed to shoot it down and use it for study and growth. Your party member ¡®Nulia¡¯ matches the species we identified via the bodies in the wreckage.¡± ¡°What?¡± Dustin sputtered. ¡°My God. That¡¯s how you made that surprise launch¡­and why you don¡¯t think Bissems should trust us. I¡­don¡¯t know what I can possibly say, other than that I¡¯m sorry¡­and that I understand the terror of being attacked.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m told you do. But how the fuck would you not know one of your own people did something like this?¡± ¡°Er, I highly doubt Nulia did this personally; she wasn¡¯t even raised on the Gojid planet, but that¡¯s neither here nor there. I¡¯m as shocked and confounded as you are, though I swear I¡¯ll do what I can to piece together what happened. What an awful thing to do to an uncontacted species. What I can say for certain is there¡¯s no record of Bissems in the Archives, so it wasn¡¯t a Federation-sanctioned hit.¡± Naltor raised a flipper, like a kid speaking out of turn in class. ¡°The Archives?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­the Federation wasn¡¯t aware of you. They kept records¡ªno, a changelog¡ªof every species they found. Meticulous documentation. I don¡¯t know how much you know about them, but something like a predator race being found: that wouldn¡¯t have gone under the radar. As for how we don¡¯t know this happened, truth be told, Zalk¡­everything we know about the galaxy¡¯s past is either things we¡¯ve witnessed, or based on liberated documents from the Archives. I wish I could give you a more satisfying explanation, but I¡¯m giving you the truth.¡± ¡°So you know nothing?¡± ¡°Apart from what the Gojidi Union was like, and the fact that they wouldn¡¯t have sent one bomber alone, in my opinion: no, I don¡¯t, on what little context I¡¯ve been given. If you have more data on what the ship looked like, I might be able to analyze it¡­perhaps even against the Missing Starship Registry, which goes back quite far. The ship manifest would tell us who they are. It might be possible to analyze any data that survived the crash too? We can translate their language¡ªTassi and Naltor can understand it now as well, as a second pair of ears to verify what I would tell you.¡± ¡°Just how is that possible?¡± ¡°Translator implants. I¡¯d be happy to share the schematics.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s what the metal chips that fused with their skulls in the crash fire were. I can¡¯t believe the Lassians let you¡­never mind. There was some intact data on the ship, but we haven¡¯t been able to decrypt much of it. A few thumbnails from log files is all.¡± ¡°Sir, why the fuck are you telling it this?¡± a soldier spat, seeming to understand Vrit, but speaking in a Tseia native tongue. I grasped the meaning through the handy translator. ¡°You don¡¯t actually buy its ignorance, do you?¡± Zalk sighed. ¡°We should hear his side of the story before we reach our judgments. Dustin seems to have intimate knowledge of our enemies, and has yet to avoid any questions.¡± ¡°I understand your anger. A billion people were killed on my planet because they didn¡¯t like our eyes pointing straight at them. Would you please translate what I just said, Zalk?¡± Dustin waited, while the Tseia officer relayed his words. ¡°Is there any chance I can see these thumbnails¡­and perhaps later, the crash site? Even just a glimpse of the ship layout might help me tell you if you nabbed a military vessel.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s start small; I want to hear your thoughts in real time. Here¡¯s the clearest render we obtained, though they were wearing some strange gear.¡± I circled behind Dustin¡¯s chair, as Zalk handed him a tablet. The human¡¯s eyes inspected the image, of a Gojid beneath a metallic suit that seemed similar to what Bissems wore in flammable work environments. Some unwieldy contraption was slung across the figure¡¯s back, though I couldn¡¯t hazard a guess as to what it was. Something resembling horror flashed in the primate¡¯s eyes, suggesting that this garb was enough for him to identify Alsh¡¯s bombers. I watched him hand the tablet back to the Tseia officer, and don the same distraught expression he had when he told Naltor and I about the Arxur. My heart sank into my chest, not sure how much abominable knowledge I could have weighing on my mind. ¡°I know who your attackers were¡­or at least, who they worked for,¡± Dustin said. ¡°This vessel was crewed by exterminators.¡± Curiosity gleamed in Zalk¡¯s eyes, and the Tseia leaned forward. As for myself, I heard a faint chime of recognition in my mind; hadn¡¯t Nulia told us Dustin studied animals for an occupation going by that name? Was that why he was distraught learning who was culpable¡ªout of some sense of partiality to the job he started off with? Asking him about his former occupation might get him strung up though, after what he just said, so I kept my questions to myself. Hopefully, the human would be able to provide some insight into these exterminators¡¯ motives on his own. Chapter 2-18 Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem Scientist Date [standardized human time]: March 20, 2160 There was no doubt that General Naltor, who¡¯d eavesdropped on my conversation with Nulia during the feast, had connected the dots between Dustin and the group responsible for bombing Alsh. When the Gojid sociologist mentioned ¡°exterminators,¡± I didn¡¯t question it¡ªassuming it was some sort of pest control for homes and cities. Now, I wasn¡¯t so sure the word didn¡¯t carry a more nefarious slant coming from aliens. It couldn¡¯t be that they exterminated sapient lifeforms that didn¡¯t align with their ideology. That couldn¡¯t constitute an entire profession; it just wouldn¡¯t be something Dustin would¡¯ve joined up with, in his quest to study animals. I hope the human has the sense to not mention that he worked with these people, and also, that Naltor doesn¡¯t raise the topic now. Zalk¡¯s headfeathers are practically twitching, with how hungry he is to pick apart Dustin¡¯s answer. ¡°What do you mean by exterminators?¡± the Tseia asked, when the alien didn¡¯t continue of his own volition. ¡°Please give me a chance to explain the full picture, before you jump down my throat.¡± The human tipped the disposable cup back, trying to suck down a few droplets of water. ¡°The exterminators¡¯ guild, in Federation space¡­they¡¯re an organization devoted to removing all predators from a planet. The way that they do this is by¡­burning them alive to dispose of the contaminants.¡± Holy Hirs, that¡¯s so awful that it¡¯s unfathomable. That¡¯s how Dustin started his career in xenobiology? Humans are predators¡­there have to be exterminators that¡¯d want him dead. Betrayal gleamed in Naltor¡¯s eyes. ¡°Their job is to give animals the most painful death possible; to eradicate them?! Why would¡­anyone work for an organization like that?¡± Dustin lowered his eyes. ¡°Um, Zalk, the reason my friends are looking at me like that is because I worked a part-time job with them as a teenager.¡± ¡°It¡¯s almost like you want to be a martyr.¡± Zalk¡¯s beak wired itself shut, a livid grimace on his expression. He seemed to weigh giving the human over to his soldiers. ¡°You were involved with the people who harmed us.¡± ¡°Whoa, look, I joined because I was trying to stop them! The mere thought of baby animals, nest doused in gasoline, screaming¡ªit gave me nightmares, to be honest. I thought maybe I could show them other ways to handle animals, and give them some true ecological understanding. Like¡­nightprowlers? A predator on Skalga¡¯s dark side? They¡¯re not mindless killers that exist for mauling Venlil. They mate for life, they bray to express loneliness, and¡ª¡± ¡°Nobody fucking asked! Stay on topic, like why you¡¯d think you can change people who bombed us like¡­mindless fucking killers.¡± ¡°Humans have tried to fix things, and show these former Federation species a better way. We¡¯ve succeeded to an extent, prying the extraneous duties they had away; some exterminator offices have become pest control, or shuttered their doors, thanks to our efforts at education. It¡¯s hard to explain in short, but these underling races were conquered and brainwashed into being like this. There was so much more to the exterminators than what I just said.¡± ¡°Now isn¡¯t the time to take it slow, or worry about worsening things.¡± Sensing the Tseia¡¯s growing rage at the vague explanations, I placed myself between Dustin and Zalk, despite my tremors of fear. ¡°Explain all of it, Dustin. Please¡­for your sake.¡± ¡°Right. I¡¯m sorry. What I¡¯m saying is they did much more than torch animals. They had tons of influence and resources; they were local heroes. They acted as a sort of police force, locking up people who didn¡¯t behave ¡®preylike.¡¯ That went as far as monitoring children in school, or branding dissidents who questioned the dogma. The reason the public thought burning predators was so necessary was that they called murders predator attacks. The oh-so-peaceful prey were incapable of such violence, so no matter how improbable it was, blame it on a predator.¡± ¡°What the fuck?¡± Naltor exclaimed. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that mean the real murderers were roaming free? You¡¯re telling me that if someone was gutted in a skyscraper, they¡¯d assume it was an animal. That makes zero sense.¡± ¡°I know. Believe me, I know. We had to live with these people getting called on us just for walking down the street. I could tell you plenty of stories about how they threatened refugees like me; zero repercussions for excessive use of force, even if they don¡¯t kill you. They came to my school and held all of the human kids at flamethrowerpoint, and I still wanted to help change them. Candidly, I would¡¯ve chopped off an arm if it meant I could study alien animals. Nobody had, not in any scientific way, so it was unexplored territory.¡± Zalk narrowed his eyes. ¡°You¡¯ve explained why they¡¯d burn our¡­nests, and told a wonderful tale of persecution, but you haven¡¯t explained why they had bombs.¡± ¡°That relates to their part in colonization: something that¡¯ll make more sense with the full picture. When the Federation would colonize a new planet, they¡¯d want to¡­eliminate all predatory infestations ahead of the settlers. Because a world is teeming with wildlife, they¡¯d do this from orbit¡­with antimatter. Shit, when we expanded outward for our first far-off colony, the Mazics¡ªan ally that genuinely thought they were helping¡ªoffered to bomb the planet, so it was ¡®suitable¡¯ for habitation.¡± ¡°Are you saying that this ship was looking at Ivrana as a potential colony?¡± ¡°Yes, my theory is they were some kind of scouting expedition. Bissems, to them, were an infestation to be removed, with whatever they had at their disposal. I know because an entire extermination fleet came to my home, and wiped out a billion humans by that logic. If I may, look what they did to our metropolises.¡± Dustin pointed to his holopad, and after some consideration, Zalk passed it to him. My mind was reeling from what I¡¯d just learned, about the lunacy on other planets. Torching wildlife species with the goal of bringing about their extinction would, for starters, lead to massive ecological consequences¡ªbeyond the fact that it was needless cruelty. Animals might not have our mental capacity, but they had pain receptors just like we did. How could they think we were monsters for catching fish, to survive, yet carry out something so senseless? How could Dustin, and humanity, see any of the Federation as salvageable, after everything that happened to them? A billion dead. I knew there were attempts to slaughter the Terrans, and that they were ¡°nearly wiped out¡± because of hatred, but I thought they managed to stave off the worst. Earth won the war, but at what cost? How are they not resentful, like the Tseia? The human¡¯s eyebrows slanted downward, sorrow evident on his features. Naltor and I drifted closer to Zalk, as the Tseia Coast Guard officer and his men watched news footage from the time. There was footage captured from hundreds of miles away, live rolls of cities being leveled from the stars; it was the first time I¡¯d seen pity on the nomads¡¯ features, as they recognized themselves. Horror shot through my own chest, and spewed from Tseia beaks, as we saw images of a blue-feathered avian race, seemingly a crash-landed soldier, shooting a human baby in a stroller. The footage cut to the rubble of once grand metropolises and husks of skyscrapers, before showing blackened corpses¡­ending with rescue efforts to dig out any survivors, and rows of burn victims. ¡°Humanity understands your position, more than anyone,¡± Dustin sighed. ¡°We get what it¡¯s like to feel alone, and to be attacked without reason, knowing there¡¯s little hope to defend yourself. So many lives lost¡ªculture evaporated¡ªfor no reason. We grasp the fear of wondering whether your species will exist tomorrow.¡± Naltor folded his flippers in front of his blubber, steaming. ¡°How can you just forgive them? You told us those blue birds are part of your Coalition. Shit, how can you be so optimistic, in light of everything that¡¯s happened?¡± Stolen novel; please report. ¡°I choose to focus on the good in people: all people. I choose to have hope. The ones who hurt us were victims of the Federation¡¯s iron fist, and maybe that offers some¡­closure. A way to find peace in our hearts and let go of the past, so it doesn¡¯t continue to stain our future.¡± ¡°You think the monsters who bombed us were victims, with good in them?¡± Zalk spat. ¡°I think they weren¡¯t always monsters, and that many of them thought they were committing a positive deed¡ªwarped as it was in actuality. I¡¯m saddened that they were so poisoned by hatred, and that it hurt us both. The Tseia have been poisoned by hate for generations. Isn¡¯t it wretched? Aren¡¯t you miserable?¡± ¡°Fuck. You have some nerve, lobbing a question like that at us.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the truth, Zalk. I¡¯m willing to die in the name of truth and peace. Someone has to be.¡± As Naltor had become incensed by what he learned, I felt numb. There were zero positive points that I¡¯d seen so far, in what had been the galaxy¡¯s status quo for centuries. No matter how naive and optimistic the Selmer general thought I was, even my spirits were tanking. I wasn¡¯t sure how I could rebound from atrocity after atrocity, and I wondered whether Dustin¡¯s commitment to truth was doing us any favors. It was taking years off of my life, that was for certain. The observant part of my mind that dissected statements was still kicking, however, zeroing in what was said about underling races. What happened to the founders that ¡°victimized¡± humanity¡¯s aggressors, abducting and conquering them as I recalled it? Knowing how right Naltor was about the threats aliens could pose, and how much Zalk wants someone to blame, it might be useful to ask. I need to say something to snap out of this funk. I forced my beak to open. ¡°Dustin? What happened to the ¡®founders¡¯, as you called them? It might be helpful for Zalk, and all of us, to know¡­who they are. Whether they¡¯re part of the Sapient Coalition.¡± ¡°The Farsul and the Kolshians? Both are quarantined to their planets and stripped of their military. We ensured they wouldn¡¯t be curing ¡®predators¡¯ and gentling ¡®prey¡¯ again,¡± the xenobiologist answered. ¡°We surrounded the Farsul homeworld with a debris cage, and took permanent control of the orbital defenses by the Kolshians¡¯ world. They haven¡¯t been forgiven in the ways others have. Them, and the Arxur: the people-eating carnivores, Zalk.¡± The Tseia blinked in slow motion. ¡°Yes, Tassi mentioned that fun fact. I must ask why you brought Haliska to Ivrana, if you knew that we¡¯d remind her of the Arxur.¡± ¡°Politics. A poor, but truthful, answer. There was a lot of opposition to our mission, and some herbivores were disgruntled that we didn¡¯t include one of them. The Yotul¡ªa rather vocal critic of our plans, eager to seize any opportunity¡ªaccused us of censoring parts of our allies that we didn¡¯t like. It forced our hand a bit. Hallie performed well in testing, so we were¡­hopeful.¡± ¡°I see. The elders appreciate your honesty, but they would like to know what you could possibly offer the Tseia. To add onto their words with my own, everything around you sounds like a clusterfuck.¡± Derision flashed in Naltor¡¯s eyes. ¡°What do you know? I guess I can agree with these nomad pricks on something.¡± ¡°I shudder to think how we¡¯ll ever explain any of this to the public,¡± I murmured. ¡°How we can, in earnest, convince them to embrace aliens, after all we¡¯ve learned.¡± Dustin bit his lower lip. ¡°It breaks my heart to hear you so dejected, Tassi. All of you are right to be upset and concerned. For the Tseia, and the interests of all Bissems, I can¡¯t do anything to fix or change the past. My meager promise is that you won¡¯t stand alone in the future, whatever challenges may come. We will continue to give our all to forging a different galaxy. There is no greater friend than humanity.¡± Zalk adjusted a small strip of metal by his ear, listening to some voice on the other end; I wondered how many of the judgment calls had truly been his, or whether he was deferring to his leaders¡¯ decisions. When he decided to hear Dustin¡¯s side of the story, I believed that had been his choice. It hadn¡¯t sounded like he was heeding some instructions from higher up the chain of command, when he ordered us to turn back from the Lighthouse. Cameras were pointed at the chair meant for interrogating the alien, suggesting that these elders had an easier view of this occurrence. I wasn¡¯t sure what to make of Zalk, other than that my appeal, to gather all the facts and not attack a person who came in genuine friendship, had landed. If the Coast Guard¡¯s leader had allowed his subordinates to enact revenge on Dustin, I could imagine what state he¡¯d be in now. He was a reasoned individual, and also one who¡¯d empathized with Earth¡¯s plight¡ªno matter how much he put the Tseia¡¯s interests first. Maybe the answers over what prompted the strike on Alsh, unthinkable as they were, had given him some closure. Not understanding why the aliens attacked them and having lived in constant fear of the heavens must¡¯ve driven the nomads mad. I¡¯m glad that Lassmin didn¡¯t know, in a way. FAI never would¡¯ve sent out our probes, and all Bissems would¡¯ve been robbed of the opportunity to learn about our star system. It was beautiful and transcendent to visit space, even looking back in hindsight, knowing what ugliness surrounded us. ¡°On behalf of the Tseia Nomads, we¡¯ve decided to accept your offer of friendship. You¡¯re free to go,¡± Zalk sighed. ¡°If you¡¯d like to see the wreckage, any of you, that¡¯s very easy. It¡¯s right outside this door.¡± The wall to the far side parted with a loud creaking noise, likely triggered by someone observing the scene. The ship wreckage caught our gazes, with its proximity and sorry state. Battered bits of the hull were strewn apart, with some compartments more intact than others; the outline of a missile impact was visible on the near side, from the nomads shooting it down. General Naltor hurried over to the corroding, blackened bits of metal, eager to identify what sort of weaponry alien vessels possessed. I helped the human to his feet, and walked beside him until he crouched beside the Selmer. The primate¡¯s eyes darted around, checking that the Tseia were out of earshot, before opening his mouth for a subtle message to Naltor. ¡°Please, get word to Nulia in the Merlei Huddledom, as soon as you can. She¡¯s not safe here. She needs to get off-world, before the Tseia tell anyone about what the Gojids did,¡± Dustin hissed. The Selmer remained perfectly still. ¡°I¡¯ll get word to Lassmin. It might take time, but I agree we can¡¯t let anything happen to her.¡± ¡°Great. Thank you, Naltor.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. This is becoming a weekly occurrence¡ªme saving your asses, after some part of your psycho history comes out. Are you sure you didn¡¯t mind-control me into going along with your delusions?¡± ¡°I did no such thing. Haliska is the one who chipped you.¡± Zalk approached, with leery guards tailing behind. The human shushed his banter with a smirk, somehow not dispirited by the charred wreckage right before him. I turned my gaze past the ruins of our true ¡°first contact¡±, and caught a peek of the city the nomads had hidden away beneath a metal overhang¡ªbuilt off the scraps of alien technology. No outsider Bissems were allowed to view what was within Tseia settlements in the past, so this level of transparency was novel. Digitized screens with holographic projections were all over their buildings, along with what appeared to be robotic servitors. This Bissem nation was much more advanced than they¡¯d ever let on. ¡°This is Spring¡¯s Breath, a city which is most populated during the spring festivals. We migrate from city to city as a sort of seasonal pilgrimage,¡± Zalk remarked. ¡°Right now, it¡¯s mostly manned by the military. It¡¯s the site of The Wreck, and it¡¯s close to the lighthouse.¡± Dustin stood slowly, turning to face the Tseia. ¡°I would love to learn more about the history of your migratory habits, and everything about those festivals: the impacts it must have on your culture make me giddy! I¡¯m no sociologist like my squadmate, but even I could spend years just learning about your customs.¡± ¡°Perhaps another time, we can discuss these things. Right now, I¡¯m much more interested in where we go from here. Now that we¡¯re¡­trying to move forward in diplomacy.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? We return to Lassmin, and tell the public the truth. Together. We make sure that everyone in the Sapient Coalition knows what was done to the Tseia.¡± I stiffened with concern. ¡°Respectfully, I don¡¯t know how we can ask the public to handle this. It¡¯ll incite mass panic. All of this is¡­horrifying.¡± ¡°That¡¯s something we¡¯ll have to plan together,¡± Naltor interjected. ¡°Dustin doesn¡¯t want to play a part in hiding things from the people, and neither do I. This entire excursion has given me a¡­new perspective on how infuriating a lack of transparency is.¡± ¡°Bissems deserve the truth. I have faith in them to handle it, just like all of you have stepped up to the occasion. We need their trust to save Ivrana, and I¡¯ve never been more serious about anything in my life, than I am about repairing this world,¡± the human said. ¡°I don¡¯t want them to feel alone and unsafe. I don¡¯t want their hope, about all of the wonderful promises you made, to die.¡± Like mine is on life support, I thought silently. ¡°Neither do I, Tassi. It¡¯s up to all of us to give them a path forward, and a reason to carry on. We need to be strong, for every soul on this planet.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try. For what it¡¯s worth, I believe in you. Your people. Your mission. We just have to make others see who you really are.¡± ¡°A nerd,¡± Naltor interjected. ¡°For fuck¡¯s sake. We were having a moment!¡± ¡°Well, you know what I¡¯m having? A headache. I think I¡¯ve had enough of all this for one day. Where can a man get some sleep around here?¡± Zalk tilted his head. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the local inn, while I¡¯ll get your boat unimpounded, and make preparations to return with you. We can leave after you¡¯ve rested up. Let¡¯s go.¡± While curiosity would normally prompt me to explore what was, in essence, an alien culture, I couldn¡¯t feel any drive to roam Spring¡¯s Breath. Much like Naltor, stress was building up a massive amount of tension in my skull; I¡¯d love to lay down and try to get some sleep, though I wasn¡¯t sure if I¡¯d be able to stop thinking about all that we learned today. With my resilience to negativity waning, I focused as best as I could on what we needed to do. I hoped that I could remain strong enough to steer Ivrana into the post-alien era, for all of our sakes. Chapter 2-19 Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist Date [standardized human time]: March 20, 2160 It hadn¡¯t been evident what the Krev¡¯s true power level was, or how they stacked up against the Federation. The talk of an automated fleet sounded more sophisticated than the prey-crewed, cowardly boats that stormed Earth, but I hadn¡¯t seen the fruits of their labor; it remained to be seen what weaponry and technology they possessed, and how many ships they had to their name. When Gress transitioned his vessel out of subspace, and we got our first look at Avor and its surroundings out the viewport, I was astounded by what I saw. What in the blazes was I even looking at? Cherise¡¯s eyes bulged in shock as well, so I knew she shared my sentiment. Fortifications were littered around the system, not limited to massive particle cannons, missile defense stations, swarms of wandering patrol drones, and some kind of asteroid slingshot¡ªand those were just the contraptions I understood. Our ship was heading in the direction of a planet with layers of superstructures around it: something that made my jaw drop. The metal casing around Avor reminded me of the pattern of a soccer ball¡¯s stitching, with some patches opened up like a metal flower; others were sealed shut, limiting the flow of interstellar traffic. Was this what Gress had meant by a signal-dampening cage? I hadn¡¯t thought it was so¡­literal. Wouldn¡¯t enclosing the planet create other hassles, making it an absurd design for them to choose? ¡°Gress¡­what are we looking at?¡± Cherise asked, finding her voice before I did. Unmistakable pride shined in the Krev¡¯s eyes. ¡°You¡¯re looking at The Cage; the outer layer of defense for Avor. I might¡¯ve understated its versatility. The panels don¡¯t just dampen signals¡­we can open and close them, pulling the plug on all of our junctions if needed! Solar flares, asteroids¡­shuttering the doors if enemy bombs and ships are pointed at us.¡± ¡°Let me get this straight. Your whole planet can just, what, curl up into a ball?¡± I demanded. ¡°Board up the windows and call it a day?¡± ¡°Hm, I liked your first metaphor. That¡¯s what we evolved to do for threats; roll up into an impenetrable ball, shielding our vulnerable areas. Consider The Cage to be Avor¡¯s scales.¡± ¡°This is something. You guys are much more advanced than the Federation, building shit like this. A futuristic paradise.¡± ¡°It must¡¯ve been a colossal effort to get all of this up here,¡± Cherise noted. ¡°To make it stay in place, and to power it.¡± Gress waved his claws dismissively. ¡°Powering it isn¡¯t a problem, with sunlight shining down on it. I¡¯m not sure if you have the technology to understand, so forgive me for my jargon, but it¡¯s held in place through superconducting magnets and orbital rings, like the rest of our space construction. Just know that once you have one, it facilitates building an entire network much easier; getting to orbit becomes a berrywalk.¡± I raised my pointer finger, scrunching my face in confusion. ¡°Back up. What do you mean by entire network? You say ¡®the rest¡¯ of your space doohickeys like this isn¡¯t all of it. Like it¡¯s the tip of the iceberg.¡± ¡°I could tell you, but that would spoil seeing your faces light up when you catch your first glimpse of it. It¡¯s adorable¡­er, wonderful, I mean¡­when you look happy, and just express yourselves in general. Maybe Avor can help you find some of that soul you feel humanity has lost.¡± I leaned back in the passenger¡¯s seat, kicking up my shoes on the console. Cherise shot me a look, though Gress didn¡¯t seem to mind me using his ship controls as a footrest. The Krev¡¯s statement had me intrigued on what we might witness here; my imagination hadn¡¯t expanded its parameters quite far enough with Avor, it seemed. As far as ways to hide an entire society went, this planet-wide cage already seemed a great improvement to burrowing underground like mole-rats. Had Earth become aware of the Federation in time to save ourselves, it would¡¯ve been a wise move to build a structure like this; then again, since the Farsul studied our planet back during World War II, I didn¡¯t see how we could¡¯ve known before they found us. If the Krev can put something like this around Tellus, we need to pounce on that. With this kind of technology, we can stop the Federation from finding us again. Hell, the Consortium seems much more advanced than the Federation, just by virtue of having drones and supertech to start with! Have they ever thought for a moment they were capable of beating them in a fight? It was a dangerous thought, one that just wouldn¡¯t stay out of my head, gazing at this bounty of technological marvels. I decided not to voice that question to Gress just yet; those questions might answer themselves, if I could get my hands on more information about their military. If there was any doubt that the six species from the Krev could square off against hundreds in the Federation, I understood their hesitancy; aggressive action would put us back on the enemy¡¯s radar, and could spell the true end for humanity. It wasn¡¯t something I could even suggest lightly. Still, it was wonderful to have a major power, with a toolbox that exceeded those of our murderers, on our side for once. Just what else did Avor have in store, beneath The Cage? The vessel drifted through a gargantuan panel, as Gress relayed the occasional check-in with traffic controllers; I found myself feeling a bit self-conscious, at the thought that an entire planet was about to get their first glimpse of us¡­through me and Cherise. It might be an uphill battle to be taken seriously, if Krev saw us as adorable little munchkins. There was also the complicating matter of our prior feuds on Tellus, where the Consortium had wanted us gone, and built up a lot of resentment toward humanity. Would I have to explain our secrecy? In light of that reality, what if the rent collector was wrong about the Krev¡¯s willingness to help? Gress poked a claw into my cheek, earning an indignant look. ¡°Snap out of it. I can tell when you¡¯re brooding by how your eyes glaze over, Taylor.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch me,¡± I scoffed. ¡°You could¡¯ve just said my name.¡± ¡°And what fun would that be? Your puffy cheeks are as squishy as I imagined. Hey, does it hurt to be pinched? Like, just once so I can get the thought out of my head?¡± ¡°Gress.¡± ¡°It was a legitimate question, but um¡­¡± Cherise laughed. ¡°Yeah, the face is going to be an automatic no for most of us. It¡¯s patronizing.¡± ¡°The humans back on Tellus said the same thing about belly rubs. I know you don¡¯t have fur, but you have to be a little ticklish? I want to know some way to express affection that¡¯s okay. Actually, maybe you should just, uh, look at the viewport. That¡¯s why I was trying to have Taylor come to, but the temptation is just so¡­viewport. No talking for Gress.¡± ¡°Whatever¡¯s beneath this cage better knock my socks off, if you want me to forget this exchange,¡± I grumbled. ¡°It will! Look: the view should be unobstructed.¡± The Krev sheepishly buried his head in his chest, muttering what appeared to be curses at himself; rolling into a partial ball and hiding his face seemed akin to blushing for us. ¡°Cuteness overload¡± had gotten the better of Gress a few times, which in a strange way, made me feel better about Avor hating us. If that was their gut reaction to us, they couldn¡¯t hate us, right? I turned my eyes to the viewport, and searched for my first glimpse of the planet. I wasn¡¯t sure what I expected, but it wasn¡¯t the massive sea of floating construction that met my gaze. Beneath the protection of the Cage, dozens of rotating rings at different orbits were somehow propping platforms along their lengths¡ªthe buildings were levitating up above the lush globe, as if held aloft by telekinesis. The modules were much more complex than the ones we¡¯d had back on Mars, and marked the outline of the city; other structures were built on the underside, hanging down in the planet¡¯s direction. Ships like ours landed by the hundreds on different hubs on the rings, which also could act as slingshots for takeoff; it was clear that the Krev tended to launch up here, rather than needing to generate the energy to escape their gravity well. Certain platforms seemed devoted entirely to the military, just like many outposts on their two lunar satellites outside The Cage. To enable transit between the surface and orbit, it seemed the Krev favored tunnels which extended all the way into the atmosphere¡ªand likely continued on to the cities. The rings made it possible to connect with any city on the globe¡¯s circumference; by rotating in time with the planet, the tunnels could stay in place. Gress was right about this entire orbital¡­metropolis, flourishing and bustling with people¡­facilitating transit both to the stars and the surface. It was one of the most magnificent things I¡¯d ever seen; questions poured into my head, wanting to understand how it worked. I felt my mouth parting in an o-shape, as I tried to form words. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. It''s strikingly beautiful. Imagine the engineering that must¡¯ve gone into this. Engineers like Kabir¡­no, don¡¯t think that. Ask something about how it works. ¡°How do the platforms¡­¡± I fumbled. Gress hummed in acknowledgement. ¡°Stay propped up by the rings? I told you earlier. Magnets.¡± ¡°Can you walk across the entire circumference of the platforms?¡± Cherise asked. ¡°I can see what looks like enclosed bridges, between settlements.¡± ¡°You sure can, and you can catch a ride between rings too! Inside the settlements¡¯ system, there¡¯s an entire artificial atmosphere¡­and being this close to Avor, there¡¯s natural gravity. You can also go down to any surface settlement from here, which you¡¯ll get to experience firsthand.¡± I chuckled to myself. ¡°This is something. How many people live up here?¡± ¡°A billion? There¡¯s some Krev who like the view from space, and others who prefer a more traditional home. We don¡¯t build colonies, but there has to be somewhere for us to move to¡­with eleven billion souls, on the last population census. That counts the Jaslips, all two billion on Avor, who have their largest enclave in Consortium space on our polar ice caps.¡± ¡°If I were them, I¡¯d build their new digs up here, with some upside-down skyscrapers over a planet: not in some frigid wasteland. I mean, shit man. If you can scrounge up this much raw materials, you didn¡¯t need those resources at all.¡± ¡°We most certainly do not. Asteroid trawlers give us all we need, and more. When we return your payments, with interest, perhaps you can at least see it as a good investment. Everything you see here, it can belong to Tellus. To humanity. If you wanted to live in the Space Rings, Terrans would be welcome, of course. I hope you¡¯ll have diplomats in an annex by the Tonvos District.¡± Cherise twirled her dark hair around her finger. ¡°Tonvos District? You¡¯re throwing a lot of words around, Gress. We¡¯ve never seen anything like this. And for what it¡¯s worth, I never liked you profiting off our work¡­but now, I see it was a pittance compared to what would be of true value to you.¡± ¡°Tonvos is probably just a name, like we use for any of our places. It didn¡¯t translate, so I assume its meaning is as a title,¡± I said. ¡°Nice to see you admit I wasn¡¯t the only one who couldn¡¯t stand paying off the Krev, by the way. You haven¡¯t offered Gress much commentary about your feelings throughout this saga.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not appropriate, Taylor. My past feelings shouldn¡¯t be said aloud, when they¡¯re about the interstellar superpower that we need help from.¡± ¡°Oh, I like it when you¡¯re yourself. That¡¯s part of why I picked Taylor.¡± Gress reached over to pat my leg, before seeming to remember my directive to keep his claws away. ¡°It was wonderful to see something open, and genuine. I felt like I learned more about him from his anger than the years prior. I was hoping to encourage him to come out of his shell¡­and to show him that, even if Mayor Hathaway likes disingenuous praise, the Krev don¡¯t. I see potential in him¡­a chance to be better.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see what was better about attacking you, and giving you a piece of my mind. What are you even saying? Cuss out everyone I see¡­explode like a loose cannon? That was a low moment for me.¡± ¡°Taylor, you were raised to believe that all aliens would murder you, at the mere sight of you, and your entire species was almost killed. You were locked underground, to hide your face and toil on behalf of the colony, and raised without your parents from what I¡¯ve gathered. Add on a head injury, years of resentment toward us, and guilt¡­anyone would¡¯ve snapped. It¡¯s understandable. I don¡¯t know if I could¡¯ve endured what you, Cherise, and all humanity have.¡± Cherise slumped her shoulders. ¡°Yeah. I was fortunate to have some family on the ark. I wasn¡¯t alone. I have a few good memories, cooking with my uncle¡­watching drunken patrons get tossed by him, with his no-nonsense attitude for bullshit. Taylor had to figure everything out for himself.¡± ¡°Whatever my circumstances, I made shitty decisions that will eat me up to my dying breath; the drill explosion being the worst. I don¡¯t think I should get a free pass, or bring others down with me by acting out on Avor,¡± I huffed. ¡°Of course not. I do hope you¡¯ll find better ways to cope, and that I can help.¡± Gress stared out at the viewport, as we drifted closer to a ring¡ªseeming to travel in the opposite direction to its rotation. ¡°I¡¯m just saying, don¡¯t tell us what you think we want to hear, or sing our praises. Be polite on Avor, but be candid. Speak the truth, even if it¡¯s unpleasant, and don¡¯t worry about censoring your true opinions. Be done pretending, like you said you wanted to be.¡± ¡°Guess I can manage that. It¡¯ll be nice not to have to tap dance around anything vaguely violent or predatory.¡± ¡°Would you like me to act afraid of your eyes, just so you can have something familiar to latch onto?¡± Cherise groaned. ¡°Please no. Unfamiliar territory is perfectly fine by me.¡± Gress snickered to himself; I found it odd that an alien would tease us. It was nice that someone from another species found the Federation¡¯s reaction to our eyes laughable. The Krev rent collector had liberated me from the burden of having to sweet talk the Consortium officials; it would be nice not to have to hide parts of myself, or pretend ever again. That was the only way to live with the things I couldn¡¯t unsee¡ªto stop feeling sick over what I¡¯d done, on the Mayor¡¯s behalf. From now on, I wanted to be a man of action, and an open book. It did feel good when I finally got all of those feelings I bottled up toward the Krev out, whether Cherise or anyone thinks it¡¯s appropriate. It¡¯s time to truly stand for humanity, and to find a way to contribute something meaningful. Our ship continued to drift opposite the ring¡¯s rotation, leading me to ponder the obvious question of how we were planning on landing; this seemed to be a textbook example of complicating a task way more than was necessary. As I was about to vocalize some doubts about our heading, something latched onto the rear of our ship with a harsh click. There was a slight jolt, the sensation of being tugged backward. I chuckled to myself, finally recognizing the genius of how the Krev planned to slow us down. They¡¯d connected some kind of harpoon to our vessel¡ªpresumably aided by a magnetic hook to attract it¡ªand were using the massive ring¡¯s rotation to slow us down. Once it¡¯d begun pulling us in sync with the structure¡¯s turning, they reeled us in via the cord. Gress¡¯ vessel was hauled into a landing pad, right up to the end of the tether. Clamps hooked onto the ship, securing it in place like a traditional docking port, before our host unfurled the landing ramp. He beckoned to us with eager claws, then snatched Juvre¡¯s crate to carry the obor back to civilization with us. I exchanged a glance with Cherise, which granted me the resolve to stroll out alongside her, and give the locals their first glimpse of an unmasked human. It would be our initial peek at them as well; much of what we encountered up here could hint at how they went about their day-to-day lives. From what I could observe, once we disembarked, this hangar had been cordoned off in anticipation of our arrival. Krev guards toted strange guns in their grip, which I doubted utilized kinetic munitions. Armed security, something that before meeting these particular aliens, I would¡¯ve assumed was a human-exclusive tradition. They were sporting body armor too, though the plates looked a bit too thin to actually stop a speeding bullet; perhaps it was designed for comfort or as an authority symbol, rather than being tailored for effectiveness. Their scales varied in shades of green, from emerald like Gress¡¯ form, to lime, grassy hues, mossy colors, and even turquoise. None of the personnel displayed any hostility toward us, though all eyes were turned on us. Cameras recorded the moment from the ceiling as well; the days of hiding beneath the sands were truly over. A guard approached Gress, pointing toward a connector bridge. ¡°We brought you in right by the train station, and as requested, we cleared the area and the next ride to Tonvos for you. The Planetary Board is waiting on the ground. Due to the nature of your requests, we must ask whether you think these cu¡­primates are a threat.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t. However, the humans have serious issues on their mind, and I doubt they¡¯d appreciate all of the unwanted attention. They¡¯ve been through a lot, the poor darlings,¡± the rent collector answered. ¡°The story is making waves on Avor, and beyond. It¡¯s incredible how quickly the narrative¡¯s turned from the human invasion, into this. Seeing the politicians backpedal is quite funny, to be honest.¡± ¡°Even Felcin?¡± ¡°Somewhat. He grudgingly wants to send aid, to prevent the humans from digging out their tree hollows on our world, like the Jaslips.¡± Gress snorted. ¡°Sounds about right. Felcin will support refugees, so long as he doesn¡¯t have to look at them. Well, I just wanted my new friends to hear where the Consortium stands. Thanks for the help.¡± ¡°Are you kidding? Saving a species like them, I¡¯m glad to help. Have a safe ride down.¡± The Krev rent collector waved us on. I followed him over the connector bridge, admiring how someone could stroll the length of the orbital ring¡ªat least, we could manage it as persistence predators. It was doubtful any of the Consortium species could match our endurance. I waved an awkward hand at the guards, while Cherise offered a polite hello. The two of us pretended not to hear them whispering to each other about how adorable we were, as we trundled on down the tunnel. If Gress wanted my honesty, I needed to confront him about how irritating it was, being spoken of like nonsapient beings all over again¡ªeven if the reasons were altogether different. For now, I kept my eyes trained straight ahead. The connector bridge took us up to what looked like an ordinary train station, apart from the fact that the tracks sloped down into a tunnel¡ªone that was at a steep incline all the way down to Avor¡¯s surface. I gulped, wondering if this was going to be the most harrowing roller coaster ride ever built. Cherise seemed to pick up on my anxiety, and tried to give a reassuring smile; I wondered if she¡¯d seen how far down this train was heading. Gress boarded the car, oblivious to my unvoiced concerns, and tucked Juvre¡¯s crate into a holding compartment. He slid into the first seat available, demonstrated how the harness worked, and cast an expectant look at the two seats opposite his. ¡°Gress?¡± I ventured, hating how tentative my voice sounded. ¡°How quickly does this¡­shuttle go down to the planet?¡± The Krev studied me for a moment. ¡°I guess now I know your actual mannerisms for being nervous. It¡¯s nothing to worry about, Taylor. It¡¯s a short ride, less than half an hour: over before you know it. There¡¯s inertial dampeners, and artificial gravity for emergencies. You won¡¯t feel Avor¡¯s pull, and it¡¯ll be no different to flying a spaceship.¡± ¡°Millions of Krev seem to travel back and forth on these things on a regular basis,¡± Cherise ventured. ¡°We do. It¡¯s a daily commute for some.¡± ¡°Exactly. That¡¯s why I assumed it¡¯ll be fine. They wouldn¡¯t do this regularly if it was anything frightful.¡± Nodding my head in agreement, I clipped my harness, and folded my arms across my chest. Inertial dampeners made sense as an available technology, but I didn¡¯t want to think about what a long way it¡¯d be to fall, if anything went wrong. Despite my apprehension over the ride down the vertical tracks, I was excited to see what marvels Avor¡¯s surface would hold in store for us. Up here, in the Space Rings, I¡¯d already seen technological feats I never could¡¯ve imagined. The sooner we were on the ground, to request some of those gifts for ourselves, the sooner humanity¡¯s new future began. That prospect alone was enough to motivate me to endure this train ride from orbit. Chapter 2-20 Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist Date [standardized human time]: March 20, 2160 There was no sensation of being yanked to Avor, despite our downward trajectory. Without any view from inside the tunnel, it was impossible to differentiate between this rapid descent and any other train ride. That also meant that we couldn¡¯t steal a peek of the passing atmosphere, thanks to the enclosure blocking our view altogether. I supposed that was an experience I could get on a spaceship instead, without seeing the ground rushing up to meet me. Quickly becoming bored of the travel time, I understood how it was mundane to the Krev. Needing something else to hold my attention, I studied the emerald-scaled alien seated across from us. Gress seemed focused on texting someone via his holopad, and I wished I could read the curly script to spy on him a little. His gaze would occasionally shift toward me, as though he was trying to work up the courage to relay a message. The Krev clipped his device back to his workbelt, before clearing his throat; he waited until Cherise and I were both zeroed in on him. The xeno¡¯s gaze drifted for a moment, and it was only then that I noticed that the security guard had placed her hand atop mine¡ªcomforting me while I¡¯d been fearful over the train. I thought about removing it, but instead, raised an eyebrow at Gress, daring him to comment. I¡¯m glad that Cherise came with me. I couldn¡¯t imagine doing this alone, and¡­we¡¯ve always handled the Krev together. It¡¯s right that she¡¯s backing me up on Avor, and keeping an eye on me. Holding me accountable. Gress pointed to his holopad with a claw. ¡°I have a favor to ask of you two. When Lecca heard you were landing in Tonvos, our capital, she wanted to come see you in person. Her mother brought her half an hour for a special trip, just to catch a peek of you. Before we duck into the secured area, could you say hello¡ªspare just a minute? It would make her day, and by extension, mine. This could be her only chance to meet you. I¡¯m well aware you have more important things on your plate, but¡ª¡± ¡°Yeah, no problem, Gress. We¡¯d love to meet her,¡± Cherise said. ¡°I bet she¡¯ll be an adorable little munchkin.¡± ¡°Lecca is down there? And you¡¯re just telling us now, when we¡¯re almost to the ground?¡± I blinked, blindsided by the prospect of meeting Gress¡¯ daughter now¡ªand not from a distance, in a performance audience. After how delicate he¡¯d been with the human child back on Tellus, I was worried my abilities with kids would let him down. ¡°I thought we were going to her dance recital. I¡¯m not saying we won¡¯t do it, but it¡¯s not her only chance to meet us.¡± The Krev sighed. ¡°I had more important things to discuss with you first; I didn¡¯t want to distract you. I¡¯ve decided not to bring you to the recital though. It¡¯d distract them from the show, and you¡¯d have kids running all over you. It¡¯d be overwhelming for either of you. There¡¯s no pressure if you¡¯re not up for it, but just saying hi to Lecca¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. No problem. Quick and easy introductions: we can do that.¡± Cherise grinned. ¡°Who are you convincing: Gress or yourself?¡± ¡°A little of both.¡± ¡°It sounds like Lecca adores primates, from everything we¡¯ve heard. Just be gentle, and she¡¯ll love you.¡± ¡°I second being gentle.¡± Gress¡¯ jaw locked, and he leaned forward in his seat with intensity. ¡°I¡¯m an understanding guy, and I¡¯ll keep an eye on Lecca; I know you must be feeling a lot of things. I¡¯ll be keeping an eye on you though too. If you hurt or berate my daughter in any way, Taylor¡ªand you know why I¡¯m jawing just at you¡ªI will make you wish you met Federation exterminators, not me.¡± ¡°Do your claws light on fire or something? I think your threats are getting a bit detached from reality, Gressy boy,¡± I quipped. ¡°I¡¯m not joking. You won¡¯t hurt her. If you have something to say, say it to me when she¡¯s gone. I don¡¯t want to have to explain to Lecca how you can¡¯t keep a handle on your temper. I sure as shit won¡¯t stand for anybody harming the light of my world.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯d hurt a child. If I did, I¡¯d deserve to have Krev exterminators kicking down my door, flaming claws and all.¡± ¡°I believe you¡¯re a good person, Taylor. I want her to meet you both. I¡¯m just not taking any chances with my little girl, and I know you have a mean streak¡ªthat some primates communicate through violence. Normally, I like and respect that, but not with her. If there¡¯s one time I do expect you to put on a happy face, it¡¯s here.¡± ¡°Of course, buddy. I¡¯ll be cool and patient, no matter what the kiddo does. There¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± ¡°I know there¡¯s not. I¡¯m here to help your species because I love what little I know about the real humanity, and I appreciate you doing something extra for my sake. We can do excellent work together, and make a kid¡¯s day. With that said, welcome to Avor!¡± The train had slowed to a halt at the bottom of the tunnel, without me noticing; the doors swung open, revealing radiant sunlight striking the cobblestone platform. Gress led Cherise and me out into the open air, while toting Juvre¡¯s crate, and I sucked in the smells of city life: trash, street food, and vehicle exhaust. None of those things were especially pleasant, but Tonvos felt like a return to what Earth was like. Before us were maglev trains that ran horizontally, connecting the city, along with moving sidewalk strips that carried pedestrians along the street for close travel. A vast number of Krev were heading into the building behind us, which was positively massive. I knew the instant I laid eyes on it that it was iconic, and likely where we¡¯d meet the planetary board. The sleek pyramid defied what I believed to be architecturally possible, in terms of weight standing atop a planet¡¯s gravitational pull. The gravity on Avor was no slouch either, seeming to be a bit stronger than what I¡¯d grown used to on Tellus: granted, our new colony had a bit less of a downward tug than Earth, but the point stood. This deranged structure stretched up for not hundreds of meters, but over two kilometers, scraping close to the hovering outline of the Space Rings; this pyramid reached beyond tall buildings back home such as the Jeddah Tower or the Peach Trust Spire. This pyramid kept climbing past¡­double their height, if the eye test served me right¡­and its base¡¯s length on the ground stretched for kilometers. Several skyscrapers were housed inside the pyramidal shell, either dangling from the massive ceiling or rising up from the ground. Elevators traveled on an incline up the external trusses, able to go all the way to where the structure¡¯s tip pierced the indigo sky. There appeared to be park-like green spaces built into the pyramid at certain intervals, and viewing balconies where Krev could overlook their city. Of all the entrances on the ground, leading into whichever skyscraper passersby were heading for, this one had but a single, heavily-guarded route to an ornate tower, which was ¡°only¡± a few stories tall. This whole contraption makes the Great Pyramid back on Earth look like a two-story house. Good God: do the Krev always go for broke when they build shit? ¡°That¡¯s a tall building,¡± I commented. Gress chuckled in amusement. ¡°It sure is. It can house a million people, and it¡¯s completely self-sustaining; just like you two loved the sun on your face, so does Tonvos Pyramid. Anyhow, we¡¯re right outside Delegates Tower, so we¡¯ll go through the security checkpoint in a moment. Let me just try to spot Lecca¡­¡± ¡°No rush, Gress. We¡¯re happy to take in the view,¡± Cherise murmured. ¡°Taylor¡¯s ¡®tall building¡¯ remark is an understatement. It¡¯s like saying Earth¡¯s bombing was an unfortunate day.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°Of course it¡¯s an understatement, but what am I even supposed to say? We¡¯ve got to haul the human architects who worked on our cavern out here. They¡¯ll have a fucking meltdown when they see this gigapyramid. Holy shit.¡± ¡°Let her in! The kid!¡± The Krev waved his claws at someone, before shooting me a stern look. ¡°No more cursing; I see her. The police perimeter was keeping my little one back, until they saw me waving her in. You kind of require an invite or clearance to be in this area.¡± Gress moved closer to where security was keeping a few curious pedestrians back, and wrapped his tail around his legs as he waited. I couldn¡¯t help but smile as a much smaller Krev leapt onto his tail, and snuggled up against his scales; the resemblance was undeniable. Lecca closed her eyes, digging her claws in for a ride over to us. The child¡¯s limbs were tiny, as was her thin tail, with her body being the size of a squirrel at most. Cherise turned melty-eyed, crouching on the platform to not tower over the youngster. I followed her lead, not wanting to seem scary in lieu of Gress¡¯ warning. ¡°Aw, they¡¯re so cute!¡± Lecca squealed, sliding off her father¡¯s tail. ¡°Do they bite, Daddy?¡± Stolen novel; please report. Gress chuckled. ¡°No, they¡¯re friendly, darling.¡± ¡°Then why is Juvre in his cage?¡± ¡°You know how jealous obors can get, sweet berry. Juvre might see the humans¡ªespecially the male¡ªas competition for my affection. We don¡¯t want him misbehaving.¡± ¡°I guess not, but that¡¯s sad. It¡¯d be so cute for the big primates to hold him!¡± ¡°Yeah, that figures. I¡¯ve heard you like Juvre a lot.¡± I bit my lip shooting down her suggestion, despite the fact that I had no interest in rocking Juvre to sleep. What had Gress said, when one of our kids asked to touch his scales? ¡°Maybe another time, Lecca. I¡¯m Taylor. I¡¯m a friend of your father.¡± ¡°A talking primate? I always wanted to be able to talk to an obor! Taylor¡¯s even better than Juvre!¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m a lot better than Juvre,¡± I agreed. My human companion snorted. ¡°Is that your new life goal: to be superior to an obor? Lecca, I think you shouldn¡¯t compare us to Juvre; he¡¯s very different from us. I¡¯m Cherise.¡± ¡°Hi Cherise! You humans don¡¯t have much fur.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t. Our ancestors did have full pelts, but we lost ours over time, and started wearing artificial fabrics instead.¡± ¡°The little curtains you wear are so cute! I¡¯ve never petted a bald primate.¡± Lecca darted forward before Gress could stop her, and sunk her claws into my pant leg. I kept as still as possible as she shimmied up my calf, and balanced atop my thigh; her paw pressed my wrist with fascination, earning a squeal of delight. The texture of her palm felt strange against my skin, though I didn¡¯t interfere for fear of hurting her. I thought about asking Gress to step in, but she looked so delighted that I couldn¡¯t bring myself to. There were some mutual feelings of cuteness overload, though I wasn¡¯t sure how her father would feel if I patted her tiny head or tickled her chin with a finger. After all the times that Gress has confessed to wanting to smother us with pets and hugs, I hardly think he¡¯d have the right to judge. Still, I don¡¯t think I should do anything that might be offensive. Lecca¡¯s eyes twinkled. ¡°He has little hairs on his arm; they¡¯re almost invisible! Look, Daddy!¡± ¡°I see, dear,¡± Gress replied, leaning down to pick her up and pull her away. ¡°Why don¡¯t you thank the nice human for his kindness? Taylor doesn¡¯t like being touched without asking, so don¡¯t do that again.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± I offered. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Cherise extended her arms, smiling. ¡°My turn. Can I hold her, Gress? Would she like that?¡± ¡°Just for a brief moment¡­I don¡¯t want you to drop her.¡± Gress passed his daughter into the security guard¡¯s hands, careful to ensure Cherise had a firm grip before letting go. Lecca burrowed her nose into the crook of my companion¡¯s elbow. ¡°Easy does it. Lecca, sit still; you¡¯re going to wriggle out of her grasp! Okay, that¡¯s it, I¡¯m taking you back.¡± ¡°No!¡± Lecca protested, as her father snatched her up again. ¡°I like the big obors. They¡¯re nice creatures! Can we keep them?¡± ¡°Absolutely not! The humans are people. How would you like being ¡®kept?¡¯¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you and Mom do to me.¡± Gress¡¯ face looked horrified, enough so that it was comical. ¡°You¡¯re not a possession!¡± ¡°Then I can leave?¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°So you¡¯re keeping me ¡®hostage¡¯, just like the people you were supposed to help free at your old job.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not¡­you¡¯re a child. We¡¯re responsible for you until you get old enough to understand things, like how anything that talks isn¡¯t something that belongs to you.¡± ¡°PLEEEASE keep them? I¡¯ll take such good care of them¡ª¡± ¡°The answer is no! You¡¯re going back to your mother, right now. Run along! Now, or you won¡¯t get to see Juvre for [a month]!¡± ¡°You¡¯re so mean. The humans are way better than you. Bye Taylor! Bye Cherise!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see you later, Lecca,¡± Cherise said, while I struggled with the fact the child thought it was okay to keep us like obors. ¡°Good luck at your dance recital.¡± ¡°Thanks!¡± The tiny child scampered off, returning to where her mother was waiting; Gress pressed his claws to his face in embarrassment, clearly mortified by everything Lecca had said. An apologetic glint flashed in his eyes, as he finally looked back at us. I stood up, hearing a loud pop from my stiff knees, and waited for the Krev to say the first word. He was silent for a few steps, herding us toward a security checkpoint by Delegates Tower. Cherise seemed amused by the entire debacle, and seeing her on the verge of laughter lifted my mood as well. It was pretty amusing, to hear a child compare being controlled by parents to being a hostage. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that.¡± Gress spoke at last, stopping us just shy of the checkpoint. ¡°I know it sounded awful, but Lecca doesn¡¯t know what she¡¯s saying. I¡¯ll have a talk with her about humans being people, and make sure this never happens again.¡± Cherise¡¯s lips curved up further. ¡°Kids say the damnedest things. Don¡¯t worry about it. I actually thought it was pretty funny.¡± ¡°And I think we should free Lecca,¡± I joked. ¡°You can¡¯t help but have fun at my expense, can you?¡± Gress sighed. ¡°No, I cannot.¡± ¡°We should change the saying ¡®obor enterprise¡¯ to ¡®human enterprise.¡¯¡± ¡°What¡¯s the holdup?¡± A towering pink avian approached, causing me to feel some level of intimidation. She definitely had a few feet of height on me, and from what Gress told us about the Reskets, I didn¡¯t want to pick a fight with one. ¡°Excuse me, but you can¡¯t loiter in this area. The Board is expecting you, so I suggest you complete your scans and get moving.¡± ¡°This is a sensitive first contact, and they¡¯ve been a private people for a long time. I relayed ahead to the Consortium about my concerns; this is a unique scenario. Perhaps we can skip the brain scans, just this once?¡± ¡°There are two decades of tensions between the humans and us. Your request was received and denied. They¡¯ll complete the scans, no exceptions, if they wish to see the Board.¡± Gress winced, before turning a sheepish look on Cherise and I. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s going to¡­scan your mind for any psychological warning signs, and your memories for whether you have any hostile intent toward the Krev. It¡¯s really nothing to worry about. Just step in that gate, stand there for a few seconds, and we can move on to getting aid for Tellus.¡± ¡°Back the fuck up,¡± I hissed. ¡°That machine is going to¡ªcan¡ªread my mind at a glance? That¡¯s not info I want any alien knowing¡­sensitive things about humans, revealed? Why the fuck are you just telling us now?¡± Cherise raised her eyebrows. ¡°I agree. There¡¯s nothing we can keep secret, or to ourselves, if we step in there. That¡¯s putting a lot of faith in the Krev to have our best interests at heart. Being told now¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s being sprung on you, much too fast,¡± Gress finished. ¡°I only didn¡¯t tell you because I thought it¡¯d be avoided, in light of your circumstances¡­and your unfamiliarity with us. If it¡¯s any consolation, every diplomat and visitor does this; the machine only flags warning signs of violence. It¡¯s a way of predicting anyone who¡¯d attack our leaders, and while it¡¯s mainly for the Jaslips, we apply it equally. I have nothing to hide, so I¡¯ll go first.¡± After leaving Juvre with security, the Krev walked into the gate, which scanned him for a brief moment; his identification flashed up on the guard¡¯s console, and after the machine announced that no threats were detected, she buzzed him on. Should I follow, forsaking all notions of privacy, or risk offending our hosts by refusing and booking it back to the train? My mind was racing, hoping to do what was best for all of humanity¡ªfor our future. The fact was that we needed the Consortium¡¯s help, and given their tech level, if they wanted to hurt us, we were through. If this was a necessary part of diplomatic relations with them, we¡¯d have to bite the bullet eventually. I ambled forward, as the Resket guard fixed me with an impatient look. Gress seemed relieved that I went along with it, and perhaps a little surprised. That Krev must have a certain opinion on my obstinance. I stood inside of the chamber, trying to keep as still as possible; my head turned back in the direction I¡¯d come from. Cherise gave me a reassuring smile, showing support for my decision. I wasn¡¯t sure what the machine would do to me, because unlike Gress, it would be unable to recognize my biometrics or my species at all. I waited, feeling my heart rate accelerate. This is a bad experience for anyone who¡¯s claustrophobic. It¡¯s smaller than the lift we rode to Tellus¡¯ surface, though it has quite a bit of height to accommodate Reskets¡­ ¡°Error: species not recognized,¡± a mechanical voice stated. ¡°Please wait. Scanning. Requesting operator input for species name.¡± The Resket leaned over her console, tapping a microphone. ¡°Human.¡± ¡°Biometric data classified. The subject is showing high levels of brain activity consistent with stress. Rising pulse suggests duress. Should we pause the scan?¡± ¡°No.¡± I clasped my sweaty palms together, waiting as it scanned the contents of my brain. ¡°Can we just¡­get this over with? Gress¡¯ ordeal was a lot faster.¡± ¡°Well, it must not like something it sees with you,¡± the Resket responded. ¡°Wonderful. Do enlighten me on my thought crimes.¡± The machine flashed an abysmal red color, as if in response to me. ¡°Alert. Subject is presently showing signs of head trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder. There are numerous instances of contemplating violence upon Krev representatives, including one case of a tangible assault. The following problems have also been flagged: resentment toward the Krev government, fantasies of revenge, severe disillusionment, and xenophobia toward all alien lifeforms.¡± I scratched my neck. ¡°That¡¯s a nice party trick. So I can go in?¡± ¡°Those fantasies of violence toward the Krev aren¡¯t current,¡± Gress interjected. ¡°It said nothing about present inclinations toward violence. Come on, let him through.¡± The Resket guard hesitated, before pressing a wing against the console to grant me authorization. I hurried over to Gress, grateful for his aid getting me out of that box; I¡¯d felt pretty vulnerable, with it somehow picking apart my every desire and past deed. The Krev rent collector looked a little concerned for me, perhaps having heard the machine label me as a poster child for PTSD. I guessed that answered the question about whether the Consortium called everything predator disease. Either way, it wasn¡¯t a topic I wished to discuss; Cherise loped into the scanning chamber, with some hesitation, and I waited for it to slap labels on her. ¡°Unknown individual from the species, human. Cataloging,¡± the machine pronounced. ¡°The subject shows moderate levels of resentment toward the Krev Consortium. No history of violent behavior or recurring fantasies.¡± The Resket stared at Cherise for an extra second, beak parting in thought, before granting her entry. Gress steered us through the lobby of the tower, eager to get away from the bird¡¯s scrutiny. The Krev led us further back into the building, descending a flight of stairs into a ¡°basement¡± below the tower. We passed by a series of offices, for what I ventured were like government department heads; security increased as we moved further toward the back, though they all waved us on. Our guide only stopped as we strolled into a meeting room, where members of all six species waited on ergonomic ¡°thrones¡± of sorts. I tried to clear my head, realizing that this was our destination. These were the leaders of the Consortium: the ones I needed to convince to aid us, and to help bring humanity back from the brink of extinction. The five aside from the Krev representative wouldn¡¯t be moved by us being primates, so I couldn¡¯t use that as a fallback. With our very future in the balance, I waited for the delegates to speak their first words to an unmasked human. Chapter 2-21 Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist Date [standardized human time]: March 21, 2160 My gaze wasn¡¯t sure where to settle, between the six lazing diplomats from each species. Every set of eyes was on me, from the Ulchid who had her tail-leg curved beneath her like a mermaid, to the curled-up Smigli, to the Trombil, whose eye socket was evidently made of metal. I approached the table with a sheepish posture, and watched Cherise tiptoe forward with trepidation. However, it was Gress who seemed the most uncomfortable of us all, standing in this room. The Krev delegate stood from his chair to greet my friend, his expression brimming with reverence and pride. The rent collector became more hunched over, like he was resisting the urge to curl up into a ball. If the effervescent leader noticed, he gave no indication of it. ¡°Gress; if it isn¡¯t always a pleasure to see you! I don¡¯t know how you convinced the humans to tell you the truth, but you came through once again,¡± the delegate announced. ¡°The greatest miracle worker of a generation.¡± ¡°Delegate Riccin,¡± Gress¡¯ eyes flicked toward me, silently communicating that all he did was get bludgeoned over the head and scream at me. ¡°I hope that the Planetary Board is briefed on everything I documented about the humans. We have a moral duty to help these downtrodden refugees, after we¡¯ve unwittingly worsened their plight.¡± A Resket pointed his beak straight at me, his long, pink-feathered neck holding eerily still. ¡°It was impossible to know that the humans were refugees, when they hid away their lives and their faces. They pushed us away at every turn, and didn¡¯t honor their bargains. Not to mention, everything they did say was a lie or an omission.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to apologize for that,¡± I piped up tentatively. ¡°From our point of view, every species we¡¯ve ever encountered wished us dead when they saw our eyes. You¡¯re clearly a more powerful group of species¡ªwe knew that even before we witnessed your tech level here. We didn¡¯t want you to finish us off.¡± ¡°No, I understand that, human. After how every species has treated you¡­reduced to a population in the mere thousands, probably no more than the number of people who work on this floor¡­you¡¯re wary. I wouldn¡¯t be a fan of aliens if all I knew was the Federation either. I¡¯m General Radai, Resket delegate and leader of the Consortium military.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Taylor, and that¡¯s Cherise. No fancy titles for either of us, but we¡¯re honored to be here.¡± ¡°This one likes blowing smoke up our tail feathers, huh? Knock it off. No wonder Gress saw through your phony spiel about covering your faces. Look, whatever debates we might¡¯ve had in the past about putting an end to your little villa, that¡¯s over. All¡¯s forgiven. I just don¡¯t agree with the sole blame of this debacle being placed on our wings.¡± Riccin, the Krev leader, settled back in his seat. ¡°It¡¯s not so important to worry about blame or the past. We need to focus on protecting them from the Federation, now that we know the truth.¡± ¡°As long as the humans are through with this mask-wearing, secrecy wormshit, everything will be fine.¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to be transparent as possible,¡± I replied. ¡°Anything you want answered about our culture, just ask. We¡¯ve already shared what little we have of Earth with Gress.¡± Cherise straightened, raising a finger. ¡°Hang on a minute. How serious is the Consortium about respecting religious customs?¡± ¡°We¡¯re accommodating of all faiths,¡± the Smigli answered, rotating their stubby arms. ¡°My name¡¯s Viddel, for what it¡¯s worth. Let us know if we¡¯ve violated any of your genuine observances.¡± ¡°I¡¯m working on that. I heard what Radai said about mask-wearing ¡®wormshit.¡¯ There are multiple Terran faiths which use some kind of head covering legitimately. I feel compelled to speak up, before any discrimination starts. Are you going to look down on them for hiding their faces, or downplay the cultural importance of that?¡± Seeing the representatives¡¯ confusion, I jumped in to elaborate. ¡°For instance, there¡¯s a man named Aadan who is a Sikh. He wears a turban, which is a sort of wrap around his hair, as a sign of purity and devotion before his God. One of the nicest, most progressive individuals in the colony.¡± ¡°Taylor cites one of many examples. Muslim women cover their faces with a hijab or a burka, as a sign of modesty. Catholic nuns wear a veil to show devotion, and then there¡¯s smaller symbols like yamakas¡ª¡± Radai shoved his beak into his wing. ¡°You have all of these examples of genuine religious requirements for face coverings, and you didn¡¯t think to use one of them to explain your constant self-concealment?! I won¡¯t pretend to understand, but that would¡¯ve sold your ¡®private culture¡¯ much better.¡± ¡°We considered it, but there¡¯s too many predatory elements to almost every faith: we could never hand over our religious texts. Even the most pacifist, vegetarian, and all-that beliefs would¡¯ve mentioned violence or hunting, regardless of if it was only to disavow them.¡± Viddel seemed to communicate their emotional shifts through slight wiggles. ¡°Please do provide information on your faiths and customs to our cultural sensitivity departments, Taylor. That¡¯s one of the branches with the highest number of Smigli staffers, I¡¯ll add.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be important to document and pass on human customs¡­if we help raise a new generation of humans. That¡¯s what we¡¯re here to talk about, right? They¡¯re one natural disaster away from extinction,¡± Gress ventured. ¡°I think we all agree that we¡¯re going to help them. The question is deciding what each species can offer them.¡± Riccin¡¯s gaze floated over Cherise and I, softening in the way a human¡¯s would glancing at a cute puppy. ¡°Your proposal for ectogenesis was clever, but I believe that would be the Trombil¡¯s department. Evala, would you care to do the honors?¡± The Trombil delegate turned her head fully toward me, and with the reptile addressing me, I could no longer avoid looking at her uncanny features. One of her eyes was missing altogether, replaced by a central robotic socket and metal splotches that were melded down the side of her face; where her iris should¡¯ve been, there was only a lapis blue glow. When I fully leveled my binocular vision on her, it was impossible not to notice that her face was just the start of the cybernetic implants. Every one of her limbs was replaced by metal, not even attempting to hide their artificiality with fake skin. I would¡¯ve never gawked at someone for utilizing prosthetics, except that I got the impression Evala had amputated her real limbs by choice. The arms appear to have more supple manipulators, while the legs look longer than what Gress showed me in holograms. Do the Trombil see technology as a way to¡­improve their capabilities, like strength or speed? ¡°Like what you see?¡± Evala teased, brightening her bioluminescent shell briefly in what I inferred to be a playful gesture. ¡°The Trombil integrate technology as much as possible, going beyond where other species are willing to venture. Machines can do so much more than we ever could. Stronger, faster, smarter. Why not embrace the possibility of exceeding our natural limits?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve just never seen anything on this level. We have prosthetics at home, but nothing¡­consider it a compliment that I¡¯m continually amazed and shellshocked by the Consortium¡¯s tech level,¡± I managed. ¡°You can speak your mind. Radai was right to chastise you. For what it¡¯s worth, you¡¯re hardly the only one to be leery of replacing parts of yourself with mechanical ones; we¡¯ve been trying to persuade the Reskets to adopt them for military uses. Imagine the military implications¡­being able to lift slabs of rubbles that are [hundreds of pounds.] Being able to see in heat vision, and with an information overlay that maps the landscape and monitors your vitals, in real time. Having the option to shut off your brain¡¯s pain receptors if you¡¯re captured. Downloading information instantly, instead of having briefings, and upping processing levels to¡ª¡± ¡°Yes, yes, we get it, Evala. You don¡¯t need to preach to the newbies.¡± Radai hissed with irritation, spreading his wings to make himself even larger. ¡°We can enhance our capabilities without drilling out our eyes. Ever heard of contact lenses? You can have an augmented reality overlay, and turn it off when the day is done. Meanwhile, you¡¯re a walking EMP target.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re just a walking target, being [nine feet] tall! Being the strongest doesn¡¯t mean much when you¡¯re the easiest to hit with a bullet.¡± Gress issued a nervous laugh, drawing attention his way. ¡°Why don¡¯t we focus on aid for Tellus? Every second we spend bickering is an extra second the humans are stuck in that hovel.¡± ¡°The primates should come live on Avor, if it¡¯s that shoddy. At least long enough for construction to take place,¡± Riccin said. ¡°We¡¯d like our own space.¡± Cherise shot down the suggestion, clasping her hands behind her back. ¡°The worst part of our hovel was the back-breaking labor and lack of sunlight. Fixing those two issues would mean marked improvement.¡± Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. We¡¯ll return everything that was collected as payment, and it¡¯ll only be a drop in the bucket. If you won¡¯t come here, it would mean a lot to us if we put this ¡®exchange program¡¯ idea into effect. We¡¯d also like to arrange a travel flow, to improve much more than those basics.¡± ¡°I think I speak for all of us in saying that we¡¯d welcome all of the help, and that we accept your hand of friendship. Tell you the truth, it¡¯s like finding an oasis in the desert. I¡¯m curious to know the estimates for your construction plans, and just what you plan to give us.¡± Well shit, Cherise is doing my job better than I am. It¡¯s a good thing she came with me, because Gress should¡¯ve never requested that I handle this. Humanity needs a better representative, but thankfully, this is my last hurrah. The light flickered in Evala¡¯s bionic eye for a moment, before refocusing. ¡°I ran a quick series of calculations. With the Krev supplying the necessary materials, we should be able to 3D-print a proper metropolis aboveground and haul in orbital defense platforms in six weeks time. I¡¯m afraid constructing a full cage and ring system¡ªRiccin¡¯s specialty¡ªwill be an even lengthier process, years-long.¡± My jaw just about dropped to the floor. ¡°¡®Even lengthier?¡¯ You¡¯re telling me you can build like, skyscrapers, roads, transits¡ªthat kind of metropolis¡ªin weeks?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s what you want. We¡¯ll leave it up to Tellus¡¯ settlers to decide the specifications you have in mind, and to review any changes you might need for culture or biology.¡± ¡°A good example is Ulchids having three legs, so we don¡¯t do stairs,¡± the tripedal delegate offered her first words. ¡°Ramps and chutes are much more our style.¡± A mental image floated through my head of an Ulchid traveling down a floor via slides; I raised a hand over my lips, trying to hide my smirk. If we were allowed to change specifications, we should request chutes as a descent option¡ªbecause that would be fun. Actually, forget about going down a few floors; we should have these Consortium planners whip up an automated amusement park, like what we used to have on Earth. Something like those train tunnels from the Space Rings could become the galaxy¡¯s tallest roller coaster, the centerpiece. I found myself getting rather swept up in the idea, after the Ulchid¡¯s remark, though I tried to bring myself back down to Avor. Now that the triped had spoken up, the Jaslip representative was the only one who hadn¡¯t said a peep. I pursed my lips, before lowering my palm. ¡°I didn¡¯t catch your name.¡± ¡°Dioki. I don¡¯t feel the need to say much, other than that we¡¯ll hook you up with FTL comms and keep the supplies flowing. Logistics are our department, so you¡¯ll have as much food, medicine, and commodities as you need,¡± the Ulchid answered. ¡°Great. As Gress so diplomatically pointed out, we¡¯re not exactly living in excess.¡± I hesitated, finding myself unable to bite back the question about the Consortium¡¯s singular, Federation-like focus on one area. Well, Radai and Evala told me to be a straight shooter, right? ¡°If I may, I have some questions about the Consortium. I¡¯ve been told that you all take on a specialty, for the group, but I find it¡­strange that your whole species would only do one thing, like them.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like every Ulchid works in one avenue. It just has the bulk of the government¡¯s backing, Taylor. This way, it devotes an entire planet¡¯s resources, and unites us behind a single-goal. All species can feel like they contribute to the Consortium, and it makes it clear-cut who to talk to for any particular thing.¡± Radai raised his head with pride. ¡°We all have areas of strength to complement each other. I agree with the human¡¯s assessment that the Federation¡¯s reductionism¡­their homogeneity seems unnatural. However, we found a lesson to be learned in their ways: one worthy of replication by the merits of its efficiency.¡± ¡°At least in the Consortium, our specialty is our choice. We could change it at any time, whereas I get the distinct impression the Federation isn¡¯t so flexible,¡± Evala remarked. The Smigli delegate chuckled. ¡°We all have things to offer you. My people will give you access to entertainment, an entire deluge of media and live performers.¡± ¡°I would like that very much. I was talking about how I¡¯m itching to see live music,¡± I replied, noticing the other representatives¡¯ postures growing dismissive of the oversized worm¡¯s offer. ¡°God, we haven¡¯t had any new entertainment¡ªcertainly not any with a proper production budget¡ªin decades.¡± Radai hissed in irritation. ¡°Your species is nearly eradicated. You don¡¯t need fucking movies. What you need is protection, like Riccin said, and you can count on us to send personnel and bring you some real ships. Feeling safe does a lot more for morale than a damn concert.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no reason the two are mutually exclusive. That said, military and rebuilding are tops on our agenda,¡± I responded. ¡°As a matter of fact, I had some interest in joining the armed forces myself. Finally, you know, being able to fight back against the Federation. Would you take human volunteers, or is it only Reskets?¡± ¡°Would we? Shit, you¡¯re gonna have to get trained our way if you expect us to fork over our ships. We have to know that you can be disciplined and up to snuff, before we trust you with the good stuff. The Consortium military accepts all species into our ranks; it¡¯s just that, even adjusting for other race¡¯s fitness peaks, Reskets are the most capable of completing the grueling training.¡± ¡°Boot camp. That¡¯s something we know a thing or two about,¡± Cherise commented. ¡°I think myself and a lot of the militia would be interested.¡± ¡°That usually scares would-be recruits off. Tell you what: when we start training infantry on Tellus, I¡¯ll oversee you two¡¯s regiment myself. See what you humans are made of¡­and toughen you up as needed. Unless you wimp out, report to whatever base we set up for you.¡± ¡°Great. I¡¯ll be there,¡± I cast a glance at Gress, remembering that he was the one who encouraged me to follow this path. ¡°If I¡¯m not being too nosy, just how many ships do you have in your fleet? You¡¯re way more advanced than them, from what I¡¯ve seen.¡± ¡°Over a million.¡± ¡°Dude¡­and you can really fight. You could kick their sorry behinds! Why keep hiding? You all could take them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s an entire can of insects,¡± Riccin offered. ¡°A constant debate in these walls. The Krev have concerns about killing trillions of civilians, which would be necessary to truly wipe these species out.¡± Dioki parted her rostrum, a forlorn look in her eyes. ¡°Those more in favor of intervention have argued that we¡¯re letting civilians die to the Arxur. It¡¯s like we¡¯re hoping those monsters will do the dirty work for us, frankly.¡± ¡°All that matters is the Consortium¡¯s safety, and eliminating the threat,¡± the Resket squawked, a statement that was quite in line with our colony¡¯s position. ¡°I just don¡¯t want to take the slightest risk of losing due to some unaccounted factor. Scouting could expose us, and that¡¯s why you humans are a gift. You have up-to-date, complete information.¡± I narrowed my eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll give all of you some up-to-date information. The longer we don¡¯t stop them, the greater chance they find another predator race like us, and wipe them out too. That¡¯s who you¡¯re really allowing to die.¡± ¡°I understand your frustration, and for what it¡¯s worth, I agree with the sentiment. However, the more time that we buy for ourselves, the stronger our organization grows. We can¡¯t rush into a war. Consortium wishes to guarantee a swift and decisive win.¡± I bit my tongue, knowing that arguing with the species Gress warned me not to piss off was ill-advised; questioning the Consortium¡¯s agenda during our first meeting wouldn¡¯t earn humanity brownie points. I would love to see the day where we made those bastards pay for what they¡¯d done to Earth, but I was here to improve humanity¡¯s present situation. This pact of six species had offered us everything that we needed to regain our bearings, and then some. At the least, with the Reskets¡¯ training and ship donations, we¡¯d be able to defend themselves if the Federation came to finish the job. We wouldn¡¯t live and toil in underground hovels any longer. I know what every species is willing to chip in, except for the Jaslips. They¡¯re in charge of defenses and evacuations, right? I thought they¡¯d be the most sympathetic, having lost their homeworld to aliens too. ¡°What about you?¡± I ventured, making a sweeping gesture toward the fluffy, three-tailed quadruped. ¡°I¡¯ve heard from the others, but I don¡¯t want to leave you out. Are you willing to help us out?¡± Gress twitched his claws. ¡°Taylor, you might not want to¡­¡± ¡°Frenelda doesn¡¯t speak much, as a form of protest,¡± Evala finished. ¡°I¡¯m not listened to, so why should I speak?¡± The Jaslip perked her triangular ears up, forward-facing eyes locking on the Trombil. ¡°I¡¯d offer to help with your bunker construction, but you seem to have underground complexes pre-built. Can I give you some advice for free?¡± ¡°Gladly,¡± Cherise answered for me. ¡°Whether we have belowground shelters or not, I¡¯m sure we could learn from your expertise.¡± ¡°Hmph. Given your population numbers, I was going to suggest you build a bunker away from your settlement, and keep someone there at all times. For continuity of species. As we both are well aware, you never know when someone is going to bomb your planet without warning.¡± Riccin threw his claws in the air, tongue poking out of his mouth in exasperation. ¡°Really?! Is anything ever not about Esquo?¡± ¡°See, humans? They want me to stay silent, so they can forget what they did.¡± ¡°Leave the primates out of this, Frenelda. They never even had a chance to evacuate Earth, and they lost magnitudes more people than you did¡ªyet you still pity yourself.¡± ¡°You mistake my rage for self-pity. It¡¯s a tragedy what happened to the humans, but you¡¯re going to take it as proof that you had to commit genocide. What I heard is that there were other options; your military is stronger. You could¡¯ve fought them, not us.¡± Radai rose to his feet, intimidating the Jaslip into silence. ¡°That is enough! The humans came here to get aid, and they¡¯ve received it. Now, we haven¡¯t accepted a new race since our foundation, but it should be straightforward. I take it as a formality that you¡¯ll join the Consortium?¡± ¡°Yes, humanity would love the chance to be a part of a¡ª¡± I attempted. ¡°Good. We¡¯ll be in touch, to set up proper channels and coordinate the process. And don¡¯t worry: I¡¯ll follow through on my promise to oversee your training. Humanity will run on good legs. You¡¯re dismissed.¡± The Resket snapped his beak back to Frenelda, and I got the distinct impression they all planned to chew out the Jaslip as soon as we left. A significant part of me wanted to intervene, and tell them to back down, but I knew Mayor Hathaway would have my hide if I screwed up the oodles of aid we¡¯d just been offered. We needed the Consortium¡¯s bountiful assistance, and I couldn¡¯t challenge the Jaslips being tag-teamed while acting as Tellus¡¯ representative. Gress was right about it being a necessary sacrifice, to stop Esquo from meeting Earth¡¯s end, but I understood why the arctic carnivores were bitter. It always stung the most when it was your planet, and your people under siege. Keeping my true opinions to myself for what I hoped was the last time, I followed Gress out of the chamber in silence; Cherise was close behind, after casting a sympathetic glance at Frenelda. I curled my fist into a ball, and tried to remember what was at stake. The Reskets agreed to train the two of us, along with Tellus¡¯ militia personnel. My new life, far away from the political arena, needed to be a way to atone for my mistakes. It was time to offer true service to humanity, and finally have a chance to stand up against anyone who aimed to strike us down. Chapter 2-22 Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem Scientist Date [standardized human time]: March 21, 2160 What a week it had been since the aliens landed in Gray Basin. It was just a few days ago that I had no idea whether Bissems were alone in the universe, and all of the possibilities enraptured my mind. My entire life up to that moment was spent imagining how first contact would play out, and how our species might rise to the occasion. In the time since the Lassian military dragged me off to the transmitted coordinates, my hopes for an innocuous relationship had been dashed. I¡¯d learned of a centuries-long war between people-eating carnivores and hundreds of anti-predators. My visit to Earth, witnessing an alien culture on the ground, had been disrupted by the Yotul¡¯s vows to block our diplomatic efforts. Now, to cap off the taxing timespan, I¡¯d discovered that the Tseia were bombed by aliens meaning to exterminate us with fire¡ªI bet they would¡¯ve been delighted to know our oil secretions made us quite flammable. It was sickening. All the while, I¡¯d needed to stop Dustin from pissing off Zalk and meeting a painful end. There hadn¡¯t been much time to consider how I felt about the Tseia hiding it all, leaving FAI scientists like me in the dark. Coming clean to the Bissem public, this much time later, and revealing that the Tseia kept advancements and key information from us? The Lassian generals were beyond pissed, and Zalk coming here as a diplomat is the only reason he¡¯s getting a quiet welcome. This press conference could be a disaster. ¡°I hope we¡¯re all clear on what¡¯s supposed to be said. Do you really think Bissems can handle the truth?¡± I whispered toward the two aliens, trying not to catch Zalk¡¯s ear. ¡°I don¡¯t know. The humans bounced back from aliens attacking them¡­from hundreds of species calling them awful things.¡± Haliska turned from where she stood beside me; Nulia¡¯s absence was notable, but given her species¡¯ new association, it was a positive that Naltor had gotten her off-world. ¡°There¡¯ll be strong reactions, of course. We need to ride out the waves; the seas will settle down eventually.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just hope ¡®eventually¡¯ means ¡®soon.¡¯ I don¡¯t know how much more of this I can take.¡± Her rotund eyes gleamed with concern. ¡°It must¡¯ve been a lot to take in, and you must feel a lot of pressure, disseminating this to the public. You were made a scientific liaison out of nowhere. How are you holding up, Tassi?¡± ¡°Honestly, I feel this creeping dread. Like I¡¯m waiting for where the next blow is going to come from, and trying to dampen the feelings in advance. I fear my ability to bounce back has been chipped away, but I know this mission is too important to just let¡­crumble.¡± ¡°I was overwhelmed by a few people eating fish. I wouldn¡¯t judge you if you did break. This is a legitimate¡­it¡¯s a disaster of a first contact, Doctor. We¡¯re not setting a good example for future contacts, and for that, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. Your mission is noble, and I get why you rushed into it, trying to save us. Even after hearing his answer to Naltor, I just don¡¯t understand how Dustin can still be so optimistic. He was gushing over Zalk¡¯s customs, right after the Tseia had him tied up and told him about their¡­Starlight Incident.¡± Zalk cackled, revealing that he¡¯d been listening. ¡°That one? Classic martyr¡­he outright said he was willing to die for ¡®peace.¡¯ Continually attempting to sacrifice himself for a higher cause, or for the greater good.¡± ¡°Well, I threw that label at him myself when he wanted to visit you, but it¡¯s more than that. Dustin is the type to see the good in others, and to believe he can facilitate positive change,¡± Naltor countered. ¡°Not dissimilar to you, Tassi, with how you believed the best possibilities at first contact, and tried to talk to our enemies. It¡¯s a mix of na?vety and childlike curiosity. Blind hope.¡± My shoulders slumped. ¡°I know you¡¯re the pessimist and the skeptic¡ª¡± ¡°And I don¡¯t want you to be one. You can choose to hold onto a dream, no matter how distant or unrealistic it is. Do you know why I, a Selmer, left to join an upstart Bissem nation? I want peace and unity on Ivrana, no matter how far-fetched that might be. Isn¡¯t that what you want, but with the galaxy?¡± ¡°Of course it is.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t let them kill your hopes and dreams. Make everything you dream of real, Tassi. If you have to sail halfway across the universe, I believe you¡¯ll find the strength to do it. Leave seeing the bleak to me; you seek out the wonder, and give grumpy old soldiers like me a reason to fight.¡± ¡°What do you know? You can give motivational speeches, Naltor,¡± Dustin quipped, glancing over his shoulder. ¡°I expected you were about to welcome her back to reality. You must have some line tucked away about the perfect philosophy of a cynic.¡± Naltor cast a sly glance at Zalk. ¡°What can I say? The fact that the nomads let your featherless ass go made me believe in miracles.¡± ¡°That was what sold you¡ªnot the fact we survived 300 species hellbent on killing us at our first contact? You guys have it made.¡± ¡°Do we now? Fuck you. Our people were murdered, not even knowing what hit them,¡± the Tseia grumbled. Dustin¡¯s teasing smile faltered. ¡°In some ways, that¡¯s kinder. They didn¡¯t live their last moments in fear. I was only ruffling Naltor¡¯s feathers; I¡¯m sure we can both agree Lassmin has it easy.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not the one who¡¯ll have to suppress the riots,¡± Naltor huffed. ¡°You can get in your spaceship and leave whenever you want.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t have to interact with you. Quick, Hallie, let¡¯s make a run for it!¡± The Thafki¡¯s whiskers twitched. ¡°I can¡¯t run. Me fleeing would trigger all of your predator instincts.¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯re so famous for chasing prey when we go fishing.¡± Naltor patted his thick blubber with a flipper, cementing his sarcastic point. ¡°You know, I think that¡¯d be more up Dustin¡¯s alley.¡± ¡°While we are an Arxur delicacy, I doubt he¡¯d put in the legwork. The only thing he ever attacked for food was a vending machine.¡± ¡°That was one time!¡± the human protested, pitch rising with indignation. ¡°You can¡¯t just let the thing swipe your credits for nothing. Besides, the chips only needed a little help.¡± ¡°It was more than a little. Truly nothing gets between a persistence predator and his catch.¡± ¡°A what now?¡± I asked. Dustin rolled his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later, Tassi. We¡¯re about to be live on the air.¡± It was all I could do to wipe the amused expression from my features, knowing the gravity of the topics we were about to broach to the masses; they couldn¡¯t perceive that a public official was finding the whole debacle amusing. This posse had found a way to lift my spirits, between Naltor¡¯s surprising sensitivity and the aliens¡¯ playfulness. My brain had formed a mental image of Dustin assailing what sounded like a snack dispenser, ramming into the jammed machine with his spindly body. These aliens really weren¡¯t enlightened, but I was starting to think of them as friends¡ªscientific minds that were on my level. It was a silver lining to see that Haliska was warming up around us, and that she could joke about topics like predation or even her species being a delicacy. Of the team members, she¡¯d opened up the least of all about her professional life, only slipping a few bits about the Commune and her parents¡¯ water-related deaths. Actually, what even are her professional qualifications? Hallie was the one trained to administer the translator implants, so perhaps that¡¯s a clue. I hope she¡¯ll prove herself here, and that the public can forgive her panic attack¡ªa subject of rampant speculation. The human clasped his hands in front of him, staring at the camera. ¡°Hello! As many of you know, Haliska fleeing the feast created all sorts of speculation and rumors. I¡¯m sorry to have kept you in suspense, but we¡¯ve been trying to open relations with all governments¡ªso that we could address all people when we talk about the reasons why. Unfortunately, my task is complicated by disturbing, new information we¡¯ve uncovered.¡± ¡°The Lassian government has been working to gauge any threats to our safety, and we¡¯re satisfied that there are none from this human-led organization,¡± General Naltor stated. ¡°Ivrana is experiencing ecological collapse, and the humans initiated contact to help us restore our world to a healthy state,¡± I added, keeping my voice steady. ¡°Discussions with the Tseia have revealed some horrific tragedies, and secrets that we feel all Bissems have the right to know.¡± Haliska flicked her ear. ¡°We¡¯ve been working to uncover the full information, and we¡¯ll be sharing as much as we can about ourselves on the internet, in the name of transparency. What we want is to protect you, and help you navigate what is, frankly, a complex political situation.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to give you the short of it, just like I was given years ago, when we first learned it. I was pulled out of class, sitting in an auditorium, as a researcher from our version of FAI began to talk,¡± Dustin said. ¡°What they told us was that the alien community was terrified of us, because we were a meat-eating species with forward-facing eyes. They deemed us predators. They¡¯d all been fighting a war against the sole sapient carnivores for centuries¡­¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°And those carnivores, the Arxur, would keep species like mine as cattle, and eat them. The Federation demonized everything predatory, and obsessed over ridding anything tangentially related to predators. The Thafki are a broken race to this day, even after the humans liberated the cattle farms. It¡¯s in the back of all of our heads that we¡¯re¡­food. I don¡¯t know how to describe the cultural trauma.¡± ¡°To be clear, the Arxur and the Federation were defeated. Nobody will threaten you today, or hate you the way humanity was hated. You won¡¯t be involved with some psychotic war, or have to deal with the Federation¡¯s cultural erasure. But the legacy is still there; some will fear and distrust you, even if it¡¯s not their intent. I lifted my beak. ¡°Haliska became overwhelmed in the moment, at the feast, because of the clear reminder that she was the only herbivore. That was what happened, and the humans have been forthcoming about everything. They want the galaxy to be better, and to heal its wounds, no matter how gaping they might be.¡± ¡°There has been real progress, and I really was excited to be there. Fishing is an important part of Bissem culture, and you¡¯re not the Arxur,¡± the Thafki added. ¡°As a neuroscientist, it¡¯s been my job to weigh the toll this all might have on your own psyche. I lost sight of mine. I¡¯m sorry for reflecting poorly on aliens, and ruining a beautiful gesture from Lassmin.¡± Haliska is a neuroscientist: brain research. I suppose understanding our chemical reactions and thought processes was important to predicting first contact. That must explain why the translator implants got handed off to her. Dustin lowered his head. ¡°You might wonder why various species behave so strangely. All I can say is we¡¯re working to remove the Federation¡¯s claws. As unsettling of a truth as it is, their efforts to turn other sapients into ¡®perfect prey¡¯ were violations of the rights the Sapient Coalition stands for. Genetic and cultural edits for control don¡¯t vanish in a few decades, I¡¯m afraid.¡± ¡°Yet I¡¯ve seen the humans¡¯ world, living in harmony irregardless of their background. They give their technology and pledge their assistance freely. Dustin has been selfless, risking his life to foster peace,¡± Naltor commented. ¡°The humans are leaders. I believe they can inspire the best in people.¡± ¡°All we¡¯ve ever wanted is friends; our arms are always open. We would never dream of harming you, or trying to change you. I hope you¡¯ll judge us by our peaceful intentions, not the derangement of the past. I hope you¡¯ll feel safe in knowing that science and kindness triumphed over ignorance and tyranny. While I¡¯ll allow Zalk to tell this story, I hope that you¡¯ll find some solace in knowing it will never happen again on our watch.¡± The Tseia looked like he wanted to fold his head feathers over his eyes, when the expectation to speak fell on him. I didn¡¯t know how this revelation would be taken by the masses, or by the other two governments apart from Lassmin. Our leadership had been stunned by the news, according to what Naltor had said, up to the highest echelons of governments; hushed debates over how to handle the deceit had included punitive action against Alsh, though sanctions wouldn¡¯t quite work on isolationists. What would Bissems across the globe think when they heard how the nomads didn¡¯t inform anyone about the attack, and kept the alien technology for themselves? It was a miracle that Naltor could contain his rage, with how they¡¯d kept us in the dark to the threat. I thought that we needed to work together, and that we should take the flipper the Tseia had finally extended, but I wasn¡¯t sure others would agree. That¡¯s not to mention billions of civilians hearing that aliens, from a species that was involved in the first contact party, tried to bomb civilians from orbit¡­to kill us like fish in a net. There was no reason for it, apart from feeling that we deserved death for our nature. Bissems will hear that aliens are crazy and genocidal. Zalk¡¯s gaze wandered, staring anywhere but the camera¡ªconfidence long gone. ¡°We were attacked from the skies by an alien craft back in the 2980s. Our military knocked them down with a missile when they came closer, and was able to scour the wreckage¡­confirming its origin. We expected more to come back, and with a fight being hopeless, we kept it to ourselves. Time passed, and no more arrived¡­we studied the tech, making great discoveries. We didn¡¯t trust others not to weaponize it against us.¡± ¡°Lassmin was not aware, and would¡¯ve never covered up something so critical to all Bissems. We¡¯re telling you as soon as we knew, which was a hundred years late,¡± Naltor commented, going way off-script. ¡°We were scared of a threat we didn¡¯t understand, and we have a long history of outsiders working to undermine us. They could¡¯ve pounced on our weakness, with cities burning. There was no Lassmin then: just centuries-old enemies.¡± ¡°But you didn¡¯t ¡®fess up in the hundred years since. You kept it all for yourselves. You let us send messages into the void that could¡¯ve gotten us all killed. Explain that to the public!¡± Dustin turned a glare on Naltor. ¡°This is not the place or time. People are no doubt frightened, and they need unity. Bissem Unity: isn¡¯t that what Lassmin stands for?¡± ¡°The Tseia only care for themselves. They gambled with our lives in their own self-interest. I¡¯m making a statement on behalf of my nation, that this cannot be allowed to slide down the ice.¡± ¡°Healing wounds and minds is much more important than pride or evening the score. While I wouldn¡¯t tell Bissems how to handle your affairs, I think the fear and the millions dead was a punishment of its own for the Tseia. Please, let¡¯s not create any more fires now; the people have enough to come to terms with.¡± ¡°I know they do. I¡¯m showing that we are demanding accountability for the betrayal of our entire species, even in the darkest times.¡± ¡°What they want is to feel safe! They just heard that aliens came to kill them en masse, and they want to know how Lassmin is protecting their safety. How you can trust humanity, even though it wasn¡¯t us. To be clear, it wasn¡¯t us.¡± ¡°We have no reason to believe humanity had any knowledge of the attack, or any involvement in it,¡± Zalk jumped in. I straightened, eager to divert the conversation. ¡°The humans weren¡¯t even spacefaring when the attack occurred. It wasn¡¯t a sanctioned act of the predecessor forum either, judging by how it didn¡¯t show up on the official records; it was a rogue scout ship of aliens whose job was to target ¡®predator¡¯ wildlife. The humans couldn¡¯t have known.¡± ¡°My species had no knowledge of this either. We didn¡¯t even have our own planet or military at that time,¡± Haliska commented. ¡°The Federation hid many truths from the wider populace. Even so, this wasn¡¯t their doing. They were much more clinical.¡± ¡°As soon as this was brought to our attention, we¡¯ve been trying to get answers, so Bissems can make some sense of this tragedy. We can¡¯t undo the losses, but we can work together to increase Ivrana¡¯s safety.¡± Dustin shot a pointed glance at Naltor and Zalk, before returning his binocular eyes toward the camera. ¡°Understanding your history, without revisionism, will empower you. The only way to diffuse darkness is by shining a light on it.¡± I puffed out my feathers, drawing strength from his steadfast words. ¡°The public should know that our first contact, in the present day, has been much more positive. We have met aliens eager to share their culture, and to save our lives. Let us realize how much of a blessing that is, now more than ever.¡± ¡°The blessing is ours, to be able to share our culture. Too many aliens didn¡¯t accept us either. In that way, I find that humanity and Bissems are brothers and sisters. My promise to all of you is that we¡¯ll make our stellar neighborhood a better place, where these atrocities never happen to anyone. All I ask is that you stay strong, and join us. Thank you for coming to us with open ears, and listening to the full story.¡± Dustin dipped his head toward the cameraman, and I sighed with relief as the signal cut out. Zalk rounded on the larger Selmer almost immediately, once the feed was off; Naltor¡¯s beak hovered right between the Tseia¡¯s eyes, and the two military officers¡¯ posture for a standoff. As a Vritala, with my small body size tailored to enduring the heat, I stood at the lowest height of all of us. The human stepped in before I could weigh the risks of intervention, though he didn¡¯t look the least bit intimidating. He pushed the two Bissems apart, holding them at arm¡¯s length like a living piston. His binocular eyes narrowed with displeasure. How will the other nations handle the Tseia¡¯s betrayal? I doubt Naltor is the only one who wants to go a few rounds with Zalk. Hirsdammit, the public might be calling for blood. ¡°Are you two done with your pissing contest?¡± the alien spat. ¡°This is a delicate situation. I don¡¯t care who was wrong, or who fucked who over. I care about working together now, so that all of Ivrana can reap the benefits. If you¡¯re not with me, I can take my ship back where I came from¡ªbecause officiating your disputes isn¡¯t why I came here.¡± Naltor stepped back, folding his flippers. ¡°I¡¯ve said what I wanted to say. The Tseia deserved to squirm a little in front of the whole world.¡± ¡°You cloacabeak. Why don¡¯t you suck my¡ª¡± Zalk began. Dustin stamped his foot. ¡°Enough! Tassi, thank you for actually tending to the people¡¯s feelings on television.¡± ¡°I want what you want. Peace here, and peace with the galaxy,¡± I answered. ¡°I¡¯m with you to the end. Just please, no matter what these chucklefucks do, don¡¯t take off on your ship. If you give up, I think I will too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere, but we need to learn to get along. It¡¯s clear that introductions to the SC will have to wait, though don¡¯t worry; Nulia has returned home to spread the news of the Starlight Incident far and wide. I¡¯m hopeful it¡¯ll ease the Yotul¡¯s resistance, and I¡¯ll keep you posted. In the meantime, we should see how the public responds, and wait for Bissems to sort out your own squabbles over this trainwreck of a first contact.¡± Naltor arced a flipper in a whimsical gesture. ¡°That¡¯s not fair to trainwrecks. They¡¯re not this catastrophic.¡± ¡°Zalk¡¯s right. You are a cloacabeak.¡± ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, the calamitousness of this mission is where Naltor and I agree,¡± the Tseia chimed in, his voice calm once more. ¡°I came here to accept humanity¡¯s friendship. However, the Selmer will not humiliate me, or put me in a position where I have to defend myself, again. I¡¯ve thought much about how Dustin asked if we were miserable; it would be merciful to have someone stand beside us.¡± Haliska¡¯s ears perked up. ¡°The Sapient Coalition will. We should spend some time getting to know each other, in a more lighthearted scenario¡ªlike friends do. Naltor and Tassi benefitted from seeing us as people. I have a suggestion for what we could do, that¡¯d make Zalk feel at home: and that we¡¯d all recognize.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that? I wouldn¡¯t mind a little boating, and feeling the sea spray on my beak. I¡¯ve never seen the waters or the lands away from Alsh.¡± ¡°That could be arranged, but it wasn¡¯t what I had in mind. How about a game of Migration? It¡¯s one of the few Tseia cultural exports we could find. I wager I can kick everyone here¡¯s ass.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s impressive that you know how to play, but I highly doubt you can beat a skilled player. I¡¯m not the type to let you win.¡± Dustin¡¯s teeth bared with devilish delight. ¡°Oh, you better watch out for Hallie. She¡¯s a Migration menace.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be the first one out, but count me in,¡± I remarked. ¡°Naltor?¡± Naltor sighed. ¡°Hallie spanked us all when we played on the ship, but I wasn¡¯t ready for her wily strategy. I¡¯m itching for some sweet revenge¡­and to beat a Tseia at his own game.¡± ¡°It¡¯s so on,¡± Zalk fired back. While the rest of the world reacted to the news we had just unloaded on them, I followed the first contact team to play a Bissem boardgame; after all that had been heaped onto our plates, it would bring some much needed pleasure to our time together. I knew that the general reaction to the press conference would be on everyone¡¯s minds, but we could go over it later. At the heart of my worries, I hoped that other important individuals, beyond just Naltor, could put their resentment toward the Tseia aside. With an indefinite buffer already proposed by Dustin, the last thing I wanted was our Sapient Coalition introduction to be delayed even further. Chapter 2-23 Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem Scientist Date [standardized human time]: March 23, 2160 Scrolling through the top broadcasts now, I saw that much like at first contact, the titles were replete with aliens. This time, every topic that we had discussed in our disclosure conference showed up in the headings. Panels debated the Tseia¡¯s coverup of first contact, while also reenacting how the Starlight Incident played out; historians offered insight into how the attack affected the Space Race and the Global War, some even laying out alternate timelines¡ªwho might have control of Nelmin, the continent that was off-limits post-war, otherwise. The treaty that ended that vicious conflict was waddling on thin ice, after the Nomads still refused to share their technology. That was an entire can of worms, after seeing their complex cities and their computers, which had advanced enough to perplex humans. There were some videos exploring Terran culture at face value, but most of the focus on our visitors was about the explosive revelations¡ªthe mother of all wars in the galaxy, complete with people eating. Could species with that much baggage be trusted? What happened if these exterminators attacked us again; what would¡¯ve happened years ago if the rogue ship that attacked the Tseia got away, and the Federation tried to cure us? Those were valid questions, and it didn¡¯t help knowing that much of the galaxy viewed all carnivores as monsters; our cultures were incompatible, with how deeply Ivrana¡¯s identity was rooted in fishing. I scrolled past one feed asking why we should even join the Sapient Coalition, or befriend humanity at all. I hoped that was just one Bissem¡¯s opinion, and that it didn¡¯t get back to the Yotul camp. How will the SC react to carnivores being murdered from above? Is it just another raid in their history of death? Do they care at all, when they didn¡¯t want to contact Bissems with our planet on the precipice of ecological destruction? A novel banner caught my attention, suggesting it was breaking news; the amount of viewers was climbing in rapid fashion, drawn in by a headline that shouldn¡¯t be true. The Confederation of Vrital and the Merlei Huddledom¡ªthe two other nations on our world, lifelong enemies from the most separated of subspecies¡ªhad declared war on the Tseia Nomads for their endangerment of Ivrana, and for hoarding alien technology that could better our planet. Horror gripped my heart, though my eyes were glued to the screen. This was exactly what I feared: a new Global War breaking out due to heightened resentments. Lassmin was remaining neutral, according to the subtitles on the thumbnail, despite the pleas of the anti-Tseia factions. This was a fucking disaster. Millions could die, and the Sapient Coalition would never see us as unified, after we immediately declared war on each other after first contact. Whatever sympathy points the Starlight Incident had scored us, this would paint us as violent monsters, like the Arxur! I began to tug on my feathers with distress, as a chipper Naltor barged into my room. ¡°Ah, Doctor Tassi. I take it you¡¯ve seen the news of the war? Honestly, good on the Selmer¡­and you Vritala, I guess, for holding the Tseia accountable,¡± Naltor said. I waved my flippers in exasperation. ¡°Is this what you wanted? Did you advocate for Lassmin to go to war?¡± ¡°No¡­peace among ourselves would be useful at a time like this, and it¡¯s not ideal. But, this does shake out to our benefit. The Tseia ask us for help, because they need fucking allies, and in exchange, we get a hold of their technology. That¡¯s how we become a power that the SC will respect, and that can guide Bissems to the unified era we always wanted.¡± ¡°This has to be stopped! Throwing soldiers at Alsh will have bodies piling up on the beach¡­and there¡¯s nuclear missiles involved. We need to play peacekeeper, before this gets ugly. We have to speak to Dustin and Hallie!¡± ¡°Dustin and Hallie have been in calls all morning, so I¡¯d wager they already know; I don¡¯t think we should encourage aliens to intercede in our disputes. There¡¯s a rightful grievance against the Tseia, and letting it slide will make the public more riotous than they already are.¡± ¡°Every grievance doesn¡¯t need to be settled with bombs. You really believe that the Huddledom or the Confederation would¡¯ve shared the tech freely, if it happened to them.¡± ¡°I imagine they would¡¯ve held back a little, for their national interest, but there were bigger fucking issues at play. They wouldn¡¯t have kept everyone completely unaware with short-sighted cowardice. This war will take some struggle, of course, but the end result is a more equitable world. Dustin said to resolve our squabbles, and delayed our SC introduction because he expected this.¡± ¡°Dustin said we need to learn to get along.¡± ¡°Ask Zalk why the Tseia still refuse to share. They won¡¯t open up out of the goodness of their hearts, because they¡¯re only out for themselves. You can¡¯t have peace until they stop being who they¡¯ve always been.¡± My eyes narrowed with anger. ¡°I thought you wanted what was best, Naltor: that you really cared! There are much bigger fucking issues at play here, and you¡¯re being every bit as short-sighted as the Tseia.¡± ¡°I do want what¡¯s best for Bissemkind, Tassi. That isn¡¯t pretending Zalk and his shifty lot did nothing wrong. Plus, I was realistic enough to expect this as a necessity that was bound to happen sooner or later, the moment we heard the Nomads¡¯ story.¡± ¡°Fuck being realistic¡­and fuck being a part of any of this shit! Why me? Why did you and your soldiers have to grab me? I know I wrote the first contact procedures, but I wasn¡¯t your only choice. You had the whole of FAI to pick from.¡± ¡°Doctor Tassi, aliens were always your calling. You told Dustin you¡¯d be dead if you hadn¡¯t been searching for aliens. It was the only thing you ever dreamed of,¡± Naltor answered. ¡°You can¡¯t teach that passion. I was frightened of the unknown, and I wanted someone who wouldn¡¯t be. Someone who was ready.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m not ready. I wasn¡¯t ready for a fucking war, and for all the death and awful things up there! I wanted friends, Hirsdammit.¡± The Selmer pressed a flipper to my shoulder. ¡°You have friends from the stars. A war, or whatever those SC diplomats think of Bissems for it, won¡¯t change how Haliska, Nulia, and Dustin feel about you. You¡¯ve been considerate to them from the start, and you didn¡¯t hesitate to risk your life for their mission.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t fix this. I can¡¯t represent us well enough to make the SC like us, or package it up to the public like it¡¯s not fishshit.¡± ¡°But we can make the most of our circumstances. I know you¡¯re hurting, Tassi. I also know that you¡¯ll still do whatever it takes, even if it¡¯s just to change a single heart. Let¡¯s go find the space nerds, and figure out what we¡¯re doing next. Our fight for friendship is far from over.¡± ¡°You win, General. Take me to wherever the space nerds are¡ªbut you better not pick a fight with Zalk. I can¡¯t deal with that shit now.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll promise just this once,¡± he chuckled. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. I followed the much taller, blubbery Bissem out of my diplomatic suite, through the halls of the Lassian reception complex. The Bissem guards still seemed unaccustomed to having aliens walking about, after days of playing host to them, which was a testament to how quickly Naltor had adapted. The general confused me oftentimes, touting lofty ideas like ¡°Bissem Unity¡± and offering comfort; then he¡¯d turn and suggest ruthless, opportunistic ideas for Lassian military gains. What made someone like that tick might be forever a mystery, but after everything that had happened, his paranoid accounting for worst case scenarios was a little reassuring. We turned toward a conference hall, just as a human came barreling out of the hall. Dustin looks like he¡¯s at a loss¡ªpoor guy. Naltor must¡¯ve been wrong about him expecting all-out war. ¡°Hey, Dustin. Are you okay? I hope¡­this isn¡¯t getting to you. I know it¡¯s a roadbump for our plans with the SC,¡± I began. The human scratched the scalp beneath his curly, brown hair. ¡°Oh, no, it¡¯s not that¡ªawful as it is to see. Obviously, we¡¯re not talking to the SC for at least a month, but we¡¯re going to push for peace as best as we can¡­and we¡¯re working on the Yotul. That¡¯s being handled, and I have faith that time can make things better.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s troubling you?¡± Naltor demanded. ¡°You were running out of here like your tail oil was on fire.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have that idiom, but I get it. I was just about to gather you two and Zalk; we really need to talk. I don¡¯t want to say anything until you¡¯re all here, because frankly, I¡¯m at a loss.¡± ¡°Dustin Leo Curtis.¡± The alien made a disgruntled face at Naltor, irritated that the Selmer overheard his adoptive mother chew him out for gallivanting off to Alsh. ¡°Are we in danger? Don¡¯t you dare do your awkward and shy, ¡®beat around the sea kelp¡¯ shit.¡± ¡°Hey, I don¡¯t like giving people bad news, and I always have to! But no, you¡¯re not in danger, aside from the fact that 75% of your planet is at war. We¡¯ve been investigating the Starlight Incident, and we¡¯ve made some discoveries about it. You all have the right to be brought up to speed.¡± ¡°Then we should get the wanderbird.¡± A door popped open, revealing that Zalk had been listening in on our conversation. ¡°I¡¯m right here. This wanderbird agrees that Dustin beats around the sea kelp. Why don¡¯t you start talking about these discoveries?¡± ¡°Or, better idea.¡± The human slunk back into the conference room, and waved a hand at the table. ¡°Haliska tells you, and I spectate this one?¡± ¡°Fine by me, as long as someone fucking tells me.¡± I settled beside the Terran, feeling a bit of relief that his faith was unshaken by the war; it gave me a mentality to model, much more than Naltor¡¯s shrewd realism. There were no hints of what they¡¯d found out about the Starlight Incident, which led me to comb through possibilities. I hated how my brain began by working through the worst options, rather than taking an optimistic view. It was all I could do not to recite a mantra to myself, begging that this discovery wouldn¡¯t shock me to my core again. Whatever Haliska was about to divulge to us, they had been searching the Missing Ship Registry for matching context. The most likely answer was that the aliens identified the culprits. It¡¯s weird that it took them so long, with a specific date, type of ship apparent from the wreckage, and primary species that would show on the manifest. Perhaps they were just trying to be certain, to give us a complete picture? The Thafki made some signal with her tail at Dustin, who waved a hand dismissively. ¡°Right then. I¡¯ll keep the preamble at a minimum, unlike my friend, but let¡¯s just say there were some things that were¡­odd, even for a Federation scouting expedition. A Gojid exterminator ship, traveling alone, far away from their territory? It would be one thing if nearby species like the Nevoks or the Letians asked for help, but there¡¯s zero record of that. There¡¯s zero record of this ship at all.¡± ¡°You¡­no, Dustin said you kept track of missing ships in a registry. Why the fuck wouldn¡¯t it be on there? Nobody noticed a missing starship?¡± a skeptical Zalk asked. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m telling you: we don¡¯t know. We can¡¯t identify the ship, and it¡¯s not in any of our databases; there¡¯s no record of it ever being built, not in Gojid territory or in anything around here. It¡¯s a ghost, as the humans say.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s really fucking helpful. You¡¯re telling us nothing new¡­you¡¯re telling us nothing at all.¡± ¡°While you might be disappointed in our inability to find any info, it does tell us there¡¯s more here than a simple colony scout on a routine bombing mission. The possibilities are unsettling, and don¡¯t make sense on their own; it¡¯s almost like they went looking for trouble, but we need more info to say why. We would like access to the Gojid corpses to see if we can salvage genetic material, and identify them that way.¡± ¡°Done. I thought you were going to tell us who those bastards were.¡± ¡°We¡¯re trying, and we will. We¡¯re bringing in more investigators to piece it together, but we want to keep the Tseia in the loop. You¡¯ll know what we know, when we know it.¡± Dustin raised his eyebrows. ¡°You deserved to be aware that my theory wasn¡¯t quite meeting with the picture the evidence painted. I can admit when I¡¯m off the mark, but I would never want you believing that I purposefully misled you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the least of my concerns. Your honesty is admirable, and a quality that we need more of on Ivrana,¡± Naltor remarked. ¡°It seems worrying that you can¡¯t identify them, especially when they were behind an attack on our planet,¡± I murmured. ¡°How can we be sure they aren¡¯t still around?¡± Haliska pressed a paw to her blue-gray forehead. ¡°We can¡¯t; there are exterminator radicals still around today. The idea of ghost bombers flying far away from their turf doesn¡¯t sit well with us. At any rate, this can¡¯t be premeditated if they were alone, and never came back here in a hundred years.¡± ¡°What happens when you figure out who¡¯s behind this?¡± Zalk demanded. ¡°Barring cryogenic shit, everyone involved is dead. We can¡¯t hold them to justice, but we can find out why they were in this system. We¡¯ll make sure this was a one-off thing with a single ghost ship.¡± ¡°The more we learn about the Starlight Incident, the better for all of us. That¡¯s more details we can give to the SC, and more of a distraction from the fact that a giant war broke out on Ivrana.¡± Dustin¡¯s lips curved downward, suggesting he was more troubled by the war than he let on. ¡°We control the narrative. We show that these are ripple effects of the Federation, and that noninterference is a nonstarter.¡± Naltor slapped a flipper on the table. ¡°Dustin Leo Curtis. That¡¯s the most imperialistic shit you¡¯ve ever said.¡± ¡°General Naltor Cloacabeak¡ªthat¡¯s your last name in my book¡ªVrit is not my native tongue, so my phrasing¡¯s not perfect. You know I mean, well, helping your oceans not die and giving you a technology upgrade.¡± ¡°Which we¡¯re grateful for,¡± I jumped in, not wanting to give Dustin the slightest encouragement to abandon us. ¡°Whatever the Yotul think, you¡¯re being responsible with how you share your gifts, and you¡¯re trying to save lives. As hectic as this all has been, your mission demonstrates the enlightenment I hoped for from aliens.¡± ¡°I hope you¡¯re right, Tassi. We¡¯re trying to do right by you, and not to push you down the path we want, like the Federation. I hope this is what¡¯s best for Bissems.¡± ¡°As do I. This war could get nasty, and that¡¯s not something I want to see. There¡¯s been enough bloodshed.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Zalk sighed. ¡°We tried to open up to the Huddledom and the Confederation, but they immediately forced the issue, trying to take as much as possible from us. No sharing information, or two-way dialogue about meeting aliens. It¡¯s ¡®what can you give us?¡¯¡± Haliska tilted her head, pupils migrating as she searched for a tactful response. ¡°Well, we¡¯re giving you whatever information we can, because that¡¯s what friends do. This is an unusual case for all of us, but I hope that we¡¯ll be able to offer answers soon.¡± ¡°Yes, I think that¡¯ll be all about our investigation!¡± Dustin exclaimed, cutting off Naltor¡¯s attempt to return to the subject of war. ¡°Thanks for coming in here. I promise, we¡¯ll be working on the SC, and getting you to a meeting in some form. A month or two from now, maybe things will look different. Don¡¯t stress yourselves.¡± ¡°Whenever it¡¯s time to plead our case to the galaxy, I¡¯ll be ready.¡± I stood from my seat, making a pointed gesture for Naltor to do the same. ¡°On the bright side, we have more time to get acquainted with each other. Let us know if there¡¯s anything we can do.¡± It was as if I couldn¡¯t escape the meeting quickly enough, with all of the Bissems¡¯ concerns being hurled around. Ivrana was at war amid public outcry, to the detriment of our Sapient Coalition bid; the delay to our introduction was now a certainty. It would be a waiting game to see when, or if, humanity could even get us in the door with the galactic community¡ªwhich had an entire host of problems. Now, we found out that the aliens couldn¡¯t guarantee that the Gojids, who¡¯d gone out of their way to bomb us, weren¡¯t still around after all. Finding out who was responsible had become a lot more pressing, but it could take humans a while to gather the facts. I hoped that my surroundings would calm down a little, long enough for me to get my bearings¡­and that we could start focusing on a better future for all sapients. Chapter 2-24 Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist Date [standardized human time]: May 14, 2160 The Krev Consortium had been true to their promises for bringing Tellus up to their technological standards. I stood atop a cliff overhang, looking at what had once been an empty steppe. Towering skyscrapers were clustered together, more than we could ever use with our current populace; perhaps they could be filled, once the new generation the Trombil were already creating in ectogenesis chambers grew up. Until then, us colonists could have as luxurious of accommodations as we wanted. Several buildings housed services, or gave better spaces to businesses, such as the bistro Cherise¡¯s uncle ran. Human-ran enterprises were busier than ever, with the Krev volunteers clamoring to sample our food. Our predator food. Holographic interfaces also projected messages along the sides of the towering structures, allowing us to catch Consortium news headlines at a glance¡ªnot that they hadn¡¯t given us all of the electronic devices we could desire, and access to their internet and live feeds. The Smiglis couldn¡¯t get us online quickly enough, and seemed to have a lot of interest in hiring us for entertainment gigs. My eyes shifted over to the open-air arena they¡¯d built, which had more seats than we had people; an elevated stage was where some famed musician named Millenk was putting on an extravaganza in a few days. I expected most of the colony would arrive for the live concert, complete with flair. It was strange to think of us gathering for events like we did on Earth, or just having something to look forward to. Moving sidewalks and bullet trains connected the sprawling city, with the aliens leaving some green spaces for us to enjoy nature. While Tellus¡¯ water was mostly underground, the Krev pieced together that we liked to build our settlements near waterways, and created a canal that separated the city in half. A ¡°boardwalk¡± was being laid down, along with a marina for some small boats to set sail, meant to give us a taste of the mariner¡¯s life from home. The Trombil sought our permission to add a bit of their own touch, before building a few bridges that looked like turtle shells¡ªand glowed in the dark. I guessed their homeworld had some similar architecture, perhaps a further extension of their merging the organic and the mechanical. Everything they constructed came to life with rapid-fire automation that our technology couldn¡¯t begin to rival. Most humans are moving out of the underground cavern, which is being shifted to a cultural vault and a bunker. I mean, of course we are packing it up! Gress was right to call what we had going on a ¡°hovel.¡± Compared to this, it was. I turned my gaze toward what had once been the landing pad where I would meet Gress for payment handoffs. It was now a sprawling spaceport, with alien vessels coming and going; one of those were likely the instructors and alien enlistees who would help train the Consortium¡¯s first human soldiers. Behind me was a military base built by the Reskets, set up on high ground¡ªwhere we¡¯d been advised to wait. So much had changed over a short time for me, as I found myself living for the prospect of revenge on the Federation. Cherise helped me train with the militia, so that I wouldn¡¯t have a rude awakening at alien boot camp; I put in the work, reminded of the miners¡¯ needless toil¡ªwhich I could¡¯ve stopped sooner. This was about serving humanity, and doing something I could be proud of. Most animosity toward the Krev had been blown away, with our common enemy and all that they¡¯d done. I spoke to Gress daily, mostly in-person as he stayed on Tellus, but also over holopad like I was doing now; he loved sending short clips of Lecca¡¯s dancing, or Juvre pressing an insect bowl to his face to lick it clean. The Krev rent collector was now the chief diplomat between his people and humanity, a job that was suddenly coveted. The sole time he¡¯d leave our planet was for his biweekly custody of Lecca: Avor seemed to consider a week nine of their days, with the final three deemed the weekend. He was en route back to Tellus to be my bunkmate for the training, despite the fact that he¡¯d have separate lessons. Communication specialists weren¡¯t considered a combat role. ¡°This will be my first real interaction with the laypeople of the other species. I get it, they want us familiar¡­working with aliens,¡± I murmured. ¡°I¡¯m a little nervous. I¡¯d like them to be our friends, but that mentality¡¯s gotten us burned before. You feel me, Gress?¡± ¡°Everything is going to be fine. I¡¯ll be there in an hour for moral support.¡± The Krev leaned back in his pilot¡¯s seat; just like the Ulchids promised, the Consortium had set up comms that somehow worked faster-than-light. ¡°You heard straight from their leaders how they want to help you, and those leaders govern by the people¡¯s will. They¡¯re all choosing to come way out here, instead of a normal camp on their planet, for you.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s just anxiety talking. I wonder if General Radai really is coming here in person. That would be a lot of pressure on me. I¡¯ve put in the work at the gym, but I¡¯m still not¡­keeping up with Cherise or any other guards. What I want is to turn my life around, for all the people I¡¯ve let down.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be fine. You¡¯re one enlistee; you¡¯re not expected to blow Radai¡¯s feathers off, or to excel at everything out of the gate. Having instruction from the best will only set you up for success.¡± I scratched my hair, which I¡¯d let grow out a few inches. ¡°I hear you. I¡¯m just looking out over the whole city now, watching their convoy draw closer. It¡¯s all become real. And shit, nobody¡¯s as mellow and unassuming as you.¡± ¡°Me personally, or all Krev?¡± ¡°Well, both. You¡¯re hard to take seriously sometimes.¡± Gress snorted. ¡°Have you seen what you look like? Taking humans seriously requires a lot of effort.¡± ¡°Gee, thanks. That¡¯s the perfect thing to say to someone with deep-rooted insecurities about their appearance.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a compliment. It means you¡¯re the opposite of scary. I assure you, we feel anything but hatred toward humans.¡± A smirk crossed my face, amused at the irony of the situation. While it meant we¡¯d have to roll our intimidation checks at a disadvantage, it was a net positive to be considered the cute things for once: to get showered with gifts, and not to be treated like abominations. I¡¯d grown accustomed to Gress finding us adorable; it wasn¡¯t something I¡¯d freely admit, since it¡¯d encourage him, but I found it a little endearing to see his heart melting. I wished the Krev talked more about himself, rather than humanity or his family. The glimpses of his personality reflected well on his character, and what was important to him. We owe our sudden reversal of fortune to him, in many ways; Gress was eager to do as much as possible to help us. He believes in me for reasons even I don¡¯t know, but I needed the push. I kept my pupils on the alien convoy, watching it begin to slither up the hillside. ¡°How is everything on Avor?¡± ¡°Everyone¡¯s still swept up in ¡®human fever¡¯¡ªthat¡¯s what the media¡¯s dubbed the phenomenon. Primatologists clamoring to be here, signup pages for the exchange program crashing, while it all fell into my lap,¡± Gress chuckled. ¡°You know, ¡®humans¡¯ are the top searched item on our entire internet¡­for the sixth week in a row. Krev want to soak up everything they can about you.¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯ll bite. What exactly is making the rounds about us, other than our tragic demise?¡± ¡°Every behavior and quirk. Every last bit of your culture and history! Old videos of concerts¡­your sports are a hit, seeing you oh-so-serious about your goofy contests of strength. Enough so that they¡¯re being rebroadcasted with Krev commentators, like they¡¯re live results. The horse races are a massive hit, seeing humans that are often of small statures, in flashy colors, and using a powerful animal to run with the wind¡­¡± I shook my head. ¡°None of our movies or TV took off?¡± ¡°Um, we like some of them, but it¡¯s¡­hard to watch common displays of graphic violence. Not that we have a problem with violence¡ªwe know it¡¯s part of a primate¡¯s personality. Our shows are hardly Federation-friendly, you know. It¡¯s just¡­it hurts seeing a cute thing get butchered, or die. Does that make any sense?¡± ¡°I guess. In human terms, it¡¯s like watching a puppy get killed while pitifully whimpering?¡± ¡°From what little I¡¯ve learned about dogs, I believe so. That said, we want to see humans in our media! Part of why the Smiglis are pouncing on any human actors or musicians. Anyone with the slightest talent could take off. You probably could, Taylor. I know you play an instrument. If you paired it with some sad words about home...¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°Gress, if you¡¯d heard me singing in the shower, you¡¯d know I can¡¯t croon any piano ballads.¡± ¡°Hang on. You sing in the shower? Is¡­is this a common human behavior?¡± ¡°Yeah? Fuck, are you judging me?¡± ¡°I am. It¡¯s too much. I can just picture you singing, all soapy and¡­shit. Why does everything humans do have to be so cute?!¡± ¡°You¡¯re unbelievable, man. I¡¯m putting you in timeout.¡± ¡°What? Don¡¯t go!¡± ¡°I have to. The alien-mobile made it here, and I¡¯m gonna see if Radai came¡­try to get over my nerves, help with unloading if I can. I can see them by the trucks¡ª¡± ¡°Go. If you spoke to the Consortium leaders before, what¡¯s a few grunts? Now why are you still on the call?¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°See you soon, Gress.¡± Disconnecting from the call, I clipped my holopad back to my belt; the athleticwear I was sporting was Krev-made, a sort of thin armor blended with forest-patterned fabrics. Some humans still opted to wear our more traditional camouflage and combat attire, but I found the lightweight gear much more to my liking. Hopefully, the practice I¡¯d done at the range with Cherise would mean I wouldn¡¯t put on a complete clown show with the guns. Taking calm strides back toward the convoy, I saw dozens of aliens scurrying belongings out of the vehicles. Some beelined to reserve a bunk straight away, while others were scoping out the area before deciding. Krev, Reskets, Jaslips, and Trombil were among the volunteers, though there was a notable shortage of Smiglis and Ulchids; I supposed they couldn¡¯t exactly take marching orders. Overwhelmed by the sheer number of aliens that¡¯d be commingling with us, I found myself wandering through the crowd in a daze. There was no sign of General Radai, but I could hear a few other Reskets barking at the new soldiers¡ªespecially the ones who still hadn¡¯t gotten their gear off the trucks. Was this how they were going to speak at us, like outraged drill sergeants? I guessed that was very similar to home; I still wanted to prepare myself for the worst of their commentary. I drifted closer to one voice, where a pink avian was chasing a Jaslip, who had her ears pinned back. She had to use a bipedal stance to carry the hefty container, since her tails couldn¡¯t hold that much weight. The white-furred quadruped was occasionally kicked in the hindleg by one of the Resket¡¯s clawed legs, hindering her further. ¡°Move faster, you fucking terrorist! Get your ass in gear.¡± My blood ran cold as I picked out the contents of what the officer was saying. ¡°It¡¯s your food, so that you can be pampered while we teach you how to murder. Just pretend you¡¯re carrying a bomb to plant in Delegates Tower, and I¡¯m sure that¡¯ll help you pick it up.¡± The Jaslip skidded to a halt, baring her teeth. ¡°How dare you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, maybe you came here because there¡¯s a new species to butcher? It¡¯s so fucking stupid that we have to let you freaks in the military, teach you how to kill us. I¡¯m going to make your life a living hell, you¡ª¡± ¡°What did you just say to her?¡± Anger caused my features to curve downward, and for a moment, I forgot Gress¡¯ warning about not pissing off a Resket. ¡°Leave her alone, you racist slug. She hasn¡¯t done anything.¡± The nine-foot-tall bird whirled around, and planted a rough kick in my chest. Pain seared through my sternum, like burning vines growing into my breastbone, leaving me wheezing on the ground. I pressed a palm to my midsection, before clawing my way back to my feet. The Resket was staring at me with absolute scorn, beak lowered near inches from my face. Despite knowing I couldn¡¯t take the officer, I held my ground; my eyes didn¡¯t back away from the challenge, meeting his gaze. The Jaslip stood frozen, unsure whether to intervene in our staring contest. Her tail fronds twitched with restlessness, and perhaps a bit of rage. Gress might have to negotiate me away from the Resket; I feel like a hostage now. But I can¡¯t let him say shit like that to the Jaslip, and do nothing. I won¡¯t. ¡°Ah, if it isn¡¯t the Krev¡¯s new pets,¡± the bird hissed. ¡°I¡¯ll be watching you, human. You¡¯ll live to regret this.¡± I doubled over as soon as the Resket stalked back to the convoy, to prey on another unsuspecting soul; relief flooded my veins. For a second, I¡¯d thought I was going to be mauled for my defiance. My eyes squeezed shut in irritation, realizing that in my first interactions with the aliens, I¡¯d already stirred up trouble and made an enemy. Nothing I touched went smoothly, as of late, did it? The Jaslip was waiting behind me, still holding the rations crate, so I tried to collect myself. She walked over to me, forward-facing eyes brimming with concern. ¡°Kibblarhan,¡± she spat at the receding officer. ¡°Are you okay? You didn¡¯t have to do that. You shouldn¡¯t have. Trainer Mafani is going to have it out for you now. You should probably tell him that you¡¯re new, and didn¡¯t understand what you were doing¡­try to make it up to him.¡± I raised a middle finger at the pink bird¡¯s tail feathers. ¡°Nah, fuck that. Guy¡¯s a jackass. I¡¯ve heard bigotry directed at humans, calling us monsters, for way too long to let that slide, officer or not. What¡¯s a kibblarhan?¡± ¡°We usually don¡¯t translate Nairova, since it¡¯s designed to elude translators¡­but I¡¯ll give you this one free for helping me. Kibblarhan means sisterfucker. It¡¯s a vulgar insult: low as it gets.¡± ¡°Neat. I can always use more obscenities to throw at folks. I¡¯m Taylor.¡± ¡°Quana. I¡¯m¡­still not sure you want to align yourself too closely with me, but I¡¯m grateful for the help.¡± I made direct eye contact, basking in a binocular-eyed alien returning the gesture. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Mafani is a kibblarhan in my book too. Besides, us predators have to stick together, right?¡± ¡°Ha, I guess so. Er, look, they want no more than¡­three of one species in a single dorm¡­and we can¡¯t pair with anyone we know. Special orders. Thing is, I don¡¯t think other races, um, want Jaslips. Especially not ones like me. Any chance you have an open bunk?¡± I raised my eyebrows, wondering what she meant by Jaslips like her. ¡°A Krev friend of mine already claimed top bunk of my particular space, but I can find you an adjacent one. I don¡¯t think anyone¡¯s set up next to us, so you just have to get there first.¡± ¡°That¡¯ll be perfect. Thank you, Taylor.¡± ¡°No problem. Let me help you carry that case to the mess, then I¡¯ll show you where we¡¯re set up.¡± My fury at Mafani had evaporated my apprehension about engaging with aliens. If this was the standard treatment for Jaslip recruits, I couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for them; prejudice against an entire species, borne of things done by a small handful of people, was difficult to overcome. Perhaps these fluffy aliens were just as wishful for earnest friends as we were. The pain from the kick to my chest had subsided enough that I could lug the crate up to the large brick building, leaving it in the stack Quana pointed out to me. I bit back my questions, as curiosity about her kind wormed its way into my brain. What was important was showing her to the bunk, and not seeming too nosy. What¡¯s this Nairova? Quana said it¡¯s a language created to avoid the translators; the Jaslips want to talk without other aliens understanding. By ¡°like her,¡± did she mean knowing that secretive tongue? I know the Krev hated our lack of forthcomingness. Quana retrieved a small knapsack, which she dragged with her tail to our hab module. There were sixteen beds total in this partition, though aside from a human, a Krev, and a Trombil who¡¯d buddied up, it was pretty vacant. I watched my new friend move the tote bag, utilizing the three fronds like fingers, and tossing it onto the bunk with ease. It was impossible not to stare, with how blatantly inhuman the behavior was. The Jaslip seated herself on the mattress, stretching her limbs out, before perking her ears up at me. ¡°You¡¯re gawking at me. Do I have a glob of Mafani¡¯s spit stuck on my muzzle?¡± Quana asked. I chuckled in spite of myself. ¡°No. I¡¯m just curious to learn about your species. Some of the things you¡¯ve said raised questions.¡± ¡°Like what? Ask away.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t get why people don¡¯t want you around¡­what you meant by Jaslips like you. Are you related to someone they don¡¯t like? Ex-convict? Part of the official Resket hate club? What¡¯s the scoop?¡± ¡°If there was an official Resket hate club, I¡¯d join, but that¡¯s not why. How much do you know about the Great Relocation? You know that Jaslips were forcibly removed from Esquo?¡± ¡°I do.¡± ¡°The¡­relocated Jaslips weren¡¯t sent to the enclave on Avor, Taylor; most of us were sent to the Smiglis¡¯ planet, Omnol. Officially, it¡¯s so we can be as far from the Federation as possible.¡± ¡°And unofficially?¡± ¡°It was to keep us as far from both Avor and Esquo as possible. There¡¯s travel restrictions on Jaslips tied to ¡®dissident activities¡¯ to this day. We¡¯re considered the most likely to cause trouble. As far as the rest of the Consortium is concerned, Esquo¡¯s Fighters on Omnol is a haven for extremism: we¡¯re all violent radicals. Seeing a signup from my enclave makes it easy for the Reskets to identify us. They have more of a grudge than the Krev.¡± I crossed my arms, digesting the information. ¡°The Krev are the ones who bombed you. Why would the Reskets have it out for you more?¡± ¡°If you think the Krev bombed us without at least tacit support from their allies, you¡¯re wrong. At any rate, the Reskets were the soldiers sent in to remove us. Thanks to Esquo¡¯s extreme weather, they struggled, and couldn¡¯t quite round up everyone. It embarrassed them, when losses piled up over years and forced them to retreat.¡± ¡°Huh. Well, invasions thwarted by a hellish winter are a story we¡¯ve seen on Earth too. If they¡¯re that openly salty about it, I have to wonder why they¡¯ll even train Jaslips.¡± Quana¡¯s whiskers twitched. ¡°There¡¯s no greater combat specialist in cold or snowy conditions. We¡¯re useful, and that¡¯s without mentioning that we¡¯re good trackers. No one better to defend the poles. No one better to go on a lengthy journey, given that we can hibernate naturally.¡± ¡°That would¡¯ve been real nice on the ark ship. What¡¯s it like to hibernate?¡± ¡°Imagine sleep, if you felt as cold and unbreathing as death, didn¡¯t feel rested at all when you woke up, and it wrecked your sense of time.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s like getting shitfaced?¡± The Jaslip snickered. ¡°Not at all. You¡¯re a tailful, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Next to the word ¡®tailful¡¯ in your dictionary, you¡¯ll see a picture of my grinning face.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to fact check that one.¡± Smiling from ear to ear, I flopped back on the bunk, keeping an eye on the time so I¡¯d be punctual for roll call. There were still numerous questions bubbling in my mind about the Jaslips, but I decided to let Quana unpack before peppering her with more questions. It might¡¯ve been too soon to have an in-depth discussion about Esquo anyway. Gress was bound to be here any moment, and I hoped there wouldn¡¯t be an issue with him and my fluffy friend. The Krev should definitely refrain from mentioning his belief that killing the stragglers was the right choice. Knowing what the Federation would¡¯ve done to a predator race, I wasn¡¯t sure I disagreed with the Jaslip debacle being a necessary evil. Still, it was doubtful that making that case to Quana, a descendant of the relocated, would achieve any good. Chapter 2-25 Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist Date [standardized human time]: May 14, 2160 Keeping one eye on the hab module¡¯s entrance, I found myself thinking as I waited for Gress to arrive. The sudden change of our circumstances wasn¡¯t lost on me; I never would¡¯ve dreamed two months ago that I¡¯d be chatting it up with an alien I barely knew, who had binocular eyes and a carnivorous palate. It would¡¯ve defied my imagination that I¡¯d sign up to take marching orders from a bird, after avians were responsible for our near-extinction. That was without mention that the rent collector I once loathed was now someone I talked with daily, who¡¯d wrangled up help building this entire city from the cyborg turtles. It was shocking that Gress had tolerated my unmasked face, let alone deemed me cute. The Krev can hardly look at us without getting melty-eyed, but I haven¡¯t seen that from the Jaslips or the Reskets. Where does Quana find humans, on a scale of ¡°monstrosity¡± to ¡°precious, pettable monkeys?¡± ¡°Sooooo,¡± I ventured, unsure how to broach the subject. ¡°You, um, know how the Krev find us¡­¡± Quana¡¯s laughter was a light rumble. ¡°Cute?¡± ¡°Yeah. I was sorta wondering what the other species thought about that, and uh, how we look to you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind primates, but you¡¯re nothing special to me. No offense. Honestly, while there¡¯s the oddball obor owner outside of the Krev species, that never took off on other planets. We domesticate animals, just not in that way. It¡­must be weird for you, I take it.¡± I raised my eyebrows. ¡°The way they treat us like little cuddle bunnies is the weird part. The obors are a breath of fresh air, and we¡¯re cool with it. We¡¯re¡­we were the weirdos that would try to keep anything as a pet. Hell, I¡¯ve heard people on Earth tried keeping pet monkeys, but that wasn¡¯t so successful. A handful of our colonists already adopted obors, the second travel opened up, so we¡¯ll see how that goes.¡± ¡°Really? I would¡¯ve thought it¡¯d be too uncanny for you to adopt another primate as a pet. Are you thinking of getting an obor?¡± ¡°Fuck no. You look at ¡®em wrong and those things just attack. There¡¯s a lot of lonely humans that want companionship, and miss our canine and feline friends from home¡ªbut their desperation shows.¡± ¡°You better not say that within earshot of a Krev, or they¡¯ll see to ¡®fixing¡¯ that.¡± ¡°Oh, believe me, I know. To be honest with you, we¡¯re so affection-starved that it¡¯s not the worst thing in the world¡ªbut don¡¯t go around saying that.¡± ¡°Your secret¡¯s safe with me, Taylor.¡± ¡°I sure hope so. My buddy¡¯ll be here any minute,¡± I chuckled. ¡°Enough of my ¡®Woe is Tellus¡¯ spiel. You knew the Reskets would treat you like shit, right? So why join the military at all?¡± Quana pinned her ears back. ¡°I signed up for you. Hearing what humanity went through¡­I think I can put up with kibblarhans like Mafani for a few weeks. You lost everything, fleeing your homeworld just like us, but you believed you¡¯d be killed on sight. You lived underground in brutal conditions for decades. Even with gifted ships, a few thousand of you can¡¯t mount a defense alone¡ªand the Cage for Tellus won¡¯t be done for years. Someone has to be there for you, and keep you safe.¡± ¡°I see. I¡¯m¡­honestly touched that other races care about us at all. Our lives meant so little to them, and you¡¯re willing to come all the way out here just to¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. We help you when you¡¯re at your lowest, and some day, you¡¯ll repay the favor. That¡¯s how these things go. A friendship of generations, and one that¡¯s not mired in old resentments, like us and the rest of the Consortium.¡± ¡°Ha, I sure hope we wouldn¡¯t have gotten off on the wrong foot already, Quana. We¡¯ve had enough aliens pick a fight with us from day one. Now, my friend has yet to show his face, so we should head to roll call. Don¡¯t need any more Reskets up our asses.¡± The Jaslip flicked her triangular ear in acknowledgment, and an intrusive thought wormed its way into my brain, musing how soft her silky fur would be to the touch. I guess the spirit of Gress had possessed my psyche for a quick second, though I pushed it away without any silly remarks of his sort. Checking my holopad, it seemed we were well ahead of schedule, and could file into the designated area with plenty of time to spare. Quana trailed behind me as I exited the hab module, and I collided head-on with a wall of green scales. With an undignified screech, I crumpled to the floor; concern rushed across Gress¡¯ face, though he didn¡¯t seem unbalanced at all. Shit, those Krev scales are hardy. It¡¯s like running into a brick wall! Gress¡¯ claws wrapped around my forearm, hoisting me to my feet. ¡°Taylor. I didn¡¯t mean to bowl you over. Are you alright?¡± ¡°Ugh. Fuck off. That¡¯s my second time getting decked this afternoon,¡± I groaned. ¡°Oh really? What was the first?¡± Cherise prompted, from her position just behind the Krev. ¡°Who did you piss off now?¡± ¡°I got kicked by a Resket. It¡¯s a long story, but I made a friend out of it and I regret nothing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s no joke! A Resket could¡¯ve caved in your chest, if they wanted to.¡± Gress¡¯ paw migrated to my chest, feeling whether my bones were intact; he paused at my pained huff, when he touched the inflamed area. ¡°You should get that checked out by medical staff, and report whoever¡ª¡± The Krev¡¯s words broke off as he moved to my side, and laid eyes on Quana. I glanced over my shoulder, seeing that the Jaslip had fixed him with a glare that could melt ice. She hadn¡¯t looked this incensed when Mafani was laying into her; I¡¯d feared she might have problems with Gress¡¯ kind, but it¡¯d sounded like the Reskets were the worst. The scaly mammal was fixated on a swirling symbol where the fur was cut shorter on her chest, looking like he¡¯d seen a ghost. He raised a claw in accusatory fashion toward her, before turning back to me in a panic. ¡°No. Forget what I said earlier; pick a different friend.¡± Gress¡¯ voice was breathy, as his eyes became lined with tears. ¡°That enclave symbol: Jaslips from the Smigli world are bad news, Taylor.¡± Quana bared her teeth, revealing serrated fangs and elongated canines. ¡°Your friend is the kit-killer, human? This bastard let Jaslip children die to save a few aristocrat blowhards.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. I would never! Your people are fucking monsters, and I won¡¯t humiliate myself by being anywhere near you!¡± ¡°Whoa. Why don¡¯t we all just take a breath, and calm down a little? We can work this out,¡± Cherise ventured, shooting a glance at me that asked what I¡¯d gotten myself into. ¡°I think I¡¯m a little out of the loop¡ª¡± ¡°Gress is the monster. Jaslip lives weren¡¯t worth it to him. It¡¯s part of a long history of Krev in positions of power not caring how many of us died!¡± Quana growled. The Krev was staring at his claws like they¡¯d betrayed him, gaze growing wilder. ¡°You don¡¯t know me. You and your people act like we each personally were involved with Esquo. Meanwhile, you Jaslips throw away your own lives, then blame everyone but yourselves! You could be in the same place as Earth¡ªwe saved you, and you make us regret it every day.¡± ¡°That is out of line,¡± I hissed to Gress. ¡°Really? You¡¯re on her side¡­after everything?¡± ¡°You¡¯re being a dick. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s gotten into you.¡± ¡°Then let me make it simple. You get rid of her, or I¡¯ll never speak with you again.¡± Cherise reached out a hand to try to stop the Krev, as he stormed past, before thinking better of it. Shock tingled in my veins, as I replayed what had just happened; I¡¯d never seen mellow, wise Gress behave in such explosive fashion. How could he throw an ultimatum at me like that, with zero explanations? After everything we¡¯d been through, and how over the moon he was to befriend humans, he must truly hate Jaslips from Quana¡¯s enclave. I was scrambling to put the pieces together. Given that the three-tailed carnivore recognized him, it must be because of that infamous incident¡ªthe hostage situation with Jaslip extremists that Gress refused to talk about. What had really happened? I¡¯ve seen how sweet Gress is with children, from his own daughter to the little girl back in the cavern. I find it hard to believe he¡¯d callously thrown away Jaslip kids. He mentioned it took his sanity, so¡­something happened with kits dying, and seeing Quana brings it back? I raised a finger at Quana, deciding it was time to stop respecting his privacy. ¡°Forgive me for spending the last twenty years in a hole¡­but I spent the last twenty years in a hole. What do you mean that Gress let Jaslip kids die?¡± ¡°That rotten prick was given a choice to save five of the captives held by the, admittedly, crazed Fighters trying to make a point. I don¡¯t agree with what they did, but this is about Gress,¡± the Jaslip hissed. ¡°There were five kits, and five of the who¡¯s-who of Tonvos¡ªincluding Delegate Riccin and the Master of the Treasury. That man picked the five Krev without hesitating, or even trying to bargain!¡± If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Cherise shook her head. ¡°That can¡¯t be right. I haven¡¯t known Gress that long, but I know he cares about life. He didn¡¯t want anyone to die here, even when he hated us.¡± ¡°For all the Krev care about life, they still pulled off the Esquo Massacre. They slaughtered people indiscriminately for going against them, then act like they¡¯ve done the Consortium a favor. That tells you they¡¯re quite capable of trading lives. You heard Gress call it our salvation; that¡¯s what he thinks of Jaslip deaths.¡± ¡°Quana, ¡®Massacre¡¯ is a bit dramatic. Jeez. Gress has a point that your world could¡¯ve turned out like Earth.¡± The words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them, and the Jaslip¡¯s withering glare fell on me. ¡°You act like you know what it¡¯s like, talk like it¡¯s equivalent to our situation. It¡¯s not.¡± Cherise hesitated. ¡°Nobody wants to genocide the Jaslips for their eyes, but still, their government didn¡¯t give permission for the Krev to finish off the remainder. It was a violation of autonomy, regardless of how much worse it was on Earth.¡± ¡°It sucks that the Krev did it during hibernation, but it¡¯s blown out of proportion. They spent thirty years evac¡¯ing billions of Jaslips, and Quana is alive because they moved some of the holdouts¡ªthey tried. They at least cared more than the Feds. A few stragglers died on Esquo, compared to all ten billion of us!¡± ¡°A few stragglers?¡± Quana laughed bitterly, lips curling back in a sneer. ¡°Is that how your Krev friend put it? Tell me your definition of a few. How many Jaslips were killed or relocated during the Esquo Massacre?¡± ¡°A couple million¡­not that that¡¯s small, but compared to the total¡­¡± ¡°Higher.¡± ¡°Fifty million?¡± Cherise asked tentatively, not daring to go any higher. ¡°That would be a lot of stragglers, but I...¡± ¡°Add some zeroes, humans.¡± Hurt tugged my eyebrows down, as I questioned why Gress had glossed over the calamity¡¯s scale. ¡°A hundred million? Two hundred million¡­? Three?¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯ve gotten how many were killed¡­it was a tad bit higher, but I¡¯ll give it to you. I asked you the total relocated and killed.¡± ¡°Five hundred million.¡± Cherise frowned, as Quana¡¯s pupils flicked upward: higher. The human security guard understood as well as I did that this was becoming a sizable proportion of the Jaslip population. ¡°A b-billion.¡± ¡°One billion stragglers that didn¡¯t want to leave Esquo, but you know, the Krev saved us. Why are we so dramatic, right, Taylor? Those are amateur numbers. It¡¯s actually okay, because 70% of us ended up on Omnol alive!¡± ¡°I¡­I didn¡¯t know. That is a lot more like Earth than I thought.¡± No wonder the Jaslip government wouldn¡¯t sign on to bombing a billion souls, or even when it was ¡°whittled down¡± to a few hundred million. ¡°You don¡¯t move on from that many deaths. We know that, and I¡¯m sorry, Quana. Gress gave zero indication that it was anything on that scale.¡± ¡°Of course he didn¡¯t; I can forgive your ignorance. Gress didn¡¯t want you to spot the monster in him, so he blew it off. It¡¯s hard to claim the Krev protected us, when they just did the Federation¡¯s work for them.¡± ¡°I¡­I thought he was my friend. I thought he was a good man.¡± Cherise grabbed my elbow. ¡°Do you want to confront him?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m not missing roll call for this fucking guy. I don¡¯t want to talk to Gress, realizing what a slimeball he was. I looked to him for guidance¡­to get my life back on track. Fuck him.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go together. Send a message,¡± Quana decided. ¡°By the way, human number two, I¡¯m Quana. Do you have a name, foul predator?¡± Cherise grinned, dimples showing on her olive cheeks. ¡°Cherise Benson. I see you¡¯ve already met Taylor Trench, enemy of obors.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m gonna steal Gress¡¯ obor, and punt him from the orbital rings,¡± I added. ¡°Quick way to test terminal velocity on Avor. Juvre¡¯s sacrifice for science will be appreciated.¡± ¡°That poor obor did nothing wrong. I think you¡¯d get along great if you kept him; you could put some dried insects on your head for him to eat, and¡­¡± ¡°I will let the Reskets pummel you.¡± ¡°Temperamental as always. We¡¯re here, hotshot.¡± I glanced around at my fellow recruits, lining up in rows throughout the courtyard; seeing many humans wearing that forest-colored athleticwear crafted by the Krev, reminded me that I had donned it¡ªthat I had allied myself with them so readily, because I trusted Gress. Their species had done a great deal to save Tellus, so I knew it was irrational to want to shirk every association with them. Quana expressed distaste for Gress specifically, not all Krev; she would¡¯ve accepted a different individual as my friend, so they couldn¡¯t all be this twisted. I guessed it just turned out the other bunk had a vacancy after all. Still, after I¡¯d finally opened myself up to an alien, this was how I was rewarded? Hopefully, Gress follows through on his promise not to speak to me again. I¡¯m sure as shit not ditching Quana. The Resket commanders began reading names as soon as they stepped into the courtyard, bellowing them at such a volume that it jolted me out of my thoughts. I tried to stand at attention, and wipe any semblance of sadness from my face. After everything I¡¯d gotten through on Tellus, this should be nothing. It was a random Krev that I¡¯d known for all of two months, and who¡¯d never really opened up about himself for reasons I could see now; I wasn¡¯t sure why this betrayal stung so deeply in my heart, unless I was that desperate to be loved. Quana kicked my ankle as an officer called my name, and I bellowed the word ¡°here¡± in an emotional voice. Without Gress, this was really about getting vengeance for Earth. ¡°Alright, you chubby, oversized obors!¡± Mafani had assumed control of my row, having picked Quana and I out of the crowd with ease. He walked from side to side, passing out black helmets that looked like motorcycle gear to each human. ¡°Normal species wear contacts, but apparently, we¡¯ve got to hide your faces, in case the Feds mosey on out here. This shit is called ¡®augmented reality.¡¯ There¡¯s a button on the side; press it with a booger-eating finger, and it turns on. That¡¯s right, I know how nasty primates are.¡± I thought about shoving a finger up my nose, and flicking it at the jackass to send a message. ¡°I guess this guy¡¯s decided to go after our whole species, thanks to our encounter.¡± ¡°Silence! Non-humans, insert your contacts right the fuck now. This is your compass, your name directory, and your intelligence center all in one; it¡¯ll help you maybe line your shots up, and track the enemy, rather than tracking your receding hairline. You get your helmet, you move the fuck out. Go to the range and get some shooting in. Whoever does the worst is going to fucking get it. Am I understood?¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± a few of the more gung-ho humans shouted. ¡°Good. You pissants better not slow us all down. I don¡¯t take it from the Trombil, and I won¡¯t take it from you.¡± The Resket passed helmets out of a box, conveniently getting to me last. He made a show of turning the empty box upside-down, before crushing the cardboard in a dramatic display. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a shame. It looks like we¡¯re one short. You¡¯ll have to shoot without it, Taylor.¡± I scowled at Trainer Mafani. ¡°You made sure I didn¡¯t get my gear on purpose.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t given enough helmets. The box was empty. Do we have a fucking problem?¡± ¡°As a matter of fact, we do.¡± I snapped my head off to the right, where General Radai was sprinting at terrifying speed. He skidded to a halt, inches away from barreling Mafani over. ¡°I found this at the back of the supply truck, right after you ducked in there. Care to explain?¡± ¡°Oh. It¡­must¡¯ve been left there by mistake.¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be so dishonorable to not only use cheap tricks in a dispute, abusing a power disparity, but then to lie to cover for yourself? That¡¯d be ruinous.¡± ¡°Of course not, General. I¡¯m embarrassed that you¡¯d think such a thing.¡± ¡°As you should be. Confine yourself to your quarters for the day. I suspect you need some reflection on duty.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m supposed to train¡ª¡± ¡°I will handle the training. You won¡¯t go near Taylor Trench again; if you do, there¡¯ll be real fucking consequences. Now get lost!¡± Mafani slunk away, shooting me a look of absolute loathing. I turned my head away from him, pressed a squirming finger to the outside of my nostril so it looked like I was picking my nose, and then popped my digit into my mouth with a shit-eating grin. The Resket¡¯s eyes glowed like he wanted to kick me down again, but he wouldn¡¯t dare with Radai watching him like a hawk. Quana laughed into her paw, while Cherise pretended to be busy inspecting her helmet. It was satisfying to see our rival put in his place, and to have someone swoop in that wouldn¡¯t sabotage my training at every turn. I extended my hands, and the Resket general transferred the helmet to my custody. Radai promised to oversee our training, but I wasn¡¯t sure he actually would. I mean, he¡¯s the leader of the Consortium military. Surely he has more important things to do than fulfill some half-baked offer. I slipped the helmet over my head, tapping the on-button. ¡°Thank you, General. I appreciate your time.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no better way to assess human capabilities than in person. I¡¯ll be going anything but easy on you,¡± Radai replied. ¡°It responds to your eye movements, and you can activate commands by focusing your pupils on the tiny prompts in your periphery. Pull up the map overlay, and select the range. Then, get your ass in gear.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. Pulling it up now.¡± I trained my pupils on the English words in the lower corners of the helmet display, and lingered on the ¡°map¡± label. It pulled up a diagram of the local layout, with options further down to zoom out, as far as the planetary or even the stellar level. I studied the part of a fielded area labeled ¡°range,¡± and the overlay faded; replaced by visual and audio walking directions. ¡°Got it. On my way.¡± ¡°This is neat,¡± Cherise murmured, as we hustled. ¡°You can judge distances between objects at a glance¡­how fast things are moving. Wind speed. Your current coordinates, and distance to the objective.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just happy it¡¯s air conditioned. Hey, what¡¯s this water droplet icon for?¡± I blinked in surprise, as selecting that cue rotated a nozzle I hadn¡¯t noticed; a quick once-over by Cherise showed me a port for attaching my water carrier. I tried to drink from it, and the system seemed to assist with defying gravity. ¡°Shit, you don¡¯t even have to take this off to hydrate. This is way better than the helmets we wore.¡± ¡°That¡¯s some of the next-generation stuff, though it¡¯s best suited for binocular eyes; the peripheral versions still need some tweaking, or so I¡¯ve heard,¡± Quana remarked. ¡°Those brain baskets impede bullets, monitor vitals, filter out toxins, and do all sorts of fancy shit. Estimate the count of your bullets or energy cells, switch to night vision¡­help you perform first aid on yourself or another, if your medic goes down.¡± ¡°Cool beans. I¡¯m not used to having this much info thrown at me in real time, but I see why Mafani didn¡¯t want me to get one of these. That would be a disadvantage, especially since, if I¡¯m reading this right, it seems to be able to target lock and suggest corrections to your aim.¡± Cherise adjusted her helmet, grunting. ¡°I haven¡¯t got that. How do you do that?¡± ¡°Flick the chin button while looking toward what you want to shoot. Let me try to target-lock Quana; the dumb thing¡¯s asking me, ¡®Are you sure? Combatant is marked friendly. Confirmation of this setting will be reported to your commanding officer.¡¯¡± The Jaslip snorted. ¡°Joke¡¯s on you for needing to target me from [two feet] away. Now quit goofing off, before we get another Resket on our case¡­this one for legitimate reasons.¡± ¡°What can I say? I¡¯m a tailful, remember?¡± My carnivorous friend giggled, and despite the emotional taxation of Gress¡¯ betrayal, I arrived at the range with my head held high. Maybe I¡¯d had it right the first time, when I despised him for extorting rent from us; there wasn¡¯t any more thought I needed to devote to him. This was my opportunity to fight for humanity, and atone for the people who¡¯d been hurt because of my mistakes in the past. Regardless of what they had meant to me, no individual was going to stand between me and my mission. Chapter 2-26 Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem Alien Liaison Date [standardized human time]: May 14, 2160 Much like Dustin foretold in his introduction speech, it was odd how swiftly the madness of first contact became normalcy to the Bissem public. The war raging on Ivrana left Lassmin untouched, even as thousands fell amid naval clashes and shoreline battles¡ªseveral cities had been devastated by collateral damage. Our diplomatic efforts were spread thin between trying to broker peace between nations, and establishing channels with the aliens. The task of interacting with various SC factions fell to Naltor, Zalk, and I, as we monitored the state of interstellar affairs alongside Dustin and Haliska. The sluggish progress on their investigation of the ghost exterminators was excruciating, though it was understandable why it was a challenge. Even after calling in thousands of specialists to work the case from various angles, it was a hundred years ago¡­and the humans had to search nearly three hundred entities with multiple planets that were a part of the Federation. It was a fish scale in the ocean. Dustin mentioned that the most promising angle was the forensic accountants called in. Someone couldn¡¯t build a spaceship (or possibly multiple ships) without significant financial backing and certain types of resources. Perhaps greasing some flippers just to get off the ground unauthorized. As humanity continued to work the mystery, the first contact team spread the word of the Starlight Incident; the hope was that the Yotul would see that it was too late to avoid tampering with Ivrana. The Tseia¡¯s tech level spoke for itself. Dustin was leading with the message that it was the SC¡¯s duty to repair the damage that had been done, and provide answers due to the loss of life. I remembered how hostile the guard at the Technocracy¡¯s embassy had been, and wasn¡¯t convinced of my friend¡¯s claim that they thought they were helping us. Regardless, I was keen on turning our most formidable opposition¡ªespecially after our present in-fighting gave them ammunition against us. If there was ever a time Bissems should¡¯ve been united, it was now, and yet we¡¯d failed. After weeks of searching for a receptive audience on Leirn, Dustin had gotten in the ear of the most human-friendly Yotul on their Intelligence Panel. This mystery marsupial had extended an invitation for the three Bissems from the disclosure broadcast to join him, though he made it explicit that he wanted us to come alone¡ªwithout Terran or Thafki backup. Naltor had been hesitant to visit Earth¡¯s upstart neighbor, but the first contact party was adamant that the Yotul wouldn¡¯t harm us. This might be our best chance to sow a rift in the Technocracy, rather than having the entire species wield unified opposition against us. I was willing to fly off to a world that was vocally against our inclusion, because I wanted these marsupials to be our friends¡­or at least tolerate us. We didn¡¯t need enemies. The little we¡¯d been told about this politician painted a confusing picture. On one flipper, he was a carefree islander that enjoyed riding waves on pristine beaches¡ªhe¡¯d share our love of the water, and he also still regularly took to the seas with a human friend. This Yotul had been a major part of environmental research to counteract the Federation¡¯s damage, expressing a great love for his planet and its fauna. His contributions to that project, and unashamed representation of Rinsa¡¯s culture, were key to his popularity. On the other flipper, he was involved with ship engineering because of his brilliant mind, yet had served a stint in the armed forces as a lowly comms technician. The war had driven him to be rather paranoid, and his role on the Intelligence Panel was to provide oversight of their cyberwarfare division. I hoped we could appeal to his better nature. ¡°It was one thing to accept the humans¡¯ offer of friendship.¡± Zalk had been grumbling the entire ride over, distracting me from the local scenery. I¡¯d caught a glimpse of an immaculate harbor, replete with towering beachside hotels, medieval re-enactments, and the largest boats I¡¯d seen in my life. ¡°This species looks down on us and thinks we don¡¯t belong! They¡¯re enemies of Ivrana, plain and simple. This is martyrdom as much as what Dustin was trying to do.¡± I parted my beak. ¡°Then why did you come, Zalk? It¡¯s not the same; the Yotul are unpleasant, but never threatened to kill us.¡± ¡°They¡¯re rallying the anti-carnivores. Isn¡¯t that the same? For the record, I didn¡¯t want to come, but the Tseia don¡¯t want to be excluded from whatever Lassmin tried to get us into next.¡± ¡°Nulia told us the Yotul were bullied, and now they¡¯re paranoid, Zalk. I figured you¡¯d hit it off with the Tseia, with your own delusions about outsiders.¡± Naltor helped me out of the car, as it rolled to a halt next to a quaint beach shack; long, oval-shaped boards were propped up against the walls. While it was a pristine location, it didn¡¯t look like the well-to-do abode I¡¯d expect for a top politician. ¡°They think Bissems never should¡¯ve been contacted. That ship has sailed.¡± ¡°I appreciate a good sailing metaphor,¡± a voice said from the porch. ¡°The Yotul government couldn¡¯t give a shit what you eat. We were the first to open diplomacy with the Arxur. We¡¯re using their bigotry for practical reasons; so that they¡¯ll vote with us.¡± I swiveled around, eyeing the Yotul lurking in a rocking chair. ¡°You must be Onso.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re Dr. Tassi. Please, sit with me. It¡¯s a beautiful day.¡± I ambled up the stairs to the porch, getting a look at the Yotul obscured by the corner. His fur was a deep red, aside from the silver creeping into his muzzle¡¯s coloration. Onso¡¯s body was impressively-toned for someone who was getting up there in age, a result of staying active and outdoorsy for decades. There was a shrewdness in his eyes as he studied me in his periphery, while pretending to fixate solely on the mossy green sands and crashing waves. There was a single rocking chair, as well as a bench swing meant to fit two. Thinking it would be amusing to force Zalk and Naltor to settle side-by-side, I took the solo seat. The Selmer shot me a disdainful look, as I feigned ignorance. At least this will make Zalk and Naltor direct their dislike at each other, not this Yotul. Maybe Onso will be able to give us an ally inside the Technocracy government, and argue to his peers for us. We should see why he asked us here. The Yotul politician took a sip of a dark brown drink, ears perking up. ¡°It¡¯s called ¡®cold brew.¡¯ I¡¯d offer you some, but apparently, caffeine is literal poison to you. What I can offer you is a chance to admire the gorgeous view.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve spent my life in a small lighthouse tower overlooking the ocean. Didn¡¯t work my way up the Coast Guard by not camping by the seas, day and night,¡± Zalk grunted. ¡°At home, the water¡¯s orange and the sands are gray, but a beach is just a beach; it can¡¯t compare to actually being out on a boat. Simple shores to protect, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°You might be the most unimpressed person I¡¯ve heard, for their first visit to alien shores. I was under the belief that Bissems loved the water and everything about it. This beach isn¡¯t just a beach, though. It¡¯s where I sailed with my mother, back before the Federation set out on a mission to exterminate sailboats. Before they took everything that made us happy¡ªthat made us Yotul.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what?¡± I demanded. ¡°I know the Federation exterminated predators but¡­¡± ¡°What the fuck do sailboats have to do with that?¡± Naltor finished. ¡°Were they meat-eating sailboats?¡± Onso issued a bitter laugh. ¡°To my knowledge, no. It was about taking what was ours and destroying it¡ªreplacing it with their ¡®better¡¯ tech, since it¡¯s not like we had a prayer to Ralchi of resisting. If we build nothing ourselves, we¡¯re dependent on them.¡± ¡°The imperialist fucks in the Federation wanted to control you.¡± ¡°And they believed that they were superior to medieval primitives like us. I¡­want to tell you about our uplifting: something from a mere 46 years ago. I brought you here to explain why the Yotul are so closed off to the idea of doing that with you. Consider it a cautionary tale.¡± The familiar sensation of my heart sinking played out within my chest. ¡°You went from a medieval era straight to¡­¡± ¡°Yes. You can imagine how that might¡¯ve played out from your own history. You were advanced enough to grasp the idea of alien intelligence in common culture, whereas our astronomers barely grasped the heavens enough to even toss out the idea. We had no comparable tech to the Feddies, aside from a few steam trains¡ªsimplistic vehicles.¡± ¡°Kind of like my people acquiring a spaceship before inventing computers or space rockets of our own. The technology was like magic,¡± Zalk noted. ¡°Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. The humans say something like that. So when the Federation showed up, promising they could do things that were impossible¡­they were welcomed. Then, they began their rampage of destruction, and we had to watch. Their exterminators started by burning the animals.¡± You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Naltor¡¯s eyes reflected a troubled light. ¡°You said that¡¯s what they started with. What else did they burn, Onso? They progressed to boats?¡± ¡°And many other things. Fuck, the animal part alone has been something I¡¯ve worked decades trying to salvage! There¡¯s a reason we devoted an entire colony as an animal reserve. The cultural losses are something you can¡¯t just bring back. They torched anything outdated. Trains, scribe houses, fire brigades. And once they modernized our identity, you know what they did next?¡± ¡°Tried to convince you of their ¡®predators are scary even though we have guns¡¯ lunacy?¡± Onso snickered. ¡°Yes, they did do that¡ªstarted conditioning the next generation, but that¡¯s not the punchline. The worst part was that anyone who fought back or showed a spark of defiance, they¡¯d pump you full of meds that turned you into a walking husk that couldn¡¯t speak up. I¡¯d know. I lived unable to even feel anger from their pills for years. Do you know what the anger toward them felt like, when I came off of that?¡± ¡°Maddening. You had to want blood,¡± Zalk hissed, a sadistic glint flashing in his eyes, suggesting his revenge fantasies against the aliens who hurt the Tseia. ¡°You wanted them to pay for what they did.¡± ¡°Of course. We also have a mandate to ensure that other species, like yours, don¡¯t endure the horror that we did. The Federation mocked us, spit in our faces, and demeaned us as stupid primitives, just because we evolved a little behind them. You don¡¯t want to be involved with species that look down on you.¡± The three of us were silent, absorbing Onso¡¯s explanation. As disastrous as our first contact had been, I could understand how the Yotul¡¯s had been ten times worse. The Federation had come to belittle, convert, and control the natives; it would¡¯ve been like if aliens contacted us back during our colonial wars, when the Vritala were a fiefdom and their rivals, the Selmer, were dominated by priests and royalty. We wouldn¡¯t have the means to relate to aliens, if we¡¯d had no prior concepts of every technology they possessed. I saw what Dustin meant about the Technocracy believing they were doing us a favor, though I thought it was a misguided notion. The Coalition was nothing like their predecessors, and was open about trying to be responsible with their role since their initial address. The circumstances necessitated their invention, even though Dustin admitted neither Ivrana nor his side were ready. Ivrana is in a precarious position, where our entire biosphere could collapse¡ªby our own doing, not by invading exterminators. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that the Federation tried to brainwash you, and destroy your home. I respect that you don¡¯t want us to go through that. With that said, I don¡¯t think the Coalition is giving us all their tech at once or erasing our achievements,¡± I offered. ¡°It¡¯s different because they¡¯re giving us control and choices. They reached out as equals, not to assert their superiority. They also accelerated the timeline because of an imminent crisis.¡± ¡°I know the Sapient Coalition is different. The fact is, there¡¯s an inherent power disparity between Bissems and the visitors. You might not tell them to fuck off because you¡¯re afraid of what they could do.¡± Onso¡¯s ears pinned back against his head, before he angled his snout toward Zalk. ¡°And either way, the Tseia are a prime example of how outside influence can alter an entire culture and its direction. Their innovations have been shelved for whatever alien tech lay in the wreckage¡ªanother example of the Federation¡¯s carelessness. What will be left of Bissem creations when the SC gets done with you?¡± Naltor bore a contemplative expression. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of benefits that can come from alien technology. Lives that can be improved or saved; that¡¯s a choice the Yotul want to take from us. You look down on us by thinking we¡¯re not ready to join the wider galaxy, because we evolved a little later.¡± ¡°I have intended to help you, ever since I learned about the Starlight Incident. I¡¯m giving you these facts as a warning¡­to hold on to yourselves. You will have to live with the knowledge that you did not earn your place in the galaxy, or claw your way for every pawhold up the tech tree. The world you inhabit will never again be truly yours.¡± ¡°Why would you want to help us get into the Coalition?¡± Suspicion gleamed in Zalk¡¯s eyes, mistrustful of an outsider¡¯s aid. ¡°I don¡¯t see what you have to gain. The Yotul were happy to use my people¡¯s protests to squash our bid in its hatching stage. Why wouldn¡¯t you use the war now?¡± ¡°Because I want you to do something for me when you get entrenched. I want you to lobby for the Arxur¡¯s isolation to be lifted.¡± ¡°What? The people-eating carnivores that everyone lumps us in with?¡± Naltor squawked. ¡°Fuck no! C¡¯mon, Tassi, let¡¯s go.¡± I fought down the sick taste in my beak, standing. ¡°I agree. We want nothing to do with¡­them. I know what they¡¯ve done to the Thafki, and I wouldn¡¯t betray Haliska like that.¡± ¡°Just hear out their story. I don¡¯t know how much you¡¯ve been told, but the Arxur didn¡¯t become monsters overnight! The Federation played a part in starving them¡­and collaborated with their sinister government to suit their narrative. You should hear it from their lips.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pass. I like my throat without cannibal bite marks in it,¡± Naltor deadpanned. ¡°As do I; it¡¯s not like they¡¯d be a danger to you. We have an embassy on their planet, so I think we can speak to the fact that they¡¯re reforming. They have very few allies, so they¡¯d be loyal unconditionally if you help them. When the Arxur heard that another obligate carnivore was discovered, they clamored to meet you! Their leader traveled for weeks to be here, and he¡¯s waiting inside. Please, hear his story. The full context can¡¯t hurt you.¡± ¡°There¡¯s an Arxur here?!¡± I gasped, scurrying over to Naltor for protection. Zalk rose from the bench, eager to distance himself from the Yotul. ¡°This is a trick. You brought us here under false pretenses, so that you can sabotage Tassi¡¯s efforts by saying she met with an Arxur. I see what you¡¯re doing¡ªmaking us look like we agree with their heinous acts.¡± ¡°If I wanted to do that, I could¡¯ve just rushed Kaisal out here and photographed you with him. Bissem meeting with the Arxur. Done,¡± Onso grumbled. ¡°So this is what: some long-term play for those cannibals to get loose? How do you think we could even lobby for the Arxur to be freed?¡± I asked. ¡°We aren¡¯t being welcomed into the Coalition with open flippers.¡± ¡°No, but I can change that. If you want my help, you need to at least have a sit-down with Kaisal. Let him explain the damage the Federation did, and how the Arxur Collective is working to undo Betterment¡¯s legacy. I won¡¯t force you to do anything more.¡± Frustration was evident on Naltor¡¯s features, and I¡¯m sure it was plastered across mine. We didn¡¯t have much of a choice; with the war blemishing our optics even further, a change of heart from an influential entity such as the Technocracy was the only way. This individual was high-ranking enough that he might be able to sway some votes, but I didn¡¯t like the idea of sitting across from sadistic monsters. I supposed the silver lining was that if the Yotul would buddy up to a species with as dark of a past as the Arxur, they were definitely not anti-carnivores. All I could think about in my mind was how they¡¯d see Haliska and her entire species as food, and how they dusted Nulia¡¯s homeworld in brutal fashion. Zalk seemed to pick up on our resolve waning, though he fixed Onso with a piercing stare. ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question. What do you gain from this?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? Right now, only diplomatic ships are allowed in and out of Wriss¡¯ little bubble. The untapped trade market¡ªexclusivity over an entire planet¡¯s manufacturing power and resources. We¡¯ll get in on the ground. Pop some shipyards down there, set up Yotul bases: expand our influence and our strength,¡± the Rinsian politician replied, seeming proud of himself. ¡°Is that really it?¡± ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t hurt that it¡¯s a ¡®fuck you¡¯ to the Federation. There¡¯s still a hundred-odd species that were real buddy-buddy with them, and have a continued existence under that moniker¡­even after all that they did. The remnants will flip out if we release the Arxur before the Farsul and the Kolshians! Ah, that¡¯d make my decade.¡± ¡°You had me at sending a ¡®fuck you¡¯ to the Federation.¡± ¡°Same, wanderbird,¡± Naltor chirped. ¡°Also same. I don¡¯t consider myself a hateful person, but I hate everything I hear about the Federation,¡± I added. ¡°I cringe every time their name is brought up. I can¡¯t believe anyone would want their circus to keep going.¡± Onso chuckled. ¡°I like you Bissems. Spiteful¡ªbirds after my own heart. I¡¯ll go tell Kaisal to come on out. Don¡¯t want to draw attention to the fact he¡¯s here; Arxur Collective visitors aren¡¯t technically supposed to go outside embassies or diplomatic vehicles.¡± ¡°Then why¡­¡± Zalk began. ¡°Less eyes on us, and a view to kill for; your thoughts on beaches are just wrong, Tseia. Objectively wrong. Now, I¡¯ll be right back with a certain reptile. Stay put.¡± The spry Yotul leapt to his feet, scampering into the house to retrieve this Arxur leader, before we could change our minds. I still wasn¡¯t sure about agreeing to this, but as long as we weren¡¯t in imminent danger, I could play along for a single conversation. It was better to have those deranged cannibals viewing us as allies rather than enemies, if they were ever loosed on the galaxy again. Whatever the Federation had done to Wriss, it didn¡¯t excuse the diabolical rampage that they¡¯d gone on against herbivorous sapients. I could get why Dustin hadn¡¯t wanted to paint them in any sympathetic light, especially after being raised by Venlil, and becoming close to Haliska and Nulia. There couldn¡¯t have been enough changes in a few decades when the very creature I¡¯d be speaking to had likely partaken in that unspeakable cruelty. If these Arxur thought Bissems were anything like them, just because we were the second obligate carnivores to reach the stars, they would be in for a rude awakening. These weren¡¯t the kind of aliens I¡¯d spent my life looking for, or that I would do anything to befriend in the present. Chapter 2-27 Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem Alien Liaison Date [standardized human time]: May 14, 2160 While Dustin¡¯s kind hardly looked like ferocious predators, Kaisal had quite the intimidating stature. His teeth were visible poking out of his elongated snout, serrated fangs that could eviscerate a Bissem in a flash of feathers if he so desired. The forward-facing eyes were narrowed to slits, which left him with a perpetual scowl on his face. The gray hide of scales seemed rougher than gravel, and coated his entire body: back to the powerful hindlegs tailored to leaping at prey and a lashing tail with spiky protrusions. He towered over even Naltor, who was from the largest Bissem subspecies, despite the fact the reptile was hunched forward as he stalked ahead. All the while, claws like a saber pointed at us from his raised forepaws. Had I not known the Arxur¡¯s gruesome history, I wouldn¡¯t have judged a fellow sapient for being fearsome. I might¡¯ve appreciated Kaisal¡¯s unique adaptations, and expressed my usual bundle of enthusiasm to learn about his culture. However, this was a species that spent centuries rounding up fellow sapients; starvation alone didn¡¯t excuse that, whatever Onso might think. Humanity left Wriss in isolation without further remediation, for reasons I couldn¡¯t understand. I¡¯d heard what Dustin said about seeing the best in others and trying to build something better from history¡¯s dark pages, but how could any of those things seem possible with these people-eaters? Why would Bissems want these creatures out of quarantine any more than the rest of the galaxy? Onso is much too clever to assume we can be played like ice chimes. He must know there¡¯s nothing they can say that¡¯d change my perspective¡ªand that we want nothing to do with the Arxur. The Federation involvement mentioned by the Yotul didn¡¯t make sense either, with how staunch their anti-predator stance was¡­and them being at the root of the Arxur¡¯s supposedly forced diet. Why would the Federation want their citizens to be turned into livestock? Onso claimed that it suited their narrative, but I couldn¡¯t even begin to understand the implications of that. So many alien regimes had been beyond insane; they cared so little for life, and took their villainy to the extreme. Kaisal was from one of the two factions behind the terrible things I¡¯d learned in the stars, and I found myself itching to rip his excuses to shreds. While we needed aid and wanted to send a message to the Fed remnant faction, it was beneath us to hold a conversation with this monster. ¡°It¡¯s excellent to meet a fellow hunter. The humans are wily, but they¡¯re still leaf-lickers.¡± Kaisal¡¯s voice was a low rumble, with hissing sounds that accompanied certain consonants. ¡°You must¡¯ve heard awful things about us. I know they have a tendency to mention us only as the ones who had sapient cattle and no empathy.¡± Naltor cast a brazen stare back at the Arxur, rooted in front of me as a shield. ¡°What else is there to mention if that¡¯s the truth? We could always wrap this up early.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care for long conversations, so I won¡¯t dawdle. We¡¯re a solitary species. That didn¡¯t always mean a lack of empathy. It so happens our government culled anyone with affective emotions as a defective. That¡¯s how you get a race of sociopaths, Bissems; you either are one, you play along as one to survive, or you die. The Arxur Dominion celebrated cruelty, and its leaders wanted to maintain a war for power.¡± ¡°You¡¯re telling me your government systematically murdered anyone who exhibited empathy. Any sane species would overthrow such madmen long before you got to that point,¡± I spat. ¡°There was an entire war being fought over Betterment¡¯s ideas when the Federation arrived¡ªbearing gifts, until they dosed us with meat-allergy serum. Do you know what a horrific death that is, when you can¡¯t eat the only food your species can consume? There¡¯s a reason we hate them. It¡¯s the same reason authoritarians took control, even seized it as an opportunity. I believe the Tseia may have a better idea about how alien attacks change a society.¡± Zalk raised a flipper in protest. ¡°Don¡¯t compare yourselves to us. We didn¡¯t start murdering our own, or eating people. Naltor can call us savages all he likes, but we did nothing but try to protect our homes and match their strength.¡± ¡°Wrong,¡± Naltor countered. ¡°I¡¯ll explain to you fully how fucked the Tseia are later; you¡¯re your own brand of fucked, but you aren¡¯t like these aliens. I¡¯d love to hear how this allergy serum turned you from happy carnivores to people eaters.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t explain how authoritarians consolidated power.¡± My confidence grew the more I heard, compelling me to provide a rebuttal to the Arxur¡¯s defense. ¡°They can decide to use it to their advantage all they want, but that doesn¡¯t explain why a whole fucking populace would just go along with sapient cattle farms. That didn¡¯t make you okay with it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s more that Betterment pushed us to have no alternative. In the same breath as that killer serum, they tried to wipe out the enemy nations¡¯ cattle; between the two attacks, it could¡¯ve starved them out,¡± Kaisal growled. ¡°That bioweapon took out theirs too, and that opened the door to a desperate solution¡­which only they¡¯d be willing to carry out. They blamed the Federation for the cattle virus, bringing a level of hatred that left us to ensure they reaped the consequences.¡± ¡°You talk so callously about what you¡¯ve done. What kind of species would even think of eating food that talks; capturing them from their homes and shoving them in farms?¡± ¡°When you¡¯re hungry enough, true thinking stops. Late-stage starvation makes anything food. That¡¯s why they kept us that way. It was only with both the Federation and the Dominion gone that we could change.¡± ¡°It¡¯s difficult to beat a system. It¡¯s near impossible to beat one that you were born into,¡± Onso spoke up, from where he¡¯d been quietly observing us. ¡°The Arxur became a shell of their former selves, because they made all the worst choices. Yet they did a lot of good in the war that gets overlooked; species like the Duerten and the Dossur exist because the rebels stepped in alongside our efforts. They proved they could work with Yotul ships.¡± ¡°When they¡¯re deprived of food, they become animals without higher thought. You heard that admission, and you want them serving alongside us?¡± I demanded. ¡°Tassi, those are extreme cases of starvation. Anyone can be driven mad without their basic needs met. I¡¯ll let you in on a secret; however intelligent we might become, we¡¯re all animals. Predator, prey: two sides of the same coin.¡± ¡°Sapients can be better than that! We always have control and agency.¡± Kaisal smacked his tail on the porch. ¡°Whatever you might think of us, the Arxur saved Earth. If you like the humans, you can thank us for their planet not being a ball of rubble.¡± Wait, what?! The humans staved off total extinction by¡­with help from the loathed carnivores? Why would the Dominion protect Earth; and how did their allies not turn on them, when we get slammed for being linked to the grays in any capacity? The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. While I was still trying to be resistant to any sympathetic thoughts, out of basic courtesy for Haliska, I was shaken that Dustin left out some important context about the Arxur. It¡¯d never been brought to my attention that the Federation¡ªwho was supposedly fighting a war against them¡ªwere teaming up with them the whole time, and misleading the public. The fact of the Arxur being starved systematically had also been omitted, making it sound as if they went looking for sapient lunches as soon as they made first contact. Humanity was also happy to construct the tale like Earth¡¯s survival was a miracle, rather than owing their existence to nightmarish carnivores. I couldn¡¯t imagine what state the galaxy would be in without the Terrans, so I could feel a little gratitude if Kaisal¡¯s kind saved them. ¡°Dustin failed to mention that,¡± Naltor sighed. The Arxur leader¡¯s nostrils flared with annoyance. ¡°The humans don¡¯t like to admit that they needed help from an unsavory fleet such as ours, but it¡¯s true. We have always been willing to come to the defense of non-herbivores; something that¡¯d make us a good ally to you, from a pragmatic standpoint.¡± ¡°We wouldn¡¯t turn away aid from any source, if Alsh is attacked by exterminator loons again,¡± Zalk responded. ¡°I¡¯m not ready to bring trouble down on our heads by signing a pact with the galaxy¡¯s most hated faction. We mistrust outsiders to begin with, so I¡¯m not sure how we¡¯d trust anyone with your checkered past.¡± ¡°Any historian worth their meat salts will also tell you how important the rebellion fighting back against that Betterment regime is¡­there were people who hated what we¡¯d become, and I¡¯m proud to say I joined their cause as soon as possible. I fight for peace, and a better legacy that you will not find so repugnant. The Collective strives to end a culture of cruelty and bring satiety to all. Part of our ideal future is making alien friends.¡± ¡°You want to be our friends just because we¡¯re obligate carnivores,¡± I accused. ¡°That is a primary reason, Tassi. There has never been another species like us. Who would we have more in common with on a biological level? Whose world and culture could we perhaps find a place in? Besides, you¡¯ll be an eye-opening test of the SC. If they cannot accept you, then I know they¡¯ll never accept us.¡± ¡°That¡¯s part of why I want to help the Bissems.¡± Onso pinned his ears back, bushy tail stiffening as he spoke. ¡°I¡¯m not convinced that the Coalition members have shaken off their Federation roots altogether. There¡¯s many that just make a mental exception for humans. I think the Technocracy would be foolish to make an alliance of convenience with anti-carnivores.¡± ¡°My cooperation with you should be proof for the Bissems that I care much more for fighting spirit than diet; the Yotul are anything but weak, so we¡¯ve gotten along well. You didn¡¯t care that the wider SC won¡¯t even speak to us.¡± ¡°The wider SC called us primitives and looked down on us. They laughed as the Federation wrecked our home. I wonder why we don¡¯t give a fuck what they think?¡± Naltor gave me a look. ¡°This is the same SC Tassi wants to join, for some reason. Why do we care what they think of our war?¡± ¡°Because we need them! Humanity is trying to pull the galaxy forward¡ªas impossible as that appears,¡± I retorted. A hiss emanated from Kaisal¡¯s chest. ¡°We¡¯ve done everything they asked of us, but my people are starting to feel abandoned. We won¡¯t stay in isolation much longer. If they want us to better ourselves, then they need to treat us like allies¡­and let us join their team, without acting ashamed of us. We don¡¯t want the future to pass us by.¡± ¡°It would be an excellent way to leave the predator-prey schism behind once and for all. If the Sapient Coalition could see that Arxur aren¡¯t monsters, that rips the foundation out of the so-called proof for the Federation¡¯s dogma,¡± Onso declared. ¡°I thought a chat with Kaisal might rip away your misconceptions. Bissems have the chance to be the catalyst for true unity: leaving the war and its divisions behind.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a nice ideal, but you can¡¯t be sure it¡¯ll be that simple.¡± Zalk tilted his head, a skeptical glimmer in his eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s say we got into the Coalition. What happens if they don¡¯t listen to us, with our newness and distinct lack of credibility?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve taken the liberty of strengthening our military to a respectable fleet size once more. We don¡¯t want trouble, but let¡¯s just say we¡¯re done with quarantine. It¡¯d be better for everyone if that was as friends. Let us go about our business with those who are ready to move on.¡± I shifted on my feet. ¡°It¡¯s only been a few decades since the last war, and you¡¯re willing to go back to battle?¡± ¡°We will not fire the first shots. That¡¯s not my wish; I¡¯d rather you convince the SC that we deserve a second chance. It¡¯d be worth your while, and you¡¯d have an ally you don¡¯t have to worry about scaring. I will accept gradual concessions from the leaf-lickers, but we¡¯ve been left out of everything for far too long.¡± ¡°Define ¡®worth our while.¡¯ Will you give us military technology?¡± Naltor squawked. ¡°That¡¯s what we need, Kaisal; to increase Ivrana¡¯s standing so we aren¡¯t entirely at their mercy.¡± ¡°The Collective would happily provide ships and weapon blueprints in return. As Onso could tell you, that¡¯s the only way they won¡¯t view you as ¡®primitives.¡¯ Strength¡­your own ships will mean they can¡¯t dismiss you, or bar you from the stars on a whim.¡± Interest shone in Zalk¡¯s eyes. ¡°Having our own starship fleet would be a game changer. If those ghost exterminators return, we can rise to meet them. However, there¡¯s no way to know you¡¯re good for it before we uphold our part of the deal.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll earn your trust, Tseia; we¡¯re not the self-serving species we were twenty years ago. We can work with others as a civilized force. Give us a chance to prove it. Let us bury what the Dominion did, and make a new name for ourselves.¡± Do they even deserve a second chance, after what they¡¯ve done? Whatever Kaisal says about fighting back, it was their whole society. They¡¯re willing to get their way by force, so they can¡¯t have changed that much. ¡°We¡¯ll consider it,¡± I said. ¡°I can¡¯t pretend your history didn¡¯t exist, but I know I don¡¯t want any more death and war. I want what¡¯s best for Ivrana, and the SC won¡¯t give our problems their full attention if they¡¯re off fighting you.¡± The Yotul politician flicked his ear in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s all we ask. In any case, I have a plan to get you a trial role on the SC. I¡¯ll tell them if there¡¯s any way to show you¡¯re divided, it¡¯ll be by giving you a single vote amid a war. It¡¯s up to you to prove them wrong, so I even have a chance to get you a permanent spot.¡± ¡°We just need to get in the door. Despite the war, every faction has extended a friendly flipper toward the aliens. Even his.¡± Naltor gestured toward Zalk, who scoffed in response. ¡°We know we have to get this right, even as we¡¯re fighting among ourselves.¡± The Tseia sighed. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t put up with cloacabeaks like you if I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Thank you, Onso,¡± I interceded. ¡°We appreciate the introductions and the aid. I think it¡¯s best that we get going, before someone does see us all colluding. We know how this would go over.¡± Kaisal snorted. ¡°How dare anyone talk to the Arxur? That attitude is exactly what needs to change with the Coalition, and why we don¡¯t trust them to look out for us. Carnivores still can¡¯t get a fair shake, even without a dark history. I¡¯ll certainly be watching your experience with interest.¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to make this work for us. I won¡¯t give up on being part of the galactic community, and seeing Bissems welcomed as equals. Before you do anything rash, let¡¯s see whether they can come around to us.¡± ¡°I can be a little patient. Just don¡¯t take too long. Goodbye, Tassi and friends.¡± Still huddled behind Naltor, I turned toward the vehicle we¡¯d arrived in, eager to get away from the Arxur leader. I only breathed a sigh of relief once the car was speeding away from Onso¡¯s home; the politician must believe the reptilians had changed, if he was letting one stay in his dwelling without any backup. I wasn¡¯t sure what my companions made of Kaisal, but I was conflicted over every explanation he offered. Aligning ourselves with them didn¡¯t seem like a prudent move; it¡¯d validate prejudices about us accepting their crimes. Then again, the alternative was a fight that could pick up where the unthinkable, centuries-long war had left off. That would strengthen the grudges against carnivores that Bissems would have to face. This dilemma certainly wasn¡¯t what I had expected when I got the invite to Leirn, but what mattered was that the Yotul had a plan that he thought would get us a brief stint with the Sapient Coalition. That brought me a giddy rush, since I¡¯d thought our chances might be dead in the waters with a war raging. Once I got myself into the forum, I was going to make every connection I could to ensure we stayed there for good. Chapter 2-28 Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist Date [standardized human time]: May 14, 2160 It had been one thing to practice at the range with Cherise, and another to have a helmet providing real time trajectory estimates and corrections. The augmented reality feed could detect my inaccuracy patterns, providing an analysis on what to adjust. Quana proved able to handle a weapon, firing almost every shot into the center ring of the hexagonal targets¡ªwhich were shaped a bit like Krev scales. General Radai watched with interest, correcting the techniques of any humans who couldn¡¯t take the hints from their helmet. Where the Resket truly went ballistic was with trigger discipline, and keeping weapons pointed down range. One Terran turned her gun toward Radai as he addressed her. In a matter of seconds, the towering pink bird twisted her wrist to disarm her, and jabbed the gun against the side of her helmet to make a point. He¡¯d shrieked that she was doing the same thing to her squad, by pointing a loaded weapon at friendlies. It appeared that our headgear had built-in ear protection, judging by how it muted bullet noises; Quana suggested that it was to protect against sonic weapons or long-term ear damage. Still, the Resket¡¯s voice was as loud as a tornado siren, so I imagined that the new enlistee wasn¡¯t enjoying the audio assault. Aliens being aggressive and getting in our faces was novel. Radai¡¯s only comment was that I was too slow reloading my weapon. That¡¯s not the worst critique I could¡¯ve received, though Cherise certainly makes it look much simpler. The Resket ordered us to return our firearms to the artillery cart, remarking that it was time to progress to the grenade range. We needed to become familiar with a wide array of weapons¡ªespecially close quarters ones, since Reskets were most likely sidelined for those deployments. Their nine-foot-tall stature didn¡¯t make them a good fit for tight spaces, so other races needed to be qualified to function in those scenarios alone. From what I¡¯d seen in the Federation, it was surprising that the Consortium crafted handheld explosives; an incendiary device that could riddle the enemy with shrapnel was supposedly a vicious, human-only invention. I was intrigued to know if the Krev had added some crazy tech to our version¡ªmaybe we could explode them with our minds. ¡°Alright, listen up! This is your crash course on how to utilize grenades in the field or in a tight hallway. Your helmets come equipped with anti-flashbang tech¡ªso count your fucking blessings there,¡± Radai barked. ¡°Back when I was trained, we had to get flashbanged to see what it was like and keep fighting. You have a much easier task. We¡¯ll still be using these nonlethal weapons for the purpose of our training today. Understood?¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± came the confident response. ¡°If you¡¯re fighting around a corner, you want to roll it down the hallway with gusto. Otherwise, for further distances, we have grenade launchers right here to guide them¡­¡± ¡°They probably developed anti-flashbang tech for your helmets because of us,¡± Quana whispered to me. ¡°We¡¯d throw them when we ambushed them in the snow. They were already blind, between the envirosuits and constant blizzards. Our white fur already might¡¯ve been invisible.¡± I shrugged. ¡°You talk like you were there.¡± ¡°My relatives were. They passed on their stories to me.¡± ¡°How the fuck did they get captured?¡± Radai scowled. ¡°Taylor Trench! I thought you came here to join the military. It seems you¡¯re more interested in trading gossip.¡± ¡°Ooh, now you¡¯re in trouble,¡± Cherise snickered. I straightened, embarrassed to be called out. ¡°No, sir. I didn¡¯t mean to be disruptive.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s too fucking late for that.¡± Radai stalked closer, angling his beak toward the top of my skull. ¡°Tell us what you were talking about. We¡¯re all waiting.¡± ¡°It really wasn¡¯t anything important.¡± I can¡¯t tell him that we were reminiscing on the Reskets¡¯ great embarrassment. It¡¯ll be bad news for Quana. ¡°Just about how we don¡¯t have anti-flashbang helmets on Earth. And that I¡¯m glad we, uh, don¡¯t have to take one to the face like you did¡­sir.¡± ¡°I should fucking make you get on the ground and take one. Maybe Mafani was right about you not needing a helmet.¡± ¡°Sir, this will not happen again! I did not mean to disrespect you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯t. Did you hear any of what I said?¡± ¡°Roll grenades in hallways. Grenade launchers in open spots, and uh, yeah.¡± ¡°Good. You just volunteered yourself to go first. I didn¡¯t think you heard any of my instructions on how to load the weapon¡ªso figure it the fuck out on your own. Stand at the red line, and put a fucking grenade on the nearest burlap sack over the wall. Go on.¡± Radai maneuvered behind me, shoving me forward before I could respond to his instructions. I swallowed, as I picked up a grenade launcher that I had no idea how to use. My fingers curled around a flashbang shell, and I stared down range at the puffy sacks Radai had mentioned. My feed displayed the distance to the target as 20 meters away; there were stacks much further down the range that would actually require the launcher, though the Resket general was easing us into the training with a closer target. Was this a test to see if I would fall back into using tools as a crutch? The avian looked amused as I reared back¡ªlike he thought I was throwing in the towel¡ªbut his expression morphed into shock as the grenade left my grip. I watched my throw arc through the air, landing directly atop the aforementioned target. Radai¡¯s beak was parted with disbelief; his neck bent forward like he wanted to be sure he¡¯d seen the past scene correctly. I was confused about what was so remarkable; shit, would he view this as further defiance, since he¡¯d clearly intended for me to use the launcher? I thought I was taking initiative, using a more efficient delivery method. My head swiveled back toward Quana with nervousness; the Jaslip¡¯s binocular eyes had gone wide with awe. Every alien in our training group appeared stunned by my most recent action. ¡°Taylor. Was that dumb luck, or did you really throw that with that much power and precision¡­first try too?¡± Radai asked. I pressed a palm to the back of my helmet. ¡°It wasn¡¯t that impressive. The throw wasn¡¯t, uh, that far, sir.¡± ¡°We saw your sports, like baseball and whatnot, but frankly, we lumped that in with your other staged entertainment. Like your ¡®superhero¡¯ movies. We thought it¡¯d be physically impossible for any species to be a natural at projectile physics.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say, other than please, don¡¯t start calling us scary predators or some shit?¡± ¡°Trench, that¡¯s the first time today that I¡¯ve been impressed with humans. Fuck it, you¡¯re all going to be grenadiers,¡± Radai chuckled. ¡°I need to notify the other Trainers, and rework the grenade regimen to fit your natural abilities. We¡¯ll put our crowns together and think of ways to use this. Unit, you¡¯re dismissed.¡± Cherise and Quana walked up to meet me, as I turned away from the Resket. He¡¯d dropped his ire toward my chattiness after my throwing demonstration. Radai didn¡¯t take any shit, but he seemed fair enough; the way he cemented his authority was forceful and sometimes violent, but not mean-spirited. He hadn¡¯t seemed to target my Jaslip friend, unlike our previous trainer. With Mafani ordered to stay away from us, I hoped that was the last we¡¯d seen of the racist avian. I slunk off to rejoin my group, but stiffened as the general piped up. ¡°Taylor Trench and friends. Stay behind one moment,¡± Radai called after us. Fuck, is he going to put me on latrine duty? I deserve it, but damn it, I don¡¯t want to be cleaning up alien shit. I turned on my heel, removing my helmet so he could see my regretful expression. ¡°I apologize again for the disruption, General Radai.¡± ¡°Sir, it was my fault,¡± Quana chimed in, surprising me. I would¡¯ve never snitched on her involvement, especially since Reskets might be looking for any excuse to single out a Jaslip. ¡°I made a comment to him about why I thought anti-flashbangs might have been invented.¡± ¡°I¡¯m aware, but thank you for doing the honorable thing, Quana,¡± Radai sighed. ¡°I let it slide only because Mafani had been antagonizing you. I¡¯d prefer we didn¡¯t rehash a thirty-year-old skirmish, especially when there¡¯s talk about going after our real enemy.¡± ¡°After what they did to Earth, I¡¯d love for us to take those fuckers down. I¡¯m here to do right by the humans. In my opinion, it¡¯s time we stopped hiding, and stopped accepting that good people have to die to them.¡± Cherise cracked her knuckles. ¡°Much like Quana, I¡¯d love a chance to make the Krakotl and all their pals pay. How well your army functions compared to theirs: night and day. Add in your tech, and I think we could take ¡®em.¡± ¡°I do too, for what it¡¯s worth. Your information shines a new light on the threat. It could be the catalyst we need to prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that we can win; that the shame of our cowardice is no longer a necessity,¡± the Resket commented. ¡°Going after the Feds? Fuck yeah! I¡¯m totally in,¡± I cheered. ¡°Oops. Too much? Sorry again, sir.¡± Radai narrowed his large eyes. ¡°You need to learn discipline, Trench. You do not come from a military background, but your inattention could cost lives in the field. That said, I didn¡¯t keep you to punish you for your outburst¡ªthough if you don¡¯t pull it together, you¡¯ll wish Mafani was still here.¡± Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°Sir, with all due respect, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever wish Mafani was still here. I¡¯m all ears for why you wished to speak with me.¡± ¡°Very well. It¡¯s about your friend from the Avor visit, Gress. The famous negotiator. The Ulchid teaching his comms course messaged me that he never showed up to her class. It¡¯s unlike him or his reputation. I was wondering if you had a better idea where he was?¡± ¡°That Krev?¡± Quana pinned her ears back with distaste; her hackle fur was up. ¡°We don¡¯t know, and we don¡¯t care. Sir.¡± ¡°We saw him back at the hab module. He was on the base at some point,¡± Cherise volunteered. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯d be worth looking there.¡± Radai shot a glare at Quana, before turning to my human ally. ¡°Do that. Assuming Gress is alright, tell him to report to his superiors for disciplinary action.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to deal¡ª¡± I began. Cherise stepped on my foot, breaking off my sentence. ¡°Yes, sir. We¡¯re on it.¡± ¡°Good. Whatever is going on between you, your personal issues will not take precedence over your duty again. Dismissed,¡± the Resket hissed. I stormed off, stomping through the grass as soon as we¡¯d ducked out of Radai¡¯s line of vision. After how deeply Gress had hurt me, Cherise had no right to volunteer me to search for him; I wouldn¡¯t interact with the Krev who¡¯d strung me along as my exchange partner, lying about kids dying and genocide to save face. Quana bared her fangs at the female human, a clear indication that she also had no intention of tracking down the ¡°kit killer.¡± The Jaslip was a better friend than Gress had ever been, just by admitting her wrongdoing to Radai, instead of letting me take the fall. She didn¡¯t hide from her past or her actions. If Gress thinks I¡¯d choose him in an ultimatum between him and Quana, he¡¯s nuts. I want nothing to do with that lying bastard. Cherise crossed her arms, blocking my path. ¡°Taylor, he was your friend for months. For your own sake¡ªif only for closure¡ªyou owe it to yourself to find and confront him. I¡¯m not doubting Quana¡¯s story, but I never saw Gress as someone so impervious to life.¡± ¡°Maybe he feels bad about it now. Maybe his superiors pressured him to save the delegates. Does it matter?¡± I sulked. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear excuses: not now, when he didn¡¯t have the balls to be honest with me! After all that talk about me leveling with him.¡± ¡°You should never cut someone off without hearing what they have to say for themselves. You two talked daily for months; that has to count for something. I¡¯d never seen Gress act like that before.¡± ¡°Neither had I. I thought he was my friend. Now, good people like Quana will associate me with that monster!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± the Jaslip offered. ¡°Not after you helped me with Mafani. It might be cathartic for you to confront Gress, and call him out for the monster he is. I guess you should try to find him, to cut those ties once and for all. So that Radai won¡¯t ask you about him in the future.¡± ¡°It would be nice if I wasn¡¯t forced to interact with him anymore. Someone has to tell him, in no uncertain terms, that he¡¯s not my bunkmate anymore. I want answers¡­to call him on the carpet! How could he be such a rotten liar?¡± Cherise patted me on the back. ¡°Go on then. Try looking near the hab module; he has that obor shrieking ringtone for you. It¡¯d be hard to miss if you try to call him.¡± ¡°Hmph. I guess I¡¯m just an oversized obor to him. A pet. I¡¯ll show him what I think of his false friendship. I¡¯ll show him!¡± I shoved my helmet into Quana¡¯s threefold tail, and the Jaslip heaved a sigh¡ªreluctant agreement to return it to my bunk. With righteous fury causing my fists to clench, I tore off down the pathway; I almost barreled over one human soldier, who shot me a nasty look. My glower must¡¯ve caused him to back down, since I felt positively deranged on the hunt for Gress. There was a single person that I wanted to direct my wounded feelings toward. Had he even cared about how I would feel at all? Why had he zeroed in on me, out of every human on Tellus? Because I was in a vulnerable state? Perhaps this was all long-term revenge for clubbing him over the skull. To think I liked him, and bought that young, easily flustered, kind-hearted dad act. To think I believed he had a conscience, or could be trusted to watch out for humanity¡¯s best interests. I jabbed his name in my call history, as my pupils jerked around the vacant space behind the hab module. Sure enough, I heard obor shrieks in the distance¡ªby a thick set of hedges off the beaten path. Gress didn¡¯t pick up my call, but I wasn¡¯t letting that jackass send me to voicemail; by God, I was going to say my piece to him. I vaulted over the bushes with triumphant wrath, and faltered in my anger as I heard the softer sounds. The Krev was curled up into a ball, looking like a green, spherical pine cone. I could hear snot bubbling in his nostrils, along with pathetic sobs emanating from his chest. In spite of myself, I felt sorry for him. It was difficult to unload my anger on someone who looked so broken. ¡°Gress,¡± I whispered, internally cursing myself for my sympathy. ¡°It¡¯s me. Taylor. Come out of the ball¡­please. We need to talk.¡± The Krev uncoiled slightly, pointing a disoriented gaze at me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Taylor. I¡¯m so sorry. I ruined everything. I saw her, I saw you with her, and she wouldn¡¯t stop accusing me of all those awful things¡­¡± ¡°Pfft. Are you trying to tell me you didn¡¯t let children die? Because I feel like that¡¯s something I should¡¯ve known.¡± ¡°How the fuck can you think I would do that? HOW?¡± I flinched away from his raised voice. ¡°Quana said it like it¡¯s common knowledge. You said nothing to defend yourself.¡± ¡°Because I can¡¯t! I can¡¯t, Taylor, I just can¡¯t. I¡¯ve been trying to pull my life together, but that day follows me everywhere. You know what it¡¯s like to see something whenever you close your eyes. I watch you flinch each time you see a miner¡¯s helmet or hear anything that sounds like drilling.¡± I snapped my head back even further, gritting my teeth. ¡°Don¡¯t you fucking mention that accident; use that against me! I¡¯m trying to make up for it.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m trying to wake up from a nightmare that never ends. I¡¯m just in a good enough spot mentally to be able to tell you that those kids dying wasn¡¯t my fault. Do you want to know what happened? Or have you already condemned me like I meant nothing to you?!¡± ¡°You were the closest person in my life since the day I took that mask off, but you let me down. I know how many ¡®stragglers¡¯ stayed on Esquo. You didn¡¯t tell me!¡± The Krev sighed. ¡°You¡¯re right. It was awful, and I never said it was okay. It really didn¡¯t make a difference whether it was a hundred Jaslips or a billion. Murder is murder. They have a point, regardless of whether it had to be done.¡± ¡°You downplayed it, Gress. Don¡¯t you fucking lie.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to be afraid of us, after what happened to Earth. You¡¯re completely right. My word choice misled you on the scale, and I can¡¯t imagine how you feel, when you have trust issues with aliens to start with. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°What do you expect me to do with a months-late apology? You had every opportunity to come clean, or open up at all about yourself.¡± ¡°Let me tell you now what really fucking happened. You can choose to forgive me or not, but I don¡¯t want you thinking I¡¯d sacrifice children.¡± ¡°Whatever. I can¡¯t wait to hear this festival of excuses.¡± The Krev drew a shuddering breath, trying to give the impression that he was struggling to continue. My impatience simmered, though I held back any scathing remarks. This attempt to manipulate me through empathy wasn¡¯t going to work. There was no way that Gress and Quana could have such disparate stories about the same event; the Jaslip had no reason to lie, while this guy had every reason to. Tears streamed down his scaly face, and he stared into the binocular eyes that I¡¯d hidden from him for years. I wished I had my helmet to obscure them again, so he couldn¡¯t see that I still felt for him. ¡°Look, Taylor, they nabbed five important individuals at a convention center. Holed up there for days,¡± Gress sniffled. ¡°I knew there were kids in there, but I thought that was the parents bringing them along as some fucked up way to drag them into this hostage mess. Those Esquo¡¯s Fighters radicals, that¡¯s how they raise their children.¡± I scowled at him. ¡°How is that the kids¡¯ fault? You¡ª¡± ¡°Let me finish! It¡¯s sad, but it¡¯s not their fault. At any rate, listen, we thought they were roped in, because why the fuck would you think that parents would blow their own children¡¯s brains out? I didn¡¯t know what they were intending, and that¡¯s how they set us up; the Avorian police force walked right into that propaganda victory. The Jaslips told us exactly who they had held hostage, and days later, they call me to request five hostages to leave by name. You know what I said?¡± ¡°No. This isn¡¯t going anywhere. How could Quana blame you for what was done so blatantly, and I should believe you didn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Because the Jaslips filmed it all, and lined the kids up to look like the call to me was video streamed. It wasn¡¯t. I couldn¡¯t see that they had their own offspring mewling, crying through a gag, and with guns pointed at them. When they asked for five hostages to let go, I was exhausted¡ªI didn¡¯t know what to think, if it was a test or something, but I didn¡¯t want to give them time to change their mind. I asked for all five, thanked them for doing the right thing. Out come the aristocrats; we saved the day. Time to go in and round up the criminals, right?¡± I was quiet for a long moment. ¡°You¡¯re saying they staged it to look like you chose to let the kids die?¡± ¡°It makes for good propaganda. They wanted them and their children to be martyrs, and because I didn¡¯t catch on, it worked.¡± The Krev¡¯s claws twitched, as his voice was choked up with grief. ¡°That¡­t-that¡¯s when we heard gunshots. I¡¯ll never forget it. My supervisor tells me not to go in there, but I just have this sinking feeling in my chest¡ªand I know why, once I hear more gunshots than there are adults. The hostage takers have killed the kids and then themselves.¡± ¡°My God. That¡¯s¡­awful.¡± My mind was reeling, but his despondent tone had the ring of sincerity; I could see the haunted, vacant look in his pupils, just like when I slipped back to Kabir¡¯s death. ¡°When you said you can¡¯t talk about it, you mean¡­¡± ¡°I mean that I don¡¯t want to, because it drives me mad. It hurts. The worst part is, when I get in there, one kit is still alive. Shot in the throat; fluffy white fur just oozing violet blood. I have some medical training¡ªeveryone on the hostage negotiator team does. I stick my claws into the little guy¡¯s throat, and try to pinch the artery shut while we wait for paramedics. I try to push the blood back inside while his breaths get weaker, but there is so much.¡± Not knowing what I could possibly say, I pressed a hand against his shoulder to comfort him. ¡°How could anyone do that to their own child¡ªand for what? To make me look like¡­like a monster? I just¡­I would try anything to save him! But the fragile thing dies right as the medics arrive, with my claws in his throat. I feel the way the pulse stops beating against my claws, as the blood keeps coating them¡ªI can see the way the medics look at me when I pull them out, and hold them in front of my face. All the dead bodies around me¡­wondering if I could¡¯ve stopped it,¡± Gress spewed. My eyebrows slanted downward. ¡°That¡¯s not fair to yourself. What I did was reckless, endangering people. You didn¡¯t know what these extremists were going to do; I can see it now.¡± ¡°Of course not. I had nightmares about it all, became this irritable mess that everyone had to steer clear of. I couldn¡¯t predict what I¡¯d react poorly to. When I began to lash out at Lecca, my light, just because she was a child¡­I was a danger to her. My wife was right to leave me. The Jaslips say I¡¯m a monster¡­the Krev think I¡¯m a hero¡­you can decide what you believe, Taylor.¡± ¡°I believe you did the best you could. That¡¯s more than I can say for myself. You needed help, not abandonment. I, of anyone, get PTSD, and if Quana triggers it, I understand. I shouldn¡¯t have blamed you for how you reacted; I won¡¯t cut her off, but you don¡¯t have to interact with her.¡± Gress snorted. ¡°I can¡¯t crumple every time I see a Jaslip from that enclave. I doubt Quana would tolerate me; she won¡¯t care about the truth.¡± ¡°We can tell her what really happened. Either way¡­I¡¯m here for you. I¡¯m going to be a better friend, and¡­like you told me when I took off my mask, I¡¯m glad you opened up to me.¡± His eyes perked up for a moment. ¡°Hug?¡± ¡°Just this once. Don¡¯t get used to it.¡± I winced as the Krev threw his arms around me, applying pressure right where Mafani had kicked me. Knowing his side of the story, everything about his life crumbling was all the more tragic in hindsight; Gress was tormented because of Jaslips who¡¯d orchestrated the murder of their kids to look like it was his choice. For what it was worth, I thought good people like Quana needed to hear the truth. My best friend deserved better than that slander; he¡¯d suffered more than enough already. Chapter 2-29 Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist Date [standardized human time]: June 9, 2160 Quana and Gress didn¡¯t mesh, even after I tried to share his story with the Jaslip. The fluffy carnivore demeaned me as gullible for buying his ignorance, though potential dishonesty was unthinkable to me after seeing the look in his eyes. My Krev exchange partner had opened up his soul to me, and I wouldn¡¯t let the quadruped¡¯s vitriol turn me against him. She still spoke to me, perhaps out of gratitude for my earlier aid, but turned cold when Gress was around¡ªoffering only vicious growls when spoken to. It was probably for the best that the two rarely interacted for the first few weeks, as General Radai set out to run us ragged; I was pushed to my breaking point physically, and grew accustomed to hurting all over after a day¡¯s training. The former hostage negotiator, meanwhile, was enjoying a more tranquil regimen in comms training. However, when it came time to start ship exercises¡ªgathering experience on patrols and boarding scenarios¡ªthe Jaslip and the Krev would have to work together. Gress was thrust into a role on the comms station, while Quana, Cherise, and I were simple bridge security; our job was to monitor the situation, escort crewmates off the deck under circumstances of disobedience, and to jump in as assistants if needed. We could be ready to board a vessel in a flash. Under peacetime, a large part of our responsibilities might be stopping piracy and apprehending suspects in Tellus¡¯ space. The Krev would help if we requested their aid, but the last thing our settlement wanted was to be a passenger on protecting our own territory. Watching Earth fall had been punishment enough. ¡°If you want to capture assets for intelligence, you know what that requires? Physical people on board to retrieve them!¡± Radai squawked. ¡°This crew isn¡¯t smooth enough to progress to ship insertions yet. We¡¯re starting simple¡ªmaintain your patrol route while looking for jettisoned cargo. It¡¯s too small to show up on sensors, so what are we looking for?¡± ¡°Subspace trails, sir!¡± I bellowed, along with the majority of the crew. ¡°Good! Stay alert and vigilant; you need to keep your patrol course while doing that. Comms, query for the local ship traffic logs, and forward it to sensors so they can cross-reference it.¡± Gress¡¯ eyes flitted over to his Ulchid partner, who was already firing off the communique. ¡°On it, sir.¡± ¡°Good! Show me that you can work as a team, and complete your duties without babysitting. This should become routine, people.¡± Cherise began drifting past various stations, eager to be summoned if they needed an extra hand; Quana occupied herself by checking the armory cart¡¯s readiness, and while that was a one person job, I wandered up behind the Jaslip. The patrols were mundane as could be, especially when we were assigned as the bridge watch¡ªunable to screw off like those on duty in the crew quarters, away from Radai¡¯s watchful eyes. The Resket would flip his lid if we didn¡¯t make ourselves useful and stay alert, however, even if there was nothing to look at but empty stars. I wished I could handle some of the duties, yet as quiet as it was, I wasn¡¯t as hopeful for spare work as my security guard friend. The Jaslip proceeded to rummage through the first aid supplies, ensuring for the umpteenth time that various auto-injecting blood packets were available in case of injury. A smirk crossed my face, imagining how the Federation thought we¡¯d glimpse those and try to drink them like vampires. The amusement fizzled out, pushed back by the knowledge that humanity had been slaughtered for such laughable ideas. Quana tucked the supplies back in their cubby, and I shoved thoughts of that bygone era away. The carnivore¡¯s three tails twitched with equal boredom and restlessness, knowing it would be several hours up in the stars without stimulation. The slim armor along her body was connected to a spine-mounted gun; it¡¯d help the Jaslip move quickly, as a quadruped, while still firing it with her tails. Every now and then, I see her angle her head toward Gress at the comms station. I wonder if she thinks about disabling the friendly targeting and taking him out¡ªorders be damned. Quana won¡¯t listen about him not being a heartless killer; she fell right into the propaganda. Cherise wandered back toward us, crouching next to me as I pretended to inspect the weapons cart. ¡°So much for taking the fight to them. The techs got a day of simulated space combat, but here we are, adrift in the stars. I¡¯m tired of twiddling my thumbs.¡± ¡°We got a few ground exercises,¡± I offered. ¡°I know it can¡¯t all be glitz and glamor, but I don¡¯t feel much like a soldier. I don¡¯t feel any closer to fighting the Feddies.¡± ¡°I feel like a Krev lap-obor, forced to stare at monsters all day. You know Gress lied about Esquo, and you still fall for his story, Taylor. There¡¯s video proof of my side¡ªwhat does he have?!¡± Quana hissed, muzzle contorted in a nasty snarl. ¡°Gress is my friend, and he¡¯s tried to be nice to you, despite the names you called him and how you remind him of a traumatic incident. He knows he was being unfair. You¡¯re being unfair by not even considering that the Jaslips you think are psychos have an agenda!¡± Cherise pressed a finger to her helmet, where her lips were. ¡°Keep your voices down. If you two are disruptive again, Radai might put you out the airlock¡­and you¡¯ll be the jettisoned cargo to find.¡± The Jaslip pinned her ears back. ¡°You still sidle up to the kit killer as well. Is this some kind of primate loyalty¡ªrefusal to see what¡¯s right in front of you?¡± ¡°Quana, with all due respect, I¡¯m more likely to believe a public servant than extremists who shot their own kids on camera. That¡¯s not a reliable source. I also don¡¯t think that letting children die meshed with any of Gress¡¯ behavior with us. He couldn¡¯t help but pity us after the accident, despite who he thought we were.¡± ¡°Gress caused that drill explosion, working you to literal death without a shred of compassion¡ªdriving you out of your home for rent they didn¡¯t even need. He puts on a nice face now because you remind him of his pet!¡± I crossed my arms, wishing she could see the vicious scowl beneath my helmet. ¡°That¡¯s the thing; Gress wasn¡¯t driving us from our home. Our home is Earth, and the Feds drove us out. I¡¯d want secretive people I thought were Feds gone too, and I¡¯d be a lot less nice about it. The drill exploding falls on me for being a shit negotiator¡­and watching my own self-interest.¡± ¡°Is that what you see in Gress? You both have those two traits in common.¡± I balled my hands into fists. ¡°Dammit, Quana. You used to be fun, and you know, I felt sorry for you for a lot of shit. I want to be your friend, but you can¡¯t bear that I think for myself: that I don¡¯t agree with extremist narratives!¡± ¡°I¡¯m angry that you crawled right back to being his pet, after you yourself saw it.¡± Cherise made a shushing sound again. ¡°Enough! General Radai is giving us sideways glances.¡± ¡°General Radai is listening to what you¡¯re saying as well,¡± the Resket squawked. ¡°Since you three can¡¯t sit still and quiet for a few hours, a permanent separation might be ideal.¡± It might be best if Quana was kept away, since she spends half the time egging me on about Gress. I wish she¡¯d chill out. Without a word to request to stay with the Jaslip, I moved near the elevator and placed my hands behind my back. My brooding thoughts occupied me more than standing at ease, as Cherise apologized to Radai¡ªdespite being the one who¡¯d been trying to quiet our bickering. I imagined the Resket would make us all run laps until we wanted to throw up, since he¡¯d already done that to me twice as punishment. Even if it got me into trouble, I wasn¡¯t going to let Quana impugn my closest friend¡¯s honor like that. Gress was a good man who¡¯d had his life ruined by real monsters, and had been set up to be at the heart of a controversy. If the Jaslip kept pushing me, my choice was simple. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. The patrol was quiet, as we wandered our normal route while combing subspace trails. I crept forward toward the rail that overlooked sensors, in the hopes of gleaning something from the screens; if I could pick up enough, maybe I could get a posting as a sensors assistant. It was supposed to be one of the simplest jobs on the vessel, while also giving me something constant to process. I watched how the Trombil and the human on the station whittled down the activity, trying to sniff out whatever Radai had set up. I stifled a yawn, hoping they¡¯d pick up the cargo soon, so we could return to camp. This wasn¡¯t the illustrious freedom fighter career I envisioned¡ªthat was for sure. Was I serving humanity at all? ¡°Sir, I¡¯m picking up dozens of unregistered subspace trails at the fringes of the system¡­much higher visibility than loosed cargo,¡± the Trombil stated. ¡°The contacts appear to be still active, and are on an intercept course with Tellus. They appear to have dropped out of FTL before triggering our disruptors, and are proceeding at sublight speeds.¡± There was the slightest shift in Radai¡¯s demeanor, but I saw the angle of his head change; it seemed like a momentary jolt of surprise, just enough to suggest this wasn¡¯t a planned, simulated encounter. The Resket maintained his composure, though he¡¯d cleared the gap to the sensors station in a second. Confirming that it was true with his own eyes, he quickly wheeled around¡ªannouncing that this was not a test. The general relayed orders to comms to notify both the Consortium government on Avor and Mayor Hathaway¡¯s office on the newly-built up Tellus. Gress risked a glance at me, consternation evident on his face, as he sent word of the incursion back to the delegates. Who the fuck was in our space? Had the Federation discovered the ark ships, and come to finish us off? My features hardened, knowing quite well the direction they¡¯d come from. We weren¡¯t going to let the prey fuckwits get anywhere near us. I waited for what I already knew to be true, as sensors gathered information on the intruding vessels and cross-referenced them against known schematics; it was fortunate our vault of data from Earth had thought to bring what we knew of their military capabilities. To my surprise, the sensors station had an immediate hit, just from the minimal intel in the Krev¡¯s database from their long-ago scouting. I could feel the adrenaline kicking in, alongside a surge of wrath toward these monsters. This patrol had become quite real in an instant. Even with faces obscured, I could see fear in the human crew¡¯s breathing and stiff postures. Gress cleared his throat. ¡°We have permission from Avor to engage the vessels, sir. I¡¯m linked in with the other training ships, and we¡¯re scrambling drone reinforcements. Also, my Ulchid comrade is telling me that the human government is demanding that we fire on the targets. The decision, however, remains yours.¡± ¡°Very well. Advance toward the contacts and ready weapons. Has sensors identified the ships?¡± Radai prompted. ¡°Sivkit make, sir¡ªlarge vessels utilized on their nomadic expeditions, as they move from world to world¡­devouring them,¡± a human sensors tech answered, a frazzled edge to their voice. My Krev friend cleared his throat. ¡°We¡¯ve definitely been spotted by the Sivkits. We¡¯re being hailed on multiple frequencies.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t answer that,¡± I piped up, before I could stop myself. ¡°Uh, forgive my intrusion, sir, but what happens if they see a human¡­hear our voices, or someone gives up a little too much? What happens if they get close enough to glimpse our settlements, or tap into our feed? Tellus has no fucking Cage to protect it, or to hide the activity on the ground.¡± Radai¡¯s eyes widened in irritation. ¡°Is that all, Trench? Please, go on; we¡¯re all dying for your tactical input. It¡¯s not like I can weigh the possibilities on my own. You do know we don¡¯t have to show the humans on screen¡ªand we can try to turn them back?¡± ¡°Sir, may I have a word?¡± Cherise ducked her head sheepishly, as an unamused Radai gave a snide ¡°go on¡± wave of his wing. ¡°I¡­I think most humans on this ship agree that we can¡¯t let the Sivkits leave, or glimpse any intel. Every second they¡¯re left alive; you have FTL comms, so how do we know they haven¡¯t invented them in the past two and a half decades? They could be reporting this live.¡± ¡°As the head of the comms station, my advice is also not to contact them,¡± Gress interjected. ¡°It could expose the whole Consortium. For all we know, word¡¯s already gotten back to them. Letting them leave would guarantee that they know we¡¯re here, and they come back with friends.¡± Radai¡¯s eyes smoldered with fury, displeased with the unsolicited input. ¡°If I wanted your advice, I would¡¯ve fucking asked for it! You are a training crew, and I am the military leader. You aren¡¯t just several rings below me; you¡¯re bottom of the pecking order, and I am the top! Do I make myself clear?¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± I offered, though my heart wasn¡¯t in it. This was my planet on the line again: not his! If he didn¡¯t attack them, I wouldn¡¯t accept that¡ªand given what Hathaway had transmitted in response, I doubted most of humanity would either. ¡°Good! If you can¡¯t follow your damn orders, you assholes won¡¯t make it a day in real combat. Lay off the panic, and do what the fuck you¡¯re told. Now turn on automated weapons systems and prepare to highlight the targets as hostiles¡ªsubdesignation ¡®shoot to kill.¡¯ Don¡¯t do it until we are within range; I don¡¯t want them to have a moment to know what hit them. We strike all at once, as a fleet. These are the most important minutes of you dipshits¡¯ lives, so get it the fuck right!¡± I backed off my mutinous thoughts, feeling a rush of pleasure that the Resket general intended to obliterate these bastards. How and why the Sivkits had strayed seven days¡¯ travel from their territory was a question, but that showed that they definitely would¡¯ve crossed Esquo¡¯s path by now; they were a long way from home. Human and alien crew alike scrambled to their various duties, as our formation closed in on the intruders. Weapons activated the computer¡¯s systems¡ªeven on a manned ship, manual control of artillery was only a failsafe in the Consortium. Comms went dark with a final transmission to Tellus and Avor, not wanting to give away any intel about our planets¡¯ locale with indiscreet signals. This was the start of exacting revenge for Earth; we¡¯d draw a line in the sand. We¡¯re not leaving Tellus, and we¡¯re sure as shit not letting them get a whiff that humanity lived; they¡¯d gun for us first to finish us off. The Krev Consortium has these prejudiced fuckers outclassed, and they can keep our survival secret by firing the first shots. Radai stared at the viewport, watching the burgeoning ships enlarge on the screen. He looked a bit remorseful, burdened by the knowledge that his order would vaporize the thousands of life signatures we saw¡ªand be the opening volley of the Consortium¡¯s inevitable war. The Reskets hadn¡¯t engaged in a true conflict in three decades, so it was likely that his military service had been dominated by peace. Even Esquo wasn¡¯t an all-out space bloodbath, so they lacked the firsthand recollection of interstellar war that we had. I believed that these aliens were different than the feckless Feddies, but I hoped that the general had it in him to do what was necessary. Our hatred for these herbivores was likely stronger than his. General Radai never looked away from the viewport. ¡°Run a final check on all systems. It appears their shields can¡¯t deflect particle beams, but we can¡¯t be sure. Prepare to manually fire an immediate follow-up as soon as I give the order for targeting and the first one¡¯s away. Be ready to divert power to shields or thrusters in case this doesn¡¯t go according to plan.¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± came the various calls of assent. ¡°Very well. Closing in three, two¡­target them now!¡± The ship¡¯s weaponry revved to life, as the ship AI cleaved through a Sivkit vessel with a rapid, invisible hand. The other training vessels proved their readiness as well, synchronizing their weapon deployment to knock them out all at once. The prey scourges weren¡¯t ready for their shields to be bypassed with a single hit, and the precision of the computers was impeccable; finding the weak spots and obliterating the armor. The drone reinforcements coming up from the outer system zipped up behind the Sivkits, but it proved unnecessary to surround the expedition spacecraft. A chain reaction of fireballs, split-seconds apart, lit up the invading fleet¡ªbefore only debris remained on the viewport. I whistled in appreciation, mashing my hands together to cheer; other humans were celebrating as well, basking in the feeling of victory at last. Quana¡¯s whiskers twitched with delight, and she chipped in her own howl. The Jaslip blamed the loss of Esquo on the threat of Sivkits venturing outward, and had also joined the military to help defend us. Our ark ship colony really could protect itself now! This was what we could do with recruits out on a training mission, not with the million-strong armada that Avor had amassed. It meant a lot to us all to finally score a victory against the Federation, after years of hiding and changing our lives to them. General Radai swiveled around, finally studying each of us. ¡°Forget your earlier mission. Sweep the edges of the system thoroughly, and make sure there¡¯s no more of them. Stay on high alert; we¡¯ll be increasing patrols, in case this was only the first bunch. Or in case they launch an all-out attack when the ships don¡¯t return.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to see them try,¡± I whispered to myself. ¡°Now¡¯s the time to press our advantage. Push into their space.¡± With a staged cargo retrieval gone by the wayside, I trained my binocular eyes on the viewport¡ªsearching for any sign of the herbivore savages. My helmet HUD gave info about the epicenter of each vessel¡¯s remains, and I took the time to tally them up; imagining their sudden ends gave me energy that I hadn¡¯t possessed since beginning boot camp. This was what I had been fantasizing about for so long, and it was better than I dreamed once manifested. Humanity¡¯s revenge tour began today, with these eviscerated Sivkit ships. Chapter 2-30 Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem Alien Liaison Date [standardized human time]: June 10, 2160 Onso had delivered with the ticket into the Sapient Coalition¡¯s doors, earning us a trial period of six months, though it could be cut short at any time by a majority vote. The Technocracy granting us that long of a leash might¡¯ve been to ensure that we¡¯d slip up, but despite our differences, we knew better than to show them in front of the aliens. The Selmer and Vritala nations sent their own representatives, along with Zalk and myself representing the Tseia and Lassmin respectively. Zalk could play the diplomat, without Naltor present at these meetings to egg him on. When I first entered the station, a few hours outside Earth, via Dustin and Haliska¡¯s shuttle, I was expecting to give a pitch about Bissems. Instead, the Coalition pretended we didn¡¯t exist, aside from the nations closest to the United Nations, who did send delegations to welcome us. Dustin suggested that we wouldn¡¯t make our case until the time slot was up, and Bissems had to convince the forum to let us stay on. I looked for any opportunity to prove ourselves or jump in with useful insight, but we were out of place up here. Long political meetings and discussions took up the days, with occasional new legislation and guest speakers. I tried to learn as much information about the aliens as possible, even when it was tedious. The most compelling items were running through natural disasters and other crises on SC worlds, and sending aid from multiple planets. Can you imagine what that¡¯s like? A tsunami hits tropical Leilut, and dozens of planets chip in aid to rebuild it. That alone is a good argument for why we should join the SC; more helping flippers to fall back on! General Naltor was in regular contact with me, eager to chime in if any military-related decisions ever did arise. We¡¯d also been recording each of the proceedings for Lassian intelligence to comb through each bit, and notate any useful information for diplomatic profiles. The Venlil ambassador was on the floor presently, requesting outside funding for more research on the physical lifespans and socioeconomic outcomes of the uncrippled Skalgans. From what Dustin had said, the Venlil felt very strongly; while fiercely loyal, they weren¡¯t to be messed with under any circumstances. My personal opinion was that they were a candidate for Ivrana to open trade with. ¡°We are getting close to a time where the Skalgans will be the largest cohort¡ªI venture that within a decade, there will be more restored adults than those still bearing knock-knees and noseless faces.¡± Governor Laisa was herself one of those bearing the Federation-given afflictions, with how her legs were twisted inward and her snout was deformed. ¡°This could have a large impact on a healthcare system, safety regulations, and mortality expectations. These are things we¡¯ll need to know as this generation ages.¡± Mazic President Quipa spoke up; her kind was much larger than the other delegates. ¡°Why can¡¯t you get this information from Project Chronicle, rather than making us open up our pocketbooks? Wouldn¡¯t the Farsul have records of the changes?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure they were more concerned with taking kids away from their parents, giving them genetic deformities, then waiting for us to die out. They obviously weren¡¯t concerned with our long-term health.¡± ¡°I concede the point. What exactly are the concerns about healthcare? It¡¯d be a positive if you live longer¡ªif you¡¯re less sick.¡± ¡°The entire school of medicine needs an overhaul. That includes courses taught outside our borders, like those life-saving regiments at the Zurulians¡¯ Galactic Institute of Medicine. If someone breaks their leg, how do we know if the healing time is different, or surgical outcomes? How do we handle rhinoscopies when we¡¯re not used to Venlil having noses? We have to throw out everything that we know.¡± Secretary-General Kuemper mounted the stage, having to abandon the human partition; she herded a confused Laisa away from the microphone, as soon as the Governor finished her response to Quipa. The UN leader whispered a few words in the Venlil¡¯s ear, which only made her side-facing eyes widen with additional confusion. The Skalga natives wore their emotions on their features, so it bodes well that her creamy fur wasn¡¯t puffed out with fear and her bushy tail wasn¡¯t drooping. I stayed vigilant for any manner of horrendous news; the question is what would be out of the ordinary that would flummox her, but not alarm her. It piqued my curiosity, to say the least, and might be the sort of thing Naltor would want detailed notes on. It¡¯s not like the humans to cut off their oldest, most steadfast ally in the middle of requesting aid; they wouldn¡¯t without good reason¡ªsomething worthy of bumping health studies to a later slot. ¡°Apologies for interrupting Governor Laisa. The SC will always stand behind the Venlil, or any other species, as they seek to move past the Federation. We¡¯ll continue this conversation soon, with the reverence it deserves.¡± The Secretary-General wore a blue velvet jacket, while the UN logo emblazoned on it matched her white hair. She had a kind, matronly face, at least in my estimation; I¡¯d spoken with her once, but her own scientific fervor was familiar and disarming. ¡°One of our outposts in Paltan space was approached by a Sivkit diplomatic shuttle¡ªwhich clearly hadn¡¯t seen use in decades. They were hailing us on their distress frequency.¡± The human went silent, anticipating the wave of chatter that swept across the delegation. I wondered what was so evocative about the Sivkits to generate such a stir at a diplomatic ship¡ªone that apparently had fallen into disuse. Was there bad blood toward the Coalition from the war? Perhaps they were a part of the Federation remnants, who I knew couldn¡¯t stand us, or some kind of enemy to predators; it hadn¡¯t taken long before I was warned about religions tailored to abhorring our kind. The gears began to turn in my head, that whatever the case, the Sivkits didn¡¯t want to approach the SC¡ªbut unless it was a mere equipment failure, something had forced them to... ¡°Sivkits?¡± Zalk whispered to Dustin. ¡°I don¡¯t know those ones. How do you remember all these fucking names?¡± The human leaned closer from the row behind us. ¡°Practice makes perfect. The Sivkit Grand Herd are an isolationist faction; they¡¯re migratory like you, but on a planetary scale. They¡¯ve been known to devour an entire world¡¯s vegetation like¡­locusts. They swore off contact with all aliens when they found out what the Federation did to them, and generally want nothing to do with their space neighbors. For them to approach us...¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll regret asking, but what did the Federation inflict on them?¡± I murmured, pressing a flipper to my beak. ¡°In short, the Farsul modified their spines so that they couldn¡¯t walk bipedally, and purposefully tanked their education system to give the perception that Sivkits were dumb. This was all to hide that the Federation destroyed their homeworld, since they were new to sending exterminators as a first contact party. Why admit you ruined an entire world when you can pretend these ¡®idiots¡¯ lost their planet?¡± ¡°But that doesn¡¯t even make sense! You don¡¯t lose planets; you write them down on detailed starmaps. Wouldn¡¯t the Federation, by their own story, have marked the Sivkits¡¯ location when they made first contact?¡± ¡°Tassi, your mistake was expecting logic from Federation brainrot. At any rate, we don¡¯t know how the Sivkits are doing. They haven¡¯t answered any of our communiques¡­until now. For what it¡¯s worth, I hope they¡¯ve fixed their spines and reclaimed their old curriculum. They deserve to make it on their own.¡± Zalk slapped his head feathers in irritation. ¡°It¡¯s never, ¡®Oh the Federation landed, and elevated a species out of the love of their hearts.¡¯ Always maiming, crippling, and burning everything in sight.¡± ¡°Pretty much. You can see with the Venlil and the Sivkits that it wouldn¡¯t even spare you if you were herbivorous. The Dossur are the only species I can think of that the Feds genuinely helped, and that¡¯s probably because they welcomed them with song and worship.¡± ¡°Textbook narcissism. I don¡¯t blame the Sivkits for fucking off.¡± The Vritala representative, Chaladi, leaned closer. ¡°I know the Tseia¡¯s not a diplomat, but we had a conversation about not being so vulgar. We¡¯re supposed to be making a good impression, and Zalk is the wrong candidate to be here.¡± ¡°I think we can stomach a little cursing among ourselves; he¡¯s not wrong about how lovely it''d be to run away from this whole mess,¡± I answered. ¡°Why don¡¯t we settle down and listen to what Kuemper has to say? If these Sivkits want to join the SC at last, we can learn something from how it¡¯s handled.¡± For what it¡¯s worth, I hope the Sivkits have managed to turn their lives around too. Knowledge is one of the few things that give us power and independence, and the Federation tried to take their very intelligence¡ªtheir minds. The initial buzz at the news of the Sivkits was dying down, and Secretary-General raised a hand to quell the last chatter. ¡°I¡¯m told by my generals that a lot of what the diplomat said, while shaking in his metaphorical boots, was nonsensical. However, what we know is that Loxsel¡ªthat¡¯s his name¡ªwas begging for an audience with the Sapient Coalition. He said it was urgent. Kept repeating that there were ¡®monsters out there.¡¯¡± ¡°Do you think they found another predator race?¡± The elderly Zurulian ambassador, Chauson, piped up; I always enjoyed seeing him bubble with excitement over his own areas of interest. ¡°The Sivkits tend to hide in terror at binocular-eyed creatures; I can¡¯t imagine if they saw something like your world wars live. If that¡¯s how they¡¯re talking about a new species, we need to intervene.¡± If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Ambassador Chauson, I don¡¯t see why they¡¯d come to us if that was the case. As you mentioned, they didn¡¯t enjoy their brief dealings with us. Their ambassador famously hid in a trash can.¡± ¡°Has our government been notified about the Sivkits entering our space? They are our neighbors,¡± The Paltan representative, Tlev, raised an amber paw and widened his already massive eyes. In my sole interaction with him, he¡¯d claimed to have been born centuries ago; I wasn¡¯t sure he was right in the head, but I went along with it to avoid creating new enemies for Bissems. ¡°Any threats or activities along our borders would affect us disproportionately. Earth and most of this forum are a long way from our home.¡± ¡°I assure you, with the amount of war refugees that fled to your space, it¡¯s in all of our interests to protect Paltan territory. We¡¯ve been keeping your government in the loop, Tlev, and will continue to do so. With your reputation, this could be an attempt to seek refuge if there is a threat¡ªthough it¡¯d be strange to put you on the spot before the whole SC.¡± ¡°It¡¯d be forcing our paw, Madam Secretary-General. The Sivkits didn¡¯t pull their weight when refugees were overwhelming our system, and refused to take any! They care only for themselves. It¡¯d be bold to expect us to open our doors.¡± The Nevok representative cleared her throat. ¡°We could negotiate terms for taking them instead. Migrant workers, who are happy to move from job to job, could have a wonderful economic impact.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see what Loxsel asks of us, and what kind of aid or favors¡ªif any¡ªare requested before we decide anything. Humanity for one would be delighted if the Sivkits are ready to open diplomatic relations with us,¡± Kuemper said. ¡°It¡¯d be wonderful to leave the past and its grievances behind us. I¡¯m going to transfer Loxsel to the big screen and see if he¡¯ll tell us more.¡± Before anyone else could give voice to exploitative plans, a mammalian with fluffy white fur blinked onto the screen; Loxsel was seated on all four paws, refuting the notion that they¡¯d switched back to bipedal mannerisms. His tail was visible swaying behind him, with a large plume at the end that twitched with his evident anxiety. The Sivkit¡¯s floppy ears were pinned back against his head, while his side-facing eyes watered as if he wanted to cry. This gave me a glimpse of what humanity experienced, trying to make nice with aliens who melted at the thought of a conversation. Was Loxsel really this afraid of the Terrans still¡­or was his manic energy about something else? The Secretary-General cleared her throat. ¡°Greetings, Ambassador Loxsel. It¡¯s an honor to have you speaking with us.¡± Loxsel¡¯s triangular nose twitched, moisture coating the black skin. ¡°H-hello, human. I need to tell you s-something. We¡¯re under attack! All of us! I¡­we need you, and your v-viciousness.¡± A few snickers passed through the auditorium, as the assemblage was clearly unimpressed with the so-called human viciousness. Zalk gestured with a flipper at Dustin, as if to say ¡°him?¡± I could imagine Naltor doing the same if he were present, especially since the Selmer loved to call the primate a harmless nerd. The Terran xenobiologist scrunched his nose, huffing with indignation, and I thought I heard a near inaudible ¡°wanderbird¡± slip from his lips. I personally couldn¡¯t be less afraid of a kindred spirit like my Earthling friend, but I was concerned that teasing him too much might draw attention. It was laughable that the Sivkits considered the docile, peaceable humans to be vicious, out of old prejudices. Why come to beseech the help of a party that you believe is some savage predator, basking in violence? What did Loxsel mean by his claim that we were under attack? That should¡¯ve perked Zalk¡¯s ears up, if our Tseia liaison wasn¡¯t too busy laughing at the fluffball. Secretary-General Kuemper raised a weathered hand for silence once more. ¡°Why don¡¯t you start from the beginning, Loxsel? Who attacked you?¡± ¡°Outer space. From out there! We t-tried to go as far away from you¡­f-from everyone in this sector.¡± The stutter in Loxsel¡¯s voice was becoming a bit grating, as his plumed tail rose higher into the air for emphasis¡ªdramatizing his points inadvertently. ¡°Civilian ships, gone! Thousands¡­hundreds of thousands dead in total. D-dozens of expedition craft. We j-just¡­just wanted to graze! What a calamity, of aliens cruel and unfeeling! P-predators of the Arxur¡¯s kind!¡± Zalk leaned closer to me. ¡°Is this guy for real? What¡¯s next: swooning and pressing a paw to his head?¡± ¡°Listen to what he¡¯s saying. Hundreds of thousands dead? If that¡¯s true, that¡¯s a massacre,¡± I whispered back. ¡°Whoever would do that to civilians threatens all peaceful spacefarers.¡± ¡°Hold on, Loxsel. You¡¯re saying that aliens beyond our borders attacked your expedition, killing the herds on your ships.¡± Kuemper paced the stage, eyes narrowed in thought. ¡°What did you do to provoke them? Did you ignore their requests to leave?¡± ¡°There was a habitable planet, to s-stop off for a week or two: a little to nibble on. We hailed them! No answer, none! Woe is me; I c-can¡¯t do this. It¡¯s too much, all the bodies for no reason at all. We would¡¯ve left! We would, definitely, certainly, unquestionably¡­you can¡¯t t-talk to them. Go do the predator thing: KILL THEM ALL!¡± Kuemper flinched, as Loxsel¡¯s eyes went manic. ¡°You do know the United Nations is anti-genocide, right?¡± ¡°Yes, human! They genocided innocent travelers. That¡¯s w-why we come to you to burn them like Nishtal¡ª¡± The Krakotl ambassador squawked in frustration. ¡°Hey! That¡¯s not an acceptable comparison. Nishtal was rebuilt¡ª¡± ¡°After it was destroyed! Exactly! They must pay for what they¡¯ve done, but we c-cannot. I know you can take them down; you wouldn¡¯t leave another vicious rival out there. The ships b-broadcasted their own slaughter over FTL comms, so we have a video. Look at them fire without warning! They wanted to kill us because we were there: the p-predators! Foam from the mouth! The bloodlust, the hunter¡¯s hunt, the flames!¡± ¡°We get it. We¡¯d like to see the video, Loxsel,¡± the Secretary-General sighed, biting her lower lip. ¡°Could you please show us that?¡± ¡°If I must. Sharing screen¡­and sending the exact location, so you can go after them! Behold, Sapient Coalition¡ªpredators worse than the m-masters you serve. We throw ourselves at your overlords¡¯ feet! Cement your place at the top of the food chain, and d-dominate for us.¡± This Sivkit hardly seemed like a reliable narrator, so having visual proof would be helpful to validate his tale. Footage from the viewport of a spaceship bridge replaced Loxsel¡¯s jittery face, displaying an open stretch of stars. Under the proper magnification setting, I could see craft approaching; in the background, a hail ping was faintly heard from the comms station, suggesting it had gone unanswered. The data stream HUD proclaimed that shields were raised and at 100% capacity, before a flash in the screen¡¯s periphery showed an adjacent ship erupting in flames. Mere milliseconds later, the feed went dead, proclaiming that contact had been lost with the vessel; the easy inference was that it¡¯d experienced the same swift demise. Whoever¡¯s territory the Sivkits encroached on, they were shooting first and asking questions later. A lot like the Tseia with Alsh. I wonder if aliens did something to them too? ¡°See the unfamiliar s-ships! Murderers, striking in an instant; no warning! Our shields were like p-paper, ripped apart with one claw. We g-give you what we saw from their contacts, so that you know what must be done! This cruelty, this injustice, was not your own, so I trust you humans to avenge my sweet grazers. Avenge the wasted cutlets, and rage forth against these fiends!¡± Loxsel shrieked, switching back to his own camera. Secretary-General Kuemper blinked in evident frustration. ¡°This happened outside the SC¡¯s borders, and you are not an SC member state: which makes it not our jurisdiction. Why are you coming to us?¡± ¡°For help. HELP, PLEASE! We¡¯ll walk ourselves to the c-cattle pens; just do this for us. You do not kill us in our sleep, so we¡¯d rather you reign supreme!¡± ¡°I see. I am sorry that you were attacked, but we¡¯ll need to discuss this. Why don¡¯t you stay on the UN base as a guest until this is resolved? We don¡¯t have any other diplomatic contacts to get in touch with, and we would like to open channels with the Grand Herd.¡± ¡°If I must be s-sacrificed for my people¡¯s salvation, then here I stay! Right here. Willing, knowingly ensnared. A s-subject sent to never return, yet holding the fallen in my heart! Thank you, wrathful predator. The Sivkits await your progress staking your claim to farther off thrones!¡± Kuemper hurriedly disconnected the call, before rolling her eyes in open fashion. ¡°That was an interesting fellow, but I suppose it¡¯s a positive that the Sivkits are taking baby steps toward diplomacy. I welcome discussion about whether SC intervention is warranted, in light of these developments.¡± ¡°If I may, anyone who comes after the Sivkits would be up against our borders,¡± Tlev ventured. ¡°Anyone who would attack defenseless ships without provocation could be a threat to peacetime¡­or even send unknown refugees fleeing our way. We need to chart our beyond-the-borders neighbors better regardless; I think the incident merits investigation for that alone. At the least, we should assess where these aggressors¡¯ territory is so that our future ventures stay out of it.¡± ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, I see the reason in that. However deranged Loxsel might¡¯ve been, there are hundreds of thousands dead without cause. I¡¯d be willing to send a UN scouting party from that Paltan-shared base, to scope out what lies beyond the border¡ªprobing all the way to the marked location. Having more info on the threat will be a net positive. Are there any objections to us looking into this further?¡± After a few moments of silence, a familiar Yotul politician stood at their desk. ¡°None of that aspect, but we¡¯d propose mobilizing more assets into that quadrant. In case total war erupts on the Paltans¡¯ doorstep; it¡¯s not impossible that these hostiles could follow the Sivkits¡¯ trail right back over our borders.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll send reinforcements to shore up our postings there. Backup from the Yotul and any others who have ships to spare would be appreciated.¡± ¡°Should we notify the Shield?¡± the Jaur diplomat, whose species had defected from the Duerten-created organization twelve years ago, asked. ¡°Their motto has always been to mobilize for any herbivores in harm¡¯s way.¡± ¡°We can send a communique to the Shield informing them that a Sivkit civilian fleet was attacked outside of SC space. I don¡¯t think they need any more details; we don¡¯t need to be fighting over who¡¯s in charge of the scouting expedition, or have them make things worse on some revenge quest.¡± ¡°Understood. We still have connections to several of their members, so we can handle that.¡± ¡°Thank you, Nikleh.¡± That was his name. It¡¯s hard to remember all of these alien names, especially when I haven¡¯t directly interacted with them. ¡°Humanity will brief the SC on anything we learn going forward, but we won¡¯t have answers overnight. Let¡¯s take a ten-minute recess. If we can all still focus after that visit, I¡¯ll cede the floor back to Governor Laisa.¡± Chatter swept across the room, as I finally took a moment to process what we had learned; it was possible that Ivrana wouldn¡¯t be the only one at war soon, with the Coalition mobilizing past the fringes of their territory. I couldn¡¯t stop wondering why the unknown aliens had obliterated the Sivkits on sight. The fact that they¡¯d been able to strike the intruders down with a single blow, ignoring shields, meant their technology was strong enough to be a serious threat. General Naltor would classify this as an event that could imperil Ivrana for certain. It wasn¡¯t like Bissems were being called to action in this emergent situation, but I still didn¡¯t like to see trouble brewing with the organization we were trying to join. Hopefully, there could be a peaceful resolution as a result of this scouting expedition; avoidance was a better outcome than confrontation between two spacefaring giants. It was in the humans¡¯ nature to help those in need, but I hoped they wouldn¡¯t get sucked into a full-blown conflict on the Sivkits¡¯ behalf. Chapter 2-31 Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem Alien Liaison Date [standardized human time]: June 20, 2160 The Sapient Coalition¡¯s scouting party outside their space hadn¡¯t paid dividends so far; it¡¯d been combing potentially habitable worlds for any clues, while also searching for an opportune place to set up a listening post. If there was one thing that this incident proved, it was the value of having eyes and ears even beyond their area of official control. General Naltor had suddenly begun turning up to the SC meetings, ever since Loxsel¡¯s appearance; the Selmer military man was bored witless, as the first few candidate worlds showed no signs of intelligent life. He¡¯d wanted to glean info about any species that would threaten another, not talk about worker safety standards. It was about seven days of travel time from the Paltan-human outpost they¡¯d launched from, and several vessels were sweeping outward in a gradual search pattern; more ships were being ferried from our locale to replace their presence at the border. I supposed the Terrans wanted to be playing with a full deck, knowing the full geopolitical scene before tearing off toward the site of the Sivkit incursion. For all we were aware, it could be a sacred system they were sworn to protect, or a hotly-contested outpost for an external war. I still thought it cowardice to fire on civilian ships, just as Naltor had frowned upon Zalk for mishandling a captured Dustin. However, I wanted all the facts before rendering judgment. The last thing our allies need is to go in guns blazing, and tear through another party¡¯s territory, causing this to balloon even further. An advanced race like the one that mopped up the Sivkit ships with petrifying precision could have military resources further out to stop us, and they might be on high alert, too. We should proceed with caution. When the Coalition assemblage convened at an off-hour, we all hoped that a planet they¡¯d landed on had offered up answers. By the time I¡¯d hustled into the Bissem section of the hall, lagging behind the longer-legged Naltor and Zalk, Secretary-General Kuemper had already cast a live feed from a research vessel onto the screen. It was taking readings from an icy globe below, with temperatures that, once converted into Ivranan units, would make even a hearty Selmer like Naltor shiver. The planet was near-totally white in coloration, with only the slightest specks of blue or brown. Hirs, I¡¯d freeze my feathers off down there! This world had dismal prospects of hosting life, but some biomarkers detected by the SC team must have added this celestial body to their sweep. ¡°Hello, Dr. Rosario. I believe most of the Coalition representatives are present, so shall we brief them on the mission?¡± Kuemper asked. ¡°Gladly. I¡¯m Dr. Sara Rosario, and if you haven¡¯t been living under a rock for the past two decades, my qualifications speak for themselves. I have a track record of pushing the boundaries of science on new frontiers.¡± A human with a curly white mane and glasses cleared her throat, sitting in a lab on a spaceship. Her image was a small box in the corner of the screen, between the alternating viewport angles. ¡°At any rate, we¡¯re in an orbital holding pattern above this body. We¡¯ve been in touch with UN command, and we¡¯re conducting planetary surveys from scientific research vessels. This world is quite interesting; there¡¯s derelict space infrastructure, as you can see on Feed B.¡± Sara swiped some button on her holographic display, ensuring that the rotation skipped to dormant stations¡­with a suspicious lack of satellites. Any society that was spacefaring would have some sort of comm buoys or satellites, unless they discovered some higher tier of technology. If they had been destroyed, that would leave debris; however, this left the impression that such tech had either been scooped up by someone else, or vaporized without a trace. Perhaps I was way off in my assumptions, but those thoughts sent a chill down my feathers. I could see Naltor¡¯s eyes hardening and his beak setting as well. ¡°It¡¯s apparent that this world was inhabited, and was either occupied by, or native to a spacefaring race. I use the past tense because we¡¯ve been unable to detect any life signatures, active signals, or industrial byproducts of any kind,¡± Dr. Rosario continued, worry lines creasing her temples. ¡°I fear that someone eliminated the resident species from above, though I cannot confirm this. There are several context clues that lead me to believe this was no inside job. For starters, it¡¯s too neat.¡± Angren ambassador Panni stood, clearing her throat. ¡°How do we know that, since they¡¯re spacefaring, they didn¡¯t choose to leave of their own volition? Look how inhospitable their world is!¡± ¡°With all due respect to the Angren Matriarchy, your world, Wesk, is on the fringes of the habitable zone on the opposite end of the spectrum, and you haven¡¯t packed up shop. It¡¯s harsh by most species¡¯ standards, but it¡¯s part of who you are. As the Sivkits show, very few species forsake their homeworld by choice, whatever the official story might be.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t it possible?¡± Tierkel Rockchief Tirinmo rose his staff into the air to call for attention; his thickset body was covered in gray fur, and his cublike ears twitching with importance. ¡°Humanity should know that there¡¯s always a few exceptions. For a spacefaring species, it¡¯s strange that there wouldn¡¯t be any signs of an overhead battle, if this was a forced exodus. That, or it¡¯s possible that the planet snuffed out all plant growth with its icy maelstrom.¡± Sara chuckled. ¡°We¡¯re not ruling out any possibilities; I¡¯m just leading with my best hypothesis based on the available data. It doesn¡¯t surprise me that a species that lives in the desert, and needs to bask in the sun for your wellbeing, would also imagine that you¡¯d want to leave this planet at the first opportunity. I¡¯m sure they¡¯d think the same of your climate, so let¡¯s try not to inject our own biases.¡± ¡°I apologize if I was. I just don¡¯t want to be like the Federation, and leap to the worst assumptions. There isn¡¯t any concrete evidence that this was a forced exit.¡± ¡°Quite right, Rockchief. We¡¯ll go wherever the science leads, and hearing other theories doesn¡¯t hurt; the last thing we want is to get tunnel vision. We¡¯re sending drones for a closer look, to gather images of the planet¡¯s surface, and also to see if there¡¯s any data or other clues we can extract aboard the stations.¡± ¡°Dr. Rosario, why aren¡¯t you imaging the planet from your current location? It¡¯s much safer and efficient, and it¡¯s how these things have always been done,¡± Mazic President Quipa trumpeted. The human scientist sighed. ¡°We used the vessel¡¯s onboard Synthetic Aperture Radar to map the ground features, but we¡¯re mostly just detecting snow and ice. The atmosphere is too thick and the snowstorms too ferocious to gather other kinds of images. There clearly was a civilization that utilized this world; there¡¯s the occasional disturbance that suggests sapient activity at some point. However, I¡¯d wager they made their dwellings underground, where only a drone can get a clearer picture.¡± ¡°What does this have to do with the attack on the Sivkits?¡± Verin ambassador Hrone queried; a distant memory popped up in my mind, that they¡¯d created the old telescopes and lenses the Federation used to seek out new life. This SAR was likely replacing their additions to the Coalition, which might¡¯ve accounted for the hint of disdain. ¡°I don¡¯t see why we¡¯re investigating this.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know if this world is related at all, but we¡¯re poking around in the neighboring bubble for context,¡± Kuemper provided the response, rather than Sara Rosario. ¡°If this is a force with a habit of killing other spacefaring species, we have a mandate to nip it in the bud, before they crash our borders. We should¡¯ve cataloged any potential threats skirting our borders long ago, but we¡¯ve had too many problems inside of them.¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Naltor bobbed his beak in agreement, and I brooded within my own thoughts in quiet contemplation. I¡¯d be much happier to side with Panni and Tirinmo¡¯s theories, about abandoning the planet or dying of natural causes; however, my gut instinct when I first saw the absence of satellites told a different story. This was yet another species that had lost its homeworld, just like Haliska¡¯s species, and had been the victim of interstellar despots. Was there zero kindness in the stars, aside from the outstretched hands of the humans? As for the connection, it had to be someone who could best a spacefaring civilization, and mop up the scene without a trace. There¡¯s no guarantee that it¡¯s related; for all we know, the Sivkits were fired upon because their attackers thought they were with whoever destroyed this ice world. It might be more complex¡­or it could just be that their aggressors are genocidal maniacs. Perhaps Sara will find more clues. A new feed shifted onto the screen, taking front and center. A research drone had reached a site of a presumed settlement, poking around with ground-penetrating radar for signs of civilization. Gasps reverberated throughout the vaulting hall, as we realized the image that had been cobbled together. Beneath years of snow, there was crater impact after crater impact¡ªas though to make sure that nobody had survived an orbital bombardment. Debris was visible of what seemed to be collapsed shelters, entombing the souls within. A few skeletal remains were visible, bodies preserved in ice that had dodged immediate vaporization. There was no question that this was an outside job, with some outside party blanketing the surface with bombs. Sara¡¯s eyebrows had knitted together, horrified by what she was seeing. The stream silently switched over to the automaton sifting through a station. It seemed like someone had staged the scene to look like this species were fighting each other, arranging their bodies in each other¡¯s directions with claws specifically curled around guns. Had they expected us not to question this, when there were zero signs of dried blood? The drone zoomed in on their craniums¡­zooming in on binocular eyes. ¡°I think we all just saw with our own eyes that alien visitors wiped them off the map. Who would go to all this trouble to hide their own involvement; to paint a picture that they¡¯d killed each other?¡± Sara demanded. ¡°Please tell me this isn¡¯t what it looks like. Another extraterrestrial race hellbent on exterminating a predator species, just for their eye placement? Zalk rose from his seat, an agitated look in his eyes. ¡°Are these the ghost exterminators who attacked Alsh? They have the blood of these beings, and millions of innocent Tseia, on their flippers! If we¡¯re chasing those monsters, we have to make them pay!¡± ¡°Unlikely,¡± Kuemper interjected. ¡°That is a lot of antimatter to have at their disposal, and¡­if exterminators had the power to ambush an entire planet, since this spacefaring species seems to have been caught oddly unaware, then they¡¯d have come for us already. The fleet that did this must be powerful, massive, and capable of an impressive cleanup operation.¡± Naltor hesitated, before standing up alongside the Tseia. ¡°Apologies for the interruption, but I must ask. If these aggressors target predators, would we be a prime target?¡± ¡°And why target the Sivkits? How do we know it has anything to do with Federation ideology?¡± I chimed in, supporting my comrades. ¡°Bissem delegation, you ask valid questions, but I¡¯m afraid we have no answers at this time. What we know is what you¡¯re seeing live,¡± the Secretary-General responded. ¡°Rest assured, we¡¯ll protect all allies and independent powers within the Coalition¡¯s sphere of influence. This does change things though, if it traces back to who attacked the Sivkits. It shows they¡¯re capable of genociding an entire species.¡± Dr. Rosario pursed her lips, a weary look on her face. ¡°I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m going to collect samples of the DNA from the skulls, in the hopes of resurrecting this species. They¡¯ll be lumped in with the 62 extinct races we were already working on bringing back.¡± ¡°Will they even be the same species with your customs?¡± Onso leaned forward against his desk, reddish ears pinned back against his head. ¡°I respect your intentions, but the Yotul lost our identity when the Federation turned our world to their customs. And unlike the extinct races here, there is zero record of their culture¡ªof what they once were¡ªto even attempt to pass down.¡± ¡°The cultural losses are regrettable, but the alternative is that this species continues not to exist in any capacity,¡± Kuemper countered. ¡°There are some things that make us innately human, or in your case, innately Yotul, that are worth preserving. We¡¯ll search for any information that we can pass down when they¡¯re brought back.¡± ¡°With all due respect, you don¡¯t even know the species¡¯ name! The most basic piece of their heritage!¡± ¡°Perhaps we can learn, when we find out who did this. Or perhaps there¡¯s something that wasn¡¯t so thoroughly scrubbed, as the electronics here seem to have been. Dr. Rosario, do what¡¯s necessary to create a genetic profile, and bring your samples back to Paltan space at once.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. Research vessels are hardly the ones that should be going toe-to-toe with whoever did this,¡± Sara hissed, a deep sorrow glistening in her pupils. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to be the bearer of bad news. I¡¯ll terminate the broadcast on that paltry note. Take care, diplomats of the Coalition.¡± The Secretary-General studied her polished shoes, as the screen went dark. ¡°You must all discuss what you¡¯ve seen, but I believe what we must do is a bygone conclusion. This is most likely the work of the Sivkit attackers, so we must make haste toward that locale. Every second we tarry is time that another species could fall to these monsters. It¡¯s time to mobilize for an all-out war.¡± ¡°Here we go,¡± Naltor whispered to Zalk, as the meeting disbanded; the Huddledom and Confederation representatives walked off together, a glum Dustin skulked off behind us, and I lingered to eavesdrop. ¡°We need to study the footage that was found of these carnivores, and work together to safeguard Ivrana from something similar. Mass-producing your tech is all that could help.¡± The Tseia shifted in his seat. ¡°I fear the consequences of arming the Selmer and the Vritala, but we could try working with Lassmin. No matter what¡¯s going on at home, we¡¯ll stand together if they come for us. Now might be a good time to bring the Arxur into the fold. My people know how to build upon alien tech.¡± ¡°Perhaps we could ask for an advance on their ships. We¡¯d have to go through Onso, but a little down payment for our troubles wouldn¡¯t hurt. What do you think, Tassi?¡± The thought of witnessing firsthand an interstellar bloodbath, similar to the ones which stained this region¡¯s history, sent a chill through my veins. With our helplessness if a powerful foe descended into our vicinity, hunting for carnivores to massacre, Kaisal¡¯s offer of starships and weapon sharing suddenly sounded much more like a lifeline. Between ghost exterminators lost in the wind and this new threat that¡¯d wiped out other ¡°predators¡± with startling efficacy, Ivrana had a lot of threats to contend with. We needed to convince the Bissem nations to stop fighting each other, and turn our resources to leveling the playing field; our survival could depend on it in the near future. ¡°I think if the SC is off fighting someone else, then we really don¡¯t need the Arxur turning forceful. We should get the gears in motion, before their patience expires,¡± I sighed. ¡°If we have an opportunity to bring the Collective in, as a military ally, we have no choice. I¡¯ll leave it to you two to figure out how, and when, to make your moves, and bring the Selmer and the Vritala onboard.¡± Naltor chuckled deviously. ¡°With a new¡­possibly carnivore race discovered, it gives the Arxur a reason to step in and offer aid. I¡¯m sure Kaisal will have thoughts about a new force persecuting predators.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no doubt in my mind. Whoever told him about this, it wasn¡¯t us, right Naltor?¡± ¡°Of course not. We¡¯d have to go through Onso, so the trail would lead back to him anyway¡ªthough we should establish back channels for communication. I like the way you think sometimes, you cutthroat wanderbird. You¡¯re predictable in being only out for your own self-interest, with a few scruples thrown in here and there.¡± ¡°As are you. I can¡¯t stand you, but I can work with you in a time like this.¡± I stood, a numb feeling enshrouding me. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to it.¡± I wouldn¡¯t have believed a few months ago that I¡¯d involve myself with generals scheming for a political foothold among aliens, but I was beginning to accept the reality that friendship and safety up here wasn¡¯t so simple. Whatever the consequences of the Coalition war might be, I had to watch out for Bissemkind; I didn¡¯t want us suffering the fate of the Sivkit expedition or these mysterious carnivores. We didn¡¯t yet know why these aggressors targeted other aliens in their purview, but I¡¯d seen enough on screen to know it wasn¡¯t benevolence. Chapter 2-32 Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist Date [standardized human time]: June 25, 2160 The next generation of humans were a third of the way through development in ectogenesis. Soon, there wouldn¡¯t be only thousands left of my kind. When I remembered what I was fighting for, it gave me the willpower to push through the hell General Radai was throwing at us. Ever since our engagement with the Sivkits, the Resket seemed hellbent on trying to break us, more than he had before. He¡¯d made us run laps for hours, having some surprise when that didn¡¯t crack us¡ªwell, it dropped Quana and other non-humans, but not the Tellus recruits. His next resort was extreme weather conditions, depriving us of the cooling systems of our helmets; sweating proved a handy adaptation. I¡¯d grown accustomed to aching all over at the end of each day, collapsing in my bunk with little energy to expend. Sleep was no guarantee, since Radai loved to burst in at the late hours of the night, forcing us to get up and hustle to a ¡°mission.¡± The Resket definitely had it out for us, and the way he¡¯d spoken to Tellus¡¯ soldiers as of late resembled Mafani¡¯s vitriol. At least boot camp was almost over, though I was seething at the lack of activity on the warfront. Why hadn¡¯t the Consortium sent out the cavalry? They¡¯d had a hundred years to plan for this eventuality; there was no reason progress should be so slow! ¡°Back up, Cherise,¡± Gress was saying, as I returned to the dorm from a half-assed shower. ¡°You¡¯re telling me that you wear these ¡®high heels¡¯ to look taller, balancing on that tiny stilt? Why does everything you do have to be so cute?!¡± She rolled her eyes at the Krev. ¡°Maybe in another life, back on Earth, I¡¯d be a fashionista. It¡¯s interesting to think of all the trends we had, the styles that gained popularity. I¡¯ve never been a girly girl, but still¡­I want the experience of just wandering one of those retro malls, and shopping for the hell of it. Carefree like we were before aliens.¡± ¡°Then we should set up one of these ¡®malls.¡¯ I mean, I myself prefer online shopping, but¡ª¡± ¡°What do you shop for, Gress?¡± I interjected. ¡°Obor combs?¡± ¡°I only asked to brush your hair once! You¡¯re the one who grew it out and tempted me.¡± Quana¡¯s head snapped toward us. ¡°Gress forgets you¡¯re a sapient being yet again. He treats you like some ¡®cute thing¡¯ without your own wants and desires.¡± ¡°All I did was ask, Quana. Taylor turned me down, so I dropped it. I can¡¯t help that his face screams adorable; that doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t know he¡¯s sapient.¡± ¡°Where did your daughter get the idea to beg to ¡®keep him?¡¯¡± ¡°I should¡¯ve never told you about that,¡± I scoffed. ¡°Lecca is a child. It was unbelievable, but a little humorous.¡± Gress slumped his shoulders. ¡°I was horrified when she said that. She doesn¡¯t understand what she¡¯s asking.¡± ¡°Taylor wouldn¡¯t make a good pet. He¡¯s too temperamental,¡± Cherise commented. ¡°Exactly!¡± I declared, grinning. ¡°See, everyone knows that.¡± ¡°You weren¡¯t supposed to agree with that.¡± ¡°Well, I did. And Quana, you can fuck back off to whatever you were doing before you butted into our conversation.¡± The Jaslip pinned her ears back and bared her teeth. ¡°You already make a great pet, and you don¡¯t even see it.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. Heard. So Gress, back to your shopping habits. What do you even do for fun, other than raising obors or Lecca?¡± Quana angled an ear toward the conversation. ¡°He watches Jaslip kids die.¡± Gress drew a shuddering breath, but ignored her. ¡°Well, I used to do improv classes before I got married. That was how I met my wife, Nevi. I always had a knack for getting into character on the spot. Knowing what I know now, maybe I¡¯d have gone into theater. I got a lead role in most school plays I auditioned for.¡± ¡°You were a theater kid? You know what: I can see that,¡± Cherise commented. ¡°I¡¯m picturing you doing a really dramatic reading of Hamlet right about now,¡± I offered. Gress leapt toward me, jabbing a claw in my face. ¡°Get thee to a nunnery!¡± I snickered. Someone¡¯s been reading The Bard¡¯s works in his spare time. ¡°How about no?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not your line, Ophelia. Try again!¡± ¡°I think that Hamlet had more to say before Ophelia talked, Gressy boy. Go brush up your reading.¡± ¡°The only thing I intend to brush up is you! Get over here.¡± The Krev pulled an obor comb out of his bag without looking back, and extended it toward me. I leapt away, holding out a hand to swat it away. The brush clattered to the ground, but that didn¡¯t stop Gress. I yelped as the comms initiate chased after me, and grabbed at the underside of my upper arm with his claws. The green-scaled mammal¡¯s machinations proved devious, lightly prodding and scratching the ticklish area. Involuntary laughter took over, as I jerked my arm away from the persistent fiend; it was difficult to breathe through the hysterics. Unrelenting, he tried to poke at my sides next, but I managed to fend off his plans. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I protested. Gress paused for a moment. ¡°Primates play through tickling. Your laughing fit betrayed that humans do as well.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t just do that.¡± ¡°I can, and I did. What are you going to do about it?¡± I lunged toward the floor, swiping the obor comb. Rather than resisting, Gress issued a happy sigh as I scratched his spine; his dark blue tongue flitted out of his mouth with contentment. That move hadn¡¯t produced the intended results. What an irritating creature he was¡ªhe¡¯d probably ask for me to do this again. I was glad I¡¯d gotten to club him over the head once, that day on the landing pad, and I was thinking of braining him a second time right now. What had I been reduced to, all for some exchange program nonsense? To increase my humiliation, General Radai walked in as the Krev was leaning into the comb I grudgingly kept moving. I leapt to my feet in a hurry, trying to straighten up. ¡°Trench, with me. You¡¯re meeting with Mayor Hathaway and myself in the command center,¡± the Resket squawked. I tried to smooth over my still-damp hair. ¡°Yes, sir. I¡¯m right behind you.¡± What is this about? If Hathaway wants me back in his office¡­first off, I thought that he hadn¡¯t forgiven me for the drill fuck-up, and secondly, I wouldn¡¯t take it. I don¡¯t want to be a ¡°pet¡± anymore; because I was his pet much more than I ever have been with Gress. The training camp had become a permanent base, with its advantageous location on the Tellus hillside. Ever since the Federation incursion, the Trombil had diverted their resources away from building up our colony; everything that they had went to generating more ships and weapons, as many as they could possibly crank out. The metropolis was all but complete, yet most humans weren¡¯t enjoying the new amenities¡ªword of our system¡¯s invasion caused almost every settler to volunteer for some wartime role. The abandonment of our build-up, after all, meant that there would be no cage around Tellus to safeguard our home. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°Sir, if this planet falls, the only humans left are the ones still growing in artificial wombs right now. I hope we¡¯re doing something about the threat,¡± I ventured. ¡°If I may, you seemed a bit hesitant when the Sivkits arrived. Almost as if you didn¡¯t want to attack them.¡± Radai¡¯s steps became more forceful and pronounced, his lanky legs shoving down into the dirt. ¡°I would¡¯ve preferred to gather information and weigh possible attempts of other methods, because now, we¡¯re locked on the path of all-out war. I don¡¯t take that lightly.¡± ¡°Neither do I. My entire species got wiped out, sir, in our last bout. I sure as shit want my revenge. What made you decide to attack the Sivkits, if you preferred to sit on your wings?¡± ¡°I recognized that the crew would not heed my commands if I didn¡¯t order you to annihilate them. You, and the majority of the human forces at my command, displayed gross insubordination. You panicked at the mere sight of them. I hope that I have not made a dreadful mistake. Either way, I¡¯ve cemented a ghastly place in the history books, and I have blood on my wingtips.¡± ¡°We¡­we couldn¡¯t let them bomb our home. We couldn¡¯t let them find us. Not again.¡± ¡°I know you humans feel that way. However, you¡¯ve proven that you¡¯re not reliable assets in the field. Too obstinate, too headstrong. While your close-quarters combat skills are excellent, I can¡¯t justify trusting you to the command of any non-human officer. This is why I¡¯ve been testing you by the elements, because the only way you¡¯ll see direct action is if electronics go down.¡± ¡°But sir¡ª¡± ¡°Silence. Humans being briefed on our plans is a courtesy; you¡¯re only here because you¡¯re the liaison from Avor. You wanted this war, Trench, so let me fucking win it. Drones are more efficient than you could ever dream of being.¡± I held my tongue as Radai stormed into his command center; I had to jog to keep up with the nine-foot-tall avian¡¯s lengthy strides. A holographic starmap was projected from a large display, not dissimilar from those Terrans once had at the center of our bridges. It seemed to be a full display of the thousand-light-year bubble composing Federation space, with all known systems highlighted. Mayor Hathaway, riding a resurgence in popularity with the drastic improvements Tellus had seen, barely acknowledged me. He¡¯d rebranded himself under the motto of a new era of workers¡¯ rights, though he didn¡¯t deserve the credit he¡¯d received from that. I resented having been his fall guy and kissing the ring for so long. The mayor stroked his graying beard in thought. ¡°We need to reassure the populace of Tellus that they are safe, and that we have everything under control. The last thing we need is unrest; the citizenry is all too fickle. How do you suggest we go about this, General?¡± ¡°Management of the colonists here is in your domain. I¡¯m here to relay the Consortium¡¯s plans for the initial phase of the war, since you are a member state,¡± Radai responded. ¡°Our plan is to utilize a decapitation strike. We¡¯re sending an overwhelming drone force against the homeworld of each of the enemy¡¯s founders: the Farsul and the Kolshians. We take down the peak of the Federation¡¯s power.¡± ¡°Only two targets? What about the other 300 worlds?¡± I blurted. Irritation flashed in the Resket¡¯s eyes. ¡°Three targets, swarmed by a hundred-fifty thousand ships each. We do want to leave a significant bulk of our force here, to protect Consortium worlds in case they come looking for us. Aren¡¯t you the one who was so focused on protecting Tellus?¡± ¡°Yes, sir. That is sensible. Who is the third target you mentioned?¡± ¡°Nishtal, the Krakotl world.¡± Radai¡¯s words brought gleefulness to my brain, at the thought of the birds who¡¯d eliminated us getting their just desserts. ¡°An old, powerful member that spearheaded the extermination fleet. As one of the most anti-predator factions, they must be crushed to break the Federation¡¯s will.¡± ¡°I love your plan. It¡¯s great.¡± Mayor Hathaway heaved a sigh. ¡°Let the grown-ups speak, Taylor. General, I¡¯m certain that last target will buy us some political leeway. But how will we maintain contact with the vessels, so that we can know the results? Or touch base in case they need an update to their directives.¡± ¡°Our drones will be out of range of our FTL comms network,¡± the Resket replied. ¡°We¡¯ll try to drop buoys discreetly behind us, though each departure from subspace risks detection¡­and leaves traces of our tech that they could find. It¡¯s also just flat-out a soft target that could be neutralized. In range of their primary systems, we¡¯re better off tapping into their infrastructure.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s possible that we¡¯ll lose contact with the drones for large chunks of time?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct. If they can¡¯t uplink with us after the battle, they¡¯re slated to make several attempts by doubling back. The footage of their battle and any intelligence gained is invaluable. Regardless, barring an immediate surrender, the secondary targets will be powerful and loyal Federation members, such as the Malti, the Drezjin, and most certainly the Duerten. The last one is extremely influential and well-connected.¡± I cleared my throat. ¡°Okay. And what about the Arxur?¡± ¡°The Arxur, while monstrous, can be left until after the Federation¡¯s fall. They¡¯re on the opposite side of Fed space, so they don¡¯t directly threaten us. We can worry about them after what we hope will be a quick, utter collapse of our dear neighbors. They might surrender after decisive wins in the places I mentioned, preventing the need for further loss of civilian lives.¡± Hathaway pursed his lips. ¡°In the event we did need to go further, I must ask about our allies, the Venlil. For all of their flaws, we remember that they tried to help us, and planned to fight with us at Earth. I doubt public opinion is in favor of killing them.¡± ¡°Venlil Prime is designated friendly, and will be avoided unless we are given no choice. We listened to your story; we heard that they aren¡¯t like the rest.¡± ¡°Thank you. We greatly appreciate being filled in and having our concerns met, as part of your organization. It¡¯s delightful to be included.¡± Radai dipped his head. ¡°You¡¯ll also be apprised of the war¡¯s developments as they happen. We¡¯re in this together, Mayor. Let¡¯s just make sure your people don¡¯t forget that.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do what I can to keep them in line. You¡¯ll find me to be a dependable advocate for the Consortium; it¡¯s the least I can do in exchange for your bountiful aid.¡± ¡°We did gift you many things to get you off the ground. All we ask in return is respect and support. You¡¯re dismissed, Trench. As Mayor Hathaway said, the adults have things we need to discuss on our own.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see myself out, sir,¡± I retorted. My mind was whirling as I strolled out of the command center. I was the first person on this base to know that we were taking the fight to the ¡°prey¡± xenos, and it¡¯d brought my enthusiasm through the roof! Humanity wouldn¡¯t have to fear the Federation coming after us if we ended their threat; we¡¯d bury them in their crib the way they¡¯d done to us, over two decades ago. It was a shame that Radai ruled out future action in person, though I grasped that drones had higher efficacy. It was a glorious view when I¡¯d watched the Sivkits blink out of existence live, as particle beams lit them up like a firecracker. A goofy smile lingered on my face, imagining the first images of a dead Krakotl homeworld. An eye for an eye. I wonder what Gress would think of that saying. I can¡¯t tell whether he¡¯d say it exemplified a primate¡¯s violent tendencies, or straight up agree. Cherise, and probably Quana, want those blue birds flayed as much as I do. In my distracted stupor, I didn¡¯t notice a blur of pink out of my periphery. A Resket bowled his head into my side, flinging me backward several feet. Pain signals shot through various parts of my body like a pinball machine; I struggled to pick myself up, and look at my assailant. Trainer Mafani had ambushed me when I turned back toward the dorms. He must¡¯ve seen me tailing after Radai earlier, and despite the general¡¯s warnings to stay away, he seized his long-awaited opportunity when I exited alone. Wasn¡¯t it dishonorable on Tanet to utilize the element of surprise on an unsuspecting victim? ¡°You! You terrorist-loving, chatterbox snitch! You sicced General Radai on me, and now, I might never train recruits again.¡± Venom dripped from Mafani¡¯s voice, as he stamped a foot onto my spine: pushing me back to the dirt. ¡°I was humiliated because of some lesser cloacasucker who tried to govern my speech. You¡¯ll pay for everything, Taylor!¡± I struggled to breathe with the weight pressing down on me. ¡°It¡¯s over. I don¡¯t want¡­to quarrel with you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about what you want, primate. I want you dead for what you¡¯ve done to me¡ªand I have no moral qualms about fighting dirty with anyone who sides with terrorists!¡± ¡°That someone isn¡¯t me! Stop please¡­you¡¯ve made your point. I¡¯m a refugee from a dead world; you don¡¯t want to k-kill anyone from an endangered species. You can¡¯t! What happens if Radai finds out about this?¡± ¡°Radai is preoccupied. He¡¯s not here to save you this time. I¡¯m going to tie you up, leave you out in the desert that I hear you wanted to explore, to bake in the sun I hear you craved on your face so badly. I¡¯ll put a beacon on you so that you are found in a few days, and they see the pitiful way you died. They¡¯ll find you bound like an animal, having soiled yourself and struggled against the restraints until your fingers bled. When you hallucinate for a drop of water, I hope you think of me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s sadistic! You¡­I don¡¯t want to die. Please, I¡¯ll do whatever you want.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to inject you with a paralytic, so you won¡¯t be able to struggle¡ªor talk¡ªuntil it¡¯s too late. Enjoy being locked in your own mind, Taylor Trench.¡± Mafani jabbed a needle into my neck, while I tried to scream for help; unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t generate much noise with his weight pressing into my lungs. As my mind remained conscious, my body refused to obey my commands within minutes. I found myself wishing that Gress was here to save me, to play the role of hostage negotiator as he¡¯d done in the past. However, as the twisted Resket trainer began carting me off toward a tucked-away vehicle, there was no one around to save me. I¡¯d made plenty of mistakes over my lifetime, but I didn¡¯t deserve to die like this! Terror plagued my mind as I was hurled in the back of a truck, and rope was coiled tightly around my limbs. Chapter 2-33 Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist Date [standardized human time]: June 25, 2160 I remembered hours ago, when Mafani had thrown my immobilized body out of the truck and sped off. Movement came back in the form of being able to flex my fingers, though it did little good; struggling against the bindings only made the heat punish me quicker. Sweat soaked my forehead under the scalding sun, and I began to understand what it meant to be desperate for a drop of water. I had the presence of mind not to scream for help with my parched throat¡ªthere was no one to call to. There was just my brain baking within its skull, and all the time in the world to think. As I accepted my slow death as inevitable, I reflected on my life. It was difficult to make out what my parents¡¯ faces had looked like, when I thought of the sorrowful sendoff. Trapped in that generation ship for months, only understanding the ramification of my parents being gone¡ªthat I was utterly alone in this new place. I remembered the desperate rush to build up the cavern, to carve out a new life with just the machines and resources we had on the ship. There were no summer breaks in school on Tellus; I remembered what a shock that had been to a nine-year-old. Everything was designed to hurry us off to the mines, without a care for whatever more I wanted from life. It took a long time before this place felt like home, or that I accepted my reality of being locked underground as part of a dying race. That was the bitter childhood I saw looking back at my life, cut off at fifteen when we were deemed old enough to help out part-time. Had I accomplished anything aside from work and hatred? My adult life was consumed throwing myself at Mayor Hathaway to earn his favor, in the hopes that there might be something more one day; then, it was taking the most unappealing job on the colony, giving sweet words to the Krev rent collectors. My legacy was one of self-ambition, revenge fantasies never actualized, and ungratifying work for our mere survival. I had done nothing but hurt this world, and never had the opportunity to redeem myself. Gress cared about me in spite of everything I¡¯ve done, and how much of a fraud I am at my core. We were going to protect humanity, and contribute to the end of the Federation. I wanted to see that through¡ªto be better for him. He¡¯s the one happy memory I have. ¡°Gress¡­gets me,¡± I croaked aloud, as delirium began to create mirages in the distance. ¡°The guilt. The shame. The awful dreams that seem so real.¡± I wished that the Krev was here now, but there was only the sand of the untamed world. Whatever remarks Mafani had thrown at Quana, I never expected him to be a raging psychopath, who¡¯d take me out in spite of how honor-bound Reskets were; he ignored a direct order from his supervisor, and tried to drag out my cruel fate. The heat, however, was strong enough that it might finish me off sooner. My muscles felt so weak, and it wasn¡¯t just from boot camp running me down. Nausea toyed with my stomach, and my head felt like it was filled with helium: it could float away in a second. My eyes watered, wishing for mercy. Gress told me about putting his first obor to sleep, and crying as the vet injected him with the euthanasia serum. Pets received a more humane end than I did; that alone proved that my friend wasn¡¯t a monster on par with Mafani. Quana was deranged to call him a kit killer, or to act like he¡¯d wanted that outcome when it clearly tore him up. I hoped that he could escape the past that haunted him better than I did. I prayed that my death¡ªfinding my body like this, shriveled up in the sun¡ªwouldn¡¯t hurt him too deeply. Causing him pain wasn¡¯t my intention. My eyes turned toward the shimmering horizon, spotting Gress and a Jaslip in a spacesuit for some reason, with a fully-geared up Cherise wielding a rifle. A hallucination, showing me my heart¡¯s desire. ¡°Gress, how I wish you were here!¡± I sang, parodying a 2130s hit from Earth; a loopy smile crossed my face, as I scarcely knew what I was saying. ¡°Just like that my Krev did appear. Now the world has no power, Mafani will cower¡ª¡± Cherise¡¯s voice cut through the desert. ¡°I know you¡¯re delirious, Taylor, but no one wants to fucking hear you sing.¡± ¡°Now that is not true,¡± Gress protested, as he bolted to my side and slashed the ropes with the claws. The Krev pressed a paw to my cheek, concern alight in his sparkling eyes. Wait, is he real? ¡°Easy. I¡¯ve got you. Are you okay? What fucking happened?¡± ¡°Gress,¡± I coughed, hurling my arms around his smooth scales. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­for everything. I¡¯m¡­no good. Wasted life.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true. The best part of your life is ahead of you. Quana, summon the automated rover to our location! Now. He needs a doctor.¡± The Jaslip¡¯s eye movements suggested her usage of an augmented reality lens. ¡°On it. Good thinking, Gress; I couldn¡¯t have found him without you.¡± ¡°Back at you. Your tracking and keen eyes: he would¡¯ve died alone without you.¡± ¡°Nobody deserves to die like that. If I have to go, I¡¯d want to go out on my own terms. Not as some¡­victim in some tragedy that earns pity. I know Taylor gets that.¡± ¡°Whether Taylor wants pity or not, he has mine! My heart hurts something awful, seeing him like this. I can¡¯t bear to think how he must¡¯ve suffered here. Cherise, quit standing there. Give me your fucking helmet.¡± She recoiled. ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± ¡°It has cooling and water built in. Taylor needs that for the heat exhaustion ASAP. I can hear him slurring his words, and his skin is blistering to the touch; I¡¯ve never seen him this red.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s gonna be a nasty sunburn.¡± Cherise removed her helmet with the water carrier attached; she passed it to Gress while still keeping a hand on her rifle. ¡°Good thing he has an actual head of hair now, or his scalp would be lit up too.¡± ¡°But I liked the fuzz.¡± Gress slid the helmet over my head, and I gluttonously activated the water button with my chin. The fluids tasted so refreshing that a relieved shiver passed down my spine; the cold air was a literal oasis in the desert as well. ¡°You mean so much to me, Taylor. You have no idea. I was worried sick when I realized you were gone. Who did this to you?¡± I kept chugging water for several more seconds, worried I might never get another sip. ¡°Mafani drugged me and left me out here to die. How¡­how did you find me? And you two¡­are playing nice? ¡°I noticed that Resket skulking around us for weeks, so I had a sneaking suspicion when you didn¡¯t come back. For all of our issues with each other, the one thing Gress and I have in common is that we care about you,¡± Quana answered. ¡°It¡¯s my fault Mafani was sniffing in your business; you got involved to protect me. That¡¯s not someone ¡®no good¡¯, Taylor.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t stand by. It¡¯s¡­Mafani¡¯s fault for his own actions. He is a madman: a menace to society. We have to tell someone.¡± ¡°Already reported our suspicions before we left, and we¡¯ll be sure General Radai hears your story. Let us get you back safely. If you ingested an unknown substance, you definitely need to see a doctor. Alien chemicals with your anatomy: needless to say, that requires a checkup.¡± ¡°Okay. Don¡¯t leave me. Please don¡¯t leave me.¡± The Krev lashed his tail. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of it. Up you go.¡± My legs refused to cooperate when Gress and Cherise hoisted me to my feet, but the two caught me as my weak knees gave in. They hauled me to a newly arrived automated vehicle, and I relished the shade of its trunk space. Mafani had succeeded in killing my desire to feel the sun on my face, ever again. I latched onto the Krev¡¯s scaly arm as if my life depended on it, despite how the touch scalded my skin further, and he gently settled my head into the crook of his arm. The terror of my near-death experience hadn¡¯t left me, so I clung to the familiar divorced dad like a koala. Being coddled by an alien suddenly sounded like the exact prescription I needed from a doctor, for comfort if nothing else. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. I owe Gress, and all of them, my life. Mafani is still out there though; I don¡¯t want to go anywhere on the base if he¡¯s there, and certainly not alone. Who knows what he¡¯s capable of? ¡°Why don¡¯t you treat me?¡± I asked the melty-eyed Krev. ¡°You have medical training¡­you said so. And I trust you.¡± Gress¡¯ tongue flitted out thoughtfully. ¡°I¡¯m not a doctor. My training is more about stopping blood loss.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look at me; I¡¯m even less qualified,¡± Quana commented. ¡°I worked as a deliveryperson back in Esquo¡¯s Fighters. I can haul you around in a bigass wagon, but not much else.¡± ¡°I one-hundred percent volunteer to get pulled in a wagon by you. Where do I sign?¡± I shot back. The Krev pouted. ¡°Only Quana? Why can¡¯t I pull you around in a wagon? I¡¯ll do it with a much better attitude than her.¡± ¡°Because I want to ride on your tail like Lecca, and I¡¯m way too big. Also, none of you answered my question about how you found me¡ªonly how you figured I was missing.¡± ¡°I found Resket prints near your scent, and also discovered that they stopped by what looked like tire tracks. I realized I¡¯d need backup to take on Mafani, and evidence to rope in a proper search party,¡± Quana explained. ¡°With Gress being a hostage negotiator, he was the obvious one to handle a¡­dangerous situation. No way of knowing Trainer Kibblarhan was long gone.¡± Gress flicked his claws in assent. ¡°I¡¯m grateful Quana put our differences aside so that I could help. We have location sharing on¡ªmostly so that you can interrogate me about places on Avor¡ªso I saw you were speeding way off into the middle of the desert. Somehow, in spite of Radai¡¯s gauntlet of late, I didn¡¯t think you were running.¡± ¡°General Radai won¡¯t get rid of me that easily,¡± I murmured. ¡°I¡¯m here to stay.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re in good spirits, Taylor, but don¡¯t feel like you need to put on a happy face for us. What you just went through would be a lot for anyone. Nobody will blame you for being shaken up.¡± ¡°I¡¯m frazzled, but I¡¯m also really pissed the fuck off at that kibblarhan. Wanting Mafani to pay will keep me going. You wallow in pity and fear, or you do something about it. I won¡¯t give him the satisfaction of breaking me, Gress.¡± Cherise cleared her throat. ¡°Taylor, you¡¯re already dealing with lots of residual trauma.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re not? Like Quana said, I don¡¯t want to be a victim.¡± ¡°My point is, this machismo deal causes more harm than good. You were drugged, kidnapped, and exposed to the elements to the brink of death. You don¡¯t need to prove anything to anyone. We all want to see you bounce back from this ordeal, but don¡¯t rush yourself¡ªand go flying off on some emotion-fueled revenge quest.¡± ¡°It¡¯s almost as if you want me to drop out of boot camp. You thought I¡¯d be too weak.¡± Quana flicked her ear. ¡°She¡¯s just looking out for you. Don¡¯t take your stress out on her.¡± ¡°Whatever. I don¡¯t care what any of you not doctors¡ªyour words¡ªtry to diagnose me with. I¡¯m fine. Period. Back on topic, I wonder how Gress found my location. Mafani thought of that¡­he took my holopad.¡± Gress cleared his throat. ¡°For soldiers, it¡¯s tied to your translator implant, so they find you if you desert. Same for diplomats and important figures, but it¡¯s more so they know where you were taken in case of kidnappings. I still have connections in¡­certain departments of law enforcement, who can access those¡­secret functions.¡± ¡°It was news to me that you can track anyone, even outside Avor or facial recognition checkpoints,¡± Quana hissed, pawing at the locale of her implant with discomfort. ¡°I shudder to think how you might be monitoring us.¡± ¡°Truthfully, I¡¯m sure they do keep an eye on your movements. The less I expand on this system, the better. It¡¯s classified: not something I¡¯m supposed to be sharing. It did what it needed to, and Quana came through. Why don¡¯t you tell him?¡± The Jaslip¡¯s whiskers twitched. ¡°Gress couldn¡¯t pinpoint your exact location outside of a grid, so we left the vehicle so I could track you. Too hot for an arctic carnivore like me, hence the suit. I picked up your scent, just a little while before you broke out in that horrid song.¡± ¡°You can only berate my singing if you can carry a tune after being drugged and left in the desert for hours. It¡¯s not a fair test of my abilities!¡± I objected. ¡°His rendition of ¡®Happy Birthday¡¯ on video to Lecca was much better,¡± Gress piped up in my defense. Cherise eyed him doubtfully. ¡°Show me?¡± ¡°Maybe later.¡± ¡°That wasn¡¯t for her ears,¡± I commented. ¡°She wants to make fun of me, because I did something nice for a child.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him,¡± she countered. ¡°I¡¯m a nice person. I¡¯d never mock Taylor to his face.¡± Gress chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll consider it later, but we¡¯re back at base. Let¡¯s get him to the medical office for blood tests and treatment; Radai is waiting for us there. I recorded this entire mission in my lens, and shared it with him.¡± As the vehicle stopped back on the familiar hillside, having sped away from that God-forsaken desert, I allowed myself to process that the Krev had the ability to track Tellus¡¯ citizens at will. Whatever their reasons, I wasn¡¯t fond of a foreign government knowing my whereabouts at all times; given that it saved my life, I wasn¡¯t going to pick a fight over it. I steeled myself as my friends helped me onto a waiting stretcher, and I was carted back to the medical office. This felt like when I collapsed due to my mining accident injuries, after bludgeoning a certain emerald-scaled Krev with my cane. I could see the dirt pouring in on my head from the ceiling, while also hearing Mafani¡¯s gloating register. What was it that he said about Radai not being here to save me? If the Reskets are serious about honor, I expect the general to make his kinsman pay for what he did. The medics removed Cherise¡¯s helmet, and after a brief discussion, she retook the accessory she¡¯d given me¡ªgrumbling about it smelling like ¡°Taylor sweat.¡± Honestly, her giving me shit as usual was helping keep me sane right now. I was grateful for all of my friends. If I¡¯d accomplished one thing worthwhile in my lackluster existence, it was finding people who¡¯d put in the effort to bring me back. They risked their own lives, not knowing if Mafani was keeping an eye on me. In Quana and Gress¡¯ case, they cooperated with someone who, in their mind, disturbed them because of an unforgettable instance of child butchery. I latched onto those positive thoughts, pushing back the dread that threatened to consume me. General Radai followed alongside the gurney, a cold look in his eyes. ¡°I heard what Mafani did. I can¡¯t believe that he not only defied my orders, but did something so dishonorable as to shame his repute and family name across all Tanet. Every Resket will hear what he¡¯s done, and he¡¯ll have no safe haven with our people. What an absolute disgrace.¡± ¡°What Mafani did needs a lot more than dishonor and gossip¡­sir,¡± I hissed. ¡°I want him to pay for what he did. Where is he? Lock that animal the fuck up!¡± ¡°Trench, I¡¯m going to let that slide once because of what you¡¯ve been through. Trainer Mafani went AWOL, but we¡¯re looking high and low for him. We know his tactics and his delight in your suffering; we have every intent to charge him with High Dishonor. You don¡¯t want to know the punishment that carries on Tanet.¡± ¡°Actually, I do, sir.¡± ¡°Then you can look it up on your own time. Mafani definitely knows the sentence that charge carries, so I imagine he¡¯ll go down fighting. I¡¯m sorry this happened to you, human. I never thought¡­even with his prior posting¡­¡± ¡°What prior posting?¡± Quana demanded. ¡°Mafani was part of The Underscales before he was transferred. It¡¯s quite rare to see a Resket in the¡­branch that does the military¡¯s dirty work. I heard he was stationed at Omnol Valley.¡± ¡°Those people torture ¡®suspected extremists.¡¯ It¡¯s infamous across the Consortium, beyond even us Jaslips! The tactics they use are¡ª¡± ¡°Most dishonorable. I admit, I assumed a Resket Underscale wouldn¡¯t participate in such methods, but now, I¡¯m not so sure. Clearly, Mafani revels in the suffering of anyone he deems an enemy.¡± ¡°Mafani needs to be put down like a rabid dog.¡± I curled my hand into a fist. The Krev have their own interstellar Guantanamo Bay to throw Jaslips in. Delightful. ¡°Find that fucker. He¡¯s not worth the air he breathes.¡± ¡°I second that,¡± Quana said. Radai lowered his head. ¡°We¡¯re doing everything we can to find him. There¡¯s only one spaceport on this planet, so he couldn¡¯t have gotten off Tellus. Mafani will have to show his face eventually, and we¡¯ll be waiting. I have only one question for Taylor.¡± ¡°Ask away,¡± I encouraged the Resket. ¡°When we figure out where he went¡­and assuming the doctors clear you for action¡­do you want to be part of the team that goes after him? I think it¡¯d be a worthy first field mission.¡± ¡°Absolutely. I want nothing more than to bring him down, sir.¡± ¡°We all want in on this; at least, I think I speak for us all.¡± Gress turned to Quana, worried about agreeing on her behalf. The Jaslip flicked her ear with eagerness, fired up even more at the news of the trainer¡¯s history. Cherise gave a nod as soon as as the Krev¡¯s eyes landed on her. ¡°Mafani hurt our friend, and we all have a score to settle now. Taylor won¡¯t do this alone.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s settled,¡± Radai squawked. ¡°Be ready to go on short notice. I¡¯ll let you know as soon as we have a lead. For now, rest up; I¡¯ll leave Taylor in the doctor¡¯s care.¡± As the Resket departed from the medical office, I turned my eyes to the ceiling. Once I was patched up and back on my feet, I¡¯d be revved up to go after Mafani; it was enough to know that my friends stood with me, ensuring that I wouldn¡¯t be heading into danger alone. Tellus would be at risk as long as a trainer lacking a moral compass was on the loose, so the sooner I put a bullet through his skull, the better. I¡¯d also be keeping an eager ear attuned to news of the war, and the impending strike on the Federation. With the Krakotl and Mafani hopefully going down in short order, our missions would be a literal two birds with one stone. Chapter 2-34 Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem Alien Liaison Date [standardized human time]: June 29, 2160 Ambassador Loxsel had mentioned that the Sivkits wished to see humanity¡¯s progress, as he phrased it, staking their claim to further-off thrones. With a fleet beelining its way from Paltan space toward the site of the incident, the theatrical Sivkit had graced us with his virtual presence. The entire Sapient Coalition was watching, uncertain how our ships would stack up against theirs. The humans would attempt to hail the unknown hostiles through their drones, from the border base, but I somehow doubted our new enemies would pick up. The research vessels had long since ducked away from the front lines, replaced by top-notch attack drones rushing toward an open class. Gunning down civilian ships was easy, as Naltor put it to me. The weaponry did take them out with startling efficacy, but they hadn¡¯t picked a target that could fight back. Onso had facilitated another meeting with Kaisal, and Zalk¡¯s secure tech lines proved invaluable to setting up a back channel, cutting out the Yotul middleman. I found myself on edge, worried that our schemes would be discovered. Kaisal promised the Arxur were heading into the fray, as soon as news of the dead carnivores was leaked to him. It might¡¯ve gotten Bissems a gift-wrapped fleet, but I was worried about complicating a situation that was already perilous. ¡°Now that they¡¯re rushing off to war, and trying to save the Osirs, there¡¯ll be no time to save Ivrana or look for the ghost exterminators,¡± Zalk complained. ¡°We have to do this ourselves.¡± The Osirs were the human¡¯s chosen name for the extinct quadrupeds, crafted after a myth that had appalled several SC representatives. It was named after a god who¡¯d been chopped into pieces by his brother, and brought back to life when the bits of his body were sewn together. Even I wasn¡¯t sure I liked that analogy, but the Terrans found it fitting. They were trying to stitch the carnivores back together with pieces of genetic data; it was easier to obtain viable samples with the Osirs than other extinct races. They could be the race that led the way for others¡ªresearchers were hopeful to create a synthetic embryo for them within a few weeks, and start its development in an artificial womb. I heaved a sigh. ¡°The humans haven¡¯t paused their work on our ecosystem, or the outreach with our diplomats to start peace talks. Between a global war at home and whoever killed the Osirs and the Sivkit expedition, are ghost exterminators really the biggest threat?¡± ¡°Of course they are,¡± the Tseia hissed. ¡°They¡¯re the ones who attacked us. We have no answers, but they¡¯ll go to the ends of the galaxy for these Sivkits and Osirs!¡± General Naltor narrowed his eyes. ¡°Settle down, Zalk. Both tasks deserve attention, and with the magnitude of power needed to wipe out a spacefaring species¡­this is extremely worrying. We can¡¯t expect them to care about us, if we don¡¯t address their concerns. The Paltans are in immediate danger.¡± ¡°Which is why we need to keep them on the defensive, so they don¡¯t wind up in our territory. You think they¡¯ll spare Ivrana if they get that far? They already wiped out one carnivore race,¡± I spat. ¡°It doesn¡¯t change that we¡¯re on our own, Tassi!¡± The Tseia tugged at his headfeathers. ¡°We have to figure out ways to be useful, to get anything from anyone.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t have to be solely military. Be team players; offer aid and a safe haven to any who need it. That¡¯d buy goodwill, so maybe one day, more than people-eating carnivores will back us.¡± ¡°What are you all whispering about?¡± Dustin¡¯s voice made me jump, and the xenobiologist seemed to notice that his presence startled us all. I wondered what he would think if he knew we¡¯d been skulking around to meet Kaisal, and drag the Collective into this to gain a fleet; somehow, I doubted he¡¯d approve. ¡°I haven¡¯t said anything, but you lot have been acting strange ever since your visit to Leirn. What did the Yotul drag you into? It was strange how soon they flipped their tune on your SC bid.¡± Naltor scowled. ¡°You¡¯re the one who tried to get us in touch with them to change our minds. We can do some things on our own.¡± ¡°Of course you can. I just¡­thought we were in this together, and would be more open with each other.¡± ¡°Dustin, you get regular memory scans. We can¡¯t tell you anything we don¡¯t want leaking to the galaxy, even if we do trust you to keep it in confidence aside from that,¡± I said, thinking quickly. I never confronted him, but I don¡¯t understand why he withheld so much about the Arxur. Dustin could say that it¡¯s publicly available info¡­still, his version of events was much less flattering. The human scientist frowned, but seemed to give in. ¡°You have a point. I just wish I could help more. It¡¯s hard to give advice when you¡¯re being iced out.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not being iced out, so much as the Yotul don¡¯t want the Terran government involved,¡± Naltor offered a half-truth. ¡°We can¡¯t afford to have them turn on us. It doesn¡¯t have to affect our friendship. We¡¯ve been through some real shit together, nerd.¡± ¡°Yeah. We have, haven¡¯t we? Now, we¡¯re witnessing a new interstellar war. I know I¡¯m supposed to provide reassurance, but that scares me a little. All hell¡¯s broken loose since we met Bissems.¡± ¡°We feel the same about everything we learned about you; everything¡¯s gone to shit. If you don¡¯t beat these cloacabeaks today, then we¡¯re doubly fucked.¡± ¡°Cloacabeak. You adopted my word?¡± Zalk gasped. ¡°Shut up, wanderbird. It¡¯s time to see what the white and fluffy ball of drama has to say¡­and how the battle goes.¡± Loxsel had finally moved close to the screen, after making a show of checking that his viewport was completely shuttered and his door was locked. Secretary-General Kuemper looked like she¡¯d swallowed sawdust, as the Sivkit finally unmuted; she was worried what the character of an ambassador would have to say. On an adjacent screen, an alternating feed from the drone formation showed that they¡¯d been booted from subspace. If the aggressors were still in the area, that would prove this system was of enough importance to defend. We¡¯d find out whether they¡¯d confront our inbound fleet soon; should they choose not to meet us, we¡¯d get a read on the planet the Grand Herd had been bound for. ¡°Hello from c-captivity¡ªfor I am a free man in name only! The fateful day of your r-rampage has arrived. Prowl the fields where millions died!¡± Loxsel screeched. Wasn''t it hundreds of thousands? ¡°Salivate at what might have been. May your s-savage hunger carry you to victory!¡± Kuemper managed to keep a straight face. ¡°I hope we¡¯ll get a proper assessment of the enemy capabilities, or better yet, contact them to understand why they attacked you. I also hope that the UN has been treating you well.¡± ¡°I am well-fed. Fattened for the s-slaughter! You should not talk to them, predator¡­yet you admire their b-butchery. You seek their massacre techniques for yourself. Generations of scrumptious bites gone, p-puffed out of existence. Don¡¯t you savor to play with your food¡ªthe taste, excoriating their flesh?¡± ¡°Loxsel, we don¡¯t consider Sivkits to be food. We¡¯re here to lend a hand, like you asked us to. We¡¯d like to have diplomatic relations with the Grand Herd, but we can¡¯t manage that without a shred of¡­normalcy in what you say to us.¡± Stolen novel; please report. ¡°Then just kill them all. Whatever r-ruse you project toward these servile prey, your instincts howl for blood. Brethren of mine, slain by their craven debauchery, entrails scattered. We want these abominations off this world, and your almighty claws can deliver it!¡± The Secretary-General¡¯s pupils snapped toward him. ¡°Why are you so set on this world in particular? Wouldn¡¯t it be wiser for the Grand Herd to avoid this¡­craven debauchery by choosing another planet? It¡¯s not like this one is brimming with vegetation; our long-range scans suggest it¡¯s mostly desert.¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand. All that matters to hunters is w-what lines your voracious stomach, and ruling over as much terrain as possible. We have purpose. We want what¡¯s ours, yet is now blighted by vermin. It could not be b-bloodless, no! Despair at the infestation. I lament¡­what was snatched, wrenched from our pastures! It is an insult to have to turn to foul, rancorous b-beasts like you.¡± ¡°You came to us. You didn¡¯t have to,¡± Kuemper hissed. ¡°You insult us¡ª¡± ¡°I am showering you with praises, odes to your c-cruelty! I apologize if I insulted you; I¡¯ll step it up!¡± ¡°What does stepping it up look like?¡± Onso snickered from the crowd. ¡°Go on, show us!¡± ¡°Rapacious m-menaces of Sol, ingesting war and death with insatiable appetite. Flayers of children, crushers of hope, terrors that flattened the cradle!¡± ¡°That wasn¡¯t them. The humans fought to save us, and then rebuilt our home from scratch,¡± the Gojid Prime Minister interjected. ¡°The cradle was flattened, and that¡¯s the part that matters! Where was I? Ahem. Unhallowed ones who stole the Arxur¡¯s cattle for yourselves, who had Duerten minions perform the shadow caste¡¯s execution¡­who broke our spines!¡± Kuemper smacked her forehead. ¡°We definitely didn¡¯t do that. We could fix them even, if you stopped shunning us.¡± ¡°By fix, do you mean removing the bone altogether? Paralyzing us so it¡¯s not a problem? I¡¯m not so ¡®Sivkit-brained¡¯ to not see through your word lures!¡± ¡°If that¡¯s what you truly think of us, then never mind. Humanity doesn¡¯t want to be seen as monsters, and you hold us in such low regard. Why don¡¯t we observe the battle in silence?¡± ¡°Yes, predator master! I won¡¯t dare to raise my voice or interrupt your war cries again.¡± Loxsel placed a paw on the top and bottom of his muzzle, as if manually holding it shut. The human leader¡¯s exasperation was on full display, adding color to an otherwise tense and sober moment. Having been booted from FTL transit on the system¡¯s fringes, the drones dispensed ammo on the disruptors to ensure they wouldn¡¯t impede backup; that allowed them to tunnel slightly closer, before planet-based gravity distortions interrupted their progress again. Ship signatures appeared, warping in behind the UN armada from the direction they came. More automated foes crawled out of the woodwork throughout the system, thousands upon thousands of them waiting. There were also a colossal amount of hostiles marching out from the desert world. Attempts to hail the foreign faction went unanswered; the Terrans even flashed blinking lights from the hull, in case traditional communications weren¡¯t working for some reason. Our enemies zipped toward the SC fleet, this time not hiding that their guns were primed for the kill. While prepping for combat, our force spared a few resources toward scouring the system for signals, and trying to crack their encryption. Running their language through a translator matrix could help us gather intel¡ªperhaps learning more about the attacks on the Sivkits and the Osirs. However, there was nothing of use we could pick up, besides the standard background radiation and our internal signals. Why are these people so hostile to us, so adamant about driving anyone out of this system without any communication attempts? It was evident that these murderous aliens had been expecting our return, judging by the uptick in ships stationed here. They started off by slinging particle beams, but the Terran spacecraft on the frontlines were generating strong magnetic fields¡ªwhich could separate the charged rays. General Naltor was taking notes about the SC¡¯s capabilities, just as he had during the general strategy briefing. It was a test of hurling offensive weapons at one another, and seeing if they could be parried or deflected. The enemy had numbers, having anchored themselves deeply to this system. Ambassador Loxsel should lose whatever attachment he had to this world in a hurry. Our own particle beams weren¡¯t countered by plasma or magnetic shielding, rather being absorbed by what appeared to be a layer of liquid armor; our weapons¡¯ power fizzled within the water, as the simple medium scattered their heat. The battle of engineering appeared to be a stalemate so far, with each party finding a unique counter. ¡°Only predators could c-create such dastardly weapons!¡± Loxsel brayed, paws flying away from his snout. ¡°They dreamed up the same base horrors as you. This is hunter against hunter, a contest of t-trickery. How primal¡­this can¡¯t be my life! I want out!¡± Kuemper raised a hand. ¡°These aliens are clever, Loxsel. They figured out their own way to oppose our particle beams, but we have other weapons. The question is really who has the best weapon.¡± ¡°Bring out the antimatter! Launch them at the planet and hope it falls from the heavens like rain!¡± ¡°That is not how we operate, even if they did with the Osirs. If they somehow aren¡¯t behind the Osirs¡¯ deaths, then that¡¯s not the signal we want to send about our terms of engagement.¡± ¡°Do you kill your prey by being boring? Because I¡¯m about to¡­drop DEAD! Dead, I say!¡± ¡°You do that,¡± Onso heckled from the audience. ¡°In silence.¡± Kuemper¡¯s comment about whoever would deliver the weapon that turned the tide rang true; someone needed to score major blows. These enemies must have the force to at least whittle us down with their superior numbers. In any other system, throwing twenty thousand SC drones would be enough to overrun the place, but this region of space was fortified to the teeth. As we crested to closer distances, each side tested the other¡¯s ionic shields and armor with plasma, and point-defenses against mini-missiles. The deciding factor was indeed that home advantage, the terrain being familiar to our foes. The asteroid belt¡ªand I mean all of it¡ªcame to life, with tens of thousands of giant rocks chucked at us with slingshots. ¡°Hey! That¡¯s our move,¡± Dustin protested, as the SC drones reacted to the barrage of space rocks flying in all directions. ¡°Maybe humans aren¡¯t the craziest ones out there.¡± Zalk gave him a perplexed glance. ¡°The hostiles threw a plurality of their asteroid belt at you, and that¡¯s your reaction?¡± ¡°What do you want me to say? That we probably don¡¯t have enough explosive firepower, or time, to break them all up?¡± ¡°I see your drones desperately firing away from the ships, and weaving all about to avoid space rocks. How am I supposed to believe you can protect the Tseia when you are getting rolled?¡± The human¡¯s lips curved down. ¡°There¡¯s always a bigger fish, Zalk. They¡¯re formidable¡­but we¡¯ve ended bigger fish before, with a lot less at our disposal.¡± ¡°While I appreciate an attempt at a relatable metaphor, I wouldn¡¯t go comparing yourself to fish. On Ivrana, all fish get eaten by us,¡± Naltor quipped. ¡°Fine. There¡¯s always a bigger Bissem¡ªand I¡¯m looking right at him.¡± ¡°Half-feathered nerd.¡± I looked toward the screen with worried eyes. ¡°Is now the time for jokes and banter?¡± ¡°Gallows humor, Tassi,¡± Dustin sighed. ¡°Beats doomspiraling, doesn¡¯t it?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but to ¡°doomspiral,¡± as the enemy seized our automatons¡¯ moment of weakness. Our formation was scattered across all three axes, but each feed showed them under a similar asteroid siege. Recognizing that the Terran-led craft were on the back foot, the hostiles made use of their greater numbers at last; they hurled themselves at our front lines¡ªramming tactics that piled onto the existing debris barreling down on us. Our drones were being beaten into submission, flinging antimatter missiles at asteroid and foe alike. The SC dispatched their nanodrones to attack by a thousand cuts, but dust guns smited these with equally small particles. Larger ships¡¯ shielding could burn them in a heartbeat, yet the tiniest vessels struggled to reckon with them. Clearly, our enemies had a rotating arsenal for every situation. Asteroids crashed over the paltry physical shields, rendering them ineffective in blocking incoming fire. The humans looked a bit disheartened, seeing that the hostiles had an answer for every punch they threw. Not hesitating to bring all of their friends to the party, space stations nestled within the asteroid belt revved to life. The enemy dumped warheads in our faces as well, just as our casualties were teetering on the edge of a catastrophic count. The Sapient Coalition was getting hit with everything under the ice shelf, all at once. I wasn¡¯t even sure our nemeses had shown their entire hand, but they didn¡¯t need to. Feeds across the drone fleet were going dead, limiting the rapidly alternating angles. Lights blinked out on the space map¡¯s display feed. The humans aren¡¯t going to be able to avenge the Sivkits or the Osirs today. This is a swift, devastating loss. We can¡¯t take them on their own turf¡­and I¡¯m not sure we could, even outside of their territory! Kinetics, lasers, particle beams, missiles, and asteroids vanquished SC vessels one by one, despite their last gasp of resistance. For all of Dustin¡¯s gallows humor, I could see the human was internally doomspiraling¡ªfearing a war on the scale of the one they put to bed twenty-three years ago. Ambassador Loxsel flopped to the floor as the last feed went dead, amid a sea of debris that marked all that was left of our fleet. The Sapient Coalition had some hard questions to ask themselves, about how they could stand up to an enemy on this level¡­and to consider whether it was worth it to engage at all. Chapter 2-35 It was unspeakably cold throughout every nerve. I could feel the power leaving the breaths from my lungs, and the life leaking out onto the floor below. It was slipping away so quickly, a rapid drain from my insides. Multiple wounds had perforated my abdomen¡ªlife was so fragile. I tried to claw my way up, to find something to say, but shock was taking over. I was hanging onto consciousness by a thread. The governor had to know. What would become of the galaxy and humanity in my stead? There had to be something better than this: a sudden eruption of violence and outrage. I had so many regrets, not the least of which was what happened to Earth. I begged her to reach out, and find peace with the Arxur. I could feel her touch on the back of my head, but it was distant. Fading fast. Spend the final strength to make eye contact, to see what she sees. The Venlil¡¯s own blood was mixing with mine; there was a glaze in her eyes, almost masking the concern with remoteness. She had been a good friend to us, and I hated that she¡¯d been hurt for it. I wondered if Tarva, like all the rest of her kind, thought we were animals now. My fear of what came next warred with my desire to fight for a cause. I could feel my blood pressure dropping, and the shallowness of my lungs trying to draw air. Was there life after death, or just eternal nothing? How would it feel? Death was inevitable, of course, but I always assumed that I had more time. I didn¡¯t want my person, my self, to be gone into the wind. Everything that I was and perceived would be nothing for all eternity. The only solace I could find was the thin hope that the future would be better¡ªthat something would change. Darkness. A prison. Eyes sealed, never opening again. Irresistible to just rest¡ªso unspeakably tired. So weary of my burdens and this world. It¡¯s as if I¡¯m leaving my body, stepping out of it. Peaceful, and frigid as ice. There is no sensation. There was a crack of light in my visual field, illuminating the darkness of unconsciousness. It batted away the gloom, as an unspeakable calm washed over me. Memories and faces of people long gone rapid-fired past me. I saw my grandmother knitting on the porch, smiling at me with a face I thought I¡¯d forgotten. The moment that I¡¯d been elected to the United Nations¡¯ highest office, full of youth and fervor. The ideas and fire for peace all rushing back in an instant; I would¡¯ve teared up if I had any connection to my body. My parents stood side-by-side in the effervescent glow, pride in their pupils. There was a warmth in their gaze, and I could feel that it was all going to be okay. My concerns for the world slipped away; it was a place I no longer belonged to. It was time to heed the Reaper¡¯s call, to join the sea of faces in the Great Beyond. I would be safe and at rest here. A final moment of acceptance, of triumphant euphoria. The grand finale, the last gasps of consciousness. Then, there¡¯s emptiness. The lights are dimmed, as it all slips into a place where nothing exists, and nothing ever will. My will, and ability to process, snatched from my fingers. I was no more. A cold, dark, absence of personhood was all left behind when the embers settled. Time was a concept for a living; there were no thoughts abuzz in the mind, or cognizance of the experience at all. This was the end of everything. Memory Transcription Subject: Elias Meier, Former UN Secretary-General Date [standardized human time]: July 6, 2160 The sensation was as if the lights had been turned back on in a cobwebbed attic, after decades of disuse. The fog was choking, when the spark poked through a dormancy that couldn¡¯t be described. I only had words to express the ever-after once the gears were back in motion. To say that I felt startled and disoriented was an understatement. Nothing seemed right either: sensation was an uncanny mess. I willed my fingers to move, but they felt alien, rather than anything like being my own. I died. I¡­it¡¯s hard to remember. The doctors must¡¯ve resuscitated me or something, but the peek behind the curtain felt so real. Why was I even afraid of dying? The serenity was unmatched. It took a moment for the world to come into focus, but there was a strangeness to processing the digital input. It felt as though visuals were being beamed to my mind, while my eyes were a mere decoy¡ªeven while they tried to mimic the real thing. The touch felt more like a vibration underneath saying something was connecting with my skin. Additionally, there was so much that I couldn¡¯t pick up: saliva in my mouth, thirst or hunger, the temperature of the room, any aspect of breathing, or the normally-unnoticed sensation of blinking. Where was the pain too? Even with drugs, I had sustained a severe injury. Perhaps this was the afterlife, and I was in fact dead. There was no feeling of being a real, flesh-and-blood human being. ¡°Hi, Elias.¡± The feeling of the translator¡¯s mind-warping was familiar at least, suggesting that I wasn¡¯t in the afterlife¡ªunless there was a shared eternal paradise. I commanded my pupils to turn toward the voice, despite how forced and unnatural it felt. Fear signals knocked at my skull, as I spotted a talking ant-spider standing inches from my face; reflex almost took over to swing at him. ¡°My name is Virnt. How are you feeling?¡± I shied away from him, trying to swallow¡ªnothing. ¡°I can¡¯t swallow. What the fuck? Where am I? What have you done to me? What are you?¡± ¡°I told you not to get right up in his face, Virnt,¡± a human voice said, hovering beside some holographic screen. Recognizing my own species calmed me a bit, since I was well aware how brutal aliens could be to predators. ¡°I¡¯ve known you since you were a child, and Tilfish still give me the heebie-jeebies sometimes.¡± He¡¯s known Virnt since childhood? How fast do these Tilfish grow up? ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was just extremely excited about the project, and the implications; I wanted to know how he¡¯d react and handle it. I can give you a moment, Elias, or let you speak to someone else,¡± Virnt rambled. My eyes darted around, wariness and unease settling in. ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. Just please, tell me what happened¡ªwhat is going on, and¡­where we are. I am¡­almost certain I died.¡± ¡°You did. However, post-mortem, the Venlil did a scan on you¡ªthoroughly imaging your brain. This is a Terra Technologies research lab. We replicated everything that made you yourself, down to an exact science. You have a new lease on life, with true synthetic immortality! I¡¯m sure this feels strange, but I assure you, this version of you possesses all of your attributes, memories, and neural connections¡ªwe wanted you to be the same.¡± That revelation was like a gutpunch, hearing that I was some¡­photocopy of Elias Meier, and that the genuine human being had passed away on the streets of Venlil Prime. I threw my legs over the bed in a blinding panic, trying to figure out what the hell I was. My brain¡ªthought processor, I supposed¡ªrefused to accept that what I was feeling wasn¡¯t real. The Tilfish scuttled after me as I sprinted toward a bathroom, on legs that worked, yet felt like unfinished emulations. My gaze locked on the mirror, and I stared at the familiar face. The visage was impressively lifelike: an accurate image of my true self, not some metal husk or a phony thing. Maybe I should cut the skin, and see what¡¯s underneath it¡ªit¡¯s just wires. I don¡¯t like this one bit. Nope, nope, nope. ¡°Please don¡¯t harm yourself!¡± Virnt blurted, somehow reading my mind. That I liked even less, and I was beginning to feel like a caged animal, or better yet, an amoeba under a microscope. I wanted to make this stop; it was a nightmare I desperately wanted to end. ¡°Breathe¡­er, I mean, relax. I¡¯ll tell you whatever you want to know.¡± I tried to draw in a breath, but some emulator of my voice was all that responded. ¡°Get out of my head!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that. We¡¯re trying to monitor your experiences for quality assurance, and to make corrections so this is less jarring for you. We can read any person¡¯s mind live now; we¡¯re just skipping the extra steps with your program.¡± ¡°What year is it? We didn¡¯t have anything like this. And why have you done this to me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s 2160. It¡¯s been 24 years since you passed on, which is a long time, but¡­not as distant as it could have been! This technology could change everything. Our lives are so short, but they don¡¯t have to be. Whether you want this or not, you know that many people do.¡± 24 years. I thought it¡¯d be longer, but that¡¯s something. I¡¯m amazed that humanity is alive too; they¡¯re tampering with dangerous realms. Fields that should¡¯ve been left untouched. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Beset by a mismatch of emotions, I returned back to a chair, cradling my head in my hands. The last time I remembered crying was when the first bombs struck Earth; not that those even were my memories. This was overwhelming enough that I wanted to break down, but there were no tears in my unblinking eyes. God, I¡¯d really have a predator stare now. I wished I could seal my cursed gaze shut, and fade unaware back into the dark. Thanks to the utter lack of breathing, there were also the faint cues that I was suffocating; the more time progressed, the more strongly it felt like I was constantly holding my breath while diving underwater. In the surreality of my present form, it was all I could do not to scream and succumb to mania. You want to read my mind, Virnt? I never asked for, or agreed to this. I think you should¡¯ve let me rest in peace. The Tilfish¡¯s antennae scrunched in a display of concern. ¡°We¡¯re planning to make adjustments so you¡¯ll be more comfortable: it¡¯s a learning process, for all those who¡¯ll come next! If you really don¡¯t want to be involved¡­we can shut off your program, Elias. I only wanted to give a hero of humanity a new lease on life.¡± ¡°Is that why you chose me?¡± Damn self-preservation. This is horrid, yet I don¡¯t want to die again: to return to non-existence. I tried not to focus on what was missing from the current stimuli, and to train my thoughts on what he was saying. Through the blame, in my addled faculties, I felt a flicker of sympathy. ¡°Because you think I¡­deserve better?¡± ¡°I have a lot of reasons, but that¡¯s one of them. Look, now that this technology is out there, people are going to use it. I want it to be done right¡ªhumanely. You¡¯re the right person to speak to the galactic community, and lobby for ethical standards and civil liberties. Where digital minds can be installed, minimum standards for comfort, and citizenship privileges.¡± I cast a cold stare at them. ¡°Can you turn me off at will? Control this body remotely?¡± ¡°I assure you, we won¡¯t do that. It¡¯d be the same thing as the murder or coercion of any other sapient¡ªand I hope you believe I wouldn¡¯t do that.¡± The human from earlier spoke in a raspy voice that sounded a bit wild, yet distinctly familiar. He sported a welding mask, obscuring his features. ¡°You¡¯re free of so many of the burdens of being human: ones that I dream of escaping. You can change your face if it disgusts you, and you can¡¯t feel pain. Your brain, your body, won¡¯t break¡­and we never have to lose anyone again. Don¡¯t you see the chance you¡¯ve been given?¡± My facial cues seemed responsive, down to the most minuscule muscles; I slanted my eyebrows inward. ¡°I know you. Your voice.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t. It¡¯s understandable with all this that you¡¯re latching onto anything familiar. Chalk it up as a technical glitch and move on.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that, Marcel Fraser. It might have been decades to you, but it''s been two weeks since I remember speaking to you and your friend.¡± ¡°You¡¯re delusional! That person died years ago,¡± he hissed. His hands flew upward, before he stormed out of the room with an exasperated huff. I turned toward Virnt, frowning. ¡°With everything going on, I don¡¯t appreciate the attempt to gaslight me. I know that was him. What happened?¡± ¡°A single-minded focus on bringing back that friend,¡± the Tilfish sighed. ¡°It¡¯s a long story. I apologize for his behavior. I assure you, I have no intentions of violating your autonomy, or doing anything other than helping you acclimate.¡± ¡°I feel half-human at best,¡± I groaned. ¡°You¡¯ve got to make some changes.¡± ¡°We can make improvements. Give it a few days to see what you adjust to, and what¡¯s vital to enter in; the only features missing are things that don¡¯t add much to the human experience. You can choose to end this at any time, but what¡¯s the harm in giving it a shot? What do you say?¡± I mulled it over, circling back to how it¡¯d felt when my brain gave out; I was the only being that could describe what it was like on the other side. After a short duration of having returned to the physical world, being shut down was a frightening prospect. It wasn¡¯t like I¡¯d expected to wake back up, but this was a second chance that could also be given to many others. Why would I waste a chance to help humanity, and to see what the world had become? Others would suffer as I was now, if I wasn¡¯t the one willing to stick it out and iron out the rough edges. This might be opening Pandora¡¯s Box, but as Virnt pointed out, it wasn¡¯t like it could be sealed shut again. Someone will have to be the guinea pig, but maybe I can steer this technology toward being a force for positive change. It is remarkable how far we¡¯ve come in such a short time. ¡°Well, I would like to hear what¡¯s become of humanity, and frankly, how the hell we managed to survive. Things looked pretty bleak in my last days,¡± I responded aloud. ¡°I¡¯d also like to hear all of your reasons for reviving me. That implied there were quite a few, and I want all your cards on the table.¡± ¡°Not getting anything by you, am I?¡± The Tilfish¡¯s mandibles clacked, apparently a laughing gesture. His compound eyes focused on me. ¡°One thing at a time. There was a lot that happened, or was discovered, after your¡­untimely demise. For starters, we learned you humans were hardly the only omnivores.¡± That got my unyielding attention, as I couldn¡¯t believe what I heard. ¡°What?!¡± ¡°¡­yeah. The Federation ¡®cured¡¯ any meat-eaters, which means they genetically installed allergies to animal flesh, and then overhauled their culture to fit their ideology. My species is one of the former omnivores, and I chose to go back to it since I moved to Earth as soon as I reached adulthood. I sort of have an obsession with humans and how you work.¡± ¡°Um, noted.¡± I took a moment to digest what he just said; somehow, being talked about like nothing more than machinery wasn¡¯t the most shocking element. I¡¯d have to get used to that, at any rate, since I was a literal machine now. ¡°They hated omnivores. They¡­wanted us dead for being predators. Oh God, did they cure humanity?!¡± ¡°What? No! It was more that it proved your buddy Isif¡¯s side of things. Their starvation attempts went far beyond you and the Arxur¡ªyou were just the failures. I mean, they did try to cure some abducted humans in the mid-twentieth century¡ª¡± ¡°I beg your pardon?!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the Farsul failed for centuries because they couldn¡¯t figure out B12 deficiency. Oh, and to be clear, they targeted real herbivores too. You should see what the Venlil look like now that humanity uncrippled them. They¡¯re quite the opposite of the skittish species you knew! Would you like to see a picture of Tarva¡¯s unmodded daughter?¡± The gears in my head were grinding to a halt, as the information overload was beating me down. ¡°Yeah. Sure. Why the fuck not?¡± Virnt handed me a holopad, revealing an image of a much older Governor Tarva; her snout fur was turning white. The human she was with made me do a double take, as I recognized a graying Ambassador Noah Williams cozied up next to her. That made me re-evaluate exactly why Tarva had requested the astronaut who made first contact as our ambassador, despite how nervous she¡¯d been around him in the initial stages. I didn¡¯t know if robots could get whiplash, but I was definitely feeling it. My focus shifted to two fully grown children, one human and one¡­Venlil? The young female had a nose on her snout, and was wearing running shoes at the end of perfectly straight legs. ¡°Ah, send the Governor and the Ambassador my regards,¡± I managed. ¡°If it wouldn¡¯t weird them out too much. I¡­I would love to get in touch.¡± Virnt took his holopad back, compound eyes gleaming. ¡°You¡¯ll be able to contact anyone you like. Sorry for giving you ¡®robot whiplash,¡¯ Elias; just trying to fill you in. Long story, we found out that, that the Feds were hiding their true power to appear weak, and were colluding with the Arxur to keep the war going forever. Humanity fought to get an alliance, and with lots of help, took the conspiracy down. The end!¡± ¡°Right¡­so we won. We took down the Federation. Then what?¡± ¡°The Federation splintered into many groups. Humanity leads a group of eighty-odd species called the Sapient Coalition, trying to plant the seeds of peace and equality. However, we¡­we presently need help from the other parties, to stand with us. Not to alarm you, but there seems to be a malevolent entity just outside our space, and our clashes with them don¡¯t bode well.¡± A sense of dread festered within my mind, an all too familiar sensation. ¡°Who exactly is this malevolent entity?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know; they shoot everything that moves, and we think they perpetrated a genocide against another predator species¡¯ homeworld. I¡¯ll get you briefed on specifics, but it¡¯s bad news. So we need everyone, from the neutral Shield, the maligned-but-reformed Arxur, and the predator-hating Federation-lite to team up. That''s the main reason the UN wants you back in the game.¡± I pointed a finger at my chest, scoffing. ¡°What on Earth does that have to do with me?¡± ¡°You have goodwill with just about everyone, including the Arxur, you¡¯re used to assuaging predator fears, and you¡¯re practiced at getting help in impossible circumstances. Elias, you were a diplomat that wanted peace, but made the hard decisions.¡± ¡°I am a cyborg replica of myself, and you think anyone would want to parlay with me, in this state?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be tough for the Fed loyalists to worry about your instincts, when you don¡¯t eat and can¡¯t feel hunger.¡± ¡°The Federation thinks hunting is hardwired into our brains, Virnt. This is all too much. I¡­I want to be alone. Please.¡± The Tilfish patted my hand with a grasper, before moving away. ¡°Of course. Take all the time you need; think it through. Let yourself get accustomed to everything I threw at you. I¡¯ll be a short scuttle away.¡± As soon as the insectoid departed from the room, I searched for anything to cover my eyes, ensuring that I could see only shadows. The changes since my timeframe of reference were drastic, though there were a few things I could take solace in. Humanity finding friends and a place in the galaxy, as well as vanquishing the immediate threats of bigotry, were positives. The fact that Chief Hunter Isif had let Earth return to full autonomy, and succeeded in his ideals of reforming the Arxur, meant that my deathbed wish had come true. It was peace between the Dominion and preyfolk, but it was understandable that there wasn¡¯t acceptance or immediate forgiveness. The dagger to my heart was hearing of a new war, the anti-predator madness starting all over again. I hadn¡¯t been able to fully spare Earth, despite my best efforts to make us palatable to the Federation maniacs. If this was a do-over at keeping my people safe, before this war spilled onto our doorstep, I would give it my best. However, with how strained my sanity was right now, I hoped that I could hold onto my sense of self. With no wild claims to distract me, I fell into taking inventory of everything that was missing. There was no feeling from where my tongue rested against the roof of my mouth, no scents in the air, and an absolute stillness where my stomach should be rising or falling. Like Virnt so aptly mentioned, I had no feelings of hunger or fullness at all, because the only insides I had now were metal rods and wires. My hands snatched the pillow with the last semblance of control, and I screamed¡ªperhaps hoping to run my voice ragged, like a human would, but that was ineffectual as well. With attempts to regain any sense of normalcy or being alive rebuffed, I fell into a defeated, tormented silence. Chapter 2-36 Memory Transcription Subject: Elias Meier, Former UN Secretary-General Date [standardized human time]: July 13, 2160 The irritability coursing through my psyche was palpable. Every sound was dialed up to eleven, stabbing at the core of my sensory processing. Constant awareness grated on me after days without sleep, never having any break from the stream of information I needed to digest. There was no way to shut the world off and reset, and no reprieve from the unsettling reality of my physical experience. I was curled up in a ball on the floor, rocking back and forth; I wasn¡¯t sure how much longer I could go on like this. Virnt scuttled over to me in the spaceship, jostling my shoulder. ¡°Elias? Would you like to turn back from this mission?¡± I remembered how I¡¯d spent most of the trip, standing under the water in the shower. There was a special shampoo they¡¯d provided for synthetic hair, like a wig. I held out my phony hand and emptied most of the bottle¡¯s worth of goop, zoning out; I was trying to soak in the distant sensation of liquid running down my spine. Once upon a time, this had been the most relaxing time of my day¡ªletting muscle tension fade away and cleansing grimy skin oils. Now, I knew neither of those two still existed in my day-to-day life to assuage. Did it even matter to slap soap on some metal frame? There were no consequences of letting hygiene go by the wayside. I didn¡¯t sweat in order to start to reek, and I couldn¡¯t get skin conditions or be affected by bacteria. It could be that I was bathing out of habit, clinging to my old lifestyle, that I kept going to wash up. Perhaps the shower had become my favorite haunt because I felt disgusting in this body. Everything was a reminder that I was an inhuman scrap pile, and it was wearing on my sanity. It wasn¡¯t like anyone related to what I was going through. I used to spend so much time fussing over making my suits look crisp and perfect¡ªimmaculate ties, UN pins adjusted just right. The heavy jackets would trap my body heat in the summer; now, it no longer had that effect. I could bundle up as much as I wanted in 40 degree Celsius heat, unless there was some limit that would fry my circuits. Shit, I might not need a spacesuit in the vacuum of space¡ªI couldn¡¯t freeze or suffocate, after all. Being left out in the void for all eternity didn¡¯t sound that much different from my present experience. I hate what I¡¯ve become. I hate what they¡¯ve done to me; all I do is think, and every part of my new self lives in the uncanny valley. There¡¯s nothing positive. Maybe it¡¯s time to call it¡­death was better than this. I can¡¯t bear another day of this hell. ¡°Hey, stay with me! Distractibility, depression, being unable to maintain concentration¡ªthese are natural consequences of sleep deprivation. I¡¯m surprised it carries over without a physical mechanism to grow tired¡­but I¡¯m working on a sleep suite, I promise,¡± Virnt said, glossy eyes staring at me. I groaned. ¡°I¡¯m not tired, but it¡¯s just nonstop. I¡­I¡¯m having trouble remembering what I read.¡± ¡°Here, I¡¯m going to try a temporary fix. You look like you need it. I don¡¯t want you to suffer; just turning you off and on isn¡¯t the same. I¡¯m going to emulate GABA, uh, shut off your optic sensors, decrease the activity in your prefrontal cortex, and simulate delta waves for an hour. We can see if it somewhat fills the need for deep sleep, okay? Relaxation, no processing: worth a shot, right?¡± I nodded mutely, staying in the fetal position. I didn¡¯t have the will to move, and I didn¡¯t want to get my hopes up that Virnt¡¯s plan would be any mercy. The sensation of the Tilfish tinkering with my settings was strange, as if my brain was being overridden in the moment. There was no process of falling asleep to give it the air of naturalness. Suddenly, I was blind, trapped in darkness¡ªand a modicum of drowsiness kicked in, limiting my movement. Thoughts died down, offering much-need relief; I faintly wished I could remain in this state. When I came to, there was a sudden influx of information as the rest mode was switched off; it was hardly a seamless waking, but I¡¯d take it. Peace in my own head was something I¡¯d never take for granted again. I hadn¡¯t thought myself to be a weak-minded individual, but I hadn¡¯t realized how much it wore on you: feeling out of place in your own body every waking second, and not trusting your senses. Brain function had been restored enough that I could get a grip on myself, and rise in my disheveled state. A peek out the window revealed we¡¯d completed our intra-atmosphere transit to the Duerten embassy. I rubbed my eyes on reflex, but there were no gifts from the Sandman there. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you have just added everything to start with, Virnt?¡± ¡°The humans I talked to said they wouldn¡¯t want to sleep, unless they had to! I put the most focus on your emotional matrix and your facial expressiveness, since I thought that has the highest importance of what makes you human,¡± the Tilfish replied. ¡°You could¡¯ve made it at least optional.¡± ¡°I sent the option to your holopad for the future, to trigger this program for as long as you¡¯d like. This is a learning process, so I¡¯m sorry for anything that¡¯s off. All trial and error here, but it¡¯s only going to get better! That¡¯s the positive.¡± ¡°There are a lot of patches needed. For starters, you¡¯re missing two of the senses: taste and smell. In spite of that, ever since I walked past the Terra Technologies staff eating tater tots, I¡¯ve been craving them at random intervals. I¡¯m not hungry¡ªI can¡¯t consume food!¡± ¡°Predator instincts,¡± Virnt teased. ¡°The Federation was right.¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious! Why on Earth would that be a thing? I literally can¡¯t satisfy it, so it¡¯s almost cruel.¡± ¡°It¡¯s psychological, Elias. I looked into it after I saw it in your transcript. When humans are under a lot of stress or otherwise feeling down, you seek dopamine from food. It¡¯s something familiar that activated your memories, and promised emotional comfort. That¡¯s why you have the phrase ¡®comfort food.¡¯¡± ¡°I can already see how the Federation remnants would spin that. A predator¡¯s so-called emotions are tied to food, and stimulate appetite to fulfill their whims.¡± ¡°You seem in better spirits. To add to your improved mood, we announced the success of your memory transplant to the world. The response was overwhelmingly positive¡ªhistory looked back fondly on you. You got a lot of well-wishes, and I was able to get almost all of your social media re-activated. At least, the platforms that are still active.¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­allowed to share my honest experiences?¡± Virnt eased me out of the shuttle, into the sunlight; cameras were waiting, causing me to stiffen. ¡°Of course you can. I¡¯m not here to muzzle you, my friend. Quite the opposite, in fact: I want your experiment documented as thoroughly as possible! You¡¯re the spokesperson for¡ª¡± I shielded my face from the reporters, who were lobbing questions. ¡°What is this? I don¡¯t have a prepared statement. This is an ambush.¡± ¡°Terra Technologies has a mission of transparency, and improving sapients¡¯ quality of life through digital means. We had to announce such a monumental breakthrough, but you¡¯re under no obligation to speak with them.¡± ¡°Good,¡± a warm voice chimed in from next to me, making me jump. ¡°The poor guy¡¯s come back from the dead, Virnt. Give him a break. He¡¯s here to speak with the Duerten Forum and their ambassador, for some semblance of his old life.¡± I turned my head, beaming as I recognized her. ¡°Erin? Oh, sorry: that¡¯s Secretary-General Kuemper, isn¡¯t it? You¡¯ve moved up in the world. The United Nations is in good hands.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good to see you, Elias. I bawled my eyes out at your funeral. You cared so much for peace and taking the high road; there isn¡¯t a person out there who could¡¯ve handled first contact with more grace. You inspired me, and an entire generation of future diplomats.¡± I embraced Erin, who¡¯d once been a passionate SETI researcher giving me all of the bad news about aliens. As we flailed about in the dark to save humanity and adjust to the galaxy, finally acquiring a few friends, she¡¯d become my Secretary of Alien Affairs. I¡¯d trusted her to do whatever it took to stabilize our extraterrestrial relations. It was a bit of a relief to see a positive reaction from someone I knew; I wasn¡¯t sure how my friends would take my return, but I hadn¡¯t been expecting a welcome with open arms. It brought me solace and comfort to know about the legacy I¡¯d left behind, and the ripple effects my tenure had on the United Nations. It is strange to see how much she¡¯s aged. That¡¯ll be the reality of anyone that used to be an acquaintance of mine. The alarm bells pinging in my head faded into the backdrop, and I forgot that the wind gusting against my face only felt like a dull push. My mind slipped away from food cravings that failed to get my mouth to water, how there was no feeling of tightness from my dress shoes, and the stillness of my non-existent diaphragm. I was simply happy to see someone I cared about and enjoyed working with, in my old life. There was safety in having a person I trusted to be on my side. My brain snapped back into diplomat mode, falling into a familiar flow of conversation. If I had nothing else, I still had my social skills¡ªan ability to navigate various cultures. ¡°So the Duerten Forum agreed to meet with the two of us. They know about the Sivkit attack, but not the full threat,¡± I spoke aloud, after breaking away from the rather soul-affirming embrace. ¡°I read the strategy meetings for briefing them, and I¡¯m on-board to appeal to nostalgia; humanity saving their homeworld was after my time, but close enough to it that I could serve as a reminder. A blast from the past.¡± Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Erin nodded, her security forming a wall between us and the cameras as we walked toward the embassy. ¡°I always wondered what you¡¯d think of modern Vienna, Elias. All of the aliens willing to be here on our world, and to treat us like people. Friendship used to seem like a pipe dream; we were happy if they¡¯d allow us to exist, tolerate us to that extent. Look at us now.¡± ¡°I almost gave up hoping that they could care about us, or stand beside us at all. We couldn¡¯t do it alone then. It¡¯s time we remember to stand together¡ªto rise to the occasion once more. I can¡¯t bear the thought of anything threatening our home, or our friends. I saw enough needless death twenty-four years ago.¡± ¡°That pain is a lot more recent to you. It¡¯s completely okay to be wrestling with grief. A billion of ours died.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t become the monsters they thought we were, and we pulled through. We revealed their hatred and treachery, and have chosen a future set on rectifying every right they trampled. I¡¯ll always mourn what we lost, but I¡¯ve never been more proud of humanity in my life.¡± Kuemper patted my shoulder. ¡°You sound like yourself, my dear old friend. It¡¯s very good to have you back; you were much better at smiling while they spit in your face than I ever was. Let¡¯s do what¡¯s necessary to get the ball rolling with the Shield.¡± ¡°I¡¯m right behind you.¡± The exterior of the Duerten embassy had a distinct construction style, with metal and concrete forming the bulk of the outside structure; on Kalqua, sturdiness was at the foremost of their priorities. Winds on a normal day could ratchet up to what we¡¯d consider a tropical storm, according to my brief review of their culture. The door was evidently heightened to facilitate foot traffic from humans, despite the exit hatches on the upper floor which seemed frequented by the avian staff. Their personnel could literally fly away during an emergent situation. I tailed Kuemper into the lobby, and noted how much of the inside¡¯s floor was concrete as well. It was resilient and easy to clean, a perfect surface to avoid being marred by talons. Most of the gray avians used perches instead of chairs, with several staffers working on paperwork at their desks; in private areas, some met with any humans who had business with the Duerten Forum. The lack of reaction to a predator¡¯s approach was new to me, but a welcome change. Kuemper confidently led the way to an elevator, which had the English and German words for ¡°Welcome to the Duerten embassy!¡± written above the opening. The generic Shield logo was painted on both sides of the door, and emblazoned with a representation of Kalqua. There were no buttons inside, apart from an emergency exit; a camera surveyed us, before a watching staffer summoned the car upward. I felt a jolt as we reached the top floor. ¡°To be visited by two Secretary-Generals: one of whom is a ghost! Let me express the Duerten Forum¡¯s honor and delight. Not, of course, that I don¡¯t cherish Ambassador Hannah Marston¡¯s visits.¡± A silver-feathered head poked out of a door at the end of the hallway, past a spacious lounge; his beak was the precise yellow of corn. ¡°Please, come in. Make yourselves at home. Can I get you anything to drink?¡± Kuemper shuffled forward, giving me a knowing look. ¡°Water would be lovely for me. Thank you for the warm welcome, Ambassador Korajan.¡± ¡°I second that gratitude. Enchanted to meet you. I¡¯m sure you know, but I¡¯m Elias Meier.¡± Taking a gamble that the ambassador was more than acquainted with our customs, I extended a hand. Korajan strode forward with confidence, ensnaring my palm in his wingtip. ¡°We appreciate you taking the time to sit with us, Ambassador.¡± ¡°Just Korajan,¡± the avian said, feeling my artificial hand with undeniable curiosity. He finally released my grip, and waited for us to get seated. ¡°There¡¯s no need for formalities, especially when I¡¯m in such esteemed company. What can I do for you?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve come to seek your assistance in the fight against the Sivkits¡¯ assailants. The Sapient Coalition needs allies to back us against these menaces,¡± Kuemper stated. ¡°Any help we can get would make a difference.¡± ¡°I see. I heard about your unfortunate defeat in your prior engagement, but I don¡¯t see how it involves or concerns us. The Duerten, as you well know, aren¡¯t in the position we used to be. We¡¯ve turned our focus inward for years, shoring up our defenses to watch out for our beloved planet. The potential benefit it might offer you is so negligible that it¡¯s hardly worth increasing our vulnerability. The risk far outweighs the rewards for any party.¡± I studied the avian, careful to avoid a direct stare. ¡°I understand that it¡¯s a lot to ask. However, small bits of help from across the Shield can accumulate to be a massive difference maker. We want to stop this genocidal force from getting anywhere near Kalqua; if we play our cards right, you won¡¯t need defenses.¡± ¡°Elias¡ªsorry, may I call you Elias?¡± Korajan asked, continuing after I nodded. ¡°We¡¯re, of course, concerned to have a predatory species with such power and intentions, outside our known terrain. They bear a striking resemblance to the Arxur, and my government does appreciate the advance warning from the SC so we can make preparations. Yet the Forum is concerned by several of your recent initiatives, which would make us doubly unwilling to back your cause.¡± ¡°Go on. What initiatives have unsettled you?¡± I hope he doesn¡¯t mean me, with resurrecting dead humans; that¡¯d hit close to home, and I don¡¯t know how to defend it. ¡°Perhaps we can clear up our rationale and intentions, ensuring that there are no misunderstandings.¡± ¡°I hope I¡¯m not impolite to point it out, but my government is beginning to see a pattern in your recent connections to carnivores. The Sapient Coalition is attempting an uplift on one race, despite what we all know happened on Wriss, and has brought them into your mix while they are at war with each other. We¡¯re also aware of these Osirs¡ªa race you are resurrecting to live among you, despite having no idea what they¡¯re capable of. Present company excluded, species that need meat are not trustworthy types. These Osirs are weapons: look at the fangs.¡± ¡°Anything is a weapon in the wrong hands. Respectfully, we don¡¯t feel that it¡¯s right to judge a species for their diet. If I¡¯m not mistaken, your own kind were once omnivores, Korajan.¡± The Duerten fluttered his wings in acknowledgement. ¡°The Federation changed us greatly¡ªsome things for the better, others to erase our intellect. We¡¯re an individualist species, and they tried to make us¡­what do you humans call it? A ¡®hive mind.¡¯ Hive minds, of course, are fiction, yet they tried to make it real. Still, sometimes when you¡¯re changed enough, it makes it impossible to go back to how things were.¡± ¡°I of all people grasp that sentiment,¡± I sighed, without moving an abdominal muscle, reflecting how my life would never be the same in this state. ¡°We believe all sapients deserve a chance at life and happiness. Equality isn¡¯t a principle we withhold based on any factor, and we don¡¯t change species to fit our own whims.¡± ¡°This is why we¡¯re content with our relations as is: separate, so we¡¯re not connected to your disputes or obligated to get involved. The Duerten will always have differences between what are considered acceptable behaviors, and our guiding principles and overarching goals.¡± Kuemper tapped her fingers on her knee. ¡°Regardless, our choices with the Bissems and Osirs will have no impact or tangible effects on the Duerten. Nor is it a reason to shy away from protecting herbivores, the mandate that led you to stand up to the Federation in the past.¡± ¡°That cost us everything. Kalqua took a beating worse than Earth did. We don¡¯t set out to attract the ire of powerful enemies these days.¡± ¡°We saved Kalqua. We were there when you needed our help to keep your innocents safe,¡± I reminded him, knitting my eyebrows with earnestness. ¡°We answer when others call for our help to stay alive; the Duerten know what drives us to answer the bell. Isn¡¯t that worth a smidge of reciprocation?¡± ¡°If Earth, or for that matter, Leirn were under siege, we would come. However, it appears to us that you entered their territory, not the other way around.¡± ¡°Think of the type of species¡­no, the kind of governments that would glass worlds. The old-school Arxur Dominion. The Kolshian shadow caste when they were defied. The Krakotl extermination fleet because they hated us. That¡¯s what we see in the Osirs, and the gluttonous killing of Sivkit civilians while refusing to speak. We can¡¯t turn a blind eye.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Elias. Even if I wanted to help you, I don¡¯t have the authority. I¡¯m expressing my government¡¯s position, and I¡¯ve been told the Duerten Forum isn''t going to war under any circumstances. I apologize that I can¡¯t be of more use, and regret if you might feel your time has been squandered, leaving empty-handed.¡± I shared a look with Kuemper, recognizing that we had been stonewalled; there was an implication in Korajan¡¯s last statement that the discussion on this matter was over. The Forum hadn¡¯t given him any negotiating room, so I didn¡¯t get the sense I could do better than asking for him to take a message. If this was the most friendly party we¡¯d be interacting with, I wasn¡¯t off to a good start wrangling support for an alliance. There were a few other Shield races we could try, but an endorsement from the founders might¡¯ve gotten the whole union on board. We had to find another angle¡ªnegotiating with the Fed remnants would be impossible without the Shield as an intermediary. ¡°Of course we don¡¯t feel that way. The back-and-forth was enlightening, productive communication, as much as humanity would love to stand side-by-side in this endeavor,¡± I offered. ¡°We appreciate you hearing us out, and do hope you¡¯ll pass along our rationale to the Forum, for clarity.¡± ¡°I will,¡± the Duerten responded. ¡°Your words, as always, deserve to be heard and treated with respect.¡± Kuemper followed my lead, rising as I stood. ¡°Korajan, I want you to know I deeply appreciate what you said about coming to Earth¡¯s aid should we ever fall on hard times. That stood out to me, as a reason why our cooperation is so precious and beautiful.¡± ¡°I agree wholeheartedly. I do wish you the best of luck in your future engagements; my people hope you emerge victorious.¡± ¡°Thank you. Our door will always be open if you have a change of heart.¡± In my mind, I had already vacated the Duerten embassy, but it was necessary to retrace my steps to depart the ambassador¡¯s office. Aliens were much more diplomatic in rebuffing us now than in my era, which was the proper way to express disagreements between nations. It wasn¡¯t lost on me that the differences in ¡°behaviors¡± and ¡°principles¡± Korajan meant were things such as hunting, omnivory, accepting carnivores, exterminators, and predator disease facilities. The Forum still clung to much of their old lifestyle; the gray avian had stated that some Federation changes were ¡°for the better.¡± That was telling about how much of their ideology they¡¯d yet to shed. ¡°Forgive my impertinence, but before you go, Elias¡­may I ask a personal inquiry? It¡¯s not on my behalf of my government,¡± Korajan called, as our shoes cleared the threshold of his office. I turned around, giving him an encouraging smile. ¡°Of course. Go ahead.¡± ¡°What¡­what was it like? To die¡­to be dead?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t like anything. It was a singularity of all outcomes: all I ever was, and all I ever could be, condensed to nothing. There are no words to describe emptiness and infinite rest. It¡¯s a peace that knows no equal.¡± The Duerten dipped his head. ¡°Thank you. It gives me some¡­personal solace, to know¡­to know my daughter is resting peacefully. She died in so much pain after only a short period of remission. Ahem¡­if you¡¯ll excuse me, I¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ll leave you in peace,¡± Kuemper replied, softness in her voice. I folded my hands behind my back, mulling over the choked-up ambassador¡¯s words. How could I let a few days of mental suffering defeat me, when kids suffered through such terrible diseases¡ªnever getting to reach adulthood? This program could give children like Korajan¡¯s daughter a chance to grow up, and be a kid, free from pain. As soon as I was alone, I knew I¡¯d be cast back into a maddening state of consciousness, with my brain struggling to stay tethered to this reality. Where I¡¯d been ready to give up before Virnt¡¯s quick fix, the avian¡¯s story made me want to remain in the fight. The Tilfish had been right: there was the potential for the technology that had brought me back to do a lot of good, and save others a great deal of heartbreak and suffering. No personal sacrifice was too great to ensure that one day, no parent would ever have to bury their child. Chapter 2-37 Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist Date [standardized human time]: July 15, 2160 With boot camp completed, I was free to leave the base in my off-duty hours. My plan for the rest day was to wander the city with Gress, who was eager to see Lecca and Juvre after weeks separated. His daughter had loved the idea of staying on ¡°the human planet,¡± so we were heading to a hotel room where his ex-wife had planned a faceless handoff. The Krev hadn¡¯t let me out of his sight since my abduction, because we¡¯d yet to receive any leads on Mafani¡¯s hideout. Where could that former black ops prick even be hiding, and why couldn¡¯t Gress¡¯ contact locate him? My exchange partner was worried the Resket would come back for me, and honestly, I shared those fears. I was jumpy and worried about going anywhere nobody had eyes on me. It was a waiting game to see my persecutors get their comeuppance, and my patience was waning. General Radai was meticulous with his planning, instead of pressing our advantage before they¡¯d have a chance to send another round of ships into our space. On the subject of lingering fears, when an armada twenty-thousand-strong burst in Tellus¡¯ space, it had brought back memories of how the exterminator fleet had come to Earth. The greatest insult was that the bastards had figured out drones, most likely from studying my own species, so they weren¡¯t pushovers we could use psychological warfare against anymore. Despite the advancements, the Consortium vanquished them; my faith was restored. It¡¯s cause for celebration. The scales¡ªpun intended¡ªare tipped in our favor. Now, it¡¯s just a matter of waiting for the threefold decapitation strike to make the month-long journey; fighting a war across great distances will require patience. Persistence, some might say. We hadn¡¯t found too many hints in the wreckage, as the drone parts began to disintegrate almost as soon as their seams were undone. In my mind, there was no doubt they¡¯d used our technology to some extent. Why worry about feckless crews when computers could do their dirty work? What we knew for certain was that their trails led back toward the Federation¡¯s border, which left me wondering if our first strike didn¡¯t need to include the Sivkits. This all started with their arrival, so they must be at the root of this conflict. Whatever General Radai might¡¯ve thought, this proved that destroying their fleet was the right decision¡ªwho knew what kind of intel they might¡¯ve gotten, if we spoke to them or allowed them any closer to our new home? As much as I loved spending time with my Krev friend, perhaps the only person I¡¯d ever felt close to, my heart was right in the thick of the war. No day wandering Tellus with Lecca could have a guarantee of safety, not until we convinced those Feddie bastards not to come knocking on our doors. ¡°I heard Quana was going on a tour of the caverns. She wanted to see how you lived; told Cherise it was insightful to witness a species¡¯ conditions with your own eyes,¡± Gress said, as we ascended in the hotel elevator. I tilted my head. ¡°You two talked, voluntarily? Quana¡¯s been less hostile since she was given the clearance to take Mafani out, but¡­¡± ¡°I overheard her talking with Cherise. Your Jaslip friend was interested in seeing the vault of your keepsakes from Earth. My guess is she likes the idea of making one for Esquo.¡± ¡°Jaslips had time to safeguard their artifacts, and plan the transition. I¡¯m not sure what they¡¯d need a vault for; they have more than fucking pictures and empty memories.¡± The Krev looked at me with sad eyes, as the doors opened. ¡°If we win this war, or are able to stop by Sol, maybe we could save a few artifacts. There has to be something, even if it¡¯s at the bottom of the ocean, that we can save. I want to help, Taylor; my heart breaks for you and your people.¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯m just fucked up, and I don¡¯t know what I believe, other than that I don¡¯t deserve you. Our history is me turning on you, doubting you, assaulting you.¡± ¡°You gave me a chance to get it right, like I couldn¡¯t all those years ago. I¡¯m going to save you as many times as it takes, even if it¡¯s from yourself. You can¡¯t push me away, or hide how you really feel.¡± ¡°How do I really feel, Gress?¡± ¡°I, um¡­you turned on me because you trusted me and were willing to be vulnerable. Because you care¡­we care deeply about each other. You express pain by blowing up, so you don¡¯t have to admit it to yourself.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not blowing up. I want to do something with my feelings.¡± ¡°There are other ways.¡± That¡¯s a nice statement from Captain Obvious, though he made it sound quite cryptic. Is there something more he¡¯s not saying? Gress steered me down the hallway, as I continued on in silence. We unlocked the door to Lecca¡¯s room, and my leg was immediately latched onto by the little Krev. Her claws tore the fabric of my jeans, which caused her father to wince. The kid didn¡¯t notice at all, instead bouncing up and down with excitement. Juvre crawled back into his cage, and began shaking it from the inside; of course the obor was acting possessed at the mere sight of me. He was basically a Fed. If it hadn¡¯t been for how distraught Gress told me he was putting his first obor down, I¡¯d suggest he give this primate some night-night syrup. There were better pets out there. ¡°Daddy, Daddy!¡± Lecca finally released me, diving on top of her father¡¯s tail. Who made her so hyper? ¡°Tell me something cute about the humans.¡± Gress cast a sly glance at me. ¡°Let¡¯s see. Their celebrities walked down red carpets at big events, and pranced right on down the ¡®fancy¡¯ color strip.¡± ¡°I wanna see! If I make one for Taylor, can he walk down it? He has to show me!¡± ¡°Taylor would love to, wouldn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Absolutely not,¡± I protested. ¡°What next, do I have to get petted by you?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to, but¡­I figured out a way that humans will pay me to pet them. I hear you like massages: if I ran a massage parlor on Tellus, work would just be petting humans for hours. Might go for it after the war.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be serious, Gress.¡± ¡°That sounds like a great job, Daddy!¡± Lecca cheered. ¡°That¡¯s what I wanna do. I can¡¯t believe we used to be scared of them; they¡¯re so squishy, and adorable.¡± ¡°Yeah, I think I¡¯m done with that conversation. Call me back when you figure out where Lecca wants to go. I¡¯ll occupy myself snooping through your things.¡± Juvre poked his head out of the cage as I ambled away, baring his teeth while on all fours. I found myself imagining the obor painted in clown makeup; perhaps I could persuade Gress¡¯ daughter to do that to him, not knowing the true meaning. I rolled my hands into fists, faked a sad expression, then flapped them around near my eyes in mock crying. The primate made the motions of lunging at me, and I leapt away with a hint of fright. My friend¡¯s worthless pet settled back on his haunches, and snickered in his shrieking register. Demon. Diabolical little shit; I¡¯m gonna rattle his cage in the middle of the night, right when he¡¯s sleeping. I took a closer look around the hotel, checking out the accommodations that visitors to Tellus would have; we had more guests on our world than ark settlers. The obor backpack Gress mentioned was sitting out on the couch, revealing a popup book about us for kids. I tugged the print media out, but was too lazy to get a visual translator to read the simplistic words. One picture showed a human kid playing on a swing set, and the child appeared on the next slide wearing a triangular hat and blowing out birthday candles. I turned the page, finding images of jump rope and hopscotch. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. My hands slammed the book shut, feeling a bit deflated. We¡¯d never done those kinds of things when I was a child in the caverns; our circumstances robbed me of almost every fun experience I could¡¯ve had. I supposed this hardcover was about how human kids played, so that sated my curiosity. Perhaps it would¡¯ve been better if I hadn¡¯t been reminded about certain parts of our culture that I missed out on. Then again, it was never too late to start playing around and having fun, right? Something on the floor caught my eye; I reached my hand beneath the couch, pulling out some kind of puzzle cube. ¡°Well, what do we have here?¡± I picked up a four-sided figure with a few movable L-shapes fitted on the outside. Noticing a faint aroma, I brought it to my nose; it smelled fruity, and I wondered if this was some inverse, puzzle version of a Ring Pop. I shook it, feeling and hearing something inside. ¡°Gotcha. Let¡¯s see how to get this open¡­it¡¯s like a Rubik¡¯s Cube with an actual incentive.¡± I rotated the L pieces enough to free one side, working to shift the square underneath into an upper layer. Getting parts of the cube to flip into an outer shell was easy, but the gaps were only big enough to jam my pinky into; it made a bit of a lattice pattern. I tried attacking it from two sides, freeing part of each surface¡ªthe contraption still defied me. Growling in frustration, I placed it between my feet and tried to tug it open. The commotion drew Gress and Lecca over to see what I was up to, and my Krev friend immediately morphed into a melty face. He caught himself, eyes shifting back and forth in a conflicted dance. Stupid thing. I can¡¯t get it open. This is a time waster: you¡¯d have to be Einsteinian to solve it. ¡°Um, Taylor?¡± Gress ventured. ¡°I¡­it¡¯s natural and totally okay, of course, if you would share interests with other primates, but, well¡­that¡¯s one of Juvre¡¯s toys.¡± I threw the cube away like a hot potato, bringing about a collision with the obor¡¯s cage. ¡°It just looked fun. Like a Rubik¡¯s Cube, but it¡¯s not solvable. Shit, I didn¡¯t know. Only Juvre would be stupid enough to keep working on this; it¡¯s a hamster wheel, man.¡± The red-furred obor chittered, picking up the unsolvable puzzle. Juvre began unscrewing the pieces, moving certain blocks upward in various intervals. The primate seemed to be making tangible progress on it, and tinkered with it in silent focus. He screeched happily as he made an incision wide enough to squeeze his hand through. The monkey-like creature waved a red, powdery substance in the air, likely the source of the sugary scent; Gress called out, ¡°Good obor!¡± There was a triumphant glint in the animal¡¯s binocular eyes, as I gestured to him in indignant outrage; he popped the cookie in his mouth, crunching it in his molars. ¡°That¡¯s not fair!¡± I shouted. ¡°The bastard critter cheated. How come Juvre could get it open like nothing? He knows some trick, or gimmick you trained him in. He¡¯s mocking me, chomping away at his treat like he earned it. Circus animal. Food thief gremlin!¡± ¡°I¡­uhhh...¡± Gress seemed at a loss for words; his tongue hung out of his mouth, twitching. ¡°I can give you an obor treat too?¡± ¡°What? I don¡¯t want pet food. Who knows what Krev put in that: you guys eat literal rocks.¡± ¡°Because we don¡¯t have teeth. This would be perfectly edible, if that¡¯s what you worried about. I don¡¯t want you feeling, um, left out. There¡¯s enough to go around, and it¡¯s not a competition.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s a competition, Juvre would¡¯ve won,¡± Lecca said unhelpfully. I scowled at the child. ¡°Did your father teach you to lie? I did most of the hard work for the damn obor. He took what I already did.¡± ¡°Which is what exactly?¡± ¡°You little¡ª¡± Gress retrieved a treat bag from the kitchen, jingling it at me. ¡°Will one of these make you stop arguing with my daughter?¡± Juvre curled his lips upward, taunting me as he scooped crumbs off the floor. ¡°Fine. Give me one, just so that no-good obor can watch me eat it. Show him his place,¡± I huffed. Gress¡¯ eyes lit up, though he quickly attempted to mask his happiness. The Krev placed one of the cookies in my palm, and I held it up with suspicion. Maybe I should¡¯ve asked if they¡¯d crushed any dried insects in with the fruit paste, since I knew that was what they fed Juvre quite often. However, not wanting the pet to relish his feeling of superiority, I popped the treat into my mouth while staring right at him. My immediate instinct was to brace myself for a retching sensation, trying to hide my disgust. However, I wasn¡¯t expecting it to taste fucking amazing. It was lighter than flour, singing with the juicy flavors of fruit snacks, then full of sodium in the center, reminding me of salted caramel. ¡°Shit,¡± I managed through a mouthful of food, raising my eyebrows at the Krev. ¡°That¡¯s¡­actually pretty good.¡± Lecca stomped her foot, pouting. ¡°Why don¡¯t I get to give Taylor a treat, Daddy? You have all the fun!¡± ¡°Well¡­you can if he wants more, I guess. Just don¡¯t throw it on the floor; hand it to him,¡± Gress ordered. I searched for a glass of water, before holding out my palm. ¡°If you want something to hand out at Halloween, this would definitely do. Maybe keep what they are on the down low.¡± The Krev kid pranced over to me, carrying the bag. ¡°So you want one?¡± ¡°Unfortunately for my little remaining self-respect, yes.¡± ¡°Okay then. Taylor, sit!¡± I gaped at her. ¡°The fuck did you just say?¡± Gress wagged a scolding claw. ¡°Lecca! How would you feel, being given commands like an animal?¡± ¡°I get told, ¡®do your homework,¡¯ take a bath,¡¯ ¡®go to bed¡¯ as my whole life. At least he¡¯ll get something for listening.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not acceptable to treat my friend¡ªa sapient being who I care about and respect very much¡ªlike Juvre.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t care about or respect Juvre?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. I¡¯m saying Taylor is capable of understanding much more than sit¡ªas are you. Juvre couldn¡¯t understand the concept of ¡®do your homework,¡¯ no matter the training he gets. Taylor can. It¡¯s demeaning to the humans, and not how you treat someone as an equal, a friend.¡± ¡°I just wanna take care of them and be nice. I know he can talk, but look at him!¡± ¡°Lecca, what if there was someone out there who thought the same about Krev? Is it fair to disregard everything else about them?¡± Gress looked flustered, but walked over to me, placing a paw on my shoulder. ¡°To another set of species, Taylor is a terrifying monster. He lost everyone he had in this universe, because they didn¡¯t care about who he was¡ªonly what he was. How we treat people shouldn¡¯t¡ªmust not be¡ªbased on how they look to us.¡± I lowered my head. ¡°Your father is right. I¡¯m a primate, but I don¡¯t want to be some caged animal that does tricks. I was that back in the cavern, going up to follow someone else¡¯s commands. It hurt a part of my soul. Please don¡¯t think of me as a pet. That¡¯s not being nice.¡± Lecca sighed, before setting the treat bag down. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t wanna hurt you, Taylor. Is it¡­mean that I think you¡¯re reeeeeeally adorable?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s a welcome change after being treated like a monster that didn¡¯t deserve to live, and having people cower at the mere sight of us.¡± ¡°Those aliens¡¯ eyes are broken! I just wanted to see what you looked like sitting down, or rolling over.¡± ¡°You could¡¯ve asked. I don¡¯t need a treat. It¡¯s enough to make you happy, as long as you don¡¯t treat me like some object to gawk at.¡± ¡°Okay. Could you please sit on the floor? I like watching humans just walk around and do simple stuff, so it¡¯d be cool¡­and I think everything you do is adorable, if that¡¯s a reason?¡± I chuckled. ¡°Fine. After that, would you like to go to the playground with the human kids? I saw you liked swing sets, hopscotch, and some other things; if your dad is okay with it, maybe you could try it in real life.¡± ¡°Really? Yes! Please, Daddy, can we¡ªcan we?¡± ¡°Okay, but you¡¯re going to be very careful on the swings. I don¡¯t want you falling off,¡± Gress responded. ¡°Yay! Quick, Taylor, sit down so we can go to the playground! I wanna go right now¡­um, I mean, please do that because it¡¯d be nice and I¡¯m so excited!¡± Deciding to humor Lecca since she was at least trying to make it a request, I flopped down on the floor. I didn¡¯t think much about how I situated myself, bending my legs and placing one foot beneath each knee: the familiar diamond shape shown by children in a reading circle in an elementary school classroom. Gress¡¯ expression changed to the annoying one, which meant I¡¯d inadvertently done something cute to him; Lecca rushed to take a picture, and I made no attempt to stop her. The Krev child squealed, flailing her claws around in excitement at my mundane behavior. Well, this is a new way to make a kid¡¯s day. By¡­let me check my notes¡­sitting cross-legged on the ground. ¡°Is that a normal way that humans sit? Your legs are all folded up and overlapping,¡± Gress gushed. ¡°And your feet are like little pedestals for your knees; it¡¯d be even cuter if I could see your wiggly toes!¡± I facepalmed, standing up in a hurry. ¡°There¡¯s nothing special about this. You can¡¯t be serious. It¡¯s called criss-cross applesauce.¡± ¡°Aw, even the name is the cutest thing. I heard that rhyme¡­and it mentions fruit mash, if ¡®applesauce¡¯ translated. I can imagine it smeared all over your face, replacing that fur you shave away, where you coat your chin in that white foam. That made you look more babyish and harmless! I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°You¡¯re horrible; and how can you say I¡¯m harmless one sentence, then go ¡®primates are violent¡¯ in the next? You know I¡¯m not harmless, because I literally whacked you over the head.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t put continuity between one thought and the next, because I¡¯ll think whatever is necessary to make you precious and pettable! You can¡¯t stop me.¡± ¡°Precious? Nope, I can and will stop you; I¡¯ll look really sad if you use that to describe me again. I know how to hurt you.¡± ¡°But I can hug you if you look sad.¡± I scoffed. ¡°Playground. Now.¡± The Krev coaxed his daughter out of the hotel room, and I thought to myself that there were worse ways to be spending this limbo, waiting for news on Mafani and the Federation. Human kids playing together with aliens hadn¡¯t been in my wildest imagination four months ago, but now, I could watch other children have the fun times that I never experienced. That was a reason to press on and keep fighting. It was wonderful to have people in my life who cared about me, no matter what happened, and who could explore the new and improved Tellus with me. Chapter 2-38 Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem Alien Liaison Date [standardized human time]: July 20, 2160 When the Sapient Coalition first arrived, I placed them on a pedestal, thinking they were beyond Bissems¡ªwith infallible technology and the ability to make anyone bend to their will if they desired. Now, after the battle seven days¡¯ travel outside their border, I saw them for what they were: people scrambling to find answers against a superior force, and trying to rally support. They were in the same boat as Ivrana, as we did what was necessary and turned to anyone who¡¯d lend a claw. I didn¡¯t know how the humans would react from their station, when the Arxur ships Kaisal had hidden in a nearby system were moved to Ivrana. They might put two and two together when the Collective vessels burst onto the scene by the Osirs¡¯ world¡ªwhich the Terrans called Apep¡ªand declared their quarantine to be over. Bissems could receive tremendous blowback for that political move, especially depending on how the reptilians treated the herbivores. That was Naltor¡¯s domain to grapple with, however. My job was to offer aid to the galaxy in non-military ways, gathering support and goodwill for Ivrana. I¡¯d noticed that the Paltan government was unwilling to provide sanctuary to the Grand Herd, due to how little they¡¯d shared the load of those fleeing the Arxur¡¯s forever war. Ivrana had an entire continent we weren¡¯t using, Nelmin: claimed by no country since the first Global War. When I voiced the idea of taking Sivkit refugees, the Lassian government loved the optics of showing that we could co-exist with aliens and share what we had. I found myself sent off on a long shuttle ride to the inside edge of Paltan space, thankfully away from the front lines. Loxsel accepted my invitation for a parlay only after I told him I was on my way to meet him in person. ¡°It seems I have no choice!¡± Those were his words, so I¡¯m not sure if this isn¡¯t all a colossal waste of my time. The human-Paltan military base had an artificial atmosphere inside its premises, sealed in a sprawling dome that stretched for miles. The Terrans towered over the fluffy yellow aliens, whose heads came about to where humans¡¯ hands stretched down. There wasn¡¯t much fear shown as the two walked side by side, but I noticed the simians taking special care to watch where they were stepping; their narrow gaze turned downward, rather than directly ahead of them. It was subtle behavior shifts to accommodate other species that showed the Earthlings¡¯ compassion. ¡°Tassi?¡± a human voice called, as I exited my shuttle on the dock for civilian guests. ¡°If you¡¯re looking for Ambassador Loxsel, he¡¯s in the visitors¡¯ inn straight to your left. Hard to miss¡ªthat one sticks out like a sore thumb.¡± I chuckled. ¡°Humans love expressions about hands the way we do flippers. There¡¯s some overlap even.¡± ¡°It¡¯s what we use to interact with the world. Kinda important if you ask me. Let me know if there¡¯s anything at all you need; we set up a place for you to stay, unless you really want to do a 180 and book it back home.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind talking to the Paltans about helping out with any refugees that are straining their system, if that¡¯s still an issue. For now, my first and only priority is meeting Loxsel.¡± ¡°Yeah, good luck with that.¡± The soldier stepped aside, waving a palm toward the module that had basic amenities and a decent bit of sprucing up. While it was an artificial habitat in the middle of space, the garden the Terrans had planted was quite real¡ªand seemed to have a major pest problem. I could see that entire rows of crops had been devoured, and bushes had nibbles in their leaves. How had the humans smuggled animals like that onto a military base, without noticing? Perhaps they needed to spray them with some pesticides to fend off the offending creature. I knocked on the door, waiting for the Sivkit, but there was no response. Where is Loxsel? Our dramatic ambassador is nowhere to be seen, but I spy, through the window, the setup he calls into the SC from. I noticed dirt strewn across the path, and on closer inspection, spotted fresh Sivkit-shaped footprints carving a path through the decimated plants. Loxsel might¡¯ve gone to investigate the animal; given his skittish nature, he probably needed backup. As I¡¯d been told by my friends, the Federation didn¡¯t understand that wild critters with side-facing eyes could be dangerous. I wasn¡¯t a fighter, but since he collapsed on the floor when the SC lost, I couldn¡¯t see him having much resilience. Taking inventory of anything that could be used as a weapon. I crept around toward the back of the inn. If avoidable, I didn¡¯t want to leap to violence in front of him, and get dubbed a ¡°vicious predator.¡± That was when I spotted a tail with a plume of gray fur at the tip, sticking out of a thick hedge. My immediate reaction was disbelief, as I saw Ambassador Loxsel waist deep in the vegetation; the Sivkit was devouring it from the inside out, judging by the crackling sounds. He was the pest problem that had ravaged this garden? I found him much more ¡°voracious¡± than the humans, if he¡¯d ¡°graze¡± on plants in spite of other options. Unsure how to react, I made a few clicking noises to get his attention. Loxsel pulled himself free, leaves and twigs caked near his mouth. ¡°I am cornered by another predator, after being left to chew only these acerbic fronds! My tail, a morsel for you to masticate, like those fish your beak cleaves and ruptures,¡± the Sivkit brayed. ¡°The humans served me right to you. Why? WHY?! I have given them nothing but adulation for their hunting prowess!¡± I took a step back, alarmed by his wild accusations. ¡°It¡¯s Tassi, the Bissem you agreed to speak with; I just want to talk, Loxsel. Like you pointed out, we eat fish, not land creatures. I came here to talk about how we can bring the Grand Herd to safety, away from here; Ivrana has a continent that we¡¯re not using, so you¡¯d hardly have to see us. You need somewhere to go that¡¯s far from the war¡¯s epicenter.¡± ¡°And from the humans! Don¡¯t let their act of affability fool you. When that s-soldier, right there, didn¡¯t know I was listening, it said it was so hungry it could ¡®eat a horse.¡¯ I looked it up¡ªthat¡¯s a big prey animal. Its stomach made growling noises. My time is running out¡­but the Grand Herd could walk itself to a different c-cattle pen. Yours!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not anyone¡¯s cattle on Ivrana. Bissems are very different from other predators. Remember, we only eat fish. Are you a fish?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t tell?! I knew you weren¡¯t really that picky. No carnivore is; what¡¯s one carcass versus any other? It quenches the bloodlust just the same. Anything is a f-fish if you¡¯re hungry enough, so yes, I guess I am. Despondent, I am! Skewer me and be t-through with it!¡± ¡°What you¡¯re saying is crazy. I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re twisting my words, but I was trying to drill home the point that you¡¯re not a fish. The humans have been nothing but polite to you.¡± ¡°They surrounded me with guns!¡± Loxsel shrieked. ¡°T-thousands upon thousands of ships¡­maybe millions to watch me, c-cut off any hope of escape. We went to the strongest predators and gave ourselves up as an offering, and what have we to show for it? NOTHING! They lost, failed¡­were vanquished by that desecrated world!¡± I folded my flippers, trying to discover if there was any sense in the Sivkits¡¯ words. ¡°Why do you say it¡¯s desecrated? You haven¡¯t even seen what¡¯s going on down on the surface. There¡¯s no reason you should be this upset. It¡¯s a random planet.¡± The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°No, it¡¯s not! It is that which was burned and stolen¡­hidden from our sight by the spine snappers. A home s-said to be lost, but obfuscated through willful, execrable intent. History books must be emended, splashed with light as we reclaim the olden hearth. Where is the justice? There is no mercy for Sivkits. We are fettered, tarnished¡­braised and beholden to carnivore masters, for all time!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying. It¡¯d help if you spoke in normal terms.¡± ¡°This is normal. Don¡¯t question my normalcy; I am FINE! I said I¡¯m fine, Tassi, you feral slurper of fish guts! I am no Sivkit-brain. Loxsel is an orator of breathtaking erudition, and lo, you are not cultured enough to appreciate my mastery!¡± I turned away from the Sivkit ambassador, flustered by his ¡°erudition.¡± It might take a moment to parse what he had meant, but a burned and stolen home, said to be lost¡­hm. Spine snappers meant the Federation, and Loxsel knew that much, regardless of him attributing that atrocity to the humans in front of the SC. Tied together, it sounded a lot like the story Dustin told: of exterminators destroying the Sivkit homeworld and their deeds being covered up, under the absurd guise that Sivkits somehow misplaced their native planet. Did he mean that this desert planet was their lost origin world, Tinsas? That would explain why they were so set on an infertile, barren sphere¡ªit wasn¡¯t a random planet. ¡°It wasn¡¯t about grazing, or trying to get away from the Federation¡¯s old territory,¡± I ventured. ¡°You found Tinsas.¡± Loxsel took a sliding step toward me, gazing at the stars above the dome. ¡°We went out looking for our beloved. Beloved Tinsas: the womb of our species, beautiful as any cosmological finds; sheltering as checkered shade in¡ª¡± ¡°A yes or no will suffice.¡± ¡°Hmph. Yes.¡± ¡°And now another species has taken up residence there.¡± ¡°Descretation! Thieves, assailants, and bloodlusters, of a caliber never seen. They must die! The humans had a chance, with the bombs, but didn¡¯t pounce.¡± ¡°I think the humans would rather try to talk than bomb a species to extinction, Loxsel. That isn¡¯t something you do lightly. Sivkits haven¡¯t been there for almost a thousand years, so the world was empty when this species came.¡± ¡°Empty? TAKEN FROM US! We did try to talk¡ªthey murdered countless, priceless heads of cattle instead. That says, ¡®this is ours now,¡¯ and they won¡¯t give it back. If the humans were genuine in their offer to help us, they wouldn¡¯t temper their wrath. They¡¯d purge the putrid scum from our planet!¡± I took a few steps back, as Loxsel moved close enough that I could feel his breath. ¡°It¡¯s not fair to expect them to know. You haven¡¯t told the humans why you want this planet.¡± ¡°We do not trust them. They exploded our last ambassador, while she hid powerless in a trash can, begging for her life. No exaggeration. That is me next, fulminated into pieces and pieces¡ªlike their drones. We hoped the humans would do to Tinsas what they did for Ambassador Axsely, but nooo! Of course they don¡¯t!¡± ¡°I have no clue what you¡¯re talking about, again, but¡­just because someone got ¡®exploded¡¯ back then, doesn¡¯t mean anyone needs to now? Or that that¡¯s normal human behavior?¡± ¡°How can we trust the Terran predators, when we can¡¯t even trust them to be consistent in bombing innocent people? This is a travesty! An outrage!¡± ¡°This is the last I¡¯ll say of this, but you asked for their help. Give them all the facts. What else can you ¡®sacrifice?¡¯ Don¡¯t you want it to be worth it?¡± Loxsel fell back on his haunches. ¡°You finally said something that made sense, Tassi. Well done. I¡¯ll consider telling the infinite-walkers about Tinsas, if it¡¯ll make our transaction worthwhile. It¡¯s not as if the gates of the cattle pen haven¡¯t already sealed behind me¡ªand I don¡¯t want the information tortured out of me!¡± ¡°Might as well just tell them now.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll show them. I¡¯m good prey, meek prey! I¡¯ve only been accused of predator disease twice¡­in the last year. That¡¯s it! A record low!¡± While I didn¡¯t agree with calling all mental illness ¡°predator disease,¡± nor with the Federation¡¯s heartless treatment options, the ambassador could definitely be diagnosed with something. The conversation with Loxsel was becoming more exasperating by the second, so I decided to try to steer him back on course. My mission was to have the Grand Herd stop off on our forbidden continent; Bissems taking in refugees would show our good nature. I intended to pass on the information about Tinsas to the United Nations, as soon as I finished this discussion; I didn¡¯t trust the Sivkit not to have a mood swing that stopped him from spilling the fish bait. This would also show Bissems¡¯ value to humanity, and the rest of the SC. When they¡¯re fighting a war because of the Sivkits¡¯ expedition, it¡¯s important that they have the facts. I¡¯m sure the humans will be curious to know how the Grand Herd found that out¡­and that the Federation ventured much further than we thought. ¡°What do you say about sending refugees to Ivrana? The Sivkits shouldn¡¯t venture outward with dangerous species out there,¡± I tested. ¡°The Grand Herd needs a world to go where you know the risks, right?¡± Loxsel tipped over while sitting down, a stricken look on his face. ¡°Fine! We must hope humans wouldn¡¯t steal cattle from another p-predator¡ªand that we stay a second-best option compared to fish. I submit, Tassi! Send the coordinates, and I¡¯ll ferry the expeditions to their doom!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll send the coordinates now. You can gather the expedition ships who want a safe haven, and they can follow me back to Ivrana. Can you do that, Loxsel?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go back inside my prison¡­s-send the message now. Bissems, oh sinister ones, you will have your catch ready by tomorrow; it will be so, as you have decreed!¡± ¡°Good. Thanks for your time. I hope for a safe and quiet voyage back to Ivrana, leading your refugees to a place they won¡¯t have to worry.¡± ¡°Very well. So long.¡± The Sivkit wailed as soon as I began walking away, though I didn¡¯t let myself turn back; I wanted his voice to fade into the distance. ¡°What have I agreed to? What have I done? Sentenced to life with carnivores, oh cursed fate: worse than death. Languishing, and wishing I were slain! Let me grieve in peace! Leave me be!¡± I hurried out of the decimated garden, hoping that the Grand Herd wouldn¡¯t be as high-maintenance as this fellow. The important aspect was securing allies for Ivrana, and making a statement to the galaxy about who we were; bringing the Sivkits to our world would play well with the Sapient Coalition¡ªat least, the herbivores who were unsettled by us. In a way, this was pre-emptive damage control in case our coziness with the Arxur got out. I turned back toward the enlisted humans who¡¯d pointed me toward the inn; he smirked as I approached him, seeing the story of Loxsel told in my eyes. ¡°Any luck with the funny bunny?¡± the Terran chuckled. Confusion overtook my features. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Never mind. Is there something I can help you with, Tassi?¡± ¡°I need to speak with the United Nations; preferably someone high up. You¡¯re going to want to hear this¡­I think the entire Sapient Coalition might.¡± He flashed his teeth. ¡°I¡¯m going to need more than that to summon the brass on short notice. What is this about? What did Loxsel say?¡± ¡°Well, I can¡¯t substantiate that it¡¯s true, but Loxsel seemed to imply that the planet they were attacked nearby? It¡¯s their old homeworld, Tinsas. The Sivkits are so bent out of shape, I think, because they want it back.¡± The alien whistled, stroking his stubbly chin with nimble digits. ¡°You don¡¯t say. That¡¯s a claim our intelligence agencies will have to follow up on, and it¡¯s well beyond my paygrade. I mean, shit, that¡¯s Project Chronicle territory. I¡¯ll pass a message up the chain of command. And don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make sure they know who it came from.¡± ¡°Am I that transparent?¡± ¡°Nothing wrong with that. Every new species wants to prove themself, but I hope you don¡¯t feel like you have to. We¡¯ve got your back, no matter how it all shakes out.¡± ¡°Humans do, sure. It¡¯s the other 81 parties in your Coalition that we¡¯re worried about.¡± ¡°Fair enough. They warm a bit slow to predators, but we¡¯re proof they come around eventually. Give it time, and don¡¯t take it personal.¡± ¡°Easier said than done. We just want to help, and make a good impression. I hope knowing the Tinsas tidbit makes a difference.¡± ¡°I hope so too. It almost always helps to have all the facts, so thanks for letting us know. Your lodge is on the opposite side from Loxsel, if you want to settle down for the day. You earned a good rest, on us.¡± ¡°Thank you. I think I¡¯ll take you up on that; I have some calls to make back to Ivrana. Take care.¡± With the humans now aware of the real reason behind the Sivkit Grand Herd¡¯s foray, it was my time to inform General Naltor that Loxsel accepted our offer. It would take quite a while to get back home, but it would all be worth it if it bolstered Bissems¡¯ galactic standing. At least my ship wouldn¡¯t be traveling alone on the trip back; perhaps the Sivkit passengers would be better conversation than the zany ambassador. Whatever Onso had said about how we hadn¡¯t achieved our current status on our own, missions like this proved that the Yotul were wrong on that front. Bissems were more than capable of contributing to our own progress, carving out a role in the galaxy, and bringing about a successful future through our own fortitude. Being an uplift didn¡¯t mean that we were useless, or that we wouldn¡¯t show aliens the value we brought to the table. Chapter 2-39 Memory Transcription Subject: Elias Meier, Former UN Secretary-General Date [standardized human time]: July 21, 2160 The rippling alarm sounded from my holopad, waking me up with some semblance of a normal routine. Virnt had worked tirelessly to adjust the sleep suite, in the hopes of stabilizing my sanity. The Tilfish had worked in the ability to be woken by touch or noises, since it was a problem that I was unwakeable with the press of a button. If there was an emergency or someone who needed to speak with me, I needed to be jolted out of my slumber without going into my code and halting the program. That was doubly true if I was to partake in diplomatic missions outside of Earth¡­something that might be a necessity should we continue to strike out with Shield members. Our plan, after the Duerten Forum, was to get a few parties with lesser influence on our side to go after the big fish. I¡¯d tried approaching several species alongside Kuemper: the Racads, a buffalo-like species with brown spots on their creamy hides. They¡¯d been one of the voters for a military alliance with humanity long ago, to take on the Arxur. However, they were circulating absurd notions that we were releasing the Collective behind their backs; they¡¯d already been none too pleased by the light punishment we selected for Isif¡¯s fledgling nation. Our present coziness with carnivores seemed to make several Shield parties, that would¡¯ve allied with us as total unknowns, gunshy about cooperating. I wasn¡¯t sure I could convince even the Sapient Coalition to work with the Arxur, despite our losses. Ironically, I¡¯d venture the Duerten would be the most likely to accept Collective aid, since they partook in saving Kalqua alongside us. Getting the Forum to help might be the key to bring the Arxur into the fold. However, Ambassador Korajan had been clear that the gray avians wanted no part in a war. The peculiar Ulven were next on our list, as I¡¯d been quite intrigued by a shape that didn¡¯t seem dissimilar to pigs¡ªif pigs had short, prehensile trunk-like noses and koala-bear ears. They had been part of the group that voted for no contact with humanity, a substantial chunk of the Orion Arm that didn¡¯t care what happened to us one way or another. They¡¯d clearly had a change of heart about not interacting with us, since they had an embassy in Vienna. Much of the Shield had warmed to us since our cooperation in the Battle of Aafa, where the prey-hating Arxur and the Kolshian shadow caste fell to a combined onslaught. It still blew my mind to know that Isif led a rebellion, and that a secret conspiracy operated right beneath where Noah had given his speech. The Ulven proved anything but warm to an in-person visit; I¡¯d been a little taken aback when their ambassador said to my face, ¡°Well, I guess we can¡¯t even keep predators killed anymore.¡± She laughed like it was a joke, but I got the impression it was anything but. We were hurried out of the embassy after receiving a flat refusal. It¡¯d caused me to question whether this plan, to send me on visits to our unallied neighbors, was a good idea at all. I walked over to the mirror, pulling my lips apart with my hands, and staring for what must¡¯ve been minutes. The ¡°teeth¡± were like dentures, lacking any nerves¡­or any need to brush them and rid myself of morning breath. Why even have a bathroom next to my quarters at all? Every fixture reminded me that I wasn¡¯t human anymore. ¡°Do you remember how pain felt, robot?¡± I hissed at the mirror, punching the counter; the metal ¡°knuckles¡± felt nothing, lacking any skin redness at all. ¡°You ¡®sleep¡¯ with your eyes wide open. You don¡¯t yawn, and your laugh¡ªsome prerecorded bullshit from a banquet back before first contact. Who are you even helping? I hate you!¡± The Elias Meier knock-off¡¯s face grew more emotional and distraught, but it wasn¡¯t like I could shed any tears, even if I felt like it. I slumped over the sink, splashing water on my face; despite the fact there was no need for body temperature regulation. Virnt told me that everything I was feeling now was an emotional matrix, choosing what it thought a human would experience in response to brain patterns. I held my fingers close to my face, noticing how they¡¯d traced Meier¡¯s fingerprints meticulously into the tips of my digits. How did I know I was the only copy-and-paste version of myself? How did I know that I was truly the same person, when it was obvious everything else was so off? A knock came from the door, a hesitant female voice. A real human: Erin Kuemper, who¡¯d accepted me for reasons I couldn¡¯t wrap my head around. Maybe it was a nice lie, believing that an old friend had come back. Elias Meier was never this volatile or easily lost to the dark thoughts that swirled in my head nonstop¡ªthat meant I wasn¡¯t me. ¡°Elias? I¡¯m sorry to disturb you, but I thought you¡¯d want to see this,¡± the Secretary-General called. I forced a calm expression, trying to smooth myself over. ¡°I¡¯ll be right there. I¡¯ve been looking over the files of each Shield species nonstop, trying to solve our dilemma. There¡¯s not too many that let humans onto their worlds¡ªonly three, in fact. Therefore, my thinking was we go for¡ª¡± ¡°The Leshee. I was thinking the same. They¡¯ve fallen into a powerful role, with the Duerten Forum being a shell of its old strength. If we¡¯re giving it a final shot to get through to the Shield, we have to prostrate ourselves before one of its top dogs.¡± ¡°Good. We¡¯re on the same page; that¡¯s why I always enjoyed working with you, Erin.¡± I strolled over to the door, and faked a smile. ¡°I suppose we should get moving then.¡± ¡°Not so fast. It¡¯s obvious you¡¯re suffering quite a great deal in your¡­new body. You don¡¯t have to do this, Elias. There¡¯s no diplomat I trust more, but you¡¯re under no obligation at all, especially when it might be best for your wellbeing to sit this one out.¡± I shook my head rapidly. ¡°Please, no: don¡¯t take this from me. I only feel like myself when I¡¯m helping humanity. It¡¯d drive me even more mad to know Earth is in jeopardy, and I was doing nothing. I swear, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s gotten into me, but I¡¯m going to get a handle on it.¡± ¡°You really don¡¯t know?¡± she chuckled. ¡°Elias, you died. That changes a person. Then, to top it all off, you were resurrected twenty-four years in the future, without your consent. You just said you don¡¯t feel like yourself, and how could you? No human has been where you are right now. We didn¡¯t evolve for such a synthetic experience of the world.¡± ¡°I know that. It¡¯s¡­hell, it¡¯s truly hell. All of the little things I took for granted, never even thought about, are gone.¡± Kuemper¡¯s brows knitted with sympathy. ¡°Would you like to talk about it? I can¡¯t say I understand, but I¡¯m here to listen.¡± I lowered my head, avoiding her gaze. ¡°Why are you treating me like I¡¯m him? I¡¯m not Elias Meier.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t agree.¡± ¡°Why?! Why do you just accept that I¡¯m Elias, when I¡¯m zero percent human? I¡¯m as good as a model predicting what he might say, not the real thing. I don¡¯t have his body, his mind¡­¡± ¡°Are you familiar with the Ship of Theseus?¡± ¡°I believe so. The ship that has all of its original components replaced.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± she affirmed. ¡°Is it still the same ship? Or better yet, what if the original components are all used to make a new ship: is that more the Ship of Theseus than the original?¡± ¡°Erin, I appreciate your philosophical mind, but I don¡¯t see the point.¡± ¡°Humor me.¡± ¡°If everything that made it itself is gone, then it¡¯s no longer the Ship.¡± ¡°Precisely. Everything about physical Elias Meier that made you alive, that configured your brain a certain way, it¡¯s a faded memory. There¡¯s not a trace of it left in the body presently six feet underground.¡± ¡°So, as I simply pointed out, I¡¯m dead.¡± Erin wagged a finger. ¡°No, you¡¯re the new ship. Virnt took your original components and remade them down to the finest detail. You have everything that made Elias who he was, every part of him that mattered, from his soul to his mind¡­so you¡¯re him, as far as I¡¯m concerned.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t remade with everything that matters. This isn¡¯t the same body.¡± The Secretary-General grinned, pointing to her face. ¡°Neither is this. I¡¯m a lot more wrinkly and decrepit than when you last saw me, but you still accept that I¡¯m Erin Kuemper. You¡¯d say I¡¯m the same person as the seven-year-old who ran around telling everyone she worked for NASA; they just didn¡¯t know it yet. My body is hardly the same as then.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the natural progression of things, with aging and growth.¡± Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°This is a progression too. You wouldn¡¯t consider someone with prosthetics to not be themself, and this is simply a full-body prosthetic. Skin and bone isn¡¯t what makes us human. It¡¯s about who we are.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± I acknowledged. ¡°I, um, needed to hear that. Now, I know you¡¯re busy, so what did you call me for?¡± Kuemper passed her holopad over, arching her eyebrows. ¡°This military briefing I and the other SC leaders just received. I think you should see it.¡± I seated myself on the edge of the bed, spinning the volume wheel glyphs for long enough to crank it up. A congregation of military generals from the world¡¯s countries¡ªa common sight ever since first contact, as extraordinary as it was when they all came together for that initial briefing¡ªwere reviewing intelligence information on a starmap. Though she had to be getting up there in years, I recognized the shrewd eyes of General Cora Jones, leading the briefing. The American spymaster had been one I worried about having free reign with vulnerable aliens, but it seemed she¡¯d set her sights on ensuring the SC was never left in the dark again. Jones¡¯ irises gleamed, as she highlighted a section of the map inside of Paltan borders. ¡°The Sapient Coalition has taken measures to prevent stealth travel through our space. One of those initiatives, as you¡¯re well-aware, was to install permanent sensors in warp at undisclosed locations; needless to say, that project took a lot of resources to cast a wide enough net. However, several days ago, our sensors detected the movements of thousands of drones, Orionbound. The make was indistinguishable.¡± ¡°Our enemy? The one who killed the Sivkits?¡± I asked Kuemper in real time. She nodded. ¡°We believe so.¡± The American military officer turned a solemn look toward the camera. ¡°Our belief was that they followed our subspace trails, so we immediately placed Paltan assets on lockdown and notified UN reinforcements sent to the Sivkits¡¯ aid. However, Drilvar, Jaur, and Takkan assets were tripped later, deeper into our terrain, suggesting they¡¯ve broken into three vectors. And it also lends itself to the¡­self-evident theory that they know where the heart of our power lies. They must have more intel about us than we realized.¡± Murmurs spread through the delegates, as a Yotul islander spoke up. ¡°That would mean Earth, Skalga, and Leirn are in imminent danger. We should lock down all non-essential travel, and widen the net of FTL disruptors flung far out: we can¡¯t let them get near.¡± ¡°In my opinion, Onso, all Sapient Coalition members should be prepared. They could also try to take out what they perceive as our weakest links, but we see them coming. With disruptors, we can make it much more of a slog to get into our systems, as you suggested. That¡¯ll acquire vital time to acquire intel on them and their capabilities, and send overwhelming reinforcements to arrive before they do.¡± My mind was torn back into memories of how powerless I felt, watching Earth succumb to an extermination fleet that far outmatched it. The cold anger that had gripped me, as I realized my desperate efforts hadn¡¯t been enough to save my home and my species; the magnitude of the death toll had weighed on my conscience even after we drove them off. Looking back with clear eyes, I thought about how I¡¯d tipped off the Arxur to the undefended worlds, in the hopes Kalsim would turn his fleet around with the promise of mutually assured destruction. Humanity lived because I parlayed with Isif, yet that didn¡¯t ease the burden of guilt¡­knowing how many innocents died on our attackers¡¯ worlds as well. There is a great deal of blood on my hands; I didn¡¯t see another way, with no one to turn to but the Arxur. I hope that more species come to our aid this time, because the Sapient Coalition needs to stick together. Humanity shouldn¡¯t ever again have to pick who lives and who dies. Cora Jones continued her briefing, forcing me to refocus. ¡°It is imperative that we don¡¯t release this information in a way that incites panic. We are handling the situation, and simply want to prepare them, so they are equipped for whatever may or may not happen.¡± ¡°What the fuck am I supposed to tell Ivrana?¡± a Bissem general scoffed from the crowd, eyes narrowed in disgust. ¡°I just got word from Tassi we¡¯re hosting Sivkit refugees, which could make us a prime target. We¡¯d need someone to defend Bissemkind.¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite magnanimous of you to take in Sivkits, General Naltor, but I sincerely doubt Ivrana is a target¡ªunless they have evidence that you¡¯re a carnivore. I base that claim on the fact that they seemingly slaughtered the Osirs, but even that may have been complicated. Suffice to say, I will keep an eye on your system and ensure we have assets nearby.¡± ¡°What do you mean about the Osirs being ¡®complicated?¡¯¡± Onso yowled from the audience. ¡°It¡¯s a little late to change your story. You have millions of them already under development, and you don¡¯t have your facts straight.¡± ¡°The matters that I have to share next don¡¯t leave this room. It¡¯s come to our attention that the Sivkits were traveling to the¡­specific planet because they believe it is their homeworld, Tinsas. We¡¯re uncertain how they got this information, since it wasn¡¯t in the Archives.¡± The Paltan leader cleared his throat. ¡°The Federation didn¡¯t go out that far.¡± ¡°Or so we thought. Beyond the obvious questions of what regions they tampered with, it means we can¡¯t rule out Federation involvement in any of this. The planet is a high-priority investigation for Project Chronicle, to verify whether this story is true. Our enemies might be aware of the fate the world suffered¡­for all we know, Sivkits survived there, and that¡¯s who we¡¯re fighting. It¡¯d explain how they know where to look¡­and that theory suggests they may target the founding members who wronged them.¡± ¡°Sivkits? Skittish, unintelligent Sivkits, attacking with that kind of weaponry?¡± a disbelieving Mazic President Quipa called out. ¡°You think their targets are the founders? I won¡¯t send resources to help the Kolshians and Farsul,¡± Venlil Governor Laisa scoffed, earning agreement from several others. The Krakotl ambassador squawked in alarm, with a sudden realization. ¡°We are considered a founding race! You said there were three vectors.¡± It was a bit jarring for me to see one of the blue avians as part of humanity¡¯s alliance; apparently, the United Nations had supported a separatist faction after the war. Learning that the Krakotl had been the first victims of the Federation¡ªthe first omnivores converted, in a cultural genocide that chilled my wires when I learned of it¡ªcreated a schism on Nishtal. I wondered if I might¡¯ve tried to bargain with them differently, had I known before the Battle of Earth. To think the species that decided we needed to be exterminated once ate fish themselves: it was a tragedy that they were brainwashed into such hatred. Our relations could¡¯ve been different in another reality, but it was good to see they¡¯d made amends via the SC. If Jones is right about this being a hit job on the Federation founders, over a grudge that¡¯s festered for years, that could destroy Nishtal all over again. I don¡¯t want that to happen, just like I didn¡¯t when Earth was under siege. ¡°That sounds like a plausible explanation,¡± I told Kuemper, pausing the video. ¡°We can¡¯t let Nishtal be destroyed again.¡± The Secretary-General frowned. ¡°We only just rebuilt their homeworld. I didn¡¯t preside over that only to watch it burn to the ground all over again. Their species is on a precarious enough perch as is, with how many died to the raid and upheaval. But we don¡¯t know the target for sure, so we can¡¯t leave our closest allies undefended: it¡¯s a catch-22.¡± ¡°The Coalition needs to band together. I agree that we can¡¯t take any risks with Earth, but with 82 members, surely we can disperse their combined forces across a few likely targets.¡± ¡°Our generals are trying to do just that. I fear we¡¯re fighting another war across the entire Orion Arm¡­and another one where ¡®war crimes¡¯ aren¡¯t even taken into consideration. Quite simply, we need more ships. I don¡¯t know how you did this.¡± ¡°Many sleepless nights,¡± I admitted. ¡°Our buoys can continue to track them. Shit, why can¡¯t we intercept their course?¡± ¡°They¡¯re flying in an erratic pattern, so it¡¯s not so simple to tell their destination. We¡¯ll be watching if any more buoys are tripped, since we have them all over our territory. Speaking of which¡­you might want to see the last point on Jones¡¯ agenda.¡± I groaned. ¡°There¡¯s more?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid so.¡± General Jones raised her hands as I unpaused the video. ¡°We have taken Nishtal¡¯s vulnerability into consideration, and will work on contingency plans to ensure the Krakotl race is not a soft target. We¡¯ll be in touch with all SC members to share our plans on where you can help out. However, there¡¯s another matter I must bring to your attention. I ask you to¡­temper your reactions; we don¡¯t need another war right now.¡± ¡°What other war?¡± the suspicious Thafki representative piped up. ¡°What did the grays do? They¡¯re the only ones with enough power that you wouldn¡¯t be able to squash them, and that¡¯s your fault!¡± ¡°It is about the Arxur, but we¡¯re monitoring them as promised. The subspace sensors on our border with the Collective were set off a few days ago as well. Their pathing is much less evasive than our unknown friends. They seem to be heading for Apep, the Osirs¡¯ homeworld, if my vectors are right.¡± ¡°Of course they want to have fellow hunters to join them as they terrorize the galaxy! Why would you tell those monsters?!¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t tell the Arxur Collective a thing about this war, or the Osirs¡¯ extermination.¡± ¡°Then who fucking did?¡± the Thafki whirled around, pointing a paw at the Bissem delegation. ¡°Traitors! It was you! We should¡¯ve never let you inside our doors.¡± General Naltor scoffed. ¡°How could we have contacted them? You¡¯re just being racist because we¡¯re carnivores.¡± I huffed in open frustration, irritated that the Arxur had complicated this high-stakes war even further. Now, it was imperative that we find a way to make the Sapient Coalition, and potentially the Shield, accept the Collective¡¯s aid. We did need more ships on our side, so if we could direct the carnivores to places that would take their help¡­it might not be a complete disaster. However, their breach of quarantine could kill our chances of turning any of the Shield or Federation remnants to our side. We needed to get ahead of this, before any of them got wind of it through other means. News of drones entering our territory might give us an opening with the Leshee, and it could at least catch Ambassador Korajan¡¯s attention too. ¡°We¡¯re going to see the Leshee. Right now,¡± I said to Kuemper, not wanting to waste any more time. ¡°Let¡¯s see if Korajan is willing to join our meeting as well. He could put in a good word for us¡­and for cyborg Elias Meier.¡± The Secretary-General smirked. ¡°Two steps ahead of you. Already scheduled a meeting with both of them in an hour. Who do you think I learned from?¡± ¡°I¡¯d say you learned well, Erin. It¡¯s time we get moving.¡± I hustled out of the Terra Technologies outpost, knowing I wouldn¡¯t get winded by the quick pace. Kuemper beckoned to her security detail, who were hovering outside with some apprehension: clearly, they weren¡¯t comfortable leaving Earth¡¯s current leader with the robotic mind-replica of a dead friend. That was a definite security risk, though I was glad she didn¡¯t seem to care. It gave me purpose, and a serious distraction, to travel around on humanity¡¯s behalf. After everything we just learned, the urgency of our diplomatic mission had just multiplied tenfold. With enemy ships having entered our space, we had to assemble as many allies as possible all over again. Chapter 2-40 Memory Transcription Subject: Elias Meier, Former UN Secretary-General Date [standardized human time]: July 21, 2160 Virnt paced on the sidewalk as we approached Kuemper¡¯s convoy, lifting a segmented leg to wave farewell. He appeared to be on a holopad call, so I returned the gesture without saying a word. The Tilfish scientist was under a lot of scrutiny, after his leadership of the memory transcript project led to reviving me. There was additional pressure to extend the uploading capabilities beyond humans, though neuroscience from an Earth-based company was most advanced with our own kind. Legislators were keen to get involved, despite the fact that Austrian authorities and the UN had been apprised ahead of time. I intended to weigh in on that when the Sapient Coalition called, but securing aid for the war was a higher priority. Even synthetic bodies couldn''t survive antimatter bombs; this endangered every being in our space. ¡°As I was saying, there¡¯s been a vast uptick in the number of people participating in memory transcripts, ever since we announced Meier¡¯s success. It¡¯s insurance against death!¡± Virnt gushed to the person on the other end of the phone. ¡°More machines are getting installed¡­some in public places. Everyone will be able to be reborn after death! It needs to be in every hospital, so we can scan anyone who passes through the doors or dies on the operating table.¡± I turned to face Kuemper, as she slid into the back of the vehicle. ¡°Is that what you¡¯d want, if something happened to you now?¡± ¡°Yes. My specific consciousness would still end, granted, but a part of me would live on and get to see the future,¡± she answered. ¡°I had a scan a few years ago. I plan to update my memories every so often, so they can restore me as I was.¡± The Tilfish continued jabbering into the line. ¡°Elias has been quite successful. He is truly immortal so long as our servers and data survive! If something happens, we have his program exactly as it was¡ªit can be restored. I know he¡¯s had his struggles, but I¡¯m planning to swap out his eyes this week. It¡¯ll be no different than surgery; go to sleep, wake up with modifications.¡± I hesitated to close the car door. ¡°What are you doing to my eyes?!¡± ¡°You wanted eyelids, so I¡¯m going to give them to you. I¡¯ll tell you later! Anyhow, as I was saying, we¡¯re working to improve the sensory suites. Taste and smell are tricky. Proprioception, equilibrium, and motion detection are easier to fine-tune; they¡¯re a bit rudimentary now. Humans are complicated and have a thousand chain reactions to different environments. I¡¯d like Elias to test out things like¡­swimming underwater, standing on one leg, or typing with his eyes closed once we give him eyelids.¡± I¡¯m learning new fears. I don¡¯t want to hear any more of this conversation. ¡°Start the car,¡± I grumbled, shutting the door. ¡°Please. Covering my ears doesn¡¯t work that well, and he¡¯s talking pretty loud.¡± Virnt¡¯s mandibles parted with delight, likely because he¡¯d been asked something about human senses. ¡°Balance comes from inner ear fluid, sloshing around; that¡¯s not so easy to replicate, so we¡¯re more applying the predicted stimuli that would occur if that fluid was there! However, you also rely on your eyes and body awareness. Humans are remarkable¡ª¡± The vehicle started off down the road, leaving the overexcited Tilfish behind. The car ride was a perfect showcase of just why my three senses needed fine-tuning; the sensation that I wasn¡¯t breathing escalated to levels of panic, while my ¡°suffocating¡± body experienced waves of nausea. I needed to suck down oxygen to steady myself, to feel any of the input from my metal form as genuine. My limbs shook involuntarily, and I suddenly wished I walked down to Embassy Row, like I had during my visits to the Ulven and Racads. It hadn¡¯t been as bad in a spaceship with inertial dampeners, where I¡¯d had minimal view of my surroundings. Then again, I¡¯d been curled up in a ball for that trip. Kuemper¡¯s eyebrows knitted together, before she placed a palm atop my hand to ground me. ¡°After Virnt announced all that to the world, I think I can figure out what¡¯s going on. Cars are no good?¡± I shook my head, hating that I could feel sick to my non-existent stomach; it was phantom pain. The Secretary-General brought the car to a halt while I hugged the door, face pressed up to the window. The grating sensation that I was holding my breath was always present, but now, it felt like I was swallowing water by the bucketful. How could a car ride have sent my programming on such a cascade? The smallest, mundane experiences were now something I had to worry would set off my brain, and put me into a full state of panic from wrong signals. I wanted to apologize to Kuemper for creating such a scene, and pulling myself together for a few minutes. Virnt, I know you¡¯re reading this. Add this to your bug fix list¡­pun intended. There¡¯d been zero ways to cope or find relief, in the thick of it. The general sensation of unwellness hung over me, along with a desperate desire to inhale through my nose. I found the strength to unhook the door¡ªI had to get out of this car, or it would be my second coffin. Perhaps I could walk off the episode in the punishing July heat. Back when I was a human, diplomatic attire was punishing in these months, with sweat drenching me from head to toe. Looking down at my shoes, I could see the pavement shimmering as it reflected the scalding sun. Nobody without a robotic body should be out in this weather, and I¡¯d meet Kuemper there. However, her car merely rolled alongside me, matching my pace. ¡°Go on without me,¡± I offered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I know the way to Embassy Row; I¡¯ll catch up.¡± Kuemper raised an unimpressed eyebrow. ¡°You don¡¯t know which one is the Leshee embassy, and there are 150-plus of them. I want to keep an eye on you anyway.¡± ¡°Ok. I¡¯ll pick it up¡­it¡¯s not like I can get tired. Hell, I won¡¯t be out of breath if we talk while I run.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve never been in better shape. The best persistence predator this planet has ever seen.¡± ¡°You have a good point. Even death couldn¡¯t stop me.¡± I started off at a light jog, not trusting my limbs not to do something zany. Gray-haired Elias hadn¡¯t been a marathon runner¡ªa contest I imagined our alien neighbors didn¡¯t enjoy watching¡ªbut my present form could sprint without ceasing. There was no burning from lactic acid within muscles, only legs complying with the demands they were given. There were a multitude of stares and people recording, as they realized who I was; I supposed tearing down the streets of Vienna in July in a full suit-and-tie attracted attention. I found myself grinning at the absurdity. My pupils scanned to ensure I didn¡¯t run into anyone, not wholly trusting my depth perception. The amusement died down as we neared the diplomatic entrance to Embassy Row, and I spotted a memorial park situated just shy of it. My legs slowed just long enough to read the entrance plaque, head turning to face it. It had a list of names of all humans who died outside of Earth during the Federation War, with several walls lined up within a cobblestone circle. That wasn¡¯t what had caught my notice out of my periphery. It was the bronze statue that I¡¯d registered, one with a face that I couldn''t help but recognize. A cold feeling stirred within, gazing at a spitting replica of Elias Meier. They built¡­statues here to remember me. How did I even feel about that? My name was on the wall right alongside thousands of others, who hadn¡¯t gotten any second chance. I picked up the pace with new urgency, all too eager to get away from my likeness. Maybe this new body was just a thinking statue to Elias, the pacifist icon of the UN. There was no time to fall back into such thoughts, since I didn¡¯t want to cause our tardiness to the meeting. We were practically at the embassies, and from there, I could follow the Secretary-General¡¯s car to the Leshee¡¯s turf. Kuemper¡¯s motorcade bypassed the stringent security, with the checkpoint gates opened ahead of our arrival. I¡¯d zoned out as we wove to a domed building, where iridescent, frog-like beings waited for us. A gray blur appeared in my periphery, swooping down toward me; that proved enough to jolt me back to the present. Korajan had landed right next to us from the sky, gliding alongside me for a split second. Though I was startled at first, I managed to recover without flinching. The Secretary-General¡¯s motorcade proceeded ahead of me to the reception area, where Leshee staff waited to greet us. I walked a few paces behind with the Duerten ambassador, taking on a calm amble and straightening myself up. The avian parted his beak, eyes curious. ¡°You¡¯re going to ask for us to get you an audience in front of the Shield,¡± Korajan stated as a fact. ¡°That¡¯s what my UN contacts seemed to imply.¡± I nodded. ¡°We were hoping you¡¯d help us.¡± ¡°No human has ever been allowed to visit during Shield meetings, Elias. Many feel that would be the beginning of us merging with the SC, rather than keeping an autonomous union. If I might be so frank, certain parties maintain communications with Earth because they see it as a necessity.¡± ¡°In what way? In case you need our assistance?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s rather impolite. You¡¯re the dominant power in our galactic neck of the woods, and they don¡¯t want to war with you. They¡¯d rather interact with the UN on some level, since it beats the perceived alternative. There would be great animosity toward an ¡®intrusion¡¯ in our halls.¡± I clasped my hands behind my back. ¡°What do you think, Korajan? Why are you telling me this?¡± ¡°I think you have proof now that the Sapient Coalition is threatened, and you believe you could rally us to your cause. My advice is not to look too far outside the Duerten Forum or the Leshee Junta. I do have great respect for humans, and I know that treatment hurts you more than you let on.¡± If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°I¡¯ve faced worse. I¡¯m curious, Korajan, how you became an ambassador on Earth. Did you always have such favorable views of humans?¡± ¡°No,¡± the Duerten admitted. ¡°I¡¯ve seen the patterns in your social dynamics and customs over time. Originally, I was half-hoping the worst commentary about you was true. A part of me wished you would rip me to shreds or lose control while I was alone on your world. I wanted a human to swallow me whole before my grief did.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so unspeakably sorry. It¡¯s my sincere hope that your mental state has changed for the better.¡± ¡°It most certainly has. Honestly, what helped me most was visiting a live music bar, and listening to songs a local band wrote about Earth¡¯s bombing. It reminded me of¡­a lot of things. They started to recognize me, and I understood their pain so intrinsically, Elias. I started playing the tambourine just so I could join their jam sessions. Even learned enough English to songwrite a little with them.¡± ¡°It¡¯s wonderful that you found the right people, Korajan. If you ever feel inclined to share your songs with me, I¡¯d be honored.¡± ¡°Perhaps I will. It might be unbecoming of an ambassador, but I¡¯m offering all of this in the spirit of friendship. I¡¯ll still help you, whatever you decide. Just be aware of what you¡¯re getting into.¡± The two of us fell in alongside Kuemper, who was exchanging pleasantries with Leshee Ambassador Yali. The amphibian looked a bit uncomfortable by my presence, which I found understandable; it wasn¡¯t discrimination over my species, but my unique circumstances. I wondered about how long I¡¯d be the sole revived brain scan. It was unfortunate to have nobody to talk to that was going through the same thing, as was often the therapeutic practice for other traumatic events. Then again, I didn¡¯t want to bring anyone else back to this reality until Virnt had ironed out the flaws. My self-awareness heightened as I saw a Terran metal detector in the entrance, and hung back¡ªknowing full well I¡¯d trip it. ¡°Maybe I should stay here,¡± I whispered to Kuemper. ¡°Are you okay with Virnt reading¡­sensitive state discussions? He has access to everything I see.¡± The Secretary-General snorted. ¡°That Tilfish has our top clearance level. He has to, with the important figures he¡¯s done memory scans on. Not to mention he¡¯s worked with the military and Project Chronicle.¡± ¡°Right. Give me a moment to, ah, collect my bearings.¡± Korajan hopped through the detector, beckoning to me. ¡°Elias is going to set off the security alarms, Ambassador Yali. You know, I shudder to think that resurrected Duerten might not be able to fly. I mean, we need light bones, and metal is quite the opposite.¡± ¡°What happens if a metal predator goes on a rampage? He¡¯s unkillable,¡± Yali whispered to the Duerten, soft gums showing in her mouth. I don¡¯t think the Leshee meant for me to hear that, but I suppose the exterminators wouldn¡¯t have much impact on me. Fumbling for a way to reassure the amphibian, I strolled through the checkpoint, setting off a series of alarms. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem a pleasant way to start a diplomatic meeting, weighing whether we can kill each other. I have always been an advocate of peace, and spent my tenure avoiding unnecessary bloodshed. We¡¯re here in the hopes of banding together against a novel threat.¡± ¡°The United Nations recognizes how vital the Leshee are to the Shield. We hope to not only offer a warning, but to find a path forward that keeps civilians out of harm¡¯s way,¡± Kuemper chimed in. Yali hopped toward a seating area, eyes filled with anxiety. ¡°I¡¯ll hear what you have to say, but I would appreciate if we could keep this brief. I¡¯m not accustomed to this type of human, Madam Secretary-General.¡± ¡°I¡¯d be happy to recuse myself if it¡¯d put your mind at ease,¡± I responded. ¡°Believe me, Ambassador, I¡¯m not used to this type of human either, yet I have to live in this body. Perhaps I belong on the sidelines, though I assure you, my only intent was to gather allies. Until I stay dead, I¡¯ll never stop trying to find new friends for humanity, and achieve the harmonious future I¡¯ve always dreamed of.¡± ¡°The Leshee are your friends, Mr. Elias Meier. We have helped you before in the hopes that you¡¯d show up, if we ever needed it. However, my government is beginning to feel this is a bit one-sided. You seek aid often, without anything given in return.¡± ¡°If you seek monetary or material recompense, we can arrange that,¡± Kuemper stated. ¡°However, we always considered our relations to be a mutual alliance.¡± Korajan parted his beak. ¡°The Duerten will not keep score, as we are forever in debt to Earth and her people. Humanity saved Kalqua, Yali, and they¡¯d help you. Consider it fortunate your planet was not subjected to an orbital barrage.¡± Sympathy glistened in the Leshee¡¯s eyes. ¡°We would never wish such a thing upon ourselves. My words are merely reflecting the uneven nature of our present arrangement, should the humans wish to call on us for a favor again.¡± ¡°Forgive me, but have you ever asked anything of us?¡± I chimed in. ¡°If the roles were reversed, and you came to us for ten favors in a row, we wouldn¡¯t be settling a ledger. We would extend a helping hand out of our goodwill and generosity. That is the definition of a friend: someone who is there no matter what, when you need them most.¡± Kuemper cleared her throat. ¡°We aren¡¯t here for ourselves, and even the times we have been, it¡¯s to save lives. We care for our citizens, and will always step in to resolve issues outside of Earth. I find it unfortunate that humans in Shield space are imperiled to this day, though we are grateful for any and all assistance the Leshee have given.¡± ¡°A question, if you¡¯ll humor a ¡®metal predator.¡¯ For all the talk of our inherent violence and rampages, how many times have you needed to approach us regarding any of your people on Earth?¡± ¡°Once,¡± Yali replied, lowering her head. ¡°There¡¯d been a train accident, it turned out. Human rescue workers dug a little girl out of the rubble, resuscitated her twice¡­refusing to give up on saving her. The surgeons operated on her for hours, showing no appetite for her insides or the blood aromas swirling around them¡ªonly deep-rooted concern.¡± ¡°Perhaps such a story could buy us a bit more goodwill, my friend. It¡¯s proof that we give to anyone in need, and seek nothing for it.¡± Korajan fluttered his wings. ¡°I can attest to their kindness. I¡¯ve witnessed it. Their involvement in this disaster started to help the Sivkits, a party outside their organization, who¡¯d turned away from us all for decades. Humanity heeded the call regardless.¡± ¡°Now, they¡¯ve entered our space. Three massive drone contingents, on separate vectors, were detected on a stealthy route into the heart of our territory,¡± Erin Kuemper added. ¡°We don¡¯t know their destination, but we suspect Nishtal is a likely target. Help us protect the homeworld we just now rebuilt. The Shield knows what an arduous process that was.¡± I nodded my head, turning my eyes toward the friendly Duerten. ¡°I¡¯ve absolutely heard what Korajan expressed, about risking your own assets on account of the Sapient Coalition. That takes tremendous nobility and courage. However, even the slightest contributions could make a difference. Count the fingers I have on a hand¡ªthat¡¯s all the ships it would¡¯ve taken to stop one bomber that hit Kalqua or Earth. That¡¯s all it takes to save millions of lives.¡± ¡°When you put it like that¡­I¡¯ll see if we can spare a small number. Every ship does make a difference,¡± the avian ambassador murmured. There was a brief spell of hesitation, as the Leshee ambassador pondered our words. Her species and ours shared the common link of being judged for biological requirements, as their tadpoles required water to survive. Since the Kolshians viewed that as a vector for disease, the amphibians were ostracized and considered unclean. They¡¯d grown their influence as the Shield¡¯s numbers grew, though they still clung to old Federation rhetoric¡ªlike most species in their organization. I hoped that they could put aside the dogma long enough to act for the common good. ¡°While the Krakotl have become dietarily contemptible¡­like many Coalition members, after being around you¡­I will recommend that my government intercedes on Nishtal¡¯s behalf,¡± Yali decided. ¡°Now if that¡¯s all¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not.¡± The words tumbled from my mouth, reaching a snap decision after recalling my conversation with Korajan. I shifted my eyes back and forth between the Duerten and the Secretary-General, searching for approval. My old friend¡ªa former SETI scientist having reached the top echelons of the UN¡ªgave me a nod. While it would make a fractional difference to acquire any manner of aid, we couldn¡¯t set our aim that low. My goal heading into this was to knock on every door I could, and Korajan¡¯s warning only convinced me that galactic change was still a necessity. The Shield fearing us wasn¡¯t something that we wanted; they weren¡¯t our enemies, and it was high time their members realized that fully. If Noah had risked his literal head with a hostile audience, it fell on my shoulders to do the same. I was a diplomat that wasn¡¯t in physical jeopardy, and like Virnt gushed on his call, my ¡°program¡± could be restored in the worst case scenario. Someone had to start down the path of warming the Shield, as an entity, toward our cause. ¡°I would like to visit the Shield,¡± I stated with confidence. ¡°I know the Leshee have the sway to arrange such a meeting. I¡¯m well aware that you haven¡¯t invited a human within your halls, since your formation. However, if you invite me, that will remain true. Any metal detector can tell you I¡¯m not human.¡± Yali seemed dumbfounded. ¡°Then what are you?¡± ¡°I asked that same question when I woke in a lab, Ambassador. You know that I¡¯m something beyond predator or prey¡­that we¡¯re all moving toward something far outside the animal kingdom. Instead of worrying whether I¡¯m unkillable, the Shield should be asking whether you could be too. You don¡¯t want a golden age of progress to pass you by. You don¡¯t want it not to come about at all because a war took us down.¡± ¡°Opening your doors could strengthen technological trade between our forums,¡± Kuemper tacked on. ¡°If we can work together during wartime, there¡¯s no reason we can¡¯t better each other outside of it.¡± ¡°Is that why Elias came? You¡¯re dangling your new discovery in front of us?¡± the Leshee ambassador asked. ¡°I don¡¯t see what we have to gain, aside from this elusive promise, by bringing you into our midst. I don¡¯t see what you have to gain.¡± I smiled, nostalgia flickering in my mind. ¡°Good things happen when humanity reaches out. We entered a Federation meeting, and convinced dozens to abide our existence; we owe our survival to that. There was also a tiny portion that chose to befriend us because of our plea. I wish to speak a few words, and if one party warms to us for it, I¡¯ll consider it worthwhile. We only ever reached out to the stars in search of friends, Ambassadors.¡± ¡°I searched tirelessly in the hopes that we weren¡¯t alone,¡± Kuemper agreed. ¡°We want to share the universe with others. Nothing more, nothing less.¡± ¡°I find that to be a beautiful notion,¡± Korajan interjected. ¡°There have been a vast many positives that came from humanity¡¯s survival and networking. We only know who we truly are because of them. The Leshee aren¡¯t judged by your peers for your aquatic aptitudes, either.¡± I gave the Duerten a nod of gratitude. ¡°We have never once tried to force you to merge with us, or engage against your wishes. The Shield exists as a free entity today because our ambassador spoke at a meeting for a few minutes, twenty-four years ago. What could it hurt to give us the same opportunity today, and see what might come of it?¡± After another lengthy pause, one where the tension gnawed at my mind, Yali heaved a flustered sigh. ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll approach my superiors about this, and tell them what you¡¯ve said. Our embassy will be in contact if they grant you an audience. Please, leave now¡­before I change my mind.¡± ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m deeply appreciative that you¡¯ve heard our case, and have been receptive to our words. We won¡¯t trouble you any longer.¡± ¡°Have a pleasant rest of your afternoon, Ambassador Yali,¡± Kuemper said, rising to her feet. ¡°These will be historic steps toward a bright, prosperous future. I look forward to improving the dialogues between our species. My thanks as well to Ambassador Korajan for his supportive presence.¡± The Duerten squawked in amusement. ¡°Don¡¯t thank me for speaking the truth. It¡¯s a simple gesture.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always liked simple gestures.¡± I felt a bit less off-putting and out of place upon our departure. With a solid chance at receiving an invitation to the Shield¡¯s place of governance, I thought that the Leshee meeting had been a sweeping success. Flexing my diplomatic muscles paid dividends today, suggesting cyborg Meier still had enough charisma to stay in the game. In the spirit of optimism, it was time to plan just how I¡¯d tackle my visit to the Shield. Chapter 2-41 Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem Alien Liaison Date [standardized human time]: July 27, 2160 The Sivkit fleet accompanying me on my journey back to Ivrana didn¡¯t prove talkative. I became lonely enough that Loxsel¡¯s check-ins were the highlight of my day, with his flamboyance and wild theories. He was more entertaining than remotely calling in to Sapient Coalition meetings, as they tracked the progress of the war; news of Tinsas¡¯ presumed locale gave way to wild potential theories. I thought someone should suggest to the Grand Herd that they might be fighting their own people: Sivkits who had outlasted the Federation. Regardless, the humans were placing walls of disruptors to slow the attack fleet down, and considered the Kolshians, Farsul, and Krakotl to be likely targets. Each day of new sensor data seemed to align with that notion, making it evident that this attack was pointed at the Federation. The perceived opposition to Fed dogma made the matter of the Osirs¡¯ annihilation even stranger, since it occurred well after the conspiracy ventured past Sivkit and Paltan borders. Perhaps the Tinsas-dwellers clung to the idea that predators were evil, while faulting the Federation for their homeworld¡¯s devastation and the relocation of their species at the same time. The ideas weren¡¯t mutually-exclusive; this could also answer the question of who had backed the ghost exterminators, with every possible lead drying up. Zalk and the Tseia had been growing restless, so I floated that theory in the hopes it¡¯d settle their feathers. The Nomads were getting their tails kicked in back on Ivrana, as the other Bissem powers caught up technologically. The gifted Arxur ships had changed the tide. Lassmin has stayed neutral, though I¡¯m not sure if Naltor still wants us to get called on for assistance and wrangle something out of the Nomads. We¡¯re prepping Nelmin for the Sivkit refugees, since they¡¯ll need somewhere to start a settlement. I fiddled with a notes application on my holopad, as Loxsel called for his daily check-in. Somewhere among his accusations and scraping tally marks on the wall behind him, of the days since the Grand Herd was ¡°tyrannized,¡± I could try to acquire useful information. There was a shortage of data on what they needed to survive and maintain their culture, as well as how they structured their cities. Once the wandering herbivores noticed how pleasant their accommodations were, I was hopeful we could become friends. This was technically one more party that had opened diplomatic relations with Bissemkind; we just needed to finesse them into something more dignified. Trying to form some personal connection with their ambassador would be a good start. ¡°Good morning,¡± I greeted the Sivkit. Loxsel¡¯s eyes turned manic. ¡°There are no good mornings, not anymore! Perchance the edacious simians WOULD have freed Tinsas, but now, they truly rest on their haunches. Our fate lies betwixt two predators, and I had to select our executioner. Alack, it is a sad day. A hopeless, atramentous day!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s hopeless. Your people will be away from the front lines of the war, in a brand new land. I know you like to wander, so perhaps you¡¯ll find a kindred spirit in the Tseia. They¡¯re nomadic as well, with seasonal settlements. Would Sivkits be interested in something similar? We could seek the Nomads¡¯ input.¡± ¡°We vacate our commorancy not on celestial whims, like befouled beasts of the earth, but to slake our palates on the resources of the land. Until we can have Tinsas, the planet whence Sivkits derived our origin, we¡¯ll devour any pastures we descry! There must be no repose!¡± ¡°Loxsel, I believe you¡¯re¡­smarter than me,¡± I offered diplomatically. ¡°Could you try to use simpler words, for a primitive like myself?¡± The Sivkit¡¯s ears pinned back with irritation. ¡°You aren¡¯t that primigenial¡­and I like my words! Have you not muzzled us hapless prey creatures enough?¡± ¡°I like your words too. I just don¡¯t understand them, because like you said, I lack¡­erudition. I¡¯m uncultured, right?¡± ¡°Fie, you are impossible to conversate with! Are any Bissems literate?!¡± ¡°I guess not.¡± This is a chance to bond over something he says he likes. ¡°Maybe you can teach me, Loxsel?¡± The Sivkit ambassador¡¯s tail slowly lowered from where it was raised with rage. ¡°Hmph. I¡¯ll think about it. I do have my plays¡­peradventure you could learn something. Though tragedies might give you ideas about novel suffering.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a playwright? I mean, that¡¯s awesome; I¡¯d love to see them!¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t let anyone read my plays.¡± ¡°Why not? You have a fine control of language; I¡¯m sure they¡¯d hold up well to your contemporaries.¡± ¡°My endings are predator-diseased, Tassi. Killing characters¡ªthey say it¡¯s a violent fantasy. All I do is make my fictional creations rue the day they were born! If the audience feels melancholy, then I feel jubilation!¡± ¡°Perhaps¡­¡± I hesitated, not sure if this was a proper suggestion for the Sivkit. ¡°Perhaps you¡¯d find better audiences with us predators.¡± Loxsel¡¯s eyes lit up, fitful excitement shining from inside. ¡°Of course! It¡¯s obvious; flesh-eaters love suffering! Maybe I could be entertainment cattle, making the humans growl and cackle at the demise of my characters. The soldiers, here at the base. That¡¯s brilliant! I bid you adieu, reaver of fish!¡± The Sivkit hung up without expending another second on the call, concerns about the state of the refugees thrown aside. Amusement flickered in my mind, as I weighed how the ambassador might go about being ¡°entertainment cattle.¡± The humans on that Paltan-Terran base weren¡¯t ready for what was about to hit them. I was a bit curious just how tragic Loxsel¡¯s endings were, if they were the root of most of his predator disease accusations. Literature was never my field, but alien media was the exception; I¡¯d love to devour anything created from another culture, and it might give me small insights into Sivkit customs. Engaging with the material and providing thoughtful feedback might spark some personal connections with the dramatic herbivore. What is Loxsel going to do if the people that attacked him were Sivkits? Someone will have to raise that topic with the Grand Herd, especially since they want to purge the ¡°intruders¡± and reclaim Tinsas. It¡¯s a shame the enemy won¡¯t communicate with us; the SC needs to get creative. My eyes drifted over to a timekeeping device, sighing as I saw there were still a few hours to kill before the day¡¯s SC proceedings. The Osirs¡¯ day of rebirth ticked closer, with their gestational period under way. I wondered how the humans would go about finding homes for them; that was another item that we could volunteer for. As carnivores ourselves, Bissems were more qualified to raise a ¡°predatory¡± species than Federation-tampered herbivores. Beyond the political benefits, I believed it was a noble purpose¡ªbringing a slaughtered race back from extinction. If it was my kind that had been annihilated for our diet, I would want someone to care enough to do the same. It almost was Bissems, wiped out by ghost exterminators. ¡°Bissem diplomatic vessel, this is the patrol vessel UNS Audacity. Please acknowledge,¡± a hail buzzed over the speaker, jolting me from my thoughts. A dot flashed onto the sensors, following an intercept course. Finally. Sane, receptive company to talk to. I could definitely afford to exchange a few pleasantries with humans; let¡¯s hope they¡¯re chatty and let a few cultural fun facts slip. I leaned over the microphone, accepting the transmission. ¡°UNS Audacity, this is Doctor Tassi. I¡¯m escorting Sivkit refugees back to Ivrana for their safety. My travel plan should¡¯ve been relayed ahead; any deviations aren¡¯t intentional. Is there something I can help you with?¡± ¡°We have a sensitive matter we would like to discuss in-person, away from prying ears. Requesting permission to board your vessel,¡± came the reply. ¡°It¡¯s in Ivrana¡¯s best interests to hear what we have to say. We¡¯d prefer to talk to you, without your generals around.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have the authority to make decisions for my government or about military policy, but I¡¯m happy to talk with our allies. I always have time to cultivate friendship between humans and Bissems.¡± ¡°That¡¯s greatly appreciated. Please, just drop into real space for a moment at these coordinates; you can continue along your FTL flight path after that. We¡¯ve become skilled at quick boardings, so it won¡¯t be much of an inconvenience.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a concern. I¡¯ll welcome humanity¡¯s visitors at the specified location with gladness.¡± My flippers input the forwarded coordinates to transition to realspace, though I was puzzled by what ¡°sensitive matters¡± they wished to tackle outside of Naltor and Zalk¡¯s view. I wondered whether I should relay a message back to the Bissem military officers; my chief loyalty was to Ivrana and her people, and I didn¡¯t want to circumvent their authority. What gave me pause was that the Terrans might be looking for a less heavy-handed approach than that duo could offer. If Bissems were to attain any goodwill, I needed to demonstrate that I could act with discretion. It wasn¡¯t like the primates had shown ill intent toward my home; if they wanted to harm us, they¡¯d had ample opportunity. This hushed conversation must be for a noble purpose. Slipping out of subspace was smooth and barely noticeable, with the autopilot figuring out the subtleties. Cruising around the galaxy in a spaceship and picking up visitors from a friendly alien race had once been my dream. The fact that it was a reality still made a part of me bubble with giddiness, even after all of the horrific occurrences since first contact. If this form of travel was to become commonplace for Bissems, we had to keep our spot in the Sapient Coalition. Humanity weren¡¯t deities or miraculous saviors, but they were a kind-hearted species who hadn¡¯t let persecution defeat them. I wanted to work alongside them as equals. I hoped they could reignite the awe and wonder for the universe I¡¯d felt when their shuttle first landed in the Gray Basin. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. The connection of the UNS Audacity was imperceptible, aside from the slightest tremor passing through the floorboards. I waddled over to the upper hatch, and heard three taps against it; the humans wouldn¡¯t blow the door off on a friendly visit. I lowered the ladder for easy access and popped the seal open. A set of primate legs clambered down, revealing an older woman that I recognized from a recent SC briefing. A shiver passed down my spine, remembering how the Thafki ambassador had lobbed an accusation at Bissems over the Arxur¡¯s escapade¡ªone that hadn¡¯t been incorrect. I wasn¡¯t sure how we¡¯d fulfill our pledge to lobby for Kaisal¡¯s people, when suspicions were already upon us. What is General Jones even doing here? It¡¯s strange for a high-ranking military official to pay me a visit, without Naltor or Zalk around. I don¡¯t see what she¡¯d even want from me, especially if she¡¯s here to share relevant intelligence. Blue-gray legs straddled the ladder after Jones, taking a cautious approach into the shuttle. With the Thafki¡¯s accusation fresh in my mind, I was worried to see that species among the boarding party; my concerns eased when I recognized the white fur-patch on her chin. Haliska looked as shrewd as she had during our games of Migration. The semi-aquatic herbivore excelled in long-term strategizing, something my intuition told me she had in common with Cora Jones. Hallie¡¯s body language was much less open than it was during our bonding time, and I wondered if she believed the ambassador¡¯s accusation. Could I even deny it to her face, knowing how deeply the Arxur ravaged her people? Hadn¡¯t I betrayed her by helping her oppressors? The third and final visitor was another familiar face, one that¡¯d been kept away from Ivrana ever since the Tseia shared their story. Nulia¡ªthe quiet, observant one who loved to people-watch¡ªmaneuvered onto my ship. I was happy to see the Gojid sociologist, since I¡¯d never had the chance to assure her I didn¡¯t hold the Starlight Incident against her, even if the Tseia did. She¡¯d done everything in her power to atone for what members of her race did; Nulia¡¯s return to the Sapient Coalition and shouting the tale of Ivrana¡¯s attack to the galaxy was likely what made Onso reach out at all. We had a lot of catching up to do, given how Dustin had been the one showing us the ropes in our SC trial period. ¡°Hallie, Nulia. I can¡¯t believe you came all the way out here to visit me!¡± I chirped, opening my flippers in a hug invitation. ¡°It was getting lonely, after such a long trip. It¡¯s really good to see two friendly faces; I¡¯d welcome the company, if you¡¯d care to hitch a ride.¡± The Gojid waggled a claw. ¡°I¡¯d love to hear how you¡¯re adjusting, and what you think of various societies; I have the full context on how they¡¯ve changed since joining the SC, and what they were like before the Federation. However, I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s a topic for another time.¡± ¡°Of course. General Jones said you have sensitive matters to discuss, and I¡¯m all ears. I confess, I¡¯m quite curious how both of you wound up tied with¡­someone I believe deals in intelligence.¡± ¡°We want you to tell us everything about your dealings with the Arxur, Tassi,¡± Jones commented idly. ¡°Your friends pieced together several things that were off about your behavior, and I stitched together the rest. It¡¯s time to come clean. Whatever information you have on their plans, you need to share it with us.¡± Haliska¡¯s eyes were cold and impassive, as she inspected me. ¡°As a neuroscientist who knows how your brain works, I thought I¡¯d understand more of how you¡¯re thinking. In a scientific sense, I do, and yet I thought you felt some sympathy for how those fuckers terrorized my species. You¡¯ve heard about the generational trauma¡ªhow Thafki were relegated to cattle farms¡ªand you think they should be released?! That we should deal with them and act like nothing happened?¡± ¡°Of course not¡­look, I was morally opposed to dealing with the Arxur at all!¡± I blurted, cowering under her smoldering glare. The Thafki didn¡¯t look fearful, like she had at the feast; she seemed hateful. ¡°The Yotul put us up to it. They said they¡¯d block us from the SC if we didn¡¯t go along with it. We, um, communicated with the grays, and just like that, we got a trial introduction. It¡¯s the truth!¡± Nulia sighed in disappointment. ¡°The Technocracy shouldn¡¯t have put you in that position. Your secrecy about the visit to Leirn, the mysterious benefactor feeding you tech¡­I understand that Bissems did it for advancement, and a seat at the table. But I don¡¯t understand why you went along with it, Tassi. It¡¯s so unlike you.¡± ¡°I¡­I¡¯m sorry. Kaisal said that the Collective was leaving isolation one way or another, and I figured helping a diplomatic bid was better than war. I never wanted more conflict and death; it broke my heart hearing about your checkered past, on top of seeing global conflict break out among my people. Please believe I only wanted to keep Bissems¡­and the wider galaxy¡­safe. Please.¡± ¡°Is there a reason you didn¡¯t think humanity should know about this?¡± Jones asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t want anyone to know we met, because of optics. We didn¡¯t plan to speak with the Arxur on Leirn; Kaisal was just there, because the Yotul have trading aspirations. If we withdrew, there was no getting into the SC. I confess, I really wanted a chance with the galactic community¡­to be a part of it all. I see how Hallie and Nulia are looking at me now, but maybe¡­maybe it is time to at least hear the Arxur out.¡± The Gojid¡¯s eyes were also stern. ¡°The Arxur¡¯s crimes are still in living memory. They razed my entire planet, which separated me from my mother; my species is endangered as much as Haliska¡¯s. And that was hardly their first raid against us. It was only a remarkable captain who fended them off earlier, and let me be born at all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s horrific, Nulia, and I¡¯m so sorry¡­but blaming the current Arxur is like blaming you for the ghost exterminators attacking us. If they¡¯re reformed and changed, are they wrong to feel they shouldn¡¯t have those atrocities held against them?¡± ¡°Tassi, you don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. Kaisal himself participated in the raid that ended the cradle, and ate Gojids alive during it. He did that. That¡¯s the leader of the Arxur Collective, so forgive me if I don¡¯t trust someone who ate my kind in the past.¡± ¡°Kaisal¡­what?¡± A shiver ran down my spine, along with an extra lump of guilt forming in my throat. ¡°I had no idea. I only knew that Dustin lied¡ªno, left out a lot of parts of the story. Like the Federation starving the Arxur, their governments colluding, or Earth being saved by the grays and helped in the war by their rebellion. How can I make decisions when you¡¯re not telling me all the facts?!¡± Haliska scowled. ¡°Dustin has worked closely with Nulia and I for a decade. He doesn¡¯t sympathize with the species that hurt us, because he cares about our feelings¡ªand he cares about what they did to us. I guess humans rescued the Thafki cattle just so they¡¯ll have to look at Arxur wandering the galaxy, thanks to you.¡± ¡°Not thanks to me. That¡¯s not fair, Hallie; the grays wanted out on their own.¡± ¡°But you told them about the Osirs, knowing they¡¯d come speeding in. Complicating a situation where we¡¯re already in fucking danger!¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough anger. Tassi is going to help us fix this.¡± General Jones raised a finger for silence, and turned pupils that made me feel like I was being dissected. ¡°The doctor was misled by her military allies, who just wanted those Arxur ships we definitely didn¡¯t notice. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­not completely wrong,¡± I replied meekly. ¡°You have no idea the mess you¡¯ve created. Tassi, you¡¯re aware how angry Zalk is over the Starlight Incident, which was three locations affecting one nation. The Arxur bombed entire planets and shackled races for centuries. There¡¯s billions of Zalks out there with extra reasons to hate the Collective. It¡¯s complicated for humanity to navigate; it¡¯s a battle just to keep the Arxur alive and unoccupied. Our allies would prefer they meet other fates.¡± ¡°I know the SC hates them. I thought they were monsters too. I guess I just felt like they hated us because of them, and that¡¯s not a fair comparison.¡± ¡°Humanity knows that feeling; we were likened to them, but we didn¡¯t condone their crimes or put them ahead of our allies. You did, whether you meant to or not. If you¡¯re sorry at all over how backstabbed your friends feel, then you should tell us this last bit. Forgiveness must be earned, and the damage you¡¯ve done needs fixing. What is Kaisal¡¯s plan with the Osirs?¡± ¡°Kaisal wanted to take back Apep, and to be involved in reinstalling the Osirs there, in person. I think he intends to go after whoever is responsible for their extinction. That¡¯s all I know. I¡¯m sorry, I¡­I really am. You¡¯re all right about everything. I wish I could go back and walk away from the Yotul and their schemes; the last thing I want is for us to be pitted against each other. I do care about Haliska and Nulia, like Dustin, but I failed to act like it.¡± Jones offered an artificial smile. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯ve seen sense, Tassi. We still have a mess to clean up. From now on, you work for me. You¡¯re going to keep me apprised of exactly what Kaisal is up to, and send him whatever I ask.¡± I don¡¯t want to be involved with the Arxur at all, let alone be sent to manipulate them. That could make them into Bissems¡¯ enemies, but then again, Jones wants to avoid a wider war. We can¡¯t have him barging into the SC¡¯s space¡­and I don¡¯t want deaths on my conscience. ¡°I, er, I¡¯m not sure I can get him to do anything. If I can help, I¡¯ll try to undo the harm I¡¯ve caused,¡± I murmured. General Jones¡¯ eyes gleamed. ¡°Excellent. You also report to me on whatever schemes your generals cook up, and any of their plans involving the SC. You¡¯re going to help me ensure Bissems don¡¯t go causing more problems at a time like this. I suspect you have Naltor¡¯s ear.¡± ¡°Whoa, I¡­I wouldn¡¯t betray Lassmin like that. I want to protect Bissems, not¡­you¡¯re asking me to spy on high-ranking military officials of two nations, and leak sensitive info to the very people they¡¯re talking about. It¡¯s treason, and it would undermine their plans. I love my planet and my country. I want what¡¯s best for them, not to weaken their standing.¡± ¡°Naltor and Zalk chasing military gain isn¡¯t what¡¯s best for you. As for treason, there¡¯d be no paper trail for them to find. All you have to do is get regular memory scans; that¡¯s it. Consider it keeping an eye on you¡ªparenting.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t need parents, General. I¡¯ll try to push them toward more peaceful, cooperative ideas of my own free will. I¡¯ve already been trying to turn our resources toward more altruistic causes; look at the Sivkits. We can be team players. I can¡¯t do what you¡¯re asking, but I beg for you to give us a second chance.¡± The human looked unimpressed. ¡°You can do what I¡¯ve asked of you, or we can share the Bissems¡¯ involvement in this Arxur scheme with the SC. Something tells me Ivrana would wind up almost as isolated as the Arxur¡­and with as few friends. Humanity can shield you from all of this, of course, but we just need eyes on you to ensure we won¡¯t get circumvented again.¡± I froze in place for what felt like an eternity, mortified at potentially being locked out of the galaxy for good. What was scheming with the Yotul for, if we not only lost our spot on the SC, but had the entire organization turn on us? All I¡¯d wanted was to be friends with these aliens, and if the Thafki ambassador had connected the dots¡­we needed the humans to throw their allies off the scent. Jones covering up our mess might be the last hope of joining the stars; while she hadn¡¯t dangled it over my head, we also were reliant on the Terrans to fix Ivrana¡¯s biosphere. The general was only asking this because we betrayed her trust, forcing her to ensure we wouldn¡¯t ice her people out again. ¡°Fine,¡± I relented. ¡°Nothing that outright hurts my people or endangers lives. That¡¯s where I draw the line.¡± Victory sparkled in the primate¡¯s binocular eyes. ¡°Excellent. We are on the same side; there¡¯s nothing to worry about. Oh, and since you mentioned those Sivkits¡­try to get closer to them too. We appreciate the tip about Tinsas, but it¡¯d be useful to know how they found out. Now, I think you three need a chance to talk things through. Enjoy the ride home, ladies.¡± The Terran clambered back onto her shuttle, leaving me dumbfounded about what I¡¯d agreed to. If this was the only way to right my inadvertent wrongs, I was resigned to going along with it; Bissems needed humanity in our corner. I had to figure out just how I was going to gather intel on three separate entities, without any of them discovering my intent. However, what mattered right now was making amends with Haliska and Nulia. My alien friends had to know that I did care for them deeply, and that betraying their confidence had never been my intent. Chapter 2-42 Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist Date [standardized human time]: July 28, 2160 If Gress could track my implant in an uncharted desert, using his police contacts, why hadn¡¯t Mafani¡¯s translator been traceable for so long? Either Underscales knew how to evade security, or the sadistic Resket was somewhere he had a buffer between himself and the eyes in the sky. The cavern, where Tellus¡¯ settlers had lived exclusively for years, wasn¡¯t hidden, according to my Krev friend¡¯s reluctant offerings. I knew he could get in trouble for providing too many details, but the thought unsettled me. I¡¯d been spending more time trying to analyze the world around me, rather than let my emotions and impulses get the best of me¡ªand I¡¯d stumbled on a worrying conclusion. The Consortium must¡¯ve been able to track our movements for years through those devices. It was a likely assumption that the Jaslip enclaves had been under surveillance as well; they¡¯d outright said they had memory checkpoints. I supposed it wasn¡¯t that damning if it was used solely for security purposes, but that didn¡¯t stop my skin from crawling at the idea. The intended use was failing us now, given how long it¡¯d taken to find Mafani, locked on a single world. The pink avian couldn¡¯t have gotten off-planet without a spaceship launch being detected, so that meant he had to be far enough underground that it blocked signals. That must¡¯ve been why the Trombil were combing the globe with ground-penetrating radar, looking for hidden refuges. But how could someone have entrenched a hideout that deep into Tellus without being noticed? Unless it was before we left the cavern for the surface. Were they planning to tunnel up into our underground homes? Is that a crazy idea? Shit, it¡¯s easier to let other people come up with the theories. My thoughts continued to spin as we loaded onto a shuttle, with Radai herding us in with a special team; his honor-bound culture made it a necessity to give me the chance to seek vengeance on the bastard who wronged me. I didn¡¯t want to get sucked back to just thinking about hurting those who inflicted pain upon me. Gress told me there were other ways of coping with the intrusive thoughts that haunted me, and left me bitter over what had been taken from me. Changing my entire persona wasn¡¯t easy, especially when I felt like I had nothing but hatred. Nothing except the Krev, who warmed my heart, to keep me from falling back to old habits¡ªand failing to be a better person again. My exchange partner was also causing me to reconsider things about myself that I had denied for a long time. Quana settled next to me on the shuttle, binocular eyes seeming kinder. ¡°How do you feel, now that we have a lead on Mafani?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t let my feelings control me. I think I want to protect Tellus; he¡¯s a threat to our safety. He could come after me, you, or any of us if he¡¯s out there. He has the skills to kill people,¡± I grunted. The Jaslip playfully swatted me with her tail. ¡°So do you, Taylor Trench. You¡¯re not helpless, and unlike Mafani, you have people on your side. Whatever differences we have, I came here just to help humans.¡± ¡°I know. I really am grateful to finally have¡­anyone care about me. I¡¯ve forgotten who my self is to even try to be true to it. I¡­never could be me in the caverns.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not easy to find out who you are, and make it who you want to be. I know what it¡¯s like to feel hatred for your oppressors.¡± Quana¡¯s pupils darted between Gress and Radai, before returning to me. ¡°I saw how you lived in that burrow. The air was¡­musty. It seemed to suck my soul a little with each breath that passed through my nostrils. You were cramped down there for twenty-four years.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t just me. I¡¯m the one that lost their head about it, and couldn¡¯t¡­accept it.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t there literally a strike? You weren¡¯t the lone colonist that couldn¡¯t accept their lot. Spirits, Cherise mentioned that she cried beneath her mask when she first took a security role and went up¡ªfelt and saw the sun. It was the unreachable goal, made tangible.¡± ¡°Cherise always kept her cool¡­and kept me from going off the deep end. I don¡¯t know how she did it.¡± Quana¡¯s whiskers twitched. ¡°Neither do I. Smell is a lot more important of a sense to Jaslips, granted, but I couldn¡¯t live in a cave¡ªlike you and your earliest ancestors did. I¡¯d feel the same way, about a fresh breeze and scents on the wind, that you do about sunlight and running around.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad for your acute nose, Quana. Only a Jaslip could¡¯ve found me that fast in that God-forsaken desert. You can pick up my scent from miles away!¡± ¡°Unfortunately for me.¡± ¡°How dare you?¡± I scoffed. ¡°You reek! Not to mention, I can smell your pheromones whenever you¡¯re around Gress.¡± ¡°What?!¡± the eavesdropping Krev and I blurted at the same time. The Jaslip cackled. ¡°Don¡¯t ask questions you don¡¯t want answers to.¡± Gress turned away from where he¡¯d been catching up with Cherise; I could feel my cheeks turning red, which I imagined would only add to the ¡°adorable primate¡± effect. The helmet had never been thrown on faster, in the futile hopes of disguising my embarrassment. To my relief, the aircraft landed on a specific patch of sandy rock, on the opposite side of Tellus¡¯ circumference. I all but sprinted out of the shuttle as it touched down, relieved to be away from the awkward moment the Jaslip put me in. There wasn¡¯t much that we knew about what Radai had learned, but I¡¯d rather be hunting my abductor than confronting that comment¡¯s implications. Quana slid into her back-mounted gun¡¯s harness, over her bulletproof vest. My eyes studied the objective on the HUD, spotting it listed hundreds of meters underground. My theory wasn¡¯t wrong. Perhaps this is some kind of black ops Krev infrastructure? That explains how an Underscale would know about its presence. General Radai stalked out into the sandy environment, never letting me out of his sight. ¡°Listen up! The Consortium sent mapping drones deep underground to scour for any potential activity. We¡¯ve encountered an unknown facility located far below the ground which appears to be¡­old and decaying. This is the best option Mafani has to hide away. We must anticipate armed resistance; we can¡¯t determine if he¡¯s alone.¡±¡± ¡°Sir,¡± I ventured. ¡°Who would¡¯ve built an underground complex on Tellus? It sounds like it¡¯s older than the ark colonists¡¯ presence here, so¡­I don¡¯t see a reason.¡± ¡°You have the same information I have, Trench. Any reason you think I¡¯d have those answers?¡± ¡°No, sir.¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you head down that nice hole our lasers carved to it, and find out?¡± ¡°With respect¡­I can¡¯t fly.¡± ¡°Neither can I, but I know how to put on a fucking harness and jump!¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± I don¡¯t think I¡¯m ready to jump that far down and fall like that. I¡¯ve never seen anything from this high up outside a ship; it¡¯s no wonder I feel weak at the knees. They did teach us to rappel down, but not from this high up. ¡°Exactly what I¡¯ll be doing, sir.¡± ¡°Good. The ropes are sitting out there. Get your ass in gear, or I¡¯ll give you a tail in the form of my foot being planted there! That applies to all of you: move! Check each other¡¯s knots before you jump¡ªI don¡¯t want to clean your guts off the ground.¡± Gress, Cherise, and Quana tailed behind me as I began tying the loops that¡¯d make the difference between life and death. The Krev looked a bit uneasy, despite being an arboreal creature. Cherise and Quana, meanwhile, were making light of the long descent; the female human gave the Jaslip a light push toward the hole, though far enough back that there was no real danger of her falling. The arctic carnivore yipped with indignation, circled around the smirking primate, and began tugging at Cherise¡¯s pant leg. The white-furred quadruped looked almost like a dog playing tug of war. The humor eased my nerves a bit, though I was still apprehensive: just as I¡¯d been on the orbital train that went straight down. This was much worse. Gress turned to check the ropes that I¡¯d tied, though he looked quite distracted. ¡°Taylor¡­¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± I managed, clearing my throat. ¡°Do you remember what it¡¯s like to be loved, and given affection? To have someone that holds you close and tells you it¡¯s all going to be okay?¡± ¡°No. The last hug or kind word I got before you was my parents, before they put me on that damned ship.¡± The Krev threw his scaly arms around my torso, much tighter than when I¡¯d comforted him after he told me the true story of the Jaslip incident. The alien, who I¡¯d once despised and wanted to bash his brains in, felt like a warm blanket of security. Gress was why I wanted to keep going¡ªI could see it as plain as day. After learning that all of our toiling for decades was for nothing, he kept me from despairing. Right now, I felt a bit less fearful, knowing he¡¯d save me if anything went wrong hopping down. I wished I could stay here and soak in the validating embrace, and tell him that he was the only person that made life worth living. My exchange partner retracted his limbs, and I realized I¡¯d stood there: dumbly, motionlessly, and lifelessly. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°Sorry. I know you don¡¯t like being touched¡­I should¡¯ve asked,¡± the Krev coughed. ¡°I just¡­didn¡¯t want you to be afraid. Let¡¯s go get Mafani.¡± I nodded like an idiot. ¡°Mafani. Yeah. He can¡¯t get away with what he¡¯s done.¡± That¡¯s such a stupid fucking thing to say. Snap out of it; can I pretend it was someone else under the helmet? With sudden eagerness to plunge to my potential death, I began rappelling down in increments; my boots pressed against the dirt wall, as I tried not to look down at what was below. My mouth felt dry, so I pressed the chin button for water. My gloved hands clung to the rope like my life depended on it, since the last thing I wanted was to free fall such an abyssal distance. Quana looked clumsy imitating a biped¡¯s actions, as she descended next to me. Cherise was taking the fall the fastest of us all, and sent a message into our helmets, shouting, ¡°See ya!¡± in an exhilarated voice. That answered beyond a shadow of a doubt who the thrill seeker was among us. Gress crept down tentatively, and I found myself waiting for him. We had to do this together. It took some time to reach the bottom of the hole, which was ample opportunity for Mafani to see us coming. Thermal cameras hadn¡¯t picked up on the Resket, though the metal walls of the structure seemed to be blocking out that portion of the light spectrum. I breathed a silent relief as my boots touched solid ground, and caught Gress to ensure he didn¡¯t take a hard landing. The Krev muttered a thanks, before trotting ahead to rejoin our squadmates. Special forces were manning the point, as they prepared to bust into the mysterious bunker. Rust was visible on the walls, with bits of metal having peeled away. Who would¡¯ve built a shelter this far down, and this long ago? The Consortium itself was only a century old. Maybe it could¡¯ve rusted in that amount of time. I¡¯m hardly an expert in oxidation. Radai came careening down, grasping the rope with his wings just in time to avoid a nasty collision. For a ratite bird, incapable of flight, he was as fearless of heights as the ones that took to the skies. I readied my weapon, and waited for our unit to find out what was inside of this structure. It didn¡¯t make any sense with the details I had, so I hoped hard evidence we found could shed some light on its origins. The general seemed uncertain over the structure, which affirmed that if it was from the Consortium, it wasn¡¯t in his knowledge. It was odd to see him joining the field mission, but per Resket culture, disobedience of an order he gave and injury to soldiers under his command mandated a personal response. Their honor system put high-ranking officials in unnecessary danger. Our allies finished cutting a hole in a sheet of metal, tiptoeing inside with guns raised; many of them were Reskets and Krev, since those species were the most well-suited to military service. I wondered if humans would wind up in special forces down the line. The avians had to duck through the opening, as they didn¡¯t want to compromise the structural integrity. There was no gunfire or indicators of enemy contact on my HUD, once they entered the strange construction. I crept forward with my friends, hoping that this was Mafani¡¯s hideout. More than revenge, putting the sadistic ratite down would help me not look over my shoulder constantly¡ªI wanted to move on from my brush with death. My fingers curled tighter around the gun, remembering how it felt to be paralyzed. Quana¡¯s nostrils twitched, while her tail fronds swayed in confusion. ¡°Whose writing is this? A dead language?¡± I knelt beside the Jaslip, noticing words written above a crumbling door; my visual translator understood them, when I switched it on. It was a simple exit sign, like we would¡¯ve seen in any building on Earth. Most peculiarly, the language the writing was identified as¡­was Sivkit. My head snapped back like I was slapped, while I tried to digest that factoid. What could it even mean, if those fringe grazers had¡­some long-lost dwellings on this world: our world?! What was their connection to Tellus, far outside their borders? That Sivkit fleet might¡¯ve come to this system because of whatever this was. The ark ship and the entire Consortium weren¡¯t outside the Federation¡¯s sphere of influence after all. ¡°Why the fuck are we in a Sivkit bunker on our planet?!¡± I screeched. Gress and Quana looked equally at a loss, and they didn¡¯t respond to my panicked question. The Krev¡¯s amber eyes were a bit watery, perhaps due to his own swirling thoughts. General Radai¡¯s primary emotion was alarm, though he ensured that what we were seeing was livestreamed back to the Consortium brass. Tellus wouldn¡¯t be safe if this was a place of importance to the Grand Herd. We had to find out what they wanted with our home, now and hundreds of years in the past. I tried to rein in my spiral, and consider what my allies might be thinking at the moment. Enemy infrastructure within our own space was a liability in the war; we weren¡¯t working with all the facts on how much they knew about our space. Forget going for the Federation¡¯s heart¡ªthe Sivkits are the ones most likely to come after us. Maybe we should try to capture some of them, and find out just what they want. It might be worth the risk of them learning more about us, with this in mind. Gress¡¯ claws twitched, before he turned sad eyes toward me. ¡°All of our efforts to hide from the Federation, and not draw their attention¡ªthey were here before. I wish we¡¯d known this world was important to them. We could¡¯ve moved. We could¡¯ve let the Sivkits land, and hoped they¡¯d leave us alone like we did with you¡­¡± ¡°Except humans were here,¡± I finished. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You could¡¯ve avoided war, if you didn¡¯t have to stop them from finding out we survived.¡± Cherise picked up a ribbon off the ground, before also finding what seemed like a bipedal Sivkit figurine. ¡°We could¡¯ve been found by their expedition at any time¡­and the Krev wouldn¡¯t have protected us until recently. We inadvertently landed on one of the most dangerous planets for our kind.¡± ¡°It¡¯s more than that. More than about humans,¡± Quana growled. ¡°Esquo was destroyed to avoid the Federation stumbling across us, but that¡¯s more likely to happen here¡ªwhether it¡¯s further away or not! Don¡¯t you see? Hundreds of millions died for nothing!¡± ¡°Hold on. Why is that Sivkit statue walking on two legs?¡± I demanded. ¡°It looks like it¡¯s fucking dancing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s your focus?! Not what I said about the Jaslips?¡± ¡°What do you want me to say, Quana? I¡¯m trying to make sense of this. There was no way of knowing the Feddies were so far out of their own turf.¡± General Radai stepped between the two of us. ¡°There can be multiple concerns at once. Obviously, this clashes with the information we had when making all of our governance decisions, for every species. It is cause for concern. Panicking and in-fighting will not help us deal with this or find out why the only remnant is such a decrepit bunker this far underground. There were no signs of past colonizations.¡± ¡°Then how did Mafani know about it?¡± Quana hissed distrustfully. ¡°That¡¯s a valid question. And so is the shit about the bipedal bunnies,¡± I offered. The Resket general¡¯s eyes simmered. ¡°Quadrupeds can act bipedal for short times, and sometimes do; Quana can attest to this. There¡¯s not much to make of it. As for Mafani, he¡¯s been planning this for months. My best guess is that he stumbled across it, looking for places to tunnel¡­or perhaps found a connection into it that we¡¯re not aware of. The only way to find out is to catch him. We must gather as much intel as possible.¡± ¡°Getting a Sivkit¡¯s memory transcript would be invaluable. They might have told us outright,¡± Gress mused. ¡°I wonder what they would¡¯ve said if we accepted their hail?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll never know. This is why I would have preferred to attempt communication, but my crew were not reasonable. Our policy was to avoid war with the humans when we believed them Feds. This wasn¡¯t a conflict I wanted, with incomplete information and the blood we must now spill to win.¡± ¡°If I knew the Sivkits had been here before, it wouldn¡¯t have been a total surprise when they showed up.¡± I ran a hand through my scalp in frustration. ¡°But what do they even want here? Why is a desert world important to a species that likes grazing in verdant worlds¡­devouring them?¡± ¡°Trench, did it occur to you they may have devoured this one? Tellus isn¡¯t teeming with local flora.¡± ¡°Of course, sir, you¡¯re right. But why would they come back if it¡¯s¡­depleted?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, because you upstart primates forced my wing, thinking you had the big picture. You should do less thinking, and more falling the fuck in line.¡± ¡°Understood, General Radai. Forgive my inquiries and past overreach. I¡¯ll be following your orders all the way to Mafani, sir.¡± The Resket leered at me for a few moments longer, before stomping off. I pretended not to notice the confusion he failed to disguise; the general was trying to quiet the unrest among his own ranks, but he couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of our discovery either. Considering the disquiet it had created among us, I could imagine what this news could stir up in the wider Consortium. The words that¡¯d really sunk their claws into me belonged to Gress, asking what the Sivkits might¡¯ve said on the hail. What if that conversation could¡¯ve saved lives, whether by preparing us for the war or from avoiding conflict altogether? I¡¯d hated the xenos so much that I never gave a second thought to their deaths, until I stumbled across a child¡¯s statuette. There might¡¯ve been Sivkit kids, Lecca¡¯s age, on those vessels¡ªsomething that would break Gress to consider. Is that more blood on my conscience, beyond just the drill explosion? All I had ever wanted was to help humanity, but my passion only seemed to aggravate situations. Keeping the cesspool of hatred and hurt under wraps might not last long either; I wasn¡¯t convinced I could change, or that there was another Taylor Trench deep inside at all. It was a matter of time before I hurt my friends, and proved to everyone that I was a terrible, selfish person. How could I ever be good for Gress, even if he was the only positive part of my life? I¡¯d never deserve his affection, or a second chance at everything I¡¯d done and failed to learn from. Perhaps General Radai was right that I should do less thinking and more falling in line. Cherise snickered. ¡°Those were actually legitimate questions. When did you grow a lone brain cell, Taylor? Gress, did you donate some?¡± The Krev moved a claw along his temple, counting on his other paw. ¡°Taking inventory. No, seems like all¡ª¡± ¡°We came here to do a mission,¡± I snapped. ¡°Let¡¯s just do it. Mafani is still out there.¡± ¡°What¡¯s¡­oh, I see. Taylor, it wasn¡¯t your fault about the Sivkits. You weren¡¯t the only human desperate to hide yourself, and you hardly started that policy.¡± The Krev wrapped an arm around my shoulders, voice and touch gentle. ¡°We¡¯ve all made mistakes; look at Esquo, having the wrong facts about where Jaslips would be safe. Look at me, majorly fucking up the deal with the k-kids. We just have to move on. I¡¯m really proud of you for how you¡¯ve grown and thought this through.¡± ¡°You¡­you are?¡± ¡°Of course I am. Even Cherise was giving you a backhanded compliment; you have more soul and intellect than you give yourself credit for. Use that. Keep asking questions and trying to protect the people you love. You¡¯ll get a bit better at it, one day at a time.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure I believed what the Krev was saying, but hearing the conviction in his voice, a part of me wanted to. Having Gress around was why I¡¯d decided to seek other emotional outlets in the first place; I didn¡¯t want to hurt him because I was bleeding deep down. A taut smile forced its way on my face, and I nodded to signal agreement. We were in this together, to protect all of Tellus from Mafani. Whoever this hideout had belonged to long ago, that reality hadn¡¯t changed. Perhaps following orders and asking questions weren¡¯t as mutually exclusive as Radai¡¯s verbal beatdown suggested. My hands tightened around my rifle, and our unit pressed deeper into the complex in search of a sadistic Resket. Chapter 2-43 Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist Date [standardized human time]: July 28, 2160 The bunker¡¯s qualities grew more bizarre as we pressed deeper into it, moving into the connecting central room. A decaying desk sat in an office, along with what looked like a vault; there appeared to be mostly depleted armory alcoves scattered throughout the complex. The question was whether Mafani had snatched their contents, or if they¡¯d vanished long before he arrived here¡ªassuming he was, in fact, hiding here. General Radai allowed for the collection of evidence as we continued the sweep; the Resket made a point to send physical literature we found up to the surface. Many of their contents were unreadable, but from what we could parse, they were plays. Perhaps we could use the pages to accurately date them, and analysts could extract more from the crumbling paper. In one wing of the bunker network, there was a central display with chairs clustered around; once again, it seemed they weren¡¯t quadruped-friendly. If the prey species weren¡¯t so meek and feckless¡ªand much too undisciplined to have any semblance of martial structure¡ªI would¡¯ve thought it was a military command center. On a raised platform, there were rows of computer monitors that had long since burned out. General Radai inspected them, before having their hard drives added to the evidence repository. Whatever operation the Sivkit Grand Herd conducted on Tellus, knowing more about it could indicate why they¡¯d returned here in the first place. I tailed Quana to the central display, which still had a faint glow by the activation strip; the Jaslip seemed quite keen to get immediate answers, still on the warpath over this discovery. ¡°What secrets is this place hiding?¡± The carnivore¡¯s whiskers twitched, before she pressed her paw to the scanner. ¡°Talk to me, ghosts. I don¡¯t trust that the Consortium will be forthcoming with Jaslips.¡± The lights beneath the dust-covered glass flickered to life; a process began loading at the Jaslip¡¯s touch, reviving the outdated computer system. Gress inched up beside me, uncertainty in his eyes, and I thought back to the days when he¡¯d ranted that humans were ¡°the Sivkits but worse.¡± The Krev didn¡¯t hold a high opinion of the grazers. I imagined he¡¯d been repeating his questions, about them taking despite having enough in the Federation, when we shot their expedition ships. The two of us were ready to hear some crazy, prey-brained rhetoric from any surviving documents. I arched my eyebrows as a Sivkit appeared on the screen, standing on two legs. His eyes were weary and defeated, but he looked to have more fortitude than his species¡¯ reputed timidness. ¡°This is General Anxsel of the Sivkit Grand Farmhood. I¡¯m recording this for posterity; if you¡¯re finding this, it¡¯s likely years after they¡¯ve erased us, and taken everything from our culture. I can see where this is going,¡± the Sivkit murmured. ¡°I only hope whoever is finding this isn¡¯t from the Galactic Federation. We recognized the only way to keep records safe from their cleansing was to hide them somewhere¡­without people for their sensors to detect. It¡¯s a thin hope, but we don¡¯t have much else.¡± A chill ran down my spine. ¡°Gress? They¡¯re talking about the Federation¡­like they¡¯re the bad guys.¡± ¡°I¡­noticed. They¡¯re saying the Federation¡­erased them,¡± the Krev replied. ¡°Like they thought they were crazy too once¡­¡± ¡°¡­but weren¡¯t given a choice,¡± Quana finished. ¡°Farmhood is certainly different from their unsustainable practices today.¡± I grinned at the Jaslip. ¡°I told you the bipedal statue meant something!¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Radai hissed. ¡°I want to hear what this tape says. For all we know, this message will only play once.¡± ¡°¡­to our scientists, there was no saving the ecology of our homeworld.¡± Anxsel was overlaying his feed with images, many of flames and dying crop fields. There were entire cities visible. ¡°We¡¯d accepted the aliens¡¯ help, perhaps knowing we couldn¡¯t defy them¡­fighting wouldn¡¯t have made a difference. They touted some phantom threat: the Hunger; they expect our claws to quake at anything ¡®predatory.¡¯ I suspect they will cover up that it was them who forced a mass exodus from our planet. Perhaps whoever hears this in the future, you won¡¯t even know the ground you stand on once belonged to the Sivkits, the land of our ancestors.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Cherise and I blurted at the same time. Is this guy really trying to claim this¡ªTellus, our second Earth¡ªwas the Sivkits¡¯ homeworld?! But it¡¯s¡­a desert. This is the only trace of them, so it can¡¯t be! Maybe this was a colony that went wrong, and tipped the Federation off to their presence. Still¡­either way, weren¡¯t the Feds¡¯ only victims. This changes¡­a lot. Everything. Anxsel¡¯s ears drooped. ¡°I hate writing my species¡¯ eulogy, yet I want some record of what we were. Sivkits¡¯ agricultural manuals let us create a garden, until they trampled us. To think it was that green, excess beauty that attracted them, detecting our biosphere from far away. We once had nature societies performing wilderness theater, with the greatest works of our people¡ªworks they¡¯ve banished for being predator-diseased, but we tucked away on shelves.¡± ¡°Wilderness theater? As a fan of stageplay, I¡¯d be curious to see that,¡± Gress murmured. ¡°We have to try to save the books. For the sake of cultural preservation.¡± ¡°The ships in the sky were a curse,¡± Anxsel continued, not giving me time to reply to the Krev. ¡°Verdant Tinsas was covered in flames within days of their arrival. Giant wildfires were started amid the brush; these became uncontrollable blazes, some of which swept through cities. They piled animal corpses on the outskirts of our cities, so they could burn them more efficiently¡ªbut not all of them were fully corpses. Not all of them were animals either.¡± ¡°They¡­the exterminators burned Sivkits along with innocent animals?!¡± Cherise tried to close her slack-jawed mouth. ¡°We¡­need to share this with the Federation. I had no idea they forced their ideas on other herbivores; they just all seemed that way. The Sivkits need to know the truth. It could help in the war, bringing people to their side.¡± I snorted. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t do anything. Whatever¡¯s happened to them, they¡¯re still filled with hatred for us in the present time. They¡¯ll never listen to ¡®predator deceit.¡¯ It would just give them extra incentive to take this world¡­our home, just when things are getting better.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll build you as many homes as you need,¡± Gress whispered. ¡°Yeah, and we just get enclaves, on worlds that will never belong to us, where you can keep an eye on us,¡± Quana hissed. ¡°Even if you had a whole world, you¡¯d only inhabit a hyper-particular climate. What¡¯s wrong with making use of land that we don¡¯t use, and reducing our chance of detection?¡± ¡°Would you take leftovers for the Krev?¡± ¡°If it meant Lecca would be even a little bit safer, yes! Don¡¯t you get it? How close we were to being the Sivkits?¡± ¡°Not another word!¡± Radai shrieked. ¡°¡­mass famines they caused, we had no choice but to go with them, when the evacuation ships arrived. They could¡¯ve let us die, granted, but I suspect they want us under control. With each species assimilated, their power grows. An unstoppable juggernaut,¡± General Anxsel lamented. ¡°The more people believe a lie, the more convincing it is¡ªcult mentality at its simplest. I¡¯m sad to see Sivkits being broken into their ranks of powerless prey, and taught to forget who we are. The other aliens in their group have become caricatures too, likely by similar mechanisms.¡± That entire band of xenos¡­were laughable caricatures, reduced to one trait. Is there more going on with the Federation than just hating predators? Clearly¡­the founders do, and they¡¯ve forced others to go along with it. We might be saving more than ourselves by going after the first three members. It doesn¡¯t matter that we can¡¯t call back the drones now! The Sivkit slumped his shoulders. ¡°I fear the worst. I¡¯ve noticed a sudden¡­almost ubiquitous spike in Sivkits born with a back disorder. They claim that it has nothing to do with the translator implants, and what they might¡¯ve injected alongside it. They claim the bombs they¡¯re moving into orbit are to finish the extermination job¡ªand it¡¯s true they¡¯re not the first. They say that the special classes they¡¯re putting our species in, by themselves, are to catch us up, but dumbing¡ª¡± Anxsel¡¯s likeness flickered out, followed by an error message: data corrupted. From what we had all heard, it had become evident the Consortium was more right than they realized to hide from the Federation. What we had just learned went beyond lunacy; this was active malevolence, dished out beyond sapients who were unfortunate enough to have eyes like mine. So many things popped out at me from the Sivkit¡¯s message, but what hit the closest to home was Gress¡¯ realization¡ªthat the Krev were a mere system away from being in the Sivkits¡¯ position. The sweet, primate-loving hostage negotiator could¡¯ve been molded to hate me. He would¡¯ve been as spineless and frightful as every alien from Earth¡¯s vicinity. The level that the Federation had seemingly gone to, creating back disorders for some reason¡ªit didn¡¯t make sense. All the same, the evidence was plain as day, with modern Sivkits being quadrupedal. What could have been gained from making them walk on four paws? Every bit of the news shocked me to my core, especially knowing why their ruins existed on our new home. The peculiarity stretched into how this was the first trace of their civilization we¡¯d found on this world. I gathered from Anxsel¡¯s message that Tellus had been bombed; there must¡¯ve been a cover-up that was much more thorough that even the Consortium¡¯s operation on Esquo, given the odd behavior we¡¯d noticed from scouts in the Jaslip system. Maybe the Sivkits came here because they had figured out what was done to them¡­except that they returned with the Federation in tow. I don¡¯t want to be driven off of another planet either way. Still, that does compound my guilt over killing them¡­I can¡¯t imagine what it was like for Anxsel. I pity the Sivkits more than I thought possible. Stolen story; please report. What would humanity have felt if this was discovered before Earth was a burning ball of rubble? Perhaps this information could¡¯ve saved my species, by revealing the Federation¡¯s insidious heart. The only difference was that we ate meat and had binocular eyes, so they killed us rather than conforming us to their ways. It was impressive that this data had survived for what looked like centuries, with engineering strong enough to preserve most of Anxsel¡¯s message for us. Maybe there was still time to make this right with other victims, and to seek out further information by venturing into Sivkit space. I knew Radai had no intention of taking suggestions from me, but if he signed off on such an idea, perhaps I could compel him to let me atone for my prior missteps by joining the mission. Honor demanded that I address my own mistakes. ¡°Why did the Federation leave, after the Sivkits?¡± Gress blurted. ¡°We¡¯ve never seen them push into our space.¡± Cherise furrowed her brow. ¡°You weren¡¯t advanced enough, when this happened, for them to lock onto you. The Consortium is a mere hundred years old.¡± General Radai¡¯s face hardened, before he turned to us. ¡°This is the enemy, soldiers. This is a war we cannot lose. I would choose death over seeing my species forced to grovel in the dirt¡­¡± ¡°Easy for you to say, when your species isn¡¯t actually dead,¡± I grumbled, near inaudible. ¡°And rich coming from a Resket. They told the Jaslips groveling was better to death; we¡¯re so unreasonable,¡± Quana snarled. The pink avian¡¯s head snapped toward us, though he didn¡¯t acknowledge our words. ¡°Anxsel said that with each species the Federation assimilates, their power grows. They will be unstoppable, if we wait any longer¡ªwe must not hide. Tellus is a desert now, and that is what our homes will look like a thousand years from now, if they win. The Consortium will not bow in fear, as they do. We will fight. We will win!¡± Just like we won the battle at Tellus, when they came for us. This is about more than Earth. Gress put it best, saying how there was nothing he wouldn¡¯t sacrifice to make Lecca a tiny bit safer from them. That¡¯s why we fight. ¡°We may have our scars and points of contention, but we stand together, in the face of pure evil. Against all threats, we meet them at our gates! The Consortium is the last bastion of rationality and acceptance,¡± Radai continued. ¡°We¡¯ll fight for safety, to know that such atrocities will never be done to us¡ªbecause we would never. This is a sight most dishonorable. We have a duty to rebuild where they have destroyed. Tellus, Earth, and Esquo must rise again. Let us excise the rot at our heart today, so we can cleanse theirs tomorrow. Mafani doesn¡¯t leave this place. Am I clear?¡± I sucked in a sharp breath. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± ¡°Good. Then move out! Check every last corner!¡± ¡°We could reclaim Earth, if we disband the Federation.¡± Gress placed a paw on my shoulder, as we hurried to the furthest recesses of the complex¡ªan area Mafani could¡¯ve set up shop. ¡°I¡¯d hate having you so far away, but it¡¯d be beautiful for humans to have your home back. It won¡¯t stay destroyed in the long run.¡± ¡°I hope we resettle it someday. Losing Earth, billions dead¡ªit can¡¯t ever be the same. They m-might try to cover it up, like they did with the Sivkits¡­¡± I murmured. ¡°We have the vaults. We¡¯ll remember what was lost from our culture. Earth will carry on through us, as was intended all along,¡± Cherise commented. The Krev shouldered his gun, jogging to keep up. ¡°You can display everything that makes you human with pride¡­no masks or censorship. Even back then, Emergency Order 56 stifled your self-expression. That¡¯s over. None of us have to hide anymore.¡± ¡°Unless I want to avoid you staring with that dumb look as I brush my teeth.¡± ¡°But you make weird expressions. It¡¯s adorable!¡± ¡°You¡¯re insufferable. Some days, I want to rip your scales out one at a time.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t. You like the attention.¡± I scoffed. ¡°What? You¡¯re way off the mark, herbivore xeno.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I could give you as much attention as you wanted, Taylor.¡± Words dried up in my throat, while I ignored the watchful gazes of Cherise and Quana. All I could think about was how purifying his earlier embrace had been, and how the kind words he¡¯d say to me and about me felt like rivers running through my heart. It took a colossal effort to redirect my focus to sweeping the complex, as we left the military command center; I knew now that it was the last stand of soldiers fighting the Federation, against their claims that prey were incapable of such measures. Our unit ventured into the last uncharted area, which looked to be the largest wing. It seemed like a mix of living quarters and entertainment facilities, where the important figures meant to hide out here would¡¯ve stayed. Instead of a couch, there were hammocks suspended by television screens; fake tree trunks formed their supports. I began wondering to myself how the Sivkits were supposed to evacuate down to this bunker, since we¡¯d yet to find an entrance other than the one we blasted. Mafani must¡¯ve gotten in here somehow¡ªassuming he even was hiding in this complex. That meant we should look for a way down, to determine if this was even accessible from the surface at all. Whatever was supposed to facilitate transit to and from this construction might¡¯ve collapsed in the eons of time that had passed, or when the Federation dropped those bombs Anxsel mentioned. As if in response to my mental wonderings, I spotted a tiny, rusted lift¡ªit looked more like a birdcage than an elevator. Ironic. Assuming the machine was still operational, the nine-foot-tall avian would¡¯ve had to fold up like a pretzel the whole way down to fit; it clearly wasn¡¯t built to accommodate his size. Special forces were sending surveillance drones ahead of us, which alerted us as they detected a slight heat disturbance in the room beside the television area. Turrets mounted on the ceiling eviscerated our unmanned aerial vehicles moments later, taking out our eyes. Alertness surged into my veins; there was no doubt, unless for some reason the Sivkits wanted to set a trap for the posterity they¡¯d left a message for, that Mafani was here. With construction this old, explosives were too risky; it could bring the whole place down on our heads. I watched as Radai directed specialists to chuck in localized EMPs, neutralizing any automated defenses the former Underscale had on his side. With one gun, the fight was stacked in our favor. The turrets were disabled with an EMP grenade, along with anything else lurking behind it. Radai ordered the special forces forward, and I hurried behind the expert marksmen. I could see a hint of pink feathers from behind a wardrobe, which had been pushed out enough for him to squeeze up against. The Resket general had said Mafani would go down fighting, so I was expecting him to try to take us with him. My eyes pointed directly at his hiding spot, remembering how he¡¯d longed for my suffering; he¡¯d left me to a miserable death by sun poisoning. I could still feel it burning in my skin sometimes, like my entire outer casing had been turned to lava. My finger tugged on the trigger, blowing off fragments of the wardrobe in haze of fury. ¡°Stop! I surrender.¡± The sinister Resket poked his wings out tentatively, and with the general ordering us to cease fire, I hesitated. Who cares if taking out a surrendering enemy was dishonorable when he¡¯s a piece of shit? ¡°I¡¯m coming out. I¡¯m unarmed.¡± Radai cleared his throat. ¡°Lay down flat on the ground.¡± ¡°Hang on. What do you say to a dueling invitation, General?¡± ¡°I am not wagering to let you go. It¡¯s not my decision to make.¡± ¡°Oh no. You see, Radai, I just want you taken out for ruining my career. Throwing me off of my own line of work, siding with half-brained minions. I¡¯m stronger than you. I can beat you in a duel, you soft¡ª¡± ¡°I accept the duel. I¡¯ll have no trouble putting down the likes of you.¡± What the fuck is wrong with Radai? I thought he was letting me get my revenge, not squaring off with the prick over his own pride. Screw this. I don¡¯t care what he wants. The Reskets prowled to opposite sides of the room, talons tense. I raised my rifle right at Mafani¡¯s head, feeling years of bloodlust rise to a crescendo¡ªpure, unbridled hatred for all of those who¡¯d wronged me. The poison went straight to my heart, blotting out all of the light and compassion. The hurt was enough to drown in, and this was a chance to do something about it. What could I have done to deserve being kicked by everyone and everything? No good deed went unpunished, but all I¡¯d done was try to stop the bigotry being hurled at Quana. The universe tried to kill me for empathizing with another down-on-their-luck xeno¡­for showing growth. For caring. My teeth grated against each other, jaw locking in anger. Decision made, a finger began to curl. ¡°Taylor, no.¡± Gress wrapped his claws around my forearm, pushing the gun down. He stared at me with forlorn eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t let your hatred control you. It¡¯ll only deepen the scars, and create more troubles over your perceived inability to follow orders. He is not worth that.¡± Mafani¡¯s head snapped over to us, before he snickered maliciously. ¡°Ah, Gress. We met a few years back, you know.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wrong. I¡¯ve never had anything to do with the Underscales.¡± The wicked Resket chuckled. ¡°But we had plenty to do with you. Remember how those Jaslips wanted to prove a point, about you choosing the elites over the children?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t like that. Don¡¯t bother trying to rile me up.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just reminiscing. I was there too, Gress. The Jaslips¡­lacked conviction to follow through. We helped. I put the bullet just perfectly into that one kit¡¯s throat, so that he¡¯d bleed out right in your arms. Terrorists and Gress taken out in one fell swoop.¡± I recoiled in shock, unable to believe what Mafani had just claimed. The Underscales had killed the Jaslip children¡­and for the purpose of ¡°taking out¡± Gress?! Why would the Krev black ops faction want a hostage negotiator, who cared so dearly for the Consortium and for saving lives, taken out? I would¡¯ve thought the Resket was messing with us, except his voice had a distinct certainty to it¡ªand he knew how the last kit had died down to a tee. A look that I had never seen in Gress¡¯ eyes turned them to ice, burying flashes of betrayal and broken realization. He raised his gun in an instant, firing a shot before I could stop him. The bullet pierced Mafani¡¯s neck, like the kits, about the same time as an incensed Quana buried a round in a close-by location. The Jaslip¡¯s teeth were bared, hearing the Underscales were the real kit-killers. ¡°Gress? Snap out of it,¡± I pleaded, to no response. I jostled Gress¡¯ arm, but he shrugged me off; the Krev marched over to Mafani with claws extended. Radai shrieked at my exchange partner in fury, charging at him with wings outstretched. To my horror, the former hostage negotiator raised his weapon at the general, holding him off at gunpoint. ¡°Did. You. Know?¡± the Krev grunted, barely able to string words together. Radai looked insulted. ¡°Of course I didn¡¯t. The Underscales act disgracefully. Why do you think I¡¯d spit on the name of honor like that?¡± ¡°Gress, stand down! Please,¡± I begged. ¡°You said Mafani¡¯s not worth it.¡± The green-scaled mammal hissed, before spraying a gurgling Mafani in the face via the Krev¡¯s tail gland. I gasped as Gress knelt down, slicing his claws through the Resket¡¯s existing wound. General Radai seized the opportunity while his back was turned, and with a headbutt, sent Gress flying back into the wall. I winced as my exchange partner yelped, and the pain seemed to snap him back to reality. He¡¯d lost his grip on the gun, and stared at his claws, which were now covered in pink blood. My legs left me to sprint between him and Radai, trying to stop the Resket from losing it on him. ¡°Sir, he¡¯s having a flashback episode. Have mercy. Please!¡± I begged, raising both arms to ward off the avian. Radai scoffed. ¡°A memory scanner will tell. He willfully defied orders and held me at fucking gunpoint! I¡¯ll demand answers from the Underscales, but you will not be a member of the Consortium military again, Gress. And what¡¯s your excuse, Jaslip?¡± ¡°Mafani had it coming, sir,¡± the Jaslip barked coldly. ¡°I¡¯ll neutralize anyone who admits to slaughtering my people¡¯s children. Do your worst.¡± I moved over to comfort a watery-eyed Gress, easing him away from all of the noise. I quietly cleaned the blood off of his claws with my shirt, not daring to break the subject of what Mafani had just claimed. When my exchange partner was ready, it was important to discuss why the Consortium would¡¯ve wanted him out of the picture¡­and what they would¡¯ve gained from giving the Jaslips a perfect propaganda piece with dead children. Taking out the Resket who¡¯d left me in the desert to die was supposed to be more satisfying, yet now, all I felt was concern for the person who meant everything to me. I wouldn¡¯t let my Krev companion break inside all over again. Chapter 2-44 Memory Transcription Subject: Elias Meier, Former UN Secretary-General Date [standardized human time]: July 29, 2160 The meeting with the Leshee ambassador had paid off, as the Shield reluctantly agreed for me to take a speaking slot on a single day¡¯s agenda. Ambassador Yali relayed the news yesterday, and indicated that we¡¯d be leaving tomorrow; herself and Korajan, along with many of the Terran ambassadors, would be returning to Shield territory to advise. Presumably, it was also to keep me at bay with his predator expertise if the worst came to pass. I was still elated to have the invitation accepted. This would be humanity¡¯s first look behind the curtain, of how our sister organization operated. This was a chance to forge closer ties between us, after decades having no direct contact with their central governing body. Kuemper and I had discussed long-term goals throughout the past week, to prepare me on what to say to further the United Nations¡¯ agenda. The Arxur situation caused me to look deeper into the species kept isolated, and just how their living conditions had festered. I expressed staunch disapproval over the indefinite quarantines, especially forbidding entire species from the stars; humanity should¡¯ve learned the issues with collective punishment. However, the Secretary-General brought up a worrisome point¡ªthat the Shield, namely the Duerten sect, wanted Aafa glassed altogether. For us to get them to consider tolerating us ¡°letting them get away scot free,¡± the first step would be to turn the Shield to full-fledged friends. It required undoing centuries of anti-predator dogma, so they could accept us as well-intentioned sapients, all over again. Much like with the Federation, it¡¯s about getting any voters who¡¯ll agree to a military alliance, and taking it from there. Baby steps. The galaxy still has a lot of healing to do, and I don¡¯t want humanity to turn a blind eye to those that are suffering today from the conspiracy¡¯s legacy. I hadn¡¯t decided what I would say to the Shield, and wondered just how Noah had come up with his iconic, ¡°Maybe we could be your friends¡± response. To me, that was the clincher for getting a few parties to give us an honest chance. I closed my eyes, issuing yet another silent thanks for having proper eyelids¡ªa successful surgical augment from Virnt. The Tilfish had been working at late hours of the night over the past week, seemingly obsessed with some sort of project. He hadn¡¯t left his desk even for a sendoff to me, so I made it a purpose to pay him a visit. Unease gripped my throat, as I noticed the insectoid surrounded by human brains in jars. Was¡­this how he¡¯d replicated the inner workings of the hominid mind? ¡°Just here to say goodbye. I¡¯ll be leaving any minute, as soon as the Sulean diplomat arrives,¡± I told the Terra Technologies scientist. Virnt turned around, mandibles clacking in an excitable way. ¡°Yes, of course. I hope the adjustments have helped, Elias. You¡¯re going to be the first synthetic to act on behalf of humanity¡ªwhat a long scuttle forward! We¡¯re building a concrete case for when you inevitably address the SC about rights for all people like you. We¡¯ll even have precedent with the Shield, for them to grant you the privileges of a sapient being.¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t seen how the Shield, as a whole, will receive me yet. Not all of the diplomats were so¡­elated about my digital resurrection. Perhaps this will serve to get them used to the idea; I suppose I am arguing for more than just humanity, the biological race.¡± ¡°You already knew there were several factors at play. The safety of the galaxy being chief among them. I remember when the Arxur raided my homeworld; my mother and I narrowly escaped, thanks to human soldiers. It¡¯s a tired story, perhaps, but that¡¯s the beauty of it. I trust that you won¡¯t let us get into another war with the grays, knowing the consequences. The Shield needs to hear that as well.¡± I nodded, and focused on blinking; even with eyelids, it was something I had to do manually. ¡°Was it hard for you, Virnt? Living on Earth¡­you know, as a giant insect?¡± ¡°Oh, yes, of course. Any time I go in public spaces, it¡¯s almost inevitable that someone freaks out at the sight of me. I wish there was a trick as simple as wearing a visor, like you can with your eyes.¡± ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, I think wearing something as basic as a lab coat might work. It¡¯d make you more¡­human, to their eyes. It¡¯d draw some connections in the brain of ¡®person¡¯ rather than ¡®aaah, scary!¡¯ That¡¯s a hard perception to flip though, and I hope it¡¯s not too hurtful.¡± ¡°Not at all. Marcel told us, when I was very young, that humans evolved to see us as harbingers of disease. I¡¯ve studied the response quite a bit, so I do understand exactly when it originates in the brain! I thought about removing fear responses from the brain, since they¡¯re a net negative in my view, but replicating emotions is too complex to risk that.¡± I cleared my throat. ¡°If I can¡¯t feel all of the same emotions as a human, then I¡¯m not myself. Elias Meier was the sum of all his parts¡ªthe positive and the negative.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t disagree. You still are an Elias Meier. The continuous experience of consciousness is the essence of personhood, in my opinion. I cannot imagine your brain knows how to make sense of the Great Beyond.¡± ¡°Death? It wasn¡¯t complicated; dark is the absence of light, and death is the absence of life. It is simply nothing. I wish there were¡­others who could describe the experience, because it changes how you view everything. It¡¯s difficult being the only one of my kind, and having no one to¡­commiserate with.¡± ¡°That is all changing soon!¡± The Tilfish waved a grasp in a circular motion, sweeping across different brain jars. ¡°Look around you, Elias.¡± I did a double take on the human minds scattered about his office; was Virnt trying to figure out how to straight-up resurrect people, just by taking their brains? Wouldn¡¯t they have rotted and lost neural connections, even if they were suspended in formaldehyde or something similar? My eyes squinted, seeing Terran names with holographic codes affixed to them. I scanned one marker, pulling up a full biological profile¡ªwhich stated that this individual had died in the year 2025, or 135 years ago. I didn¡¯t understand why the Tilfish was tampering with bodies that had been laid to rest over a century ago. These people couldn¡¯t have consented to this; Virnt still doesn¡¯t understand the fundamental problem with what he did to me. If Elias Meier had been asked, before his death, he wouldn¡¯t have wanted this. I¡­shouldn¡¯t exist, and I know it. ¡°No, these are the exact people who did consent, and who would want this!¡± Virnt responded to my internal thoughts, which earned a sour look from me. ¡°There were individuals who were cryogenically frozen in the late-20th and early-21st century, under the hopes that scientists could reverse death one day¡­perhaps even with just their brains. Humans who knew science could solve insurmountable obstacles with enough time. They were frozen after death, and now, it¡¯s just up to me to piece the¡­data in their minds together. Isn¡¯t that wonderful?¡± I paused, eyeing what I realized were cryogenic storage boxes; I faintly recalled hearing about individuals, hoping death could be reversed one day. ¡°Hm. I suppose these would be people who hoped for this sort of technology, and would want to be brought back. If they had just their minds revived, they must believe it¡¯s all that¡¯s necessary. They must have¡­considered this to be one of the ways they could return.¡± ¡°Precisely! Their¡­novice vitrification process could, unfortunately, result in damage to neural tissues. But it¡¯s most important that the areas preserving memory and personality are intact, like they are in these. I¡¯ve been studying the most viable specimens, and narrowed those down to ones that also have supplemental brain imaging¡ªsuch as long-outdated procedures like ¡®MRIs,¡¯ which used gigantic machines for entire lengths of time. At any rate, artificial intelligence can use this to try to restore any damaged sections.¡± Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Virnt definitely can unload a lot of information on his topics of interest. It¡¯s nice to see someone so engaged with their line of work; I can respect a singular passion. Not everybody can emulate that, and I hope he has others who appreciate that. ¡°I¡¯m on the spectrum. I know you already guessed that, but thank you for not singling it out or treating me differently,¡± the Tilfish commented. I raised my eyebrows. ¡°One of my most helpful aides was autistic, back in my¡­original life. As a diplomat, you grow to welcome such¡­straightforwardness, and information without any slant. For what it¡¯s worth, I do think these are solid candidates, if you¡¯re moving forward with the project.¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m moving forward with it! Elias, you¡¯re a sample size of one; we can¡¯t make any sweeping judgments from just you. I want you involved with this, going forward. When you get back from your visit to the Shield, I¡¯ll have finished up the recovery work on my selected candidate. I¡¯ll bring them to life then, and we can help them through the transition together! Someone will have to aid them in adjusting to the 22nd century.¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­crazy that we can bring back people, even if it¡¯s only a few, that died in the prior century.¡± I would be curious to know what life was like for them. It¡¯ll be souls from a different time period than our previous interlopers. ¡°At least these types might have an easier time than the Archives captives, adjusting to the idea that they¡¯re now in the ¡®future.¡¯ I¡¯ll be glad to be there and help; I¡¯m the only one who knows what they¡¯re going through, after all. Don¡¯t forget to start them with the revisions you already made for me!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t forget. Your input will be the key to perfecting this for the next digital transplants. Like with any technology, it¡¯ll only improve.¡± ¡°It has to. The slightest imperfection and I guarantee they¡¯ll notice.¡± Like I still notice the utter absence of breathing. Suffocation isn¡¯t the sort of sensation that just fades into the background over time. ¡°The Sulean envoy should be here by now, so we shouldn¡¯t keep them waiting. Good luck, Virnt. Remember why you¡¯re doing this.¡± The Tilfish waved a grasper in a rather human gesture, before returning to his work, looking at the transcripts he¡¯d pulled from the cryonic brains. Those should be quite interesting to peruse for historical value, seeing what the time period was truly like through their eyes. As intrusive as it was to view someone¡¯s life story from a single snapshot of their mind, I couldn¡¯t deny the applications the technology could have. There clearly were many sapients who were interested in mind uploading, given what I¡¯d heard Virnt say on the call, about the uptick in brain scans. If there was one privacy law I needed to lobby for, it was that memory transcripts couldn¡¯t be sold and data-mined. I wished I¡¯d seen this coming in my first lifetime, and gotten ahead of it¡­but how could I? I ran through what I¡¯d learned about Sulean culture to myself; most of the current SC members weren¡¯t part of the original dozen who voted to attempt diplomacy with us. Jild was an unusual world, creating both the Suleans and the Iftalis. Aliens likely were simple for them to bond with, since they were close to a sapient species other than themselves by default. I tried to imagine how humanity would¡¯ve differed if we¡¯d had non-human intelligence native to Earth, and our paths crossed throughout history. Unfortunately, I believed most Terrans from the past would¡¯ve tried to conquer them, rather than opening trade and living side-by-side as the Sulean-Iftali citizens did. Tribalism had made us desapientize our own kind, though I prided myself that we¡¯d come so far from historical atrocities. The wheel of progress turns much too slowly, as we can see from the less-than-desirable outcomes across the galaxy, but the important part is that it turns. I always wanted to move humanity forward, even if it was a gain of mere inches. That would¡¯ve been¡­it was worth any sacrifice, to me. The Sulean reared back on two legs, waving a hoof at me. ¡°Hello! Over here.¡± I donned a cautious smile, taking care not to show my teeth even with SC allies. ¡°As you well know, I¡¯m Elias Meier. And you are?¡± ¡°Syba. I became a diplomat because of you, you know¡ªyou stopped at nothing to protect your people, and never gave up on peace. It must¡¯ve seemed impossible to you, but you didn¡¯t! Actually, you were one of my heroes growing up, sir; it¡¯s made my year to travel with you.¡± ¡°No need to call me sir, Syba. We humans have a saying: never meet your heroes.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t disappoint me, Mr. Elias. The fact that you¡¯re even worried about that shows you¡¯re exactly who I thought you were! It¡¯s me who should be concerned about not living up to your legacy.¡± I waved a hand dismissively. ¡°Nonsense. Aren¡¯t Sulean diplomats the ones who persuaded lots of former neutral parties back during the war?¡± ¡°Including the Duerten, who ran what was then known as the Duerten Shield. They were very rude and unpleasant at first; you¡¯re lucky to have met Korajan and not their first ¡®diplomats.¡¯¡± Syba tossed her antlerless head, revealing the black-and-white stripes continuing down her neck. ¡°Suleans were making calls almost nonstop, all because we wanted to stand with our Iftali kin. Finding out they used to be omnivores¡­we wouldn¡¯t turn on them, so why should we condemn you? We had to get allies and stop the Federation.¡± ¡°You were unsung heroes for that, Syba. Getting the Shield on our side is what turned the Battle of Aafa¡­not to mention that your efforts brought in dozens of our SC allies. Diplomacy won the war as much as guns, and it¡¯s a shame Suleans¡¯ contributions have been overlooked.¡± ¡°Clearly, they haven¡¯t been forgotten, since we were invited on your expedition! It¡¯s time to soften up the Shield and neutrals all over again, since we wrote the manual on how to do it the first time. Plus, who I am might lower their guard.¡± ¡°Who are you, exactly?¡± I asked, as I ambled toward the waiting shuttle. ¡°Should I be concerned? The kind of thing that might ¡®lower the Shield¡¯s guard¡¯ could be five-time Exterminator of the Month.¡± ¡°No, silly!¡± Syba chuckled, headbutting me playfully; I hoped she hadn¡¯t hurt herself, not expecting the immovable metal skeleton beneath the faux flesh. ¡°My dad is Vynle, the talk show host. One of the most famous in the Federation, before the war. He was popular with humans too, by the end, because of a few clips. I shouldn¡¯t have expected you to know, since you weren¡¯t alive when he would¡¯ve been known on Earth.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re hoping you can unruffle some feathers when Shield diplomats have that moment of, ¡®Oh, you¡¯re Vynle¡¯s kid?¡¯ It¡¯s not a bad play, having a bit of an in-roads with them. But if he became popular with humans, would they¡­hold that against him?¡± ¡°Well, no. Long story, but his old shows remain very popular in ¡®no predators allowed¡¯ territory. Let¡¯s just say Dad was very critical of you at first, and they like the jokes he made at your expense. There¡¯s some wild conspiracies out there. Like that humans coerced him into siding with them, once they got to Jild¡ªyou¡¯re predators that know the value of propaganda, after all. It couldn¡¯t be further from the truth.¡± ¡°What is the truth, Syba?¡± ¡°The studio told him not to bring on his first human guest, due to liability concerns. The audience usually¡­stamps their hooves and cheers to welcome celebrity visitors, but there were mostly gasps and panic when a real-life predator came out. A lot of the live spectators fled, almost stampeding. Dad told me he felt sick sitting across from¡­Manny, I think the guy¡¯s name was¡­during that first interview, but he covered it up well¡ªasking fluff questions and ice breakers, like with anyone else.¡± ¡°I¡¯m old enough to remember Manny Griffin. Is that why Vynle¡¯s show caught on with humans? Because he welcomed our celebrities?¡± Syba chuckled. ¡°Not quite. Dad became an internet sensation here because he kept insulting you, even after his opinion on you turned. One of the most famous clips is him screaming at the camera, ¡®What even is an appendix?¡¯, before launching into a lengthy tirade. There was another where he said that mascot costumes were ¡®more horrifying than your actual faces.¡¯ Also the time where he held up a picture of a Terran in a ski mask, and said they were doing Veln¡¯s visor law wrong. ¡®Nobody wants to see your eyes. Haven¡¯t you got the message?!¡¯¡± ¡°Okay, that¡¯s actually pretty funny,¡± I chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll have to look this up on the ride over.¡± ¡°Dad was relentless. Instead of backtracking after the omnivore reveal, he just doubled down and went after you harder. People thought he had a death wish, but it seems humans overall found it quite hilarious.¡± ¡°We like to laugh at ourselves. Sometimes, that¡¯s all you can do.¡± Syba bobbed her head enthusiastically. ¡°That¡¯s right! Dad retired a few years ago, but I learned a lot from him. The way Host Vynle would disarm people, it¡¯s useful for diplomacy. I wound up talking to strangers for a living, just the same as him.¡± ¡°From what I¡¯ve seen so far, we¡¯re all better for it. I¡¯m glad to have you with me on this mission. Your father should be proud.¡± The Sulean threw her head back, prancing ahead of me excitedly. I smiled in spite of myself, letting myself enjoy the fact that interacting with friendly aliens was now part of humanity¡¯s existence. Syba looked up to me, which had warmed me to my core to hear, so the last thing I wanted was to let her down. I couldn¡¯t afford to be a shell of myself, failing to live up to the legacy the real Elias had created with his final breath. It was time to move the needle of progress forward, and to find a way to get the Shield to help out with a galaxy-spanning war once again. Chapter 2-45 Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem Alien Liaison Date [standardized human time]: August 11, 2160 My heart was heavy as I reached Sapient Coalition command, with the Sivkits safely at Ivrana. The frostiness from Haliska had simmered a bit, though I felt less-than-enthusiastic with the prospect of betraying General Naltor ahead of me. That smartass Selmer had endeared himself to me, and tried to take care of me as the first contact situation spiraled out of control. While I had wounded my Thafki and Gojid friends, was turning on another friend going to improve things at all¡ªeven if it was to keep Bissems connected to the galaxy? We couldn¡¯t afford the might of the Sapient Coalition bearing down on us, and I believed Naltor would agree if he had the full context. He understood how much was at stake, and how vulnerable we were; gathering allies was all that mattered. Still, I wanted to talk to someone, and it wouldn¡¯t be Haliska or Nulia. They¡¯d shown little sympathy for my predicament, evidently. Dustin might¡¯ve hated the Arxur and lied to me to begin with, but there was a reason he wasn¡¯t brought with Jones¡¯ entourage. Maybe I can confide in him. Someone has to help me, and I don¡¯t know who else to speak with. I can¡¯t involve other Bissems. Somehow, finding out how the Sivkits learned about Tinsas seemed the easiest task, of the three factions I was supposed to cross. Loxsel had given me tons of reading homework, with alien texts that gave me a boatload of information to dissect; combing through page-turners was a welcome distraction. Not all of them were even from the verbose playwright¡¯s species, and I found myself eager for Bissem literary critics to analyze them. Many plots were surprisingly relatable, such as a Takkan book about venturing to far-off worlds in the Diaspora, or a Dossur tale about the Federation descending from the heavens. I remember experiencing both of those things for the first time, and the awe I once felt. It would take a lot of effort to hold onto that feeling. ¡°So Tassi, forthwith, you shall offer a rejoinder to my queries! Why did the Sivkit author give a green tail ribbon to a puissant character like Nacfrin, who leads the Grand Herd in the peregrination of the galaxy?¡± a disenchanted Loxsel sighed. I parted my beak in thought, trying to decide what type of answer would be eloquent enough to appease the Sivkit. ¡°Perhaps there was some ancestral memory of how the sky was emerald green on Tinsas, so the author¡¯s choice of color reflects adventuring upward and beyond one¡¯s world. Nacfrin wants to be out of reach, but his own self has become unreachable, like the sky; the ribbon serves as a reminder throughout his time on the stage. It signals that he, and the Herd, are lost in the stars, no matter how strong-willed a character is.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s absurd, you esurient piscivore! Prithee, could you actually try?¡± ¡°I am trying. What did I say that¡¯s wrong about the¡­ribbon?¡± ¡°Tassi, you are a dimwitted picaroon. It is a mere bijou, but you pick the most otiose interpretations. Sometimes, a color is just a color! Words are just words! There is no grander meaning to extract, circumjacent to what¡¯s in the pages! I guarantee the author had nothing in mind ere writing the color of a riband.¡± I checked that I was recording the conversation, bracing myself to look up more of Loxsel¡¯s vocabulary¡ªa recurring theme in our sessions. ¡°Then why did you ask me about the ribbon? I¡¯m trying to see what you see in it.¡± ¡°I was testing you. You failed, just like those pathetic human ¡®actors¡¯ who are performing my play. They were supposed to be armipotent and sanguinolent! Ugh, that¡¯s strong and bloodthirsty, you dull-minded bird. It¡¯s like talking to a rock! With everyone!¡± ¡°Hang on. You got the humans on that Paltan base to act out one of your plays? That¡¯s really¡­nice of them. I didn¡¯t know how they took to your writing, but I¡¯m happy to hear it. How did you get them involved with¡­that?¡± ¡°I promised not to eat garden plants anymore. Those contumelious beasts also made me promise to talk to them like people, whatever that brabble means, and to use words they could ¡®understand.¡¯ You predators are so limiting!¡± I raised a flipper. ¡°Maybe just¡­any word you¡¯d use in a play, don¡¯t use it in speech. Then people will understand you.¡± ¡°People do understand me! I understand me; am I not a person, you contumely coxcomb?¡± ¡°No, Loxsel. Of course you¡¯re a person. I meant¡­that predators will understand you.¡± I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m willingly lumping my kind and the humans together in a separate classification as predators, but reasoning with Loxsel is impossible otherwise. ¡°It¡¯s good if the humans aren¡¯t so¡­sanguinolent, right? Maybe they aren¡¯t as eager to eat you as you thought.¡± ¡°They are in sooth boring, and hereupon, nary a human can act or smite Tinsas. Poltroons¡ªcowards¡ªthe lot of them!¡± ¡°Why do you say that, Loxsel? They agreed to act in your play; and trust me, that took courage. Is it because they did that?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s because of how they did it. Look how terrible this first rehearsal was. You could¡¯ve prepped me for sepulture after that, lackaday!¡± Somehow not the first time he¡¯s used ¡°sepulture¡± in relation to himself. Is he basically saying he was on death¡¯s door, ready to be buried, from how badly these poor soldiers performed? ¡°It couldn¡¯t have been that bad,¡± I prodded. ¡°They¡¯re learning.¡± The Sivkit¡¯s ears intertwined, twisting together like cords of rope. ¡°These dandiprats cannot act to save their lives! I don¡¯t know how we thought they could swindle or deceive anyone. They won¡¯t heed my diktats; they refuse to be intemperate! Look at this travesty.¡± With dread in my heart for his primate victims, I turned my eyes toward the video on screen. The human who¡¯d spoken to me, referring to Loxsel as the ¡°funny bunny,¡± appeared to be playing a speaking role; he was tearing into another actor, though struggling a bit with using some of the words aloud. The opposing hominid waved a dismissive hand, before telling ¡°Daxfrin¡± that he¡¯d be in a facility soon. The man playing Daxfrin scrunched his features in rage, before arcing his arm toward his counterpart. The punch stopped just short of the other soldier¡¯s chin, and he whipped his head back like it hit him, nursing his jaw. Loxsel came running into the frame; in the present time, the Sivkit was covering his eyes with his paws, as if he couldn¡¯t watch. ¡°That wasn¡¯t a real punch! I thought predators could handle a basic, facile attack,¡± Loxsel hissed at the human, fur sticking upright. ¡°Daxfrin¡± arched his eyebrows with indignation. ¡°John sold the punch just fine. You told us in the script to act out a ¡®facial attack.¡¯¡± ¡°Yes, like this!¡± I gasped as Loxsel slammed his paw into the human¡¯s jaw with surprising force, making him stagger onto the ground. The primate pawed at the blood on his chin, and stared at the Sivkit in utter disbelief. ¡°See the contradistinction? You cannot fake that with your phony chicanery!¡± ¡°What the fuck? You actually hit me.¡± ¡°I was demonstrating how you can evince your salient bloodlust! Let the animal loose. Go on.¡± Loxsel turned his chin toward Daxfrin¡¯s actor, an expectant look on his beady eyes. ¡°Your turn. Swinge me right here, gormandizing venator!¡± ¡°I am not going to hit you. You¡­can¡¯t just punch people in the face, Loxsel.¡± ¡°It appears I can. You¡¯re so disinclined to extract a drop of blood; humans are a grave disappointment! I came hither expecting to meet a species of wrathfulness, yet you are the most docile, dull, garrulous predators I¡¯ve ever heard of!¡± ¡°I think we¡¯re all done here. We might be docile, but we won¡¯t take pointless abuse from you!¡± The Terrans are awfully patient, but nobody would expect them to suffer this from Loxsel. I need to convince him to stop being so¡­excessive, for his own good. The Sivkit stopped the video in real time, and turned manic eyes toward me. ¡°The inchoate scapegraces wouldn¡¯t even try to get it right; they ruined my pulchritudinous script!¡± ¡°Hold on. These humans were willing to help you bring your play to life, and you punched them in the face for it?¡± I asked incredulously. ¡°I did nothing to the fiends that I wasn¡¯t willing to subject myself to.¡± ¡°Were they willing to be subjected to it? I thought you¡¯d be happier that someone is taking an interest. Maybe you should try being¡­nice to them, if you¡¯re already convinced they¡¯re ¡®docile.¡¯ You don¡¯t have to view this like you¡¯re being jailed or sacrificed. You could try to make friends.¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Their rapprochement is not wanted, iwis not by the Grand Herd! Yield us animus, vengeance delivered through an ambuscade¡ªappetency for conquest.¡± ¡°They won¡¯t do that, but they do want to help you, Loxsel. After every alien has tried to screw you over, I think you should appreciate an honest ¡®predator¡¯ who just wants friends.¡± There was a pause from the Sivkit. ¡°I do. That¡¯s why I talk to you. Mayhap I can re-evaluate the¡­indefatigable beasts too. Goodbye, Tassi.¡± Loxsel disconnected, forcing me to decide whether to approach Dustin¡ªa member of the very species that¡¯d roped me into this clandestine arrangement. Who else did I have that was an alien friend? I didn¡¯t feel especially close to the Thafki and Gojid scientists; I¡¯d be glad when they left the ship at the docking port, and ventured off into the SC¡¯s governance premises. Drawing a shaky breath, I exited my shuttle with pins-and-needles in my flippers; my throat was dry, and my stomach felt sick at the thought of turning on Lassmin. I hoped General Naltor wouldn¡¯t find me before I could locate the xenobiologist, because I wasn¡¯t sure how I¡¯d look at the Selmer with a straight face. A curly head of hair was the first thing I saw, sitting in a chair. I¡¯m not sure whether to feel relief, or to feel torn about whether to confide in Dustin Curtis. What if he just makes it worse with Jones, or turns on me as well, when he learns about my involvement with the Arxur? ¡°Tassi!¡± The Terran enveloped me in a hug, grinning from ear to ear. ¡°Sivkits on Ivrana. You succeeded at getting through to them, where we have failed for years. I¡¯m proud of you.¡± I swallowed the lump in my throat. ¡°T-thanks. Look, can we go somewhere¡­private? Where no one will overhear? I have to tell you something.¡± ¡°Sure. Back on the ship?¡± ¡°No. It could be¡­bugged, with the people that were on it. I¡¯m intelligent enough to know they¡¯re watching me.¡± ¡°Who¡­right, private venue. The cramped janitor¡¯s closet over there?¡± ¡°Sure, Dustin. I¡­hope you won¡¯t hate me.¡± ¡°Please, I could never. Something¡¯s got you spooked; I¡¯ve never seen you like this.¡± The xenobiologist squeezed into the closet, and I shut the door after I followed him. ¡°Whatever trouble you¡¯re in¡­if someone in the SC is threatening you, we can help.¡± ¡°That someone is humanity.¡± The Terran blinked in the half-lighting. ¡°What? Our mission is to save you¡ªto ensure your success. We¡¯ve had our shares of wars and mistakes too, and we don¡¯t want you left out in the cold. We want predators to truly be accepted. Why would we wish to harm you? I don¡¯t understand!¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­c-complicated. Like I said, I know you¡¯re going to be upset and disappointed in me, and that I failed¡­everyone. I have nobody else to turn to. Please don¡¯t¡­suggest terrible things about me, like Haliska and Nulia.¡± ¡°Hallie and Nulia were demeaning you? That¡¯s completely unbecoming of a first contact party; we¡¯re supposed to facilitate trust.¡± Really? But you left out¡­later, Tassi. I reoriented my focus, forcing myself to tell the story of how Bissems betrayed the people who helped us. ¡°W-when we went to Leirn, the Yotul put Bissems in contact with the Arxur. They promised to get us into the SC, if we would help the grays lobby for lifting isolation a long time in the future. It seemed like the only way, so I went along with it; then the war spooked us into getting closer. The Arxur¡­also gave us ships, in exchange for us¡­talking with them. We did tell them about the Osirs, and that¡¯s why they¡¯re out here.¡± No hurt, judgment, or betrayal flashed in the xenobiologist¡¯s eyes; his irises swirled with concern. ¡°Tassi, that¡¯s not something you should be connected with. I had no idea. I understand why you did it; I mean, I¡¯ve failed at making you feel safe, or understand what a powder keg we¡¯re sitting on. There¡¯s so much baggage tied to anything Arxur-sympathizing; I would know, living on Skalga and being equated to them.¡± ¡°You¡­understand? But you left out a lot of details about the Arxur¡¯s story. How they saved Earth, how the Federation created them, how their rebels¡­¡± ¡°I wanted to protect you, Tassi, but that wasn¡¯t fair of me¡­and it seems it got you into a worse clusterfuck. It wasn¡¯t my decision to make, especially when we wanted full transparency. I just¡­for your own good, I believed you should have as negative of an opinion of the Arxur as possible. As carnivores, distancing yourself was the only way to win the SC. They have no intent of ever letting the grays out. And the Yotul, using you¡ªit boils my blood! That¡¯s no way to treat a new species with no bargaining power. They¡¯re just like the Federation with their uplifts.¡± ¡°You¡¯re¡­on my side. Thank Hirs; I don¡¯t know what the fuck to do, but I don¡¯t want Bissems banished like the Arxur!¡± A glimmer of hope flickered in my chest, seeing Dustin worked up on my behalf. Even if I did resent how he hadn¡¯t given me all the facts, I couldn¡¯t deny that it would¡¯ve been better if we never got involved with the grays. ¡°I never meant for any of this to happen, or for this to go so far. I wish to Hirs I could take it back.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll figure something out, but I need to know what the hell is going on here. You said humanity was threatening you over this?¡± ¡°Y-yeah. That general with Terran intelligence, f-from the briefing, boarded my ship. She knew everything, Dustin, and Haliska and Nulia were with her¡ªsaying I betrayed them!¡± The human¡¯s jaw locked. ¡°I confess, part of my omission was tiptoeing around Haliska; the Thafki hate the Arxur. But why Nulia would take part in this boggles my mind¡­and I¡¯m so unspeakably disappointed in my counterparts. We spent a decade studying you, cultural sensitivity, and now, they¡¯ve trying to manipulate you for making your own decisions? They¡¯d hurt you personally? I fear I know where this is going¡­¡± ¡°Jones wants me to spy on the Arxur, the Sivkits, and Bissems, to advance humanity¡¯s agenda. She threatened to out our meddling to SC, so we will never have friends. If I tell anyone from Lassmin, she will know, because she intends to do memory scans on me.¡± ¡°And there it is. Fucking pricks. Tassi, that general was bluffing to your face. She¡¯s not gonna tell the SC; are you kidding me? You realize how much fire it dumps on the ¡®evil predator¡¯ train, and how much more we¡¯ll be penciled in as an ¡®exception?¡¯ Not to mention, humanity are the ones who wanted to give you a chance! How does that make us look? I¡¯ll tell you. Dumb and inept, or worse, predator-sympathizing. All while we¡¯re trying to ally with the Shield, who are looking for any excuse to distrust predators.¡± I leaned my head back against the wall, and reevaluated Jones¡¯ threat against me¡ªthe one that¡¯d all but forced me to agree to spy against the very Bissems I was loyal to. Dustin had won back my trust simply by telling me that, since I was certain Terran Intelligence hadn¡¯t wanted me to decipher the reality; I was too trusting of what people said at face value, and it might be time to forcibly crush my na?vety. The humans didn¡¯t want our involvement in loosing the Arxur to be out in the open. General Jones threatened the one thing I wanted above all else, because it would bend me to her will. She was hoping to control the outcome of Kaisal¡¯s escape, and to put a leash on Naltor and Zalk¡¯s schemes. Elevating anti-predator biases didn¡¯t serve either of our species. Jones played me for a fool, and Dustin saw through it in half a second. To think, I would¡¯ve betrayed Naltor because I was being used. Is it safe to just back out, or at least, to tell my people that humanity knows about our scheme? That they went after me: a scientist? Dustin crossed his arms, eyes steely. ¡°Okay. I can read between the lines on the Bissem angle. What was the end goal with spying on the Arxur and Sivkits? You don¡¯t have any direct input or inroads with them.¡± ¡°For the Arxur, I think Jones wants to push them to her own targets. She seems to believe I can influence that. As for the Sivkits, she wants to know how they found out about Tinsas. Someone or something told them.¡± ¡°Those aren¡¯t necessarily bad goals, if I¡¯m being honest; the Starlight Incident didn¡¯t make me fond of the idea of unknowns in the galaxy. Do it only if it¡¯s your wish, and it aligns with your aspirations. But Tassi? Subterfuge isn¡¯t your style, and I won¡¯t let you become someone else¡¯s pawn. I¡¯d fight for Bissems even if the rest of Earth was against me.¡± ¡°Thank you, Dustin. I wouldn¡¯t mind finding out where Loxsel got his information, since it impacts the war. I would¡¯ve done that if I was just asked. Kaisal¡­I don¡¯t want a galactic war, but I wish I could not be involved with the Arxur at all.¡± ¡°It is a little late for Bissems to not be tied to this; however, you don¡¯t have to be. I¡¯m surprised Naltor would bring you into this. Your people need to know all of this¡­in the spirit of transparency.¡± ¡°But what about Jones? She¡¯ll expect reports, and¡­what do I even do now? This is all not what I signed up for at all.¡± ¡°You just wanted alien friends. I know. She knows that too.¡± The human smiled with sympathy, placing my flipper between his hands. ¡°Let me worry about Jones. I¡¯m going to find people in the UN who never would¡¯ve allowed this, and they¡¯ll put her in line. For now, I suggest refusing memory transcripts¡ªNaltor can make up a bullshit reason for you. We should tell him everything you told me. Right now.¡± ¡°T-tell Naltor. That I¡­agreed to betray Ivrana.¡± ¡°You said what you thought you had to. I imagine your Selmer friend will be angry at how they took a run at you¡­and he might be able to control what¡¯s sent to Jones through you, if you want to flip the script. A double agent: not betraying your home, but letting her believe she has you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­not sure about crossing humanity, or being involved with any of these underhanded maneuvers. But I want to keep Ivrana safe. I¡¯m loyal to Lassmin.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t let anyone get their claws in you. I definitely intend to chew out a certain Thafki and Gojid as well. Please, Tassi, trust that humans¡­we¡¯re not all like that. Most of us just want friends too.¡± ¡°I know that. We share that same enthusiasm for the galaxy, and I do believe in the SC¡¯s mission. How you¡¯ve improved the galaxy. For all of the bad, I want to be a part of it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure how many Bissems will agree with you after this, but I¡¯m glad to hear some optimism. I¡¯m happy you don¡¯t hate me, because I¡¯ve let you down as a friend. I put politics over doing what¡¯s right for you as a person; I am sorry. I swear I never wanted anything more than for you to be accepted and safe. We really weren¡¯t ready for this first contact.¡± I tapped open the closet door, patting Dustin on the back. ¡°That¡¯s all behind us now. We¡¯ve both made mistakes, but you¡¯re the only alien friend I have. You did what you thought was right during first contact, just like I did with the Arxur; it happened to blow up in our faces, but neither of us sought that result. I trust you. We¡¯ll figure this out.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the spirit. You¡¯re not in this alone by a long shot, and I hope you remember that. What do you say we find Naltor, and tell him how you¡¯re the world¡¯s worst spy, friend?¡± I chuckled. ¡°When you put it like that¡­lead the way.¡± The Terran xenobiologist led me through the SC halls. Word of the Arxur collusion could get out through other means and jeopardize our place in the galaxy, but he¡¯d reassured me Jones had no intent of following through with her threat. I was more than content to leave the scheming to General Naltor, and to hope he¡¯d still trust me to be a part of the Bissems¡¯ galactic future. While I hadn¡¯t committed treason, I was worried how the Selmer might view me for considering it. However, with Dustin on my side, I felt like there was a hope of getting out of this with my dignity intact; he had a plan, and was going to sort out this mess. Bissems had to figure out a way to make this right, and to reckon with Terran Intelligence breathing down our neck feathers. The last thing the galaxy needed was further complications amid the war; the drone fleets had been stalled, but they neared the three founding worlds, just as the Sivkit hypothesis for the attacks¡¯ origin predicted. Keeping Ivrana safe and politically secure was important now more than ever. Chapter 2-46 Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist Date [standardized human time]: August 11, 2160 The silver lining that came from Gress¡¯ outburst was that General Radai had been kind enough to grant me a brief leave, to take care of him. I feared that the sweet Krev should be on suicide watch, after what Mafani had implied about the Jaslip incident. The carnivores had already been wrathful about the Esquo Massacre being unnecessary, but this was pouring fuel on the fire. Radai, for his part, had been demanding answers. While the truth of what happened to the Sivkits should¡¯ve been an overall morale booster, it was muddied by the general¡¯s insistence on a public hearing to probe into Underscale involvement. My exchange partner didn¡¯t seem to doubt what Mafani had said, as if he knew it was the truth when he heard it. I longed for an explanation, so I could try to help Gress sift through this nightmare, but I was being patient with the former hostage negotiator. Either way, the Krev had been discharged from his role as a comms technician in the Consortium military. While I wanted to be a part of protecting Tellus and acquiring answers, there was no scenario in which I¡¯d leave him; my own spot in the military was in question, without him there. Quana and Cherise were wonderful friends, trustworthy and spirited, but they were only that¡ªfriends. Gress was something more to me; he was the good part of me, the elusive ¡°better Taylor Trench.¡± I had to be here as Radai¡¯s public hearing took place today, demanding answers from the KC black ops. Most ark ship colonists were much more focused on this being the Sivkits¡¯ homeworld, and how we should handle that factor: to think that their ruins were beneath our feet this whole time, and the Federation was more sinister than even we imagined! Once, I would¡¯ve been refocusing revenge plans and hatred for xenos too; I am worried about our planet¡¯s safety, and humanity¡¯s last survivors being found. But ultimately, there¡¯s not much I can do to change the broader circumstances. I can be here to steady Gress, as he¡¯s done a thousand times for me. I can choose love. The Krev was curled into a ball on the couch, as the television set ticked down a timer for when Radai¡¯s hearing would begin. It was the first time he¡¯d left his bed all week; I¡¯d been bringing him food he hardly touched. He¡¯d completely withdrawn after his discharge¡ªwhich I thought was unfair, given that Quana only received a disciplinary action for also pulling the trigger. The unforgivable offense was turning the weapon on the Resket general, but I knew that Gress hadn¡¯t been thinking logically. I was grateful that he¡¯d stopped me from taking Mafani out, since he was right about it deepening the scars and further damaging my life. Then again, had I known what my exchange partner was about to do, I would¡¯ve pulled the trigger myself to spare him this pain. My own mind ached, wondering why Underscales would want to shoot the Jaslip children, fulfilling the terrorists¡¯ threat. ¡°Gress? Please talk to me. You can¡¯t drown in yourself, not after hearing what they did,¡± I whispered. ¡°I know you think everyone hates you, but I think you changed the way Quana looks at you; she knows that you care, and that you weren¡¯t to blame. You read the Jaslips right that day, if they weren¡¯t actually going to kill the kids.¡± The Krev sniffled. ¡°I did nothing but serve the Consortium, Taylor. Nothing. I worked alongside the Listeners¡­the secret police¡­for years to solve cases, and they¡¯d do this to me. They knew I was soft on kids. I¡¯m sorry you got mixed up in this.¡± ¡°I¡¯m right where I want to be. Besides, the Consortium will take eons to actually plan Sivkit recon, especially with Radai¡¯s whole Underscale witch hunt going on. He¡¯ll get justice. People will know the truth.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so sure. The proof is from Mafani, a known sociopath and traitor¡ªsomeone who hurt you. I should¡¯ve shot him on sight for that, but I was trying not to encourage anger and vengeance.¡± ¡°But you didn¡¯t. He specifically provoked you, and we can show it¡¯s an isolated PTSD incident¡­get you treatment. There has to be some way to get you back in the game¡ªto have this undone.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want anything about my discharge undone, Taylor. I won¡¯t serve the Consortium, ever again.¡± Gress is talking now. This is a good sign, that maybe he¡¯s ready to open up and¡­process what happened. God, I¡¯m going to be shit at comforting him. I¡¯ve never done this sort of thing. I nodded, patting his paw gently. ¡°Okay. Then I¡¯m done too. We can¡­start that Tellus massage parlor you wanted.¡± ¡°No. I won¡¯t let you throw your life away, the first time you¡¯re able to do the things you¡¯ve dreamed of and stand up for yourself. I¡¯m not that selfish.¡± My heart broke into tiny pieces, seeing him beat himself up. I didn¡¯t want him to push me away. ¡°I am that selfish, Gress. I want you. I¡¯ve wanted you for quite some time. You¡¯re everything I ever dreamed of, and more. You¡¯re the only good thing in my universe. I¡¯m¡­nothing without you.¡± The Krev finally poked his head out from his curled up state, and his puffy, tear-stained eyes shone with surprise. I met his gaze as a surge of nerves made the hairs on my arm stand up; the weight of his judgment had me feeling like I wanted to die, or retract the words I¡¯d just breathed into existence. What on Earth had I been thinking, admitting how out of control my affection had gotten for him; how totally smitten and enamored I was speaking with him? These kinds of leanings were selfish, given how every ark colonist had needed to contribute to the next generation. There were expectations, yet here I was¡­professing that dark truth to a xeno. Not to mention how unhelpful it was in comforting him. What was I thinking, confessing that to him now? The arrogance to even fathom that Gress could want you, Taylor: a desperate, broken, rash mess, who leaves a trail of destruction in his wake. Nobody could ever love you. Deep down, you know it. I tried to stop the despairing frown from taking over my face, since I knew I needed to put Gress first. An apology, followed by an offer to leave, would be a good start. I¡¯d just ruined our friendship, like I ruined everything else. Maybe the way he¡¯d hugged me before jumping into the Sivkit ruins, or told me that he cared for me while simply trying to be supportive, had let my imagination run wild. Perhaps it was that he was the polar opposite from how aliens were supposed to be, since I¡¯d never dreamed they¡¯d love and not hate us. Who was I kidding¡ªI would be a terrible partner, and the fact I¡¯d said such a tone-deaf thing now proved it. There was no reason to force Gress to reject me, when he needed help putting his life back together. ¡°I care very deeply for you, but¡­¡± the Krev trailed off. Here it comes. The but. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you, the way I became a threat to Lecca. You could¡¯ve gotten hurt, standing in Radai¡¯s way, because I lost control. I scared off one partner already because I can¡¯t trust my brain. You deserve someone who can be¡­stable. Dependable.¡± My mouth parted in surprise, hearing Gress mirror my thoughts on being a bad significant other. ¡°You can be stable and dependable. You could never scare me off either. I understand what it¡¯s like, and¡ªshit, I¡¯m certainly not stable. You are a strong, beautiful soul¡­my rock. I want to try to be like that for you.¡± Gress seemed noticeably more alive and responsive than he had since Mafani¡¯s words drove daggers into his very soul. The Krev reached out with a paw and grabbed my hand, sending chills down my spine; his claws intertwined with my fingers, and he held on quietly. I curled my digits around his smooth skin, letting our entangled grip fall onto the couch. My binocular eyes blinked rapidly, in disbelief for a variety of reasons¡ªfor what this meant for us both, and where we even went from here. I didn¡¯t have a clue how to handle this, with the cultural disparities and¡­getting eaten alive by panic wasn¡¯t the thing to do in front of Gress. Regardless of whether I was in over my head, we could just sit here like this and watch Radai¡¯s broadcast. The Resket general had strolled up onto an elevated platform, with a gaze that could melt ice. Radai would screech in my face and hurl pejorative threats at me, but he¡¯d never looked so murderous. As an honorable leader, the pink ratite must feel absolute disdain for the Underscales¡ªand their director had just arrived per the Delegatory Summons. A prominent Consortium leader voicing the idea that black ops was behind the Jaslips¡¯ deaths had been enough for the carnivores to believe it; they didn¡¯t hold their alien allies in high esteem. Radai and Director Wrolle, a Trombil that literally had a gun in place of his right forepaw, engaged in a staring contest. I wondered for a moment if the avian would challenge the Underscale leader to a duel, for the Consortium¡¯s honor. The general narrowed his massive eyes further. ¡°Director Wrolle. Let¡¯s get down to business. Did a Resket officer named Mafani, who was a recent fugitive on Tellus, once act as one of your operatives?¡± ¡°There are records of Mafani having served with the Underscales. Many of his operations are classified, in the interest of interplanetary security,¡± Wrolle answered robotically. ¡°Consider anything I ask about unclassified. Mafani stated that he was present during the infamous Jaslip hostage situation, where the presumed story was that these extremists shot their own children after Gress opted to free Krev leadership. What would an Underscale have been doing at the scene of a crime¡ªa public spectacle?¡± If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°An Underscale wouldn¡¯t have been there. Unless Mafani acted alone for nefarious purposes, which is not impossible given his sociopathic tendencies¡­we had nothing to do with the incident.¡± ¡°Mafani had intimate knowledge of the crime; details only Gress and those who were there would know, beyond the public record.¡± ¡°Again, this is a sociopath who likely wanted to mess with the ex-negotiator. According to my records, Gress was with your team. There¡¯s ample reason to believe Mafani had a grudge with the former officer and his entire circle. It¡¯s documented, by you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not listening, Director Wrolle. Mafani knew details of the incident that he could not have known without being there¡ªsuch as how a kit died in Gress¡¯ arms, down to the exact placement of the wound. He took credit for firing the lethal neck shot, to allow the child to live just long enough to die in front of the negotiator.¡± ¡°There are any number of ways Mafani could¡¯ve obtained that information. Accessing police records illicitly, finding a memory scan from a witness, speaking with others there to research Gress¡ªagain, he was obsessed. The only proof you have is the story of a maniacal, sadistic would-be killer, and I wouldn¡¯t say this is a reliable source. I¡¯m disappointed you¡¯d buy into such a dastardly narrative about the Consortium, Radai.¡± ¡°Such a claim deserves to be investigated; I¡¯m disappointed you would recruit someone of Mafani¡¯s mental disposition. Can you prove that the Underscales were not behind the Jaslip kits¡¯ deaths? Have we done a bullet analysis, and compared that to the guns shown on the Jaslips¡¯ video?¡± ¡°There wasn¡¯t much investigation to be done, since there was video of the Jaslips lining up their children for execution. The idea that we would¡¯ve had assets in place, and not acted while we had a chance to save Consortium officials, is utterly farcical. Police also stated that they were unable to get close enough to the hostages, or otherwise access the crime site. My operatives are well-trained, but how would we even have gotten ¡®into position?¡¯¡± ¡°What I know is Mafani sure had an awful lot of knowledge, and was a step ahead of the rest of us. How did he know about the Sivkit bunker, Wrolle?¡± The Trombil leaned toward the microphone, shell glow intensifying with irritation. ¡°I can¡¯t ask him, since your soldiers killed him before we could question how he found it. You would¡¯ve sabotaged our chance yourself, since I hear you were planning to duel him.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t back down from an open challenge. I also don¡¯t take it lightly when I find I am missing the full information.¡± ¡°Mafani had not worked with the Underscales for years¡ªwell before he was stationed on Tellus, and discovered this ancient bunker. This new intelligence changes the war planning for all of us, General; we are fighting a serious threat. Whatever you think of the Underscales, security from the Federation is our chief concern. Did you consider this sociopath wanted to sow doubts between us, as a final form of revenge?¡± ¡°I already have serious doubts in the Underscales, with your dishonorable methods.¡± ¡°Terrorists are the dishonorable ones, and the simplest, least paranoid explanation is that they killed the kits¡ªjust like they said they would. Mafani¡¯s conspiracy theories have no basis in reality. He sought the suffering of others, and his claims about our organization were most likely borne of that, and a deep-rooted jealousy. This was not a sane or credible individual.¡± Gress switched off the screen in disgust, eyes narrowed to slits. I wasn¡¯t fond of the Underscales any more than Radai, but I couldn¡¯t deny that Wrolle had a point; we¡¯d bought the story Mafani fed us hook, line, and sinker. The Krev¡¯s instantaneous belief was what swayed me, but his judgment was clouded when it came to this incident. What if it was just a parting shot by the Resket, one which was tailored to Gress and Quana alike? The avian had wanted to exact revenge on us, and this would be a perfect success. There really wasn¡¯t any credibility to his story at face value, unless my Krev had some reason to believe the Consortium would¡¯ve wanted to ¡°get rid of¡± him. I hope Gress can talk to me about how he¡¯s feeling, rather than let it consume him alone. He¡¯s logical and knew Mafani was trying to rile him up; there has to be a reason he still thought that incendiary claim was true. Unless it was just the inside info¡ªif that¡¯s the case, Wrolle had a point. ¡°What did I tell you? Don¡¯t be so sure; Mafani is easily discredited, and they¡¯d never admit it. Nobody except a few Jaslips will believe his claim after today,¡± the Krev huffed. I pretended not to notice his sharp claws curling into the back of my hand. ¡°Maybe talking about it would help you release the anger. I want to understand why you believe Mafani, when you knew all along that he can¡¯t be trusted.¡± ¡°Because¡­as s-soon as he said it, I saw why they¡¯d want to. The Listeners should¡¯ve warned me about the plans to execute the k-kids, unless it was a setup! Like, you¡¯re telling me they wouldn¡¯t have picked up a social media broadcast of children lined up for execution?! In my heart, I knew Mafani was telling the truth. Maybe I¡­always knew, and didn¡¯t want to accept it.¡± ¡°But¡­why? Why would the Consortium want to make martyrs of terrorists; to kill children? Why would they want to hurt you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s so simple. Think about it. It gives the Jaslips someone to direct their blame, their fury at, that¡¯s not the Consortium¡ªsomeone uninvolved! I become the target for their hate and their ire, instead of speaking about Esquo or their enclaves¡¯ security policies. It also discredits the extremists¡¯ grievances to the other species, making them look like lunatic terrorists who would kill their own kids. Bonus that such a public incident gives cause to tighten security measures on the Jaslips.¡± ¡°I¡­I didn¡¯t think your people would do that. Humans joined the Consortium, and now, I find out they¡¯d kill their own citizens?!¡± ¡°You need the Consortium, Taylor; you don¡¯t have a choice. Our military will fight your war for you, and protect you. Shit, you need us to rebuild your populace; you can¡¯t leave. Our¡­government just takes an entirely ¡®keeping us safe is worth any sacrifice¡¯ approach, with total fucking disregard for morality or lives! The Jaslips were a threat. I was a threat.¡± I squeezed his paw tightly for a moment. ¡°Why would you be a threat? You were someone that worked for them keeping people safe: what you said was their goal. You did a lot of good.¡± ¡°There was one rule that I was taught as soon as I joined the force, about the secret police¡¯s surveillance apparatus. Don¡¯t ask questions. I broke it. I looked into the Listeners in search of a rogue operative. That showed them I was willing to step out of line; that very suspect called me, right before I was sent to the Jaslip incident, and told me they¡¯d turned on me. It was planned, Taylor, and I just brushed it off!¡± I arched an eyebrow, catching an off fact amid what Gress had hissed. ¡°Hold on. You questioned this suspect, and the problem was that they had info above your paygrade. Am I following this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t interrogate suspects; shit, I wasn¡¯t supposed to keep digging once the hostage was free. Not my job. No, this guy called me. He wanted me to continue his work, and become a vigilante. I¡¯m not sure how seriously I was thinking it over, but I was considering it to some degree. If they knew that part¡ªthat was strike two, as you humans say.¡± ¡°You, a vigilante?! I can¡¯t see it. You¡¯re not the type to just¡­go around knocking people off.¡± ¡°Of course I wouldn¡¯t have; that wasn¡¯t what he wanted me to do. There were people who got away with evil acts, which the eye in the sky saw. It would¡¯ve been a different kind of vigilantism. Exposing, arresting the ones who got away, because the Listeners didn¡¯t think it was worth using their resources. Whereas I think everyone is worth saving¡­except Mafani.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not worry about him now. I¡¯m glad you confided in me. The good news is that Radai is looking into this all now; there¡¯s a chance we could expose the system, and stop any more calculated killings from happening again. We can bring down the whole house; I¡¯d back whatever you chose.¡± ¡°I still have the list that rogue Listener gave me. Names of people who got away with their misdeeds. It¡¯s not too late to go after them, for all of the harm they caused. I don¡¯t trust the Consortium, and sure, it¡¯s a blatant challenge to the Listeners, but I¡­don¡¯t care about the risks anymore. Let them cart me off to Omnol Valley, or shoot me dead for doing the right thing. They didn¡¯t take me out after all.¡± My eyes widened in alarm. ¡°Gress, if you think there¡¯s a serious chance this would get you killed, or thrown in a deep, dark hole, please don¡¯t. You should care what happens to you. Lecca needs her father, and even Juvre needs someone to drop insects in his grubby obor mitts. You and I could still have a life, a peaceful and happy life, right here on Tellus. I thought you wanted that too.¡± ¡°I just want to finish what I should¡¯ve done: the right thing. The Consortium has already decided to sacrifice these ¡®low-value¡¯ victims. If I don¡¯t do something to help, nobody will. I won¡¯t put you or Lecca in danger; and this is why I said I was worried about hurting you, or being a threat to you. You should let me scare you off, Taylor, because I don¡¯t want you involved in any of this. I told you too much as is, but I just can¡¯t do nothing anymore¡ªit¡¯ll be just like the kits, who I didn¡¯t save.¡± ¡°You couldn¡¯t have saved the kits. That outcome was already decided.¡± I bit my lower lip, contemplating a way to stop the Krev from plunging headlong into danger, while heeding his wishes to right the wrongs the Consortium didn¡¯t care about. ¡°What if there was another way? Someone with power, and who wouldn¡¯t be easy to get rid of: who is already investigating the government¡¯s underbelly? Someone honorbound to make it right.¡± ¡°General Radai?! You can¡¯t be serious. I just¡­stuck a gun in his face!¡± ¡°Radai wants to protect people and to see Resket justice. If he¡¯s holding an investigation of things that are classified from the public, he could expose the cases the Consortium overlooked. It¡¯s at least proof of where the secret police¡¯s values lie. And we know if we give him the files, he won¡¯t turn it straight over to the Underscales. He doesn¡¯t approve of them.¡± The Krev¡¯s tongue flicked out of his mouth in thought, while pride glimmered in his eyes: he was pleased with me for coming up with a rational plan. ¡°That just might be the best way to put the Listeners, Underscales, and the whole system in the hot seat, and to ensure something gets done about the ones who¡¯ve been forgotten. It might be the only way to¡­apologize for my unforgivable conduct. Radai didn¡¯t deserve that.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t hurt Radai. You waved a gun threateningly toward his head, but you didn¡¯t actually do anything; it wasn¡¯t his blood on your claws, you hear me? He knows you lost it, and that it¡¯s not indicative of your character. You¡¯re a good man. We¡¯re going to right some old wrongs, because that¡¯s who you are. A sweetheart¡ªmy sweetheart.¡± Gress cuddled closer to me with gratitude, resting his head against my shoulder. I savored the peaceful moment of body warmth passing between us, grateful that I¡¯d talked him out of a suicide mission. If there was anyone that could help bring down the rot in the Consortium¡¯s hearts, it was General Radai. The Resket could facilitate some good out of Gress¡¯ disastrous realization of how the Consortium betrayed him, and allow the sweet Krev to see that he was still more than capable of saving people and trusting his heart. The scars of the past didn¡¯t have to define either of us. Chapter 2-47 Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem Alien Liaison Date [standardized human time]: August 11, 2160 Pulling General Naltor aside hadn¡¯t presented too much of a challenge; the Selmer had been awaiting my return to the SC corridors, while keeping a close eye on the budding Sivkit settlements on our homeworld. While Lassmin had signed off on the plan as a way to ingratiate ourselves to the galaxy, the Grand Herd had a reputation for being destructive. I could see why they¡¯d constitute a security threat to our military, but from my vantage point, the fluffballs mostly wanted to mind their own business. If the humans could gain control over Tinsas, I imagined the Sivkits would be happy to move off of our abandoned continent and back to their homeworld. With how the arctic Bissem was stewing, after what Dustin just disclosed to him, I wasn¡¯t sure whether he¡¯d pull me off of that detail. I was making tangible progress with Loxsel; he was starting to warm up to me, and perhaps Bissems by extension. We could have friendly relations, existing side-by-side. It¡¯s a good thing our public is being kept away from the herd for now, since it¡¯s strange for us all to have aliens on our planet. Naltor¡¯s eyes narrowed with suspicion and outrage. ¡°Tassi, why the fuck would you even consider selling out your own people? It¡¯s that important to you to be friends with aliens that¡¯ll use you, and banish you? So much for humans being peaceful¡ªor fucking different from our own conquerors. It¡¯s exactly as I feared, with not much we can do to lift a flipper against you; yes, you half-feathered nerd!¡± ¡°Tassi is a scientist, and this is her one dream: she was manipulated by a much more experienced player. She isn¡¯t prepared to¡­handle herself against foreign agents. It¡¯s not like she turned on you; she wanted an out, clearly,¡± Dustin objected on my behalf. ¡°If the Terrans didn¡¯t know for certain about the Arxur, they certainly do now after Tassi confirmed it, and spouted everything to you before me. You, the one who told us half of the galaxy¡¯s story, as secretive as some Tseia recluse!¡± ¡°All I want is to help. Think what you want of me, but I am your friend, Naltor. I can try to fix this; I¡¯m the only one on the first contact party who will try, it seems. Why don¡¯t we keep our heads, and figure out how to play this?¡± The Selmer paced back and forth, flippers folded. ¡°Leave, nerd. I¡¯m not involving you in sabotaging your own people¡¯s intelligence, because I have standards; I don¡¯t use civilians. You¡¯re committing treason by telling me any of this. When you betray your country for another, you can never go back¡ªyou better be damn sure. I would know, with how the Huddledom still spits on my name. I made my nest and laid in it, but you have no intention of packing your bags for Ivrana.¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to ensure that Bissems get a fair shake. I¡¯m no traitor; I¡¯m upholding the Sapient Coalition¡¯s values of peace, equality, and friendship. I¡¯ll never play any part in twisting another species to do our bidding, like the Federation monsters that came before us. If it¡¯s treason to see that these schemes blow up in Jones¡¯ face, then I can live with that. You always said I¡¯m a martyr, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°If you recall, I added more to that with Zalk. You are hopelessly na?ve, just as Tassi is, and you give others too much credit on their intentions. Your Sapient Coalition¡¯s stated ideals are just that¡ªideals. No idealism survives the real world.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe that, Naltor, and neither do you. You believe in Lassmin¡¯s ideals of Bissem Unity.¡± ¡°Look how that¡¯s worked out. I thought we were on a better path before the new Global War piled bodies in the streets. Ivrana is holding together by a single feather. I¡¯m trying to keep my people safe against an insurmountable threat.¡± ¡°We all are,¡± I chimed in. ¡°Humanity, in their defense, sees the Sapient Coalition as their people. The Arxur are a complication, just like the war breaking out on our homeworld; the Terrans fear bloodshed, and a conflict within their own ranks. Kaisal buying his planet goodwill might further everyone¡¯s objectives.¡± Dustin flashed his teeth. ¡°The decision is yours, but Tassi and I are on the same page about how to play this. The cat is out of the bag; directing the grays toward a vulnerable planet could, straight up, save lives. It¡¯s not about politics or spies. You heard what was said at the Sapient Coalition meeting. Nobody is going to protect the Farsul and the Kolshians.¡± ¡°Let me get this straight. You tell me that humans tried to fuck us over, that Tassi was feathers away from going along with it, and I should try to push the Arxur¡ªsomehow the only fucking allies we¡¯ve got¡ªinto doing exactly what you asked? What¡¯s next: I should send Jones our nuclear codes?¡± ¡°Naltor, the best weapon you have is making Jones feel like she¡¯s still in the driver¡¯s seat. I know that you know how double agents work; you control exactly what¡¯s sent to her, and can steer her wrong at the important spots. My idea is that, to beat back any questions about contacting the Arxur, document this exchange; make it look like Bissems reached out, and got the grays to turn their ships toward Talsk. Then, Jones has nothing to even bluff that she can use against you. It cements your value in the SC¡¯s eyes, exactly as you intended!¡± ¡°This would still involve Tassi being used as an intelligence pawn, Dustin. I¡¯ve tried to keep her safe, you know; to protect her from the brunt of the ugliness out here.¡± ¡°It hasn¡¯t succeeded,¡± I answered bluntly. ¡°If it had, I wouldn¡¯t have been targeted by Terran Intelligence. That speaks for itself.¡± The human nodded, curly mane bouncing against his pale forehead. ¡°This is beating Jones at her own game. Personally, I think you¡¯d have a tough time persuading Kaisal to save Aafa; the Kolshians¡¯ collusion with Betterment is why his people were starved for many years. But Talsk is a different story. This part of what Jones wants is stopping an enemy that¡¯s in our space, and killing indiscriminately. Bissems can¡¯t possibly be at odds with that aim, especially when we still haven¡¯t a clue who attacked the Tseia.¡± Naltor¡¯s beak parted with frustrated breaths, as he weighed Dustin¡¯s argument in his head. ¡°I heard you when you told me how many worlds were destroyed, when the Arxur first roamed the galaxy. We don¡¯t need any more. As fucking infuriated as I am at your people, I¡¯d rather humans win the war than the cloacabeaks who¡¯d use civilians as fodder. But don¡¯t think for a second that I¡¯m over this.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not over this either. When the United Nations learns what was done to a newly contacted species¡­let¡¯s just say I¡¯ll do everything possible to ensure this can never happen again, for future first contacts.¡± ¡°None of this was on my list of hypothetical first contacts,¡± I mumbled. ¡°We¡¯ve already meddled in matters we shouldn¡¯t have, but there¡¯s still a chance to push this in a positive direction. The Arxur were breaking quarantine anyway, and with Kaisal¡¯s past misdeeds, he might as well help to save lives.¡± The Selmer tilted his puffy-feathered head. ¡°Past misdeeds?¡± ¡°Kaisal participated in the raid against the cradle, and ate Gojids alive. That¡¯s part of why I felt guilty over helping him in the first place.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t make this shit up! Aliens suck all around¡ªum, no offense, Dustin.¡± ¡°None taken. You really haven¡¯t had good luck with most of us, or found¡­any bit of extraterrestrial history that didn¡¯t have blemishes in it,¡± the human sighed. ¡°You should be wary, of both the Arxur and of us. Bissems have to take it one day at a time, and try to find what¡¯s the right thing to do: idealism won¡¯t actualize itself. What do you say we try to give Kaisal a push toward Talsk?¡± ¡°I need to contact Lassian intelligence agencies. I¡¯ll recommend authorizing your plan, but that¡¯s not a decision I can make alone. I hope Tassi remembers which planet she belongs to as well.¡± The Selmer stormed off down the hall, holopad making its way into his flippers. I turned a grateful gaze toward Dustin, glad he¡¯d done most of the talking; without a friend to defend me, I wasn¡¯t sure I could bear Naltor¡¯s harsher judgments. The positive news was that the Lassian general had given no indication that he¡¯d take me off the Sivkit or SC diplomatic missions, and had agreed with the suggested course correction on our Arxur policy. Right now, the enemy drones were still crawling through the outskirts of their targets¡¯ territory, since they were slowed by disruptors. Nonetheless, our time to rally a rescue party wasn¡¯t infinite, even if we had gained a few extra weeks. I couldn¡¯t help but remember the Arxur leader¡¯s specific wording on Leirn: that he¡¯d always been willing to come to the defense of non-herbivores. We¡¯d have to see if Kaisal was willing to consider the idea of aiding an old enemy, saving their planet just as his kind had once done for Earth. It might give us the best odds of success if we convinced him this was for the good of the Bissems, the Osirs, and humanity, rather than simply to save the Farsul homeworld. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. --- What kind of notes would be left in my file, after finding out I¡¯d been contacted by a foreign government? General Naltor wouldn¡¯t keep that to himself, I imagined. I was the first Bissem to be approached by an alien intelligence apparatus; we¡¯d not only need to divert diplomatic resources to the stars, but also covert ones to deal with these affairs. Lassmin had much less information on the Terrans than they had on us, from observing us before first contact. When I went to check in on the Selmer¡¯s call, I thought I heard him mention an intelligence-sharing arrangement with the Yotul. That was certainly an idea¡ªone that, if accepted by the Technocracy, might put a permanent end to their opposition. It¡¯d steer them away from undermining our SC status. The Yotul Technocracy are quite active in the espionage sphere, according to what Nulia first told me about them; she said they were paranoid, with a habit of spying. Naltor was paying attention much more than his flippant attitude would¡¯ve shown. The question of what they might want from a fledgling species like us was one I already had the answer to¡ªthe Yotul would definitely expect us to back loosing the Arxur, which would dig us deeper into this debacle. That was, unless they were willing to do it out of sympathy for a fellow ¡°uplift¡±; Bissems did have common ground to play into with them. Surely they could respect us trying to gain respect among the Sapient Coalition, just as they had to fight for every square inch with the Federation. General Naltor was a much more jaded, seasoned individual, so I was certain he could consider the playbook much more thoroughly than myself. It¡¯d be nice if the marsupials would support the Talsk agenda, since they had leverage on the Arxur Collective, but I doubted they¡¯d have any sympathy for the Farsul. ¡°Penny for your thoughts?¡± Dustin asked, as I waited for any word back from Naltor. I tugged at my feathers from stress, slicking them with natural waterproof oil. ¡°We might be involved in the outcome of an alien war, with an entire planet at stake. Not to mention the spot this puts Lassmin in, as a neutral observer in the Bissem war. Zalk already mistrusts outsiders, and hearing that aliens tried to manipulate us¡­¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t surprise me one bit,¡± a low voice said behind me. ¡°They¡¯re at war, and that trumps all other concerns. They want to see what they can get from us; whatever anyone says, they don¡¯t give freely. You have to assume any foreigners are out to get you.¡± A chill ran down my spine, realizing that the Tseia overheard my words. ¡°Zalk, I¡­¡± ¡°Can we not lump all foreigners in one basket? We both are foreigners to you,¡± a flummoxed Dustin replied. ¡°Humans tried to invade us, just from within. Naltor told me,¡± Zalk commented. ¡°You did well to rebuff their attempts and notify your superiors, Tassi.¡± Is that the version of events Naltor is telling other Bissems? I¡¯m¡­glad he protected me, and even more relieved I didn¡¯t sell him out. Telling Zalk, when he doesn¡¯t trust the Tseia at all, is certainly a shocker. ¡°Yes, she did. The doctor was too smart to fall for any manipulation,¡± Naltor chirped, waddling through the doorway. His eyes met mine, an unspoken message laced into his words. ¡°Zalk and I began our secret meddling in the Arxur jailbreak together. It¡¯s a problem for both of us now. We knew it could attract attention if we were discovered.¡± The Tseia scratched his headfeathers. ¡°Dustin, could you please give us the room? You might¡¯ve helped us, but you are a foreigner. A non-Bissem intelligence.¡± The xenobiologist bobbed his shoulders, locking eyes with me to ensure that I¡¯d be alright left alone. ¡°I understand why you wouldn¡¯t want a United Nations employee listening right now. I¡¯ll be in my quarters if you need anything.¡± ¡°Thanks, Dustin,¡± I said with sincerity, as the primate marched from the conference room at a brisk pace. Zalk waited for several minutes in silence, checking the hallway in paranoid fashion to ensure Dustin was gone. ¡°As Naltor was saying, we have a common enemy, one that we can¡¯t match up against. The humans can¡¯t crack our communications, so we¡¯ve decided to use them to coordinate with Lassmin on alien affairs. We need secret channels for our true plans, and other ones to let information slide, where we don¡¯t mind it falling into Terran hands.¡± Naltor, you sly devil. This is how he gets the nomads to hand over their technology¡­and it¡¯s their idea! The Selmer lifted his beak coyly. ¡°We need to build our own alliance, Tassi, so that means we go after everyone lacking friends. You get enough other parties who, on their own, are weak, and eventually it gives you power. Why stop with Sivkit refugees? If the Arxur save Talsk, we make sure the Farsul know they¡¯re indebted to us. We can even take a few in with the help of the Terran Kessler-worthy ships, and make them see us as a fresh start¡ª¡± ¡°Just like Kaisal does,¡± Zalk agreed. ¡°It¡¯ll show our generosity, or as I¡¯d put it, our usefulness. We¡¯ll take the people they don¡¯t want. We come during crises, so they should devote full energy to resolving our ecological one. Maybe they¡¯ll even pretend to care about the Starlight Incident.¡± ¡°Take in some of the Osirs, raise them, and we have our own carnivore alliance. With the Farsul, Yotul, and Sivkits intermixed¡ªand hopefully, the SC off our backs. An unlikely team that¡¯ll serve as a buffer between us and the anti-carnivores, while the Coalition thinks we¡¯re just helping them out.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a nice plan, but I¡¯m not sure if we should take people from Talsk; the wider SC doesn¡¯t want them let out any more than the Arxur. If everyone hates the Farsul, do we want an official alliance with them?¡± I asked. ¡°It¡¯s called covering your tail feathers. We show it as healing the galaxy. The Arxur and the Farsul, working together; it shows that they¡¯ve changed. We can take credit for that. All we have to do is get Kaisal to agree to go to Talsk, and he¡¯s basically committed. We do this together, here and now, documenting it so we can show the SC our ¡®true¡¯ plans.¡± ¡°Human intelligence won¡¯t know what hit them,¡± Zalk cackled. ¡°Shall we begin, Tassi?¡± I forced a composed look on my face, and moved toward where Naltor had situated a camera. ¡°I¡¯m ready. Let¡¯s get Kaisal to save Talsk.¡± General Naltor had begun routing a video call through our backdoor channels with the Arxur Collective; they had tucked warships away in our space as gifts, after our previous tip about the Osirs. However, we couldn¡¯t dare to retrieve them¡ªat least, not until we had political cover for an open alliance with the grays. General Jones wouldn¡¯t expose us even if we did make a move on them, but there were other SC observers in our solar system that could catch a glimpse by chance. I tried to imagine what Ambassador Loxsel would think of this half-baked plan to include him in an alliance with the Arxur, and one of the founders who stole Tinsas from his people. The Grand Herd might not be easily sold on joining this compact, especially with how they spurned all aliens for decades. I might¡¯ve gotten out of spying on my people, but I¡¯ll still have to conceal¡­this from Loxsel. I feel like I¡¯m making headway with the Sivkit. He¡¯s not all bad, and I¡¯ve been enjoying seeing his literary catalog. A grizzled, lengthy gray snout appeared on screen, with vertical pupils staring directly at us from amid amber irises. ¡°Bissems. Do you have something to report from the Coalition of Leaf-lickers?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I spoke up, as Naltor nudged me. ¡°There¡¯s an opportunity for Arxur heroism in this war. You¡¯re passing by Talsk, which has very little support; we know that, whoever attacked the Osirs, is probably behind the drone force going toward them. You could remind the galaxy how the Collective saves worlds, as well as showing off how you¡¯ve strengthened your military.¡± ¡°Talsk? The Farsul: one of the Federation founders? We do not like these species. We also have zero intelligence on the enemy¡¯s capabilities, and we cannot afford severe losses during our declaration of strength. My citizens and military would doubt me. The humans have not challenged us, and that makes me a leader they respect.¡± Zalk scowled. ¡°You asked us to help you lobby for your quarantine to be lifted. You need something to point to, to get their blessing¡ªto push the narrative away from the escape. You get the humans to accept your aid in the war, and you¡¯ve basically forced them to officially condone your release.¡± ¡°If it hasn¡¯t been long enough for you to move past your grievances with the Farsul, why should the SC forgive you? Show the galaxy it¡¯s time to move on,¡± I prompted. ¡°Establish that the Collective stops raids, rather than commits them; there needs to be some solid evidence you¡¯ve changed. Most importantly, you¡¯ll prove your usefulness to humanity, and to your subordinates. Nobody would dare to mess with or question you, if you were victorious against a force Earth lost to.¡± The Arxur¡¯s eyes gleamed, as he tapped a claw against a massive fang that protruded from his maw. ¡°We were once very useful to humanity. They seem to have forgotten; a reminder might be in order. I suppose we could set up an¡­ambush. A low-risk, high-reward play, with my multitude of ships. While the Farsul would be no loss to the galaxy, I suppose I do not want these drones to have a chance to attack more carnivores, like Bissems. We all would rather fight them here, yes?¡± That¡¯s an odd sentence structure. It doesn¡¯t sound like the rest of his speech¡­it¡¯s almost like he¡¯s parroting someone else. ¡°Better to fight them at Talsk than have them come after you, as soon as you set up by the Osirs¡¯ world,¡± Naltor agreed. ¡°Here, you have backup from the humans, and the element of surprise. It¡¯s the best point for a conflict, where there¡¯s the lowest probability of severe losses. You must see the opportunity for us all.¡± Kaisal¡¯s nostrils flared with a hint of frustration. ¡°Yes, I suppose I do. We left isolation to help avenge the Osirs. I must show my people that I will follow through on defending non-herbivorous species, and bring back Arxur greatness. All of our work to rebuild the military has led to this moment, where the SC cannot hold us back any longer.¡± ¡°Your fleet will be their saviors; of that, I have no doubts. You waged war with hundreds of species once. Bissems have full faith that you can handle whatever these enemies throw at you, and we¡¯re glad to work with you. You¡¯re proving yourself to us, now more than ever¡ªworthy of a carnivore alliance.¡± ¡°The Carnivore Alliance. It could be our own Sapient Coalition, free of their judgment and idiocy. I would not mind this, General Naltor. While all I originally asked of you was to hear me out, I appreciate the Bissems¡¯ support of our goals.¡± ¡°You can count on it. I look forward to a day where we have full trade between our peoples, and can have our diplomatic communications openly in the future. Let us know of your victory as soon as it¡¯s played out at Talsk, and we¡¯ll dismantle the SC¡¯s opposition before they¡¯ve even realized what hit them.¡± ¡°I like the attitude. I will be in touch to request updated intelligence after consulting with my military Chief Hunters. Farewell, Bissems.¡± I breathed a sigh of relief, glad that Kaisal went along with the plan to aid Talsk. The Collective might be the difference maker in that fight, as one of the few factions to help in the Farsul¡¯s defense. Dustin would be pleased to hear the news, since he¡¯d wanted to save Farsul lives, as an idealistic act. It served our ends as well, and let Bissems craft our plans instead of getting pushed around. Once the Arxur had intervened in an enemy attack at our behest, General Jones would have nothing else to use against us in her bluster. Someone with Naltor¡¯s wits perhaps could outfox Terran Intelligence at their own game; it¡¯d been a good idea to bring him into the fold. Bissems just might be able to finish our plan of securing allies and winning over the SC after all. Chapter 2-48 Memory Transcription Subject: Elias Meier, Former UN Secretary-General Date [standardized human time]: August 11, 2160 When the Shield¡¯s given coordinates led us to a vacant patch of space, distant from any inhabited systems and devoid of structures, I¡¯d begun to have my doubts. Waiting in limbo, without anything to prove that this wasn¡¯t a wild goose chase, didn¡¯t leave a good feeling in my gut. Syba and I killed the time by watching episodes of Vynle¡¯s show, while I also had a chance to catch up on the interplanetary cinema I¡¯d missed over the past two decades. As pleasant as it was to have leisure time, my mind was occupied with improving the galaxy¡¯s lasting scars and rifts¡ªas well as bolstering humanity¡¯s chances in the ongoing war. There was a certain sense of responsibility I felt to save Nishtal, knowing I¡¯d, in essence, pulled the trigger on its first glassing. Those deaths were never the outcome I wanted. I¡¯ve been considering, ¡°Who am I?¡± in great depth since this new life began. Syba shouldn¡¯t think of me as a hero, or this idealistic diplomat icon the United Nations flaunts me as. I remembered the white-hot rage I¡¯d felt in the wake of Earth¡¯s bombing, as something dark and unspeakable swelled in my heart¡ªpoisonous and filled with hatred. With only the Zurulians and the Venlil showing up to aid us (from the Federation, since the Arxur were the ones who¡¯d truly saved us), there had been a snapshot in time where even I craved revenge. What did that say about who I was, and what I would do, when the chips were down? The policies of peace and diplomacy had been what my entire life was devoted toward, and what I pleaded for in my last moments. In that regard, witnessing us at the helm of the Sapient Coalition was my greatest joy. We were not just a part of the galactic community, but a central piece¡ªliving and working harmoniously with a vast multitude of allies. That had been my sincere hope, from the moment I learned of aliens¡¯ existence. ¡°Mr. Elias!¡± Syba shouted, headbutting my elbow. I removed my headphones, pretending that I¡¯d been engrossed in a movie. ¡°A¡­massive ship just warped into the system. What do we do?¡± I raised my eyebrows, considering that the Shield might be trying to capture us¡ªor at least, intimidate us. The vessel that I saw through the shuttle viewport was an elongated octagonal prism, with glass windows on all sides of its rotating body. The extensions from the exterior appeared to be a mix of defensive weaponry, but most of the storage space looked like a hangar. They seemed more wary of us than hostile; their shields were up, but not their weapons. What if this was how they hosted their meetings, rather than a set-in-stone location? I hurried into the cockpit, finding the button to extend a hail. ¡°Shield spacecraft, this is the Sapient Coalition delegation. We¡¯ve arrived at the specified location per your request, and have no ill intent. There are only two unarmed diplomats on board¡­one digitized human, and one Sulean,¡± I transmitted. There was a brief pause, before a cold Ulven voice responded. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this, but my orders are to let you onboard¡ªwith all of our leaders. We don¡¯t intend for you to be here long. Marking the hangar that¡¯s been cordoned off for you.¡± ¡°We¡¯re happy to be your guests for as long as you¡¯ll have us. Thank you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t thank me. If I had my way, you¡¯d be shot down, and there¡¯s two less tainted sapients mucking up the galaxy¡ªbut our neutrality.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry that you feel that way. I hope that you¡¯ll come to see the value of that neutrality; we aren¡¯t as bad as you imagine.¡± ¡°No. You¡¯re worse.¡± It was evident, despite the fact both of our factions had agreed to fight the Federation, species like the Ulven saw humanity as irredeemable monsters they had to put up with¡ªat best. I¡¯d gotten that impression from their representative back on Earth, with the snide comments that all but told me they liked me better dead. The Duerten were likely an exception because we¡¯d saved Kalqua, but that didn¡¯t change the fact that, according to what I¡¯d read, they¡¯d documented the Arxur showing up at the SC¡¯s founding Summit. Isif¡¯s rebellion was equally part of the reason that the gray avians survived, so his presence wasn¡¯t as damning to them anymore. Still, the Osirs and the Bissems made us look a bit cozy with carnivores. As far as the Shield were concerned, the SC was heartily endorsing animal slaughter in our space. Ambassador Korajan was right that we wouldn¡¯t be welcome here, but that means there¡¯s work that needs to be done. We convinced part of the Federation; what¡¯s the Shield, by comparison? The Shield¡¯s meeting ship didn¡¯t look very mobile, but it had slingshotted a ring of FTL disruptor buoys into its immediate vicinity; they didn¡¯t want anyone warping in on our conference, which was sensible with enemy drones in Orion space. With nostalgia running amok in the lead up to the meeting, I thought about my shuttle ride with Tarva, when I first met Isif¡­and damned the Krakotl. The feeling of FTL disruptors throwing my senses into calamity was still something that made me shudder. Would that mind-numbing disorientation, from gravity tearing us out of subspace, still affect me in this form? I doubted Virnt had replicated it, though that aspect, I could live without the Tilfish scientist fixing. Then again, there was no telling how my haywire senses would handle something like that; a car had been enough to send me into a spiral. What if the Shield saw me lose control or have a mental breakdown over the flawed sensory input? That would be proof of bloodlust tearing through my mainframe; I could set humanity¡¯s hopes back decades, if the wrong environmental stimuli triggered my mind. Syba brayed with excitement as we landed, which didn¡¯t match my growing anxiety at all. Wanting to better the United Nations¡¯ standing with the Shield wouldn¡¯t make it happen, and I didn¡¯t trust my brain not to cripple me when it counted. I couldn¡¯t afford to fail, and let¡­Syba, Kuemper, and humanity down again. The Sulean led the way out of the shuttle, while I followed her down the vacant, heavily barricaded hallway with timid steps. Her awestruck gaze widened as we reached the rotational chamber, which had different ¡°floors¡± attuned to each of the central prism¡¯s eight sides. ¡°Look at this place!¡± Taking her declaration to heart, I soaked in every detail for the UN¡¯s records; regardless of how much I remembered, Virnt would be jotting it down now from my transcripts. This information could be diplomatically critical. Syba turned toward an uneasy circle of diplomats, eyes still shining. ¡°We can¡¯t waste a second, Mr. Elias. I don¡¯t know when your speech is, but I vote we win as many hearts and minds as we can. Let¡¯s go say hello?¡± I tried to suck in a breath, but that self-soothing technique was never going to work again. ¡°You go first, Syba. They¡¯ll be more responsive to you. I¡¯ll observe you, and scope out the landscape. Passivity won¡¯t be what they expect. They can acclimate to my presence, and perhaps they will approach me.¡± ¡°I like the way you think! We can do this, Elias; we made it here. The hard part is done!¡± I smiled, appreciating her enthusiasm. ¡°You¡¯re quite right. We are the first ones to be here, so it¡¯s up to us to make a good impression on the SC¡¯s behalf. As us predatory humans say¡­go get ¡®em, tiger.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard of tigers before, with the stripe comparisons. Hm, yeah, I think I follow the literal meaning. Don¡¯t let the Shield hear you say that one.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t dream of it.¡± The Sulean scurried over to the crowd of diplomats, introducing herself in a loud voice. I noticed almost every gaze, outside of that now-distracted circle, was on me. Wiping the smile thoroughly off my face, I found a biped-friendly bench to sit down on. It wasn¡¯t like my feet could get tired anymore, but it still felt more relaxed to have an inanimate object propping up my weight. The Shield attendees¡¯ gazes shone with something beyond simple fear; it was more the look of a person who believed I¡¯d done something horrible. All I could think of that would earn their ire was me being brought back, and the memory transcripts that could create a new type of sapient. What would I even say, if the Shield wanted me to defend my own existence? There were a myriad of ethical concerns that I shared with the doubters¡ªthat I wanted to provide at the eventual SC hearing about my technology. ¡°Welcome to our humble abode, Elias!¡± a familiar voice chirped. My head snapped in the Duerten¡¯s direction, grateful to find a friendly face. ¡°It hardly looks humble, Korajan. In fact, it looks quite resplendent. The hanging lights up above seem to have wings, and are quite bejeweled. I find that exquisite.¡± ¡°Humans do share our fondness for shiny things; it makes it easy to send gifts to the UN. Regardless, I¡¯m sure this venue is a bit surprising to you, but my government forbade me from telling you anything in advance. The Shield values its privacy and separation. To be honest, I wasn¡¯t convinced they¡¯d go through with this meeting until right now.¡± ¡°Judging by the Ulven¡¯s greeting, I take it you¡¯ve had some resistance within the Shield.¡± Korajan¡¯s corn-colored beak parted coyly. ¡°Why, no, I wouldn¡¯t know anything about it. I wouldn¡¯t have ever violated our outward neutrality, to inform human representatives that half of these species hate your guts!¡± ¡°So they don¡¯t hate me because I¡¯m a¡­machine?¡± Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°There are some objections to your, ah, situation, but I wouldn¡¯t say there¡¯s a consensus. It¡¯s as new to us as it is to you. I would say it¡¯s mostly allowing humans to have a peek inside this here, The Sailer. This is a security breach, to many people.¡± I pointed a finger toward the ceiling. ¡°Well, now I know about the winged chandeliers. I¡¯m not sure how you¡¯ll ever recover.¡± ¡°You jest, but this place isn¡¯t a permanent, stationary structure for a reason,¡± the Duerten chuckled. ¡°The Shield sees this as a government bunker as much as a diplomatic reception venue. They don¡¯t want any¡­predators to know its location, or much about its existence at all. The ship has thousands of permanent staff, and supplies to live off the grid for months, in theory.¡± ¡°That explains what the eight gravity orientations are for, when only this one seems to be for the Shield delegation. Maximizing space, dazzling with engineering. This is a floating city.¡± ¡°Yes, but I didn¡¯t tell you that. If anyone asks, I merely told you the incredible diplomatic value of The Sailer. The Shield can host its meetings at various member planets, bringing a government directly to problems, unlike the cold SC who watches from afar.¡± ¡°Heard you loud and clear¡ªI yield, Korajan. Clearly, the SC could never care about its worlds half as much as a government that does a galactic tour. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here to show us the error in our ways.¡± ¡°Ah, I wouldn¡¯t be here at all, except that species¡¯ ambassadors to humanity are advising our proper Shield representatives. It was quite the trek from Earth, I¡¯ll say. Made worse by needing to pick up several ambassadors before we brought the party to you.¡± ¡°That explains the delay. Really, thanks for¡­the help, and transparency.¡± The Duerten waved a wing dismissively. ¡°I may be skeptical of your odds here, but I do hope you succeed. Perhaps I could help with some introductions?¡± ¡°That would be wonderful, actually. Please, lead the way.¡± Korajan hopped along on legs that looked like they belonged to a stick figure; he¡¯d been a godsend for any matters involving the Shield, supporting our mission on a personal level. I surveyed Syba out of the corner of my eye, eavesdropping as we passed. The Sulean was sharing a boatload of information about the role her people had stepped into, and what she felt they¡¯d gained from the Sapient Coalition. Given that the Shield diplomats were staring at her with a semblance of familiarity, rather than their closed-off body language from before, I imagined name-dropping Vynle had warmed them up to her. My own ears perked with a bit of curiosity, wondering if I could learn from her persuasion techniques with the wary herbivores. For all the ideas I¡¯d tossed around, I still hadn¡¯t decided what to say when my time came. The Suleans are the experts at persuading neutral parties to lend a hand, and it¡¯s important that I remember that. What matters is that the diplomats listen, not who they listen to. ¡°Project Chronicle has been a team effort, trying to cobble through millions of hours of data on every species! The sad part is, there was so much about our world that wasn¡¯t documented by the Farsul, either because they didn¡¯t care to record it, or because there was never time for us to discover it before they came,¡± Syba explained to the group. ¡°The Sulean-Iftali Alliance focused on trying to do archaeology the right way. Wherever the facts lead.¡± Leshee Ambassador Yali offered a quizzical croak. ¡°What if those facts lead exactly back to what¡¯s in the Archives? Digging among sapient remains for such little reward¡­¡± ¡°It helps us verify what was in the Archives. I don¡¯t trust the Farsul one bit, no matter how meticulous they say they were at unraveling our cultures. All I want is to be wherever our allies focus on putting our cultures back together, not on sanitizing and altering them to fit their whims. The Federation were a threat to herbivores, so I don¡¯t get how we can trust anything they say without looking into it ourselves.¡± ¡°Our ancestors were predated upon, and the Arxur happened. The Hunger happened, prions or not,¡± a Racad diplomat said, bowing his bovid head. ¡°There are real, empirical threats. You act like there¡¯s no basis at all¡­like we don¡¯t think for ourselves!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean. My dad put it best, when he was pretending to be a Farsul archivist. ¡®Prey are peaceful, unless it¡¯s the Venlil, the Yotul, or apparently anyone who lives near water; yep, water is a predator, it drowns people. Please don¡¯t mind us, while we peacefully conquer you and your children!¡¯¡± I covered my mouth, trying to hold in laughter. ¡°Syba is good, Korajan.¡± ¡°Yes, and she¡¯s quite right. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be fine on her own,¡± the Duerten replied. ¡°I have¡­a particularly hostile crowd in mind for you to speak to.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound reassuring.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not meant to be. But I say start with the most unpleasant order of business, then it all gets better from there. Plus, I figured you may want to¡­tailor your wider message to not be so hostile to the Federation.¡± ¡°And why is that?¡± ¡°Because the Federation remnants have permanent observers and diplomats on board The Sailer.¡± ¡°You¡¯re kidding me. They got an audience before us?!¡± ¡°What do you humans say? Don¡¯t shoot the messenger. A violent saying, might I add. We never closed relations with most of them¡­except for the Malti and the Drezjin. They helped attack Kalqua, which wasn¡¯t appreciated.¡± ¡°But SC members knowing about The Sailer, and being involved in your meetings, is a bridge too far.¡± ¡°Precisely. If you choose to find a silver lining, this is your chance to improve relations with the new Federation. I believe you had it in mind to solicit their aid in the war as well.¡± ¡°Hmph. I guess it does save me an extra trip¡­to an audience that¡¯d be even more hostile.¡± ¡°Indeed. Take it in stride, Elias, and do what you do best. I¡¯ll be here to back you up.¡± While I had done a thorough review of Shield species¡¯ known governments, customs, and foreign policy in preparation for this conference, none of the United Nations¡¯ strategy meetings accounted for the Federation remnants being present. I was completely on my own, without any briefings to fall back on. My gaze traveled past Korajan, spotting the group he was leading me toward. A few Fed observers mixed with a variety of Shield races that I recognized¡ªnotably the Tevin, which looked like a horse head that lacked a mane on a sheep¡¯s wooly body. The Tevin stood out in my mind as a Shield member our intelligence expected to be hostile. They were essentially a species ruled by the military¡­except their military was the exterminators. The fact the Tevin diplomat was standing next to the Yulpa, of all species, backed up the conclusion that they¡¯d be staunchly anti-predator. While I might¡¯ve been literally dead for 24 years, the herbivores that grabbed everything with prehensile tongues and sacrificed predators to their deity¡­they were memorable, even among all the crazies in the Federation remnants. The Yulpa, like many who sided with the conspiracy, were ravaged by a human cyberattack; I had been a bit horrified to learn the scale of the civilian damage, with societies and governments pushed to a near total collapse. Softened up without supply lines, transit, and general electricity for months, the strike allowed a rejuvenated Terran military to force submissions with general ease. While it might¡¯ve won the war of extinction, such methods were banned by the Treaty of Shanghai for a reason. The damage of the Satellite Wars wasn¡¯t contained to military targets, and so was the case with the cyberattacks on the Federation¡ªwith consequences that were far-reaching. I imagine the Yulpa and the rest of their bloc point to this to prove that we¡¯re savages. Then again, if we can reach out despite attempted human sacrifices, maybe they can move on. It has been decades. ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t the bringers of death and destruction,¡± the Yulpa spat, stamping a striped hindleg. Syba¡¯s pelt of the same coloration looked a lot more endearing to my eyes. ¡°The highest tier of killing. It¡¯s a shame you have no blood to spill to the Spirit of Life¡ªyou could buy a great deal of fortune, rather than cursing the Shield with your continued existence.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not alive, and I¡¯m not a killer.¡± Good to know they haven¡¯t changed at all. ¡°The people who are killers are going for three worlds, and have already left a trail of destruction. Innocent Sivkits lost their lives; we¡¯re trying to stop more deaths from occurring.¡± Korajan fluttered his wings. ¡°Humanity did prevent deaths at Kalqua, so they aren¡¯t incapable of standing against greater killers. They aren¡¯t the top tier of killing. Set your sights higher, toward a deadlier enemy. Despite this robot¡¯s unfortunate predator programming, the request to protect other worlds is a valid one. It aligns with prey values, and the Shield¡¯s policies of protecting herbivores foremost.¡± Korajan called me a robot. Ouch. Is that what ¡°backup¡± looks like? ¡°If it believes it¡¯s a predator, then it¡¯s a threat,¡± the Tevin ambassador said. I raised my hands, a taut expression crossing my face. ¡°I don¡¯t believe that I¡¯m a predator. I believe that I¡¯m a diplomat; someone who wants to save lives, and create a better galaxy than the one blighted by war and cruel calamities. You define predators as creatures that hunt, and eat meat, and¡­I don¡¯t eat anything. From the memories that were passed onto me¡ªElias Meier never ¡®hunted.¡¯ If I¡¯m a predator, then so is any computer that can simulate an animal¡¯s behavior. I¡¯m simple code.¡± ¡°Coded to be a predator, like any other human. It¡¯s just wiring for you, not DNA.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true. I was made by a prey animal, not a predator. You think a Tilfish would recreate this fantastical bloodlust, as you call it, even if it existed? You believe it¡¯s driven by chemicals and hunger¡ªof which I have neither. You can¡¯t have it both ways. Even the Farsul thought there were prey elements in us that they could save.¡± ¡°Yet the Farsul failed,¡± the Yulpa countered. ¡°The Farsul were trying to cure the very thing they were causing themselves. They stripped us of a compound that we need to maintain our brains¡­which remained perfectly in control until that point. Many herbivores have come to care for us. We passed empathy tests, so you know we aren¡¯t uncaring creatures. I care about all of us surviving to see tomorrow.¡± ¡°Is that why you let civilians die on my world, killing them from afar¡ªwith a few lines of code? All of us didn¡¯t survive, bot.¡± Korajan cleared his throat. ¡°The humans are dangerous when they¡¯re at war, but this is why we should be on their side, if that¡¯s what they want. It beats the alternative.¡± I don¡¯t want ¡°help¡± that agrees with these¡­assumptions that we¡¯re monsters, Korajan! The Tevin seemed to weigh the Duerten¡¯s words. ¡°You do make a good point there. We weren¡¯t with the Shield, until a recent membership expansion. We also remember the cyberattacks. The guild was the only thing that brought order to our home, and stopped wild predators from overrunning our fallen cities.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry about the people that you lost, because of the United Nations,¡± I chimed in. ¡°We all can try to¡­move on, and foster peace between us. I would agree that friendship is much better than the past alternatives. I¡¯ll let you consider how you might be able to¡­stop the new attackers from killing innocent prey, something I¡¯m sure you empathize with. Korajan, can I have a word? Privately?¡± The avian tilted his head. ¡°Very well. My ambassadorial duties can¡¯t be forsaken at a time like this. Follow me.¡± I tried to avoid curling my hands into fists, as Korajan led me over to a private corner. I¡¯d felt a bit ambushed during that encounter, and was genuinely wounded by a friend calling me a robot, even as an act. Wasn¡¯t the Duerten supposed to be supportive of my plan, which was to bolster humanity¡¯s credibility and reputation with them? This wasn¡¯t how we won more amicable relations with the Shield or the Federation remnants. Weighing my words carefully, I turned to confront the ambassador on his harsh approach. Our present company might¡¯ve been hostile to humans, but what he¡¯d just said had ensured it¡¯d stay that way, with minute improvements. This was not the atmosphere that I¡¯d come to The Sailer to facilitate. Chapter 2-49 Memory Transcription Subject: Elias Meier, Former UN Secretary-General Date [standardized human time]: August 11, 2160 The Duerten ambassador had walked away with a haughty air, until we were out of the Yulpa and Tevin¡¯s eyesight. The manner in which he addressed me had caught me off-guard, to say the least; I¡¯d felt as though Korajan was actively undermining me, not supporting my efforts. The real dagger to my heart was the ¡°robot¡± remark, which made me feel about as human as a vacuum cleaner. While I expected the avian to be on my side for this meeting, he¡¯d fanned the flames of the worst offenders¡¯ hatred¡ªleaving me to flounder and drown amid his bigoted accusations. Meanwhile, the diplomat looked oblivious to why I¡¯d pulled him aside, tilting his head quizzically. I gritted my teeth, since his act of innocence aggravated me further. ¡°What were you doing, Korajan?¡± I demanded, a scowl marring my features. ¡°We don¡¯t want them thinking that we¡¯re dangerous! We came here to try to get friendlier relations with the Shield, and anyone in your circle.¡± Korajan scoffed. ¡°That wasn¡¯t going to happen with them. Do you realize who you were talking to? The Yulpa was openly wishing he could feed his god your blood, and the Tevin was an exterminator guildmaster. There¡¯s a very good reason why humans aren¡¯t brought here. Part of it, from those of us who like you not lightly toasted, is to protect you.¡± ¡°I know they don¡¯t see us as people, but you played right into that assumption. Shit, you talked about me like I¡¯m not a person. You called me a robot.¡± ¡°I apologize if that offended you; I thought my ¡®take it in stride¡¯ comment was sufficient warning. Somehow, I don¡¯t think they¡¯d have appreciated the finer distinctions of you being a digitized mind, imitating an entire neural network. I was following what I believed was your strategy¡ªyou emphasized to Ambassador Yali that you weren¡¯t human. I thought that was your plan.¡± ¡°What happened to the Korajan who spoke in friendly terms about me and humanity with Yali? Who remembered Kalqua, and¡ª¡± ¡°Elias, with all due respect, look who I was talking to in each instance. Yali was wary of you, but she does not hate you. They were never going to listen to a word you said if I didn¡¯t distance myself from you, and tell them what they wanted to hear.¡± ¡°Then I don¡¯t want to be listened to. They¡¯re not going to listen to someone they call bot either.¡± ¡°Those people desapientize humans as ¡®beast¡¯ or ¡®animal¡¯; it¡¯s obvious they¡¯re going to do the same thing, but tailored to your unique situation. Them calling you bot, in my estimation, is an upgrade from savage predator, monstrosity, and killer. I thought our top priority was to get as much support as possible, to save lives. Every ship counts. Did I misunderstand what we¡¯re doing here?¡± I ran a hand through my hair, hesitating. ¡°Ambassador, I meant what I told Yali. My hope was to befriend Shield members, and try to get through to them in that¡­we¡¯re not to be feared. This isn¡¯t just about today¡¯s war. I want to see the galaxy heal from the Federation¡¯s hatred, the past cycle of bloodshed¡­the deaths we might¡¯ve caused in the past. Instead, I see both sides circling the drain.¡± ¡°Both sides? The Sapient Coalition too?¡± ¡°The United Nations sealing entire planets away, and not mending fences, is part of it. We did let certain worlds rot. We gave up trying to fix things, and that makes us part of the problem. Korajan, I don¡¯t want to be accepting the same old hatred from anyone. Someone has to stand up and decide enough is enough.¡± The Duerten went silent for what felt like a full minute, folding his wings. ¡°Those certain worlds you speak of. They¡¯re Wriss, Aafa, and Talsk.¡± ¡°Yes. They are.¡± ¡°They have all done unspeakable things. Elias, they either ate my people, or ate their souls by homogenizing us.¡± ¡°I know. But as long as we carry hatred, there can be no healing. The future is still ours to shape, Korajan, and I don¡¯t want to let the past continue to decide it.¡± ¡°You forget one key aspect. You can¡¯t make others stop hating you; the Yulpa and the Tevin don¡¯t want to let go,¡± the Duerten sighed. ¡°I strongly advise you to keep that message to the Sapient Coalition. Deal with your own people first. For the sake of our diplomatic relations, I¡¯ll pretend I didn¡¯t hear you ask for Aafa¡¯s release.¡± ¡°I¡¯m speaking as myself, not as the United Nations¡¯ official¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m aware, Elias. The good news is, the worst group is behind us, and you might realize that visiting the Federation remnants¡ªas I believe is your eventual aspiration¡ªis an exercise in assisted suicide. The rest of your visit can get better, and we¡¯ve hopefully put a dampener on the heckling I imagine you¡¯ll get during your speech.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t been informed when my speaking slot will be.¡± ¡°It should be in a few minutes. Again, they don¡¯t intend for you to be here long. I wanted you to make the most of the brief opportunity¡ªat least leave the door open to be invited back. We always had to pick who we¡¯d approach. Candidly, Syba will likely be more effective in one-on-ones.¡± I shuffled back toward the grand corridor we¡¯d entered in, and saw a group of diplomats in hysterics around the Sulean. Once I¡¯d acquired the proper angle, I noticed that Syba was showing a montage of humans¡­basically being idiots. One guy appeared to be mounting a frantic search for an item, tearing apart his home and looking under couch cushions. The film ceased as he lifted his sunglasses right off the top of his head, with an exasperated look. I inferred that the comedic element was that the Terran had been unable to locate an accessory right on his skull. Vynle¡¯s image replaced the video, as he scrunched his face up at the camera¡ªbefore slapping his antlers against his desk. I suppose that is how Suleans ¡°facepalm,¡± unless this is just a Vynle thing. The guy was an animated host. ¡°They¡¯re apex predators?¡± Vynle shouted at the camera. ¡°What I¡¯ve learned here is that, if a human ever tries to hunt you, sit right in front of their face. They won¡¯t see a damn thing, and it¡¯s not just because of their keyhole vision. Good grief, it¡¯s like a Sulean losing their antlers! Do we need anything Terrans touch to buzz periodically, so they remember if it¡¯s stapled to their skulls?!¡± Syba tossed her head back, chuckling. ¡°Humans really are quite¡­aimless, sometimes. It¡¯s hard to be afraid of them, when they¡¯re just awkward and bumbling around! One of my Terran coworkers claimed she had an ¡®elf¡¯¡­er, a mythical creature¡­that took her things from where she left them, and hid them.¡± ¡°If you want them not to be afraid of you, Syba¡¯s doing good work. I¡¯m sorry I wasn¡¯t more help, Elias,¡± Korajan murmured. I patted the Duerten on the back, forcing myself to shake off the sting of that pesky ¡°robot¡± insult. ¡°It¡¯s fine. You weren¡¯t wrong that we want as many ships as possible. I¡­I have to save Nishtal. I just have to make the Shield see humans as people too.¡± ¡°Then patience is a must-have, friend. There¡¯s still much of the Federation in this place. Now, I see a displeased Ulven coming our way; I imagine he wants you to get on with the main event, so they can kick you from our nest. Good luck with your speech.¡± I nodded in acknowledgement, taking care to wipe any semblance of strong emotions off of my face. Many species thought that humans were unreadable, compared to the animated trunk, ear, and tail movements that pervaded the rest of the galaxy, but they eventually learned that our expressions gave away our exact sentiments. The Ulven¡¯s deep brown pelt popped out of the corner of my vision, their short trunk looking off amid a swine-like face. They¡¯d had no interest in aiding us in the war, when I paid a visit to their embassy on Earth. If word of the Arxur breaching quarantine got out, amid our efforts with the Osirs and the Bissems¡­this speech could be our final chance at reaching the Shield. What if Korajan had a point, that there wasn¡¯t anything I could say to change their hatred of humanity? Perhaps I should¡¯ve settled for gaining aid in the war, knowing that they wouldn¡¯t hate the Krakotl. First and foremost, it¡¯s my goal to save lives today; arguing for my own personhood or fluffing up humanity¡¯s reputation aren¡¯t as urgent. I can tell when I¡¯m not wanted. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. I extended my hands off to the side, trying to show open palms and relaxed intentions. ¡°How may I help you? There¡¯s no questions that are off-limits¡ªand might I add how gracious it is of you to host us. I am honored to be the first representative of the United Nations here.¡± ¡°You said you wanted to address us, so go give that address,¡± the Ulven huffed. ¡°The Federation allowed humanity to speak once, and then shot down the idea of partnering with you. Our internal vote should be equally decisive.¡± ¡°We would go to the lengths of the galaxy for the hope of securing one new friend. This opportunity is greatly appreciated.¡± ¡°This is about threats to the Shield, with the new enemy in the war. We have no choice but to humor you¡ªto assess the threat.¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s a smart, logical decision, and I hope that we¡¯re able to ensure everyone¡¯s safety together. We can face this as one. I have conviction in that regard.¡± ¡°Say what you¡¯ve come to say, or leave. I have no interest in further discourse with any¡­software that emulates a human. What is the Sapient Coalition even thinking, giving machines the sapient personalities of dead hunters?¡± ¡°For the most part, no one wants to die, and I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s an inevitable reality of being alive. It¡¯s a discussion I would like to have some day, which I think you should be included in. Dissenting voices are important to reach any determination, especially on an issue so important that it decides what being alive means.¡± ¡°We want no part in your amoral internal affairs. The microphone is on the raised platform. Do you even have words to bark, or was this all a ruse? We have exterminators on site: plenty of security for the likes of you.¡± I took a cautious step toward the podium, wondering whether my skin would even burn. Thankfully, there was no sense of pain in my current body¡ªa welcome reprieve after the constant aches I¡¯d felt as I climbed upward in age. Immolation was one of the most agonizing ways to die, so I wasn¡¯t sure why the exterminators refused to forsake it: unless it was cruelty for cruelty¡¯s sake. My mind flickered back to when I¡¯d first learned of the predator-torchers, during our exchange program with the Venlil; Governor Tarva¡¯s office had advised me they might be a problem for Terran visitors on her world. It was a very different time in relations for the species who were now our inseparable best friends. The fact that her planet¡¯s true name, Skalga, meant ¡°World of Death,¡± was one of the most surprising things I¡¯d learned about the new era. Syba scurried over to me, eyes gleaming with encouragement. ¡°I heard they want to get rid of you, Mr. Elias. That was awfully quick to rush you along to your speech.¡± ¡°All I asked of Yali was to get in for a speaking slot, and she fulfilled my request; it seems it was difficult to persuade the Shield to give us an inch,¡± I responded. ¡°This brief moment we had to stand face-to-face¡­anything we got was a bonus. Like you said, we have to make the most of it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I brought pamphlets, about how this is the most peaceful era in human history¡ªyou haven¡¯t fought an internal war since First Contact! It was a wake-up call to you, I think, and it¡¯s a good option to refute all of those awful historical references. The Suleans need to get diplomatic channels open on The Sailer, one way or another. Imagine the progress if we had a permanent observer here!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not get ahead of ourselves, Syba. I am floored that the Federation remnants¡ªwho still have the nerve to call themselves the Galactic Federation, as if picking up where they left off¡ªare here.¡± ¡°Everything is a matter of perspective, and I know that you can find the bright sides in the deepest darkness: you¡¯re the one who did it for your whole species, in your darkest days! Keep your chin up. Look at it this way. The Federation remnants were here, while we weren¡¯t, but now, we¡¯re here too. That is progress and inclusion, plus, more people we can start to make things better with!¡± ¡°You do have a certain way of looking at things. Don¡¯t lose that.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but to smile, as the involuntary expression of fondness and admiration still transpired in my synthetic form¡ªdown to the telltale crinkles near the eyes, signifying a true smile. Virnt had done his research on that aspect, getting the galaxy¡¯s much-maligned ¡°snarl¡± down pat. ¡°I will say that I¡¯ve been threatened by multiple parties here. Just, out of an abundance of caution, could you go back to the ship? Make whatever excuse you need to, but the SC needs to know about the Fed remnants¡¯ presence.¡± ¡°You can count on me! Just like I can count on you to show them that undying hopefulness¡ª¡± ¡°Undying. Syba, was that pun intentional?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± The Sulean squeezed me in an unexpected hug¡ªwhile it thankfully didn¡¯t suck the nonexistent breath out of me, it did startle me. She didn¡¯t offer any commentary about the lack of body warmth, though there was a slight loosening of her grip: as if for a moment, she¡¯d wanted to pull away. ¡°You have to laugh at yourself; that¡¯s what my dad always taught me. If you can do that, nothing can hurt you!¡± Syba scampered off with boundless energy, clearly unconcerned with the hostile environment we found ourselves in; her enthusiasm was contagious. I was grateful that I hadn¡¯t come to the Shield meeting alone, especially without how Korajan had been lacking in execution for his supportive presence. My steps became more sure-footed as my soles touched the raised platform, and I once again felt every pair of eyes turn to me. When I first became a diplomat, I never imagined I¡¯d be addressing an alien audience. The first time I met a Venlil in person, I¡¯d felt the hairs on my neck stand upright¡ªthat goosebumps and shivers sensation didn¡¯t exist for me anymore, which I was grateful for. It was enough to try to focus my brain and find the words. Even someone like myself, seasoned in public speaking, could never be truly comfortable facing such a crowd. I stared out into the audience, immediately picking the Yulpa and the Tevin from before out of the crowd. ¡°It wasn¡¯t that long ago that each of you learned that a race of predators, who the Federation had observed a most terrible pattern of violence from, had not wiped themselves out. Instead, humanity had reached the stars¡ªand reached out to you. It¡¯s been decades of us begging you to see that we¡¯re not monsters, and that your enmity or subservience isn¡¯t our desire. We¡¯ve peacefully coexisted with herbivores, as friends and neighbors, for decades.¡± ¡°You changed those herbivores to be like you!¡± the Tevin protested. ¡°Your carcass-nibbling ways have corrupted others.¡± ¡°There¡¯s much more to what it means to be human than our diet, yet you refuse to see that. If that were the sole purpose my brain worked toward, then how would I stay sane at all, when I cannot eat¡ªcannot hunger? I could take the easy route here, instead of pounding my head against a proverbial brick wall. I could beg you merely to stand with us against a murderous enemy, but you already know that saving the innocent worlds under threat is the right thing to do. What you do with that is your decision, and has nothing to do with us. I¡¯m here to ask a question.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t owe you any answers,¡± spat the Ulven who¡¯d hurried me to the platform. ¡°You should leave.¡± My jaw locked. ¡°Not yet. I¡¯m here to ask one single question. What proof would it take for you to believe there¡¯s more to humanity than our lowest moments, as a species? Would anything be enough?¡± Several voices shouted answers at me, many of which were charged with vitriol for my species. I stood calmly by the microphone, binocular eyes sweeping across the audience with an unspoken challenge. Ambassador Korajan was cradling his head in his wings; I inferred that the Duerten didn¡¯t approve of my confrontational technique. Someone had to challenge the biases and hatred that pervaded this organization, and all of its counterparts in the Orion Arm. I wasn¡¯t backing down to anyone who¡¯d continue the cycle of hatred, or considered my species to be mere animals. Perhaps it was hopeless, but at least I could say I tried¡ªthat I never stopped fighting for what I believed in. There was too much at stake just to throw in the towel. ¡°I have nothing to hide from you; I can show you exactly what¡¯s going on in my mind. You can run your own transcript tech on the image of my brain, and see for yourself,¡± I pressed on. ¡°My sole desire is a better future, and to protect my people¡ªno, all people. Continued hostility toward each other, division of this tiny corner of space: what does that achieve for any of us? You might continue to harbor hatred for me and every human that has ever lived, in your hearts, but I know what¡¯s in mine. Verify that as much as you need.¡± Leshee Ambassador Yali hopped forward, apprehensive to speak. ¡°We¡­do not all hate you, Elias. We simply don¡¯t want to get too close to¡­a highly dangerous and volatile species.¡± I softened my voice, pressing a hand to the spot in my chest where a heart should have been beating. ¡°We aren¡¯t that different from you. We have hopes, dreams, loved ones¡­curiosity, fear, and insecurities. In my last moments, we were mourning those that had died in Earth¡¯s bombardment. It hurt so terribly, to think how many lives were lost under my supervision, that it burned my soul. I wanted my legacy to be peace, and those were my last words¡ªwhen there was nothing I could¡¯ve possibly gained. The final whispers of consciousness were the people I loved: memories of them. If my species is volatile, it¡¯s because we feel more deeply than you can imagine.¡± ¡°What is the point of this meandering rant?¡± the Yulpa objected. ¡°That it¡¯s time to turn the page, and leave our past grudges and differences behind. If we both want what¡¯s best for all people moving forward, what does any of the rest of it matter? Give us a chance to be more than the monsters you decided we are. It¡¯s never too late to start healing; all it takes is for one of you to take the first step. A leap of hope.¡± Contempt shone in the Ulven¡¯s eyes. ¡°It¡¯s time for you to leave, predator. You don¡¯t belong here.¡± I waved a hand in farewell, leaning in for a final word on the microphone. ¡°Humanity¡¯s door is always open; our differences don¡¯t have to be irreconcilable. I hope we can continue this dialogue, and foster a genuine trust and partnership between our peoples. Thank you for listening.¡± As I was ushered out of The Sailer in a hurry, the fire died down within my spirit. Korajan¡¯s uncertainty still knocked in my mind, and I was uncertain if my speech had fallen on any receptive ears. Had this visit accomplished anything on humanity¡¯s behalf? I didn¡¯t want to fail the United Nations, especially when this was our single peek inside of the Shield the past two and a half decades. What if I had botched this mission enough that it threw away potential support for the planetary defenses, and I had to wrestle with the guilt of more lives lost because of my choices? My processors slowed in their spiral as I thought of Syba¡¯s blind optimism; while I couldn¡¯t guarantee they¡¯d ever stop hating us, I¡¯d had to try. That entire speech had been a leap of hope, that healing was possible even when the odds seemed bleak. All it would take would be one species taking the leap with me, to make my plea worthwhile. Just as a single spark was enough to start a blaze, a sole change for the better was enough to improve the galaxy humanity found ourselves in. Chapter 2-50 Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist Date [standardized human time]: August 18, 2160 When I¡¯d attempted to reach General Radai, I¡¯d learned that the honorbound Resket had no intention to return to the camp on Tellus¡ªas if he¡¯d given up on the human experiment once and for all. He¡¯d left Avor as well, after questioning Director Wrolle on livestream in Tonvos Pyramid; the military leader didn¡¯t seem keen on remaining in Delegates Tower. Since he was still listed as my official commander on paper, I persuaded him via communique to meet with me. That was how Gress and I wound up on Tanet, with Quana and Cherise having brought us a care package before we left Tellus¡¯ spaceport. There weren¡¯t many outbound flights from my planet¡¯s fledgling installation¡­though it was much larger than the landing strip where a certain rent collector used to arrive. The Jaslip had been much friendlier to Gress, ever since Mafani told her the truth about what happened during that hostage situation. She offered a passing comment about the Resket enclave, Esquo¡¯s Image, and how the avians would launch surprise inspections against the arctic quadrupeds living there. The unrest was reaching a boiling point within the fluffy, three-tailed carnivores¡¯ ranks; all that simmered down their wrath was the now-escalated threat posed by the Federation. I couldn¡¯t help but feel disconcerted that humanity had joined the Krev Consortium, and might be subjected to the same, less-than-friendly surveillance one day. What happened when we ¡°asked questions,¡± or challenged the government? Right now, most colonists were living it up on the Trombil¡¯s dime, enjoying a post-scarcity environment. I made excuses for the Consortium, being in the same boat as us¡­hiding from the Federation, and taking extreme security measures to keep themselves alive. Killing Jaslips children and making Gress¡ªa loyal, beneficent man¡ªa scapegoat to get the heat off of their backs? I don¡¯t see how that¡¯s for the greater good. ¡°Are you really going to request a discharge, Taylor? You don¡¯t have to do this; I¡¯ll still be here, whatever you choose,¡± Gress murmured. I drew a weary breath. ¡°Rank-and-file military life doesn¡¯t suit me, Gress, and it¡¯s time I admit that. I just wanted to do something to protect humanity, after what I did, clubbing you, could¡¯ve gotten us wiped out. Instead, I goaded Radai on to kill innocent Sivkits.¡± ¡°Radai¡¯s a big bird. He can make his own decisions.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the point. I haven¡¯t found the thing where I can actually make a positive impact¡ªbut I know it¡¯s not this. Helping those victims on the other hand¡­there¡¯s a win. For both of us.¡± ¡°That all depends on if a certain general goes along with this plan.¡± The Krev herded me through the spaceport terminal, as I noticed every Resket gawking at me. His claws hooked around my far hip, setting his arm around my back and keeping us close. ¡°You know, I used to work with a Resket commander quite frequently. She was¡­direct. Stubborn. They¡¯re compelled to follow orders so much that they suppress their own wishes. I don¡¯t know that Radai¡¯s capable of making his own choices; the real reason he fired on the Sivkits is likely that the Consortium ordered him to.¡± I studied the Krev with a sidelong glance, noticing the patch on the back of his neck where his emerald scales were a touch darker. ¡°No offense, Gressy, but you¡¯re jumping all over the place a little. What did you mean by Reskets being compelled to¡­suppress their wishes? I feel like there¡¯s a story there.¡± ¡°There¡¯s always a story. Reskets are expected to have familial approval of who they chose as a, um, partner. There was a case I worked where a Resket was expected to marry a girl he didn¡¯t love. He tried to go along with it, but his heart was¡­elsewhere.¡± A sharp pang stabbed at my chest. ¡°I¡­know what that¡¯s like. Let¡¯s just say I¡¯ve always known that¡­all of us were expected to have children. We had to contribute to the next generation, or humanity wouldn¡¯t survive.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve always thought you should be yourself. I always liked that version of Taylor much better¡ªand the population won¡¯t be something you have to worry about. A few more months and your numbers will be in the millions. Listen, it¡¯s not your responsibility to save humanity alone. It doesn¡¯t fall on you.¡± ¡°I know that. I¡¯m setting my focus smaller¡­and trying to add a few things that make me happy to my life.¡± The Krev¡¯s tongue flitted from his mouth, considering my words. ¡°You deserve a little happiness; I just wish I knew more about what you like, rather than assuming you share Juvre¡¯s interests. Hm. You know how Lecca takes dance classes? I was thinking, if Radai takes your idea, maybe we could go to some kori classes on Avor. Before you ask, it¡¯s a type of fast-paced dancing for, um, two Krev.¡± ¡°Consider me intrigued. Something tells me you have moves, Gress.¡± ¡°Oh, I sure do,¡± he whispered, warm breath striking my earlobe. ¡°But that¡¯ll have to be a surprise for after this. Right now, we have to find our way out of this spaceport.¡± ¡°I thought you knew the way.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never been to Tanet either, Taylor. I was following you!¡± ¡°So the blind are leading the blind?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound like anyone is ¡®leading.¡¯ We could ask for help.¡± ¡°I guess we¡¯ll learn really quickly if Reskets overall like humans. Mafani didn¡¯t speak too highly of primates.¡± ¡°Mafani didn¡¯t speak highly of anyone. Like I told you at your first day of boot camp¡ª¡± ¡°Which got me kicked into next week, but go on¡­.¡± ¡°¡ªI¡¯m here for moral support. Aliens don¡¯t bite, as you say.¡± ¡°Quana literally bit Cherise¡¯s pant leg on our final mission.¡± ¡°That was a joke, Taylor.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean she didn¡¯t do it.¡± Gress angled his tail in a way that seemed to be threatening to spray me. ¡°Go talk to someone that works here, and ask for directions. Now!¡± ¡°Right away, Your Scaly Highness.¡± I scanned the spaceport, observing the ample security spread throughout the terminal; there were Reskets in bomb suits on standby, and drones cruising through the building to scan those of us walking below. There didn¡¯t seem to be an avian employee I could approach that wasn¡¯t wearing tactical armor¡ªwith the telltale Resket family crests on the dull brown gear. I couldn¡¯t help but notice the massive guns leaning against the wall, which were about as tall as I was. My feet shuffled forward with reluctance, noticing the height disparity now more than ever. The guard leaned down toward me, a curious gleam in her gigantic eyes. Gress hadn¡¯t seemed afraid of Reskets when he discussed their directness, and my Krev would be more alarmed if I was in danger, right? Maybe now¡¯s a great time to go back to kissing up to people, just for the next thirty seconds. I don¡¯t want to fight one of these birds, after Mafani destroyed me in both of our encounters; I remember how terrified and powerless I was when he kidnapped me. But Gress¡­Gress did tear a Resket¡¯s throat out. I can be normal, cool as a cucumber. The avian guard leaned back, maintaining an uncomfortable level of eye contact. ¡°You¡¯re the first human I¡¯ve seen. I didn¡¯t think you made many adventures from your hidey-hole.¡± ¡°Here I am,¡± I agreed, chuckling nervously. ¡°On Tanet. Your world looked very¡­brown, from above. Very brown and dusty¡­like Tellus!¡± The Resket looked even more unimpressed. ¡°Tanet is not a washed-up desert wasteland. Primates have a reputation for mischief and troublemaking, so I hope you¡¯re not here with any such intent. We won¡¯t find it as cute as the loopy Krev hanging on you.¡± ¡°Hey! I¡¯m here on military business. It¡¯s not fair to compare us to obors. We haven¡¯t exactly had a life of¡­obor enterprise out on Tellus, toiling away as the last of our species.¡± ¡°It was a tragedy, human, and we regret seeing your species in such a dire spot. I am merely expressing concern¡ªyou don¡¯t understand our customs. On our world, you must be willing to abide by honor, which I don¡¯t think governed life on Earth. You¡¯re very¡­free-spirited, from what I¡¯ve seen of your media.¡± If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. I flashed my teeth at the avian, who didn¡¯t appear to like that gesture. ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s a smile! Ah, look it up. I really don¡¯t want to do anything at all aggressive toward you. Look, we have a concept of honor. You know, judges on Earth were called, ¡®Your Honor,¡¯ because they¡¯re, er, honorable¡­respected! Maybe you have that too, actually? What do you call judges on Tanet?¡± ¡°Judge.¡± ¡°Oh. Judge. How¡­sensible. Very direct, and, uh, good.¡± Gress had turned away from us both, but I could tell the Krev was having a good laugh at my expense. So much for saving me from myself, and moral support¡ªhe wasn¡¯t bailing me out in the slightest! I¡¯d only dig myself a deeper hole, the more I tried to butter up the locals. Somehow, I wanted to go back to that ¡°hidey-hole¡± cavern, and never come out again. Heat rushed to my cheeks, as I could feel my cheeks turning red from embarrassment. This avian wasn¡¯t quite as judgmental as Mafani, but she still wasn¡¯t the least bit enamored with humans or primates¡­and was making me look like a bumbling idiot. I¡¯d thought the judge remark was pretty clever, yet now, I wanted to retract those words from existence. One of the Resket¡¯s coworkers came over, gawking at me. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re that human! Berae, do you know who you¡¯re talking to? He¡¯s the one they paraded on livestream, outside of Delegates Tower. The first one any of us saw!¡± ¡°Yep, that¡¯s me. Taylor Trench, first human to land on Consortium soil,¡± I replied. ¡°Uh, with Cherise too, of course.¡± ¡°The Krev kept commenting on and on about how you had a baby face, with the squishy cheeks and the tiny, fuzzy scalp hairs.¡± ¡°They did what?!¡± It was Gress¡¯ turn to look uncomfortable, as he began tugging at my arm¡ªtrying to drag me away. I glared at him with full intensity; he¡¯d left that part out, when he¡¯d told me how the Krev reacted to humans. Why did they say I had a baby face?! I was a grown, 33-year-old man, not some infant obor. Like this Resket said, I¡¯d had cuts all over my face, which should¡¯ve made me look tough and gnarly. That wasn¡¯t a dignified way to treat the representative of the ark ship colony, so it would be a wonder if they¡¯d taken me seriously at all! Looking back at it, even the Krev guard by the orbital ring train had started to call me cute. I hated thinking that my face had been plastered over the airwaves, making me a laughingstock. ¡°Your hair¡¯s gotten longer, and those cuts on your noggin are gone, but I knew it was you!¡± the Resket continued. ¡°You created quite the stir on the Krev internet. They loved you!¡± I crossed my arms in front of my chest. ¡°Apparently.¡± Gress groaned. ¡°Taylor, if I tell you you¡¯re the cutest primate to ever exist, will you maybe let this go?¡± ¡°Absolutely not. Baby face?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­a compliment. Like soft, pinchy, and adorable.¡± ¡°We need to work on your view of compliments. Those are not compliments!¡± The Resket tilted his head. ¡°The Krev want to hug and belly rub every human in sight. You can¡¯t be that surprised, Taylor. Think of it this way¡ªyou were the one who made them want to fawn over and protect your entire species. You were¡­all of our first impressions, so you¡¯re basically famous. I mean, I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s you, the human.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s weird to think that you recognized me, but¡­a little cool. Do you want an autograph?¡± ¡°A what?¡± ¡°It¡¯s where you sign your name onto an object. Famous people on Earth would do it.¡± Gress looked melty-eyed at that point, and I scowled at him before he could ask for an autograph. ¡°I could, er, sign your armor, or your ridiculously large gun?¡± Berae took a menacing step forward. ¡°That¡¯s called vandalism on Tanet. Why would we want markings mucking up our personal property?¡± ¡°It was¡­just an offer. You like markings, family crests and all¡ªnever mind. That¡¯s different, totally,¡± I rambled. ¡°We just want directions out of this spaceport. How do we, er, leave?¡± ¡°Use a visual translator on the overhead signs to find exit, and follow the wind gust markings next to them.¡± ¡°No, I saw those, but I don¡¯t know what they mean? Back home, we use arrows for directional markings. Those are pointed projectile weapons that we shoot from a stringed draw, and it was big for, um, hunting and war? I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s too predatory for you¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s not. We use curved, waving lines to denote wind, which have shorter frequencies¡ªthe arcs are closer together¡ªin the direction they were pointing. Horizontal orientation, left and right. Vertical, forward and backward. Simple enough, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t get why a bird species that can¡¯t fly would use wind¡­¡± Berae¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°We run like the wind. The symbol is from early cartoon animations, when a character sprints away and vanishes off-screen. Any other judgments to cast about our culture on our world?¡± ¡°No, of course not! Er, thanks for the help, Berae and, uh, friend. We¡¯ll be following those wind markers away, right now.¡± ¡°You should do that.¡± With a hope of actually getting out of here and visiting Radai, I followed the wind ¡°arrows¡± hastily; the last thing I needed was for Berae to take objection to some primate behavior that I wasn¡¯t conscious of, or to find fault with my commentary on her species. Gress snickered as I jogged off, and I wished I could bludgeon him over the head with a cane again. That Krev was awfully amused at the scenario, for someone who¡¯d obscured how his people reacted to me. Next time we had to speak to a random Resket, he was going to be doing the talking. I huffed with indignation, but continued toward the outdoors to catch my first glimpse of Tanet¡¯s civilization. --- Gress and I had a perfect view of the street activity from the train, which zipped along the tracks toward the military stop. Again, as the sole human in the transit vehicle, I stood out like a sore thumb; nobody approached us, but a few Reskets whispered to themselves or took photographs. I ignored them, snuggling my head up against the Krev¡¯s shoulder as he sat in the window seat. Compared to the megastructures of Avor, Tanet was much more modest. Even their single-story buildings had decent height though, compared to their Earth counterparts¡ªthe occupants were nine-feet-tall on average, after all. It only took a few ratite-sized floors to turn a humble complex into a tower, to my eyes. There was also some unique pedestrian traffic to behold. While Avor had utilized moving sidewalks, Tanet¡¯s pathways looked more like the pictures I¡¯d seen of running tracks back on Earth. Did it feel special to sprint on a rubbery, artificial substance, compared to other floors? Part of me was curious to check it out, but the giant avians flying down it at blistering speeds were a sufficient deterrent. Reskets didn¡¯t need a conveyor to transport them, when they¡¯d evolved to be the best runners in the known galaxy. I observed sparring studios with intrigue, wondering what Gress would think of human martial arts¡ªhe¡¯d probably think karate was cute, and that he wanted to tie a black belt on me himself. ¡°Aw, they use colored belts to look tough!¡± I can practically hear his voice in my head. And the real tragedy is that every cultural element Gress finds adorable, just reminds me of another part of humanity that¡¯s gone¡­for good. The Krev followed my pupils, landing on the martial arts studio. ¡°Humans like fighting sports, don¡¯t you? I saw this one called boxing, where you have these big, puffy gloves, and then punch bags that hang from the ceiling¡ªit¡¯s the most adorable aggression I¡¯ve ever seen! I was thinking about making a punching bag for Juvre; it could be a great toy.¡± ¡°No,¡± I said sternly. ¡°We are not teaching your face-attacking obor how to throw a punch. Now, making Juvre my punching bag, on the other hand, sounds brilliant.¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t do that!¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, but only because it¡¯d make you and Lecca upset. That obor is a no-good turd. I¡¯d send him out with the weekly trash¡ªassuming that¡¯s a thing, on Avor.¡± ¡°Okay, ground rule number one of our relationship. You have to try to be nice to my obor.¡± ¡°You ask for the impossible. I was just admiring the view; you brought up Juvre.¡± Gress chuckled. ¡°You had a ¡®thousand-yard stare,¡¯ as humans say, but I knew mentioning Juvre would return you to your cantankerous ways. What do you make of Tanet?¡± I focused on what was presently outside the window, before pointing at a massive park area. ¡°That space there looks as big as a nature preserve. I see Reskets playing, having a good time. It looks¡­nice.¡± ¡°Want me to ruin that perception for you?¡± ¡°When you put it that way¡ªsure, why not? Destroy my miniscule faith in society.¡± ¡°Those are battlefields, Taylor.¡± ¡°Like, historical battlefields? Places that they¡­reenact old battles? Damn, that¡¯s kinda neat.¡± ¡°No. I mean Resket regions set aside large areas, should they ever wish to wage war against another group. Throughout their history, they would send messages to enemy commanders, and pre-select locations and contingent numbers for a battle. Should war break out in a long-since pacified Tanet, this is a site they¡¯d arrange a battle. The prior planning has the advantage of keeping fighting from spilling over into civilian areas.¡± ¡°At least unlike the Federation, the Reskets understand not targeting civilians.¡± ¡°The Resket rules for war are some of the oldest in the galaxy. Tanet was more than a little upset that the rest of the Consortium wouldn¡¯t sign the Honor Accords, but some of the restrictions just aren¡¯t how we operate. Not being able to attack without notice? Not fighting on unequal terms? Shit, they don¡¯t even follow those in this fight we¡¯re in now.¡± I pursed my lips. ¡°They can¡¯t, because the Federation sure doesn¡¯t have any limits or morals. As violent as they said we are, we had the Geneva Conventions. The Feds committed war crimes the way you pet obors.¡± ¡°So, compulsively. I see. The Consortium has committed our share of war crimes too, looking at Esquo. The Sivkits. But I wouldn¡¯t say it¡¯s as easy for us as obor petting. I think deep down, we¡¯re still about saving lives.¡± ¡°General Radai will agree with you on that. I¡¯m sure of it.¡± ¡°I hope so. At any rate, that¡¯s the story on those ¡®nature preserves.¡¯ Reskets do take their children to play on battlefields, but it¡¯s also the primary site where individuals will plan duels. There¡¯s a lot of blood on that grass.¡± ¡°Not a place for us to have a picnic in the park. Got it.¡± The train trundled on toward the military base, leaving the park behind. I contemplated what I¡¯d learned about the Reskets¡¯ prideful culture, and found myself lingering on how distinctly unpreylike their warring and sparring was. Berae hadn¡¯t seemed to care at all that one of our most ubiquitous symbols was the arrow, a tool for death and hunting; that would¡¯ve put a Venlil in a comatose state. How much of their petrified act was natural, and how much of it was their overlords¡¯ doing? What had been done to Venlil Prime, because they chose to stand with us? That was a brave decision, despite how sniveling and cowardly they¡¯d been with us. Perhaps there¡¯d been others in the Orion Arm who once had a fighting spirit and a bloody past, but saw that wiped away by the Federation¡¯s arrival. The more I saw of Tanet, the more I thought of just how many cultures had been lost or stripped around the galaxy. I couldn¡¯t save humanity alone, but I could try to preserve some of what was left on Earth¡­so future generations wouldn¡¯t have only a handful of relics to look back on. Maybe the Terran homeworld could return to our control once we won the war, like Gress had suggested, and we could re-establish our predatory culture without being condemned as monsters. Chapter 2-51 Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist Date [standardized human time]: August 18, 2160 The Resket military headquarters were in an expansive complex, complete with dozens of avian patrols marching along to look busy; thick metal walls encased the stone facility, making it look a bit like a castle from the outside. All it needed was a moat, and it¡¯d look like General Radai was living in a medieval fortress. However, the only things I saw once we got past the gates were a convoy of trucks, much like the ones that ascended the hill on the first day of boot camp. It was a good sign that we¡¯d received swift authorization to enter the premises, but I still wasn¡¯t sure he¡¯d go along with vigilantism. After what Mafani had said, there had to be a part of Radai that doubted the Underscales and the secret police. Gress was too disposable to get involved with this, so we needed the general on our side. A duo of guards herded us into Radai¡¯s office, at the top of a watchtower. Staring at the holes in the staircase wall, which seemed perfect for an antique gun barrel to fit through, I found myself wondering if this was a genuine castle. Perhaps it was some kind of¡­modern one, or a retrofitted relic of the ancient wars mentioned. If both sides had to agree beforehand where to engage in combat, why would the aggressors choose to storm a stronghold? After bumbling through conversations at the spaceport, I wouldn¡¯t be asking our Resket chaperones for this place¡¯s background. I did file away another topic to broach with Gress, on humans¡¯ medieval fortresses. He¡¯d probably have a fit at the ¡°Knights of the Round Table¡± being an actual name, with its simplistic, childlike flair. Knights in general would be a trip for the Krev, seeing full plate armor¡ªcrested shields, like how Reskets have family crests. Gress would find a way to coo at a hardened warrior, holding a lethal sword because, ¡°Aw, look at the metal costume! What a precious baby.¡± ¡°Gress, what were medieval Krev like?¡± I asked. The scaly alien leaned his head back in thought. ¡°Well, there was an entire group of ¡®scientists¡¯ devoted to studying the supposed effects of eating certain kinds of rocks. Nutripetrologists¡ªthey still exist, although now they¡¯re focused on minerals, not magical properties. Even highly agnostic philosophers of the Krevist Era, like Plessa the Grounded herself, believed in the rejuvenating powers of stone.¡± ¡°Does anyone still believe in that today? There were people on Earth who believed in healing crystals and such.¡± ¡°There are fringe Krev who seek out this¡­alternative medicine, but where you¡¯ll most commonly see it is in fantasy stories. We have a roleplaying game called Crawlers and Firefossils, which is hard to explain, but Nutripetrologist is a class¡ªusually either a healer, or a stealthy poisoner.¡± ¡°I think I know exactly what you¡¯re talking about with this roleplaying game. I can¡¯t believe you have DND; I always wanted to play a real campaign, not one of the AI apps I have on my holopad. We have got to have a session together, where you show me the ropes of Crawlers.¡± Gress¡¯ eyes lit up. ¡°I¡¯d love to teach you. They say I used to be a great Chronicler¡ªthe person who guides the narrative. Kori dancing and C&F; I can¡¯t think of a better first date.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t a date?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t consider visiting General Radai about two sensitive matters in that way, but I guess it¡¯s open to interpretation.¡± A smirk crossed my face, as we reached the top of the spiral staircase. General Radai had his back to us, but I instantly knew it was him from the solemn way he carried himself. A projection of Federation space was open on a holographic display, along with a folder containing options for contacting the Sivkits¡ªsomething that must¡¯ve weighed on the Resket¡¯s mind, since hearing Anxsel¡¯s description of his species¡¯ erasure. No parties within the Consortium had expected Tellus to have once been the property of the galaxy¡¯s locusts, and for its current status as a desert to be because of the Federation, not the Grand Herd. I suppose the exterminators would¡¯ve burned Earth to the ground, one way or the other. At least this way, humans didn¡¯t become brainwashed, like all of them. I offered a Terran-style salute, before General Radai acknowledged us and waved us in. ¡°If you came all this way to get Gress¡¯ discharge undone, I¡¯m afraid that will not happen,¡± the avian said, a weary tone in his voice. ¡°It was a mercy that I did not pursue any more punitive actions.¡± I squeezed the Krev¡¯s paw reassuringly, before shaking my head at the Resket. ¡°No, sir. I¡¯m here to request my own discharge for PTSD. This is verifiable from my brain scan, if you do not believe me. I realize I am a liability, and unfit to serve. I don¡¯t want to jeopardize my unit or my people, sir.¡± ¡°Dammit, Taylor. I could¡¯ve discharged you for PTSD at any time, but I let you stay to help you. I cut you a lot of slack. For high-ranking Reskets, choosing a person to mentor is bestowing a great honor upon them. Taking you under my wing was supposed to be symbolic of strengthening humanity, and fully embracing you into the Consortium. I¡¯m¡­disappointed to see you squander the opportunity.¡± I ducked my head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. It¡¯s a wonderful gesture, and I mean that¡ªI¡¯m grateful that you¡¯ve guided me, and that you found Mafani. It¡¯s no slight to you; I¡¯m simply not the right human to fit here, for anyone¡¯s good. After everything that¡¯s happened to me lately, I know I should serve the Consortium in other ways.¡± ¡°Hmph. You could¡¯ve requested a discharge electronically, and saved yourself a lot of time. There was no need to come here. I¡¯ll give you a medical discharge, but in the future¡ªdon¡¯t start on goals you don¡¯t intend to see through. What happens if I just quit in this war I want no part of? My path is locked, yet I will stay the course.¡± ¡°Respectfully, we have to fight the Federation,¡± Gress piped up. ¡°You heard what they did. I lack conviction in everything the Consortium is involved with, except fighting them.¡± ¡°You talk like your Jaslip friend¡ªwho, mind you, I tried to give grace to as well, but she harbors too much bitterness toward Reskets.¡± Radai slumped over the holographic display, stamping a thin leg in frustration. ¡°Something isn¡¯t right with our offensive. It should¡¯ve taken weeks for the fleet to travel to their targets, yet it¡¯s been two months. At least one ship should¡¯ve checked in for a report by now¡­unless they either never got to the destination, or there were no drones left to report back.¡± A lump formed in my throat. ¡°There were 150,000 ships per planet. They didn¡¯t know we were coming. How could they¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I want to know what happened. I finally persuaded the Consortium to send a select few scout ships after our attack party, to get some answers. Without contact, we have no idea how the battles played out. There are too many unknown variables. This was supposed to be a decisive decapitation strike.¡± ¡°Sir, if they can¡¯t break into our star systems, and we can¡¯t get into theirs, we¡¯re at a stalemate.¡± ¡°A stalemate where their manufacturing capacity is always higher: they can outpace us in the long run. I¡¯m not one to catastrophize, but it¡¯s a bleak outlook. We may need to start investing in our own arks, while we still can. Perhaps one that can make the journey out of this galaxy, where we¡¯d be truly out of reach. The warrior must recognize a losing battle; it¡¯s a tenet of our military code. I need the proper information to make that assessment.¡± My mind had gone numb, at the thought of forsaking another home¡ªeven if I¡¯d have Gress with me this time. ¡°That¡­has to be a last resort, sir. We just rebuilt our lives. We¡¯re supposed to have new humans on the way; you have all of your infrastructure. The rings. The Cage. You can¡¯t just replace that!¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Things can be replaced; our identity cannot, if the Federation were to win. That¡¯s why I wished to contact the Sivkits along the way, if only to transmit the contents of Anxsel¡¯s story. We could help give them a little bit of themselves back. However, the other delegates shot down my idea, too caught up in their own agendas. Mayor Hathaway wished to send more ships to ¡®go for the kill,¡¯ while the rest wished to Trombil up¡ªsinking back into our shells to play defense. I was lucky to sway them to investigate at all.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t need to assume the worst. With the travel time in store, it¡¯ll take the drones a few weeks, right? We should stay positive until then,¡± Gress managed. ¡°If these strikes failed, in what was supposed to be an overwhelming show of force, there is nothing more the Consortium has to throw at them. These aren¡¯t the weak, incompetent prey Tellus told us they fought against.¡± ¡°But we don¡¯t know that they failed, General Radai.¡± The Resket¡¯s eyes were agitated. ¡°The scouts will report back in a few weeks. The risk of dropping buoys to communicate back home was finally deemed¡­acceptable. We¡¯ll know what transpired soon enough. What I hold with certainty is that, we¡¯ll burn Tanet ourselves before we let them burn it.¡± I ran a hand through my stringy hair. ¡°We routed them at Tellus, thanks to the home-field advantage, and it¡¯s the least secure planet in the Consortium. Surely Tanet isn¡¯t in that much danger.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, Taylor. The Federation appears to have assimilated some human techniques. They might¡¯ve learned from you. You see it, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I¡­I saw it the moment they showed up here with drones,¡± I murmured. ¡°General Radai, are you okay, sir? Your judgment seems impaired, between the stakes and the guilt of the Sivkits. Trust me, you don¡¯t want to make decisions for all of us from that kind of mindset.¡± ¡°My honor is being tested on all fronts, but I am fine. Reskets endure.¡± I was unconvinced by Radai shrugging off my concern, but it was evident the suspicions against the Underscales and the truth of the Sivkits had taken a toll on him. Perhaps Gress wasn¡¯t the only one who lacked conviction in the Consortium¡¯s policies. Director Wrolle might¡¯ve foiled his public interrogation, but the fact that the general had been willing to believe black ops would do something as heinous as slaughtering Jaslip children was telling. It might explain why he¡¯d let Quana¡¯s bitter remarks slide. While I believed Radai hadn¡¯t known the truth about Gress¡¯ run-in with Jaslip extremists, he¡¯d been aware of their dirty tactics all the way back when Mafani had kidnapped me. The Resket knew there was rottenness in the KC¡¯s hidden agencies. Just like it made perfect sense to Gress, I think it put the pieces together for Radai too. He heard Mafani¡¯s claim, and had that immediate certainty that it was true. He wants to dig around more in what those departments are up to; enlisting his help to undo their neglect¡ªhow they squandered the opportunity to use their reach for good¡ªshould be easy. ¡°You asked why I didn¡¯t resign electronically. It¡¯s because of what we need your help with; there can¡¯t be a paper trail,¡± I said. ¡°Gress and I watched you question Wrolle. He stonewalled you.¡± General Radai stared directly at me. ¡°Trench, I hope you haven¡¯t convinced this Krev to go on some half-baked revenge plan. I¡¯m not going to help you hunt down Underscales who were allegedly involved.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what we wanted! That¡¯s¡­not who I am. At least, it¡¯s not who I want to be.¡± Gress patted me on the back. ¡°Taylor talked me out of vigilantism, Radai. Him leaving military life behind is a sign of growth, even if you don¡¯t recognize it as such. He might¡¯ve joined to seek revenge, but he¡¯s left that path to find other ways of helping. Honorable ways.¡± ¡°You know nothing of honor¡ªeither of you,¡± Radai spat. ¡°What it means to bow to another¡¯s wishes, to put yourself aside altogether. Leading, maintaining order: devoting one¡¯s life to dutiful service, regardless of the burdens that come with it. Don¡¯t belittle my intelligence by claiming this is about honor.¡± ¡°But it is, sir. There are many forms of honor, and protecting those who can¡¯t protect themselves, when you have nothing to gain? That¡¯s honor.¡± I took a step toward the Resket, determination creasing my face. ¡°Gress knows of wrongs that the Consortium has overlooked, and he wants to correct them. A list of victims and perpetrators that your surveillance caught, but deemed not worth helping. C¡¯mon, Radai. Doesn¡¯t that make you angry?¡± ¡°My emotions are irrelevant. I will not be baited into some impulsive explosion, or rash decision.¡± ¡°Humans have a concept of righteous anger, Radai. You shouldn¡¯t feel nothing when you see injustice. There¡¯s no honor in being heartless and emotionless. It¡¯s not rash to want to change things; it¡¯s not honorable to blindly obey a system that doesn¡¯t care for life or morality.¡± ¡°How dare you cast judgment on my motivations, or tell me how to conduct myself?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re the only one who can help us, General, and I want to believe you¡¯re a good man. I want to believe you care. All you have to do is look into these names, and try to see honorable justice carried out.¡± I passed Radai a thumb drive of the names, and watched as he held it up with suspicion. ¡°You have the power to expose the Consortium¡¯s underbelly, and to make a better society for billions of sapients. You tried to out their callousness with Wrolle, so don¡¯t quit now. You told me you see things through.¡± Gress cleared his throat. ¡°Taylor¡¯s right. You might not have known the truth with what happened with Mafani and myself, but you don¡¯t have the same excuse now. Criminals are walking free, while their resources go to staging child executions. You can¡¯t claim ignorance this time, Radai. You can do something about it, something that¡¯ll help at least a few people. You can make a stand.¡± ¡°I have billions of lives hanging in the balance of my decisions, and you think I have time for¡ªthat I should prioritize¡ªa few criminal cases that left a sour taste in your mouth?¡± Radai demanded. ¡°Someone has to decide those handful of people are worth helping. If you believe they¡¯re insignificant, where do you draw the line? That¡¯s exactly what the Listeners and Underscales are doing, with utter disregard for any ¡®small number¡¯ of lives. I¡­I want to believe there¡¯s someone in the government who¡¯s better than that. Whatever you think of us, please help them.¡± The general muttered a few curses to himself, before plugging in the drive and perusing its contents. ¡°Hmph. I¡¯ll see about forwarding this data to the proper authorities, and making sure it doesn¡¯t get buried. I can¡¯t promise what happens from there.¡± ¡°Thank you, sir!¡± I exclaimed, relieved that we¡¯d been able to persuade the Resket. ¡°We can¡¯t thank you enough for all you¡¯ve done to help us. It was an honor to serve under you.¡± ¡°Trench, I know you hated listening to a word I said. I suggest you find a job in the Tellus militia, or something with a lot less order. Now you¡¯re dismissed, both of you. Go home, while you still can.¡± ¡°Keep your chin up. Gress is right; we don¡¯t know the drones are gone. Might I leave you with a¡­parting quote? I think you¡¯d like it, judging by that ¡®losing battle¡¯ code tenet you had going on.¡± Radai stared at me like I¡¯d grown a third eye. ¡°Why on Tanet do you think human quotes are at all like my code?!¡± ¡°¡­because it¡¯s from The Art of War? You seem like the type that¡¯d read strategic military wisdom to your kids as bedtime stories.¡± The Resket gawked at me for a few moments, before ducking his head in reluctant agreement. I took that as my sign to continue, while backing toward the exit door of his office. The last thing I wanted was to get charged at by Radai, after seeing how he¡¯d sent Gress flying back in the bunker. ¡°¡®If you know the enemy and you know yourself, you need not fear the results of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle,¡¯¡± I recited, a nervous grin on my face. Radai tilted his head. ¡°That might be the most intelligent thing you¡¯ve ever said to me, Trench. I¡¯m surprised you¡¯d have those kinds of quotes rolling around in your head.¡± ¡°I¡­I definitely didn¡¯t memorize a few of the best quotes to impress you, sir. The point is, we need to know more about the Federation, given how we didn¡¯t know they¡¯d been active in our own backyard. Maybe those scouts can give us some useful information, and we can figure out exactly what we¡¯re up against. How to take them down.¡± ¡°It definitely would help our planning not to be running off of 24-year-old information. We are flying blind, and clearly unaware of their true capabilities. I¡¯ll hold out hope that we learn something that can turn the tide¡­and that it¡¯s not too late for a meaningful victory. But I¡¯ve said enough words on military affairs to two discharged soldiers. Take care of yourselves, Taylor and Gress.¡± ¡°You do the same, Radai,¡± the Krev replied. With our business on Tanet left in capable wings, Gress and I departed from the tower office. The hope I¡¯d felt when we joined up with the Consortium, that we might be able to defeat the Federation¡ªthat we could reclaim Earth, just like my Krev partner had spoken about¡ªwas now mired in uncertainty. As cathartic as it would¡¯ve been for the Krakotl to pay for genociding my species, I knew that avenging humanity wasn¡¯t my primary goal anymore. Convincing Radai to bring about action on the forgotten Listener files was making a difference, in the small capacity that I could. It also kept the alien I loved from putting himself in harm¡¯s way to deal with his pain; whatever happened on the war front, I deemed my personal mission a success. Chapter 2-52 Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem Alien Liaison Date [standardized human time]: September 26, 2160 Camera drones surveyed the system, admiring the devastation wrought across swaths of space. The FTL disruptors might¡¯ve bought us precious months to prepare for a defense, but eventually, the enemy broke through¡ªsnuffing out enough FTL disruptors to make incremental progress, and slogging their way into the planetary sector. The Farsul homeworld, as projected on our prior intelligence briefings, had been the first to meet our unknown nemesis. The United Nations had locked the region by Talsk¡¯s Kessler Cage down, standing against the would-be murderers with thousands of drones. The humans were crafty devils, and had laid down a multitude of traps to fend off the automatons¡­but machines saw through such schemes better than crewed vessels. I hadn¡¯t known what to think when the two sides traded blows. Sure enough, Kaisal had brought his forces gunning to the fray, finding a microscopic backdoor left for Sapient Coalition allies; the Terrans had balked when Arxur forces warped into Talsk¡¯s vicinity, with two ceremonial ships at the front displaying the banner of the Collective. The icon being an Arxur skull, with a sword through its nearest eye socket, wasn¡¯t reassuring anyone that the cannibals had changed that much. I supposed a kinder interpretation would be that it was symbolic of the rebellion, slaying Betterment officials, and that¡­at least it wasn¡¯t showing dead prey animals? It certainly didn¡¯t play well to the SC audience, who¡¯d been in an uproar at their arrival. And none of it was enough to stop bombs from peppering down on the Farsul. Granted, humanity took measures to evacuate a number of civilians to a different location¡ªwhere they¡¯re also imprisoned, but somewhere the enemy wouldn¡¯t know to track them down. What if that makes the United Nations a target next? ¡°As you all know, the Sapient Coalition needs to hold a full review of what happened at Talsk.¡± Venlil Governor Laisa had taken command of the meeting; while the Venlil Republic were humanity¡¯s closest allies, they had no love lost for the Farsul or the Arxur. That made them less of a public enemy, even if they were mere vessels to facilitate the UN¡¯s message. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a surprise that the Arxur breached quarantine, might I remind you. Nor is this the first time the grays rode in to fight on humanity, or a prey world¡¯s, behalf. We needed their aid once to fight the Kolshians, and after how our forces fared alone, I¡¯m not sure we can afford to refuse their help.¡± Mazic President Quipa seemed incensed by the Venlil¡¯s suggestion. ¡°That¡¯s rich of you, coming from Tarva¡¯s political party. We have respect for humans, don¡¯t get me wrong, but you welcome them, bulldozing your own ways. Skalga doesn¡¯t push back against any of their political plays. You eat every word and thought straight from their hands! There¡¯s a difference between being their ally, and being their vassal.¡± ¡°You are out of line, insulting us and the United Nations. How dare you make insinuations about the special bond that our neighbor worlds share?¡± ¡°We strongly disagree with how you¡¯ve turned a blind eye to the Arxur; you think we don¡¯t remember how Tarva piped up in favor of that Isif character, at our founding Summit? That you changed the story right now, from how the grays only fought on our side for a small portion of the Battle of Aafa? This is all some ploy to get the Collective into the Sapient Coalition¡ªand the Mazic Presidium will not work alongside monsters!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not getting out of this, Quipa! What did you mean about us being the United Nations¡¯ vassal?¡± ¡°You know, Laisa! Skalga has the highest human population of any Sapient Coalition world. You¡¯re the only alien power that was given their own, secluded spot on Earth¡ª¡± ¡°Really? This is about a tiny, gifted research island, which the United Nations gave us as a thank you for literally saving their species; for protecting them and giving them a chance when no others would?¡± ¡°Venlil Island is just one of many reasons you and the humans are much too intertwined to permit an independent decision. You¡¯re not going to allow a voting bloc of nearly a hundred million Terrans to go to waste.¡± Laisa pinned her ears back, a scowl creasing her face. ¡°How dare you? You helped humanity build Libastion, their largest colony, and now, you¡¯re acting like cohabitation outside of Earth is a bad thing? I thought in the Sapient Coalition, we agreed that humans are people¡ªlike any other aliens.¡± ¡°We do. That¡¯s why they should have one vote, like every other species¡ªnot two. They aren¡¯t our ¡®predator masters.¡¯ We don¡¯t have to sit by and watch the Arxur disregard the authority of this institution; their debt to us isn¡¯t something I¡¯ll forget.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Onso barked, storming up to the stage. ¡°You want someone who will challenge humanity? The Technocracy is happy to take a critical approach to their present suggestions, and does not believe they¡¯re above any of us. We have the military might to do better at the next contest, the one that actually matters: Nishtal.¡± The Krakotl ambassador rose from her station, an irritated glint in her eyes. ¡°Our home is on the line, and you¡¯re bickering about islands and fucking Libastion. I say let the Yotul speak.¡± The Venlil governor eyed the red-furred marsupial, as he sauntered onto the stage; Onso was wearing human-styled sunglasses on his forehead, like he never intended for them to cover his eyes. The two representatives studied each other, a staring contest that appeared to have some bubbling hostility. I wasn¡¯t sure what the Technocracy was playing at, but they might have a shot to move the needle on the Arxur; their goal was simply to open the doors for trade purposes. Perhaps this was also a power grab, snatching a leadership role away from the Terrans. The Yotul had a formidable military to back any of their claims, and I still remember how Dustin suggested they had intelligence on SC members: rivaling Jones¡¯ maneuvers. Onso got the Bissems working for the Yotul a lot like Jones, come to think of it; both sides threatened us with revoking our SC membership. Of the two, I suspect the Yotul would be more likely to follow through on threats to bar us from the SC. For Hirs¡¯ sake, I don¡¯t want us to be beholden to anyone in that way! We need the Carnivore Alliance, whether I like it or not. ¡°The floor is all yours,¡± Laisa hissed at last, stepping away from the microphone. Onso offered a sly ear flick, and strolled up to survey the crowd. ¡°The Venlil think that we need the Arxur to win this war. If you want to have an educated discussion on that, we need a strategic review of exactly how it all played out. Our failings. Their capabilities. We must survey all of our options. Why don¡¯t we save these discussions for after we review what happened at Talsk?¡± ¡°Very well. I¡¯m listening,¡± Quipa sighed. ¡°As an engineer, we learn to look for structural weaknesses. Liquid armor, for instance, is single-use and unable to withstand applied amounts of direct, penetrative damage. Bullets can be deflected by the simple metal casing on a ship¡¯s exterior, but we wanted their hull integrity obliterated. And that¡¯s how the human-Yotul R&D teams came up with the idea of space harpoons. Let¡¯s start from the top.¡± Zalk and Naltor looked quite eager to take notes on SC weaponry, especially with the Sivkits and the Bissems now working together on Ivrana to engineer a new-fangled fleet. Ambassador Loxsel had talked about raising an army to retake Tinsas himself, if need be. With Bissems desperate for potent allies and the SC needing as many ships as possible, we¡¯d managed to worm our way in on the action. I still wondered what the Grand Herd would think, had they been informed of our theory that the original Sivkits might be behind all of this. They were quite serious about reclaiming their homeworld, which meant they just might find out the hard way. The other Bissems didn¡¯t seem worried about that, rather focusing on pitching the Technocracy on joint intelligence. I wasn¡¯t particularly eager to listen to the specifics of battle plans and technobabble, so I found myself dwelling on what I¡¯d learned about this Yotul¡ªa Rinsian engineer. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. We dug into Onso, and found out that his best friend, to this day, is a human: one that he met through the Yotul-Terran exchange program. He had once reflected quite fondly on Earth¡¯s foreign policy and way of life, one of many marsupials that used to be happy to partner with them. His species was exuberant that someone finally treated them as equals. Yet now, the UN and the Technocracy are tugging the SC in two polar-opposite directions. I could still hear the Yotul¡¯s reply, when I asked him what changed from back when he believed that humanity had the optimal path forward for the galaxy¡ªone that offered a vast improvement from the methods of the Federation. ¡°They lost their way. They stopped being better,¡± Onso had answered. ¡°They place no boundaries on the reach of their ¡®progress,¡¯ and they repeat mistakes of the past. They see this golden era of peace as their crowning accomplishment, and won¡¯t make any waves for fear of undoing it. Now, they¡¯re dragging other parties into this stagnant retention pond, pretending they don¡¯t smell shit.¡± The Yotul wanted the Sapient Coalition fully cleansed of the Federation¡¯s residue, whereas humanity was terrified of losing their friends. I disagreed that the Terrans had stopped being better than the old regime, by virtue of how completely fucking maniacal the Kolshian-Farsul conspiracy was, but I saw why both sides were jockeying for more power. I hated being used and caught in the middle, however; there was too much politicking and scheming involved to fit my fantasy of friendship with aliens. Maybe there was still part of the United Nations that wanted to make waves, if they¡¯d pushed a little to bring Bissems into the Sapient Coalition. Of course humanity couldn¡¯t abide their allies not fully accepting predators¡ªthat was a sticking point for them. ¡°¡ªthe estimated numbers in their offensive had always been 150,000 strong. We knew from the engagement at Tinsas that they¡¯d have a better turning radius than our standard ship models, so we predicted that smaller, faster-moving defensive weapons would be ideal,¡± Onso was saying in the present time, tapping a simulated visual of the outer edges of Talsk¡¯s system, at the time of the enemy¡¯s initial entry. ¡°They might¡¯ve spit asteroids at us, but we had a different idea. Using projected arrival times, we set canons by Talsk¡¯s sun¡ªdays of travel away¡ªto fire tungsten rods across their paths. They deployed solar sails behind them to accelerate efficiently, and without leaving any propulsion signature for advance warning. Also, as a bonus, they¡¯re not a large rock that can be seen miles away. There¡¯s your space harpoons.¡± Recreations of enemy drones showed blisteringly fast rods impaling into them by probability. Their algorithms reacted much like they had with nanodrones¡ªby sweeping dust guns in front of them to torch any invisible, devastating projectiles. Energy weapons followed up with a few volleys to ensure that any incoming tungsten munitions were destroyed. The Sapient Coalition had known the enemy would have these countermeasures, after they were deployed at Tinsas¡¯ battle, but the constant rod barrage kept at least one of their weapons distracted: even if they still cleared the outer, icy bands of space. Depleting their available energy and microscopic particles gave us a small advantage to build upon. Then again, the casualty counts seemed an insignificant portion of their total offensive: perhaps a few hundred ships hindered by this attempt. At least we had known the enemy drones¡¯ exact position, and there was no element of surprise. The Yotul Technocracy and United Nations defensive line held about sixty-thousand ships, and waited to contest the hostiles in Talsk¡¯s backyard. After how our allies had fared at a numerical disadvantage in their first conflict, their preparations needed to at least whittle down our foes¡¯ count to be on an even footing. The rest of the SC¡ªeighty other members¡ªhad only coughed up a few thousand ships combined, to keep up appearances of following the joint military defense pact. The vast majority of their aid had gone to Nishtal. It was the Terrans¡¯ turn to cook up a trap, with the Yotul having played their Migration tokens; therefore, the cloaked stations, painted in super-black coloration to align with the void, decided to strike. There were no cameras on the stations, to avoid standing out from the near-invisible object and revealing it. However, we had the humans¡¯ data of the engagement; that was enough for Onso to recreate their powerful strike. While Earth might¡¯ve been content to lie dormant, they were still artists of warfare, deviously creative in the field. While the enemy knew that invisible projectiles were coming from the sun, a nanodrone swarm zipping out from another angle would present a dual problem. The cloaked infrastructure waited until enemies were on their doorstep to strike; only as UN nanodrones zipped away did they reveal their true plan. The hidden outpost detonated a massive antimatter bomb lodged inside of it. Shrapnel was hurled in every direction, a massive explosion consuming hundreds of enemies in its radius. I shuddered to imagine that such bombs had struck cities on Earth, and planets that the Arxur had raided. The raw power of the weaponry, tearing apart anything in its wake¡ªa forceful thunderclap unleashed upon the hostiles¡ªwas something that terrified Bissems. If one of those reached our planet again, there would be nothing we could do; just as the Tseia had watched their settlements crumble long ago. At Talsk, not even our mysterious foes had an answer to the humans¡¯ gigantic explosion, and that meant we¡¯d scored a serious blow against these invaders at last. The hostile drones compensated quickly, firing out probing missiles for any additional stations that would wreak havoc¡­and finding the other one. ¡°The drone algorithms are well-programmed, so it¡¯s likely that, if they can locate a countermeasure, we can only use a tactic once against them before they adjust,¡± Onso narrated. ¡°We don¡¯t know if the three prongs of their attack are coordinating, but our intelligence suggests the answer is no; we can¡¯t pick up any communication signals. That also means that we cannot relay a message to whoever is behind this back at Tinsas, and implore them to call this off¡­though I doubt that¡¯d be an option either way.¡± The Gojid Prime Minister snorted. ¡°It¡¯s time to stop trying to talk. They have no intention of picking up the phone.¡± ¡°It¡¯s never time to stop trying to talk, and I¡¯d much rather resolve this dispute diplomatically than through armed conflict,¡± Secretary-General Erin Kuemper spoke up, from where she was conferring with Governor Laisa; Dustin mentioned that having the Venlil in our corner would be an ¡°ace in the hole,¡± with their influence on the UN. Naltor had yet to concoct a plan to bring that about. ¡°Whoever these aggressors are, they must believe we¡¯re the Federation given their targets. They might hold a grudge for the atrocities committed against Tinsas. They¡¯re lashing out, the same as when the Duerten demanded the shadow caste¡¯s deaths¡ªsomething many of you were very understanding of.¡± ¡°Humanity keeps saving every species that¡¯s hurt us. You¡¯re doing it again. Maybe we should¡¯ve just let them have Talsk!¡± the Harchen ambassador piped up. ¡°Why would you lose so many ships for them?¡± ¡°We saved species that hurt us, if you might recall. I believe the Harchen were among them, along with several others in this room. There¡¯s power in mercy. Nobody else has to die, and that is humanity¡¯s belief.¡± The Thafki ambassador¡¯s whiskers twitched angrily. ¡°When your species is a delicacy, Madam Secretary-General, perhaps you¡¯ll begin to come around to the idea that some monsters have done enough that they, in fact, have to die.¡± ¡°The same thing was said about humanity.¡± Zurulian Ambassador Chauson, who¡¯d been friendly in our brief interactions, cast a stern glance at the crowd. His people had already welcomed Bissem doctors to train at the Galactic Institute of Medicine, and offered their pre-first contact research on our worst diseases; they were one of the most eager species to accept us. ¡°Saving lives is much more fulfilling than condemning entire species to death. We, for one, are proud to stand behind the United Nations¡¯ staunch anti-genocide policy, and unwavering application of our sapient rights¡¯ articles.¡± ¡°The humans never did what the Arxur did to us.¡± ¡°And the United Nations, again, shouldn¡¯t have a blanket veto power. The general sentiment in this organization is not in favor of their inflexible enforcement of interstellar law,¡± Quipa added. Onso slammed a paw against the podium. ¡°This review of the Battle of Talsk was supposed to be strategic. This is not a game, representatives! Forget what you think of any of this, because it¡¯s beside the point. Where would you rather be trying to stop this assault: by the Farsul homeworld, or by your own?¡± The silence that greeted the Yotul¡¯s question was all of the answer he needed, and his facial features relaxed. I didn¡¯t imagine there was a delegation in this chamber that wanted competent enemies en route to their planets. ¡°Then you should¡¯ve helped. Shall we continue?¡± Onso asked. With the testy assemblage back in line, the Sapient Coalition returned to our review of the massive contest; so far, we¡¯d only managed to tackle the initial traps. I hoped we¡¯d have less internal strife as we reviewed the main clash by the Farsul homeworld, with the Arxur, the release of the bombs, and the implications for the other two contests that entailed. Chapter 2-53 Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem Alien Liaison Date [standardized human time]: September 26, 2160 Instead of getting into the meat of the engagement, Onso prattled on about boring minutiae; analyzing and comparing engine capabilities, along with his best guess at their design, and AI pathing algorithms. While I was certain that warship design said a lot about a species, it was hardly my favorite subject; the Bissem generals would be much more eager to study the finer details. I was almost relieved to see a call request from Ambassador Loxsel, despite the fact we didn¡¯t have a literature session planned today. It was an excuse to step away from the hostile atmosphere in this forum, and the eruption I knew was coming when the SC reached the part where the Arxur arrived. As I stepped out into the hallway to check whether Loxsel, and perhaps by extension Ivrana, had an issue, my mind wandered once more to the theory of the original Tinsas inhabitants being behind these attacks. I also knew the next step in forging our alliance would be getting the Sivkits to agree to partner with the Arxur¡ªno small task. I thought Bissems had been making a surprising amount of progress with the Grand Herd, getting them to collaborate on shipbuilding rather than hiding away on Nelmin. This was all while the Tseia were pushing back two nations, and waging massive naval contests on our homeworld. If we could pacify our warring states, that¡¯d likely put the alien refugees at more ease about the safety of living on our planet. There is so much going on, and the Sivkits are at the heart of it all. We want them on our side. I don¡¯t want to use Loxsel, though; he might be in dire need of medication, but I think at his core, he¡¯s quite lonely. It¡¯d play well with the SC to win over the Grand Herd, and I¡¯m not going to do it by convincing the ¡°funny bunny¡± that predators definitely can¡¯t be trusted. Still, there was a certain way that things needed to be framed to persuade Loxsel of anything. I recoiled as the Sivkit appeared on screen, with a pile of hundreds of orange fruits lying on the floor behind him. The ambassador¡¯s muzzle was colored orange, and my mood shifted to consternation as I saw his signature manic look. ¡°Despair, carnivore, for you¡ªyou can never sample the portentous citrus! I bid the forever-walking beasts avaunt if they do not furnish these offerings upon me betimes! All they make me swear in exchange is to be calm as I dispraise their pitiful stage efforts,¡± Loxsel rambled, swinging his forepaws over his head triumphantly. ¡°Inspiration has flowered in my bosom, eftsoons sampling the fruity orts. I want more. I¡¯ll SING for more, merrymaking at my execution for but a meager bite! Bid me to sing now, Tassi, for I have found the tree of salvation!¡± I gawked at the Sivkit. ¡°What? Whoa, please don¡¯t sing; just back up. Are you saying you made the humans at the Paltan base give you offerings of these¡­fruits? This is why you called me during an SC meeting?!¡± ¡°Fruits? Mandarin oranges. The plant has a name! The loathly beasts and I are getting along now; they think me a lurdan, but I am no sciolist, maugre my species! I overleap their impudence, so the oranges may overbrim. You, my compeer, must aggrandize the Herd, and bring the oranges far and wide¡ªgramercy, you must groak Sivkits in our finest communion! You must; we¡¯ll give you any guerdon!¡± ¡°Loxsel, you¡¯ve gotten worse. I told you to use less ¡®play words¡¯ in conversation, and I swear you¡¯ve ratcheted it up instead! You¡¯re growing less understandable by the minute.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you noticed!¡± I narrowed my eyes at the Sivkit. ¡°You are doing it on purpose.¡± ¡°Obviously. It¡¯s strenuous to improve upon perfection, but I am poetic; I want to be BURIED as Loxsel the Poetic, for that is I. Don¡¯t be purblind, Tassi; you are my protege. You¡¯ve been imbued with great purpose: to bring me oranges today, and to bedazzle with your utterances later! You must embrace my mantle¡ªyour words must have striking power, beyond that of the average quidnuncs.¡± I sighed. ¡°I doubt anyone can emulate your speaking style, Loxsel. It¡¯s¡­singular.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be a slubberdegullion. You can do it. Start with dramatic interjections¡­move your flippers more. Master the art of placing your beak inches from others¡¯ faces, practice some swooning, and yell at yourself in the mirror before you retire at night. Very simple exercises; you¡¯ll be on your way in no time!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to¡ª¡± ¡°Yes, you are. This is not a discussion. By the way, do you want to hear my poem to oranges?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t. What is it you want, Loxsel?¡± The Sivkit cleared his throat. ¡°Import oranges from Earth to Ivrana, so the Grand Herd can know their glory! You have my permission to give the simians anything¡ªearnestly anything! I wrote up a requisition request. Could you forward it on behalf of the Sivkits, and bring the shipments to your shores?¡± I was so flabbergasted that the ambassador had called me¡­about importing human fruit to Ivrana, that I just blankly went along with it. ¡°Okay. We can pass this request of yours to Earth. What did you write, exactly?¡± Loxsel cleared his throat, seeming to read off of cue cards by the camera. Did he have those for other lines he spewed? ¡°O gaolers of the Sivkit survivors, hear my orison for a mote of this rapturous fruit. Verily, this sapid, comestible wonder is a meed for our oppression, languishing in the Bissems¡¯ cattle pens! Earth¡¯s paradoxical delights know no bourn, as I hold this fardel of oranges in my paws; shrive me, for sampling their cursed fruits. Citrus vouchsafed by these primate wastrels, and replenished daily withal. Amain they ferry the orange aliment; treasures that must be secured for the behoof of the Grand Herd!¡± ¡°That¡¯s your requisition request?! Is that just the poem I didn¡¯t want to hear? And are you making up words?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, and no. I only ever made up one word: bellynigh. It means ¡®about to be eaten,¡¯ like you¡¯re soon to be in a beast¡¯s stomach! I ensure that it appears at least once in all of my plays, because it¡¯s my legacy. All of my hopes and dreams ride on that word joining the lexicon!¡± ¡°Loxsel, why don¡¯t you let me vocalize your request for oranges for you: in normal words?¡± ¡°No! Sivkits can speak for ourselves; use our words. My words! Do not muzzle me so cruelly!¡± He¡¯ll never know if I don¡¯t use his unintelligible poem. Just say what he wants to hear, so you can escape this call. ¡°You¡¯re right, Loxsel. It¡¯s your request, so I¡¯ll use your words,¡± I agreed. The Sivkit¡¯s ears perked straight up. ¡°Excellent! Now recite them back to me, so I can ascertain that you¡¯ve committed them to memory¡­and coach your delivery!¡± ¡°Absolutely not. Goodbye, Loxsel.¡± I disconnected from the call, and turned off my holopad as the Sivkit immediately tried to redial my contact. Despite how much I¡¯d been dreading the rest of the Sapient Coalition proceedings, it was now a relief to return to the halls alongside Zalk and Naltor. Loxsel had a way of striking the fear of Hirs into everyone he encountered. My timing seemed impeccable, with the delegation having progressed to the moment where the human-Yotul line met the rival drones in combat. Scattered hit-and-run tactics and defense stations (complete with missiles and lasers) had whittled down the enemy numbers by a few more thousand; it hadn¡¯t been the fortified beatdown that we received by Tinsas. The SC were outgunned, with only stray assets left in Talsk¡¯s system to ward off the worst. The stations being used in the Farsul¡¯s defense were originally designed to keep a watchful eye on them, ensuring that the natives didn¡¯t pull any stunts or mount an escapade. Onso was discussing how lasers were ineffectual against liquid armor, similar to the particle beams; heat dissipation rendered several variants of weapons obsolete, at least unless that layer of protection was burned away faster than it could be replenished. The hostiles crested into the system, still boasting a ship count six digits strong. The SC drones anticipated an initial volley of particle beams coming their way, and had magnetic shielding up to neutralize them. Evenly matched foes locked into a dogfight¡ªexcept the enemy had numbers and were feathers away from the planet. That visual of the Kessler cage on Talsk is staggering, with just how many tiny pieces of rock were encircling it. Billions of fragments forming a cage for the people below, blocking them from the stars. What if the SC turned on us, and did that to Ivrana? ¡°Simulations up to this point weren¡¯t looking to be in our favor, but a tactical retreat would do more harm than good,¡± Onso stated. ¡°We needed to engage them, and learn more about them. You can¡¯t make an antidote without studying the disease you¡¯re targeting. Military intelligence has learned a great deal, albeit not enough about their motives and endgame.¡± The Iftali ambassador piped up. ¡°It seems plain to me that they wish to destroy the Federation. All we need to do is communicate that we aren¡¯t them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s our assumption, yes, but we don¡¯t know that they¡¯ll lay down their arms just because the conspiracy has fallen. One of my conclusions from this fight is that we must acquire intelligence on who we¡¯re up against. I¡¯ll discuss this more, but after finishing our analysis. For now, we¡¯ll look at the final line of defense; another one of humanity¡¯s toys that have been reinvented for the stars. Mines.¡± Our foes had wisened up to the idea that invisible hazards might be waiting in front of them, so their munitions swept across their flight path¡ªbrute forcing their way forward. The onboard AI clearly could identify patterns, and extrapolate them to predict our future actions. However, the humans¡¯ cleverness was hiding the mines among select rocks in the Kessler Cage. As the enemy pressed into orbital range, they found themselves riddled with shrapnel and explosive damage¡­and those billions of rocks were too many to clear with any expediency. The best fortification of all was the one meant to keep the Farsul occupants in. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. UN ships kept back to avoid debris flying in all directions, and had set up physical barricades to park their vessels behind. The Yotul, meanwhile, were deploying clouds of smoke to obscure sensors and visual targeting. Onso excitedly explained how they wanted the hostiles to have to guess where their vessels were; Technocracy ships were equipped with external sensors, from in-system and allied feedback, to guide their targeting with precision. Missiles zipped through the smoke, blowing up by the mysterious assailants¡¯ noses. Hostile drones took a flurry of losses, with mines ripping open their bellies and explosives barreling through the offensive line. Over ten thousand foe indicators blinked off the sensors readout in an instant! It was the significant punch we¡¯d been trying to score since Tinsas. However, the enemy wouldn¡¯t just sit back and let their ships be cut down unchallenged. Their weaponry revved to life, firing a few antimatter bombs brought for Talsk into the Kessler Cage. The city-leveling explosions striking anywhere near the SC vessels would pack a devastating blow, and a collision with something was virtually inevitable with billions of rocks entombing the world. Supersonic fragments hurtled through UN barricades and vessels alike, crumpling whatever metal they touched. Thousands of our own craft were felled like trees harvested from a forest. The antimatter blast disintegrated any ship unlucky enough to be caught in its direct wake, but the planet remained unharmed. Some of the Kessler debris careened into the atmosphere, yet that would burn up long before it struck the ground. ¡°I¡¯d like to linger on the defensive efficacy of the Kessler Cage. While I doubt we¡¯d want to lock ourselves in our homeworld, it got in the way of a great many bombs¡ªand of the enemy drones flying closer. It might¡¯ve saved the Farsul planet, more than the Arxur¡¯s arrival,¡± the Yotul remarked. ¡°The Technocracy believes that we should capitalize on this idea, and perhaps invest in a similar, ubiquitous planetary defense for our worlds: making them more resistant to orbital bombardment. Like Talsk.¡± The Krakotl ambassador looked displeased. ¡°Your idea to defend Nishtal, and any other SC planets that might come under fire, is to deploy Kessler Cages?¡± ¡°It¡¯s to deploy some kind of cage that can be retracted, or moved at will. Take the idea of this useful technology from Talsk, and turn it into something less¡­immutable. It¡¯s like the barriers we place in front of ships, to get in the way of fire, just on a planetary scale. It could be useful.¡± Secretary-General Kuemper tilted her head in thought. ¡°Being able to lock down Earth if it came under attack; I do like the idea of an extra layer of defense, quite literally. Engineering megastructures would take a long time, however. We couldn¡¯t build it in time to meet immediate attacks from these opponents.¡± ¡°Of course, but that doesn¡¯t mean we shouldn¡¯t start buffing our defenses at once. Who knows how long this war could rage on, assuming the two sides remain deadlocked. At any rate, as we all are aware, not even the Kessler Cage was a perfect defense.¡± My heart felt a bit heavy, as a series of coordinated enemy missiles struck the debris field in quick succession. These munitions tore a gash in the Kessler Cage, paving the way for antimatter bombs to sail in. The United Nations¡¯ spaceships pivoted, attempted to shoot the next warheads, and diced up several with particle beams. However, the hostile drones zeroed in on human vessels that were focused on stopping the bombs, bombarding them with enough ordnance to decimate a truckload of spaceships. A few explosives bound for Talsk slipped through the net, with respective UN craft being taken out before they could counter them. One mushroom cloud appeared on Onso¡¯s recreation; then another, and several more after that. The final tally of bombs that hit in this first breach was fourteen. Even with evacuations having occurred, there were still billions staying on the planet below; the death toll must be in the tens of millions, at a conservative estimate. Numbers were still coming in from Talsk, so that wasn¡¯t something we¡¯d locked down with certainty. The SC fleet¡¯s focus was being pulled in too many directions. They were outgunned, and with not enough tricks up their sleeve. The outlook had been bleak and hopeless, with the simulated odds falling to near zero as the numerical imbalance grew. That was the moment when forty-five thousand warp signatures appeared on Onso¡¯s feed, slipping through the channel only the Sapient Coalition knew about. ¡°It appears the Arxur Collective expedition made a detour from their course to Apep. Their newly-minted vessels came into the fray with guns blazing, and tore into the enemy from behind.¡± Onso heaved a weary sigh, pinning his ears back. ¡°This came as a shock to all of us, though we couldn¡¯t afford to turn away their help. The Technocracy had fought alongside them before, and the ambush; our foes didn¡¯t know what hit them. Forty-five thousand guns, firing in harmony, as the Arxur banner was dragged into battle!¡± The Thafki ambassador bared his teeth. ¡°You almost sound excited, Yotul.¡± ¡°It saved our asses. Assuming you want a strategic review, that¡¯s self-evident. If our allies won¡¯t risk their own ships, then how can you complain that it¡¯s the grays putting their hides on the line? It benefits everyone. No, the real issue is that someone here leaked the FTL backdoor to them, because how else would they know? That group should come forward.¡± ¡°It was us.¡± Before the Thafki could point at my people, General Naltor stood up calmly. The Selmer must¡¯ve had ice in his veins, with how leisurely that declaration was; no wonder his subspecies was suited to arctic climates. ¡°Since Bissems were accused of contacting the Arxur anyway, we decided to reach out to them. They were already loose, so we tried to turn their army toward a good purpose.¡± ¡°A good purpose? The Arxur? Are you fucking joking?! And you did it behind all of our backs; we should¡¯ve never let you join us!¡± ¡°With all due respect to the Thafki, Talsk is alive because of us. Bissems have to do the best with what we have, because we¡¯re no more welcome here than humans were in the Federation. My people agree with the Zurulians on saving lives; we only want to help whoever we can. Today, we saw Farsul, Arxur, and SC members working together¡ªand that was because of us. The galaxy can heal through moments like these.¡± On Onso¡¯s display, Arxur vessels ravaged through hostile forces, while the United Nations decided to confound the situation with their own aggression. As Talsk was still smoldering from freshly-detonated bombs, the humans enacted a strategy I believed was planned for their final stand. They began ramming paths anywhere with a clear shot out of the Kessler Cage, straight into hostiles that had bombs primed or were trying to pivot toward the Arxur. Kaisal¡¯s fleet was eager to get up close, with kinetics and plasma raking over hostile lines. The simple tag teaming turned the tide with decisiveness, ambushing our opponents in a way they hadn¡¯t predicted. Like old friends who still remembered each other¡¯s ways, the Yotul popped off a slew of plasma beams, mini-missiles, and nanodrones. Everything was flying at the attackers in one single moment, terminating tens of thousands in the blink of an eye; as casualties piled up, the effect only quickened. Our alliance was unrelenting, hurling every bit of weaponry that we had. Our defensive line had been reduced to about half of their original numbers, but with the Arxur boosting their count¡ªwe already had the numerical advantage. Naltor was correct that Talsk was only alive because we¡¯d wrangled Arxur aid; I was proud of that fact, realizing how much worse the death toll could¡¯ve been. The planet likely wouldn¡¯t exist at all, without our meddling. Chauson, the Zurulian ambassador, stood with uncertainty. ¡°That was a bold decision, General Naltor.¡± ¡°The results speak for themselves. A complete turnaround, and it also gives all of you a chance to see the Arxur¡¯s capabilities. We believe it¡¯s better that they¡¯re on our side, and that we keep their vengeance on behalf of the Osirs very¡­focused,¡± Naltor responded. ¡°Bissems will always have an open-door policy for anyone who¡¯ll speak to us, and for anyone who needs our aid. As rescue efforts begin, we would like to take Farsul refugees: any of Talsk¡¯s residents displaced by these attacks. We¡¯re sending aid ships now. Despite all of Ivrana¡¯s problems, we won¡¯t turn a blind eye to any sapients¡¯ suffering.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t have said it better. The Zurulian hospital ships were waiting outside of the system, and have already arrived to rescue Farsul. We can spread word of the program on Talsk, and transport refugees to Ivrana immediately. Colia will chip in to take in those in need as well.¡± ¡°Perhaps we can partner with the Zurulians on altruistic efforts,¡± Naltor commented shrewdly, seeming to have acquired a new target for his alliance of misfits. ¡°Whatever hatred SC members hold, and for valid reasons or not, we won¡¯t be a party to that. It¡¯s not who Bissems are.¡± ¡°Well, there were millions of Farsul lives at stake; it¡¯s a positive sign that the Bissems are sympathetic to the victims.¡± Onso looked perplexed that we¡¯d outed our ties to the Arxur, but hastily attempted to cover for us¡ªperhaps believing this was part of the plan to lobby for their lifted quarantine. ¡°Since the stakes are so high, and the grays¡¯ aid harvested victory from the fields of defeat, we can¡¯t turn away a free infusion of ships. Put Arxur hulls on the line instead of ours; I, for one, like it.¡± The Yotul gestured toward the end of the simulation, as the Arxur made easy pickings of the last enemies. Kaisal stomached a few losses, but the Collective¡¯s strategy didn¡¯t align with the measured tactics of the SC; the drones hadn¡¯t been ready for reckless abandon and an ambush. Talsk had a few scars to show from the engagement, but standing with the reptilians, we¡¯d won comfortably. I could see the human delegation had already given in on accepting Arxur aid, and were figuring out how to save face politically. The reluctance and dread in their binocular eyes said it all. ¡°The Collective have saved worlds before. We can always take another look at this after the war, when we have the luxury of being able to jail them without endangering lives,¡± Kuemper ventured. ¡°We need anything with a warp core fighting on our side. This isn¡¯t the time to be dealing with them.¡± Onso flicked an ear in agreement. ¡°The entire Orion Arm is in danger, so our interests are aligned, if only for self-preservation. Talsk had many lessons, but it does bode well for planets where we can send more vessels to their defense. It also showed that this war could easily become a stalemate, and perhaps that¡¯ll force our enemy to the bargaining table. The reality is that we need information on who we¡¯re fighting to know how to contact them. However, they won¡¯t let us get close enough out in the open.¡± ¡°What are you saying? Speak plainly,¡± the Dossur representative chittered. ¡°I¡¯m saying our first priority is to observe. Intelligence is going through the wreckage to study their ships¡ªanything we can glean of their language, coding, and weaponry. We need to send a stealth ship into enemy territory to find a manned vessel, and attempt to capture them via a boarding party. Since they won¡¯t talk to us, we kick in the front door and see exactly who we¡¯re dealing with.¡± ¡°I agree. SC military operatives can park a ship outside of frequented systems, and wait for an isolated vessel to pass by,¡± Kuemper commented. ¡°Assuming they glassed Apep, it might be a way to get more intel on the Osirs. They¡¯ll be here by Christmas.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. It¡¯ll be like exposing the Kolshian-Farsul conspiracy together, all over again. Our strategy going forward must be to know our enemy, not run on hypotheticals. We must make logical decisions that give us the best odds of survival. And on that somber note, I believe this meeting is adjourned.¡± A flurry of thoughts raced through my head, as General Naltor shot me a sly glance. All in all, news of our involvement with the Arxur had gone over without too much backlash, and the Zurulians had teamed up to bring Farsul refugees to our homeworld. That last plan had gone even better than we hoped for, and granted us a potential new ally: one that would look at us fondly for our charitable optics. However, I found myself unsettled by the idea of what this Sapient Coalition stealth foray might uncover about our enemies. As much as I wanted to agree with Kuemper¡¯s idea of it never being too late to stop talking, I wasn¡¯t sure if it was possible to go back, with the Sivkit wanderers and now millions of Farsul civilians having succumbed to our mysterious foes. We might learn very soon whether the original Sivkits of Tinsas were behind these Federation-targeted attacks. Chapter 2-54 Memory Transcription Subject: Elias Meier, Former UN Secretary-General Date [standardized human time]: September 26, 2160 Skalga, World of Death. Seeing that sign at the spaceport had felt strange, as I¡¯d traveled to the Venlil homeworld in search of old friends. Syba was handling most of the calls with the Shield, in the aftermath of our visit; the Sulean was unwavering in her glowing enthusiasm, and had lauded my speech during our journey back, long before we knew the results. She¡¯d fired off the message I asked her to, apprising the Sapient Coalition of the Federation remnants¡¯ unexpected presence and The Sailer¡¯s unique nature. I found myself hoping against hope that we¡¯d have something to show for our efforts, and that I¡¯d made the right decision, speaking my own lines rather than Korajan¡¯s ideations. As of today, there were still two planetary defenses to be mounted; I got a sense of deja vu, hearing that the Arxur rode into the rescue at Talsk. ¡°No, no way! There will not be emotional support animals on Skalga!¡± a furious voice hissed, charcoal-gray fur standing upright; the mouthy Venlil looked furious. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s just a ferret; that¡¯s great, Justine. But if we allow one type of pet, you crazy fuckers will start putting crocodiles in your luggage. Just because I¡¯m crippled doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t drop your predator ass at forty years young!¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough, Rauln.¡± A middle-aged human cleared his throat, wearing a metallic-looking jacket. His black hair was slicked back, as if to hide some of the graying roots. ¡°Don¡¯t mind him. He¡¯s having a mid-life crisis.¡± ¡°Mid-life crisis? Then what do I call you: entire life crisis? Because you¡ªyou have not aged gracefully, William Kane. You look like my couch cushions ate you for breakfast and barfed you up, you pasty porridge-faced man!¡± Justine tried to creep past the spaceport security with the ferret, clearly wanting no part in the unhinged shouting match. Rauln¡¯s hissing intensified, and he placed himself directly in front of the Terran tourist. The human visitor stepped over a few paces to the side, as the Venlil followed her, like a basketball guard trying to stop a shot. William smirked, folding his arms and making little effort to intercede. I¡¯d never seen Venlil that were this feisty, and he wasn¡¯t even part of the new generation of unmodded Skalgans. I was a little concerned about passing through security now, and not just because metal detectors would have a lot of problems with me. Perhaps I should contact the Terran embassy and ask if we¡¯d established diplomatic immunity on Skalga¡­ ¡°The ferret goes home, or the ferret burns,¡± Rauln said darkly, wiggling his claws in a threatening manner. ¡°I know it¡¯s a carnivore. The side-facing eyes don¡¯t fool me. I¡¯ll put it with the rest of the kindling!¡± Justine moved the suitcase further away from the angry Venlil. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t. Fuzzy is a cute little guy¡­¡± ¡°Humans and fuzzy things. I see a flammable beast; I see more than one, if you keep giving me trouble!¡± ¡°Rauln, we haven¡¯t carried flamethrowers for two decades. You haven¡¯t been allowed to carry a weapon for ten years; that¡¯s why we¡¯re on spaceport duty,¡± William commented. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him, ma¡¯am. Take the ferret and keep going.¡± Justine gulped, and walked past the angry Venlil, bumping shoulders with him. Rauln set his livid gaze on his partner, as the line of incoming passengers continued to back up. Flamethrowers¡­were these people exterminators? Apart from William¡¯s metallic jacket, they didn¡¯t look like a predator-burning crew; plus, I thought Skalga had gotten rid of that institution. This wasn¡¯t who I expected to welcome us to the Venlil world at one of the most tourist-heavy spaceports. Knowing full well I was the next one up to deal with these individuals, I shuffled up to the security checkpoint with reluctant steps. The duo hadn¡¯t even noticed me, through their fixation with each other. ¡°You undermined my authority, you long-pig slouch!¡± Rauln roared. ¡°That was my moment. I never get to attack humans anymore! They say I can¡¯t be trusted¡­ha. Me, the most reformed, progressive exterminator¡ªI mean, I put up with you.¡± William raised his eyebrows. ¡°No, I put up with you, Puff the Magic Xeno. And look what you¡¯ve done! This is why they don¡¯t trust you. I count three holopads out recording us¡ª¡± ¡°I will break their SIM cards, and their arms!¡± Two of the filming Terrans lowered their holopads, and Rauln made blistering eye contact with the last one, until they also relented. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought. I will find you if you post that!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t call us exterminators anymore either.¡± ¡°Oh yeah, we¡¯re the ¡®Planetwatch.¡¯ What mewlers made up that name?! I¡¯m an exterminator, and as for the ¡®no flamethrower¡¯ claims, there¡¯s more than one way to burn ferrets! Next.¡± More than one way to burn ferrets. Is that the new ¡°more than one way to skin a cat?¡± I raised a hesitant hand, hopeful that my metal body would make me somewhat resistant to getting leveled. ¡°Right here. Elias Meier. You might¡¯ve seen me on the news recently.¡± ¡°Am I supposed to be impressed? Do you think you¡¯re the first dead human I¡¯ve seen up and about?¡± Rauln hissed. ¡°I¡­really hope so?¡± William facepalmed, shaking his head. ¡°Rauln had a very interesting acid trip at his thirtieth birthday party, and ever since then, he¡¯s gone all Sheepbuster and believes in ghosts.¡± ¡°I can send you to the afterlife now if you don¡¯t believe me. Then you¡¯ll see,¡± the Venlil grumbled. ¡°Fuck, Meier must¡¯ve witnessed it to back me up; he came back from the dead. What was it like to be a ghost?¡± I recoiled, as the Venlil knocked on the back of my hand to hear the sound. ¡°Personal space? It wasn¡¯t really like¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s definitely freaky to think they took your brain¡¯s likeness and put it into a machine,¡± William interjected. ¡°I got one of those brain scans a few years ago, for a museum exhibit on historical reform by that Curator Haysi; she¡¯s old as dirt! Got a pretty penny for it, but now, I wonder if they could do¡­that to me. Or they could upload me to a USB, and I¡¯d be, like, stuck in there.¡± ¡°How do you know you¡¯re not in one right now?¡± Rauln countered. ¡°Maybe the Venlil were never real.¡± ¡°Because no simulation could render a face as ugly as yours.¡± ¡°Aw. I thought you were gonna say no simulation could create the hideous face you saw in the mirror.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t look in the mirror, Rauln. It broke from having to reflect your noseless face. You look like sludge that fell off a damn cement truck and hardened as fucked up as possible. The Farsul special.¡± ¡°Oh, you know all about the Farsul special, Willy the Lovestruck. She drags you around by the¡ª¡± An angry tourist cupped his hands to his face, shouting at the duo. ¡°Hey, speed it up! We don¡¯t have all day.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll work at whatever pace I please. You¡¯re on my fucking planet! You mangy gluttons are the ones who came to me!¡± Rauln screeched. ¡°I¡¯m done waiting for you to sit there and bicker about ghosts. I¡¯m leaving. We¡¯re leaving, right now. They can¡¯t stop all of us.¡± The line behind me began to break up, as impatient tourists followed the heckler¡¯s lead. The crowd bypassed Rauln and William¡¯s checkpoint, ignoring the Venlil¡¯s protests. I watched as they filtered out into the wider terminal, and the facial recognition cameras overhead struggled to keep up. My first inclination was to join them, but the two Planetwatch officers were standing in my direct path. The last thing I needed was to run over a Venlil civil servant, and enjoy the negative publicity that would bring upon synthetic lifeforms. I stood as still as possible, half-hoping they¡¯d chase after the crowd and unblock my path. One of them seemed to be considering it, and it wasn¡¯t the Terran. With an exasperated expression, the herbivore guard swung a paw into William¡¯s bicep. ¡°What are you doing? Stop them!¡± the Venlil hissed to his human partner. William shrugged with nonchalance. ¡°He had a point. We can¡¯t stop all of them.¡± ¡°Yes, you can! You have a weapon.¡± ¡°And if I pop civilians entering Skalga, I will join you in not having a weapon.¡± ¡°They¡¯re violating our sovereignty. Trampling over order and the law!¡± I cleared my throat, though that sound no longer produced a scratchy feeling on my tongue. ¡°So can I go now?¡± ¡°Yes, yes. You know, there¡¯s a club for paranormal enthusiasts here in Dayside¡ªonce a week, we give ghost tours, investigate sightings and activities, compile evidence. It¡¯s at Kaulin¡¯s Bar, super human-friendly place. You should come to our meeting later today; you¡¯d be a hit.¡± If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it, if my schedule allows for it,¡± I fibbed. ¡°Life of a diplomat.¡± I hurried off into the rest of the crowd, swiping my luggage from the table next to the Planetwatch officers. Hopefully, the remainder of the journey to visit Tarva and Noah Williams would be less memorable. I couldn¡¯t help thinking that the spaceport guards did have one excellent point. Anyone¡¯s likeness could be uploaded into any machine with a recorded neural layout and enough processing power to house it: without a say or an escape. As torturous as this revival had been at times, it could¡¯ve been much worse. There was the chance to continue my work and reconnect with old friends. I hoped the former governor would be pleased to see a robotic version of me, especially after the harrowing circumstances we¡¯d parted under¡­and what I asked her to do. Knowing full well that dealing with the Arxur hurt her. I remember seeing what was then-called Venlil Prime, with the fledgling embassy and refugee camps. Humans fled here desperate to get out of dodge with Kalsim on the way. So much has changed, mostly for the better. While the population was still predominantly Venlil, our influence was evident. I passed a specialty shop within the spaceport called ¡°Goods of Earth.¡± Certain souvenirs at other stores, like stuffed animals and snow globes, were clearly targeted at a Terran demographic. Some advertising to visitors seemed a bit too soon, offering a hotel package designed to recreate running from Earth¡¯s bombing¡ªwith livable bunkers and exterminator actors. It was lost on me why people would want to recreate that, but given that several of my kind were gathered around the holographic ad and discussing interest in it, it must¡¯ve been popular. A banner was hanging over the exit doors, reading in English and Venlil, ¡°Proudly Celebrating 25 Years of the (Human-Venlil) Exchange Program! Sign Up for the 2161 Class Today.¡± I mused joining, imagining the shock it¡¯d be for a modern Skalgan to get¡­me as a partner. Even outside the tourist hub, I couldn¡¯t help but notice that Venlil street vendors had special menus and offerings of condiments for humans. One stand was doing exterminator cooking, placing food inside special containers and blasting it with a flamethrower. The Skalgan performer was doing a host of tricks with the incendiary device, and had accrued a massive crowd and line for his nourishment. Further back, I could spot a history museum¡ªperhaps where William had gotten his scan¡ªadvertising exhibits based on the Archives, and Venlil fighting back against Federation invaders. Part of me was also compelled to get the tourist experience in Dayside City, but I had to stay focused. I allowed myself a brief listen to the narrated teaser outside, regardless, as it moved to more modern affairs. ¡°The legacy of Governor Veln¡¯s visor law: a short-lived, poorly-enforced, and unpopular mandate to cater to rural tastes. Humans were once uncommon in small communities on Skalga, and exposure to so-called predators remained limited in the countryside until the most recent decade,¡± the display outside narrated. ¡°While it was repealed after Veln lost re-election, the discrimination lawsuits that followed against the Venlil government, and businesses or towns that enforced it, were the center of much media attention in the SC. The public fervor was enhanced by leaks of the former governor¡¯s sordid exploits, notably involving affairs with human escorts. Streaming title The Trial of Veln captures the larger-than-life spectacle of his fall from grace.¡± I furrowed my eyebrows at that explanation, comparing it internally to Tarva¡¯s dignified mannerisms and open-minded acceptance of humanity. How had she lost an election to a clown like Veln? I supposed she had her own skeletons in her closet, having romantic involvement with the UN ambassador¡ªwho she picked out as our representative. Perhaps I would¡¯ve scolded the two for it when I found out at the time, but that ship had sailed twenty-four years ago. My present hope was to find them both living well, and to see just how much their children took after them. I wandered toward the Governor¡¯s District train; while Tarva longer lived in the leader¡¯s mansion that I could see on the horizon, she did have an upscale home in the residential area near it. She must¡¯ve been used to the local sights and amenities. ¡°Well, Virnt, if you¡¯re watching now, I hope your patch for the motion sickness works,¡± I mumbled to myself. ¡°This could be a long train ride if not.¡± It dawned on me as I trundled onto the cart what was missing, which I hadn¡¯t quite been able to put my finger on: the elevated sense of Skalga¡¯s gravity, exacerbating aches and making me feel the extra pressure and weight on my skeleton. This synthetic form was much more durable, with a higher load bearing capacity. I wondered to myself if I was stronger now; perhaps I could out-bench press bodybuilders, something that would¡¯ve been a laughable idea to me once. Maybe having my kind as firefighters and EMTs could save lives, if we had the power to lift cars off of a person. I made a mental note to test myself in a gym once I got back to Earth, before settling down in an empty seat. Several Venlil were openly staring, and whispered among themselves. ¡°Didn¡¯t the exterminators scan him, after he died?¡± one questioned. Their partner flicked an ear in agreement. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to feel about¡­how we even handle it. Are we just going to act like this is a normal Terran citizen? How do we know it¡¯s really Elias Meier, not some¡­AI emulating him?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way to say for sure. I wouldn¡¯t want some hollow copy of myself, walking around in some tin can body. The real me would be dead anyway, lights still gone out upstairs.¡± I turned my head around toward them, frowning. ¡°I can hear you, you know.¡± ¡°We¡¯re¡­sorry. It doesn¡¯t leave a positive taste in our mouth, that human tech companies are copy-pasting people¡¯s brains!¡± one brayed in response. ¡°I know it¡¯s unusual, and imagine how I feel. Elias would¡¯ve agreed with you on a lot of it, but it¡¯s still unkind to say that to a sapient being¡¯s face. If there¡¯s one thing I¡¯d hope we have learned in the past two decades, it¡¯s to try to be accepting, even of people we don¡¯t understand¡ªbecause one day, those people could be you.¡± The two Venlil shared a glance, before switching over to an uncomfortable silence. I bit my lip, hearing several of their own questions and judgments rolling around in their head. The self-doubts had relented a bit around Syba, but being faced with opposition to my present existence always dug up those demons. I turned my eyes toward the window as the train began moving, noticing only nominal discomfort in my gut. A distraction in the form of what I spied in the passing streets would be quite welcome. I spotted a sign that said, ¡°Skalga Counseling Center,¡± which returned a smile to my lips. After how the Venlil used to handle ¡°predator disease¡± cases, I was elated to see that it¡¯d changed for the better. There has been a lot of progress here on Skalga, and it seems they¡¯ve restored some of their roots. Is that a strange wrestling gym I see, whizzing by us? I swear, the Venlil I glimpsed inside were butting heads with each other. I continued to observe my surroundings, noting the landmarks of each district, as we drew closer to the place I¡¯d spent most of my time. The UN embassy had a great deal of foot traffic, with our flag flying proudly in the air alongside the similar Sapient Coalition one; any Venlil who had business with Earth seemed to visit here. We had full security checkpoints at the compound now, as beefy as the ones back in Vienna. I remembered when the human generals came to visit this place, with none other than Kam petrified of allowing us onto his world¡ªfur sticking out from any unexpected noise. Despite the earlier commentary, it was a positive that the gossiping Venlil on the train at least seemed unafraid of me. That was better than what I¡¯d encountered on The Sailer, regardless. The scenery began to look a bit more familiar as I drew closer to Tarva¡¯s home, until my gaze unmistakably latched onto a rowhouse that I remembered in vivid detail. There was some new construction added to it, likely to patch up the burn damage, but I was sucked back to a moment in time I didn¡¯t want to be. After my resolution to reach out to the Federation visitors and pledging to form our own alien union, it¡¯d seemed we were on the right track. I¡¯d known that it was all crumbling down around me, as the dust irritated my lungs and air passageways. The terrible ringing in my ears¡ªtinnitus that felt like a rattling screw was inside my eardrum. I pressed hands to my earlobes in the present time, keeling over. The rowhouses were on fire in my mind, as chaos ensued: protestors clashing with UN officers, and the sounds of people screaming. The mangled injuries that I¡¯d seen were utterly horrifying, except I hadn¡¯t had time to process it after the fact. Tarva had looked at me with reproach, like humans were monsters, so disappointed by the chaos and violence unfolding around her. There had been regret swirling in her horizontal pupils, as if she wished she¡¯d never brought us here at all. That was what she thought of us in my last moments alive; I hadn¡¯t known how she could forgive us. My own pain and despondency had been like a stabbing pain in my heart, peeling off the fresh scab of the grief from Earth¡¯s death toll. Gunshots. A pop, causing me to stagger with Axsely in my arms. Her fur was soft. I¡¯m falling forward into the car, and my dress shirt feels like I¡¯ve spilled a drink on it. I could feel shivers running down my spine in the present time, as I was left cold and fading. Tarva held me in her arms, while it was difficult to come by any thoughts. I remembered latching onto that conversation with Isif, where I¡¯d also been alone and terrified in that dark Titan hotel room. The Venlil was gray, almost the same gray as Arxur scales¡ªit¡¯d been a funny thought, in that last gasp, yet not filling me with mirth at all. I didn¡¯t want her to hate us. I didn¡¯t want humanity¡¯s hope for the future to fall apart; I¡¯d been desperate to try to make things better! It was so difficult to speak, so difficult to move, so distant to watch from inside my own body¡­ Did Tarva think we were animals? The feeling of suffocation was so strong, as it became more difficult to draw breaths; past and present were one, but I knew that I couldn¡¯t breathe now, and felt its absence become unbearable. I wanted to sob, with all of the emotions and images cycling around my brain. We were moving away from the rowhouses, just like we had en route to the hospital. There was no fighting the Reaper¡¯s touch, with all of the uncertainties that entailed. My legacy was that I¡¯d failed humanity and Earth; the gunshot sound played on loop, and my hand drifted to an imaginary wound on my stomach. The scenery had me locked in that moment, recalling the less peaceful side of death¡­ ¡°Elias!¡± Virnt¡¯s voice spoke into my ears, despite the fact the Tilfish was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Snap out of it. Look at the ground. I believe seeing the place where you died again triggered some¡­memories, and not good ones. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s a difficult event to remember; Skalga holds a lot of baggage for you, and that¡¯s okay. You¡¯re fine. You¡¯re okay.¡± I realized that my mouth was hanging open, as I strickenly tried to suck in breaths and sat folded up against the window. The passengers were definitely staring at me now, so I raised a hand to assure them I was fine¡ªdespite the fact that I felt like I¡¯d been running from a grizzly bear. I knew I couldn¡¯t answer the Tilfish out loud, or they¡¯d really think I was crazy, talking to myself. The first aliens to hear a human arguing aloud with themselves must¡¯ve¡­well, that was neither here nor there. Sorry, I got caught up in a memory cascade for a moment. Did you just speak inside my mind, Virnt? ¡°Yes. You seemed like you were spiraling and needed a jolt. It¡¯s easy enough to transmit audio data straight to your sensors, since your ears are basically just a microphone¡ªwhich I¡¯m speaking into! How did you think the UN was going to communicate, if something went wrong out on the Sailer?¡± the scientist answered. So I¡¯m hearing voices that aren¡¯t there now, thanks to your little technology. That¡¯ll go over great. You can be inside my head whenever you¡­ ¡°I respect your privacy typically, but I was just trying to help. I didn¡¯t want you to have a breakdown on the train, Elias. Look, I¡¯ll get out of your ear; why don¡¯t you look at something to ground you? Transport yourself back to the Sailer instead. I know you kept the messages you got after that meeting, and you could listen to those to wind back down.¡± Fine. That¡¯s not a bad idea, but GET OUT! I was glad that I could manually blink several times, as a way to try to snap myself out of it. It was unsettling to hear Virnt¡¯s phantom voice in my skull, but it had been a better option than getting locked into replaying the moment of my death. It hadn¡¯t even occurred to me that Skalga might cause all of it to come rushing back, with all of the fight-or-flight responses and overwhelming stimuli that were burned into my brain. Pulling up my messages on the holopad, I spotted a text from Syba; it read: ¡°I need a robotic me, even if I¡¯m still alive, to handle all the phone calls I¡¯m getting. Can you ask the UN to speed up the Sulean clone assembly line?¡± In spite of myself, that earned a chuckle. Trying to keep my mind focused on my current life, I thumbed through the recording I had of the call I received on the way back from the Sailer, and hit play. The results of my speech had offered something of a verdict on whether digital me was good enough, and whether I had failed humanity once more when we needed allies to survive. Chapter 2-55 Memory Transcription Subject: Elias Meier, Former UN Secretary-General Date [standardized human time]: September 26, 2160 Once we¡¯d distanced ourselves from The Sailer, a few days after my speech, Secretary-General Kuemper called to offer a curious picture of the results. As I cleared the final stretch to Tarva¡¯s home via train, I listened to the conversation that¡¯d made me think about what an improved future might look like, beyond an idealistic vision. I wondered what Noah would say today; it was recent, in my memory, that he¡¯d also begged and bartered with those who hated us and all we stood for. Connecting with the Shield or Federation remnants wouldn¡¯t be comfortable for any of us, though I believed we should find a way to seize the opportunity without compromising our values. The Sapient Coalition needed to stand as a pillar of progress, equality, and forward-thinking for all, regardless of whether they ¡°deserved¡± our compassion. ¡°Elias, what on Earth did you say? The United Nations has been diplomatically propositioned by somewhere in the ballpark of two dozen species¡ªsome of their conditions were most unpalatable, of course,¡± I heard Kuemper¡¯s voice through my headphones. ¡°The Duerten, the Shield¡¯s very founders, asked if a dual membership in the Shield and the Sapient Coalition would be possible. I¡¯m not sure if it would, since the two¡¯s directives and stances on basic rights are often at odds.¡± Syba responded to the news, and I could recall her rearing back with excitement. ¡°If they join you, that includes them in the mutual defense pacts¡­and maybe you can get them to make some concessions on predators and predator disease to gain entry! The Duerten are highly influential, and it¡¯s a symbolic addition; this is a win!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hold our horses, Syba,¡± I had answered. ¡°I do agree with you that they¡¯d be an excellent addition, expanding our sphere of influence. They are one of the most human-friendly races; Ambassador Korajan has been trying to help us, even if I disagree with his methods. Perhaps we could meet in the middle¡­make them a partial member, much the same as those unfortunate Bissems getting run through a political gauntlet. You should help them out, by the way.¡± The Secretary-General laughed bitterly on the tape. ¡°It wasn¡¯t us blocking their entry, Elias. Our hands were tied; it was save them politically, or save their world. We chose the latter.¡± ¡°My friend, that¡¯s a false dichotomy. Please choose both. I know you remember what it was like to be in their shoes. You were the hopeful scientist wishing for friends, before all of this. I think you still are.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s why I¡¯ll accept all of these Shield bids, right? Let¡¯s not get sidetracked. Where was I?¡± Kuemper had palmed her forehead, a troubled look in her eyes. ¡°The Leshee. They have a lot of conditionals and qualifiers, and they want to sign a thirty-year pact between solely us and them, to slowly warm to humanity. Some of their terms, like returning their predator disease patients who were given asylum on Earth, are unacceptable.¡± ¡°I agree that should not be considered under any circumstances. We¡¯re not a power that would sell out the mentally ill for short-term gain; we must communicate that in no uncertain terms.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s negotiate,¡± Syba interjected. ¡°Suleans could help. We take anything involving predator disease patients off the table at the start. We show them we¡¯ll stand up for what¡¯s right, and making the galaxy better for everyone.¡± ¡°I know what this is really about. Kuemper, Syba, the Leshee are afraid of getting too close to us, because they believe they¡¯ll somehow become ¡®like us.¡¯ To them, that means their conjectures about us being bloodlusting fiends. Us taking in the ¡®predator-diseased¡¯ patients is proof that we want our allies to be predator-diseased.¡± Kuemper sighed. ¡°That¡¯s insane, which means your assessment is probably spot on. And speaking of insane: we were most shocked to be contacted by the Yulpa, of all species. They had the audacity to ask for reparations and a public apology for the cyberattack, when they¡¯re still chomping at the bit to use humans as blood sacrifices!¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t change the fact that we caused civilian devastation and deaths. Their cult is a threat to humanity, but they opened the lines¡ªeven the Yulpa reached out.¡± ¡°That¡¯s wonderful news!¡± The recording captured the excitement in Syba¡¯s voice. ¡°This is much more than the single species reaching out that we hoped for. About two dozen¡­that¡¯s at least twenty percent of who was there, which makes it more successful than Noah¡¯s speech in a less receptive audience. Even humanity¡¯s enemies want to try to move the needle, because of you, Mr. Elias! You did this!¡± ¡°We did this,¡± I¡¯d corrected her. ¡°It takes all of us to bring about lasting change. Especially our friend on the other side of the line.¡± Kuemper pursed her lips. ¡°I know. Your moral compass serves you well; you¡¯re unflappable, Elias. I wish I could be less bothered by the prospect of losing the friends we already do have.¡± ¡°Let go of that fear. Humanity needs to take a leap of hope just as much as the Shield.¡± The train rolled to a stop in Skalga¡¯s governmental district, and I tapped the pause button on the recording. As invigorating as it was to reminisce on the fruits of my Shield endeavor, being here was about reuniting with old friends¡ªand perhaps confronting my demons along the way. I¡¯d been worried we¡¯d lose Tarva, and that she¡¯d forsake the trusting friendship we shared. The Venlil had intertwined their entire society with ours and risked all, only to have that progress undone by violence spilling onto their streets. Despite all of humanity¡¯s efforts to convince the populace that we weren¡¯t dangerous, that wasn¡¯t the whole truth. I wouldn¡¯t have needed to pass Emergency Order 56, censoring vast swathes of Terran culture, if I¡¯d been as unflappable as Kuemper thought. For me, it wasn¡¯t about losing the friends we had; it was about acquiring any, and seeing that humanity survived. I didn¡¯t want to step on free speech, or tell anyone to hide who they are. Just another example of how, when push came to shove, I¡¯d compromise everything I believed in¡­the same as the current UN. I stared at the ground, as GPS guided me the final few blocks down the sidewalk. Deep shame chafed at me. Why had I thought it was a good idea to seek out Tarva, when that was how I¡¯d parted from her? Clearly, she didn¡¯t turn on humans, if she¡¯d paired up with Noah¡ªand I¡¯d seen how close Skalga and Earth were in the present time. It wasn¡¯t lost on me how many businesses and government buildings had writing in English now, being inclusive of Terrans. Still, I was the heartless person who asked a friend to speak to someone who killed her first daughter, in the name of the greater good. Those were my last words: not a thank you for standing with us and saving mankind from annihilation, or an apology for how we¡¯d failed her that day. It was twenty years too late to say I was sorry for being so thoughtless. I walked through the security outside of Tarva¡¯s home in a daze, half-wishing she¡¯d turn me away. The Venlil¡¯s life would¡¯ve been much easier if she hadn¡¯t taken a chance on us. She¡¯d still have her biological tail if she hadn¡¯t come to the memorial to stand beside us. What kind of welcome would I get from her? Had she mourned me, or despised me for what I asked of her? My anxieties were running amok as I rapped a fist against the door, and shoved my hands back into my pockets. I stood on the porch outside the upscale dwelling, awaiting judgment. Perhaps, deep down, I believed that she could offer the best verdict on whether I was truly Meier, and whether the sum of my actions¡­made me a good person. Seeing the statues and the UN¡¯s idolatry of me made me feel like a fraud. The door swung open, revealing an elderly Venlil whose eyes were a bit cloudy. ¡°Elias Meier? My eyesight isn¡¯t what it used to be, but you really haven¡¯t aged a day! My dear old friend. Come here.¡± Tarva flung her frail arms around me, squeezing as tightly as she could. I noticed tears rolling down her face, suggesting that she¡¯d felt grief over my death for all these years; the former governor of the Venlil hadn¡¯t hated me, in spite of everything. Were I still an organic being, I suspected I would¡¯ve been reduced to a weeping, blubbering mess. I remembered her staring down Isif, an Arxur, with defiance, and me refusing to call her anything but a friend and an equal. She¡¯d repaid me by sending the few ships she hadn¡¯t already given to us to Earth¡¯s defense. The governor had held my hand while I watched the late-arriving feeds from my home, of bombs dropping¡ªnot knowing if by then, the entire world was gone. She consoled me, during what I thought was the first time she¡¯d seen any human cry. Tarva even offered to join me the first time I met Isif after Earth¡¯s bombardment, despite knowing he¡¯d see her as food. A true friend. Better than I deserve. ¡°Tarva, I¡¯m sorry for everything,¡± I croaked out. ¡°For not putting you first, when you did so much for us. I should¡¯ve never asked so much of you. I shouldn¡¯t have assumed that you knew ahead of time how dangerous humans could be, when it¡¯s my fault that was hidden in the first place. You gave up everything and everyone you knew, and I asked for more. I failed you.¡± If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. The Venlil huffed with what seemed like indignation. ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous! I admired how you sought peace in the galaxy, with your final thoughts. You made me stronger¡ªbetter, and put me on the path that freed my people. I named my daughter after you because of that.¡± That announcement hit me like a bucket of cold water to the face: not that I¡¯d actually feel that anymore. ¡°You did¡­what?¡± ¡°Her name is Elia, and she¡¯s my entire world. I know how much you were tempted to follow a darker path, yet you chose to be kind and gentle. It¡¯s not your fault others made a different choice that day. You never gave up on that dream of a better tomorrow. It¡¯s wonderful to have you back. We missed you so dearly; it broke my heart having you die in my arms. And Elias, I¡¯m the one who should be sorry.¡± ¡°How so? You saved us! You protected us when no one else would¡­¡± ¡°You had to hide the darker side of humanity, and bend over backward to accommodate us: our fear. You were killed because you tried to make it easy on us. That was all our fault, for treating you like monsters any time you showed any part of your soul we didn¡¯t understand. I hated seeing your species persecuted so very much.¡± ¡°You believed we were monsters at the start too, and helped us anyway because we might be innocent. Don¡¯t ever apologize to me, Tarva. Your compassion is unparalleled. You took us in and fought beside us during our time of need.¡± Tarva flicked an ear reluctantly. ¡°I know you¡¯d do the same. Serving as the Venlil ambassador for almost two decades, I¡¯m glad I could fight beside you in the SC. I wish you¡¯d been there to see it.¡± ¡°I do too. I would¡¯ve done several things differently. I must say, I thought you¡¯d be more put off by¡­you know. My reincarnation.¡± ¡°Part of what I intended with Elia was for your memories to live on. Now they do.¡± A gruff voice spoke behind Tarva, raspy from age. ¡°Why are you leaving the man standing outside? Please, come in. It¡¯s impossible to separate Elia and Ari from their game. ¡®Online games can¡¯t be paused, Dad!¡¯ Blah blah. You think they¡¯d say hello to a family friend, with all we do for them. They¡¯ve got it made.¡± ¡°Noah Williams.¡± I shook his hand, and held onto it for an extra moment longer, making eye contact. ¡°You know you violated a lot of diplomatic regulations, becoming romantically involved with a foreign dignitary? Love is wonderful, but for the sovereignty of the United Nations, you should¡¯ve stepped down.¡± Noah scoffed. ¡°And left Tarva with a career diplomat speaking the official party lines? You didn¡¯t come and visit to chew me out.¡± ¡°I had to give you a bit of a hard time. You know it was inappropriate on every level.¡± ¡°Was it though?¡± Tarva chimed in. ¡°The foreign dignitary was terrified every time your eyes pointed her way. If Noah was someone she loved and trusted, wouldn¡¯t that make him the right man for the job? I don¡¯t think you were trying to strongarm me.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± ¡°Good. And besides, Noah is the kindest human alive. He was there when we helped with the cattle rescues¡ªwho wouldn¡¯t have come home, had you not told me to talk to Isif. You were right to do that; you saved lives, and got Venlil victims out of a horrid existence quicker than those who survived would¡¯ve been.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a relief that sapient cattle are a thing of the past. Imagine my horror when that was the first bit we learned about aliens: as if the shock of first contact wasn¡¯t enough. It doesn¡¯t surprise me that the two of you helped those poor souls, and I wish I could¡¯ve been there personally as well. It must be a long road to recovery for them.¡± Noah nodded, perhaps recalling something sad. ¡°Yes, it most certainly is. Instead of regaling you with the¡­self-inflicted end of my friend, Glim, why don¡¯t I introduce you to our children?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss. Please, I¡¯d love to meet the little ones.¡± ¡°They¡¯re not that little. If Elia hears you call her ¡®little,¡¯ she might headbutt you. You¡¯re the first human she can do that to without worrying about hurting you.¡± ¡°I¡¯d still rather she didn¡¯t. Metal and bone meeting doesn¡¯t tend to end well. That sounds like the fast track for your daughter to land in concussion protocol.¡± ¡°As if that ever stopped her,¡± Tarva hissed. I watched the elderly Venlil shuffle back down the hallway, and I slipped off my shoes as I spotted a rack in the hallway. The reality was that I¡¯d never interacted with younger Venlil; the sole alien child I¡¯d spoken with was a Gojid, back in the refugee camp¡ªa sad story. Elia was all grown up by now, of course, but that had happened in what was the span of a few months to me. Tarva and Noah¡¯s offspring were still considered children in my view. I wished I could¡¯ve seen them grow up, if only to imagine what it would¡¯ve been like if I settled down and had kids. It was impossible for me to have biological progeny of my own now, and would¡¯ve been far-fetched then, but I could¡¯ve lived vicariously through my old friends. ¡°Become a diplomat, you could change the world,¡± they said. ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯ll have Earth¡¯s fate in your hands as aliens try to bomb the hell out of you, or have your dead brain imaged and put into a robot.¡± Virnt, this isn¡¯t what I signed up for. The female Venlil didn¡¯t look away from the video game on screen, which Noah whispered that Ari had helped develop. Despite the human brother being the one who designed the game, Elia¡¯s avatar seemed to have the upper hand¡ªcomboing her brother¡¯s health bar down bit by bit. I couldn¡¯t help but smirk at how serious they looked, mashing buttons like their lives depended on it. This scene would¡¯ve been unimaginable a quarter century ago. While I¡¯d never say it to Tarva, seeing an unmodded member of her species up-close, our alien friends looked much more natural with nostrils and straight legs. Elia was wearing a University of Michigan hoodie too, which begged the question of whether she¡¯d attended that college. I noticed gold medals hanging below the TV; on closer inspection, they seemed like authentic gold. Was that from the Olympics? I¡¯d attended a few of the games as a dignitary, and it was nice to know that tradition had resumed. I found it odd that Venlil would participate, due to the sharp differences in our species, but perhaps they had their own categories. Athletic pursuits spreading to Skalga was thrilling to see. It was also a delight to imagine alien students pursuing studies on Earth¡ªwanting to go to a predator-run school. Tarva certainly didn¡¯t fear us, if she¡¯d let her daughter study abroad on Terra. This was the sort of progress that we both fought for years ago; I was quite happy to see how far our friendship had come. Looking back, none of the natives had cowered at the sight of me, or other humans. ¡°So, I hear you bear my namesake, but decided to cut off the pesky s at the end?¡± I prompted. Elia didn¡¯t startle at all, suggesting she could see me from her periphery. ¡°You should see how much they cut off Aunt Sara¡¯s last name, for his name.¡± ¡°They kept the cool part,¡± Ari commented. ¡°Hi, Meier. We heard a lot about you growing up. Obviously, we didn¡¯t think we¡¯d ever meet you.¡± The Venlil kicked her brother in the shin, hard enough to make me wince. ¡°Ari!¡± ¡°Ow. Cheater! You can¡¯t kick me to win at video games.¡± ¡°I kicked you for being insensitive.¡± ¡°You¡¯re consistently the one who¡¯s insensitive.¡± Tarva sighed with stifling levels of disappointment. ¡°They still act like children.¡± ¡°Let them have their fun,¡± Noah countered. ¡°You were their age once too.¡± ¡°You never disciplined them; they don¡¯t need to have fun at the expense of dignity! What do you think, Elias?¡± I recoiled, not wanting to get in the middle of a marital spat. ¡°I think¡­that I could take both of them at this game once I get the hang of it. Superhuman reflexes, and all.¡± ¡°You¡¯re way cooler than Tarva told us,¡± Elia snickered. ¡°Grab a controller.¡± ¡°Thanks, I guess. Do you think diplomats are completely boring, or something?¡± ¡°You talk on and on about boring things; I thought your speeches would have a lot in common with Tarva¡¯s lectures. Her speeches were definitely a snoozefest, and I had to sit through way too many of them when she worked as an SC ambassador.¡± ¡°Orators have to speak to their audience. Not everything can be as riveting as a flashy, punchy video game. Trust me, after what¡¯s happened in my recent memory, giving boring speeches sounds amazing. I had to talk about humanity being under attack, and a few weeks after that, picking up the pieces of Earth.¡± ¡°And now, you¡¯re basically a zombie.¡± ¡°You say I¡¯m insensitive?!¡± Ari howled, eyes bulging as Elia¡¯s character performed a finisher. ¡°Well, it¡¯s true! He came back from the dead, and he¡¯s walking around. Do you think you¡¯re a zombie, Meier?¡± ¡°My corpse stayed dead, so I¡¯ll say no. I wasn¡¯t aware Venlil had the concept of zombies. Undead hordes of your kind killing people: that concept seems quite predatory.¡± I pressed a hand to my ear, as it dawned on me that something was absent. ¡°Wait, there¡¯s no translator sensation. Are you speaking English?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I tried to whistle in appreciation, which only left my mouth in a mute o-shape. ¡°Your parents raised you with both customs: a true cultural fusion. You¡¯re the real exchange program. I love to see how much our people have shared with each other.¡± ¡°Ever the diplomat, aren¡¯t you? Have a seat on the couch; I¡¯m going to make sure you go through with this gaming session. I want to see Elia taken down a notch,¡± Noah prodded. ¡°Finally, we agree on something about her!¡± Tarva exclaimed. I picked up a controller with a chuckle, making eye contact with them. ¡°This has been an excellent reminder of the progress I¡¯m fighting for. Thank you for having me over.¡± ¡°Any time. You¡¯re family,¡± the elderly Venlil replied. Noah slapped me on the shoulder. ¡°What she said. We¡¯re glad you stopped by, to see us all withered up like raisins. Though we might be up there in years, Tarva¡¯s still the best person to go to if you need to know your way around the SC.¡± ¡°I¡¯d be happy to help Elias in his mission; knowing him, he¡¯s got some pacifist cause all lined up already. It¡¯ll be like old times.¡± ¡°Thank you both. I¡¯ll take you up on that down the line.¡± I smiled in appreciation, feeling a bit lighter than I ever had in this metal form. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of work to be done, once the war settles down. I have to help with this project. The technology could be rife with abuse if I don¡¯t.¡± Tarva flicked an ear. ¡°You¡¯ll take humanity down the right path, toward your better angels. Noah was the man for the job the first time around, but now, it¡¯s you. Make us proud.¡± Feeling more at home on Skalga than I had wandering a changed Earth or a Terra Technologies lab, I found myself ready to do what was necessary to ensure this kind of progress continued. Part of paving the way for a brighter future meant ensuring other digital humans had easier adjustments than I did; I needed to be there when Virnt got his next prototype ready, assuming those cryobrains could be salvaged. My mission was to put the Sapient Coalition back on the straight and narrow, until they remembered their purpose as well. It was all too easy to let fear and temptation guide our actions, but I wasn¡¯t going to allow that to happen without a fight. Chapter 2-56 Memory Transcription Subject: Quana, Jaslip Soldier Date [standardized human time]: October 3, 2160 After I¡¯d seen how she lived in the cramped cavern below Tellus¡¯ surface, Cherise Benson returned the favor by visiting my enclave. It was highly uncommon to have alien visitors in Esquo¡¯s Fighters, and even rarer that they were allowed to use our underground tunnels to dodge the security checkpoints. The Smiglis hadn¡¯t previously policed my enclave, but after Mafani¡¯s claims went rampant, the Reskets had insisted on running security here until the war with the Federation ended. I didn¡¯t want the Consortium authorities catching wind of what we were planning; we couldn¡¯t risk a ¡°random¡± memory scan. There hadn¡¯t been any hostility from my kinsmen so far, with most Jaslips finding kindred spirits in the victimized, downtrodden humans. The primates were open-minded and sympathetic in a way the rest of our allies were not. I¡¯d decided it was worthwhile to bring Cherise into the loop, to see if Terrans might truly be willing to help and side with us. It tickled my whiskers to think that the Federation had thought that these upright primates were the epitome of terror. Cherise looked laughable, bundled up to endure the arctic temperatures, in layered jackets that made her look double her actual size. As frosty wind whipped around us, I could tell she was freezing her ass off; living in a desert since childhood, I doubted she had any resistance to cold weather. The climate was part of what ensured other species didn¡¯t visit our settlements, though the snow condensing on my white fur didn¡¯t phase me a bit. It was nice to be back in a place that didn¡¯t feel like it was trying to bake me alive. General Radai had punished me for shooting the kibblarhan who gloated about killing kits, and that disciplinary action involved lots of outdoor chores. My resulting discomfort was by design. That Resket thinks he¡¯s separate from what his species did to us: invading, then torching Esquo, and sniffing around in our business to this day. He¡¯d have followed the orders to bomb us too, and justified it to himself. He questioned Director Wrolle about the Underscales to act like he¡¯s different and above it, but he¡¯s exactly the same. When he first told us about Mafani, he admitted he turned a blind eye to the reprehensible things they did. ¡°You don¡¯t have to act like you¡¯re okay, Quana. Shit, I know what it¡¯s like to hide your emotions so well, no one even knows something¡¯s wrong,¡± Cherise hissed, as the biting cold continued to pelt her. ¡°I get that you¡¯re angry. I just think it might be more than that. That you might want to talk to someone.¡± I flicked an ear in acknowledgement, turning my eyes toward her. ¡°I¡¯m joining a Jaslip extremist group; what¡¯s wrong is obvious. I don¡¯t feel good about this¡­I don¡¯t like their methods. I just don¡¯t see another way of fighting back. They can¡¯t get away with this.¡± ¡°I remember what it felt like to be at the Krev¡¯s beck and call. Gosh, we fucking hated them. The miners went on strike; we were done.¡± ¡°What about you, Cherise? Were you done?¡± ¡°With getting squeezed and exploited for what little we had? With Hathaway calling the shots for everyone? Yeah. Trench is a weak-willed prick sometimes, but I get where he was coming from. I shared his hatred, the way your fingers twist under the gloves. With having to cover every inch or hint of being human, every time we stepped outside; locking my face away? Especially that.¡± ¡°Yet here you are, willingly covering yourself from head-to-toe.¡± Cherise yanked on one of my tail fronds, and I whipped around to nip her fingers in response. ¡°Key word, willingly. It¡¯s not my fault that the Jaslips live in ice hell.¡± ¡°I thought ice is the opposite of your hell. This is human paradise, by that definition.¡± ¡±I don¡¯t see any pearly gates and heavenly choirs, Quana. Let¡¯s say we prefer tropical sunshine and palm trees. There¡¯s a reason we have a Caribbean postcard up in my uncle¡¯s bistro, and we¡¯d all pretend we¡¯re there.¡± ¡°I did that with pictures of my enclave, back in boot camp. It¡¯s probably not impressive to you, but it¡¯s home to me¡ªand the tauyas beat the makeshift dorms there. I¡¯d never been outside Esquo¡¯s Fighters much before I got the wild idea to join the military, and defend some sad primates. It was weird seeing buildings that were colors other than white.¡± ¡°I object to being reduced to ¡®sad primates,¡¯ but go on. What is a ¡®tauya?¡¯¡± I pointed with my tail toward the snow-block domed structures. ¡°Those. Built of compacted snow.¡± ¡°Oh, the igloos! Any chance I can peek inside of one?¡± ¡°Sure; later. Our meeting tonight is in a tauya. First, I thought you¡¯d like to warm up a bit, and get some kelai from the local shop. Best place in town, and with four stone walls between you and the elements.¡± ¡°I am up to go anywhere with insulation.¡± ¡°To the jail-pits it is, then.¡± The human chuckled. ¡°No, you know what I meant! I am curious about this all¡­your lives are so alien to what I¡¯ve known, even if there were people on Earth who walked your path. Why build tauyas out of snow, instead of permanent structures? I couldn¡¯t tell if they were made of snow, or just entirely blanketed in it. It doesn¡¯t seem very warm.¡± ¡°Snow is a good insulator; we use it even in our permanent structures. Tauyas are part of Jaslip ancestry, and useful if you¡¯re traveling and for some reason, not using the tunnels. I¡¯m surprised the Reskets don¡¯t figure out we have secret tunnels, since we used them in the war back on Esquo, but that¡¯s neither here nor there. Jaslips build tauyas because they¡¯re cheap, and you can make them with your paws and a saw in half a day. The enclaves aren¡¯t flowing with wealth.¡± ¡°Yet Jaslips don¡¯t leave the enclaves.¡± I went quiet, stepping on the pressure plate to open the kelai shop¡¯s door. ¡°No. We don¡¯t.¡± Every customer¡¯s muzzle snapped toward us, as they detected the human¡¯s strange, salty scent. Suspicion glimmered in the owner¡¯s eyes, though his demeanor warmed a bit when he either recognized me, or realized what Cherise was. This wasn¡¯t like the kelai shops that served a niche interest in the aliens¡¯ cities; I was unsure, apart from maybe a small number of Smiglis, that this venue had ever served other species. The quadruped seating, designed to rest our stomachs on with our legs hanging over the sides, and the low tables showed as much. The primate followed me warily, and looked like she was still struggling to conserve warmth despite the temperature differential in here. I tried to project confidence, and knew full well I was buying¡ªthe ark ship colonists didn¡¯t have any of our currencies. Cherise must be the first human to visit a Jaslip enclave. I need to signal to my peers that she¡¯s with us; shit, if she¡¯s getting stares at a kelai shop, will they let her in at the meeting tonight? Aulan, the owner and bartender, eyed the primate. ¡°A human? How quaint. I wonder¡­how do you feel about the way the Krev have been treating you, what with all the fawning and showering you with gifts?¡± ¡°I¡¯m more concerned with how they¡¯re treating the Jaslips, but I hear I shouldn¡¯t say that too loud. The walls have ears,¡± she replied, through chattering teeth. ¡°That they do. This one¡¯s on the house.¡± Aulan slid us two saucers of kelai with his tail, a stimulant drink traditionally made into icy slush. ¡°For Earth. I¡¯m sorry for your loss.¡± ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m sorry for your loss too. Not to nitpick about something¡­free, but is there any chance you could heat this up? I¡¯m freezing my ass off, so an ice-cold drink might not help that. I¡­can¡¯t feel my entire face.¡± Aulan¡¯s whiskers twitched with amusement, and he quietly lit an indoor brazier next to a table, gesturing to it. ¡°Hold the saucer next to that; it¡¯ll melt. You can make it as toasty as you like.¡± Cherise used the quadruped seat as a stool, and reached to set the kelai down. She removed her gloves, holding her hands in front of the flames and rubbing them together. Gress would¡¯ve found human warming behaviors and wintry gear adorable, but I found it amusing. Then again, if my species shed our thick pelt, I¡¯d probably be in the same sled. I toted my saucer with my teeth, setting it down on the table; from there, it was easy to lap at it with my tongue. The primate seemed to be wishing for a glass, after her drink melted, but kept that thought to herself. She awkwardly tilted the shallow dish, spilling a bit on her flamboyant red jacket in the process. Her nose wrinkled, oddly folding the skin between her eyes. ¡°Something wrong?¡± I prompted. Cherise flashed her teeth, as the red color began to dissipate from her face. ¡°It tastes like weed. Woody, bitter, and oily. Caught me off-guard¡ªespecially since the two seem to have opposite effects. I guess I was expecting alien coffee.¡± ¡°You eat weeds? That sounds about as appetizing as Smigli compost.¡± She laughed. ¡°No, it¡¯s slang for a drug called marijuana. Let¡¯s just say we managed to sneak hemp plants onto the ark ships, and security¡­confiscated a grower¡¯s stash or two. We have to blow off steam somehow. It definitely helped dealing with Gress on the bad days¡ªnot going off like a nuclear bomb, the way Taylor did.¡± ¡°Gress was that bad? I hate to say it, but I¡¯ve come around to the guy. The Underscales fucked him.¡± ¡°Oh, you have no idea. Gress would act like he wanted to be anywhere else: always snarky, curt, and disinterested. He treated us like we were off killing Jaslip kits, because we wore the masks. I almost told him off for being a cold kibblarhan, Quana, when he demanded double payment¡ªwe had nothing for him because of the strike.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you lay into him?¡± ¡°Because Trench butted in, rolled right over, and agreed to that impossible demand. I do wonder what that Krev would¡¯ve thought otherwise. I don¡¯t blame him for it anymore. Gress thought we were Feds, and his job was to get rid of us peaceably. The cherry on top was that we hid everything about ourselves.¡± ¡°I really can¡¯t imagine how terrifying it was for humanity. Twenty-four long years, believing anyone who saw your eyes would want you dead.¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Cherise nodded, sipping her kelai. ¡°We¡¯d tried being aliens¡¯ friends before. The things they said about us¡ªthat we were monsters, for what we were. That all predators are unfeeling¡­¡± ¡°But we are.¡± ¡°My bad, I forgot I can drop the ruse around you,¡± she responded sarcastically. ¡°My point is, I get why the Jaslips feel so hopelessly outmatched against the Krev Consortium. I get wishing you could do something about it, and feeling horrified about your people being slaughtered¡ªdiscouraged and afraid because you know you can¡¯t do shit if they decided your entire race needs to die.¡± ¡°We both know what it¡¯s like for our lives not to mean a thing to aliens, Cherise,¡± I said. ¡°But are you sure you want to do this? If the Consortium gets wind of this, or makes you walk through a memory scanner¡­you could be killed, thrown in a secret prison, or demonized in the eyes of those you love. You could just fucking disappear.¡± The human leaned forward on her stool, a resolute glint in her eyes. ¡°I know. And that¡¯s exactly why I¡¯m with you. We let them continue like this, and it might be us in your shoes next.¡± ¡°Aulan had a point. Unless you still have a bone to pick over the Krev demanding rent from you, humans have no quarrel with them. They¡¯re repopulating your species.¡± ¡°They¡¯d wipe out our entire species, cute or not, if they thought it was the only way to ensure their own safety. That¡¯s what scares me. Besides that, let¡¯s just say it doesn¡¯t sit well with us to see canines getting kicked around. We¡­gravitate to your kind to adopt as our best friends. At least, I do.¡± I curled my lip at her, showing off my fangs. ¡°I knew you saw us as your obors!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I said! I said best friends.¡± ¡°And meant obors. I can smell when you¡¯re lying.¡± ¡°Bullshit; you cannot. This is just like the pheromone thing¡ªwhich you made up so Trench would admit the lovesickness anyone could see.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t make it up. I just didn¡¯t know with a hundred percent certainty that¡¯s what it was.¡± Cherise wagged a triumphant finger. ¡°So you just guessed. You¡¯re a fraud, Quana.¡± ¡°Well, after you said that, I don¡¯t feel that bad about exposing you to unnecessary risks. And real talk¡­I¡¯m glad I don¡¯t have to do this alone. It frightens me, the lengths I have to go to for any justice or acknowledgement of how my people have been slighted.¡± ¡°That I understand. The Krev might think we¡¯re cute little obors that can do no wrong, but¡­the lengths my people will go to, to avenge Earth; we are capable of so much hatred. And if your little extremist friends need proof of why a human could help them, that¡¯s exactly what I¡¯ll tell them. We¡¯re spiteful, sadistic fucks.¡± Despite how laughable of a predator I¡¯d thought the humans were minutes earlier, there was something dark in her eyes. I thought about how hatred had festered in the ark colonists, and my friend clenching her fist for years of interacting with Gress. Bottling it in, caging the animal. Wishing that she could give the Federation¡­all aliens¡­a taste of their own medicine. In that moment, I saw that if the Reskets had barged into the caverns to take out the primates by force like they contemplated, the Tellus occupants would¡¯ve brought the roof down on their heads in fiery fashion. I had been in much the same sled as Cherise Benson, holding in a growl as I took their abuse and dismissal of our claims. This was the only way to release it against an adversary who¡¯d kill our children to score a PR victory. ¡°Good thing you¡¯re on our side,¡± I told the human, pinning my ears back against my head. ¡°Let¡¯s stay by the fire a little longer; I don¡¯t imagine these¡­fighters will be expecting a human. We¡¯ll practice how to convince them to let a non-Jaslip join, and then, head to the meeting. This must be done.¡± The derangement that¡¯d hardened within her black pupils dissipated, and returned to the nervous uncertainty I typically saw swirling in there. Cherise gave me a dip of her head, focused on ensuring her acceptance¡ªsomething humans didn¡¯t want to beg for ever again. However, after our conversation, I knew both of us would do whatever it took to right such a far-flung wrong. --- This tauya was of the larger variety, capable of squeezing dozens of individuals beneath its tall roof¡ªnot one that could¡¯ve been constructed in a short time. The peculiar thing I noticed was a fire burning next to a heavy blanket, accompanied by a steaming, Krev-style mug of water on the ground. Perhaps Cherise wasn¡¯t the only non-Jaslip here? That was a positive sign. I noticed the primate looking at the warm and cozy seating arrangement with longing eyes, no doubt weighing whether to request to cozy up to the fire. She forced herself not to stare at it after a long moment, instead studying the ice sculptures carved into the walls. I decided to make the first move, and moseyed deeper into the ice dwelling to introduce ourselves. Who is the leader of this gathering? All of us in Esquo¡¯s Fighters know the schedule and where they meet, but we keep it to ourselves and act like it¡¯s not happening. I¡¯m not sure I should expect an even-keel individual running this outfit¡­ A familiar bark came from a Jaslip seated on his haunches, and he angled his ears toward the fire. ¡°We set that up for you, Cherise; you¡¯re quite welcome here. Please, make yourself at home.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± the human said, after a surprised gasp; she cocooned herself inside the blanket without any delay. I gaped at the Jaslip speaker. ¡°Aulan?¡± ¡°Surprised to see me here, Quana?¡± he chuckled. ¡°I just wasn¡¯t expecting you to be¡­running something like this. You always seemed so¡­¡± ¡°Nice? A humble business owner? Not the kind of person you think would run around bombing places, I imagine.¡± ¡°Honestly, yeah.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not how they want you to think we are. None of us want to blow up innocent people, but sometimes, explosions are the only way we¡¯ll be heard. They have to believe we¡¯re willing to do anything, and won¡¯t stop at anything short of our goal.¡± ¡°And that is?¡± Cherise piped up, gaining a bit of confidence. ¡°Jaslip independence. We need our own world, built up for us, like what was given to humanity. It¡¯s the only way we can ever truly make decisions without them lording over us, and watching our every move. There¡¯s a lot they don¡¯t want the public to know.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll bite. What don¡¯t they want us to know?¡± ¡°That they¡¯re losing the war with the Federation: the one thing we need them for. Don¡¯t take my word for it. It¡¯s what General Radai told Frenelda¡ªthat¡¯s our Consortium representative, if you¡¯re unfamiliar, human. She ¡®unknowingly¡¯ passed along those briefing materials to one of the Independence Brigade¡¯s liaisons.¡± Gasps echoed throughout the tauya, though I saw the deepest horror in Cherise¡¯s eyes; she remembered the last time humanity had lost a war with the Federation. I shook my head in disbelief, not understanding how the massive strike force Taylor had told us about could¡¯ve faltered against an unwitting herbivore planet. Aulan powered up a screen to reveal a tailful of broken images and corrupted data feeds. I listened blankly to the explanation that General Radai had sent out a scouting mission to discover what had become of the drone fleet, since it was taking a lot longer than expected. It¡¯d seemed laughable that the Consortium destroyed Esquo because they didn¡¯t want to fight those lunatic cowards¡­but now, they almost had a point. ¡°Of a hundred and fifty thousand drones, only two with heavy damage managed to act on their retreat algorithms¡ªand they were ones that didn¡¯t even get close to Talsk!¡± Aulan howled. ¡°From what little information we have, we found out that not only were our ships routed¡­it¡¯s almost like the Federation has their own Cage! We see shielding surrounding the Farsul planet. Most shocking of all, Arxur ships came and fought beside the Federation. What the fuck is going on?! This is a disaster!¡± Disgruntled murmurs spread throughout the gathering, and I shared a glance with Cherise. Her petrified confusion was unmissable; she wanted to rush back to Tellus now. I was also mystified by this news, since our results defending the human planet had been much more promising. None of our intelligence had suggested the enemy had shellworlds. How could they have routed an attack force that strong, and had the Arxur ride in to the rescue, if they didn¡¯t know we were coming? The dates on the time stamps were too recent; I calmed down enough to parse that they must¡¯ve seen us coming, and slowed us to make preparations. This could be so much worse than Esquo; the Federation would kill all of the Jaslips. Except now they¡¯re working with the Arxur, which doesn¡¯t even fucking make sense. They hate predators, and the Arxur¡ªthe grays eat them! Cherise raised a tentative hand. ¡°Aulan. Did they tell¡­Hathaway?¡± ¡°Yes, but your mayor doesn¡¯t want to inform the people of Tellus, because they¡¯d panic and be difficult to control. ¡®What they don¡¯t know can¡¯t hurt them,¡¯ I believe Frenelda quoted him as saying,¡± the Jaslip sneered in response. ¡°The Consortium quite agreed. Now I think the public has the right to know the grave peril we¡¯re in! Especially since it¡¯ll be us and you who get crushed into oblivion.¡± ¡°They¡¯re going to finish what they started at Earth.¡± ¡°And what the Consortium started at Esquo. They¡¯ll kill any predator race, which is why we need an escape plan if they start heading our way. We also have to get the word out to the public, should the worst come to pass. I don¡¯t see why the other two attacks should¡¯ve fared any better.¡± The human gulped, color draining from her cheeks. ¡°Leave. Like, on another ark?¡± ¡°Precisely. The Consortium keeps us tethered because they think we can¡¯t start off on our own, with nothing; they think we need them. A hundred years of so-called preparations, and these are the results we have to show for it. They know nothing! Nothing!¡± ¡°I feel like I know nothing too. I don¡¯t understand why the Arxur would¡¯ve been fighting with Talsk. What did Hathaway make of that?¡± ¡°The mayor, and several of the delegates, believed that the Arxur might work with whoever in the Federation is subverting prey species like the Sivkits¡ªperhaps to serve on a platter to the Dominion psychopaths. I¡¯d say that¡¯s crazy talk, but the Federation clearly has a lot more teeth than we thought. They defended themselves more than what they should¡¯ve been able to on paper, based on what humans told us.¡± ¡°Good grief! What are we even supposed to do about all of this? The Consortium lost half of their ships, and we have no real power,¡± I despaired. Aulan straightened his posture, carrying authority. ¡°We survive, by any means necessary. We ready ourselves! Don¡¯t think for a second the Krev and the Reskets will just let us leave. We must hit them where it hurts, so that they¡¯ll want us gone. That¡¯ll be an unsavory task, but now is no time to waver¡ªlook what¡¯s at stake! We either claw their bellies, or hibernate through this with the moral high ground. Raise your claws if you¡¯re with me!¡± Cherise¡¯s hand shot up before my paw did, and despite how unimpressive her ¡°claws¡± were, I remembered what she¡¯d said about humans being ¡°spiteful, sadistic fucks.¡± After hearing this grim assessment of our chances of surviving, she was on board with breaking out by any means necessary. We weren¡¯t going to sit by and watch the Federation wipe out the Consortium¡¯s predator races. I remembered what I¡¯d imagined about her bringing down Tellus¡¯ caverns atop the Reskets, if she thought the end was near. It might not be too late for that to become a reality. ¡°Good. They¡¯ll watch Jaslips, but they won¡¯t see it coming from a human¡ªfrom the cute primates,¡± Aulan said. ¡°You have friends who can get you into powerful places. I want the delegates, the symbols of power, of rot, blown to bits. Let¡¯s go over the targets I had in mind; we can start small, if you¡¯re uncomfortable diving in headfirst, but remember the scope of the entity we must topple, to continue existing. They won¡¯t hear us until they bleed.¡± Cherise stared at the feeds from the Battle of Talsk, haunted by Earth¡¯s looming specter. She drew a shaky breath, as I gave her a supportive ear flick. ¡°Okay. What they did to you was wrong enough, but now, they¡¯re fucking with humanity¡¯s survival too. What do I have to do?¡± The spokesman of the Jaslip Independence Brigade switched his feed to a different, prospective view, and I resigned myself to support Cherise in an endeavor I¡¯d never seen myself partaking in. The Consortium¡¯s disregard for Jaslip lives had gone way too far; the two of us were committed to see this through together. Chapter 2-57 Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem Alien Liaison Date [standardized human time]: October 27, 2160 Finding myself staring at Ambassador Loxsel, who was newly-arrived to the Sivkit settlement on Ivrana, I couldn¡¯t help but be floored by the size of the mountain of oranges that he was sitting on. The incoming supply of oranges was what convinced him to pack his bags for our planet¡ªnot the fact that Bissem and Sivkit engineers were working on building ships together. Despite the speciesist remarks about being Sivkit-brained, the fluffballs seemed quite clever; their machines were resilient and meant to last, something needed for expedition ships that saw use for years. Shedding the Federation¡¯s yoke had allowed them to catch up a bit on the learning path, and innovate to fill the gaps. The fleet wouldn¡¯t hold up against the entire galaxy, or a strike force like we¡¯d seen at Talsk, but we were no longer completely defenseless. Gaining two powerful allies in the Arxur and the Yotul would shield us even further, but that was why I was welcoming Loxsel in person. The flamboyant Sivkit needed to somehow be convinced to join an alliance that involved the Arxur Collective. General Naltor had been waiting for the battles at Aafa and Nishtal to draw nearer before making a move; those worlds were further from the border of SC space, which meant the enemy took a substantive amount of time to reach the planets, facing a scattering of FTL disruptors. As grueling as the trek was, with the interstellar distances they were traveling, it was a miracle that they could get there within months at sublight speeds. Then again, that was misleading, when their main option to speed up the process was taking out disruptors and hopping along at microscopic warp distances. I knew our potential recruits for the Carnivore Alliance would be too distracted by this impending assault to give us their full attention. The Farsul, however, were eager to swear fealty to us, after we saved them and took in refugees. I wonder how the Farsul and the Sivkits are getting along. We¡¯ve kept them separated, but including both parties in an alliance¡­the Farsul destroyed and hid Tinsas, then broke the natives¡¯ spines and purposefully dumbed them down. Let¡¯s start with selling him the Arxur. ¡°I¡¯ve seen that the humans will not cannonade Tinsas. Erelong, they¡¯ll roll over, capitulate, to the certainty of expiry! Hearken, Tassi, our days are numbered.¡± Loxsel stalked down the pile of citrus, before purposefully sinking deeper into it, to take on the appearance of drowning. ¡°Death amid this glorious herbary of oranges, which you so kindly remanded, is nigh. There are worse fates; natheless, this humble scullion of Bissems is saying farewell! I accept oblivion, for we are doomed! Wanion upon us!¡± I stared at where his ears stuck out amid the fruits, unamused. ¡°Good morning, Loxsel. Remind me of our deal?¡± ¡°For every loquacious speech I give, a Sivkit refugee is eaten! I volunteer Elder Ransfa; she is old, and has very little life ahead of her! Death will be a tantivy for her; her caducity speaks for itself. Claim her flesh now, or NEVER! She won¡¯t make it long enough to be a plaything for the grays.¡± ¡°Hey, eating Sivkit refugees was not our deal. Also, Loxsel, you know if an Arxur took you as cattle, they would not make it through a minute of your yammering.¡± ¡°Cut!¡± The Sivkit emerged from the fruits, and placed a knife in my flippers; I immediately questioned why he was carrying a weapon, and briefly considered that he might¡¯ve given it to me to frame me. ¡°Yammering was a good word, for you, but you have no stage presence, Tassi. I¡¯ve given up on getting you to move as you deliver your lines. Just twirl the knife menacingly, maybe place it in your beak after; then lean toward me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not delivering lines. I¡¯m trying to have a conversation.¡± ¡°Those are the same thing! Where is your conviction? You must speak with passion¡ªwhat even is your passion? Have you more in your heart than ingurgitating fish?¡± I pressed a flipper over my eyes, throwing the knife on the ground. ¡°Finding aliens was my passion. I have lived to regret that.¡± ¡°That was a good non-verbal! I¡¯m proud of you. It¡¯s lacking expressions like ¡®woe is me¡¯ or ¡®this shall be the death of me¡¯; those are simplistic ones, with your rudimentary speech patterns. Work those in.¡± ¡°I can feel the years of my life ticking down with each of our chats.¡± ¡°Yes, good! I believed you there, Tassi.¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m speaking the truth.¡± The Sivkit¡¯s face turned crestfallen. ¡°I¡­thought you liked studying literature with me.¡± ¡°I do, Loxsel,¡± I said hurriedly, not wanting to hurt his feelings. ¡°What I don¡¯t like is how you try to perform, or talk over my head, all the time, then¡­try to make me act like a lunatic too.¡± ¡°Act like? There is no ¡®act like¡¯; I am one! An actor must become their role, and I can¡¯t thole anything short of devotion, of one¡¯s entire being! Dedication, supplanting your flimsy whims. Transformation, rebirth.¡± Struggling to hang on to why I¡¯d come in the first place, I tried to get back to Naltor¡¯s goal. ¡°So you¡¯re frustrated that the humans haven¡¯t tried again to take Tinsas. And you think you¡¯re going to become playthings for the grays?¡± ¡°The Arxur have returned, and prowl somewhither in this region! An army that¡¯d delight in a savory, recreant Sivkit, and you,¡± Loxsel hung on the accusatory word, circling around me, ¡°commanded them into battle. The Bissem general proclaimed it to the SC thralls; I heard it!¡± ¡°The Arxur saved Talsk.¡± ¡°Is that supposed to be a good thing? Every crevasse of Tinsas¡¯ desert shall glaciate before we forgive a one of those floppy-eared varlets! Aroint the Farsul from these lands, Bissem, have you any pity for a lowly grazer!¡± ¡°Listen to me, Loxsel,¡± I pleaded. ¡°Forget about the Farsul. The Arxur are powerful, and they have an army. Remember how you said you were upset the humans weren¡¯t the¡­bloodthirsty predators that¡¯d exact your vengeance?¡± ¡°Naps were invented from being around the glabrous Terrans, and getting put to sleep by their hunting doldrums! My plays are much less jejune: though I fear the simians¡¯ performances might render it so. They are so uninteresting that they make you look spirited, Tassi.¡± ¡°Thanks? Look, my point is, if you truly don¡¯t like how the Terrans are handling this, and you want a species that¡¯s more predatory¡­that might be able to go all out for Tinsas¡­you should talk to the Arxur. They could protect you, since you¡¯re with carnivores like us, and maybe go after what you want. They also succeeded against this enemy at Talsk, while the SC lost their prior engagement.¡± Loxsel¡¯s eyelids twitched erratically. ¡°Are you saying we partner with the grays, walk ourselves into their cattle pens, so they can rain fire on Tinsas at our behest?¡± ¡°Retract the cattle pen part and yes. If you want a truly predatory species as an ally, that¡¯s your only option. We could make it happen.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Wicked delight gleamed in the Sivkits¡¯ eyes, and he picked up the knife with determination. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I think to sic the grays on the thieves of our world? Take me to their leader!¡± ¡°Oh? Uh, okay, we can do that: just not right now. I need time to¡­¡± prepare their leader for this over-the-top ball of psychosis. ¡°¡­get in touch with the Arxur, and arrange the meeting. We¡¯ll let you know when they¡¯re available. In the meantime, you can think over your terms and¡­eat your oranges. There¡¯s so very many.¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Loxsel picked up an orange, scraping a knife against its peel in slow motion. ¡°Fine. Bring me more of these¡­or else.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll, um, have someone bring you more soon. Goodbye, Loxsel.¡± I strolled away from the self-proclaimed lunatic, relieved that I¡¯d improvised a way to get him to agree to an alliance with the Arxur with such ease. If Kaisal was introduced to Ambassador Loxsel, however, I wasn¡¯t sure he¡¯d be keen on buddying up to the Grand Herd. Getting the Bissem public used to the Sivkits was challenging enough, when the entire area next to their village had already been stripped of grasses and vegetation. We needed to find an alternative food source for them quickly, and I didn¡¯t think we could ship enough oranges from Earth to stem the tide. The Farsul might be the ones that would have ideas on that, but I¡¯d never consult them for their expertise on shaping species to fit their wishes. The refugees from Talsk were living a more quiet existence on Ivrana; their planet must¡¯ve been quite impoverished after the war, since they reacted to our basic aid like it was an overflowing pool of wealth. Beggars couldn¡¯t be choosers, and I doubted they would exact any conditions to ally with us. We just needed to keep a close eye on them, ensuring they didn¡¯t try to change us the way they¡¯d done ¡°curing¡± the Arxur, or in the cultural manipulation sense they tried with every species. All the same, having a presentable alien race might be instrumental in getting Bissem volunteers to take in the Osirs. We had less than two months before the resurrected carnivores, who we knew nothing about, were born. That left the Yotul in Naltor¡¯s domain, since he could keep up with the shrewd marsupials; the intelligence sharing plot was a counter-shot at the Terrans, for attempting to twist a Fishing for Alien Intelligence scientist into a spy. I was more hopeful that I could make headway with the recruits I had proposed, the Zurulians. Bissems had worked with their rescue crews on Talsk, and collaborated with them to divvy up the Farsul refugees. They¡¯d been more than happy to ramp up training for our doctors abroad, focusing a lens on the Sivkits and our newest guests. If they were willing to embrace us as equals and academic peers, that was good enough for me. I appreciated their charitable hearts amid the sea of extraterrestrial bigots. After talking with Loxsel, video calling Ambassador Chauson back at the Sapient Coalition sounds like a walk on the beach. The Zurulians are not a top priority for Naltor, but they¡¯ve quickly become my lifeline. I need someone with the right intentions on our team. ¡°Doctor Tassi!¡± The brown-furred quadruped tilted his head, with the unusual semi-circle ears that had caught my eye from our first meeting¡ªand seemed to catch the Terrans¡¯ eye as well. ¡°To what do I owe the pleasure? How are the refugees settling in?¡± I panned the camera to show the scene behind me. ¡°Depends which ones you mean. The Grand Herd make the Tseia look stationary, with how quick they move from one green patch to the next. I¡¯m not sure they even stay in the housing we gave them.¡± ¡°Yes, the Sivkits do have that reputation. While I appreciate your generosity, perhaps you bit off more than you can chew; they can wreak havoc on worlds. I understand yours is already in dire straits. Colia wouldn¡¯t necessarily even be willing to take them, though perhaps could find a way to offload them for your sake.¡± ¡°What? No! I appreciate that, Ambassador, but we don¡¯t want them gone. Not as of right now, anyway. With any luck, we¡¯ll get their homeworld back, and this will all be temporary.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure Earth wants to take another run at Tinsas: certainly not with attacks on two worlds, bringing those kind of ship numbers to our doorstep. Our offensive was rebuffed decisively¡­more lopsided than our victory at Talsk. The enemy at least got a few shots in there.¡± ¡°The entirety of the Sapient Coalition didn¡¯t back Talsk. The real test is Nishtal. I understand the humans rallied the greatest force since they took Aafa.¡± ¡°And ferried in a ton of fortifications. It¡¯s no Kessler Cage; the Krakotl would veto plans to add those sort of defenses, I imagine,¡± the Zurulian chuckled. ¡°That debris field was Talsk¡¯s saving grace. If we don¡¯t stop the drones before they get there, then Nishtal is going to be obliterated.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hope it doesn¡¯t come to that. I suspect, as a contingency, we both should be prepared to take Krakotl refugees as well. The relocated civilians might find their displacement is of a more¡­permanent nature, if this goes wrong.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be ready to help if we¡¯re needed. At least most of the populace has been moved out of harm¡¯s way.¡± ¡°They had to be, Tassi. Their numbers were so depleted, between Nishtal¡¯s bombardment, the mass suicides after the omnivore reveal, and the civil war. They were one of the species hit the hardest. A loyal follower of Federation ideology, gutted to the bone for it.¡± Sympathy tugged at my chest. ¡°It¡¯s a sad story. I¡¯m disappointed just how many sad stories there are out in space. The Zurulians seem to be one of the few happy tales.¡± ¡°We were lucky, I guess, that our altruistic missions were deemed suitable for Farsul appropriation. Am I glad I gave the human visitor a chance, all those years ago? Certainly. I listened to the science, persuaded my people, and we were rewarded for that; we landed on the right side of history. I¡¯m sure you know what it is to be in the position of convincing your higher-ups.¡± I chuckled. ¡°They don¡¯t listen to the experts until they realize they have no idea what they¡¯re doing, here on Ivrana. The sad part is, by the time that dawns on them, it¡¯s often too late.¡± ¡°Zurulians might¡¯ve been like that once. The Farsul making our culture wholly about medicine might¡¯ve backfired on them, making the lab results have a greater sway on us. I can¡¯t say. It might look rosy from the exterior, Tassi, but there¡¯s still so much that was taken from us. Depth. Knowledge of our past. Flaws.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a bad thing to lose your flaws. Ours have us in a global war at the most critical juncture in our history. If I could wave a flipper and make Bissems lose our worst traits¡­¡± Chauson wrinkled his nose. ¡°No, you don¡¯t mean that. It¡¯s still a part of you, shaping your culture with an invisible paw¡­influencing your actions and the paths you walk. It¡¯s hard to foresee the consequences of taking away one little thing. There are complex reasons for your conflict, that you need to work out yourselves. I wish you¡¯d stop the senseless bloodshed, but I wouldn¡¯t change you if I could. Not even if it whooshed the war away.¡± ¡°Thank you for not judging us. I wish the SC could see us for the sum of what we are, not the worst parts. They¡¯re looking for any excuse to believe we¡¯re monsters.¡± ¡°The humans were there once. Give it some time. It¡¯s unfortunate, but who really cares what a few small-minded parties think of you? You don¡¯t want hateful people by your side anyway, so you have to walk on glass. The Terrans had to hide a vast part of their culture to get along; those aren¡¯t friends. We should¡¯ve moved past that. You can do better.¡± My heart felt warmed by Chauson¡¯s kind words; he had an air of wisdom about him. ¡°Thank you. I think you¡¯re right. We can do better, and I think better is¡­you. The Zurulians. We¡¯d like a more personal alliance with anyone who won¡¯t push us away¡­who¡¯ll accept us. I¡¯d like our species to be friends.¡± ¡°Oh, we are friends, dear Tassi, but I¡¯m not sure what you mean by a more personal alliance. Would we open embassies, and continue to welcome you to study in our institutions? Gladly. However, we are solely affiliated with the Sapient Coalition, and intend to stay that way. Since you¡¯re in the SC, we¡¯ll afford you the same privileges as any of our other allies.¡± ¡°What if we¡­weren¡¯t in the SC, Chauson? We¡¯re a little concerned they¡¯re going to force us out eventually. They¡¯re looking for any excuse. They don¡¯t want carnivore allies.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re unjustly cast out, we¡¯ll continue to work with you. You have my word.¡± I hesitated, uncertain how much to tell the Zurulian. ¡°Ambassador, I¡¯ll be candid with you, since I respect you; I sincerely want us to work together. There¡¯s a few other parties that have been left out by the SC, or are disgruntled with it as an organization. We¡¯re feeling like outsiders, so we want to establish our own¡­sphere of influence. A union of misfits, one could say.¡± Chauson¡¯s eyes gleamed, as he was silent for a long moment. ¡°This has something to do with you taking refugees. You want allies who also have nowhere else to turn.¡± ¡°I¡¯m definitely not supposed to say yes to that, but you¡¯re right. Bissems direly need friends. I know there¡¯s nothing you¡¯d have to gain, and I¡¯m still asking you to stand with us. On the right side of history.¡± ¡°I see. Just to be clear, what exactly are you proposing?¡± ¡°If there¡¯s any way we could have a prolonged partnership, beyond the SC¡¯s bounds, it¡¯d mean so much to us. It could be something as simple as working together on humanitarian missions, and signing deals to share the burden of refugees. We want to be a part of the galaxy. Bissems feel like we¡¯re left on our own, and everyone¡¯s out to take advantage of us. You¡¯re the only one who just¡­cares.¡± Chauson drew a sharp breath. ¡°We pushed for the SC to help you, when it became apparent that Ivrana was hanging on the precipice of ecological collapse. We¡¯ll do so again, if you need someone to stand up for you. We¡¯d always cooperate on an aid mission with anyone willing. If having terms in writing would ease your mind, the Zurulians would be happy to do so.¡± ¡°Thank you, Ambassador. I personally appreciate your support.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. I trust we¡¯ll meet again in the SC¡¯s halls, quite soon. The Battle of Nishtal is likely to be under way in the next few weeks, and I imagine you¡¯ll be there to see the results.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be hoping for the best.¡± ¡°We all will be. Take care, Tassi.¡± The Zurulian disconnected from the call, and for the first time since first contact, I felt pure excitement to have an alien representative pledging to stand with us. Gaining Chauson¡¯s support in any way was a reason to maintain optimism, that Bissems could come out of this with an alliance that stood for more than self-interest. So far, I would say that General Naltor¡¯s plan to formulate our oddball alliance had been a success. With a vast majority of our target parties being amenable to joining flippers with us, that left only finalizing the deal with the Yotul and the Osirs. Chapter 2-58 Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem Alien Liaison Date [standardized human time]: November 12, 2160 The United Nations had been mysteriously supportive of Bissems in the past few weeks, while offering gifts for nothing in return and smoothing feathers with our other nations. That charity had been enough to pique General Naltor¡¯s suspicions, but I wondered if the appropriate parties in the human government had been alerted to our mistreatment. There was talk about inducting us as full SC members, though there would be strong opposition to that motion; even if Arxur Collective aid was ultimately accepted, our role contacting them had soured several parties on us. Today, the full might of the Sapient Coalition stood behind Nishtal. If we could not secure a more certain victory, then there was no hope of going after the enemy in their own territory. ¡°I should be curious to learn what your scout ship uncovers. I understand they¡¯ll hardly be firing up the warp engines, and be hiding away from the inhabited systems. Watching, waiting,¡± Naltor commented to Dustin. ¡°I get that between the travel length, then biding their time to pick off a lone, manned ship in a space lane¡­it could be months before we get results. Yet putting a face to the enemy: that¡¯s how you unite people. Give them someone to point a flipper at.¡± Zalk scoffed. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯ve been after with the ghost exterminators. We need to get the fucking answers ourselves, I think.¡± The human xenobiologist arched his eyebrows. ¡°Perhaps there¡¯s no answers to be found. Not here, anyway. We have to focus on what we can fix, and what we can protect right now. The environmental teams are working overtime on Ivrana, going into active warzones. Sending fish so you can ease up on the overfishing a bit.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what your people are up to, playing nice. The Tseia sure as shit won¡¯t rest the stakes of our army, all of our logistics and supplies, on you continuing to give us food. That¡¯s an easy way to take us out of the fight, making us dependent on your graciousness. It wasn¡¯t too long ago that you were planting a knife in Tassi¡¯s back.¡± ¡°Look how that turned out. We haven¡¯t given Jones so much as a peep, since she tried that,¡± I commented. ¡°Then why do I feel like we did exactly what that conniving human wanted?¡± ¡°What do you mean, Zalk?¡± Naltor questioned. ¡°Jones hasn¡¯t even tried to push back. Think about it. Humanity couldn¡¯t contact the Arxur themselves, but if we quietly influence them? And also have the Sivkits come to the bargaining table at long last? I can¡¯t shake the feeling that Naltor¡¯s plan to round up the misfits is exactly what the fuck she wanted.¡± The Selmer¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a very waterproof blackmail rationale, but I don¡¯t see how¡­you¡¯re paranoid, wanderbird.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not paranoia if I¡¯m right. Can¡¯t deny the timing of when they¡¯ve decided to be nice, after that all went down: it¡¯s peculiar.¡± ¡°The Terrans wouldn¡¯t want us siphoning the Yotul and the Zurulians away, and building a fleet of warships. There¡¯s no reason to cause such frostiness between our planets, pushing us away from them.¡± ¡°We already were pushed away, and they knew that we were meddling. They needed support for their war. Look how our actions benefited humanity, much more than having an internal spy ever could!¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough of the crazy talk, Zalk. We¡¯ve set ourselves up to have influence and power; our military is stronger now than it was a month ago. If it benefits the Sapient Coalition by keeping a few planets alive, then I¡¯m okay with that. And on that note, why don¡¯t we check in how Nishtal is faring?¡± ¡°There was almost a Krakotl on your first contact mission,¡± Dustin piped up. ¡°Our thoughts should be with them now. We can¡¯t afford baseless suspicion, not when we¡¯re actually ahead and things are improving for Bissems.¡± I waddled toward our station in the assembly hall. ¡°I agree with him. Onso said it best; we all have to work together when it comes to our survival. What happens with the Krakotl affects us all.¡± All eyes in the Sapient Coalition were on Nishtal, because their entire hopes for the war effort rested on this clash. Knowing that the different flanks of the enemy drone assault were not communicating with each other, we planned to recycle the strategies of the tungsten rods and the cloaked stations from Talsk. The Venlil were also uncorking their own specialty, as their ¡°scrapper¡± drones were making their first appearance in battle. The Skalga natives had given their spacecraft to humanity, during their defense of Earth, and lost the rest of their fleet by joining that battle. They¡¯d replaced their dated Federation vessels, by engineering unique drones designed to charge the enemy line. It mirrored their ancestral roots, plowing into foes and invaders headfirst¡ªliterally. I was curious to see how that fared against our foes. The Venlil¡¯s specialty is that, not only are the scrappers built for ramming like some Technocracy ships, but their pointed hull can separate from the rest of the craft. The Skalgans appreciated those tactics, and figured out a way to not make it suicide in space. With these innovations, a vessel can stay in the fight and keep shooting. Governor Laisa was seated alongside Secretary-General Kuemper, as they waited to see how Venlil scrappers fared in battle. Naltor would be watching keenly too, since, for our newly-constructed fleet, Bissems and Sivkits were cobbling together bits and pieces from every SC power. We¡¯d be ready to turn their own tricks against them, if it came to that. As messy as the war back home was, I was grateful that Ivrana¡¯s nations had the good sense to keep that vitriol from carrying over to the stars. I was also appreciative that I¡¯d been quite detached from the consequences at home, since I¡¯d scarcely been back to my planet. My sights were set on the bigger picture, with galactic stature and Ivrana¡¯s survival taking precedence over petty concerns. The Krakotl ambassador squawked with impatience. ¡°How is the battle going, Laisa? I haven¡¯t heard anything, apart from the fact that there¡¯ve been shots fired between your ships and theirs.¡± ¡°We¡¯re getting our data together from Nishtal to show a coherent picture,¡± the Venlil responded into her microphone. ¡°However, our initial results are promising. Remember, our goal is to wear their numbers down long before they get to your world. Piece-by-piece. These aren¡¯t all of our vessels: just the amount we were willing to sacrifice.¡± ¡°And what was that amount? I want details, quickly¡ªshow some urgency, please! It¡¯s not your world under siege.¡± ¡°We won¡¯t know if the battle is won or lost for some hours yet,¡± Kuemper interjected. ¡°I assure you, Kelsel, Nishtal isn¡¯t under siege now. We also evacuated the planet¡¯s population, so there is no immediate danger to your people themselves. Lives are the most important thing, and that¡¯s been handled up front.¡± ¡°You speak as if losing our world, and seeing its culture and every construct on it crumble again, would be inconsequential! Were the roles reversed, would you not worry what happened to Earth just because you¡¯d relocated your people?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. Earth is our home and is deeply important to us, and we¡¯d protect it for its own sake. I understand you feel the same about Nishtal. I¡¯m only asking you to reframe your view on the worst-case scenario; there must be some comfort in knowing your people are safe. I know that¡¯s my top concern, and remember, the worry that left the UN sleepless twenty-four years ago was the possibility of our extinction. You should not press me on how I¡¯d worry about Earth.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that humanity hadn¡¯t¡­suffered, and you know we¡¯re penitent for our role in that. My point was that your home planet is priceless, irreplaceable. A horrific loss, even without lives in that equation! Look what¡¯s become of the Sivkits, without Tinsas factoring into their identity.¡± Naltor cleared his throat, a sly gleam in his eyes. ¡°You mean shacking up with rotten carnivores?¡± ¡°I have not been one of the ones biased against you from the start!¡± Kuemper issued an irritated sigh. ¡°I know we¡¯re all on edge here, but let¡¯s keep it civilized. I¡¯m certain what Ambassador Kelsel meant was that Tinsas was a tragedy, leaving the Sivkits to wander without any knowledge of their true home or identity. To that end, we can all agree. Please, keep our focus on the ongoing conflict; the first images are coming through at this moment.¡± Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! From the eyes of a few Venlil scrappers, we could see the tungsten rods nailing the enemy front lines¡ªlike lances tearing through that soft outer shell. The mathematical precision needed for the timing and coordination to be so perfect¡­human trajectory systems were a marvel, so much more advanced than Bissems would¡¯ve thought possible before first contact. Seeing projectile warfare as one of their oldest arts made me understand why Naltor was so enamored with studying military tactics and contraptions. The timing cleared the opportunity for the Venlil to sail, engines blazing, toward the enemy. With guns firing off several shots, and now positioned near to the enemy¡¯s locale, the pointed fronts of the drones detached. Acceleration was on their side, as the piercing stage barreled through the hostile front flank; between the rods and the unusual ramming techniques, the SC¡¯s greeting party cleaved through thousands of vessels. The difference made by having substantive allied forces on standby was already felt. We had enough firepower to put the pressure on out of the gate, and that was a reason for optimism. Ambassador Kelsel had relaxed from his frayed mannerisms, as the enemy struggled to return fire and dispatch our first line of defense. The Venlil¡¯s guns were active and still in play for additional, precious time, while the hostiles focused on eliminating the rods. That whittled away a tad more of their numbers, still several planets back from Nishtal. And this is only the opening act. We can soften them up much more, before they ever get close to Nishtal¡ªmaybe even stop them from reaching the planet altogether. Kuemper cleared her throat, seeming to receive information through an earpiece. ¡°The Krakotl vanguard are on the move, with UN and Technocracy backing. Your old-school designs, with the plasma railguns, won¡¯t be very effective; that¡¯s why you¡¯re going to lob a few missiles, and serve as a distraction for our entry.¡± ¡°Remember the ¡®space harpoons?¡¯ Those pesky rods flying at them even now? We stuck more of them in a railgun to throw in their faces, up close and personal,¡± Onso chuckled. The Krakotl¡¯s ships had shed the appearance of the extermination fleet; not requiring manpower meant their drones could be built as lithe, almost-birdlike silhouettes. Several plasma railguns focused on single targets at once, attempting to stagger their shots to avoid the liquid armor. The United Nations and the Technocracy were nestled behind a wall of native ships, ready to vault over the avian line with space harpoons primed. The enemy was picking off the bird drones with too much ease, even though they¡¯d tacked on magnetic shields to counter particle beams. The Krakotl couldn¡¯t withstand liberal usage of antimatter bombs meant for Nishtal. Their vanguard was obliterated with powerful explosions, which meant the humans and the Yotul were exposed. They¡¯ll have to act earlier than they hoped, and at a greater distance. I¡¯m sure they had a Plan B, but I¡¯m curious to see just what that was. ¡°Our ships just got obliterated!¡± Ambassador Kelsel squawked in horror. ¡°Our state-of-the-art, newly-built ships¡­¡± ¡°For every antimatter bomb that strikes your ships, that¡¯s one less city-killer they can shoot at Nishtal.¡± Duerten Ambassador Korajan huffed with impatience. Despite retaining their Shield membership, the gray avians had been introduced as a partial SC member¡ªand as promised, sent a small handful of ships to Nishtal¡¯s aid alongside the Leshee. ¡°You¡¯re making them spend those fighting up here, against metal hunks with no cultural importance or lives aboard. That¡¯s a positive outcome.¡± The fallback plan appeared to be fighting fire with fire. The United Nations and the Yotul Technocracy both possessed massive stockpiles of antimatter missiles; even if a party would never bombard planets from orbit, they were the most destructive munitions around. Their willingness to dispense dozens of these rare explosives didn¡¯t convey the difficulty in creating antimatter weapons. With enough resources, time, and willpower, the two powers had accrued enough to make a dent in the enemy¡¯s forces. Guns fired through the abyss with fervor, as missiles detonated and the gap closed between the two sides. Missiles tried to pin down ships that twirled and danced to evade, with both sides showing expert maneuverability. At the end of the day, our foes had the numbers; this strategy was only intended to slow them down. However, what the primates and marsupials¡¯ advance lacked in manpower, they made up for it with heart and firepower. The UN and Technocracy worked in tandem on the battlefield like flippers moving together, pushing their engines to the limit to draw near and deploy the rods. The apprehension in the SC chambers was palpable, since we all could see the explosions in the panoramic view; those represented friendly casualties. These drones wouldn¡¯t survive the encounter, but they needed to survive long enough to cripple the invaders. The enemy wasn¡¯t keen on letting them draw close, since they¡¯d just witnessed the Venlil¡¯s ramming tactics. ¡°Just a bit further, and we sink our claws in,¡± Onso commented, a dark gleam in his eyes. ¡°This is the last phase of our assault before they reach the system¡¯s asteroid belt. They must be significantly weakened, before they run headlong into the mines hidden there.¡± The harpoons attempted to lock onto their targets, but there was only so much distance that a railgun could nail a target with a sharp rod with any accuracy. It couldn¡¯t just connect with the enemy; for maximum damage, it required an exact angle to pierce through with the pointed tip. There was no room for error, even more so than with traditional beams or bullets. Our foes had the easier task of pelting us with missiles, and wearing down magnetic shielding with tireless particle beams. Moreover, while this SC movement¡¯s antimatter was used up, our hostile counterparts still had plenty left in the tank. The human-Yotul advance desperately deployed interceptors and barriers to prevent direct hits from hostile bombs, but a sizeable chunk still found themselves in the radius. The Sapient Coalition¡¯s battered force pressed on, throwing caution to the wind. Power was diverted away from shields to the engines, granting them a burst of speed to draw near enough to the evasive enemy. That left them a softer target, vulnerable to even simple munitions¡ªeasy pickings. The rate of our drone casualties skyrocketed within a short time, but the sole goal was to make their inevitable demise worthwhile. Human and Yotul spacecraft danced around the edge of their harpoon railgun¡¯s range. Though they¡¯d been nearly eradicated, a few hundred friendlies pressed on with their last gasps. The hostiles couldn¡¯t retreat quickly enough to avoid ceding the last bit of distance we needed to clear. They had no way of knowing what range we required to deploy an unrevealed weapon. ¡°Now this is my kind of fishing trip,¡± Naltor whispered under his breath. ¡°Harpoons away.¡± Without hesitation, the advance cranked out the readied harpoons, and reset within a few seconds for the next. As the railguns prepared for the second wave, the first rods had reached the enemy¡ªripping through metal with meteoric intensity. The munitions were landed in compartments where the hostiles couldn¡¯t afford a gaping crater; it¡¯d helped that, at Talsk, we¡¯d solidified their weak points and the general placement of critical ship functions. They hadn¡¯t passed along information of ours, due to their total silence. That left another aspect we could chalk up as an advantage in the war, since their communications blackout was hurting them. The power of knowledge will be even more tilted to our side if that scout ship can nab a few prisoners and gather intelligence about our enemies. For starters, we might figure out what really became of Tinsas, and what their plans are next, after this three-pronged strike. I craved answers for why this all was happening, since it almost felt like this calamitous war began as soon as Bissems waded into the galaxy. Had the Sapient Coalition not contacted us, we¡¯d be blissfully ignorant of this mess¡­though perhaps it was hypocritical to say, as a scientist who¡¯d spent my life trying to communicate with alien life. At any rates, we were here, and watching Terran and Yotul drones go down with a bang. Rods from close-range were lethal, propelled at such high speeds that they didn¡¯t need the long acceleration time to make them invisible. There simply wasn¡¯t a moment for the enemy to react; swiftness left them unseen. The harpoon railguns forced our foes to evade erratically, rendering it impossible for us to target critical areas. The enemy regrouped and walloped the remaining SC ships outside the asteroid belt, though they were bruised and bloodied in the aftermath. A little less than fifteen percent of their vessels were wiped out; that threshold was likely to be cleared once they ran into the mines. Zalk looked enraptured as the fleet progressed through the sea of rocks, which erupted in percussive devastation. The Tseia must be imagining adding this feature to Ivrana¡¯s orbit, to stop any would-be bombers. I¡¯d have to tell him that was ill-advised since we had regular, friendly ship contact who wouldn¡¯t appreciate having their civilian craft blown to bits. Here at Nishtal, however, it added to the enemy¡¯s wounds. ¡°Let¡¯s not count our chickens, or grow complacent, but I¡¯d venture this is an optimistic start to our defense of the Krakotl,¡± Kuemper ventured. ¡°The bulk of our forces are still waiting for the large-scale confrontation, along with a boatload of defenses we brought to the party. The entire SC and even a few outside friends are there.¡± Korajan ducked his head respectfully. ¡°We¡¯re happy to be of service. Every ship counts, and can be a difference maker; just as every bomb impact causes damage. The Duerten Forum is here as a friend, and we wish to make that statement to anyone watching.¡± ¡°The United Nations hopes to make a statement as well, on behalf of the entire SC. We can show them what we¡¯re made of. What happens when we band together. Right now, that¡¯s the only message we can send to our enemy, and I think it¡¯s a good one.¡± ¡°As do I,¡± Onso agreed. ¡°For all our differences, we¡¯re united in keeping people safe and fending off evil. That¡¯s what separates us from the rest.¡± I found sense in the statements made by the human and Yotul dignitaries, as well as a reason why it was worthwhile to continue pursuing friendship with the Sapient Coalition. After seeing what they were capable when all of their military might was directed toward a singular mission, I had high hopes for Nishtal¡¯s chances; if the defense continued in this direction, the planet might escape unscathed. I also knew that Bissems would be much better off getting them to work for our side than to act against us. This battle might send a message to more than just the enemy we were fighting against; it was a warning to the entire galaxy. Chapter 2-59 Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem Alien Liaison Date [standardized human time]: November 13, 2160 The wall of ships in front of Nishtal was comprised of diverse, formidable craft. There were six figures on each side, making this an unimaginable clash of metal war machines. The differences in strategies within the Sapient Coalition¡¯s ranks added personality, and made us harder to account for in a uniform way. Dossur mechanic vessels were hanging by to patch up damaged drones on the fly. Mazic exterminator vessels, once used to rain fire on colonies, were now using their bloated bombing bays against the hostiles. The Harchen¡¯s ¡°Chameleon ships¡± (as the humans called them) projected a video of the sky behind them on the feed, attempting to blend in. Even the Krakotl¡¯s plasma-focused vessels had gotten an upgrade since their shellacking, attaching their lithe shapes to the top of human warships: along for the ride, free to fire off shots and detach if needed. There were many more innovations, some of which would undoubtedly prove more gamechanging than others. The Gojid vessels had claws wrapped around the outside of their ship, like a shell meant to stop blows from striking the interior; perhaps this logic was inferred from their natural defensive spikes. The Fissans had ramming ships specifically shaped like their horns, which caused the Nevoks to attempt to compete with them with a two-pronged ramming extension¡ªlooking like a human fork. I thought the Venlil¡¯s prior showing blew both out of the water, but it still gave us a different angle. Skalga, Earth, and Leirn had sent about a third of these ships on the defensive lines: not counting their earlier offensives. Last but not least, there were the Shield offerings, mostly belonging to the SC¡¯s newest, most tepid allies in the Leshee and the Duerten, who brought a more defensive angle. They were lean, well-armored, and geared toward point defenses. There weren¡¯t a lot of them, with the gray avians sending a few dozen and the amphibians offering a few hundred. Then again, even the average Coalition members had only sent about a thousand or two ships. Together, with the major powers¡¯ surplus of ships factored in, we had over a hundred-and-fifty thousand spacecraft to greet the invaders. The situation should be winning for us, having an outright numerical advantage. The question was whether we could save Nishtal from any harm. If the Sapient Coalition, in all of its might and each member showing up, can¡¯t stop this drone fleet in its tracks, who¡¯s to say they can protect any world? How could they ensure that Bissems are never bombed from the heavens again?¡± ¡°The plan is simple,¡± Onso commented, as every eye in the auditorium watched for the first exchange of munitions. ¡°We attack as one, with all of these ships, the surface-to-space missiles on Nishtal, and an unholy amount of nuclear and antimatter warheads that have been mostly donated by Earth. Kuemper, you were awfully quick to replenish your supply after using them to defend your home.¡± The Secretary-General ducked her head in acknowledgement. ¡°We used them to protect our home once. Now, we¡¯re using them to protect someone else¡¯s home. Better to have them and not need them¡­¡± ¡°¡­than to need them and not have them. The Technocracy lives by that doctrine. We¡¯re about to see a lot more action than we can keep up with, so be prepared for a lot of jumping around.¡± The Gojid Prime Minister piped up. ¡°Can we get an update on how each species¡¯ innovations are faring? I¡¯d like to know whether our new Shield of the Protector¡¯s Claws ships work.¡± ¡°That name is a mouthful, and I¡¯d advise you to¡­workshop it. Anyhow, everyone will get a thorough briefing in time, and we will try to show various angles. Your generals also have their own feed and ship data. Overall, our focus is mainly on Nishtal¡¯s health and the broad status of the battle. Watching for weak points and transmitting tactical adjustments in real-time; that¡¯s what our analysts are doing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s more devastating to us if we lose our fleet, because we have all of our spaceships here!¡± Krakotl ambassador Kelsel seemed worried that, even after stapling his ships onto resilient human craft, he might lose the rest of his newly-minted armada. ¡°We lose enough vessels and we¡¯re left defenseless. Even if we win this battle, Nishtal is left defenseless should they return for round two.¡± Naltor tapped his microphone, a sage look in his eyes. ¡°Leave tomorrow¡¯s problems for tomorrow. You rebuilt your fleet once. Should you lose this one, you¡¯ll build it again stronger, because that would mean it wasn¡¯t powerful enough to make a difference in combat. Your allies will keep you safe in the meantime.¡± ¡°We will stand with Nishtal for as long as it takes,¡± Kuemper promised. ¡°Ultimately, my friends, there are no Gojid ships, human ships, Krakotl or Duerten ships, here today. There are just Sapient Coalition ships, standing as one. Because of that, I believe we¡¯re going to claim the most commanding victory in our organization¡¯s history today. The question is, do you?¡± Onso wiggled his ears mischievously. ¡°Of course I do. We took out twenty-thousand-and-change ships with a few Skalgan scrappers and some slapdash bombs. Now they meet our real fighting force, where numbers are in our favor. Eighty-five percent left to go¡ªshould be easy as pie.¡± ¡°There¡¯s more Skalgan scrappers and ¡®slapdash bombs¡¯ here too,¡± Governor Laisa commented. ¡°We¡¯ve prepared plenty for this defense, and they¡¯re flying right into our waiting arms. We¡¯re ready.¡± The moment approached on screen, with the enemy encircling Nishtal; they looked like an insect swarm from the viewing drone watching from afar above the planet¡¯s north pole. The nuclear warheads were mostly positioned on the planet¡¯s lunar satellite, and I could see them ready to be fired at a moment¡¯s notice. The explosives would provide a quick and easy way to reduce the invaders¡¯ numbers out of the gate. The United Nations had flown in powerful kinetic railguns, since the ship-busting lasers were ineffective against the liquid armor. It all followed their space harpoon gun play, which I knew they¡¯d start off with here. So far, our foes didn¡¯t have an answer to the piercing rods, and I doubted they would compensate for the weapon¡¯s presence now. The enemy won¡¯t have a response to our plans as long as they¡¯re not relaying our strategies back home to someone. They haven¡¯t made any adjustments since Tinsas or Talsk; we have. Our feed cut over to the eyes of a Technocracy drone, thrusting our perspective into the heart of the battle. Flanked by tens of thousands of allies, our vantage point vessel surged forward. Sensors revealed human nanodrones, pouring out in mind-bending quantities from the lurking spacecraft carriers. I watched the nuclear warheads crest ahead of the camera; their speed somehow surpassed the swiftness of a starship. That was the cue¡ªfire the harpoon railguns! Poles of tungsten were hurled through the void, as microscopic automatons and thousands of nukes inundated the enemy. Their dust guns couldn¡¯t eradicate enough threats to avoid the preliminary impacts, with telltale flashes amid the endless night. For the brief moment they lasted, those detonations were brighter than the stars: a literal shining light in the darkness. I channeled Kuemper and Onso¡¯s optimism, allowing my own to make a brief reappearance. I wanted to believe in that swift victory the Terran leader had promised with such confidence. The drone whose eyes we were looking through, zigged and zagged, twirling around particle beam munitions and throwing up missile interceptors. The Sapient Coalition¡¯s fleet felt powerful. This was our chance for us to push the enemy back, and put this entire strike force down for good. From this view, the entire battle seemed much less impersonal. ¡°That¡¯s what five-digits worth of casualties looks like,¡± Onso growled. ¡°Now that we¡¯ve hit that figure, it¡¯s time for us to speedrun up to six digits. Wipe them out.¡± Our Technocracy drone offered suppressing fire with its particle beams, giving Venlil scrappers a chance to move in. The collisions were almost imperceptible without magnification; once the lens zeroed in on a few enemy hulls for the viewers¡¯ benefit, I could see metal lacerated by the detachment of the ramming point. Venlil weapons carved them up like a fish being gutted, leaving disabled husks and torn bogeys in their wake. Mazics unloaded antimatter bombs to complement their efforts, from ships built only to house those explosives. Our fleet had kept the hostiles far back from Nishtal¡¯s orbital range, so they had no chance to get a crack at the surface. We were ready to shoot down any inbound explosives, even if they did get a shot off. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. The humans pelted the foes with mini-missiles, then harpoons, followed by kinetics, in the brief span I diverted my attention to their efforts. Alternating between every munition we had kept the enemy on their toes. The Krakotl warships, using the docking port to staple themselves to the UN¡¯s bulky fighters, had plasma weaponry covered. While it was ineffective against the hostile drones, they took to picking off missiles lobbed our way. Nishtal¡¯s own surface-to-space missiles had also rode in to badger the enemy, a successor to the Terrans¡¯ warheads. The Technocracy ships looped back in time with the Venlil, reforming defensive positioning. Our foes would come to us in this instance, and might find it to be like running into a brick wall. Secretary-General Kuemper used a laser pointer to highlight the enemy ships on screen. ¡°If you¡¯ll look across the formation, you¡¯ll notice there¡¯s very little variance in the hostile drones. I think it¡¯s worth noting how much easier it is to gather intelligence with a single ship mold. Also, the uniformity is in striking contrast to our union of multiple species.¡± ¡°They¡¯re arrogant. They think these ships are the end all, be all¡ªthat they¡¯ve accounted for every possible weapon, and that they don¡¯t need anything different in their fleet,¡± Onso added. ¡°It reminds me of the ubiquitous design seen in the Federation military. I¡¯d like to know if they¡¯re an unimaginative single species, or if there¡¯s something more at play. It should be enlightening when we acquire some answers at last.¡± ¡°The ships are quite good. Yours just seem¡­a bit better,¡± Krakotl Ambassador Kelsel countered. ¡°Oh, they are. So far, the Sapient Coalition has only taken a thousand hits; the enemy is scrambling, from sensory overload with all of the different, unknown threats. Our kill count here in the inner sanctum, hovering around twenty-thousand at the moment, speaks for itself. The kill-to-death ratio only grows our advantage. Now, we keep the heat on them, and can afford to double team them! They¡¯ll be below six-figures any moment.¡± The Yotul¡¯s prediction would likely be true, as the Fissans and Nevoks brought their weaker ramming ships in to build on what the Venlil had built. The Nevok¡¯s two-pronged ramming extension was interesting, especially since they could expand and contract the tips. Lining up the proper angle allowed them to take out two ships at once. The Gojids tried to draw the enemy¡¯s fire, while the Harchen¡¯s ¡°Chameleon¡± vessels were slingshotted closer with engines quiet. The spiky mammals¡¯ drones proved able to absorb multiple hits, with the claws designed to break off from around the craft. The Harchen, meanwhile, caught our nemesis unaware, unloading thousands of missiles and spraying bullets. The Technocracy drone we watched from had never ceased firing harpoons, even as our rod supply was running low. I felt satisfaction seeing the enemy ship count plummet; we had them below one hundred thousand, and still falling fast. The automaton we were looking through doubled back toward a nearby Dossur mechanic ship; that explained how they planned to restock the space harpoons on the fly. We switched over to peer through a human vessel¡¯s eyes. The defensive formation of our heavy-hitters was designed to lure the hostiles forward, almost as if¡­ ¡°Something¡¯s hidden there,¡± I whispered to Naltor. ¡°A cloaked station?¡± The Selmer folded his flippers. ¡°I suspect we¡¯ll see in a few short moments. When humans are involved, I hear their fortifications have fortifications.¡± ¡°The Tseia could learn a thing or two from that mentality,¡± Zalk added ominously. The enemy crested over a cloaked station, which detonated¡ªunleashing its fragments and destructive power right in the heart of the aggressors¡¯ fleet. The Nevoks and Fissans, who¡¯d been nipping near the front lines, were conveniently positioned out of the blast radius. The hidden outpost¡¯s explosion was the most devastating blow yet, consuming thousands of ships on its own. It damaged thousands more, and the Krakotl took the opportunity to pick those off: targeting plasma through gaping holes in their hulls. Just as the enemy had pulled back with suspicion, and all seemed quiet, a second explosion tore through the rearguard. Despite having one¡¯s placement further out, the humans had waited to draw them deeper in. From the starting number of 150,000 invaders, there were now 80,000. Almost halfway there. Whether there is a third station or not, the hostiles are shooting at empty space now; less bullets shot at us. This is a hopeless fight for them, since we¡¯ve only lost a few thousand ships even with those aggressive actions. We¡¯ll find out if they have a retreat algorithm. The Technocracy drones had restocked on harpoons, and resumed rattling through their supply. There wasn¡¯t a countermeasure available, short of shooting them down or blocking them, and the enemy didn¡¯t seem to have physical barricades like we had. After letting our foes shoot at empty space, searching out any other cloaked stations, we deployed some physical barriers. I felt a bit confused as we crept backward, getting out of range and hunkering down. The hostiles weren¡¯t stupid enough to wander into another seeming trap; they shot at the barricades. However, once we¡¯d backed up sufficiently to not be the nearest metal object, that was when the Terrans revealed these were no ordinary barricades. ¡°They¡¯re gigantic supermagnets,¡± Naltor breathed, as the barriers¡ªlarge enough to obscure spaceships, and thus yielding a massive amount of pull¡ªwere attracted to nearby hulls. ¡°The SC figured out the composition of the enemy frames at the last battle. They¡¯re mines that get attracted straight on top of a ship¡¯s hull; basically turning them into a flying grenade!¡± I wished the Selmer general didn¡¯t sound so giddy, like a kid at a fishing dock for the first time. The magnets adhered themselves to the hostile ships, and blew them to flighted status itself; sure enough, the barricades had explosives attached onto them. Drone fragments damaged any other vessels in proximity, a chain reaction formed by the truckloads of barricades. For the tens of thousands of United Nations ships, they each had multiple barriers. Even once the first magnet struck, the invaders scarcely had time to respond to that absolute bounty of mines. With our hand played, and our false retreat allowing more vessels to replenish ammo, the defending spacecraft returned to firing every munition they had. The numbers had been halved down to 40,000 in one snap of the humans¡¯ fingers. They looked the part of a power that¡¯d defeated a galactic empire in mere months, for the first time since this new war began. It was because they were standing shoulder to shoulder with their allies; the support compensated for their shortcomings, and let them go to town with new machinations. Ambassador Korajan gawked at the carnage on screen. ¡°Humans are absolute masters of killing inventions, yet you wonder why the Shield fears you. Did you people actually need the wingful of ships we brought?¡± ¡°Of course we did,¡± Kuemper countered. ¡°We still do until no hostile vessels are left standing in an SC system.¡± ¡°So, soon. We have more than three times their ship count now,¡± Onso chuckled. ¡°We didn¡¯t want this war. But now that it¡¯s here, we damn sure better win it.¡± If there had been a shred of doubt in the battle¡¯s outcome, it seemed certain that Nishtal was impregnable. Out of desperation, the invading fleet was unloading every one of their bombs for the planet into our defensive formation; that meant that, even if our vessels all disintegrated now, they¡¯d have nothing to bombard the planet with. The sheer volume of antimatter was enough to stagger us for a moment, and cut down ten thousand ships. It almost seemed spiteful on the enemy¡¯s behalf, knowing they were lost¡ªand trying to take as many of us with them. We had to finish them quickly. Thousands of harpoon guns were still ripping the enemy apart on our side, ticking down four-digits worth of kills alone within a brief time. The human drone we watched from now captured a second wave of surface-to-space missiles joining the fray. The invaders couldn¡¯t spare any attention to them, and got more hulls smashed in from those explosions. The Venlil moved in to clean up remnants. Even with the ramming stages detached, they had quite the arsenal. The Harchen were still chipping in with hidden volleys, and beat-up Gojid vessels dumped every munition they had on their last legs. The United Nations thought that was the right idea, using mini-missiles to exacerbate the damage. The unified forces of the Sapient Coalition, six digits strong, eliminated the last gasps of enemy resistance in the system. With only a few hundred ships left, we noticed them trying to warp away and escape: a retreat algorithm. The humans gave chase, relishing the easy hunt in the stars. Nishtal had never come close to being in peril, and the hostiles were routed. I could see the blue avians¡¯ ambassador shaking with visible relief, before flying to the front of the hall. Kuemper arched her eyebrows in surprise, as Kelsel wrapped his wings around her. She hugged back after a moment¡¯s hesitation. ¡°Look what we¡¯re capable of, when each of our allies shows up to help,¡± the Secretary-General commented. ¡°I¡¯m delighted to have such a commanding victory in the books, and to have been able to save Nishtal another glassing. Let¡¯s celebrate. To us!¡± Cheers erupted throughout the auditorium, and I joined in with my own happy cries. This was exactly the result the Sapient Coalition needed to reaffirm our convictions, and our optimism that we might prevail against an enemy who¡¯d come to destroy civilian lives indiscriminately. As long as we continued to work together in the future, I was certain we could come out on top. Chapter 2-60 Memory Transcription Subject: Elias Meier, Former UN Secretary-General Date [standardized human time]: November 16, 2160 With each passing month in this new form, I became more reacclimated to life as a synthetic. Being alive and feeling once more was difficult after knowing the peace of death, compounded by the sensory hell of this body. I wanted to be a moral compass for the Sapient Coalition and for Terra Technologies, and that purpose helped me carry on. Not even death could stamp out how much I cared for humanity, and how deeply I loved standing up for what was right. It¡¯d been a wave of relief when I heard that Nishtal had escaped a second bombing; after winning two battles, this war could have a less bloody ending than the last. Assuming the scout ship we sent into enemy territory bore results, I was more than willing to risk a visit for peace talks. Perhaps they¡¯d give up this silly conflict, if we persisted and found a way to reach them. However, my first order of business was welcoming a person from the 21st century back to life. In a few minutes, I would no longer be the only synthetic, mind-upload human. It would be delightful to not be alone in this situation. Virnt had been successful in salvaging the encoded memory data from one cryogenically-preserved brain, where the ice crystals from the primitive process hadn¡¯t damaged areas related to memory or personality. With some functions recreated by filling in the gaps from other brains, the experience of senses might be a bit different. I knew if I had to choose, I¡¯d worry most about having who I was preserved. Our revival subject was Kristin Haugstad, a futurism enthusiast who died in the year 2025 of incurable cancer. She was suffering gravely, but regretted that she hadn¡¯t lived enough at a mere twenty-six years old. So as her final wish, she begged her friends and family to help her cobble together the money to freeze her brain. After that was completed, Kristin chose a dignified death on her own terms, but threw this Hail Mary in line with her fantastical interests, to hope she might live longer in the time of her dreams. A sad story, but one that might have a happy ending if this is what she wanted. ¡°Remember what we talked about, Virnt. Probably not the best idea for you to be the first face Kristin sees, or the first alien we introduce her to,¡± I remarked. Syba stared at the lifeless synthetic body in the other room with curiosity. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m here, but I¡¯ll wait outside until Elias calls. Don¡¯t want to give the girl too much of a shock at once. If I¡¯m understanding, her brain¡¯s already mapped in there? You just have to power¡­her on?¡± Virnt¡¯s antennae quivered with excitement; it was weird to see him hopping on his insect legs, but I thought he was skipping. ¡°Yes! So much work to lead up to this moment. We used her government-issued ID to reconstruct her face, though the imaging isn¡¯t as high quality as the 3D projections today.¡± ¡°What¡¯s got you so excited?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be very interesting to see if there¡¯s differences in the sensory experiences of a female human, compared to our male subject, with the anatomical differences. Scientifically, I¡¯m curious overall if there¡¯s any noted variance between how the sexes respond to a synthetic form. We¡¯ll need full studies when we ramp this project up, which will mean waiting for modern volunteers who¡¯ve had their brains scanned to die for the next, large class!¡± I folded my arms. ¡°Virnt, you shouldn¡¯t celebrate that people who¡¯ve had brain scans will die, just to further your research.¡± ¡°I¡¯m celebrating that I can bring them back, and roll this out to the masses. It¡¯s excitement for their new lives; I don¡¯t see how what I said was in any way wrong.¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s at the cost of their old lives.¡± ¡°Why is that my fault? I¡¯m saving them from what will happen anyway. 150,000 people die every single day. It will happen, through no action of my own.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we look back on this in a bit?¡± my Sulean diplomat friend interjected, seeing that Virnt wasn¡¯t understanding my issue with him. ¡°This is my one day to get away from the ongoing talks with our two dozen Shield converts. I¡¯m quite excited to focus on our current ¡®subject¡¯ now.¡± ¡°You are, Syba?¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯m really curious what humans from the past were like! I would¡¯ve loved to have spoken with the humans we revived from the Archives, but these ones are even better. Advanced enough to be accustomed to the internet, and a digital world.¡± I chuckled. ¡°You don¡¯t need a cyborg to learn what mid-to-late 21st century life was like. You could just speak to me; I was born in the 2070s. There were people born in Kristin¡¯s year still alive at first contact, so I¡¯m sure their life experiences and their reactions to aliens are recorded. Hell, the oldest person in the Venlil exchange program was 103 years old.¡± ¡°That¡¯s different,¡± Syba countered. ¡°For the 103-year-old, they weren¡¯t reacting as a 21st century person, because it didn¡¯t happen overnight. They had time to change along with Earth¡¯s culture and discoveries, rather than being a product of their era. Kristin is different.¡± ¡°You might have a point. I can see you¡¯re both antsy to get started, so I¡¯m going to head into the observation room and shut the door. I¡¯m a little nervous about welcoming someone back to all¡­this, but no sense in delaying, right? Let¡¯s¡­boot up Kristin Haugstad.¡± I forced my legs to carry me into the room, where the second synthetic human would come to life. I settled down in a seat opposite the bed, leaning forward. My eyes lingered on my hands, wondering what I would¡¯ve seen if I cut open the skin on that first day. I clenched my fist, despite the fact I couldn¡¯t feel that tightness in my wrist anymore. Virnt had made a lot of upgrades from the initial awakening, but it was never going to be the same. Every time I forgot, and slipped into relaxation, I¡¯d try to do something simple like breathing that would bring my mind back to it. What if Kristin reacted poorly to all of this? How could I comfort her, when I didn¡¯t feel like the same person myself? This isn¡¯t about you, Elias, and it never was. The cryonauts wished for us to bring them back, so you¡¯re trying to honor her wishes¡ªto make it better for her, and give her a new lease on life. This has to be done right, with more sensitivity than was afforded to you. Certainty took back the helm of my mind; whatever my qualms, I knew I could make this process better than it would be without my presence. There were many people who believed in me, and those friends were what made me determine this life was worth the cost. I lifted my chin, studying the lifeless body lying on the bed with a quiet, calm smile. Maybe, since I realized seeing Tarva¡¯s children that I regretted not having my own, I could use this as an opportunity to offer fatherly comfort and teachings. Any 21st century human coming to our time would need help adjusting, especially with aliens being an integral part of our present society. ¡°What the¡ª¡± Kristin¡¯s arm flew to her throat, and she snapped upright as her eyes came into focus. Her pupils stared directly at me, the gears turning in her head; she flashed her teeth. ¡°I¡¯m not in pain. I have a body. You did it. You people really did it! This is fucking awesome!¡± I manually blinked, not expecting the immediate excitement. ¡°You didn¡¯t even question if this was the afterlife for a second.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe in any of that. I remember dying, and now I¡¯m back, so I know I¡¯m alive and this must be the future. It¡¯s too real, and¡­sanitary. Lab-like. Well, there¡¯s a lot of stuff that¡¯s a bit funny with how I feel too. My voice doesn¡¯t sound like mine. I¡¯m not breathing, and I don¡¯t feel any saliva in my mouth. You stuck me in a robot, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Um¡­yes. Basically. How did you¡­?¡± ¡°This is too cool. Thank you! To answer your question, I considered this as a possibility. The idea was that you¡¯d do something with my brain data, so maybe uploading it to the cloud: wait, am I in a simulation? A digital world? Perhaps all humans live in a metaverse.¡± ¡°You¡¯re taking this very calmly, but I assure you, this is not a simulation. We¡¯re on the physical planet Earth, attempting to make synthetic bodies and install recreated brains inside them. We had yours because it was cryogenically preserved for over a century. The year is 2160, before you ask. Please, before we go any further, what else would you like to know?¡± Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡°How many others are there, that have been digitally uploaded?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the second.¡± ¡°Oh wow, so this is all still extremely new territory then! Who was the first?¡± I pointed a finger to myself. ¡°You¡¯re looking at him.¡± ¡°You? But you seem¡­I thought you were one of the scientists. Who are you, exactly?¡± ¡°The name¡¯s Elias Meier. I was the Secretary-General of the United Nations from 2129 until my¡­assassination during a terrorist event in 2136. The UN is a lot more of a global government with proper enforcement power than it was during your time.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying you were one of the highest-ranking officials on all of Earth. It¡¯s hard to imagine the G-7 countries letting the UN tell them what to do, unless there was no ¡®letting¡¯ involved with it.¡± ¡°There was a major series of wars called the Satellite Wars, and part of the treaty involved giving the UN authority to make decisions in order to enforce international law and maintain peace. The kind that concerns all nations. On matters that threaten the whole world, we can¡¯t afford to be divided.¡± ¡°I can agree with that, Elias. I still have so many questions for you. How did they bring you back, if you weren¡¯t cryogenically frozen? Or were you, after you died?¡± ¡°They scanned my brain in the moments after my death, which provided the necessary information. That¡¯s how I got here, I suppose. It was much less my choice than it is yours, but I understand they needed someone to be the¡­face of this all.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry they brought you back like that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Kristin. I just hope that I can be of help for you, and all of those to come after us. We have a lot of work left to do.¡± She nodded, fiddling with her blond hair as if testing how it felt. ¡°Not to bombard you with questions about your assassination, but did they catch whoever did it? Why did they target you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s an entire can of worms.¡± I closed off my posture instinctively, leaning back in the chair. She¡¯d scarcely batted an eye to the rest of the news, so perhaps she¡¯d take word of aliens¡¯ existence in stride. ¡°As far as we know, there are still cells of the organization in question today; there¡¯s no way to know if we did catch my killer, barring evidence. The why, I don¡¯t have an easy way to say it. In 2136, under my leadership, humanity discovered the existence of extraterrestrial life.¡± I studied Kristin¡¯s initial reaction carefully; her face lit up for a moment with wonder and curiosity, before disappointment and horror flashed on her features. After thinking it through, perhaps what I¡¯d said had given the impression that humans hated aliens, and lashed out because of it. The reality is that it was the other way around. The entire story of first contact was a saga of itself to unload on her. It was better to break the news in segments, especially since there were two aliens outside¡ªand many on Earth that she¡¯d need to interact with. It would also help guide my wording, to be able to address her exact concerns. Pursing my lips, I waited for the newly-awoken synthetic to speak before offering a continuation of the story. The positive is that Kristin seems very open-minded and excited to see the future, so as long as she doesn¡¯t take the full story the wrong way, maybe she¡¯ll be able to handle meeting Syba and Virnt. I might wish I knew what she was thinking, but this is better than taking a shortcut and reading her mind¡ªlike a certain Tilfish. ¡°That¡¯s terrible. I always hoped people wouldn¡¯t be reactionary to that news, but I worried they might panic or treat other intelligent life poorly,¡± Kristin said. ¡°Chaos and violence, from learning something that should be so exciting. I don¡¯t know why I hoped for better; we¡¯re lucky not to scare the aliens off.¡± I raised my hands. ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t understand. Humans took the news pretty well at first, and wanted to be amicable with the aliens. I tried to make us presentable, because it was more¡­complicated. The extremely short version is that the aliens hated and feared us. They were herbivores, except for one species that¡­ate them¡­yes, I know this is a messed up story.¡± Kristin looked speechless, jaw hanging open. ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Tell me about it. It was a complete disaster. The union of hundreds of herbivore races thought we were monsters, because we are a ¡®predator¡¯ race, and we had to beg them to give us a chance. Beg them to see that we¡¯re capable of basic empathy, not cannibals like the Arxur, who kept them as cattle. Some of the herbivores listened, but a few dozen attacked Earth.¡± ¡°What became of Earth? Is this like some post-apocalyptic future, where the surface is in ruins?¡± ¡°Something tells me you watched a lot of futuristic media,¡± I said, wagging a finger at her. ¡°No. We lost over a hundred cities to bombings, and a billion souls were marked as casualties. That¡¯s why I was attacked. For trying to cater to and befriend the aliens, and not being able to defend Earth.¡± ¡°That¡¯s terrible! I don¡¯t know what to say.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to say anything. If it¡¯s any comfort, we¡¯ve rebuilt our world. After my death, we found dirt on the herbivore union¡¯s founders, showing they forced their ideas about prey-like behavior and even genetic modifications on species that came after them. We got enough allies to win the war, make our own coalition, and try to fix the absolute trainwreck that is the Orion Arm. And that brings us to today.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lot to take in. I need to read up on all of this for myself; I¡¯ve missed out on a lot.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll get you a holopad for research; it can¡¯t be too different from the personal devices of your time. I, for one, am quite happy we¡¯ve left the days where aliens think us savage beasts who live for blood, unworthy of the right to exist. We have dozens of allied species: some of which you¡¯ll see on Earth. Friends and neighbors with interesting cultures, working with us to protect our space from any threats.¡± ¡°So I¡¯ll have a chance to meet real-life extraterrestrials? I never thought I¡¯d see that in my lifetime.¡± Technically, you didn¡¯t. ¡°Neither did I. They¡¯re not little green men like you¡¯re used to in entertainment either. They¡¯re as diverse as the very fauna on Earth, and actually quite representative of various traits we¡¯ve seen in our world¡¯s life. With that said, should I call Syba in?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a name: Syba? They¡¯re here, now? Does the alien speak English? Is there anything that¡¯d be offensive to them that I should know about?¡± ¡°Syba is a Sulean diplomat; her planet is extremely friendly to us. The translator program installed in your brain will allow you to understand her seamlessly. She¡¯s right outside, so I can¡­¡± Kristin raced out of the room, flinging open the door with excitement. By the time I realized where she was going, it was too late to stop her from running out into the observation center. Alarm rippled through my wires, and I gave chase, shouting at her to stop. With the barrier between us and the main area already ajar, she would see Virnt at the console, monitoring her live memory feed. So much for easing her into meeting aliens with cute, bubbly Syba. The Tilfish had said he was used to Terrans panicking around him, and I noticed he¡¯d taken my suggestion of wearing a lab coat. Still, a chest-high mix of a spider and an ant was the sort of thing that could earn unexpected reactions from anyone. I suppose we were going to introduce her to Virnt anyway, but I just wanted a good first impression in the books before the mental alarm bells started ringing. I better get explaining that he¡¯s a person. ¡°We were going to introduce you to Virnt last, since he¡¯s from an insectoid species,¡± I shouted after Kristin, as her startled eyes locked on the Tilfish. ¡°You asked about the brilliant scientist that made this possible? You¡¯re looking at him.¡± The revived Terran¡¯s composure finally wavered for a moment, though she hid her shock in swift order. ¡°Oh. Hi?¡± ¡°Hi!¡± Virnt declared, clacking his mandibles with enthusiasm. ¡°I spent months working to salvage your brain matter enough to bring you back. I¡¯m delighted to finally meet you!¡± ¡°Thanks for¡­doing that. I understand your words, but it feels very odd.¡± ¡°Translator program,¡± I reminded her. ¡°Syba, come and say hello?¡± The Sulean walked over, a playful gleam in her eyes. ¡°Nice to meet you, Kristin. I heard the people of your time invented the first AI assistants. A riddle for you. What¡¯s the difference between a human, and an artificial intelligence?¡± ¡°Humans don¡¯t go by the name ChatGPT?¡± Kristin guessed about some ancient AI assistant, wrinkling her nose. ¡°AIs can actually solve CAPTCHAs better than us?¡± ¡°Not the answer I was looking for. I was going to say that, according to your words, AI is the only one worthy of having ¡®intelligence¡¯ in its name.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t hear you going by Sulean intelligence,¡± I jabbed. ¡°You don¡¯t know the actual words for AI in my language. Maybe we call it ¡®dumb-dumb.¡¯¡± I snickered. ¡°Dumb-dumb 9000 was always my favorite AI name. Kristin, if you haven¡¯t caught on, Syba is the lab comedian.¡± ¡°Not quite the jokester my old man was, but I get by. Just like you got by Elias out the door.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know she was going to run off!¡± Kristin smiled, posture relaxing from the Sulean¡¯s comical banter. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you. I¡¯d love to get to know all about aliens, and whatever else I¡¯ve missed.¡± ¡°The feeling is mutual,¡± Syba responded. ¡°I¡¯m quite interested in learning about your time period. Why don¡¯t we go for a nice walk outside, and chat in the fresh air? The lab¡¯s stuffy.¡± ¡°That¡¯d be awesome. Do Virnt and Elias want to come along?¡± I shook my head, shooting a glance at the overeager Tilfish. ¡°You¡¯re adapting to this all wonderfully; you don¡¯t need me to hold your hand. Have some ¡®girl time.¡¯ Syba¡¯s a great alien to be your first impression, and we¡¯d just be a distraction as you interrogate her. We¡¯ll be here when you get back.¡± ¡°Alright. Thank you, Elias¡­and Virnt, for making this possible. All I wanted was a bit more time; my life felt too short to see any of the things I dreamed about. This is everything I could¡¯ve asked for and more.¡± ¡°You¡¯re quite welcome. Stories like yours are exactly why I got into this work,¡± the Tilfish answered. I watched the striped quadruped and the second synthetic human walk out of the lab; it was wonderful to see Kristin take a shine to Syba. Who else could win any audience over to her in seconds, other than the radiant Sulean? I shoved my hands in my jacket pockets, and realized that an untold weight was off my chest. Elias Meier wasn¡¯t the only one of his kind anymore. After reveling, for a moment longer, in the fact I wasn¡¯t alone, I turned my thoughts to Virnt¡¯s response of why he¡¯d invested his life into this project. The story of Kristin Haugstad, chomping at the bit to soak in all of the future, was a shining example of why it was worthwhile for me to see this through. There was real good I was doing here. For the first time since I¡¯d opened my new eyes, I thought that maybe I didn¡¯t hate what I was anymore. Chapter 2-61 Memory Transcription Subject: Quana, Jaslip Soldier Date [standardized human time]: December 10, 2160 After months of planning with the Jaslip Independence Brigade, Cherise and I had worked up the nerve to try to sneak an explosive device into Delegates Tower. The important bit was sneaking it into its intended spot weeks in advance, somewhere that it wouldn¡¯t be moved, discovered, or tampered with. We didn¡¯t want them to be able to trace the bombings back to my human friend, and there was no doubt that they¡¯d round up everyone who¡¯d visited in the past few days for memory scans. The mind-reading security checkpoint at the entrance to the leadership¡¯s meeting place presented another challenge. If she walked through that obstacle, the plan would be revealed before it¡¯s gotten off the ground. That was where social engineering, and the Krev guards thinking humans were cute, had come into play. Cherise claimed she¡¯d been ¡°humiliated¡± wearing a Santa outfit, complete with a goofy-looking hat with a white puffball at the end and a fake beard, but she had to sell the human tradition to anyone who researched their customs. I¡¯d made sacrifices too, letting her dress me as a ¡°reindeer,¡± with a red bulb on my nose and antlers. The degrading costumes had made it convincing, and so we could stand on the street outside¡ªhiding in plain sight. There was a lot of attention attracted by a talking primate in a silky red outfit, handing out gifts to children. That would¡¯ve been a way for explosives to wind up in random places, but Cherise and I both didn¡¯t want to target innocents, especially kids. The package that actually held the bomb was clearly marked to us, with an orange ribbon the color of fire. We¡¯d known the commotion outside Delegates Tower would attract someone close to the Krev¡¯s leadership circle, especially as word made the rounds on social media. When Delegate Riccin approached us to ask what the festivities were about, I knew we¡¯d caught the big fish. Aulan and his team had planned for everything. Cherise had launched into a rousing explanation about Christmas, and rehearsed lines insisting that the gifts couldn¡¯t be opened until December 25, a human calendar date. She then encouraged him to ¡°stick it under a desk, or something,¡± never directly mentioning Delegates Tower. ¡°I¡¯d love to raise awareness for this human holiday, and collect some gifts for the children of Tellus,¡± Riccin had said, all but purring as Cherise passed him the orange-ribboned gift. ¡°It means a lot that you brought us into your traditions.¡± It was the perfect push to make him bring it to his office, and open it on Christmas Day for a PR push. Riccin wouldn¡¯t be stupid enough not to run a package through, at least, a cursory security scan, even if he had a primate blind spot. That was why the bomb had been stuck inside a fake robot toy, which had the right metal to obscure the explosives inside from scanners. We had trackers and cameras hidden within, so we could see if it was taken elsewhere in Tonvos¡ªor if someone discovered it. Hiding it for weeks would allow Aulan to spy on Riccin: easy espionage. The last aspect was not allowing the Krev to identify that it had come from the human gift. That was why the box had been given a false bottom, that would only open and close at the Jaslips¡¯ command. The toy was a shell for a bomb-carrying drone¡ªa nesting doll, as Cherise called it. Once left unattended, its exterior could pop open to allow us to pilot it out the false bottom, to a different room altogether. Conveniently, it would also leave the robot intact in its gift box, with none the wiser to the fact that it was behind the bombing. We might be successful in getting those delegate bastards, and then¡­they¡¯d want us gone. There was no choice; the Jaslips and the humans had to escape before the Federation cleaned up all angles of our drone offensive, and came for us again. Nishtal¡¯s strike force had fallen as well, according to Frenelda, with a crushing defeat. Failing a second attack made it clear that Talsk¡¯s defeat wasn¡¯t a fluke; our odds had gotten worse in the second engagement. Jaslip Delegate Frenelda had ensured that she had a pressing matter to deal with on Avor¡¯s enclave, despite knowing that¡¯d make her suspicious later on. This was the day we¡¯d strike, and trying to act normal on the Tellus military base was eating us up. We couldn¡¯t be in direct contact with Aulan, so we¡¯d only discover what happened when word of our success¡ªor failure¡ªreached the news. I wondered if the weight of what she¡¯d done, and what would happen if our plot was ever discovered, had set in to Cherise. The Independence Brigade was only targeting the delegates, but we were still¡­killing people. ¡°My family would be so disappointed in me. I used to frown on those Jaslips, taking the delegates hostage with their children in tow. I was better than them,¡± I murmured, as the television screen remained muted until we saw the news alert. Cherise laid back on the bed, throwing a ball up and down in the air. ¡°This is for those kits. A reckoning. There¡¯s no taking it back.¡± ¡°Would you¡­take it back, if you could? The consequences of what we¡¯re doing are irrevocable. You can¡¯t bring anyone back to life. It¡¯s final, the end. I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m supposed to be a cold-blooded killer. I can¡¯t stop thinking about how it could all go wrong.¡± The human sighed, a deep tiredness on her face. ¡°I haven¡¯t had a good night¡¯s sleep since I gave Riccin the box. Shit, I haven¡¯t really slept well since finding out that we¡¯d lost the war; I¡¯m terrified, Quana. I remember what it¡¯s like to look out the window of a spaceship as you leave your planet behind, and know it¡¯s the last you¡¯ll see of it. The Consortium hasn¡¯t given us the fact to decide if we should do that again. It¡¯s an awful fucking choice, but it¡¯s one that should be given to us.¡± ¡°I mean, I agree whole-heartedly. General Radai proved my point about him being like all the rest, by not revealing the damning truth to the public. Because of that, and the growl-inducing admission from that sociopath Mafani, we made a different awful choice. The Krev are rotten and discard lives at will.¡± ¡°And now, so do we. I rationalize it to myself¡ªtell myself soldiers make sacrifices, and I¡¯m just fighting for and protecting my home. The truth is, these are the desperate acts of caged, cornered animals. That¡¯s all we are, when it boils down to it. To think we wanted the Krev to let us stay on Tellus, and now we¡¯re blowing up their government so they let us leave.¡± I whimpered in commiseration. ¡°I feel like an animal. I came here hoping to help humans survive, and now, we¡¯re lucky if either of us do.¡± ¡°There¡¯s still time to run. The artificially-born babies are almost here,¡± Cherise said, almost as if to reassure herself. ¡°We make sure our families and the people we care about are ready to leave at a moment¡¯s notice.¡± ¡°How much do we tell Taylor and Gress? I¡¯m not sure either would be willing to leave the other¡­¡± ¡°And Trench is lacking in discretion, so there¡¯s no keeping the Krev in the dark.¡± I laughed bitterly. ¡°Then we can¡¯t tell them a hint of what we did today. That Krev wouldn¡¯t understand. When Gress looked at the enclave symbol on my chest, he saw a terrorist. Maybe he wasn¡¯t wrong.¡± ¡°I think Gress might get what we¡¯ve done more than you think. He lost it when he heard what Mafani did, and was about to put a bullet in Radai¡¯s skull. He went further than you, the Jaslip.¡± ¡°Gress had a nervous breakdown, because they personally fucked him over. I¡­we are fully cognizant of what we¡¯re doing.¡± ¡°Yes, and we know it¡¯s what has to be done. Right or wrong, humanity won¡¯t die off quietly. When Tellus gets wind of what they¡¯re doing, and stops believing Hathaway¡¯s goddamn denials of our ¡®baseless rumors,¡¯ there¡¯s going to be an uproar.¡± My ears straightened, and my tail fronds twitched restlessly. ¡°We¡¯re counting on it. There¡¯s already revolt brewing among the Jaslips. When they come for us because of this¡­they¡¯ll blame us. It¡¯s the first shots of a war for our freedom, and that¡¯s how we have to look at it.¡± Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Cherise unmuted the television, a troubled look on her face as footage of an explosion in Tonvos Tower appeared. ¡°Yeah. The smoke, the fire. I can¡¯t believe¡­gosh, we did that.¡± Both of our binocular eyes were on the scene playing out before us. Security personnel and EMTs rushed in with alarmed faces, as fire suppression systems deployed from within the megastructure. Smoke billowed within the tower into the massive glass pyramid, as coughing diplomats hurried out; a few had sustained injuries, though they looked like staffers. Most likely, survivors were the ones aside from the actual delegates, which meant¡­we¡¯d just assassinated the Consortium¡¯s species leaders in one fell swoop. The paranoid bastards had extensive continuity of government and line of succession plans, so it wasn¡¯t like we¡¯d killed the system itself by taking out a few figureheads. This was, however, a public embarrassment and a grave wound to its leadership. Aulan said Cherise and I didn¡¯t have to go for the big guns immediately, but there was no time to work ourselves up to this. Hitting the delegates makes a clear statement; let us go, or we¡¯ll attack you at the heart without any reservation. It¡¯s a rallying cry for the Jaslips. A Krev reporter raced up to the scene, speaking to a camera drone. ¡°As you can see, some kind of explosive device has been triggered within the Delegates Tower, somehow having gotten past the tight security measures: evading detection and memory scanners. Details are scarce, but early reports suggest it was set off in the area that the delegates were meeting. We¡¯ve also heard from security chatter that there are casualties, which could spell a catastrophic event for Consortium leadership.¡± ¡°You know, if there was ever a fire in the caverns, that fell on security. Minimal training and basic equipment in the control room,¡± Cherise spoke rotely, with brown eyes dazed and distant. ¡°God forbid we couldn¡¯t stop it. The heat is so incredibly powerful, that I had the dark thought of what it¡¯d be like if we got trapped underground. Only that elevator that fits a few people at once¡­I guess you pack the rest on a train to the mines, and pray it doesn¡¯t spread that far.¡± ¡°Notably, Jaslip representative Frenelda was absent, leaving her species as an obvious suspect¡ªand not precluding her own personal involvement. She has long since claimed executive privilege, dodging scans in the name of state secrets, but that may not be permitted in light of her fortuitous absence today.¡± The Krev reporter posted herself in front of the smoking building, and tapped a hand to her ear, hearing some information. ¡°Okay, this just in: the Jaslip Independence Brigade has posted a message claiming responsibility for the attack, and promising that ¡®more tyrants¡¯ blood will spill.¡¯ The swiftness of a prerecorded statement being delivered to the press leaves little doubt of their claim.¡± Tears welled in Cherise¡¯s eyes. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know how snow works, Quana, but you¡¯re probably not at the same risk of wildfires breaking out, or a spark falling from one of your creations, lighting up the ground. We thought about how so much could go wrong. We knew all it would take was one accident to damn our whole colony. I¡¯ve never seen a real, uncontained fire. It happens so quickly.¡± ¡°Stop talking,¡± I whispered, laying a tail on her wrist. ¡°You¡¯re just saying words to calm yourself, but that isn¡¯t going to help. Take a deep breath. It¡¯s the same corrupt, heartless bastards who worked your people half to death, who oppress and secretly murder Jaslips, and gave the orders not to share the news about the fleet failing. They brought this on themselves, okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not torn up over them. They got their just desserts. No, I¡¯m sad for us, and how we¡¯ve become the same as them. This wasn¡¯t where I saw myself, when I wanted to safeguard humanity¡¯s future. The level-headed, voice of reason died today. You¡¯re right, Quana; Taylor and Gress can never know we did this awful thing. None of the people I know can ever find out.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t tell a soul.¡± ¡°What if they can just¡­see that I¡¯m different? What if they figure it out? Gress was a damn policeman.¡± ¡°There¡¯s been no mention of humans, so there¡¯s no reason they should suspect anything. I¡¯m cleared by association. I never left your side on Avor. I feel dirty too, like my fur is crawling, but it¡¯ll be fine. That¡¯s just our conscience getting out of line.¡± My holopad buzzed, and I checked it with a bit of reluctance; I felt sick to my stomach, not in the mood for conversation. Despite my reassurance to Cherise, I was terrified of getting caught too. All it would take was a single piece of evidence that implicated us, and we¡¯d be hauled off to a black site: discovered. The surveillance apparatus needed a mere hint that we were behind this, which was why our holopad was on a private network, away from prying ears. I forced myself to look at the caller, and my hackle fur flattened as I saw it wasn¡¯t an unknown number. With the risk of exposing the operation no longer a concern, Aulan had paid us a call to congratulate us on our efforts. If anyone can restore our convictions and soothe the unease, it¡¯s Aulan. The way he speaks, you can¡¯t help but believe he wants what¡¯s best, and that what¡¯s being done is necessary. ¡°Quana and Cherise, I¡¯d like to thank you for pulling off what was no doubt a difficult operation to go through with. There is a cause here greater than ourselves, and the delegates were an obstacle¡ªmake no mistake,¡± Aulan said, and I was glad I¡¯d placed him on speaker. ¡°But they were still people and lives. We¡¯re all here for you if you need to talk about this, and I expect you to spend time processing the magnitude of this before we even think of giving you similar missions. We care for you, like we do all of our own.¡± Cherise cleared her throat, trying to sound steely. ¡°Thank you, Aulan. Seeing the damage makes it hit home, and then it¡¯s real. Handing the package off was easy, but having time to think about it¡­¡± ¡°I understand. We didn¡¯t want you to be caught or implicated, but it must¡¯ve felt like an eternity. There¡¯s a dissonance between seeing something so small, and imagining it can pack so much force. I could tell you that it¡¯s easier just to do it, and not to think of the consequences, but that would be silencing the best part of yourself. It¡¯d make you like them.¡± ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t see how we¡¯re different from them. We have a better cause but, what we actually do; I can¡¯t say I like who I am. It¡¯s something I have to live with now.¡± ¡°They do not need a reason other than self-gain; you know the difference. Enduring this terrible feeling means that you still want what¡¯s right, and take no joy in deaths¡ªeven of reprehensible enemies. Experience will teach you how to cope with this doubt and uncertainty. Our survival calls for many drastic measures. We may wish it was not needed, but hold onto the fact that because of your resolve, we¡¯re one day closer to freedom from death row. This is the grim reality, sister.¡± ¡°I wish I could channel half of your belief,¡± I murmured. ¡°We are different from them. We didn¡¯t start this; this started when they bombed our planet. Survival is our cause.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly right, Quana. As long as we¡¯re here, they¡¯d have no hesitation to destroy our enclaves for the greater good. We have so much to fight for, and the pain of losing what little we have left; I cannot bear to lose my people. Remember Earth and Esquo. That¡¯s why we press on, and why I know those who¡¯ve fallen to monsters in our pasts would smile on the hard decisions you made.¡± Cherise nodded, gaze flitting away into the land of memories. ¡°They¡¯d want us to save humanity. That¡¯s why the ark ships were sent¡­to see that we carry on.¡± ¡°Your loyalty to your species¡¯ welfare is not something I see often. You are strong, human, and you have shown more reason and kindness than any alien I¡¯ve met. I¡¯m honored to call you a friend, to myself and all Jaslips. You have my word that we won¡¯t forget any of this, and we¡¯ll ensure that your mission¡ªcarrying on your species¡ªsucceeds. We¡¯ll both rise to our former glory, wherever and whenever that may be.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all I want. I wish we could live our lives in peace, Aulan, with any bloodshed or alien madness. I just want to exist.¡± ¡°That is as simple a wish as can be had. Having that certainty denied to you is a tragedy. You can¡¯t deny that the right to exist is a sensible thing to pursue by any means necessary. My heart goes out to you for having to do so. One day, you will not be forced to fight for table scraps.¡± ¡°And we won¡¯t either!¡± I declared, feeling a fierceness return to my chest. ¡°That is exactly right! We will hide from no one¡ªbow to no one! We¡¯ll find our comforts in the knowledge that nothing could break us. I know it¡¯s soon to ask of you both, but there is one more step. Convince the residents of Tellus that the war is lost, and the Consortium isn¡¯t sharing the truth. I¡¯m forwarding the footage as evidence to be leaked, despite the risk to our source. There¡¯s much more at risk than any one of us, including Frenelda.¡± Frenelda is fucked anyway, because of the bombing; they¡¯ll know that, at a minimum, she had a very helpful ¡°tip.¡± I¡¯m not sure how much she¡¯s aware of, but the fact that she¡¯s feeding information the extremists means they¡¯ll find her guilty. Cherise¡¯s features hardened, since this was the task she bore the most certainty in. ¡°I¡¯ll be more than happy to spread the word, everywhere that I can. I want Tellus to know the truth, and put Hathaway in the hot seat. The mayor is barely human, if he¡¯d hide something like that after all we¡¯ve suffered.¡± ¡°You deserve the truth; the dignity of knowing what¡¯s coming. Because of you, everyone shall have that soon. I thank you again, Cherise Benson and Quana. Good luck to you both.¡± Aulan disconnected from the call, having shored up the cracks in our frazzled faith. We¡¯d shaken the Consortium to its core, and we knew the reason why we¡¯d done it was critical. This wasn¡¯t a time to get lost in doubts, or fall into shock over killing a few of our oppressors. A wicked snarl crossed my face as I locked eyes with the human, before we leapt from our moping states. The two of us had a job to do: warn Tellus of the threat looming over us in light of the drone strike¡¯s failure. The time to make preparations for a new ark was now, not when it was too late to escape without a trace. Chapter 2-62 Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist Date [standardized human time]: December 12, 2160 The past few months had been kind to Gress and I, and also had been the happiest of my life. I hadn¡¯t known what it was like to kick back my shoes, without the fear of what tomorrow might bring. The quiet, peaceful life off the radar suited me. Taking leisurely walks on the orbital rings, and staring down at Avor like it was a scenic river to stroll alongside: it gave me a serene sense of calm. Before knowing who the Krev really were, I hadn¡¯t been to space since the ark ship¡¯s journey. The cosmos¡¯ beauty couldn¡¯t be appreciated under those panicky circumstances, by oneself. Sometimes, nine-year-old Taylor had looked at the stars and saw his tiny fingers pressed against the glass, wondering which direction of emptiness Earth was even in. I thought I¡¯d left our home forever, but the Consortium had given me a brief hope of going back. Even though we might¡¯ve failed, given that Radai told me months ago that our drones never made contact, I appreciated feeling hope for the future¡ªif only for a brief flicker. I¡¯d tasted that little bit more I wanted from life, and seen the unimaginable wonders outside of the caverns. Perhaps staring up at the Trinev Mountains on Avor, and gawking at how high the famous snow-capped peaks climbed, wouldn¡¯t have been so moving to others. The Resket general¡¯s frightful words about needing our own arks terrified me. I¡¯d seen what would be lost, if the Krev had to ditch their homeworld; I¡¯d witnessed the sights Lecca took for granted, asking whether we could go home yet. How the little shit didn¡¯t care about literal green geysers, shooting colorful alien water way up into the air, was beyond me. Maybe I¡¯m acting childish by getting excited about the natural wonders on the Krev world, but I¡¯ve found that I really enjoy the outdoors; I would¡¯ve had no way of knowing. I¡¯m okay with getting carried away over small beauties, especially since we might not have them long. Gress and I split our time between Avor and Tellus, which meant I came home on a consistent schedule. Not wanting to entirely squander my military training or forsake humanity in an emergency, after enduring a brutal boot camp, I¡¯d taken the Radai¡¯s advice on joining the Tellus militia. I found myself in similar shoes to Cherise, when she¡¯d accompanied me to provide the rent payments. The security gigs I took on were quiet, often watching over Krev-organized sporting contests at our arenas¡ªdrawing millions of viewers for that live entertainment. Otherwise, it¡¯d be a quiet patrol on the boardwalk by the artificial waterway, or standing watch over the militia¡¯s small fleet. It was a way to earn a paycheck without strict rules and commitment. Gress¡¯ obor hung on his back as he met me after a shift, deterring me from standing close to him. ¡°There¡¯s been progress on opening that massage parlor here. Plenty of spare buildings. I think I¡¯ll have the permit in no time.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just hope we¡¯re still here then,¡± I replied. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like we¡¯re packing up shop yet, at least. I heard the Krev families who are adopting the human children agreed to move here, into the open buildings. It¡¯ll be crowded in the blink of an eye; that¡¯ll be weird as fuck. I¡¯m not used to the kind of congestion you have in Tonvos, and I don¡¯t know how you live in it.¡± ¡°I focus on what matters. Having a faithful¡­obor with these cute little toes helps!¡± ¡°You absolute prick! I thought you were going to say me, not Juvre. He¡¯s all but hanging on top of you, with those grubby mitts.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just giving him a ¡®piggyback ride.¡¯ I love your human names for things; they¡¯re all so silly and cute! I¡¯d happily give you a piggyback ride too.¡± I scoffed. ¡°You couldn¡¯t pick me up.¡± ¡°But I did pick you up,¡± Gress said slyly. ¡°And more on point, I¡¯d happily topple over in the middle of the street to have you try what Juvre is doing here.¡± ¡°Hmph. Tell me something that Krev gave a goofy name. I¡¯m tired of you only infantilizing our names for things.¡± ¡°Piggyback rides are for children, so what¡¯s wrong with infantilizing it?!¡± ¡°Juvre can¡¯t be the only stupid name Krev have picked out. Imagine my surprise when I found that means scout; who the hell names a moronic monkey Scout?! I¡¯d understand Wormpicker, Boogers, or We-Hope-He¡¯s-Potty-Trained.¡± Gress huffed with indignation. ¡°Juvre is a perfect name. Obors are scouts; climbing trees, seeing far ahead. Not all primates just walk along the ground and act self-righteous.¡± ¡°I act self-righteous?¡± ¡°Yes, and by the way, I¡¯ll have you know I trained Juvre myself. You¡¯ve seen that he knows how to use the toilet.¡± ¡°And not how to shut the door, or use toilet paper.¡± ¡°Because he¡¯s an animal. Why were you watching in such detail?!¡± ¡°I was appalled to share the facilities with that nasty little¡­answer my question! I¡¯m not walking a step further until you give me some dumb names Krev have, so I can infantilize you right back.¡± The Krev sighed, before doing his signature fawning look with raised claws off to one side. ¡°We call these ¡®happy claws.¡¯ Parents do it to their children to show they¡¯re proud of them, or that they really like something.¡± ¡°I¡¯d really like to punch you in the face every time you do that. What else?¡± ¡°We sing the¡­bouncy tail song when our kids get tail rides. It¡¯s cute.¡± ¡°Yeah, it is. I¡¯m enjoying this.¡± I splayed my fingers, raising my hands perpendicular to each other; I positioned the happy claws beside my cheek, trying to do a face of stupid adoration. ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°Taylor, seeing a human doing happy claws is not having the effect you want. It¡¯s making you look like you want head pats.¡± ¡°No, absolutely not! Bother your obor with that horseshit.¡± ¡°I am. Who¡¯s a good boy?¡± Gress cooed, tapping his palm against Juvre¡¯s skull. ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re missing, Taylor. There¡¯s no need for that judgmental stare. Hey, wait, is that Quana and Cherise?¡± I snorted, not following his claws as he pointed. ¡°I¡¯m not falling for that. Everyone¡¯s gotta pick on gullible Trench.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m serious. Look!¡± The Krev physically turned my head toward the Jaslip and my human friend, who were marching down the street like they were heading to battle. I knew that wasn¡¯t the case since the duo weren¡¯t in uniform, and were armed only with pamphlets. Confusion lingered in my mind, wondering just what was up with them; I¡¯d never seen Cherise, of all people, so agitated. I didn¡¯t want to greet her with full foot-in-mouth disease, and tell her that she looked terrible, but something was clearly off with the both of them. It reminded me a bit of how shaken up my reflection had seemed in the mirror, when I realized the miners died in the drilling accident because of me. It was that telltale haunted glint in the eyes that sparked some serious worries for their welfare. Did Cherise and Quana get themselves into trouble, or am I jumping to conclusions once again? I owe the two of them my life, after they helped rescue me from my kidnapping. I have to at least ask, so I can try to be there for them. ¡°Quana! Cherise!¡± I shouted, cupping my hands to my mouth. ¡°I thought you guys were bringing a dose of Christmas to the Krev. When did you come home?¡± ¡°Taylor?!¡± Cherise startled at the sight of me, with the look of a burglar caught breaking into a vault, which elevated my suspicions even further. It seemed like I wasn¡¯t someone she wanted to run into, though she quickly hid the wide-eyed expression. ¡°Um, we¡¯ve been back on Tellus for over two weeks. We got an early start on the festivities. Just like on Earth, as you might remember?¡± This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°I remember my parents saying how everything would jump straight to Christmas, as soon as the clock hit midnight on Thanksgiving evening. That was an American thing specifically, but I¡¯m sure you had your own version.¡± ¡°Right after Halloween, for us. We humans loved our holidays, I guess, enough to celebrate the entire month leading up to it. If anything, I didn¡¯t get started early enough to match Earth¡¯s timeline!¡± ¡°You seem nervous, Cherise. I¡¯ve never known you to be excited about¡­well, anything. You¡¯re usually more snarky and unimpressed. Is everything alright?¡± Gress leaned back, a sympathetic look in his eyes. ¡°Ah, I see. You must be shaken up by the bombing. It¡¯s a difficult feeling to describe, when you¡¯ve just been somewhere that a thing like that happens. Horrific.¡± ¡°What? How did you¡­?¡± Quana yipped, voice climbing in pitch. ¡°The adorable pictures I saw on social media. I already ordered a Santa hat for Taylor¡­¡± Gress quickly changed his tone as he noticed my glower, as he fought himself not to raise his claws. ¡°¡­so that he can have his human traditions back openly, of course. I¡¯m glad you two weren¡¯t there when it happened. We¡¯re all reeling; the delegates slain in broad daylight. Hathaway in critical condition. Who would do such a brutish thing, and foster disorder?¡± Cherise shoved a pamphlet into my hands. ¡°I¡¯m not condoning violence, but I might know the why. Look at these photographs; these are from scouts in Federation space. The Consortium is hiding the fact that we lost every ship that fought at Nishtal and Talsk. The only decapitation part of this decapitation strike is our own, self-inflicted disaster, leaving us vulnerable. They don¡¯t want us to know.¡± I staggered backward in surprise, recognizing enough of the sensor data to grasp the truth. ¡°Radai was right. He knew something was wrong. He wanted to start building our own arks; we are going to have to leave again. Oh fuck! There¡¯s nothing stopping them from coming back for round two, stronger than before. We can¡¯t take them out, and they¡¯ll find us. We should all pack our bags, right now.¡± ¡°Calm down, Taylor. We don¡¯t need panic and in-fighting, which this whole¡­terrorist attack seems designed to set off,¡± Gress commented. ¡°How did you two get this?¡± ¡°I was told by some old friends at home, and agreed to pass along the video on Tellus. I don¡¯t know their source,¡± Quana said, though her ears twitched like that wasn¡¯t the whole truth. Our friends¡¯ behavior was quite strange. ¡°We can¡¯t let the Consortium hide their failure, the way they hid the truth about those kits.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about the kits, Quana; it¡¯s a sensitive topic for Gress, and it won¡¯t do any good to get into it.¡± ¡°I agree. Let¡¯s talk about something else.¡± Cherise butted in to change the subject, much too quickly. ¡°You, in a bulletproof vest that says security, Trench? Never thought I¡¯d see the day. I didn¡¯t think we were¡­cut from the same cloth.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not. You¡¯re tougher than me, and I¡¯m cool with that. But really, don¡¯t try to distract me. You can¡¯t just drop that we¡¯re losing the war, show leaked drone footage, then leave it at that. I need details. How much do you know?¡± ¡°Enough to know that the Consortium might not let us go. Not after they invested all of this in Tellus¡¯ metropolises.¡± ¡°And what exactly is it that you intend to accomplish by passing out these pamphlets? What do you want to do about it?¡± Gress pressed. Quana narrowed her eyes. ¡°We want humanity to have a choice, and all the facts.¡± ¡°But he¡¯s right. What would the two of you propose to be done with this? Are you planning to get the old miners¡¯ strike together, or sneak off into the night¡­¡± My holopad buzzed, and out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that it was General Radai. I thought I¡¯d heard the last of the general, when he began digging up Listener cases. If anyone could give me answers about the war, it¡¯d be him. ¡°I¡¯ve got to take this. We¡¯ll finish this in a second.¡± Gress peered over my shoulder with curiosity, and readied himself to eavesdrop when he saw the caller. We all were anxious for news, but Cherise and Quana were acting too jumpy to be invited to speak with Radai. I turned my back to the duo, and walked a few paces away. As I shot a glance over my shoulder to see if I was out of earshot, taking into account how acute a Jaslip¡¯s hearing was, I noticed the two were already gone. Why had our friends run off so quickly, despite my wish to finish our conversation? I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that there was more they weren¡¯t telling us; they were hiding something. It wasn¡¯t my business to pry, but I was a little stung that they didn¡¯t trust us. We¡¯d been through a lot together. I don¡¯t know what they¡¯ve gotten themselves into, but it¡¯s something that involves ¡°friends¡± of Quana giving them classified drone intel. Holy shit, what if those friends are the Jaslip extremists behind the bombing? I hope that¡¯s not racist, but like, who the fuck else would have leaked military information? ¡°No wonder Cherise thought she knew why they did the bombing!¡± I hissed to Gress, eyes bulging. ¡°She talked to the people who did it to get that information.¡± The Krev tilted his head. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll explain later. Gotta answer Radai¡¯s call.¡± I swiped accept on the incoming call, wondering if he was calling to update us on what we¡¯d given him. ¡°Hello, sir?¡± ¡°Taylor Trench,¡± the Resket acknowledged. ¡°I thought you and Gress would like an update on the criminals I¡¯ve exposed. The Listeners have not been happy with my requests to publicize their surveillance information in these instances, despite me framing it as a way to show the people we¡¯re in control¡ªand that we can protect them. I¡¯ve heard rumblings that they considered having me¡­assassinated.¡± Gress drew in a sharp breath. ¡°If they wanted you gone, surely they would¡¯ve just done it. The Listeners go after any who challenge them. Why didn¡¯t they? Is it that you¡¯re too important? Have¡­have they traced it back to us?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a reason I¡¯m scrambling the data on this call. I¡¯m no fool. I haven¡¯t been¡­¡± ¡°Wait, I thought the delegates, except Frenelda and Hathaway, were killed in the bombing. You¡¯re the Resket representative,¡± I butted in. ¡°Still interrupting me when I¡¯m talking, Trench? My stand-in was killed. I haven¡¯t been going to the Consortium meetings since hearing Mafani¡¯s claim. I¡¯ve been concealing my whereabouts since I started digging into those files, and I have been guarded at all times by honorable soldiers I trust, though I have no doubt the Listeners could find me nonetheless. Perhaps my use is to be the fall guy for this disaster of a war. My mind was burdened enough without feeling paranoia over my own government.¡± ¡°Disaster of a war?¡± I prompted. ¡°Don¡¯t play dumb. I know that some wiseass punk jumped the gun, and leaked my footage to half of Tellus. You must¡¯ve heard.¡± ¡°I did. I¡­wanted to see if you¡¯d say anything. Why haven¡¯t you told people?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the news you tell people until, one, you can offer them an in-place, thorough plan on how to deal with it. Without a solution provided, you will have blind panic. You have to give them guidance, assure them that you¡¯re in control. The burden of leadership requires that you maintain order, and trust in the hierarchy.¡± Gress sighed. ¡°The Consortium hasn¡¯t given any of us much trust in the hierarchy.¡± ¡°And now we can¡¯t even trust their military strength. If they can¡¯t take on the Federation, who can? Knowing that it¡¯s true, that we lost so many ships¡­¡± I lamented. The Resket sighed with frustration. ¡°I¡¯ve lost the entire Consortium because we didn¡¯t scout our enemy¡¯s capabilities. On Tanet, you told me not to lose hope because we didn¡¯t know the drones were gone, but now, I¡¯m filled with a crushing dread. I want you to know I¡¯m sorry for my failures, shamefully carrying out my duties. It was my sincere belief that I could keep humanity safe.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize, sir. I¡¯m¡­at a loss, but thank you for telling me the truth. I knew you were honorable.¡± A growl rumbled in Gress¡¯ throat. ¡°So that¡¯s it?! You¡¯re just giving up, Radai? What happened to the burden of leadership, and finding a solution?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not giving up on anything other than victory in this war,¡± the Resket responded. ¡°I have to ensure that we have a future, no matter what we might have to¡­give up in the coming days. I know how much the hope of a future means to humanity, and as a favor to you, I wanted to offer you two a chance to be a part of it. We all need something to hope for.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not a part of the military anymore. Taylor was clear about choosing another path, and he deserves to have his wishes respected. I¡¯m not sure what could be offered to us.¡± ¡°The next generation of humans will be ready shortly; someone will need to transfer their tubes from Valle to Tellus for delivery, and unite them with their adoptive families. The shipment¡¯s security is critical. I entrusted this duty to the Tellus militia, since this great moment should belong to humanity. Knowing full well that Taylor is part of their ranks, my condition was that you and Gress are included in the first flight off the Trombil homeworld. Would that suit your wishes?¡± ¡°You did that¡­for me, sir?¡± I could feel my own eyes lighting up, at the thought of kickstarting the millions of babies that would bring humanity back from the brink of extinction. My eyes turned toward Gress, who made the happy claws gesture at me. ¡°We¡¯d love to be a part of that. I¡¯m touched; this means so much to us. Finally, I can help save humanity¡­protect our future. It¡¯s everything.¡± Gress coughed sheepishly. ¡°I wanted to preserve humanity from the moment Taylor lifted his mask. Thank you for including me as well, even after, you know, what I did back in that bunker.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a problem,¡± Radai replied. ¡°It might be short-lived, but there¡¯ll be a city filled with humans on Tellus for at least a moment. In spite of everything, my promise to restore your species stands. There¡¯ll be thousands of babies in the cargo hold, promising that life must go on. Let us protect what matters most now.¡± A toothy grin spread across my face, as I found myself buzzing with excitement. ¡°I¡¯ll guard the children with my life, sir. I can¡¯t wait to bring them to Tellus. Thousands¡­that¡¯s wonderful! It¡¯ll be the most humans I¡¯ve seen since the ark ships left.¡± ¡°Get used to it¡ªand get your ass to the spaceport. You¡¯ll have to leave at once. Good luck, Trench.¡± I stood starstruck as General Radai disconnected from the call, before fist-bumping the air and hollering with delight. My giddiness was uncontainable, at the thought that humanity¡¯s numbers would no longer be a few thousand survivors. The reality that we¡¯d be leaving Tellus, and had lost to the Federation again, was devastating, but this was enough to give me hope. There was new life, replenishing all that had been lost; we had to do whatever it took to ensure that miracle survived. While it was going to be a difficult road ahead, Gress and I were bringing something beautiful to our colony in the immediate future. Chapter 2-63 Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem Alien Liaison Date [standardized human time]: December 22, 2160 This Sapient Coalition meeting had me concerned, and not just because our trial period had technically expired without a vote on us staying, or due to the fleet bearing down on the disorganized defense of Aafa. Ambassador Loxsel had opted to accompany the Bissem delegation, as a ¡°citizen of Ivrana,¡± which meant he¡¯d be on site during our diplomatic proceedings. Knowing full well that Kaisal wasn¡¯t ready for him, I¡¯d been steering the deranged Sivkit to agree to pass notes, under the guise that the Arxur refused to converse with prey. The playwright grazer wouldn¡¯t be content with that for long, so I¡¯d agreed to his request to join us at the third and final battle. I hoped it¡¯d distract him from prostrating before the Collective leader, and offering his species up as cattle. Reformed or not, could we really trust the grays to say no to that? Zalk, ever the standoffish Bissem, was none too pleased that Loxsel was supposed to sit with us, and had let the funny bunny run off to badger the humans. The Tseia had a smug look on his face, accentuated by the way he let his headfeathers fall close to his eyes. I thought his celebration was premature, since I had no doubt that the Sivkit ambassador would catch up to us soon. It was no secret where Ivrana¡¯s delegation was seated, and the Terrans would happily point him here. However, even Ivrana¡¯s migratory isolationists recognized that we needed to keep the wandering herbivores around long enough to finish our fleet. ¡°Not adopting an Osir child, Zalk?¡± Naltor prodded. ¡°A few thousand delivered on Ivrana, just today; really here, back from the dead. I know you want a little one to point out the stars too, and tell them, ¡®They did this.¡¯¡± Zalk turned his back to the Selmer. ¡°You think I would adopt an alien? Tassi¡¯s scheming has brought way too many of these off-world freaks to our soil. Allies doesn¡¯t mean they all have to fucking move in.¡± ¡°It¡¯s about charity, and come on. You have to feel bad for the Osirs, suffering the same fate as Alsh¡¯s bombed wastelands,¡± I offered diplomatically. ¡°When we reached out offering to take a few, I thought the Tseia would be quite sympathetic. They lost everything, probably hated for being carnivores like us.¡± ¡°That¡¯s dandy, but it¡¯s not our problem. Ultimately, we do have to look out for ourselves; for Ivrana. You and your Zurulian pals have lost sight of that. And honestly, can you picture me as a father?¡± ¡°An absent one? Sure,¡± General Naltor poked. I swatted the Selmer with the back of a flipper. ¡°That¡¯s too far! Your snide comments toward him can¡¯t cross a line. I know you don¡¯t trust the Tseia, but you don¡¯t have to say something like that.¡± ¡°All I was saying is he¡¯s much too dedicated to the military; he¡¯d be too restless to ever stay at home. Paranoia and distrust are as much a part of Zalk as his headfeathers, and he knows it.¡± ¡°Ivrana won¡¯t be our world any more, if you move in any more aliens! Just when the Tseia have flipped the script in the war, gaining power, you want a hostile takeover from Nelmin¡ªthe site of the last war! Look at what the Sivkits have done, tearing through half of the continent¡¯s greenery. I¡¯m sounding the alarm; they cannot stay.¡± ¡°I thought you¡¯d have more of an affinity for Sivkits, since you share their migratory habits,¡± I prompted. ¡°Tassi, we migrate to a few cultural sites, without exhausting the land¡¯s resources and discarding them! Sivkits are a blight. Not to mention they put an unhinged menace in the ambassadorial role. I much prefer the Arxur, who just gave us ships and don¡¯t enact any stupid shit on us; even now, they¡¯ve gone to defend Aafa, while the SC sits on their heels!¡± ¡°Our alliance with the Arxur has gone places, but we can¡¯t forget what they¡¯ve done. The Sivkit friendship is progressing too, and we¡¯re stronger to show for it. It¡¯s not like we were using Nelmin. Besides, Loxsel isn¡¯t that bad; just theatrical.¡± ¡°You nithings collogue about me, and would just as lief pilfer my entrails! Peccant compeers who flaunt my outstretched paw, to whisper how froward I am. I should return to my garth, so you can contemn me in privacy,¡± Loxsel wailed, before tumbling down the stairs to the bottom of our box. Despite knowing how committed the Sivkit was to method acting, I was worried by how uncontrolled the fall looked; he¡¯d be the sort of actor willing to risk breaking his neck for a bit. It was then that I noticed Loxsel was wearing some sort of white garment over his midsection, which had the telltale sleeves of the Terrans¡¯ shirts. This one had multiple straps adhered to the lengthy arm coverings, cinched around his spine as if to restrain him. The Sivkit tasted the blood dripping from his nose, otherwise fine, and his eyes gleamed with wicked delight. He flopped around awkwardly to stand, and found his way into a seat. It didn¡¯t look the least bit comfortable. After thinking for a moment, I realized he¡¯d fallen because he was walking bipedally in that attire, which his spine was not intended for. ¡°What are you wearing?¡± I hissed. ¡°Ah, this!¡± Loxsel tried to pull his arms apart, and elbowed a nearby Naltor in the process. The Selmer¡¯s eyes shot daggers at the Sivkit. ¡°Can you bethink yourself of my human friend, who played Daxfrin in my play?¡± ¡°The one you punched? I remember him. Do you even know his real name?¡± ¡°His name is irrelevant drivel, but the point is he was among the guards here today, not at the Paltan base! He knows I did not blench to strike a predator or lend him my obeisance. So rather than gainsay my truths and telling me not to misdoubt his pacifism, Daxfrin brought me into the secret of their pelts. This is a straitjacket, used by humans until they learn not to assault others! It¡¯s part of their fashion. He didn¡¯t want me to bebother the SC, as a Sivkit runagate that has fire!¡± ¡°The fuck is he saying?¡± Zalk grumbled. ¡°My heart is a comet, blazing a trail even amid your trammels. This tryst cannot abide my liberty, so I must don this raiment. Bissem turnkeys, giving land as a weregild¡ªwaylaying me from an audience with the Arxur!¡± ¡°Shut the fuck up, Loxsel. Nobody wants to hear your insane¡­just sit down, and be quiet! Some of us are serious about governing, and have actual concerns. I could be out looking for who attacked Ivrana, but I¡¯ll never know stuck babysitting you and Tassi!¡± ¡°The Starlight Incident? I know who did it. That was the Farsul.¡± I jumped in, not wanting Loxsel¡¯s half-baked ramblings to have consequences for our Talsk refugees. ¡°You¡¯re just saying that because you don¡¯t like the Farsul, for what they did to you. I understand that, but you can¡¯t make accusations that aren¡¯t true like that.¡± ¡°My unsullied heart would never lie! No, it¡¯s true; the Farsul are behind it! I¡¯ll speak plainly, since these brigands know little more language than the profane and the smashing of prey skulls! Hear me, hear me¡ªwho do you think the Sivkits got the location of our homeworld from? The Farsul know many things, verily so!¡± Naltor pointed his beak at Loxsel. ¡°Explain when you went to the Farsul, and what this has to do with the Starlight Incident. You couldn¡¯t have gotten to Talsk undetected.¡± ¡°No, no, not those Farsul! The ignoramuses I¡¯m encircled by¡­during the early days, there were debates about two things. How much history to preserve, when it came to the Federation¡¯s mistakes, and whether to abide by omnivorous species. Some, the ones you found at the Archives, who won the helm of the actual government, believed that any records that could point to their past misdeeds¡ªsay, burning a whole planet¡ªshould be hidden. They left our entire sector, and¡­erased the exact location from their records.¡± ¡°Is this story going somewhere?¡± Zalk grunted. ¡°Yes! My stories go many places! There was another group of Farsul archivists that did not want to leave this sector for all eternity. They remained active in secret across the Orion Arm, and tried to destroy omnivorous and predator species before the main Farsul could find them. They have a base of operations, hiding and ready to pour forth. There¡¯s a reason the Federation expanded so hurriedly! Their own brethren, working against them.¡± Although Loxsel was not a credible source, I was taken aback by his claims. ¡°You¡¯re saying these splinter Farsul attacked us and maybe the Osirs?¡± ¡°Yes to you. I don¡¯t know about the Osirs. The staging¡­not like them.¡± ¡°I applaud your wild imagination, Loxsel, but the ships that hit Ivrana were crewed by Gojids. Not clandestine Farsul.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t do their own dirty work. They believe they are the true Federation, and tell others as much. They recruit many species to their cause, and the Gojids are one of the easier converts. Great Protector faith, strong exterminators: they attacked Earth as the first! Get a scout ship and give it to them, they get a little overzealous to kill the next Arxur. That¡¯s how you have the Starlight Incident.¡± ¡°Do you have any proof of this tale?¡± Zalk¡¯s eyes glowed with feisty wrath, having zero patience for being toyed with on this matter. I hoped Loxsel wasn¡¯t spinning a yarn, for his sake. ¡°The death of millions of Tseia will not be the subject of your meandering jokes.¡± The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Proof? I found Tinsas! Who do you think told me? The Farsul captured me years ago, when I was running away from a facility. Lots of Sivkit plays to read¡ªwilderness theater, stuff the mainstream ones destroyed. I escaped, mind you, but only actually tried to do that after I ran out of plays to read. They let me go while laughing. Said I was a madman, nobody would believe me. Nobody, oh, woe is Loxsel!¡± ¡°So your own people don¡¯t believe this ludicrous tale.¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t believe me. I pestered them for years, and after dozens of predator disease accusations, I finally got them to look into Tinsas. They went to the Farsul base themselves, and saw its existence with their own eyes. That¡¯s how I became the ambassador that bargained with the forever walkers to get our home back!¡± ¡°Why the fuck did the Grand Herd not deign to tell us or humanity any of this?¡± Naltor spat. ¡°If this has any basis in truth, you knew who the ghost exterminators were all along. Humanity should¡­stop them! How do you know we aren¡¯t fighting the Farsul zealots?¡± ¡°Because they wouldn¡¯t besiege Talsk, regardless of their differences, and they don¡¯t fight open wars. As for the bald primates, why should we expect them to handle these Farsul? They haven¡¯t even been able to take Tinsas like we asked!¡± I wasn¡¯t sure what to make of Loxsel¡¯s claim, but if the Sivkit Grand Herd had supposedly sought out this Farsul base and sourced Tinsas¡¯ location from him¡­Zalk was not going to like the ghost exterminators still being out there. It would explain who funded lone ships to attack carnivores, without any record able to be uncovered by the SC¡¯s investigation; there was no paper trail or resources diverted to these vessels¡¯ constructions because it wasn¡¯t done from within Federation territory. Naltor whispered to the Tseia not to raise our concerns now, given that Onso was mid-recap of the rod strategy that¡¯d been rehashed a third time. With the Carnivore Alliance in full swing, we needed to keep an eye on how Kaisal¡¯s ships performed; only afterward could we decide who to beseech for help in going after our bombers. It¡¯s hard to believe that Loxsel, of all people, knew the answer; that¡¯s exactly what General Jones wanted us to discover, about how the Sivkits got their homeworld¡¯s location. I wonder if the funny bunny was told it, or learned it from one of those old plays he read. Does it even make a difference? ¡°We¡¯ll deal with you later,¡± Naltor spat. ¡°You should¡¯ve told us much sooner, Loxsel.¡± The Sivkit scoffed. ¡°I should¡¯ve extricated more oranges as payment before telling you anything. This was propounded as charity, mainly because I need to reacquire more of the ancient plays to study with Tassi, not just the few I stole!¡± ¡°Not another word, or I will give you to a facility.¡± I kicked the Selmer. ¡°That¡¯s too far, again. What has gotten into you? You¡¯re prickly and irreverent with your snapbacks, but not usually cruel.¡± General Naltor leaned against the railing, tension hardening his facial features. ¡°It¡¯s a lot different¡ªless of a fun convention of military tactics¡ªwith us sending a few hundred of the newly-built Sivkit and Bissem ships to Aafa. We¡¯re trying to grow our strength, and we could get fucked up the cloaca as much as the Krakotl¡¯s new ships. To make it better, the people we¡¯re supposed to defend Ivrana against are rogue Farsul. Why did we do the idealistic thing, helping the Kolshians when half the fucking SC bowed out?¡± ¡°Because we don¡¯t want to see more senseless genocides. Us reporting to the humans¡¯ calls for joint military defense makes them more likely to respond to ours. You know that.¡± ¡°I guess so, Tassi. I hope these ships are as resilient as we think, and that we don¡¯t regret camping out with the SC¡¯s formation instead of the Arxur Collective.¡± ¡°The SC aren¡¯t happy about the Arxur being here. It¡¯s probably a reason why many species didn¡¯t send ships. Forty thousand of Kaisal¡¯s ships are more than they would¡¯ve gotten from the SC, and they¡¯ll have much more¡­enthusiasm. They have a lot to prove.¡± ¡°They¡¯re not the only ones. Nobody here will shed a tear if their ships fall, if ours succumb, or if Aafa itself is lost. That¡¯s the reality.¡± ¡°The Zurulians would care.¡± Naltor sighed. ¡°I stand corrected. Let¡¯s just hope this goes well, or I might pluck my feathers enough to be as bald as that nerd Dustin.¡± There was a significant fighting force, with fifty thousand human, Yotul, and Venlil ships having relocated from Nishtal to Aafa; combined with the vessels that were already watching the Kolshian system, the big three had contributed seventy-five thousand drones to the defense. We¡¯d seen what their forces were capable of when the entire SC rallied around them, adding their own strengths and numbers so that the primates and marsupials could run wild. While Onso¡¯s words had bludgeoned some sense into the assembly, about the importance of stopping the attack before it turned toward one of our worlds, it hadn¡¯t eased the bitterness toward the Kolshians. There were more than the few thousand combined vessels that showed up at Talsk, but the count was still only in the neighborhood of fifteen thousand. That was with half of the Sapient Coalition refusing to show up at all, while the others may have participated because it was convenient after their dominant performance at Nishtal. Notable absences were the Mazics, who had never forgiven the attack on Khoa, and the Dossur repair vessels, who saw this as comeuppance for the months-long occupation of Mileau. Duerten Ambassador Korajan had offered to send ships to join the enemy assault; while he cackled like it was a joke, the facetious quip suggested ample hatred for Aafa. Two decades prior, the gray avians had wanted the world glassed for the shadow caste¡¯s crimes against Kalqua, and the humans had barely kept them at bay. There was no indication that their people had forgiven the Kolshians at all. ¡°A hundred and thirty thousand of ours versus their standard hundred-fifty charge. That enemy count has been whittled down by a few thousand by the rods. We¡¯re at a slight numerical disadvantage, but with the fortifications, superior technology, and home field advantage, I¡¯d say we have a fighting chance,¡± Onso commented. ¡°The moment of truth is how the Arxur hold up without an ambush on their side. That said, the scales are much more even than Talsk. It¡¯s not quite Nishtal, but we had a margin for error there.¡± Krakotl Ambassador Kelsel, much more light-hearted today than at the prior battle, gestured toward the screen. ¡°After getting attacked, we couldn¡¯t leave Nishtal undefended. Our ships may not have been the strongest, but we¡¯re happy to support the SC with what can reasonably be given. It¡¯s hard to believe our four thousand ships are almost a third of what the rest of you sent here.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not hard to believe at all,¡± Naltor grumbled under his breath, too soft to be picked up outside of our box. ¡°We sent more than some full members.¡± While I remembered the earlier response to the Gojid representative, about each species¡¯ data being transmitted to their generals, it was disconcerting to have no eyes on the Bissem fleet. All we had was a sweeping overview of the battlefield, as the Arxur stood defiant as far out as Caato; the ships carrying the massive sword-in-eye-socket banner had a death wish, in my view. The SC had pressed further out in their defensive position, not wanting the Collective to get run over, though they were ready to fall back at a moment¡¯s notice. The exploding, magnetic barricades were primed, and perfect for the unique conditions found in the medium of space. Mines attracted straight to the enemy¡¯s hull: their rousing success at Nishtal made the humans want to use them to start with a bang. Some civilians were relocated to Aafa¡¯s colonies, even though most of the dozens of settler worlds haven¡¯t been occupied for years. Unwilling to keep watch over a sprawling empire, most of the Kolshians were relocated to a homeworld that became much more cramped. Only close-by colonies like Caato, which had to be rebuilt, remained active to deal with the overflow. Naltor pulled up his own feed on a holopad, staring at the Bissem vessels¡¯ progress live. Zalk diverted his attention to our movements as well. We¡¯d tacked on our rendition of the harpoon railguns at the end of production, after seeing the humans and Yotul deploy them; it had proved a savvy addition. Though it was perhaps blasphemous, we¡¯d combined elements of the enemy¡¯s shielding with the SC¡¯s defensive arsenal; we wanted our fleet kitted out with the full toolset. Liquid armor, magnetic and traditional shields, dust guns, and particle beams. I¡¯d heard the Terrans ¡°jack of all trades, master of none¡± saying, but spreading these tools throughout individual ships wasn¡¯t our aim. We had the full package. The Tseia¡¯s sophisticated quantum computers, apparently derived from crashed rogue Farsul ships that developed away from the Orion Arm¡­had allowed us to have drones with sufficient decision-making power. Their directives bid them to glide in alongside the Technocracy, a gesture of our support for them. The Arxur were cresting toward the magnet barricades, threatening to leap over them and obstruct their angle. At the last second, after hearing the Terrans bark at them, Kaisal¡¯s fleet turned back; the grays possessing drones must be a source of discomfort for the SC. There was no way to know for certain what their orders were, and if they¡¯d fall in line. The magnets flipped on as the enemy line drew close enough, by the rocky backdrop of Caato. The silent crackles of explosions, from ticking time-bombs that latched onto their targets, began the skirmish. Six figures of ships sat on each side, as the first scattering of debris lined the vast stars. Plasma and invisible particle beams were fired off in quantities that could only be digested by a quantum computer. Our drones were keeping up with the Yotul, as they cleared a path for Venlil scrappers. However, even hyper-aggressive ramming techniques weren¡¯t enough to satiate Kaisal¡¯s need for glory. The Collective brought forth their classic twin railguns, but with a new twist¡ªone fired plasma, while the other used kinetics. Puncturing the hulls was easier said than done, but pumping out bullets at a blinding pace opened some chinks in the armor. The Venlil scrappers poked into the chaos, as the enemy leaned heavily into particle beams; the Arxur did appear to have magnetic shielding, though that wasn¡¯t foolproof. It could take only so much of a beating before the invisible ray cut through, and ripped hulls apart like a gutted fish. The Skalgans rammed a few hostiles with their detachable point; skewering a few bellies took the focus off the grays for a moment. The Collective seemed programmed for unthinking aggression, and continued hounding the enemies. They began succumbing more quickly as multiple foes ganged up on single ships, tearing through magnetic shielding much faster. The reptilians were not faring well. Bissems, however, were getting good licks in from afar; harpoons, paired with using our own particle beams, let us connect our first few kills. General Naltor was watching with satisfaction, and I stole a peek at Ambassador Loxsel. The threat of a facility had rendered the Sivkit unusually quiet, but I noticed how delighted he looked by the carnage. Thousands fell on both sides; he seemed to cheer, as our vantage point drone was snuffed out by a missile it failed to dodge. The enemy had gone overboard with homing explosives, trying to force the Venlil and Arxur to backpedal. Mini-missile salvos tried to intercept warheads en route, or dealt small cuts to the enemy. The UN fired off their own surface-to-space projectiles from Caato, cluttering the scene even further. Perhaps the humans didn¡¯t move the point of engagement forward because of the Arxur, if they always planned to launch munitions from Caato. Or perhaps these were supposed to be a delaying or wounding tactic, but they were forced into a full clash instead. Both sides¡¯ beaks were bloodied, though the Sapient Coalition had the ultimate advantage of further defenses by Aafa. The outlook was optimistic, if we could keep up the pressure. I wished the Dossur were present, to restock munitions such as the magnetic barricades. The result could¡¯ve been much more certain had all of our allies shown up just one more time. It was as this thought crossed my mind that a sudden horde of new ships blinked onto our screen, an unexpected arrival that left every representative scrambling for answers. Chapter 2-64 Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem Alien Liaison Date [standardized human time]: December 22, 2160 The sudden appearance of warp signatures on the sensors drew a lot of attention across the auditorium, since we knew it wasn¡¯t one of the SC¡¯s members. It was unlikely to be the Shield either, since their Duerten founders harbored nothing but disdain for the Kolshians. Who else could it be, riding to the rescue; or was it someone arriving to follow through on Korajan¡¯s prior suggestion of helping the raiders? I watched with a bit of anxiety, fearful that this might be a setback in a tense defense. This was the downside of not being synced into military command, and getting information with a bit of a delay. It was difficult to focus as our vessels kept chipping away at the hostiles, and the formation adjusted to make room for the newcomers. Of course, it must be friendlies; humanity had to lower the disruptors to let them in, after all! You jump to worries too quickly, Tassi. After everything that¡¯s happened since first contact, you¡¯ve become quite swift to assume the worst. Let¡¯s hear what the Yotul has to say. ¡°We¡¯ve lowered the disruptors for moment, as it appears we¡¯re getting¡­unexpected reinforcements. We received a message offering aid in our defensive efforts,¡± Onso announced, ears pinned back with distaste. That was enough to let my feathers settle a bit, hearing that these reinforcements were a boon to our cause rather than a hindrance. ¡°The Federation remnants want to save their precious founders. We¡¯ll take the help, but those oppression-loving shits aren¡¯t allies I would¡¯ve chosen.¡± Secretary-General Kuemper seemed surprised. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Mei¡ªour request for them to help us to actually work. The Drezjin and Malti were quite loyal to the Kolshians¡ª¡± ¡°Enough to bomb us. We don¡¯t have diplomatic relations with those two for a reason,¡± Korajan huffed. ¡°¡ªso I¡¯m not surprised to see them spearheading the attack, alongside the Yulpa and the Shield¡¯s own Tevin: whom you do associate with. You know who their friends are, Korajan. Most of these ships are manned, but we can make use of them. Eighty-thousand craft is a lot: half a thousand per Remnant species.¡± She wishes she could¡¯ve gotten that much support from the SC; I can hear it in her voice. ¡°It seems like they sent almost all of their military to aid Aafa, though they might have ideas about¡­liberating it afterward.¡± ¡°They better not. We can¡¯t just let the Kolshians go¡ªand go to them, of all people. That will not be tolerated, and after maintaining relations with the Shield, they must know that! Angering us would be a grave mistake.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a problem for after we rout the invaders. UN command has established contact; I¡¯m going to transfer that to the speakers, so we can hear their intentions. It¡¯s a great sign that they¡¯re willing to work with us.¡± A human male voice was speaking over the lines. ¡°¡ªwelcome party later, fall in and fire on the invaders.¡± ¡°No, you owe us answers. Why are the Arxur here? We can see the fucking banner, so don¡¯t tell us it¡¯s not them!¡± a Yulpa voice shouted, irrational with fury. ¡°You do fucking work with those predatory abominations! You let a raiding party in.¡± ¡°Those are drones, not with any, um, carnivorous entities aboard. It can¡¯t be a raid. It wasn¡¯t our first choice, but they came whether we liked it or not, and they¡¯re helping. We had no idea you were coming; there might be a way to keep them away from you, if you want to offer support back here. It¡¯d keep you safe.¡± ¡°Safe, with the Arxur around? You are fools at best, and savages more likely. We¡¯re going to do our duty against the enemies of civilized preyfolk. You interfere, and we¡¯ll put you back on the list of predator sacrifices with them.¡± ¡°Now isn¡¯t the time to fight them. Aafa is at stake, and these Arxur you hate could be taken out for you, by the current enemy they¡¯re fighting. Just listen¡ª¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have to listen to any more of your talking. These are the Arxur, who ate and bred sapients as cattle, and you think we should wait for them not to be distracted? It¡¯s just the same as when you said, before the whole galaxy, that they would be isolated¡ªand here they are! Either you¡¯re in bed with them, bald-faced liars, or you have no semblance of control of them; you can¡¯t vouch for them protecting Aafa. This is a golden opportunity to eradicate their ships. There are two enemies here, and by the Spirit of Life, we¡¯re fighting them both!¡± The Sapient Coalition delegates, including Secretary-General Kuemper, watched slack-jawed as the Yulpa led a Federation charge against the Arxur. The Malti had rebuilt their old tube-shaped bombers, according to a barely composed Onso, and had them primed to fire. The Terran leader was quickly encircled by her advisors, since that exchange had taken a turn she didn¡¯t expect. What should the humans even do about this? They weren¡¯t partial to standing against the entire galaxy on the Collective¡¯s behalf; after all, even their own allies were barely tolerating their escapade. The Carnivore Alliance compelled the Bissem-Sivkit craft to stand up for Kaisal, but we didn¡¯t want our ships dragged into this mess. Besides, it was too important to become unfocused from Aafa¡ªthe drones had to be stopped, or billions of Kolshians would die. While some had been evacuated to long dormant colonies, many had refused to abandon their homes, which would be trading one hellscape for another. The United Nations wavered at the prospect of interference in this Remnant assault, given that would entail starting a war with a polity that held just shy of a hundred-fifty species in its membership. That was a reason Naltor wasn¡¯t keen to take them on either; it would set their sights on us as carnivores to become predator sacrifices. Our diet would make it quite easy for them to select us as a target for their hatred. So we all watched as the Federation remnants barged into the middle of a tooth-and-nail defense, and the Malti fired hundreds of their bombs onto the Arxur¡¯s tails. ¡°Provoking predators?¡± Loxsel cackled. ¡°I approve.¡± General Naltor seemed to have forgotten his directive for the Sivkit to remain silent. ¡°The Arxur are your allies!¡± ¡°Yes, and no. It¡¯s finally getting interesting! Prey versus baleful beast; a contest which will confusticate all the rapacious menaces. The forever-walkers are enfeebled, and do not assert themselves; their lack of viciousness is an endless source of disappointment, though Nishtal showed a flicker of the war savages with their storied past! However, they are tame. But the Arxur¡ªthe Arxur will not bear such insults!¡± ¡°Yes, I doubt anything less than retaliation will cross their minds,¡± Zalk scoffed. ¡°Nevertheless, the Arxur are at a two-to-one deficit. Even having drones, that is a massive disadvantage.¡± ¡°Until the prey become frightful and scatter, for they cannot fathom the guileful ways of the carcass-cravers! That excludes the doormat humans choosing parlays before predatory tetchiness, of course. This contest will bring only misery to the rabble-rousing cattle. Lo, the Malti¡¯s entrails shall be liquified to flotsam, with real casualties! They shall rue the day!¡± ¡°You sound like you want them to get clobbered by the grays.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about that; I upbraid you for suggesting so, simpleton! Can an entertainer not be excited by the prospect of bonafide casualties? Bellynigh, they are; bellynigh, I say!¡± As Loxsel waxed poetic about the disaster of epic proportions unfolding, the Terrans were anything but amused. What should have been an infusion of allies that gave us overwhelming odds was breaking out into infighting; the Arxur were wheeling away from the unknown enemy where possible, though they couldn¡¯t turn every ship without becoming easy pickings for the invading drones. The Yotul and Venlil stepped up and got in the hostiles¡¯ faces, despite the fact the former had been keeping back. They didn¡¯t want to witness an utter breakdown in our formation, as the two sides began throwing shots at each other and the invaders: a three-way bout. Some SC vessels were caught in the middle, or forced out of position to avoid the crossfire. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°We need to defuse the situation.¡± Secretary-General Kuemper hurriedly placed an outgoing call onto the screen, as she¡¯d seemed to decide that the Arxur might listen; there was little chance of getting through to the Federation. ¡°I¡¯m going to offer concessions to stop our forces from tearing each other to pieces. Time is of the essence. We¡¯re open to ideas, if you want to approach our staffers.¡± ¡°How dare you?¡± Kaisal¡¯s indignant face appeared with roared words, fangs bared like he wanted to rip Kuemper to shreds. I noticed several SC delegates trembling at his appearance, binocular eyes narrowed to yellow slits. ¡°We come to help you save this worthless planet, and your friends shoot at us¡ªwhile you do nothing to stop them?¡± ¡°I understand your anger, and I am deeply sorry. Look, we don¡¯t know what to do, but we know we don¡¯t want another galactic war between our entities. I¡¯m asking you to disengage, rather than to lose valuable ships and lives needlessly. Retreat from the system for now, and we could bring you back after¡ª¡± ¡°You spineless weak-bloods! You¡¯re siding with preyfolk that hate you and dream of a day they can wipe you from existence, instead of us, after we¡¯ve stood by your side time and again? They attacked our ships without provocation, and you want me to roll my belly up before the watchful eyes of my subservients?! To let them shoot us in the back, losing thousands of ships unanswered. Never! We won¡¯t!¡± ¡°Kaisal, we¡¯ll personally replace every ship you¡¯ve lost, if you just don¡¯t return fire now. You have every right to retaliate later, should you feel it¡¯s worthwhile to go up against three-digits worth of species again, though I don¡¯t think any of us are eager to repeat the past. What you call weakness is us trying to keep peace; we¡¯re strong enough to know fighting is not worth the cost. Loss of life isn¡¯t worth it. Let us rebuild your ships, and at least for today, preserve Aafa.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t give the Arxur ships. You¡¯ll let my fleet die so you have an excuse to send us back into exile. Humans never go against the prey! They make your decisions for you.¡± ¡°That is absolutely untrue. We work hand-in-hand with our allies and are unyielding in our goals of peace and progress. We do keep our promises, like how we stopped them from wiping you out post-war in the first place. Who else do you think thought your lives were worthy of sparing at all, for a better future? Is that weakness, Kaisal?¡± The Arxur¡¯s breaths were strained from fury. ¡°What a great concession, Secretary-General; you let us live. I guess we¡¯re forever in your debt, despite the fact you wouldn¡¯t have won your war without us¡ªand humanity would be dead! Have you all forgotten what you owe us? Shoot those Federation mewlers!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do that, Kaisal. After Aafa is preserved, we can talk about it, though. We appreciate all of your help¡­¡± ¡°I tire of your talking, leaf-licker. If you won¡¯t fight beside us, there¡¯s nothing to say. The Federation idiots must be dealt with, and you¡¯re mad to think you¡¯ll ever have peace with them. Pretend you¡¯re like your prey friends all you want: they won¡¯t abide your existence. We will.¡± The Arxur disconnected from the call, and his drones ramped up the attack on the Remnants simultaneously; they carved up the Malti tube bombers with prejudice using their railguns, while also zipping toward the Yulpa ships¡ªthe same class used to capture predators from across the galaxy. The invading drones had turned their focus away from the two powers, who were busy killing themselves, and went for discombobulated SC ships. Those friendlies were herded back toward where the Collective and the Feds were fighting, so that they¡¯d get cut down by friendly fire. The humans had made no indication to step in on any side; there was also no time to retreat back toward Aafa, since the invaders were pressing toward the UN¡¯s formation at full speed. On Naltor¡¯s holopad, I saw a Bissem ship wander into an Arxur¡¯s plasma beam, before getting rammed by a slew of Malti missiles intended for a reptilian target; the Collective drone had the nerve to duck behind our vessel, using it as a shield! The Selmer general looked furious, before he decided to be the first to call for a retreat. If the grays were using us as cover, then we¡¯d use their chaotic firefight as interference to get out of here. Various Sapient Coalition members saw our departure from the shitshow, and a few joined in. The Yotul and the Venlil were getting cut down without support, after attracting the enemy¡¯s attention, and the humans had lost a few thousand ships to friendly fire. The chatter across the room rose in pitch, as leaders and representatives called for their species¡¯ forces to be pulled out. The invaders pressed past Caato, pushing the SC back toward Aafa. What was left of our defensive line faltered, desperately spitting munitions to acquire any room to backpedal. The hostile drones had spotted an opportunity to break us altogether, popping off a few, well-placed antimatter warheads to scramble our forces even further. The battleground was quickly becoming everyone for themselves, without any semblance of cohesion. The humans, Yotul, and Venlil soon wouldn¡¯t have any of those fifteen thousand SC ships to back them; the Krakotl seemed like the only ones in this hall who were ride-or-die with the UN today. The grays and the Remnants were still cleaving through each other¡¯s vessels, only turning an occasional glance toward the invaders; they¡¯d both lost tens of thousands of ships, and didn¡¯t seem to be helping us any longer. The Terrans can¡¯t fight the enemy alone, and there¡¯s no mounting any resistance with the Remnants and the Arxur slaughtering each other. I think Kuemper is about to call for a retreat, trying to save whatever ships she can and hope to regroup. ¡°Half of the United Nations¡¯ vessels are down. I fear we may have to consider what we can send to the¡­next engagement with these drones. There wasn¡¯t enough allied participation here before, and what little we had is up in smoke,¡± Kuemper sighed, evident frustration seeping through in a rare display. ¡°We¡¯re going to unload every antimatter missile and remaining explosive we have to cover our retreat. Run as far away as we can, until we have a chance to¡­prepare for warp.¡± ¡°What¡¯s to stop them from chasing us? They¡¯re breathing down our necks!¡± the Harchen ambassador called out. ¡°They won¡¯t come for us if we head¡­away from the planet. Everyone who¡¯s already ducked the fray, just head to the system¡¯s outskirts. To think we apologized to the Yulpa; I hope they¡¯re happy with what they¡¯ve done. Screw all of this! There is never any option to be moral or just in this organization. You can expect my resignation when I get back to Earth.¡± The Secretary-General stormed out of the auditorium, evidently unable to corral her anger at the Yulpa and the Arxur alike. The shock of having the Terran leader erupt in anger, and announce that she was through with the Sapient Coalition, stirred quite a buzz throughout the chamber. With the humans walking out amid a war meeting, I knew that Aafa was as good as gone. When they gave up the defense of a planet, chalking it up as a loss, there was no one left to fight for it. The SC ships hurled everything they had, trying to blow everything in their immediate wake sky high to facilitate an escape. I barely registered the mines and cloaked stations that tried to cut down a few bombers, or the last Arxur and Remnants duking it out as the enemy, having moved well past Caato, ignored them. Having fallen into disunity and division, the Sapient Coalition forces here were the antithesis of what we saw at Nishtal; they¡¯d collapsed beneath the weight of old feuds that flared up at the wrong time. I couldn¡¯t blame Kuemper for walking out in disgust, since we were seeing hideous pandemonium play out despite the highest stakes. The powerful lasers on the Aafa¡¯s moon were still under UN control, and aimed into the heart of the hostile fleet. However, they achieved very little against the enemy¡¯s liquid armor. It proved a simple waltz into orbit, to blanket the world below in a hail of explosions. Unimpeded, the final flank of the drone assault did what they¡¯d come to do. Fiery plumes dotted the planet¡¯s surface, as the SC delegates watched billions die on a screen. There weren¡¯t enough expressions of horror and mournfulness for the Kolshians. I wished that we¡¯d been able to do more, fighting with what we had, but our efforts had been sabotaged from within. Our few hundred ships wouldn¡¯t have made a difference alone, and Bissems had to protect our own world; it was clear that the Sapient Coalition couldn¡¯t always be relied upon to come together. Even the Arxur, who promised to stand with us in the Carnivore Alliance, prioritized pride and reprisal over the greater good. We had to get our affairs in order, or else Aafa could be only the first planet to suffer for the galaxy¡¯s disorder. I wasn¡¯t sure what would come of this humiliating defeat, but I knew that relations in the Orion Arm were complicated. The Collective and the Remnants had fired the first shots of a new war, and the SC just proved that they weren¡¯t the least bit ready to grapple with that fallout. I hoped the powerful, peacemaking humanity who¡¯d shown up at Nishtal, emboldened by the support and diversity of their allies, would find their way back into this forum¡¯s helm. Chapter 2-65 Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist Date [standardized human time]: December 22, 2160 For a group guarding the ship from any space piracy, the mood among the handful of militia members was jovial. Even most of the unscrupulous members of Krev society wouldn¡¯t snatch babies from an endangered species, so we were here as a deterrent in case any dumb traffickers got bright ideas. I mean, raising needy human infants from birth would be a lot of work, beyond how morally repugnant it was. The cargo hold had been packed with ectogenesis pods, where I¡¯d been able to glimpse that next generation. Gress had looked like he was dying on the inside, seeing newborns with their tiny hands and oversized heads. There was no reason the adoption program wouldn¡¯t work; the adoptive families were on different shuttles, traveling the regular starship routes. With our spirits higher than ever, the human crew had been up to all sorts of hijinks. Gress had been eager to play Truth-or-Dare. The militiamen quickly learned that was an excuse for the Krev to ask them to do things, such as remove their boots so he could tickle their feet. The mild-mannered alien¡¯s requests were pretty tame, in comparison to some of the raunchier antics of the crew, but I felt as if we were bonding. Right now, we were sharing a special moment between the crew, after Gress helped us install a VR program into our helmet interfaces. Krev coders had recreated a few famous landmarks from Earth, with the data from the vaults; it was beyond touching to experience the simulated Great Pyramid of Giza, and the Eiffel Tower. Even the most irreverent crewmates were moved to awe. It¡¯s not just the human population we need to rebuild. With the Krev¡¯s help, and our satellite imagery and records of Terran history, we could recreate every city on Earth. Even if we can¡¯t retake and reconstruct the actual planet, we can build it somewhere new. Someday. There¡¯s hope that all isn¡¯t lost forever. ¡°Wow.¡± The helmet concealed the stupid grin on my face, as I let myself pretend for a second that I really was in Paris with Gress. I knew it was only projected onto the headgear¡¯s screen, the same as its standard combat HUD. ¡°This is beautiful. I can almost¡­believe it¡¯s real. It¡¯s like I could reach out and touch the blades of grass, or feel the morning dew in the air. Thank you for giving this to us.¡± The Krev chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re very welcome. I wish I could¡¯ve seen these places before they were lost, but this is enough for me to appreciate the wonders humans are capable of¡­and will be capable of again.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a charmer, isn¡¯t he?¡± a fellow guard, Jackson, chuckled. ¡°Naw, the only wonders we got goin¡¯ back on Earth were breaking dumb world records. Like biggest stack of hula hoops. World¡¯s largest bouncy castle.¡± ¡°Bouncy¡­castle? How are even your castles cute?! That¡¯s something I have to see, so you need to build one. Lecca would love it; she might decide to live in there permanently.¡± ¡°Shucks, Krev, how much ya gonna pay me to build your little one a palace?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it free, and it¡¯ll technically be the world¡¯s largest bouncy castle¡ªbecause the ones on Earth don¡¯t exist anymore.¡± I stared forlornly at the intersecting metal of the Eiffel Tower, wondering what it had been like to ride to the top and see how far human civilization had spread. While I could do that in the simulation, it wouldn¡¯t carry that assurance. ¡°We¡¯ll just retcon all the old world records and start anew.¡± Gress patted my leg, though I couldn¡¯t see him through the helmet. ¡°Well, Taylor, you¡¯re probably the world record holder for most obor treats eaten by a human. Should we etch your name in the history books?¡± ¡°Dude, you ate the fucking pet treats?¡± Jackson cackled. I gasped in outrage. ¡°Gress! How dare you bring that up? They¡¯re just little fruit cookies, and they were good. And maybe I eat them so Juvre doesn¡¯t have any¡ªthat obor shouldn¡¯t be rewarded for his shit-eating.¡± ¡°Then I guess,¡± Gress said, a smug look in his eyes, ¡°you don¡¯t have to get any going forward.¡± ¡°Now I didn¡¯t say that. Let¡¯s just talk about it. Why can¡¯t you be reasonable? There¡¯s gotta be some rationality in that alien brain mush of yours, despite your awful taste in pets and¡ª¡± A jolt rippled through the walls, as if something large had crashed into the side of our vessel. The alarm flickered through the PA system, and I quickly switched off the simulation of Paris. What the fuck was going on?! I hadn¡¯t thought even pirates would stoop this low, but if another ship was targeting us¡ªwe had to repel a boarding party. I was infinitely grateful that Radai had trained us for close-quarters combat at boot camp, but it didn¡¯t stop nerves from swelling in my stomach. What if something happened to the infant cargo, or Gress? I scooped my rifle up from where it rested against my seat, and shoved the Krev in the opposite direction of the insertion¡¯s marker-point. I had to get my beloved alien to safety, because I couldn¡¯t bear the thought of losing him. It¡¯d make life not worth living again. This is real, not a drill; this is why Radai had us here, so we have to do our jobs. There¡¯s too much at stake. I will defend humanity¡¯s future with my life. There were quick orders over the helmet comms to retreat to a defensible location near the kids. The militiamen also backed away from the breach, toward the armory and elevator down to the cargo hold. Gress, despite not being a combat-trained soldier, took up a pistol just in case, and kept back by the newly-sealed bulkhead¡ªthe last line of defense. Our eyes met briefly, before I crept forward with the rest of the soldiers. We readied impromptu barricades in the wide-open training center, so that if we were pushed back, we wouldn¡¯t immediately lead them to the unborn children. I waited for a hint of information, growing more discomforted by the second. There were security cameras all across the ship, so we should have eyes on the boarders; why didn¡¯t we know anything? I pointed my scope over a desk, waiting for any movement. ¡°Attention, all personnel. The enemy has short-circuited our camera system, as well as external comms. It¡¯s impossible to get eyes on them or warn the Consortium; we are working to fix this issue and reboot the systems. However, hull sensors tell¡­a concerning story,¡± the human captain spoke through our helmets. ¡°There appears to be some kind of cloaked ship that¡¯s attached itself to our hull, and it¡¯s not one of ours. It has design similarities to the vessels we fought¡­at Tellus. We believe the Federation¡­the enemy who wishes us extinct¡­has attacked us. Avoid capture at all costs.¡± My blood ran cold, and I barely suppressed a terrified whimper. Did they somehow know that humanity had survived, and were trying to suppress the very hope of our survival? No, that must not be the case, because we hadn¡¯t seen Krakotl bombers come to finish the job yet; they wouldn¡¯t have sat the second act out. The only reason the Federation would capture us, rather than kill us, would be to torture our plans out of us, like they¡¯d done to a human pilot named Marcel not too long ago. Even if they didn¡¯t need intel from us, our existence was reason enough for us to merit suffering. I shuddered to think what they¡¯d do to the babies, having ¡°predators¡± helpless and at their disposal. We couldn¡¯t let them see who we were, and I had to be ready to choose death over captivity¡­for myself and the one I cared about most. I didn¡¯t want to die, when I¡¯d finally tasted happiness and found someone who cared about me. There was supposed to be more time to make up for my failings, and chart another path! This was supposed to be a joyous voyage that kickstarted humanity¡¯s new future, arduous as it might be. Panic threatened to overwhelm me, though I fought the terrified nine-year-old clawing for control of my brain. The helmet¡¯s overlay warned me about my rising heart rate, so I took deep breaths to calm myself. We had to try to fight the Federation off, or maybe flip the script and capture one of them. Our duty was to stave them off long enough that we could warn Tellus, if nothing else. They needed to board a new ark, courtesy of Radai¡­before the enemy figured out who they had on the ropes. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. I clipped fragmentation grenades to my waistband, despite knowing the dangers of using explosives in a spaceship. ¡°A last resort. We go down shooting, or sucking everyone into the vacuum. We didn¡¯t hide for twenty fucking years to let them take us now! They don¡¯t get to have us, or to burn those little babies downstairs. They don¡¯t find out a damn thing about humanity¡¯s survival.¡± ¡°Damn straight,¡± Jackson said, distributing grenades to the team. ¡°This is for Earth. We hold them here. We won¡¯t be afraid of them today!¡± Cries of agreement echoed through the dozen-or-so of us in the company. I waited for the outline of a hostile¡ªthe filthy, non-human silhouette of evil¡ªto appear on my helmet interface. The rage I¡¯d been trying to let go of crept back up, and I let it flow into my fingertips. Knowing Gress was behind me, surely I could blow off a few xeno skulls. If the Federation wanted bloodthirsty killers, they could have that today. Muzzles erupted from beside me at the first flash of movement, which seemed like a Gojid clad in a helmet and armor. They must¡¯ve learned about simple protective gear from us¡ªthe bastards had the nerve to copy from our corpses. I was surprised they didn¡¯t panic or flee, instead returning fire in turn with a massive team. Even now, the Gojids came for us, and people back then had dared to claim the cradle¡¯s burning was a tragedy? My helmet ensured that I could correct any targeting issues caused by my twitchy fingers, or the adrenaline that felt like an engine revving inside my blood. I was alert, dialed in, and shaking from the raw power; the chemical infusion fighting for my life hit differently than when Mafani captured me, since here, I held a weapon in my hands. All I had were my wits and the hope that a bullet wouldn¡¯t sink me at once. The return fire was ravaging the upturned tables and leaving markings on the layered ship walls. Bullets punctured the flesh of any appendages sticking out from cover, earning a scream from Jackson as one pierced the center of his hand. He gritted his teeth, toughing it out to try to brandish the gun. ¡°You good?¡± I shouted into the comms. ¡°Just shoot them!¡± he screeched back over the channel. The chaos unfolded around us was nothing like the movies; it was impossible to process all of the stimuli around us. A nasty ricochet sent a bullet tumbling through a colleague¡¯s neck, and he fell to the ground with wet coughs¡ªlikely to bleed out in a matter of seconds. Another leaned out at the wrong moment, and took a shot to an exposed part of the chest, just below the armpit. A few crawled over to move his dazed, gravely wounded form back to cover, and the yelps I heard suggested that maneuver had gotten them hit as well. There were just so many of the Feddies that our small team could barely touch them. We were getting eviscerated, felled as easily as trees in a hurricane! Our duty was to hold the line, and the cost of failure was too high to stomach. We had to regroup and do¡­something, before we lost every ally. ¡°Surrender now!¡± the Yotul barked, in a voice that was calm and confident. ¡°You will be unharmed and granted all of the protections afforded to prisoners of war.¡± I spoke into the comms. ¡°Don¡¯t respond into external speakers. Definitely don¡¯t surrender; human prisoners of war don¡¯t get rights with them. They can¡¯t get a good look at us, or hear our voices.¡± Jackson shared a glance at me, before rolling a smoke grenade into the hallway with his good hand. That obscured the scene enough to stage a retreat. I sent off a barrage of covering fire, as a few squadmates dragged the wounded back into the room. Summoning my own courage, I trotted after them while crouched over at the waist, and used a pointed eye movement to seal the bulkhead behind me. The Federation wasted no time, seeming to locate an access panel and cut the wiring that held the door in place. We didn¡¯t have much time before they all flooded in here, and our backs were against the wall. I stared at where Gress held the pistol, before forcefully grabbing him and opening the cargo elevator bulkhead. The Krev protested as I shoved him inside and whisked the door shut; I watched as he banged on it, feeling a twinge in my chest. I think we¡¯re about to blow ourselves to kingdom come, and I want him to have a chance at survival. He can go down and keep watch over the children, find a way out or something. Gress is an herbivore, so he has hope. I pointed toward the elevator, making a downward motion with my pointer finger. Despite being unable to hear him through the bulkhead, I could see Gress screaming and sobbing; he refused to do what I¡¯d asked and head down into the cargo bay. My gloved hand pressed against the small glass cutout for a second, before I turned my back on him. Taylor Trench was supposed to be a coward, someone who wasn¡¯t brave enough to make valiant sacrifices. Today, I wanted to be remembered as unblinking in the face of death; there was a disquieting calm permeating my awareness, as the fateful moment approached. The enemy unsealed the bulkhead on the other side, and I fired away blindly. There were so many bullets flying back at us¡ªthey had shields to press forward, and kept back along the walls, out of sight. The Federation were much too methodical in using their own smoke grenades to flush us out, though we were lucky the helmet kept the irritants out. It still gave them the opportunity to pop out from cover, spraying and praying as they lit us up. A body hit the floor across from me, splayed at an awkward angle. The soldier who¡¯d been struck below the armpit was propped up against a cart, firing with what little strength he had; another bullet finished the job, and sent his gun clattering to the floor. A shot connected with another human¡¯s exposed leg, and the blood erupted like a faucet. It must¡¯ve hit an artery, with horrifying accuracy. It seemed like it was practically me and the friendly guard Jackson left. I drew in a shaky breath, as my ammunition was depleted, and I fumbled around for a way to reload. ¡°I¡¯m out. I think¡­it¡¯s just you and me,¡± I sputtered. My comrade sighed, gingerly holding the gun with his wounded hand. ¡°There has to be ammo lying around here somewhere. We pulled all the shit out of the armory. Let me see¡ª¡± Jackson¡¯s head poked out slightly from where we were crouched, and snapped back with unnatural swiftness less than a second later. A bullet had ripped through the glass, which would¡¯ve revealed his predator face had he not dropped too quickly. My heart was beating out of my chest, and I screamed in horror to nobody; there were no other militiamen left to share the comms. The captain had to see our vitals going out one-by-one, and must be weighing whether to go down with the ship. The last stand had failed miserably, ripped apart by a fighting unit that was far more fearsome than the ones I¡¯d known about. I waited for hundreds of shots to pelt my position, ending my life before I could try anything, but there was nothing. Do these assholes actually think I¡¯ll surrender? I can¡¯t let them incapacitate me; grab the grenade. Grab it! ¡°I think there¡¯s only one left. Don¡¯t kill them; shoot to capture!¡± the Yotul squad leader barked. ¡°Move in. Move it, now!¡± I heard a fluttering sound, and looked up to see a Krakotl hugging the ceiling to get a view of me. The hatred in my heart reached a new high, looking at the species that had murdered my planet¡ªand seeing them staring back at me. An expression of pure shock spread across its face, as it inspected me and must¡¯ve realized what I was. Time slowed to a crawl, with the moment of my nightmares becoming real. I cursed the fact that my gun was empty, but unclipped the grenade on autopilot. This would be my final revenge; I couldn¡¯t let the Federation find out about our survival. They must never know. ¡°You¡¯re human?¡± the Krakotl squawked in disbelief. No. This is news to them; it can¡¯t get back to anyone. Kill that fucking xeno! I threw my helmet off, a sneer of absolute defiance crossing my features as I faced the bird. I rose to my feet, before extending my arms and walking toward them; the grenade¡¯s pin was resting on my thumb, as I clutched it for dear life. ¡°I sure fucking am. What color will your bastard feathers be when I let¡­this¡­go?!¡± ¡°Wait! Why are we fighting you? I¡­I don¡¯t understand.¡± Good. You never will. I¡¯m only waiting so I can get closer. ¡°We¡¯re with the humans, fighting for your side. Arjun, talk him down!¡± While I might¡¯ve been gullible, blurting a random Terran name wasn¡¯t going to get me to believe that a Krakotl was with a long-dead species. My anger fizzled as a panicked figure rushed toward me, with unmistakable hands raised; those were my own species¡¯ binocular eyes staring at me, and a United Nations logo on his helmet. I gasped in shock, feeling my strength waning. The world was tunneling and crashing in on me, as I failed to understand why I saw one of my people on their predator-hating side. No wonder they had emulated so many things from us, if they were us. But how could there be any Terrans left alive, and why would they side with the Federation? I would¡¯ve thought they were distorted like the Sivkits, but Arjun wasn¡¯t acting prey-like and fearful. Had¡­some of Earth survived, without ever needing the ark ships? It defied reasoning that they¡¯d side with the Krakotl. Still, I couldn¡¯t deny my eyes. Assuming that the United Nations logo was legitimate, we were fighting a war with our own people, who stood right alongside the Federation. I gaped at Arjun¡¯s face and sank to my knees, feeling my grip on the grenade almost slip. What was the justification for any of the deaths that happened as a result of what I¡¯d done; was it all less than pointless? Were the gruesome corpses of the friends I¡¯d been laughing with hours ago pointless? It can¡¯t be. This can¡¯t be happening¡­I won¡¯t accept it. I can¡¯t accept it. If humanity had made it out of certain annihilation somehow, that meant all of the suffering in my life¡ªleaving my home¡ªwas for nothing. That was a possibility my agonized heart could not abide. Chapter 2-66 Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist Date [standardized human time]: December 22, 2160 Chills ran down my spine, just letting my mind run loose with the possibility that there were other survivors; there was no reasonable doubt that the war was a mistake, a senseless conflict, if humanity was on the other side too. We¡¯d had zero chance of survival at the Battle of Earth, yet here they were: a Krakotl standing alongside a Terran, both sporting the garb of the United Nations. With all of the grief I¡¯d felt for my homeworld, I couldn¡¯t believe my eyes. There were so many questions I wanted to enunciate, but a blankness filled me. All of the fight and adrenaline left my body in a single breath. I didn¡¯t bother to rise from my knees, while the soldiers surrounded me. The aliens didn¡¯t seem afraid of my predator eyes at all, even when they drew close; I thought they¡¯d never let go of that phobia. ¡°The people we¡¯ve been fighting the whole time are humans. Aw, dammit all,¡± Arjun grumbled. I can agree with that. What does this even mean for me? I¡¯ve wasted my life, and what do I do now: go home? Leave what we just built¡­and Gress¡­ Tears rolled down my cheeks, burning like acid. ¡°Did Earth survive?¡± ¡°Yes. Give me that.¡± Arjun¡¯s hand curled around the grenade, as my fingers slipped off of it. He reinserted the pin, but squeezed the lever nonetheless and dropped it into some sort of explosive container. ¡°Cuff him. Someone check the bodies, see if any are alive. Name and rank?¡± ¡°Taylor Trench¡­Tellus militia.¡± I curled my lip at the stupid blue bird, as she chained my wrists together. ¡°D-don¡¯t have a rank since I left the¡­proper military.¡± ¡°Okay. Are we getting this sent back to the SC, Cala? They need to see this.¡± The Krakotl nodded. ¡°We are.¡± ¡°Good. I have a solid guess who Trench is, and we¡¯ll check our records of who left there, but I want to hear him say it. How and when did you end up off of Earth?¡± ¡°October 2136, sir,¡± I stammered, feeling shock and rage at the cosmic irony of this all. ¡°Before the attack. Ark Ship 3.¡± ¡°Okay. How the fuck did a few thousand humans starting from nothing get a fleet like this?¡± ¡°We¡­met t-the Krev. Other aliens. They have¡­wait.¡± A lightbulb flickered on in my brain, as I remember my fears about the aliens changing us into something unrecognizable. ¡°Fucking prove that the Federation didn¡¯t change you, like they did to the Sivkits. They¡¯d never abide us being predators.¡± ¡°Back up. We ask the questions first,¡± Cala cawed, in a voice that stirred my intrinsic hatred for her kind. ¡°You know about the Sivkits?¡± ¡°You know what was done to the Sivkits?! The Federation hid it all, and destroyed their homeworld.¡± ¡°We know everything the Farsul did. We found their record-keeping, but how could you know that, if you¡¯re saying you didn¡¯t even know Earth survived?¡± ¡°We f-found Sivkit bunkers. We only very recently realized we, um, settled their homeworld. Your turn. Prove they didn¡¯t fucking change you! I won¡¯t help those Federation pricks.¡± Arjun picked up a stick of our beef jerky from the counter, unpeeled it, and bit down hard, staring at me as he chewed. He arched an eyebrow, as if asking whether I was satisfied; the herbivore squadmates didn¡¯t flinch or act horrified at all, despite how monstrous they¡¯d once made our diet out to be. The truly jaw-dropping moment was when the Krakotl snatched the rest from his grip, and shoved it down her beak. Since when did those extermination-happy birds who hated us for our culinary tastes consume predator food as well? I didn¡¯t know what kind of Feddie Cala was, but I couldn¡¯t deny that none of these prey animals acted like they were zombified by the founders. It seemed as if my species had emboldened them, and made them into actual people somehow, as opposed to the feckless cowards they¡¯d been before. How could we have convinced them to accept us? I still don¡¯t know what the fuck happened, but¡­heavens, I hated them all so much. We thought aliens would never give us a chance, hid our faces, and all this time, it sounds like these people were living their lives! Normal and¡­happy! Why did I deserve to be excluded from that? Arjun snapped his fingers, as I hung my head and wept with uncontrollable self-pity. ¡°We¡¯re not done with you. Do you have any idea the resources we¡¯ve had to pull because of what you did? The clusterfuck that we¡¯ll face when our allies find out it was humans launching a massive attack?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I gasped out. Allies. We have actual allies. ¡°I¡ªwe¡ªdidn¡¯t know. We were scared, and we didn¡¯t want anyone to find us. They¡¯d finish the job! You have to understand.¡± ¡°Tell me who the Krev are, and what that has to do with getting the ships like I asked you.¡± ¡°Green scaly mammals who think humans are¡­adorable, because they keep primates for pets?¡± Arjun¡¯s face was priceless. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what?!¡± ¡°Yeah, the Feds killing humans was like someone gassing puppies. The Krev were upset. They have, uh, lots of ships and some allies. They heard the Federation¡¯s broadcasts a century ago and tried to keep away from them, avoiding detection up until they met us. Their whole society was built on hiding from those monsters. It¡¯s a long story, but they wanted to protect us and eliminate the Feds.¡± ¡°Okay, well there¡¯s no sign of these aliens tagging along; I see only humans here. Is there anyone else on this ship?¡± ¡°Yes. The c-captain¡ª¡± ¡°She just surrendered to our people. It seems she had a change of heart when she saw Arjun through some helmet camera,¡± Cala interrupted. ¡°Okay. And there¡¯s¡­Gress. He¡¯s a Krev; promise you won¡¯t hurt him. I don¡¯t care what you do to me.¡± ¡°As long as he doesn¡¯t shoot at us, sure.¡± ¡°Y-yeah. Right. I threw him behind this bulkhead to save him. Let me signal to him?¡± Arjun turned me around, holding onto my elbow. ¡°Be my guest.¡± I peered through the cylinder peephole, enough to see a despondent Gress curled into a ball. He thought I was dead, didn¡¯t he? The Krev should¡¯ve gone to hide, but it seemed as if his will had been sucked out of him. I related to the feeling, especially since he was the only reason I wasn¡¯t totally breaking down. The United Nations¡¯ soldier buddies were ready to lift their guns at a moment¡¯s notice, so I knew I couldn¡¯t have Gress appear threatening. He would surrender just like I had when he learned the truth; I imagined he¡¯d be horrified to learn that the Consortium had been fighting the hairless primates. Right now, I had no idea what to feel either, but the realization that everything we¡¯d done for the past few decades was useless: that would kick the scaly aliens in the groin too. Shit, they¡¯re already moving in to cut the electrical wiring beside the bulkhead. I have to ensure Gress doesn¡¯t do anything stupid, like he did with Mafani. I tapped the glass, and noticed a manic Gress swivel his handgun toward me like lightning; his eyes were wild and erratic. The Krev withdrew when he saw me, unmasked; he was shaking with relief that I was alive. Hindered by handcuffs, I tried to gesture to lower his gun, wishing he could hear words through the soundproof barrier. He looked confused at my sudden change of heart to surrender, and seemed to cue in on my distraught, barely-holding-myself together look. The grimace on his face was a skeptical one, as he tried to ask silent questions that I couldn¡¯t explain without him seeing for himself. I did my best pleading expression, out of desperation. Gress couldn¡¯t resist melty human eyes, so that might disarm him. The bulkhead began to unfurl, and I took the opportunity to shout at him. ¡°They are human! Stand down,¡± I barked in a hoarse voice. The Krev¡¯s nose wrinkled with further distrust, but the gun clattered reluctantly to the ground. His face took on an expression of shock as he saw Arjun herding me, along with a xeno contingent. The soldiers shouted at my beloved alien, who had turned his searching gaze toward me. I gave him a helpless shrug, asking all of the same questions with my erratic pupil movements. We¡¯d shared the false belief of humanity¡¯s extinction, and I wasn¡¯t sure what this meant for our future. How did a society move on from structuring their entire existence around an erroneous idea? The Consortium¡¯s entire policy had centered around hiding from the Federation, yet somehow, my own species had evaded their conversion process. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°No!¡± Gress whimpered, looking queasy and devastated at the mutilated corpses of the humans we¡¯d been laughing with before all of this. I couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit guilty not to be lying with them, after how much I¡¯d ruined in this war; it should be me, executed for my wrongdoings. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see injuries like this. It¡¯s¡­like the kits. So much blood. I don¡¯t want to see it!¡± ¡°Look away, Gress.¡± I bit my cheek, forcing myself not to spiral into self-hatred at this moment. It would¡¯ve hurt the Krev if I died; I¡¯d seen how hopelessly he sobbed, and that wasn¡¯t what I wanted for him. ¡°We can¡¯t do anything for them. We just have to figure out what¡¯s going on. Stay strong, for our people.¡± I didn¡¯t know if it was too late to make peace, but the only thing keeping me sane was the idea I could try to make this right¡ªallaying my mistakes. Had we crossed a line too great to forgive in attacking the Sivkits? After hearing about everything that was done to the Sivkit species, it was comforting to hear that Arjun was aware of the Federation¡¯s crimes; their ideology was more hideous than even what we knew of when we left Earth. Given that the United Nations had acquired the Farsul¡¯s records, they likely had accrued a lot more dirt on those bastards than we did. Maybe the preyfolk had broken free of what they were turned into. We could¡¯ve known this much sooner if we accepted the hail, during that first incursion into our system. Earth lives. None of us dared to dream or hope that. How much we must¡¯ve missed out on, being able to extend our hands in true friendship. ¡°Are you with the Federation?¡± Gress blurted, as Arjun cuffed the dazed Krev. The translator must¡¯ve interfaced with my own, because the human seemed to understand. ¡°No. The Federation collapsed twenty-three years ago, after losing the war to us. Humanity took over as one of the most politically and militarily powerful entities, ruling a new body called the Sapient Coalition.¡± ¡°You defeated the Federation? How?! You, the puffy-faced, adorable primate people¡­¡± Cala trilled with laughter. ¡°He thinks you¡¯re adorable, Arjun. They talk about you like the internet talks about kittens. Who¡¯s a cute little monke¡ª¡± ¡°No. Shut up,¡± Arjun hissed, an unamused scowl on his face. ¡°Is this how Krev handle all diplomatic first contacts?¡± ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m not a diplomat. Just a professional human enjoyer, and uh¡­I thought of you as precious and lovable lifeforms that need protecting. But it¡¯s true, you were only a new species. I can¡¯t believe that we spent a hundred fucking years hiding from and preparing to face them, and you beat them as a new species inside a year. That¡¯s just¡­pathetic of us, if we could¡¯ve taken them. How the fuck did you manage it?¡± ¡°We gathered enough allies to defeat them, not just by convincing the galaxy that we were a good people, but also by exposing their lies and genoc¡ª¡± ¡°Allies. The Arxur? Is that why they worked with you at Talsk; those monsters saved Earth?¡± I shrieked. Cala tilted her head. ¡°You drew the right conclusion, somehow, but your reasoning is off. Earth did survive because the Arxur came to bail out their fellow predators. They helped now, against you at Talsk, because they supplanted their government, after it came out Betterment colluded with the Feddies to starve them.¡± ¡°The grays got put in isolation by the SC for their crimes, but they grow¡­impatient,¡± Arjun sighed. ¡°Their new leadership thought they could prove to us that they¡¯re reformed by saving the Farsul. There¡¯s a whole eugenics thing they did on their own people, but the Arxur weren¡¯t always cartoonish monsters. Jury¡¯s still out on whether they can be allowed into normal society.¡± ¡°You¡¯re asking whether the people-eating monsters can be¡­that¡¯s absurd!¡± Gress spat, staring at his claws the way he did during his worst flashbacks. ¡°None of the enemies we thought we were fighting even exist anymore. You fixed it, and we¡­¡± Cala parted her beak. ¡°It¡¯s not too late to seek peace. There have to be consequences for attacking civilians, but there doesn¡¯t have to be any more bloodshed. There¡¯s no reason for our sides to fight a war of extinction, and this at least gives an explanation for what you did. I¡¯d know a thing or two about mitigating circumstances. You can help yourselves by helping us.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Arjun interjected, ambling up to the cargo elevator. ¡°So keep talking. What are you transporting?¡± ¡°C-children,¡± I managed, which caused a darkness to flash across the human¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯re fucking traffickers?!¡± His hands tightened around my vest, pushing me into the elevator with a newfound rage. ¡°What? No! I would never.¡± I shifted so my shoulder was touching Gress, as a squad of soldiers loaded into the lift. The platform began to lower before I could think how to explain our mission. ¡°You know how we thought we were, um, a near-extinct species?¡± Arjun bared his teeth, as the elevator lowered down into the cargo bay. ¡°Get to the point.¡± ¡°We might¡¯ve had the Krev and their allies grow millions of human babies in artificial wombs to replenish our numbers, and might¡¯ve promised to let some xeno friends raise them for us?¡± ¡°Might?¡± Cala echoed. ¡°¡­yeah. About that.¡± I stared with waiting eyes in the general direction, since the sight of our cargo would speak for itself. A stupefied Arjun, along with the rest of the Peacekeeper squad, gawked as the platform landed. His hands relinquished their death grip on my vest, instead flying to his head in horror. Covering the entire area from wall-to-wall were ectogenesis pods with human babies inside, who were due to be delivered to alien families on Tellus. While I¡¯d thought repopulating our species was wonderful mere hours ago, now I wasn¡¯t sure what would become of them. Would we leave them here with their alien adoptive families, since the rest of humanity was far away? Should the ark colonists also leave Tellus abandoned, regardless of what the Krev had done to build it up? I didn¡¯t know if I could just go home, after living on this world for so long¡­ What even am I? An angry man who felt cheated out of a happy existence, and deluded himself into thinking he was protecting his species and the people he cares about. Arjun thinks this is stupid and inconvenient, like everything we did. We¡¯re a loose end. ¡°Call the UN!¡± Arjun shook his head, unable to deal with what he was seeing. ¡°This is¡­not what we expected at all.¡± Cala fluttered her wings. ¡°It¡¯s being streamed back to the SC live. They¡¯re seeing what we see.¡± ¡°Get someone on the line. They have a truckload of human babies; what do you even do with that?! We need the brass to tell us what the fuck to do about this, now.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s keep our cools. They¡¯ll be in touch when they make a decision, and there¡¯s no need to rattle their cage. For now, we follow our orders. Take these two in, and secure this vessel.¡± ¡°We should contact our government first! Fix our comms, and let the captain send just a short video message,¡± Gress pleaded. ¡°They need to know they¡¯re fighting humans, because they don¡¯t want to war with you. If we don¡¯t contact them, they¡¯ll send ships looking for us in a few hours.¡± Arjun scoffed. ¡°Not so fast. We¡¯ve tried to talk to you for months! You wouldn¡¯t pick up the phone. I don¡¯t trust your government one bit, because I don¡¯t know a thing about them.¡± ¡°Our government does suck, and some people are really gonna think they suck extra now, but they definitely don¡¯t want to fight humans. The Consortium has tried to help rebuild the little they thought you have.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know who we¡¯re dealing with, and what they¡¯re capable of. We found a world that appeared to be orbitally bombarded, killing civilians and wiping out an entire civilization. It was staged to look like they killed themselves.¡± He turned a holopad around, showing us an image taken of sapient skeletal remains. ¡°Do you happen to know anything about this species?¡± I squinted at a decaying canid skull shape, with the unmistakable three tails. ¡°Oh, the Jaslips? The Esquo Massacre?¡± Gress winced. ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re not dead. They were just¡­moved, for being too close to the Federation as, uh, carnivores. The Consortium thought it was necessary to relocate them before they were discovered, and not all of them went before¡­well, you saw. A morally questionable decision that Jaslips don¡¯t all like, and that I personally don¡¯t like, but they¡¯re very much alive.¡± ¡°Yeah. We served with a Jaslip named Quana. She doesn¡¯t like the Krev or the Reskets¡ªthe nine-foot-tall birds that run the Consortium military, because of course they do.¡± ¡°These Reskets are the ones who attacked us?¡± Cala cued in on this side tangent, as Arjun had returned to staring with abject horror. ¡°Not fair to pin it on them. The Reskets have the top commanders and made the plans, but the whole Consortium authorized it. It was supposed to be a decapitation strike on the Federation.¡± ¡°We figured out that much. I can¡¯t say I¡¯d cry any tears for Nishtal, but trust me, the Krakotl have been kicked down enough.¡± Gress¡¯ thin tongue flitted out of his mouth. ¡°Your people attacked Taylor. He fled his home when he was nine years old, and that¡¯s all you have to say?! That the Krakotl¡ªnot humanity¡ªhave been kicked down enough?¡± The blue avian sighed. ¡°I am sorry. And I¡¯m happy that, though the Terrans got knocked down, they picked themselves back up: stronger. There¡¯s things I¡¯ll tell you about my, um, people¡¯s part in that, but not now. I¡¯m sure this is all a shock, but you should be very proud of what humanity overcame. My opinion is that you should be allowed to tell your settlers that much. That¡¯s reason to hope, and to believe we can all move past this.¡± ¡°Move past this? This is a fiasco of epic proportions. After all that work to save the Osirs, it was for what?¡± Arjun huffed. ¡°Osirs?¡± I echoed. ¡°When we found that dead Jaslip world, let¡¯s say we¡­might have tried to resurrect millions of them with artificial births as well.¡± Gress blinked in shock, like a glass of water had been thrown in his face. ¡°You what?! There¡¯s millions of babies on both sides¡ª¡± ¡°Of species that aren¡¯t actually staring down extinction,¡± I finished, numbly pronouncing the words without comprehending them. Arjun issued a flustered breath. ¡°Yep. God knows what happens to them now. Who knows what happens to any of us now? Humans launching a revenge attack for Earth is going to burn some goodwill with those who see it as ruthless vengeance¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªand humans defeating the Federation twenty-three years ago, as a novel species, will make the Jaslips want to torch the Consortium. Though I¡¯d be a lot less sad to see them do it than I think you¡¯d feel over your government being taken down,¡± Gress growled. ¡°What a mess. Taylor, if you really want to help sort any of this out, you¡¯re going to walk quietly back to the ship and state your agreement to a memory scan. We want to know everything you¡¯ve done and know, and it¡¯s hard to explain how the device mind reads, but this technology lets us see what¡¯s in your head.¡± I nodded. ¡°The Consortium does brain scans. I understand. Gress and I will cooperate however we can. Trust me, this isn¡¯t what we thought we were fighting for. He knows a lot, and you can see how much he cares for us.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have the neural data to interpret Gress¡¯ scans, but obviously we are quite familiar with the human mind. I guess the one silver lining is our brain scans will work right away; we can have all of the answers today. I hope that¡¯ll put this ridiculous war to bed.¡± ¡°I do too. I just want to¡­exist.¡± After being reunited with my people, who were the very enemy we¡¯d been trying to destroy in a war, I wasn¡¯t sure what it meant to be loyal to humanity anymore. Nothing was certain for the Krev Consortium going forward, and I had to find a way to cope with the bedrock of my life going up in smoke. Maybe being a prisoner of war was exactly where I deserved to be. Chapter 2-67 Memory Transcription Subject: Elias Meier, Former UN Secretary-General Date [standardized human time]: December 22, 2160 My short tenure in the SC¡¯s meeting station was with the goal of speaking to the assemblage about the rights of inorganic intelligence. I¡¯d expected to be waking up to a wonderful moment, with Virnt having figured out how to simulate the signals of breathing; it¡¯d taken months to figure out how to mimic it accurately, but he promised to resolve the most troublesome aspect of synthetic life. It was nerve-wracking to be shut down while he tinkered with my body, though I supposed it was no different from any other surgery. While I wanted to see how Aafa¡¯s clash played out, I was unwilling to wait another second to be free of the suffocation. It was a constant drain on my thoughts, maddening at times. Optimism over the outcome had prevailed at the time, from the little bit I saw on the livestream, as the SC seemed to be holding their own. When I came to, pressing a hand to my gut and feeling its motion from some newly-added pump, elation and glee were my initial reactions. It was as if I had lungs in my chest again¡ªwhat a strange sentence that was to say! Yet Virnt and Syba both had looked at me as if something was wrong; that had me worried that the Tilfish had cut the wrong wire. The sinking dread grew worse, as the duo advised me to look at the broadcasts from Aafa. That was when I saw the disaster that had played out. The Federation remnants and the Arxur Collective had shot at each other, allowing the enemy to waltz right past them. Kuemper tendered her resignation in a fit of fury, after failing to talk them down. It shook me to the core, realizing this had happened under the SC¡¯s watch. I couldn¡¯t help but feel responsible, with billions of Kolshians dead and a helpless world glassed. It was my idea to reach out to our adversarial counterparts, and persuade them to help; the Federation remnants wouldn¡¯t have shown up at all, had I not given my speech. Just as I¡¯d failed to protect Earth all those years ago, and had sold Nishtal out to the Arxur, Aafa had fallen because of my actions. What kind of icon of peace was I? A fool whose actions kept resulting in countless deaths, yet who still adhered to the blind optimism Ambassador Korajan hadn¡¯t agreed with? I thought humanity should keep reaching out and trying to make the galaxy ¡°better,¡± but when had I ever actually done that? Leap of hope: that was how the speech went. The galaxy isn¡¯t healing one bit; after already being in a catastrophic war, you brought another one into existence. The forever war that stretched for centuries is right back up again¡­ ¡°You have to believe you¡¯ve done some good. If you haven¡¯t, why tell Virnt not to power you off now?¡± My eyelids sealed tightly shut, realizing that my breaths were still soundless¡ªand that the rhythm was preset, rather than affected by my emotions. The bed and the dark room felt like they might swallow me. ¡°The United Nations gave up. Kuemper gave up. I can¡¯t¡­let this defeat me. I tried to make peace, and I¡¯m not responsible for the others refusing to let go of their hatred. Like I told the Shield at that damn speech, I know what¡¯s in my heart.¡± There was a knock on the door, and I jolted my eyes open to see a human shadow in the doorway, eavesdropping. ¡°I¡¯m¡­sorry, Elias. It all spiraled out of control in a flash, the peace I¡¯ve fought to maintain for so long. I came to say goodbye.¡± I sat up and tapped a button on my smartwatch, turning the lights on. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean for you to hear that. I was speaking aloud, but I have no right to cast judgment.¡± ¡°You were right, old friend. Years and years of this all, it broke me down. I can¡¯t hold the duct tape on the breach in the dam any longer. I certainly don¡¯t know how you keep taking it on the chin, and getting back up¡ªafter everything you¡¯ve endured. You have the strength of character of a saint.¡± ¡°No,¡± I grumbled, shaking my head. ¡°A saint wouldn¡¯t have made the decisions I did after Earth. I get back up because I have to; there is so much at stake. There is no one better at working with aliens than you, and I knew it from the moment I saw that suave certainty in your eyes, at the first contact briefing. Do not give up on trillions of lives. You¡¯re going to turn around, say that you spoke in anger, and fix this.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do that, Elias. I never wanted to be a leader, but I interacted with aliens so much, they said it had to be me. Realpolitik, making decisions for entire species: it¡¯s not a burden I want on my shoulders. I see little hope of the SC¡¯s judgment not falling upon us, especially after what I just¡­heard from the generals. They¡¯re about to hold a meeting, and I can¡¯t fucking deal with that.¡± That statement caught my attention, as I wondered what the generals had to say; the situation on Aafa couldn¡¯t have gotten worse, could it? Had the Federation remnants or the Arxur made a move, doing something rash enough to each other¡¯s worlds, that it would blow any hopes of peace talks to bits? ¡°Erin,¡± I prompted her warily, ¡°what did the generals inform you?¡± The complexion drained from her face, and she avoided looking at me. ¡°Our scout ship captured one of¡­the enemy¡¯s vessels. When the Sapient Coalition, and God forbid, the rest of the galaxy gets a hold of this¡­¡± ¡°Just tell me. If you have any mercy, don¡¯t keep me in suspense here.¡± ¡°The people we¡¯re fighting are the humans from the ark ships. There were casualties during our boarding operation, but we captured three alive. One is in critical condition, unable to say anything, while the captain is busy firing off messages to every party in the area about who we are. The other, Taylor Trench, is alive, unharmed, and being taken back to Sol. From what he¡¯s told us, the colonists seem to have made alliances with¡­local aliens beyond Sivkit borders, led by a race called the Krev, and they rallied a war fleet to get vengeance for Earth.¡± My mind froze for a few seconds, as my expression was locked into one of total shock. The horror left me speechless; I knew that our galactic neighbors wouldn¡¯t react positively to being attacked by the human predators. The Shield would we say sent out warriors to gather armies and lie in wait to spill bloodshed. This would be the proof necessary for anyone who thought it was inevitable that we¡¯d attack them, and seek bloodshed and conquest on their worlds. Even the Sapient Coalition would be disconcerted by humans coming to seek vengeance for a wrong done to us, decades ago. The worst part of it all was knowing who¡¯d sent those people away, in another misguided plan to save Earth. I created the ark ship initiative, and gave us no way to contact them, for their own safety. Every death in this war was on my hands, all because I clearly didn¡¯t know what the hell I was doing, when it came to protecting my species! What did it say about me that I¡¯d barely even given those settlers a second thought, wondering where they might¡¯ve landed? How dreadful it must¡¯ve been, assuming their entire world was dead¡­this couldn¡¯t be happening. Humans, instigating a war with us and glassing worlds. Panic was close to swallowing me whole, so I latched onto that newly-returned feeling of breathing. That was how I used to calm down, right? Imagine if Earth hadn¡¯t survived, by the miracle that it did, Elias. The arks would¡¯ve been humanity¡¯s last hope, which is why you sent them. This is¡­another wound in our past that needs to heal, and we can¡¯t turn from it. You didn¡¯t think about the ark colonists, because you don¡¯t like thinking about the attack on Terra, and the lives lost, at all. It¡¯d cripple you, if you let it¡ªbut you won¡¯t. You can¡¯t. ¡°What¡¯s important is making this right, and making peace,¡± I managed, in a shaky voice. ¡°We didn¡¯t want this war, or the last one. Them being humans doesn¡¯t make a difference, when we wanted to negotiate a truce either way. If anything, this gives us more hope that they¡¯ll talk, and lay down their arms. We must look at the bright side.¡± Erin Kuemper threw up her arms. ¡°You think the Sivkits will just accept peace, when these humans settled their homeworld and attacked them? You think the ark colonists will just forgive all, and waltz back into the SC with nice, placid smiles? Even if they fucking did, there¡¯s still not peace; there¡¯s still the second war that just started. The Arxur and the Federation, at each other¡¯s throats like it¡¯s 2136!¡± ¡°We have to take this one step at a time. You look at everything, it gets overwhelming; remember when I was SecGen? I know what this is like. I¡¯ll be here for support. You said they¡¯re holding a meeting, and we need our leader there. Transparency is the only way forward. We¡¯ll make a plan to deal with the SC.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to deal with the SC, or try to appease them, ever again. My resignation is final. It¡¯s not my problem anymore.¡± ¡°Not your problem? If not you, then who will stand up? Who will lead us? We need someone to take charge, for all humanity!¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. A frown curved her lips downward, almost apologetic. ¡°I have an acting Secretary-General in mind, until we can hold a proper election. Someone competent, who can handle the most stressful situation with aplomb, and who¡¯ll do what¡¯s right no matter how difficult it is. You, Elias.¡± ¡°What?¡± I hissed in surprise, eyes widening like a startled animal. ¡°No. I don¡¯t want that! I can¡¯t, I¡¯m not even in the chain of command for that!¡± ¡°I have talked to the Deputy and Undersecretary, and they agreed with me; they balked at the slightest insinuation that they might take over, at a time like this¡­too big of a leap. You would be acting SecGen in all but name, officially authorized to speak on our behalf. Much has been asked of you, and I¡¯m sorry to add to it. Listen, not only are you the most qualified diplomat here right now, but you¡¯re the only one I trust. You didn¡¯t want to be brought back like this either, yet you were the right person for the job. Just like you are perfect for my seat.¡± ¡°You think I want that responsibility¡ªwhich you just called a burden¡ªback? Look what my interference has resulted in! Besides, I¡¯m not the same person; I¡¯m¡­not even human. I have been through more than you have any idea of. Was laying down my life one time not enough? I can¡¯t have peace even in death. You elevate your wishes, but mine should never be considered at all.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything other than that you are the only choice I¡¯d ever make. I know you, Elias. You told me a few months ago that you only feel like yourself when you¡¯re helping humanity. That it¡¯d drive you crazy to know Earth is in danger, and you were doing nothing.¡± I pressed my hands to my head, walking close to her with a tangled web of emotions wrestling within. ¡°Of course I want to help. It¡¯s all I¡¯ve ever wanted to do¡­but do you really think I¡¯m the right person for the job?¡± Erin placed a hand on my shoulder. ¡°Always, Elias. The proudest moment of my career wasn¡¯t being Secretary-General. It was serving under you.¡± Kuemper¡¯s words touched me, much the same as when Tarva had embraced me for my past pacifism. The needless suffering, as an indirect result of my actions, still cut at my soul, but I knew in my heart that I wasn¡¯t the type to stand by on the sidelines. Whatever it took to remedy a situation on humanity¡¯s behalf, I was willing to go the extra mile. As much as I wished I could step aside, it wasn¡¯t in my nature to write Earth¡¯s well-being off as ¡°not my problem.¡± Any challenge that my people faced was my problem by default. Without Erin, there wasn¡¯t anyone else that I trusted to place a singular focus on what our goal should be: making peace with the enemy. By taking the helm at this meeting, I could ensure our sights turned to just that. This is a temporary arrangement, since I doubt humanity will accept me. Perhaps I¡¯m not here to speak about synthetic rights, like I planned to do after Aafa. Someone has to lay themselves out on the train tracks over the¡­ark colonists¡¯ attacks. That might be my final sacrifice, as it should be, since I sent them off. ¡°I¡¯ll help, but I can¡¯t do this alone. Your advice was something I always sought out, especially when I was wet around the ears in the alien department,¡± I responded, proffering a hand. ¡°Serve beside me, one more time. I¡¯ll take charge, and you¡­be there for me. Let¡¯s end this how it began: a meeting of Earth¡¯s finest to decide how to handle a new alien threat.¡± Kuemper studied me for a long moment, before accepting the handshake. ¡°I¡¯ll do it, only for you. I¡¯m sorry to ask this of you, Elias. I am well aware how much you¡¯ve been through, and that you¡¯re hurting.¡± ¡°I¡¯m at peace with what I am now. It¡¯s the horrific casualties and wars, as a consequence of my choices. The guilt has no comparison, so I must make it right before I¡­find a way to let go.¡± ¡°Let go?¡± ¡°Yes. Perhaps I¡¯m not the Elias who wants the power of life and death in his hands. I loved being a diplomat, but my personal life was sacrificed in ways I only realized of late. When I saw Tarva¡¯s children, it got me thinking how I wish I had something like that. Kids. Retirement. A picket fence.¡± ¡°I had no idea that was something you wanted. As far as neighbors go, you¡¯d make a pretty darn good one. You have all the time in the world for a nice, quiet life.¡± ¡°Immortality. Isn¡¯t that a terrifying thought?¡± I straightened, indicating with a hand gesture for Kuemper to lead the way. ¡°We don¡¯t have limitless time now though, so shouldn¡¯t we stall and miss that meeting. Definitely don¡¯t want the scheming generals left unattended. Care to fill me in on who¡¯s in attendance?¡± The resigned human official steered me out of Terra Technologies¡¯ quarters, heading toward the UN offices. ¡°The military big shots are General Monahan of Ireland, who handles ship movements. General Jones of the USA, whom you know is the head of intelligence. General Liu of China, whose primary expertise is cyberwarfare, General Almeida of Brazil, with R&D and new construction, and General Osmani of Pakistan, with alien alliance coordination. Of those, Jones is the hardest to keep on a leash.¡± ¡°Some things never change. Any other diplomats in attendance?¡± ¡°Ambassador Marston, who is our official contact with the Duerten; of the delicate relations we¡¯ll want to preserve through this all, they¡¯re up there. This is especially true after what we¡¯ve learned from our human prisoner¡¯s brain scans. We¡¯re fortunate that this Taylor Trench appears to know a lot about the Krev Consortium¡¯s planning. The secondary wave of targets includes Kalqua¡ªwe must offer our help, find a way to get these drones to stand down, and convince the Duerten not to detest us, like they do the Kolshians, for attacking them.¡± I winced, imagining the look on Ambassador Korajan¡¯s face. ¡°I hope Korajan will be understanding. He¡¯s friendly toward us, and has tried to help us¡­plus, he¡¯s our best hope of convincing the Shield not to return to enmity. Was there anything else we learned from Taylor Trench, that I should be aware of?¡± ¡°We have teams of thousands of people looking through his memory transcription, and artificial intelligence filtering for any critical data to send to the top of their pile. Xenosociologists and xenobiologists are updating logs of the six member species, with what he knows of them, their governments, and their locale. There are some worrying aspects of the aliens¡¯ regime, including widespread surveillance and Jaslip oppression.¡± I manually blinked. ¡°Who or what is a Jaslip?¡± ¡°Oh. Oh, I didn¡¯t tell you. The Jaslips are what we called the Osirs, and they were forcibly relocated to ¡®enclaves¡¯ rather than killed off entirely. That¡­complicates what we do with the revival program, along with the fact we¡¯ll have to persuade the SC to attempt diplomatic relations with a carnivore species. The Krev captive, Gress, may know more than Trench did, and we can¡¯t decipher his scan yet, which is why we intend to speak with him on the call.¡± The Osirs aren¡¯t dead. That should be positive news, that they¡¯re alive rather than glassed out of existence, but Kuemper mentioned their oppression. Are these aliens the ark humans buddied up with autocrats or tyrants? Do we want to officiate a peace with parties that are oppressing other species? Kuemper shook her head. ¡°And it gets better. The ark colonists had their own revival program, and the ship we captured has thousands¡ªof the total millions of human babies they artificially birthed.¡± ¡°There are millions of human newborns caught in the middle of these peace talks? And we have the same amount of theirs under our stewardship?! I don¡¯t even know what¡¯s the right thing to do with them, and that assumes these aliens want to give the children back.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯ll be doing the talking through this all. I have no idea how we¡¯ll ever clean up this mess.¡± ¡°A lovely pep talk, Erin. One of a kind,¡± I grumbled. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯ll brief you in depth on all of the Consortium species before I go; it¡¯s the least I can do. But I have no optimism to give you.¡± She placed a hand on a door handle, before turning to look at me. ¡°Oh, and one more thing. Governor Laisa is attending the briefing. We trust the Venlil Republic to stand with us, and to work together on¡­solutions. They¡¯re our closest allies, who we trust to help sugarcoat this for the SC.¡± ¡°How do the Venlil feel about all of this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Ask Laisa yourself.¡± Kuemper tapped the door open, and every head focused on me; the guards extended a hand to stop me from entering the room, while the generals and Governor Laisa looked flabbergasted by my presence. I didn¡¯t belong chairing a meeting of such grave importance, even as a temporary stopgap. There was a certain arrogance in only trusting myself to pursue peace, when I didn¡¯t even know Erin¡¯s departmental heads or the other diplomats here. No single person could clean up the scale of this mess anyway. I¡¯d only come to ensure that the military officials didn¡¯t act like bulls in a china shop, inflaming the situation with aggression or posturing. There had to be some other diplomat I could entrust this to, or a way out of the room, though I couldn¡¯t feign illness as a synthetic. I promised Kuemper I¡¯d help, and I¡¯m already here; I can¡¯t turn back. Perhaps hoping they¡¯ll keep me and my suspicious hardware out is enough. ¡°As you all know, I stepped down. Elias is acting temporarily on behalf of the Secretary-General and the UN, by my final order. He¡¯ll act in my stead until we can hold a referendum on my official replacement,¡± Erin announced. General Jones frowned with disapproval. ¡°It would¡¯ve been more befitting of the interests of the United Nations for you to have completed your duties yourself, rather than pawning them off.¡± ¡°I can no longer carry out my abilities in a way that wouldn¡¯t damage the UN¡¯s repute. This is within my rights, and you know Elias is qualified.¡± ¡°Twenty-four years is a long time. He missed so very much, but I suppose you think it¡¯ll be like old times. A family reunion.¡± I stared down the aged spymaster. ¡°Perhaps I am no longer qualified, in the sense of someone who¡¯s lived it all, but I¡¯ve been working as a diplomat for months since my resurrection; I¡¯m well up to speed on the powers that be. It couldn¡¯t have slipped your notice that I gave a speech to the Shield that was well-received.¡± ¡°Elias Meier, you¡¯re too quick to extend the olive branch, but since that is what we all want in this instance, I won¡¯t object to your oversight. Sit.¡± Kuemper settled into an extra seat by the door, avoiding eye contact; it wasn¡¯t even at the table. I could feel the withering judgment of the military officials, directed upon her. It was impossible not to feel some pity for her, since dealing with aliens had been trying even for the most trained diplomats. I suspected it was her scientific enthusiasm that carried her through the trials, up until the point that was stamped out of her. My eyes followed where Jones was gesturing, to the seat at the head of the table, adjacent to the Venlil governor. I offered the alien a smile, and was relieved to see an ear flick of acknowledgment in response. Skalga couldn¡¯t be too furious with us, though I doubted many of our other allies would be as unwavering. It was time to find out what the Krev knew, and press him for any information that might help us fix this. Like I had told Kuemper, the only way not to drown in the noise was to handle this calamity one step at a time. Chapter 2-68 Memory Transcription Subject: Elias Meier, Former UN Secretary-General Date [standardized human time]: December 22, 2160 As little faith as the United Nations had in our SC allies to remain steadfast, it said a lot that the Venlil were included in this briefing; their interests were inseparable from ours. We entrusted them with the uncensored truth and authentic reactions, and wanted them to be included in our talks about how to move forward. Humanity had come to love these fluffballs as our own, so I hoped this didn¡¯t shake their faith in our unbreakable friendship. It shouldn¡¯t, in theory, since the ark colonists hadn¡¯t gone anywhere near attacking Skalga. This would have the optics of the Humanity First attack that killed me, amplified by a thousand; it¡¯d reveal who our true friends were. If the Venlil wouldn¡¯t receive assurances over the first Terran-initiated war since first contact, none of our allies would. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Governor. Thank you for coming on such short notice. I¡¯m Elias Meier,¡± I extended a hand to Governor Laisa as she stood to meet me, but she ignored it, instead pulling me in for a hug. The embrace caught me off-guard, since I¡¯d never had a dignitary lead with such an introduction, but I gave her a gentle pat on the back. How to appropriately return a Venlil¡¯s hug wasn¡¯t in my diplomatic training decades ago, and during first contact, no alien would¡¯ve willingly touched a human. ¡°I¡¯m so terribly sorry that my species was involved in an attack on civilians.¡± Laisa chuckled while retaking her seat, an amusement which seemed out of place. ¡°You haven¡¯t done yourself any favors by painting humans as cuddly, harmless, and peaceful. You can be all of those things, but when provoked or threatened, you¡¯re incredibly dangerous.¡± The Venlil think we¡¯re dangerous. Great, just great. ¡°That¡¯s true, I suppose. Humans can be driven to violence, if desperate enough, which is no excuse.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t misinterpret me. I always knew this about you, and the same can be said of us. We¡¯re both highly emotional species, and when you feel fear or anger strongly, the results write themselves. These colonists must¡¯ve been hurt, lonely, and afraid for decades: beyond the fright I¡¯ve seen from refugees on Skalga, since they believed every human on Earth was slain.¡± ¡°I appreciate you empathizing with their behavior, and I do as well; the fear and uncertainty are no doubt what led to this. However, this could¡¯ve been avoided had they answered a simple hail, and not fired blindly at civilian targets.¡± ¡°Who would¡¯ve expected those humans to talk to their people¡¯s murderers? They had valid reasons to attack the Federation; many of the SC¡¯s members also wanted those worlds to face judgment for their crimes. While I think enough blood has been spilled, my legs will never be unmangled. I suspect these humans¡¯ hearts will never be either.¡± I relaxed a bit, relieved that Laisa sympathized with these humans¡¯ plights, rather than condemning them as monsters. ¡°Some of the galaxy¡¯s scars have yet to heal. I think the ones who ordered the attack should face consequences, but the human colonists have suffered enough. The United Nations will likely welcome them back to Earth, though that¡¯s¡­complicated by the millions of babies born.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be difficult to reintegrate with Earth¡¯s society, especially hearing that you regale yourselves among alien company. Accept that they may not want to return. Perhaps consider what is to become Tinsas¡­or Tellus, since its ownership may be of value to both sides.¡± ¡°The Sivkits will not appreciate humans trying to keep their world; they wanted nothing to do with us for twenty-four years, and now, they¡¯ll know those ark colonists fired on their expedition ships. If these Tellus miners, and the Krev, want peace, they¡¯ll cede back the homeworld the Federation stole from the Sivkits, once we explain the planet¡¯s dark history.¡± ¡°Oh, they¡¯re aware. You¡¯re really not caught up, are you?¡± Laisa tapped a button on her holopad, translating the briefing material to English so I could read it. ¡°The Consortium found a thousand-year-old bunker, which according to Taylor¡¯s transcript, had a recording from an ancient Sivkit general. It made mention of a Sivkit Grand Farmdom, wilderness theater, and even the Federation torching their world and causing the spine disorder. This general knew as it was happening.¡± I gaped at Laisa. ¡°Original records survived the Farsul cover-up? They must¡¯ve been sloppier in the early days; the Sivkits have the right to know about this.¡± ¡°As someone whose species was also crippled, I agree. Knowing Skalga¡¯s history helped us reclaim it. I do hope they can be who they once were, one day, not the wandering devourers they are today.¡± General Jones cleared her throat. ¡°Well I¡¯m delighted you two get along so fancifully, but we can worry about Greenpeace saving the Sivkits later. Most of us in this room would like to extract intelligence from the Krev prisoner¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like the word ¡®extract,¡¯ Jones. What do you mean by that?¡± I hissed. ¡°Nothing, as long as Gress complies. This is your chance to wave that olive branch. We need to know more about the Krev, to have an advantage in peace talks.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t about finding every little edge on them. Has all of human history¡ªand what just happened to Aafa and Talsk¡ªtaught you nothing about imposing harsh conditions in a peace treaty?¡± Jones smiled menacingly. ¡°Our diplomats need a leg to stand on, when we ask for certain concessions, Elias. We have many considerations to take into account; the entire Orion Arm is a house of cards, which could fall down around us with a wrong move. The Yulpa and the Arxur proved me right at Aafa, and that will only escalate from here on out. Take caution that you don¡¯t trade peace with the Krev for multiple wars in our backyard.¡± ¡°We will talk to the Krev, Jones, not make them scapegoats and coerce their prisoners, just to take the heat off of us.¡± ¡°Of course. You¡¯re putting words in my mouth.¡± ¡°Am I now?¡± The spymaster general¡¯s smile widened. ¡°The Krev has been well-treated by the soldiers. I¡¯ll patch us into a video call they¡¯ve set up, and we¡¯ll have a nice conversation. Just make sure he tells you what we need to know.¡± I didn¡¯t dignify that implied threat with an answer, wishing I was someone with actual authority, instead of a stand-in, to remove the brazen general from her cushy command position. Jones knew she could play games with me, given the exhaustive list of foreign ministers, SC liaisons, and UN undersecretaries that would be discussed to take the Secretary-General¡¯s chair. Of the people in this room, General Osmani might be a prudent option; a military officer could handle the stresses of wartime, but he had diplomatic practice. Then again, nominating any kind of martial figurehead to lead Earth might signal to wary parties that the UN¡¯s aim was war, or that we were joining our packmates¡¯ attack. Kuemper might¡¯ve been right to parade me around in the immediate aftermath, given that Earth had erected statues of me as some grandiose peacemaker. If Jones makes good on her implied threats, I won¡¯t remain silent. She can test me, but she better not push me. I can¡¯t believe she¡¯s saying such things with a Venlil in the room, when we¡¯re trying to assure our allies that we aren¡¯t violent! A scaly, emerald green creature appeared on the screen, seated in a metal chair in an interrogation room; a glass of water rested in front of him, though I could see the alien was perturbed. He had curved claws that matched his scales¡¯ coloration, and a lighter underbelly that seemed to have soft, stretchy skin. Gress¡¯ posture was hunched over, almost as if he wanted to sink into the fetal position. His shiny, enlarged pupils turned toward the screen, struggling to look straight at us with side-facing eyes. I peeked at Laisa¡¯s file, and noted that while he¡¯d once been in the military, he was a noncombatant; his discharge, according to Trench¡¯s transcript, was for attacking a Resket general after learning the Consortium killed Jaslip children. That entire sentence brought a displeased frown to my face. The Krev stared at the panel of human leaders, sniffing the air like he was unsure of himself. ¡°Hello? Whatever I can do to help¡­nothing the Consortium did was justified. We suffered¡­Taylor suffered¡­for nothing.¡± ¡°Let me lead off with one very important question,¡± Jones jumped in, which led me to stare daggers. ¡°There are many pages here about how you exploited our colonists and how much they despised you; you, personally, collected mineral rent from them. How did you ever justify that treatment of our people, and why should we, the United Nations, accept that?¡± ¡°I¡­we just wanted them gone, nonviolently, from Tellus. Our whole shtick was avoiding the Federation, and not doing anything that risked detection.¡± The Krev seemed to swoon a bit, studying Jones. ¡°As soon as we realized they were victims, we felt terrible; we tried to protect the humans, and give them everything we could! Our diplomats will have a major problem interacting with you, and having to take you seriously, since apparently, the cutest species in the galaxy is a great military power¡­¡± ¡°Cutest species in the galaxy? I thought that was us,¡± Laisa whispered coyly. ¡°How does he look at that face and¡­never mind.¡± The spymaster seemed at a loss for words, after hearing Gress¡¯ ramblings. ¡°The consensus is widely against us being the cutest species in the galaxy. Hideous abominations is the more common phrase tossed our direction.¡± ¡°Literally how? Don¡¯t get me wrong¡ªI¡¯m devastated for my people, I¡¯m worried about my daughter, and I¡¯m extra concerned for Taylor: you do need to keep an eye on him. With all of that, I¡¯m trying to treat this situation with the appropriate gravity it requires, but I¡¯m melting that I¡¯m talking to the primate leaders! Those little medals clipped to your jacket are so precious. You must sound so festive and jingly when you walk, like Christmas decorations and¡­ah! I adore how much humans love and collect shiny things. There¡¯s got to be so many of you, happy and alive and singing carols in the streets! Making paper snowflakes! Building cookie houses: how can that not be cute?¡± ¡°Is this a joke to you? Do you have any idea what a mess you¡¯ve made for us¡ªruining twenty-three years of peace and prosperity that we paid for in blood, and have self-flagellated to maintain?¡± ¡°Of course not! The Krev are going to be heartbroken that we threatened you, and were your enemy. We were trying to help humans not to get hurt, feeling nothing but fury on your behalf. I was just sad and not getting at all how the galaxy¡¯s consensus is that you¡¯re ugly; that¡¯s so cruel and untrue. We¡¯ll call you cute if we¡¯re the only ones in this universe who do! My heart breaks for you still¡ªpoor things.¡± If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°You speak of us like we¡¯re children. Why don¡¯t you try to be actually helpful, instead of focusing on paper snowflakes, and harping in that patronizing voice about how ¡®cute¡¯ we are. Have a little respect.¡± ¡°Would you rather I focused on how my people spent decades hiding from an enemy that no longer existed, one that humans easily dealt with? If we¡¯d taken a stand, we could¡¯ve saved Earth from being bombed at all!¡± Jones¡¯ mouth tightened in frustration. ¡°You are not making yourself helpful, Gress. The past is¡ª¡± ¡°Or should I worry about whether I¡¯ll ever see my daughter again; she has no idea I¡¯m even alive!¡± The Krev¡¯s eyes wobbled, and he slammed his claws on the table; it became obvious to me he was internally volatile, and trying to distract himself with¡­the primates he apparently found cute. ¡°Maybe I should think about how, if you were to let us go this very minute, the love of my life would leave and return to Earth? I¡¯m only trying to be happy for his sake!¡± I raised a hand, shooting Jones a look that could melt glaciers. ¡°You said you were worried about Taylor. Why?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? He already felt guilty over his role in the Sivkit deaths, and has PTSD from a mining accident that resulted in human casualties under his orders, in response to a situation I put him into. He was sent away to a dismal alien planet, away from his family and everything he knew, for nothing; his life was stolen! I can picture how angry he is right now, knowing how deeply he resented that life. The sacrifice the colonists made was a pointless one, and before long, he¡¯ll start thinking he is the reason the Tellus settlers didn¡¯t find out their people survived sooner.¡± ¡°Gress¡­I understand exactly what it¡¯s like to grapple with personal responsibility, when people die under your watch or because of your decisions. The fault rarely falls on a single person¡¯s shoulders.¡± ¡°I know that. I blamed myself for years¡­I was a hostage negotiator, and children were slaughtered on my watch as the world looked on. Those images can¡¯t be rationalized. They don¡¯t go away.¡± ¡°Believe me, I would understand better than most. Let¡¯s say I¡¯ve seen things no one was meant to see.¡± If I looked back deep enough in my brain, I could still see the few seconds of images passing before my eyes that made up my entire life. All I was. The infinite incomprehensible darkness that made the real world feel distant and agitating by comparison, and the coldness permeating into my bones as I faded away. ¡°Right now, you and Taylor are playing a role in reconciling Tellus and Earth. It won¡¯t be easy, but the best way to honor the ones we¡¯ve lost is to make peace. I want to know if your people are amenable to that.¡± Gress nodded emphatically, demonstrating familiarity with our body language. ¡°Of course we are. We never had a¡­plan to open up our borders, or to seek peace with anyone in your area, but if the herbivores have changed, we might treat you like other Consortium races. I doubt we¡¯d join your Coalition, or anything like that; we¡¯ll still want space, I wager. Want the war to end today? Speak with Resket General Radai, not the bureaucrats that will fumble for a response. He¡¯s compelled by honor, so if you can speak that tongue, he¡¯ll try to right his forces¡¯ wrongs.¡± ¡°Can Radai call off the drone attacks?¡± General Liu, who I vaguely remembered had been listed under the names of Undersecretaries during Zhao¡¯s Secretary-General tenure, spoke up. ¡°The war cannot end while you¡¯re waging open warfare against us, and our allies.¡± Ambassador Marston nodded. ¡°I have the same question. The drones haven¡¯t stood down, even after Captain Sylvia¡¯s communique reached Consortium parties, and our data suggests they¡¯re incapable of calling it off. The Duerten would have a very long memory of any attack on Kalqua. They were already devastated in the war. They¡¯ll demand retribution in kind, or even an execution of leaders like Radai.¡± ¡°Radai, I imagine, would willingly turn himself over, or even¡­execute himself. The Reskets have such a practice, as well as war crime laws that would call for it. I urge you not to push for that, whatever he¡¯s presided over; it would be a terrible mistake,¡± Gress commented. ¡°He¡¯s the only one trying to expose the corrupt surveillance apparatus of the Underscales and the Listeners. He will act with honor, and do what is best to preserve lives.¡± Jones slammed a fist on the table. ¡°Radai has done the opposite of saving lives. Billions of people are dead by the attack that he launched; it¡¯s laughable that you think we¡¯d let this go.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not for us to decide here. He should have a trial and a chance to speak for himself,¡± I fired back. ¡°The genocides must be answered for, but securing peace, without any more planets falling to bombings, is our top priority. If Radai will help us do that, then we should reach out to him.¡± The Krev squinted at me. ¡°Perhaps this is impolite to point out, but something about you seems off. You¡¯re not quite like the other humans. I swear, I¡¯ve seen your face before; I watched a video of a man giving a speech, before the Krakotl¡¯s attack. You bear a stunning resemblance to him, yet it¡¯s like you haven¡¯t aged a day. Is the stress of this conundrum playing tricks on me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not. I was Secretary-General when Taylor would¡¯ve left Earth. When I tell you I know what it¡¯s like to have disturbing memories, I¡¯m saying I remember death itself. You¡¯re familiar with memory transcripts; mine was used to bring me back. My brain recreated inside a machine.¡± Concern stretched across Gress¡¯ features. ¡°You were digitally reincarnated?! Of course, if they have all the wiring of the brain mapped¡­why has the Consortium not thought to do this? Surely, they must have, with all of the Trombil¡¯s investing in cybermods and digital ascension. They scorn their physical bodies, and nobody ever raised the prospect. I fear what they could¡¯ve done, without us ever knowing¡­¡± ¡°What are you saying?¡± General Almeida spoke, her voice stern. ¡°It seems like he¡¯s suggesting that the Consortium could¡¯ve mimicked Elias¡¯ technology, but it seems hypothetical. Do you have any evidence of this?¡± Kuemper asked, as I shot a mystified look toward her. ¡°Why are you worried about your people having this technology at all?¡± ¡°Because then they would be immortal. What if the delegates aren¡¯t dead, not truly? What if they could put a stand-in for anyone, a replacement they could control? This¡ªthis is terrible. They have my scans from when I was a negotiator! They could put me in a simulation of that day, figure out how I¡¯d react; oh no. They could create virtual torture chambers, and put hundreds of instances of your family¡ªthe people you love¡ªin there to manipulate you. You have to destroy the scans! This technology is monstrous. Make them take down the scanners, before they get you too!¡± The Krev¡¯s hysterics were panicked and not making much sense. Given his state of mind, I suspected we¡¯d gotten the last intelligible answer out of him, and signaled for Jones to disconnect the call. A silence hung over the room, as we tried to determine how to proceed with the Consortium. Should we direct our conversations to this Radai? Was there any chance that Gress¡¯ fear had some truth to it? I¡¯d worried to Virnt over how easily this technology could be abused. If these aliens were the type to misappropriate such resources, did we want to make a permanent peace with them? I was open to suggestions from the assembled specialists and generals, as long as General Jones didn¡¯t display intrigue in using any of those hypotheticals ourselves. I know we need to get the drones to stand down from Kalqua; that means we should seek peace, at least until we achieve that end. We need to learn more about the Consortium¡¯s highest echelons of government, and their true intentions. We also should protect the SC, in case the KC try anything else against us. Gress says they don¡¯t want war with humans, yet they never planned for peace with the herbivores. I forced a sickly-sweet smile onto my face. ¡°We need a plan. Since Jones has made her position abundantly clear already, I turn the floor over to the rest of you for concerns and observations.¡± ¡°I think that we should consider how people at home are going to react. It¡¯s easy to look to the rest of the galaxy, but the UN will have family reunions, and accommodations similar to the Archives humans, to oversee,¡± General Osmani commented, while I filed away a mental checkmark toward his Secretary-General suitability. ¡°What do you say of setting up a program, for both sides to check in on surviving relatives? As well as having our diplomatic staff draft a press release for the UN¡¯s socials and domestic channels.¡± ¡°That seems reasonable to me. I imagine we all agree we can¡¯t turn our backs on the ark colonists. Any other suggestions?¡± ¡°Contact this Radai, and see what terms he¡¯d seek for a peace.¡± Laisa perked her ears up, confidence emanating from her posture. ¡°Taylor¡¯s transcript supports that he¡¯d be a likely ally. He¡¯s useful to us both as someone that the SC will want us to hold responsible, and as someone who¡¯d have sway and intelligence among the Consortium.¡± General Jones¡¯ eyes gleamed. ¡°I agree, though I suppose my opinions are abundantly clear. We need information on these Underscales and Listeners, and I find it difficult to believe the head of the military would¡¯ve been unaware altogether. He was digging into their exploits.¡± ¡°What do we do about the Osirs?¡± Kuemper blurted. ¡°Jaslips¡ªwhatever. We have millions of babies within our borders¡­¡± ¡°And so do they with us,¡± General Monahan commented. ¡°We have custody of that ship, and we¡¯re not sure what to do with the children: deliver them on our watch? Bring them back to Sol, without a support system, or what¡ªgive them to the Consortium, who can¡¯t be trusted and might not even want them?¡± I raised a finger. ¡°One thing at a time. We¡¯ll want to establish diplomatic relations with all species, or at least try to; regardless of whether we¡¯re enemies, having open channels can only be an advantage. The Jaslips should be one of the first we establish contact with, and we can see how they feel about the¡­Osirs. We don¡¯t need to offend them by raising their children, outside of their culture.¡± ¡°It might look a lot like what was done to Skalga, taking Venlil children away to gentle them through upbringing,¡± Laisa commented. ¡°I have another question as well. While I¡¯m honored to be included, as the sole alien official in this room, I¡¯m curious why none of your other allies are here. The Yotul¡¯s exclusion is self-explanatory, with your rivalry, but the Zurulians have been nothing but supportive, accepting, and altruistic. They stood with Earth, pulling humans out of the rubble. Why aren¡¯t they here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s an excellent question. I¡¯m curious to hear the answer.¡± General Jones rolled her eyes. ¡°Elias, the Zurulians will be brought in eventually. If we want to keep a lid on this, until we¡¯re ready to make a statement to the SC, they couldn¡¯t be in this room. Laisa ¡®isn¡¯t here¡¯ officially. The Zurulians have been keeping company with many of our adversaries, who we couldn¡¯t risk capitalizing on this.¡± ¡°Surely the Yotul know about this. They were involved in sending the scout ship,¡± Kuemper objected. ¡°There were other SC species in the boarding party.¡± ¡°I never said the Yotul weren¡¯t involved, though it¡¯s unfortunate that they got the live feeds. They won¡¯t drop a bombshell that will create open warfare, but it makes this impossible to contain or tidy up. All I¡¯m saying is we don¡¯t need the Zurulians telling the Bissems, who would turn and tell the Arxur. The Technocracy, at least, isn¡¯t so naive.¡± I pressed a palm to my forehead. ¡°Did you think to impress on the Zurulians the secrecy of this all? We can trust them not to turn on us, so I don¡¯t think we want to alienate any of our closest allies right now. Laisa is right; they should¡¯ve been here. Their medical expertise will be crucial in learning the biological requirements for the Krev we have in our custody, as well as saving the human prisoner that¡¯s in critical condition.¡± ¡°Zurulian doctors are already working on both tasks, back on the ship. They haven¡¯t made contact with their government yet, but we could allow them to do so,¡± General Monahan piped up, shooting a side-eyed glance at Jones. ¡°They stood with us when it mattered, and sent aid to every dark corner of the galaxy. I imagine they¡¯ll offer help to the Tellus refugees. Let¡¯s show them a little faith in response.¡± I drew a shuddering breath. ¡°Speaking of faith, we need to notify Ambassador Korajan, before this is shared with the SC. Since he and I are personally acquainted, I believe I should be the one to deliver the news. They need to make preparations. I trust I have the consensus of the generals to pledge our aid to Kalqua?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± General Osmani replied. ¡°Remind Korajan that humanity saved their home once. That¡¯s a reason for his people to extend some faith to us.¡± I nodded in agreement, before dismissing the assembled group; I needed to summon the Duerten ambassador, since I knew this news was going to crater our improved relations with his species and the Shield in general. Jones might¡¯ve been right that we couldn¡¯t risk this news getting out, without us having control of our messaging. The war between the Arxur and the Federation remnants hadn¡¯t even been touched, but it jeopardized our peacetime further; we had to take this fiasco one step at a time, like I¡¯d told Kuemper. While our diplomatic corps prepared all the necessary measures to make this announcement to the SC, I was going to try to save our friendship with one ally we couldn¡¯t afford to lose. Chapter 2-69 Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist Date [standardized human time]: December 23, 2160 The stupid bird sat outside my prison cell, playing solitaire¡ªa human game¡ªfrom what I could see through the window. The bed and the smart-television were lavish comforts compared to what a predator would¡¯ve gotten under prey species¡¯ watch; they¡¯d stripped the clothes off the back of the first Terran prisoner they obtained, and only given him unclean water from a pail. They beat him to a pulp for smiling that his Venlil friend was alright. Despite having suitable accommodations, I hadn¡¯t slept a wink between my mind racing, and wondering what Gress was going through. One thought roared around my brain like a tempest: if my people had survived, was it possible my parents had pulled through? What would they even think of me, and how could they defend why they sent me off alone? Alone. While they were happy and content on Earth, and forgot all about our little expedition. It should bring me a relief to know our home planet was still out there, with everything we¡¯d done to preserve our culture, yet all I could think was how unrecognizable Terran society would be now. My life had been wasted; my suffering was meaningless. All of those mornings brushing my teeth, and hating the binocular eyes that stared back from my reflection¡ªa waste. The mirror in this cell was still my enemy, showing that I was right to hide my face beneath the mask; it was the visage of a monster, after all. I¡¯d forced Radai to pull the trigger on the Sivkit ships, which incited this whole war. I encouraged the Consortium to go after the Federation out of hatred, without thinking at all. My people could¡¯ve been reunited with our home sooner. The only thing that mattered to you was protecting Gress: the one person who ever loved you, despite how little you deserve it. Instead, you just put him in danger by chasing revenge, because you¡¯re violent, angry, and short-sighted. Earth was lucky to be rid of you. While I¡¯d once thought the universe was denying my species any solace or joy, I now knew that it was me as an individual whose lot was misery. I hurtled a chair across the room, right as the door swung open. Cala hopped back, barely holding onto a tray she was balancing. The Krakotl stared at me for a long moment, noticing the sweat soaking my hair and the veins popping from my reddened skin. How I wanted to wrap my hands around her throat and throttle her. Despite the fact I wasn¡¯t the least bit hungry, my mouth watered as I smelled greasy bacon, and saw pancakes steeped in maple syrup. The wealth of food they took for granted back on Earth, available on every street corner; I hoped the bird wasn¡¯t bringing me tofurky shit. That would be a tease, after how long it¡¯d been since I had a nice, home-cooked breakfast. I lived on granola and meal squares. ¡°I guess the way to a predator¡¯s heart is through food,¡± I grunted, wolfing down a bacon strip. The salty flavor was so incredible, I almost sank to my knees with a satisfied shudder. ¡°I wonder what restaurants are like on Earth now, with those frail herbivore sensibilities. I don¡¯t remember what it was like then, and I¡¯ve got even less clue how it is today. Not like a bird would know.¡± The Krakotl squawked in protest. ¡°I live on Earth.¡± ¡°What, for boot camp? You disgrace the UN logo; they shouldn¡¯t let you wear¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯ve lived on Earth for over two decades, and joined the Peacekeepers thirteen years ago. I¡¯m a British citizen.¡± I snorted with derision, a wicked smile crossing my lips. ¡°That¡¯s fucking great! You moved right on in to my planet, while I was forced to leave it at nine years old. What were you doing at the time of the battle: playing Polly wanna cracker?¡± ¡°No. I was part of the extermination fleet, Taylor. That¡¯s why I ended up on Earth.¡± ¡°The fuck did you just say?¡± The fork and knife clattered out of my hand, as I no longer cared whether the pancake would grow soggy. ¡°How dare you come in here? You¡¯re worthless, despicable¡ªyou stole EVERYTHING! Slaughtering us all like vermin, and you think you could ever make nice with¡ª¡± ¡°I was eight years old. My parents stuck me in the extermination fleet. I have nightmares about what those Krakotl did, and what I did. I just pressed the buttons they told me to, which resulted in so many stupid fucking deaths! I was younger than you were leaving Earth, when they had me dropping bombs on predators.¡± ¡°You dropped the fucking bombs, yourself?¡± My fist clenched tighter, as a tension headache formed a band around my skull. This thing helped genocide my species, proving the apple didn¡¯t fall far from the tree. ¡°Eight years old, and already a murderer? The Krakotl send literal kids on a field trip to wipe us out. And your whole little beef jerky stunt, chomping on meat, is trying to prove what: that you¡¯re a predator yourself now?¡± ¡°We ourselves were omnivores just like you! The Federation, in their infinite wisdom, cured us. The guilt I feel, now that I understand my part in Terran suffering? That¡¯s why I¡¯m a Peacekeeper. Maybe I¡¯ll make up for it, and be better than those fuckwits. Maybe I¡¯ll die, like I should have for what I¡¯ve done.¡± ¡°Then you agree that you¡¯re unworthy of breathing Earth¡ªor any planet¡¯s¡ªoxygen?¡± ¡°I am unworthy of your species¡¯ kindness and compassion. I won¡¯t resist if you think I deserve execution here and now, but the idea was to give my life for a cause, in the service of humanity; to save a few lives for all I¡¯ve taken. There¡¯s no good deed that can eclipse what I¡¯ve done, yet I must try. Let me do something worthwhile, for you and for Tellus.¡± I scowled at the bird, feeling a coldness in my heart a thousand times deeper than what I¡¯d held against the Krev; this was the face of the people responsible for everything wrong with my life. My fingers curled around the knife. Despite knowing it was a dull blade, it was the nearest cutting instrument in reach. Cala being in the extermination fleet would¡¯ve been like if my people sent nine-year-old me to defend Earth, which was a laughable prospect¡ªan elementary school child in the military was beneath even us predators¡¯ standards. It was bizarre to think that was acceptable to them, but I knew I would¡¯ve questioned it if my parents told me to drop bombs on a planet! Also, I didn¡¯t really care to learn that the Federation ¡°cured¡± the Krakotl, since they had to be a monstrous species to slaughter us without mercy. What did slap me in the face was how the blue-feathered murderer spoke. Trying to atone for bloodshed she caused, with guilt that could never be undone: I related to that rationale. It was the same reason I had joined the military, to serve humanity in the wake of the drilling accident I incited. That crushing sense of responsibility had never truly left me. However, my volatility made me a liability as a soldier, which was why I¡¯d been forced to realize there were other ways to aid my species. Being a better person meant reflecting on the flaws that had landed me in that spot in the first place. The Federation were the original villains, if I set my emotions aside; they dumbed down the other species on purpose. The exterminators¡¯ ¡°kill all predators¡± theme song started and ended with them. If there was peace with the ugly birds, I wasn¡¯t going to ruin it again. Assuming this¡­Krakotl is truly capable of feeling guilt, and isn¡¯t just mimicking my own expression of that from reading my transcript, I might be able to get a message through to Gress. He¡¯s all I have. This isn¡¯t his first time getting captured by humans, away from his home and daughter, but these ones have a lot more power; he must be frightened. As much as a Krev is capable of fearing a furless primate¡­ Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. I turned the knife to saw off a piece of the pancake, popping it into my mouth with the other utensil. ¡°I¡¯d like to see your fucking transcripts. Whatever grand mentality went through our killers¡¯ heads¡ªthat oughta be something.¡± ¡°I have nothing to hide, if it¡¯ll make you feel better. I¡¯ll pick out enough for you to get the gist of where I¡¯ve been,¡± Cala sighed. ¡°How are the pancakes? I made the type from your home country, not the thin sort my human Papa would make and fold up in triangles. I know you Yanks prefer the artery-clogging edition.¡± ¡°Do I look like I¡¯ve been eating any processed foods?!¡± I protested, through a full mouth. ¡°I saw the bag of¡­obor treats in the lounge, and no obor.¡± ¡°That¡¯s berries and sugar: it¡¯s not that processed. And that was a recent addition to my diet. It reminds me of something I faintly remember from Earth¡­riding in a shopping cart with Mom through the bakery section of the grocery store, and sometimes, she¡¯d let me pick out a cookie.¡± My eyes watered, remembering the faint memories of a childhood I¡¯d had. I wouldn¡¯t know my family if I saw them; they might as well be strangers. I remembered the fucking pastries better than Mom¡¯s face. ¡°I liked the ones with the shitty icing. I remember what could¡¯ve been, if not for aliens. If I hadn¡¯t been sent away, banished¡ªnow the best years of my life are fucking gone. Never to return. Cala nudged me, noticing that I was pushing the food around my plate. ¡°If I can be candid, be grateful you had those best years¡ªparents who loved you, and gave half a flying fuck what happened to you. Not everyone does. Some people never had a happy childhood. I barely remember how my real dad looked, but instead of cookies, I remember yelling. Being locked in closets. Made your Tellus cavern look roomy.¡± ¡°Roomy? Fuck you! It wasn¡¯t a five-star resort, my entire living quarters were smaller than this fucking cell. You don¡¯t know shit about what I went through.¡± ¡°I wish I didn¡¯t know. My living quarters were smaller than my prison cell too, and my cage had literal bars. Believe me, that I know what it is to live in darkness, because electricity is seen as a waste for you. To hide anything you enjoy for fear of a reprimand at best, and that sliver of happiness¡¯ destruction at worst. I even know what it is to have done something reprehensible, which cannot be undone or taken back, for a cause so utterly pointless. Some people know only that reality, including the very settlers born on Tellus. Some people never knew there was anything better.¡± ¡°Some people never¡­shit. I, um, didn¡¯t think of it that way.¡± ¡°It can always be worse, Taylor. I think that might be my life motto. I even wrote a song with those five words as the title.¡± ¡°Sounds like a cheery-ass tune, real crowd pleaser. We should make that the Tellus national anthem.¡± Cala trilled with bitter amusement. ¡°As if you¡¯d pick a song written by a Krakotl to represent you. A Krakotl that bombed Earth to boot.¡± ¡°It stabs at me to hear that any bombs fell on my beloved homeworld. At least you didn¡¯t fucking succeed in killing us off. At least neither of us succeeded, for that matter; we got our asses handed to us at Nishtal and Talsk. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll have no problems at Aafa.¡± The Krakotl winced, her head snapping back. ¡°About that. Aafa¡­well, I think you have the right to know what¡¯s going on in the galaxy. The Arxur and a faction called, and I shit you not, the Federation remnants, started shooting at each other instead of the Consortium drones. The planet was lost, and your forces are still out there, which is why we need you to help talk them down.¡± Despair punched me in the gut. The war I set in motion had devastating consequences after all; how many had we murdered? What the fuck did Cala mean by Federation remnants, when they¡¯d all told me the organization was destroyed? Perhaps having lost an entire world would render peace impossible between the KC and the SC. Regardless of how much progress the Earth humans claimed to have made with their herbivore allies, these were the same prey that had insisted we would inevitably slaughter them all. This could slander my entire species, and the United Nations for creating our group. The terrible wars that threatened us all might never end; we¡¯d have to live in fear for as long as our kind existed! Even so, learning the scale of the innocent lives lost, much like how Cala had rained antimatter down on Earth, was the most crippling at all. The Kolshians were already defeated. I mean, of course, we know they¡¯re responsible for distorting the entire array of Federation species, but that¡¯s just¡­more blood on my hands. I¡¯m a monster. I deserve to die every bit as much as Cala. ¡°The Arxur and Federation fighting had nothing to do with you. That was their old hatred, and it would¡¯ve blown up somewhere, some time,¡± the Krakotl offered, as tears flowed down my cheeks. ¡°We read your transcripts. You were eager for revenge on Earth, yet even so, you neither made nor had any say in the decapitation strike plan. It¡¯s a shitty situation, sure, but the SC has forgiven worse. We can stop this from happening anywhere else, okay? If the KC want to be friends, I¡¯m sure humans will oblige. Especially since the Krev were protecting you.¡± I gritted my teeth. ¡°They were protecting themselves too, but also for nothing. What fucking reason is there to hope that things will get better? What, that it could always be worse?¡± ¡°It could be worse. If I had told you a few days ago to pick between having Aafa bombed or Earth bombed, it¡¯d have been a no brainer; your home is here. There are still plenty of possibilities ahead of us to restore order. It¡¯s only when a baby chick falls from the nest that they realize they need to fly, Taylor. We¡¯ve hit the ground, the absolute floor. There¡¯s an entire sky overhead, and we¡¯re in a place to make its reclamation happen.¡± I gestured to the room around me. ¡°From a prison cell?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t stay imprisoned long; neither you nor Gress will. If they charged you, they¡¯d have to charge every ark settler and Krev infantryman, which they won¡¯t want.¡± ¡°How do you know that, when we¡¯ve bungled every improvement the UN made through our actions?¡± ¡°The UN wants reconciliation, and they put out an announcement on Earth about reuniting loved ones. We made contact with Tellus, you know, and they¡¯re aware that humanity is alive now. Perhaps it might help you feel less alone, to recall that you¡¯re going through this alongside all of your fellow colonists.¡± ¡°They answered? Captain Sylvia must¡¯ve put you in touch with them.¡± I knitted my eyebrows together, recalling a panicked Cherise passing out pamphlets about the KC¡¯s defeat. She¡¯d wanted us to board a new ark. ¡°What¡ªhow are my people reacting?¡± ¡°Mayor Hathaway offered an unconditional surrender of any Tellus military forces, and we¡¯ve established diplomatic channels. I¡¯d describe the few blokes we¡¯ve talked to as shellshocked, inquisitive about Earth and loved ones. I don¡¯t know how the common people have reacted, though they promised they¡¯d make an announcement soon.¡± ¡°That should go over without any hiccups¡ªand yes, I¡¯m being sarcastic. It all goes back to the Grand Herd. The Sivkits just came to reclaim the world the Federation stole; we know that. Still, after laboring to be allowed to stay on Tellus¡­it¡¯s really all pointless if humans leave. That¡¯s been our home for twenty-three years. Like you said, it¡¯s the only world some of our settlers have ever known.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly where my idea for how you could help comes in,¡± Cala chirped. ¡°You were the liaison of Tellus to the KC. Why not be the liaison of Tellus to us? You¡¯re already cozy with Consortium parties, enough to help humanity establish proper diplomatic relations. You could also help put a better foot forward with the SC, plead the ark colonists¡¯ case, and make nice with any aggrieved parties¡ªstarting with the Sivkits.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. You know I¡¯m not a diplomat.¡± ¡°Is anyone in your colony?¡± ¡°No. But if you read my transcripts, you know I just kissed up to the KC. I don¡¯t want to be the person that capitulates to every demand, for Tellus¡¯ sake.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t be that person. You know what the ark colonists want. You know what it¡¯ll take to get peace. What better way is there to leave your vengeful past behind than to suggest yourself as someone that can mend those fences?¡± I swallowed. ¡°A quiet, happy life with Gress was what I wanted, not buddying up with the same aliens that hated us then, and now have actual reason to do so.¡± ¡°As long as Tellus has enemies, you won¡¯t have a quiet, happy life. You have the rare opportunity to put an end to a debacle you were a part of, so think on it. The choice should be simple.¡± The Krakotl collected the dirty dishes, as I chewed on the last of the breakfast and considered what she¡¯d said. My hope, for the longest time, had been to serve humanity¡¯s interests, and securing peace with their current allies would be an unequivocal way to do that. I knew that I was a failed diplomat, only schooled in appeasement, and prone to hot-headed outbursts ever since the drilling accident. However, the fact remained that I was a prisoner of war en route to Earth, who played a part in prolonging this tragic misunderstanding. The best way to protect Gress, and attempt to prevent the Consortium from facing steep consequences for aiding us, would be to try to smooth feathers. I wasn¡¯t sure that I was capable of such a thing, but at least it was finally a cause worth caring about. As the only representation the ark settlers would have in the Orion Arm, it fell on me to earn the forgiveness of aliens that I¡¯d very much wanted dead. Chapter 2-70 Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem Alien Liaison Date [standardized human time]: December 22, 2160 Whatever grievances Bissems might¡¯ve held against the humans, we knew they¡¯d pursue the rogue Farsul that Ambassador Loxsel had told us about. The full might of the SC, raining down on the ghost exterminators, was exactly what Naltor would like to see. Perhaps it would allow a sense of cohesion, after the horrific scene that had played out over Aafa. I¡¯d retired to my quarters for the evening, not daring to approach the Terrans after Kuemper had stormed off; the United Nations had locked themselves in their own wing for quite some time. I listened to the footage of a young Kolshian child, asking the camera in an innocent, scared voice, ¡°Why is home gone? The humans took it¡ªtook us away. When can I go back? It¡¯s not fair! I wanna go home!!¡± It reminded me of Ivrana. The war, a toll so distanced from me, which was claiming lives senselessly in the same way the Federation and the Arxur¡¯s old feud had. Bissems had that same pride that left us unable to relinquish our old hatred, even against each other. Lassmin stood untouched, yet the aftermath of the aliens¡¯ arrival marked other shores, plain and clear. The Tseia, fighting the Selmer and the Vritala nations, with protests at home in favor of both sides of the war. Some saw Zalk taking a more prominent role alongside Lassian diplomats as favoring the Nomads. As a largely Vritala nation, much of the public thought we should side against the Tseia. Protests about alien refugees had included a march across the Gray Basin, where Dustin and his team had first landed. We were a people divided, just as the Sapient Coalition was divided. I missed the simple life I¡¯d had back at Fishing for Alien Intelligence¡ªan agency that shuttered its doors since there was no need for us to comb the stars. Desensitization to horrors that I wouldn¡¯t have dreamed of, and playing politics up here¡­I was sickened with the person I was becoming. I contacted the Zurulians to try and right the ship and find a path forward. What was I even doing, convincing Loxsel to partner with the Arxur and agreeing to team up with Kaisal ourselves? The grays used our new fleet as shields; they were deplorable allies! It was easy to say I¡¯d compromised myself to ensure Bissems had a place in the galaxy. The truth, however, might¡¯ve been that I was chasing a dream that didn¡¯t exist. But I can¡¯t say that. If I give up on that idealistic dream of aliens, that would be admitting my lifelong passion and obsession¡ªwhich kept me away from friendships or any kind of non-FAI social life¡ªwas useless. I don¡¯t want to crawl into bed with this weight on my shoulders. I¡¯d like to watch Space Expedition reruns, and imagine us exploring the galaxy, all subspecies in harmony: no wars at home or in the stars. Finding that the closest thing I had to friends up here were Naltor and Loxsel, I decided to seek out the Selmer general for some solace; regardless of his thorny exterior, he cared about me. The Sivkit was no source of stability or comfort, with him playing the part of a lunatic. He wasn¡¯t in any Bissems¡¯ good graces after keeping our attackers¡¯ identity to himself throughout the entirety of our diplomatic relations. The playwright didn¡¯t take anyone¡¯s suffering seriously, so there was no reason to assume he¡¯d coddle me. I heard voices from within the conference room, one of which I¡¯d have known as Naltor¡¯s from a mile away. He sounded furious with whoever he was calling. Trepidation creeping in, I poked my head through the doorway to see Kaisal on screen. ¡°¡ªdoesn¡¯t matter. You used us as fucking shields, when we¡¯re just getting off the ground. Do you think because you gave us a few ships, you can take a few away and call it even? What the fuck?¡± Naltor screeched. Kaisal narrowed his eyes with fury. ¡°The Remnants attacked us, and you didn¡¯t fight alongside us at all! You¡¯re using us, just like the humans. The Carnivore Alliance means nothing.¡± ¡°Clearly. You can¡¯t even bring yourself to apologize for your shitty behavior!¡± ¡°Neither can the SC. The Yotul came around pledging to be on our side: the only one out of the whole alliance.¡± ¡°We got you out of isolation; that was the deal! You think we can afford to take on the whole Federation remnants, and have them exterminate us?¡± ¡°We would not allow it!¡± ¡°No? You sure you wouldn¡¯t use Ivrana as a shield for your drones?¡± ¡°We protected Earth, so why wouldn¡¯t we save Ivrana? Earth isn¡¯t the only planet we stood behind. I¡¯m sorry that this situation is difficult for you¡ªthough I¡¯m not sorry for my actions, so take that apology as the best you¡¯ll get! The Remnants attacked us for trying to help, and the humans did nothing. Those are the facts. We must take the initiative in this war so they don¡¯t come to Wriss or Ivrana.¡± ¡°There is no we, Kaisal.¡± ¡°Then you are a fool! This galaxy needs to be rid of that ideology to ever give us a chance of getting out, or you a chance of being an equal. We¡¯re going to obliterate every ship and manufacturing center in Yulpa territory, and we¡¯ll move on to all of them, one-by-one! As it so happens, we already might have help with the Drezjin or the Malti.¡± ¡°Help?¡± Naltor asked, at the same time as I mouthed the words. ¡°That¡¯s right! The Yotul shared some interesting information about who we were fighting. It was humanity and their Federation-hating friends; we were helping save the feckless UN from their own people. Finally, some humans with guts. I think this Consortium would help destroy the Remnants.¡± Humans¡ªthe peace-loving humans¡ªare behind this? That doesn¡¯t sound at all like the people that fought alone for acceptance and friendship; they¡¯re the ones who wanted to stop these genocides. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why the Terrans would be involved with such acts. I don¡¯t understand why you want to solicit the help of this Consortium, if they started this whole Hirsdamned war! We were just fighting to stop them from glassing planets,¡± Naltor sputtered, sounding as befuddled as I felt. A scowl hardened into Kaisal¡¯s face. ¡°The Arxur want allies who might accept us. We¡¯re going to visit them at once, for two things: to acquire their help in destroying the Remnants, and to ensure they will no longer mistreat our obligate carnivore brethren. The Jaslips, or Osirs, as you call them, need our help; they¡¯ve had their world destroyed, and been relegated to heavily-surveiled enclaves. They deserve liberty, just as we do! The Consortium must grant us that to avoid our wrath turning on them.¡± The Osirs¡­are alive, and apparently in dystopian enclaves? This just gets better. I¡¯m done. ¡°What will the SC think of your interference with this¡­Consortium?¡± Naltor demanded, as I turned my back in disgust and walked away. ¡°Using them to attack the Remnants¡­¡± ¡°¡­will do the galaxy a favor. We¡¯re not asking for their permission. Besides, who knows if the SC survives the news that humanity was at the heart of this. I surely¡ª¡± Kaisal¡¯s voice faded off, with that conversation having instilled only new qualms over what we were doing here. The Sapient Coalition that I¡¯d scraped and bent my morals to get us into might be about to collapse? I thought of humans as the galaxy¡¯s protectors, yet some sect of theirs had run off to launch the largest attack in Orion history, on entire planets? I believed that they surmounted the fleets of unfathomable devastation which consumed dozens of worlds, during the Federation¡¯s reign. The predator prejudice was about to get even worse; it didn¡¯t take a genius to figure that out. The Remnants could come after us for no reason other than our diet, and this so-called proof that hunters were genocidal maniacs! Plus, the Arxur planned to help burn more worlds. You know what? Fuck it. I¡¯m going to the UN suite, delivering the news about the extremist Farsul, and then I¡¯m getting the heck out of here, like Kuemper did. I¡¯ll regret not passing the message along, should the ghost exterminators kill more people while Loxsel allows ignorance for his amusement. I pushed through shoulder-to-shoulder soldiers outside the doors, not caring if they stopped me. The humans hesitated to forcefully prevent my entry, rather shouting and chasing after me with long-legged strides. I stomped up to a slack-jawed staffer in the lobby, and could feel every feather trembling with fury. This was the last I wanted to see of any alien politician; they were all rotten and murderous, every damned one of them! Just like the resigning Secretary-General had exclaimed, there was no doing good up here. I¡¯d been so foolish to believe any of this organization¡¯s stated goals. The lives of entire worlds were just numbers to them, footnotes on speeches. The United Nations didn¡¯t forgive their enemies, or truly unify the galaxy. Onso was right about them losing their way, and Kaisal was right about them refusing to challenge the hateful preyfolk. Hearing that they attacked Aafa, Talsk, and Nishtal, enemies already defeated? Maybe they¡¯re just as poisoned by hatred. ¡°Take me to whoever the fuck is in charge in Kuemper¡¯s place!¡± I demanded. ¡°Who is it?¡± The UN staffer blanched. ¡°Liaison Tassi. Now isn¡¯t a good time¡­¡± ¡°I know all about the Consortium, and that humans were involved in this. I have important news to deliver to the Secretary-General, so you can¡¯t plead ignorance for the next genocide that happens! Who is running your rotten government now?¡± ¡°Um, Elias M-Meier.¡± My head snapped back. ¡°The man whose brain scan you put into an artificial body?!¡± The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Y-yes. That one. He was in-charge back when we first m-met aliens, and he¡¯s very nice. I shouldn¡¯t be talking to you, but you can¡¯t go sharing¡ª¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want me sharing what I know about humans? I owe you nothing. Where is he? Point me to Elias, or so help me Hirs¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s in the SecGen¡¯s office,¡± the staffer croaked, angling a finger toward a door at the end of the hallway. ¡°Please, just wait here for a moment, or let one of the Undersecretaries attend to you. Elias is occupied with another diplomat.¡± ¡°That¡¯s your problem. Either Elias gets my info, or no one does.¡± Still simmering at the thought of everything the Sapient Coalition, and humanity themselves, had put us through, I stormed toward Meier¡¯s office. That memory transcript technology was another issue, using it to know a person¡¯s every thoughts! Deceased individuals were being brought back in a way that could render flesh-and-blood beings obsolete, and humanity sped it up by putting their old Secretary-General back in charge? From what I knew of Elias, he silenced his own people through Emergency Order 56 and was commended for it. He gave some speech to the Shield, which created this entire mess by summoning the Remnants: who hated predators. I didn¡¯t think highly of the synthetic human. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have to tell you this, Korajan, but I want you to hear it from me. A small group of ark ship humans, who fled during Earth¡¯s attack decades ago, joined up with an alien entity known as the Krev Consortium.¡± Those words, coming through his door, stopped me in my tracks. That story reframed my perspective on the supposed human involvement, and why they would¡¯ve done such a thing; they were seeking revenge for the attack on Earth, not knowing what had become of the Federation. ¡°That¡¯s who¡¯s been attacking Aafa, Talsk, and Nishtal. As I understand it, Kalqua¡­is among their next wave of targets.¡± A voice, which I thought belonged to a Duerten, screeched in outrage. ¡°What did you just tell me, Elias? After everything Kalqua has been through¡ªyou know that we never forgive attacks on us. I wanted nothing more than to see your diplomatic efforts succeed, and to see us become friends; you almost made me believe in you. What am I supposed to do with this?¡± ¡°We, the United Nations proper, will defend the Duerten with overwhelming force. We saved you decades ago, which must be remembered and worth something. You know we didn¡¯t let your world fall then, even after you spit in our faces; how much more fervently would we stand beside you now, as dear friends? Having worked together for so long and finally being proper allies?¡± ¡°You will destroy these humans and the Consortium, and do it with a smile.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t advise any planet¡¯s destruction, Korajan, because what I want is a peaceful resolution. Have you no sympathy for terrified ark colonists, who saw nothing but the Federation¡¯s utter hatred for our existence? Even you wanted revenge for those you deemed responsible for the deaths on Kalqua; they believed Earth had no survivors, and demanded that same destruction you ask of me now!¡± ¡°You told me you wanted to move on from the old hatred of Aafa and Talsk, but you¡¯re an apologist when your own people attack and kill them. I¡¯d overlook their deaths, because I don¡¯t care¡ªbut we are your allies! We have been faithful. We advised neutrality with the hotter heads in the Shield, and gave you our gratitude. The power is in your hands to impose justice now. We¡ªI believed in you. I aided you against my government¡¯s wishes. Your people gave us back our identity, and gave us light in the darkness. A way forward. You promised us progress, yet here we are again!¡± ¡°That we¡¯re here again is my very issue. Healing and compassion are where true progress and enlightenment lies; I can¡¯t compromise that like others in the UN have done. Korajan, you are my friend. We might not always see eye-to-eye on methodology, but I believe in you too. This hatred must end somewhere. Please. Join me in making this right.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t join. Not with my people in the balance. The Duerten delegation will join the Kuemper in walking out of this disgraceful sham of an organization. Until you learn how to make a better offer, Elias.¡± The door was flung open, and I pulled myself back against the wall as a gray-feathered avian stomped past me with wings outstretched. Korajan angled one seething eye toward me, beak parting with disdain. The Duerten didn¡¯t offer any words, instead pointing his beak at the ceiling and stalking off in a haughty manner. My righteous anger had fizzled out after hearing that exchange. Elias Meier actually wanted to let go of the old hatred, and wouldn¡¯t bend on his morals? Healing and compassion were the path to progress; somewhere in my tattered, idealistic soul, I still believed that. All I wanted was an alien who genuinely sought to help, without any demands in return. I peeked my beak through the entryway, seeing a silver-haired figure leaning over his desk, head in hands. Meier looked so crushed and exhausted. Would Elias actually care about all that Bissems have been through? Could he show me more than that brief glance of humanity, the unifiers and defenders, that I saw at Nishtal? I knocked on the door with a flipper. ¡°Sir? I understand if you don¡¯t have time now, with the Arxur-Federation war, and these ark humans coming to light.¡± The synthetic Terran¡¯s gaze snapped up, and his eyebrows knitted together; a gentle smile creased his face. ¡°I¡¯ll always have time for you, Doctor Tassi. The UN should¡¯ve supported you and your bid to join the Sapient Coalition, and also given you some training wheels to find your way. They made choices about their priorities that I don¡¯t agree with. Whatever you need, ask. Perhaps these words sound hollow to you, but I mean it; I¡¯ll rattle any cages I must.¡± ¡°Thank you, sir? The United Nations has sent more¡­aid to Ivrana of late, in fairness.¡± ¡°So she did listen to me.¡± ¡°She? Kuemper? You¡¯re the reason that humans started reaching out.¡± Elias shook his head. ¡°No, I wouldn¡¯t say that. I merely reminded Kuemper of a purpose she had long since forgotten. I can see that same disillusionment in your eyes, Doctor; her departure from the organization comes on the heels of two decades of disenchantment. How hard it is to take abuse, and maintain one¡¯s optimism¡ªpleading with kindness and reason to an unblinking audience.¡± ¡°It is impossible. I can¡¯t bear to be surrounded by all of this death and destruction, and having to struggle for everything we¡¯ve been given.¡± There was something about his mild-mannered demeanor that was so disarming, that the words spilled from my mouth. ¡°Being manipulated and used by humans, the very people I looked up to! Even after Dustin was supposed to bring it to your attention, not so much as an apology; I assumed those gifts were some half-hearted attempt to offer one, but it seems not.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know anything of this, and to my knowledge, the SecGen¡¯s office was never approached by Dustin Curtis with any grievances. Who manipulated you, Tassi?¡± Does he sincerely not know? ¡°General Jones.¡± Anger radiated from his artificial eyes. ¡°That¡­I believe. What did she try with our first uplifts, behind the United Nations¡¯ back?!¡± ¡°Well, sir, she threatened to expose¡­ah, I¡¯ll have to add on some context that might not reflect well on us. She threatened to expose to the SC that we¡¯d been speaking to the Arxur, and that our leaked information was behind their escapade, if I did not spy on my own people for her. I understand if this makes you angry, sir. It was true.¡± ¡°The only thing that makes me angry is Jones, blackmailing you into¡­spying on your own people. For doing the very thing that I asked of Tarva with my final breath! I wanted to make peace with the Arxur who desired a better future, yet the Sapient Coalition won¡¯t speak with them. Bissems should have the same free choice as any galactic citizen; there¡¯s no such blackmail for the Yotul, or even us, building embassies on Wriss.¡± ¡°We¡¯re trying to shirk the blackmail, sir. Naltor was clever enough to admit that he brought the Arxur to Talsk, which rendered Jones¡¯ info useless. I told him of her scheme, and I didn¡¯t betray my people.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. You should¡¯ve never been approached and threatened by any of the United Nations¡¯ high-ranking officials. I¡¯ll have her crimes brought to the attention of the high council, and find out whether Kuemper had any inkling of this. You have my word. What can I give you that¡¯ll begin to make this right? Name it.¡± ¡°Have the Sapient Coalition call the vote on our trial status. See that it passes.¡± Meier arched his eyebrows. ¡°Done. Our word won¡¯t be worth much, but I¡¯ll call for a vote and argue tirelessly on your behalf. Your right to exist as a sovereign people, enjoying equal privileges under this organization, should not be questioned. We¡¯re fortunate that you still wish to join us, Tassi.¡± ¡°I wanted Bissems to be part of the galactic community once. I haven¡¯t felt we have any true friends, sir. I¡¯m done with this¡­worthless dream. I¡¯ll be following Kuemper¡¯s footsteps and heading home.¡± ¡°You need a break. Self-care and self-love are the same, Tassi, so I encourage to take a sojourn on Ivrana. What I humbly ask of you is to come back. Give humanity¡ªunder my guidance, perhaps¡ªone final chance to make this right. The entire SC needs to start over fresh, and without good people like yourself, that cannot happen.¡± ¡°What could I do that¡¯d make any difference?¡± Meier¡¯s lips curved up wistfully. ¡°The impossible. You told me that¡¯s what staying optimistic, in the face of an abyss, was: impossible. I would rather our hopes proved foolish a thousand times over, than to give up on making this universe better. Someone must try.¡± Tears welled in my eyes, as those words struck a chord deep in my heart; he spoke with such an intoxicating optimism, despite knowing it was a pipe dream. This was the humanity whose ideals I had commended, and would¡¯ve followed to the end of my days. Perhaps it was foolish hope that made me believe that Elias was as altruistic as he appeared, yet I¡¯d rather have that rug yanked out from under me a thousand times than to lose sight of it at all. For all that was broken on Ivrana and in the Sapient Coalition, I wanted to believe that a more harmonious future could exist. There had to be some parties that weren¡¯t cruel and self-serving here, even if we had to lead them ourselves. I wiped the water from my cheeks, and ducked my head. ¡°Thank you, sir. I¡¯ll consider coming back. I¡¯m sorry to have burdened you with this; it wasn¡¯t even what I came here to say.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad that I know how you¡¯re feeling. My door is always open, and I would very much like to see our people become the most earnest of friends,¡± Meier responded. ¡°If this wasn¡¯t the whole of your concerns, might I ask what you intended to share with your visit?¡± ¡°I hate to add more to your plate, but it¡¯s serious. The Sivkits knew who attacked Ivrana a hundred years ago all along. According to Loxsel, it was a sect of rogue Farsul archivists who believe they should kill all meat-eating sophonts.¡± I noticed Meier¡¯s expression morph into alarm, and bowed my head sheepishly. ¡°They tried to find species like us before the mainstream Farsul had a chance to try a cure. They hide in secret, and have some information that wasn¡¯t even recorded in the official archives. Like Tinsas¡¯ location. I¡­thought it was important that humanity should know.¡± ¡°If this is true, that constitutes a grave threat to many of the SC¡¯s members, as well as to any undiscovered species who can¡¯t begin to defend themselves. Loxsel isn¡¯t reliable, but still¡­we need to track down the Sivkit ambassador at once. Please excuse me, Doctor. I must inform my generals of this, before I deliver this¡­speech.¡± The human offered a strained smile, which seemed to be concealing an internal, rising dread. ¡°When it rains, it pours. What a day. You¡¯ve done well, friend¡­go shed some stress on Ivrana. It¡¯ll do you good to forget this all.¡± I bowed my head. ¡°It seems a reprieve might benefit you as well.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have that luxury. There¡¯s no other diplomats in stock that won¡¯t be yawning up a storm by the thirtieth hour awake.¡± Meier flashed his teeth, amused at his quip. ¡°Take care, Doctor. Until we meet again.¡± I stepped out of the Secretary-General¡¯s office in much calmer fashion than how I¡¯d barged over to it. Elias Meier would have his most unenviable task ahead of him, sharing the news of the ark colonists¡¯ involvement in the attack. I hoped that Duerten Ambassador Korajan¡¯s explosive reaction wouldn¡¯t be representative of the rest of the assemblage; if anyone could achieve a peaceful reaction with everything that was erupting at once, I believed it was the man I had just spoken to. Humanity, and the Sapient Coalition, might find their way again under his leadership. Chapter 2-71 Memory Transcription Subject: Quana, Jaslip Soldier Date [standardized human time]: December 23, 2160 The people of Tellus gathered in the public square, which the Trombil had established; of the aliens present, it was mostly inquisitive Krev waiting on the arrival of the new babies¡ªthat shipment was running late. The humans, especially the paler ones, had to wear sunscreen to avoid being baked to a red, flaky crisp. How vulnerable they were to the elements, cementing their need for clothing in any climate. Tellus was an arid world, which left me glad to have my cooling armor. The local military base had been emptied for this gathering, with all citizens¡¯ presence mandated by Hathaway: who had returned a day ago from hospitalization in our bombing. I hated having to look upon the fruit of our handiwork, seeing the burned neck skin with the texture of paper mache. Cherise seemed more detached, like she¡¯d turned off some part of herself after weeks of spreading the news of the lost battles. Hibernation season approached in my enclave, back on the Smigli world, and I¡¯d thought about requesting the cultural leave I was guaranteed. Months of slumber would be a relief, instead of continuing onward down the path of extremism, and watching the Consortium collapse in real-time. I wasn¡¯t sure Esquo¡¯s Fighters intended to go into the winter¡¯s sleep, however. The Krev bombed the rebels once while we hibernated, back on our homeworld. It¡¯d give the scaly bastards an opportunity to eliminate the problematic terrorists, in response to what¡¯d happened to the delegates. Also, if they began rallying ark ships, we had ensure they didn¡¯t leave us behind; the humans and the Jaslips would be the species who the Federation would exterminate the swiftest. I enlisted because I wanted to help the humans, who were facing extinction. Perhaps our cause has forced Hathaway¡¯s response, and he¡¯s going to agree to board a new ark. Would he take a Jaslip with him? Should I just¡­leave my family and my comrades, who also want a ticket out, to live among these primates? ¡°The old leaders of the miners¡¯ strike movement have been up Hathaway¡¯s ass, Quana. We can¡¯t let the Federation find us,¡± Cherise muttered. ¡°Maybe the babies are here, and that¡¯s the signal for us to ditch the Consortium; that¡¯s why he waited. So we¡¯ll have a better chance next time.¡± I curled my lip in disgust. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t trust your mayor. He was eager to curl up next to the Consortium delegates, which speaks to his character.¡± ¡°We all wanted the Krev¡¯s help to save our species, and destroy the Federation. I¡¯ve seen Hathaway twist situations and people to his advantage, but he seemed genuine about not wanting us to get¡­exterminated. In that regard, he sounds like everyone else who was an adult on Earth, and remembers.¡± ¡°Like your uncle, you mean?¡± ¡°Sure. My uncle used to tell me bedtime stories about the Krakotl coming for us, and¡­I wish I could talk to him. I know he wouldn¡¯t approve of the things I¡¯ve done, but I¡¯ve felt a million miles away, every time we¡¯ve shared a meal since¡­¡± ¡°I feel the same with my family, when we speak via holopad. I¡¯m happy to be here, at the military base, instead of face-to-face with them. I wonder if they know, since word has a way of getting around Esquo¡¯s Fighters. They would¡¯ve said something, right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, Quana. The feeling that you¡¯ve been away from someone for so long, when they¡¯re right next to you¡­I got out, at least as close as a human could on Tellus. Security: that meant I was tough enough. I might not have worked the mines, but I could push my body just as far¡ªboot camp proved that. Why would I feel so morose and melancholy now, as opposed to everything else I¡¯ve been through? I was silent through much worse.¡± ¡°We all have a breaking point. Jaslips have a saying about taking lives. ¡®To kill another, you must first kill yourself.¡¯ It¡¯s not literal, but¡­it rings true. Our innocence has departed from us for good, and what we must do¡­is make use of what¡¯s left. Should Hathaway not speak the truth, we confront him here.¡± Cherise shook her head with disgust. ¡°I¡¯m seeing this through. I won¡¯t back down. I¡¯ll start a fucking riot, if that¡¯s what it takes!¡± The icy resolve in her voice reminded me of Aulan; the impassioned speeches of the Jaslip Independence Brigade must¡¯ve rubbed off on my human friend. I believed a riot was quite possible, with all of the Tellish colonists gathered here. It wasn¡¯t too long ago that we¡¯d sat in a kelai shop, and I¡¯d come to the stark realization that, despite how their souls might bleed through it all, the primates would burn everything to the ground with their final breath. I wondered if the Earthlings had a last spiteful display, as the bombs obliterated their fledgling species. This new planet couldn¡¯t come to that again. There was so much more than the downtrodden Jaslips at stake. Every Consortium world would be under attack, when the Federation found the carnivore enclaves harbored there. Esquo¡¯s Fighters wasn¡¯t a glamorous or wealthy place, under heavy surveillance and with tauyas being the homes many could afford. Still, it¡¯s my home. I¡¯m not ashamed of where I come from, and it¡¯ll be strange to have that all¡­gone. To either have our own world or be dead. ¡°Good morning, colonists of Tellus! It¡¯s good to be home.¡± Hathaway raised a fist with a strained smile, but I could see something resembling panic in his brown eyes: the desperate look of a drowning man, like a Jaslip who¡¯d fallen through the summer ice. ¡°I have some developments to report that will change everything for our people. This can be a new beginning for us, if you¡¯ll allow it. Please, remain calm.¡± Cherise¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Shit, Quana. Is he actually about to say it?¡± ¡°It sure sounds like it,¡± I mumbled. ¡°Or he could mean the babies arrived, and that¡¯s the new beginning. He¡¯s right if he has misgivings about how the Krev will raise them.¡± The mayor paused, pressing a hand to his deep brown chin: void of the silvery beard, after the bombing. ¡°I knew from the moment I heard this that I had to tell you. The ship carrying our precious children was attacked and boarded. But hold on! Our enemies are not entirely the Federation species. We noticed a United Nations logo, and found humans¡ªother humans entering our ship. I have made contact with humanity¡¯s homeworld; there are still people that are alive there. Earth did not fall during Kalsim¡¯s attack! Our home survived!¡± The visceral reactions throughout the crowd were swift and immediate, before Hathaway had finished his prepared line. There were screams and gasps from the humans, in contrast to a mix of excitement and confusion from the Krev who¡¯d joined the gathering. Cherise swooned, as her legs gave out, and tears poured down her olive cheeks. The Tellus colonists seemed to have a universal display of shock, before a wave of cheers¡ªclapping hands and shouting with joy¡ªovertook the crowd. It took several seconds for my brain to process what I¡¯d heard, rather than look around for any clues on how the fuck to process that news. I knew I should be delighted that the primates hadn¡¯t been massacred, but I didn¡¯t understand how Earth survived. What had the Federation done to them, as the price for their continued existence? Was this news worth celebrating? The settlers didn¡¯t share the same precautions, with some begging to go home at once. It was bizarre to imagine that the people we¡¯d been fighting were composed of humans all along. Was the war I¡¯d signed up for on their behalf meaningless? Their entire initiative was pointless, as some of the more shrewd primates seemed to realize; why had they ever come to Tellus? If they were all booking it to the spaceport, that meant Cherise would be¡­gone. The playful sisterhood we shared had warmed me to an alien, for the first time in my life. Humans were the only Consortium species that sympathized with us in this dispute. They understood what it was to suffer mistreatment in a way no other race could. I wondered whether the war against the Feddies would simply cease like that, and perhaps our entire civilization would peel out of hiding¡ªif it was safe for obligate carnivores like us. Wait¡­did we become extremists that bombed the Krev capital for nothing? If humans are alive and going home, we¡¯re not getting on an ark; we killed our consciences for absolutely fuck-all! The Jaslips will never outlast this shame, with the Consortium having this narrative. We¡¯ll carry this burden around for the rest of our lives. ¡°The news is even more triumphant from Earth; they turned some of the Federation species, like the Venlil, to their alliance¡ªcalled the Sapient Coalition. They won the war with the Federation two decades ago, and eliminated the existential threat we faced! Nobody is coming to wipe us out, my fellow citizens!¡± Hathaway pronounced, though his excitement seemed forced. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. That news sent a freezing current curdling through my veins, and my fur stood upright in a second. Those goofy-ass, newly spacefaring omnivores vanquished the Federation many years ago, and we¡¯d been hiding from an entity that didn¡¯t even exist any longer? The Consortium massacred Esquo for absolutely nothing, and holed us away in enclaves also for nothing! We could still be on our homeworlds today, not facing an exaggerated threat that we clearly could¡¯ve faced. If Earth managed to defeat all of those idiotic species by themselves, why shouldn¡¯t we have tried? We didn¡¯t even look to see what had changed, and that was as foolhardy as could be! This entire war was against a phantom, endangering Jaslips under false pretenses¡­they kept us down. I was going to rip them apart, and make them pay for what they¡¯d taken. Where was our independence?! The Krev could never begin to make this right! Cherise choked on snot, denial in her gaze. ¡°How can that be? We didn¡¯t have any hope. All of them attacking us, and we barely had a few thousand ships to our name¡­¡± ¡°The Federation never would¡¯ve found us. Less than a decade after Esquo, they ceased to fucking exist!¡± I snarled, adrenaline rushing through my veins; I yearned for a fight. I wanted to get home to Aulan, and embrace that human spirit of burning them all with us. ¡°They can¡¯t even pretend to justify the shit they¡¯ve done to us! I regret nothing we did, Cherise¡ªthey deserve worse. Though I imagine you¡¯ll just go home.¡± ¡°Q-quana¡­I don¡¯t know that planet. Earth, I mean. I¡¯ve seen it on postcards and vaults¡­¡± ¡°Then you¡¯ve seen more of Earth than I¡¯ve seen of Esquo. Clearly, things weren¡¯t so bad for humans as you all said!¡± ¡°I¡­two decades. All that time, we¡¯ve been here, licking Krev boot heels¡­and we¡¯re safe? We hid for nothing? More than we already thought it was for nothing. We were fighting our own people? I don¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Like you¡¯ll still sympathize with the Jaslip cause, now that you have a perfect homeworld to return home to; you can just leave. The Krev will let their cute darlings leave, alright.¡± Hathaway raised his hands, as people rushed up to him shouting questions; Krev journalists scrambled to cover the news. ¡°I know we¡¯ve shed so much blood, sweat, and tears in building our beautiful Tellus. The United Nations has expressed interest in visiting and sending aid, and I, of course, welcome a reunion with home. My hope is to get this world of ours accepted as one of Earth¡¯s official colonies, and to welcome new human citizens from back home! We have walked so they can run. This can have been for something, if we settle the frontier for our people.¡± ¡°What if we want to leave?¡± Cherise shouted. ¡°That will be your choice! I¡¯m working to get us tapped into their internet, so you can see everything¡­and communicate with anyone back home. It¡¯ll be like you¡¯re there, without a weeks-long journey. Flights will depart from the spaceport, as soon as I can make arrangements; no one is obliged to stay. Just remember, here, we don¡¯t have rent or to want for anything, though. This entire city was given to us, so I don¡¯t want to squander our Eden. Besides, Earth¡¯s culture has separated vastly from our own; they moved on without us! The same prey aliens that drove us away now mingle freely on Terran soil.¡± I bared my fangs, stalking to the front of the crowd. ¡°You have a chance to return to your home¡ªwhich apparently, was there all along¡ªand what, you¡¯re making this some UN colony? We don¡¯t get a colony, but you do, even though you have a home to go to? Greedy fucking bastards! The Jaslips deserve it much more than you!¡± ¡°Jaslips are more than welcome here! I certainly think you should have a colony; you don¡¯t have to hide anymore either. We had nothing to do with the Consortium¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you joined them?! You want to be a UN colony, so what the fuck happens to your Consortium membership?¡± ¡°The Krev will certainly, ah, understand that our allegiance is to our people first, and that we thought they were dead when we joined. That doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t lead Earth, in its relations with all of the species here¡ªyes, and maintain a close friendship.¡± ¡°Why do we want a close friendship if our fucking people are at war with the Krev?¡± a miner shouted, to immediate looks of horror from the nearby scaly aliens. It was like they¡¯d just watched their children die in front of them, which made my whiskers twitch with amusement. ¡°We should switch sides. Those xenos exploited us for twenty years; we don¡¯t owe them shit! Earth has everything, so why would we stay here: separated from our culture, Mayor, like you pointed out?!¡± ¡°Earth is complicated. While they certainly had more luxuries than us, the tables have turned. We can have orbital rings before them, which will be no doubt worth a fortune some day. With this happening in our lifetimes, stake a claim here¡ªwe¡¯ll be rich! Or our children can be, when we pass the wealth we suffered for to them! Also, we can protect humanity. We already have a military base, so we¡¯ll expand their influence and, um, we can be a key staging ground to strengthen our species. Nobody can ever threaten us again if we¡¯re spread out, right?¡± ¡°If the UN wants to strengthen their influence and keep this shithole, they can manage that themselves. What does fucking riches mean if we never go back and spend it, Mayor?¡± ¡°It means this wasn¡¯t for nothing, my dear friend; I want to have something to show for our time here. You and your brothers worked for twenty-three years. All I¡¯m saying is, don¡¯t rush to go back to that life on Earth. Labor laws there aren¡¯t as cushy as you remember. We can wait for the UN to show up and make proper allocations for us¡­and make sure they won¡¯t punish us.¡± ¡°Punish us?¡± Cherise blinked in shock, as I glared at her: why was she acting like this was bad news for her?! Humans couldn¡¯t always play the victim. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean we must show we¡¯re on their side¡­prove our loyalty and worth. They are coming to see how we live, and they can suggest what to do to have a smooth transition. We¡¯re in this together. Even if you¡¯re leaving, you don¡¯t want to leave the ones in your Tellus family, who¡¯ll choose to stay, high and dry. Just think this through, and keep this neat and orderly. It¡¯ll only be a week until UN officials arrive from the Paltan base; I arranged this for you and for us! Real humans from a living Earth, here before us: a sight to see! I¡¯ll be here to welcome them even if I¡¯m alone, because we must apologize for what we¡¯ve done. Properly.¡± There were a few moments of hesitation and uncertain murmurs, before clapping spread. The Krev gawked at the happy expressions among the crowd, though I could see they were unsettled hearing that their organization¡¯s purpose was false¡ªand it was good that they were disquieted! They were likely more upset about fighting the cute humans than killing Jaslips for nothing. The only thing the primates had been useful for was getting them to not scrutinize my actions. The Tellish were going to become like everyone else, now that they realized we weren¡¯t kindred spirits at all; their mayor just said he wanted to buddy up with those obor-loving Krev freaks! Mammals with scales, and anyone wanted to be their friend? There was no sign of the riot Cherise had promised, even though the facts of the war cover-up hadn¡¯t changed. A friend, my supposed best friend, would be livid for me. She didn¡¯t ask if I was okay; she only asked about wanting to leave¡ªleave all her troubles behind! Self-serving¡­I¡¯m going to take as many of the Consortium¡¯s people down with me as I can. Whatever Aulan asks. Anything! ¡°We could weep for what this cost us in the past, but instead, we must exalt the glamor in our present and future. Let us celebrate, my friends! Let us celebrate our complete freedom and control over our destiny, the peace and prosperity that our people have achieved, and the glory of humanity that we will be a part of. Have you not seen how mighty the UN¡¯s fleet was in battle? Yesterday, we ruled Tellus; today, we rule the galaxy!¡± Hathaway cheered. I pinned my ears back, slinking out of the square with disgust. ¡°And we¡ªwe don¡¯t even rule ourselves. I guess that¡¯s why humans are coming here: to lord over us. Fat chance. I¡¯ll have my liberation or I¡¯ll have my death.¡± ¡°Quana!¡± Cherise shouted. ¡°Wait up! I need to talk to you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what you need.¡± ¡°What the fuck is wrong with you? I know where you¡¯re going. I wanted to come with you, to make sure Jaslips don¡¯t get shafted in this all. I want to know the truth, because I trust you and Aulan more than the fucking mayor. Am I not good enough for you, now that my species is apparently alive?! What a crime. This is hitting me like a fucking tsunami, but you can¡¯t even think about anyone but yourself.¡± I whipped around, biting her sleeve¡ªripping off a piece of fabric in warning. ¡°How dare you?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not wrong!¡± ¡°I joined the military to help humans; I felt sorry for you.¡± ¡°Why the fuck do you think I joined up with Aulan? I risked everything, before I knew about the ships losing; only knowing what Mafani said about those kits. And you what¡ªthink I didn¡¯t care about you?¡± ¡°Of course you don¡¯t; nobody fucking does!¡± I stared directly into Cherise¡¯s binocular eyes, feeling my claws curl against the pavement with rage; her cheeks were tear-streaked, and though she held my gaze, I could see her lip wobbling. My anger fizzled for a half-second, with the memories of our playful banter in boot camp coming back. The friendship had grown into sharing our deepest secrets, and selling our souls together; as angry as I was at humanity for their good fortune, Benson had been with me unconditionally. My wrathfulness toward the human was isolating her from the only person she felt she could talk to, after what we¡¯d done with the bombs on Avor. I was too livid to put myself in her paws now, or even to ask about her feelings, but I¡¯d be stupid to turn away someone willing to help the cause. A primate face had a much easier time slipping through Krev security, after all. With a growl of frustration, I beckoned Cherise with a tail frond; she could follow me, if that was still her wish. It was time for me to go home, and join whatever chaos was unfolding as the news reached our species. The Jaslips wouldn¡¯t be fighting for an ark to save us from the Federation anymore; this time, it would be about unequivocal independence from the Consortium that had oppressed us for so long. Chapter 2-72 Memory Transcription Subject: Elias Meier, Former UN Secretary-General Date [standardized human time]: December 23, 2160 I could feel the eyes of every herbivorous diplomat on me, noting how I¡¯d replaced Kuemper at her mantle by the podium. My shoulders felt heavy from the knowledge that I¡¯d have to stand before the Sapient Coalition, and announce that humanity was behind the heinous, genocidal attacks. Telling Ambassador Korajan that Kalqua would be under siege, due to a war my species incited, had made me glad I didn¡¯t have actual insides to become knotted up; I had still felt that phantom pain in my gut, which I could chalk up to guilt. The Duerten wouldn¡¯t be the only one to react with disgust, and he might not be the lone representative that left these halls because of the truth. Who among this assemblage was a true friend to Terrans, even when we were implicated in ¡°conquest¡± that they¡¯d all expected from predators? I held the note cards that a United Nations aide had rushed over to me, and all but threw into my hands while I was left no time to peruse them. I flipped through them to skim what I was expected to say. My eyebrows slanted downward with disgust; the pandering rhetoric didn¡¯t critique a thing about the Battle of Aafa, or do anything other than try to paint us, in Laisa¡¯s words, as ¡°cuddly, harmless, and peaceful.¡± I wasn¡¯t convinced that hiding parts of ourselves, as if Emergency Order 56 had never ended, was going to fix anything. It was an emergency order, not something I intended to be kept forever. If we had to pretend in perpetuity to retain a friendship, could those allies even be called allies, let alone friends? There was never any understanding about how we might be pushed to the brink, or how our cohorts might¡¯ve done things unsanctioned by our government. Why do we have to prove that humanity did not plan this attack? Should it not be self-evident that the United Nations had no hand in this? The worst part was that some might offer their species¡¯ equivalent to a nod, applauding the ark colonists¡¯ revenge. There would never be the peace that I held so dear, as long as the United Nations bent a knee on this matter. My anger still burned after everything Tassi had told me, about how Bissems had been abused and judged. Humanity had enabled that; in trying to stand with everyone, we stood for nothing! My thoughts were rife with all of the churlish behavior we¡¯d endured ourselves from our so-called allies. I remembered how angry I had been, about how next-to-nobody stood beside us at the Battle of Earth¡ªthe very reason I sent out the ark ships at all. The aliens were every bit as fickle now, and if they were truly in support of us, they must stand with us when the chips were down. The notecards were shoved into my pocket, since I¡¯d chosen to speak my own truth. I wasn¡¯t going to beg for forgiveness; I was going to demand change. ¡°The Sapient Coalition was founded as a commitment to each other. I see it as a marriage between our planets; a bond intended to be built on common values and mutual trust.¡± I noticed the human diplomats growing pale as I ad libbed my own metaphor, and a calm smile crossed my face. I rested my hands on the podium. ¡°Humans make vows to each other, on their wedding day. For better or for worse, the words go. Swearing to stand beside one another in sickness and in health. Rich or poor. Would you say those are fair expectations to place on an alliance?¡± Laisa¡¯s ears perked with intrigue. ¡°Of course. The Venlil are with humanity¡­until death do us part.¡± I made a sweeping gesture to the governor, impressed with her knowledge. ¡°Someone¡¯s been to a Terran wedding or two! At any rate, it¡¯s easy to¡­pretend that all is fine in our organization, when we¡¯ve been enjoying a rich prosperity and healthy dialogues between our people. We¡¯ve seen ¡®for better.¡¯ I question whether this union can stay together, now that we¡¯ve reached ¡®for worse.¡¯ Because while our partnership may have looked rosy from the outside, or to those in denial on the inside, it is a broken marriage.¡± Chatter erupted across the assemblage, with many SC representatives taking exception to my words; Mazic President Quipa trumpeted her disagreement first. ¡°Why? Because we don¡¯t do what you want, when you want it?¡± ¡°If this is about Aafa, humans invited the Arxur and the Federation remnants, not us. They ruined everything. Should we have stayed, and lost all of our ships because of them?¡± the Gojid Prime Minister spat. ¡°Your Secretary-General is the one who quit! If it¡¯s broken, look in the mirror for whose fault it is,¡± the Thakfi ambassador sneered. ¡°We¡¯ve stuck with you, in spite of what you are.¡± ¡°Silence!¡± I shouted, as the UN diplomats melted into their chairs. Jones was the only one who looked amused. ¡°That¡¯s exactly the problem. This is an abusive relationship, where humanity feels trapped¡ªexactly why Kuemper quit. We have been infinitely understanding and accommodating, while walking on eggshells around this assemblage like one would a raving, wife-beating lunatic! You do not answer when we call in crisis, and do not support our endeavors when they matter most. At best, you go along with us half-heartedly, to pretend you tried. The one-sided relationship ends today!¡± Quipa stamped a massive, dust-brown paw. ¡°How dare you say such things about us?! You really think we¡¯re an abusive spouse who you¡¯re trapped with? Do you want us all to leave?¡± ¡°No, but we shouldn¡¯t have to worry that our allies will just leave us if we upset you. We shouldn¡¯t have to throw up our hands as injustices are perpetrated under our watch, because this organization refuses to adhere to our actual vows: that Declaration of Sapient Rights that we all signed. It was important to the United Nations once, that our children should inherit a better galaxy than us. Yet we feel powerless to do anything on the path of healing or reconciliation, when that goal is struck down as somehow injurious to you. That¡¯s how Aafa happens.¡± Chauson, the Zurulian ambassador, lifted a paw. ¡°The Zurulians second this sentiment. There¡¯s no need for more deaths in the galaxy, but by holding onto what was done in the past, many haven¡¯t helped to prevent it. Medically speaking, it¡¯s a bad idea to let old wounds fester.¡± ¡°Old wounds have festered aplenty here; they¡¯ve governed the very course of our policy decisions. There hasn¡¯t been change, or any desire to change from the antiquated, broken ways. Perhaps the most damning of all is that humanity doesn¡¯t have the trust of our peers. To defer to the metaphor of a relationship, is it healthy to be interrogated for your every move? To have your partner be suspicious of you, trying to catch you in the act of cheating?¡± ¡°We¡¯re hardly worried about that. Running off to join the Remnants would be ill-advised and impossible, even with your efforts, Elias Meier,¡± Onso prodded. ¡°You place no trust in us in a different way, but that is the bedrock a relationship stands on. Instead of cheating, it¡¯s waiting for us to prove we¡¯re violent predators, since you¡¯ve only penciled us in as an exception anyway; instead of realizing that the Federation lies have no basis in reality! You remember our every mistake, while we¡¯ve forgiven some of you for ransacking our homeworld and spitting in our faces. As for infidelity, you needn¡¯t worry how steadfast humanity is, but you have shown a penchant to cheat and shop around for newer models. Are you with us to the end, or with us because it¡¯s convenient?¡± ¡°It was never convenient to join an organization created by humans,¡± the Paltan delegate commented. ¡°What more do you want from us? We¡¯ve been with you from the beginning.¡± ¡°I thank you for that. What I¡¯m asking for is this organization¡¯s compassion and understanding, rather than your judgment. Work with us, and try to compromise rather than being unmoving as a mountain. If you do not want us in our anger, at our lowest point, and in the rebuke I am giving you right now, you don¡¯t want humanity as a friend. You want some perfect ideal that doesn¡¯t exist: that never existed to begin with.¡± The silence that hung over the chamber was quiet enough to hear a pin drop. I could discern that many were shocked to hear a UN diplomat speaking with such candor, and expressing discontent with our lot in the Sapient Coalition. While they didn¡¯t know how to react, none of the alien representatives had left yet, but I hadn¡¯t told them why I raised these points. Perhaps offending them before delivering the news about the ark ships wasn¡¯t the ideal method. Would they grasp what I was saying at all, or were they about to launch into blind accusations toward Earth? My eyes lowered, the wind dropping out from under my sails. I didn¡¯t want to return to the days of the galaxy hating us. I simply wasn¡¯t willing to prostrate to keep the quiet, which the UN mistook for peace, any longer. It¡¯s better to be alone than in a toxic relationship, so long as you¡¯re able to survive on your own. We shouldn¡¯t be kicked around for all eternity. We shouldn¡¯t turn a blind eye to how many fucked up things this organization has done. I pulled the notecards out of my pocket, waving them in the air. ¡°Let the record reflect that the United Nations wanted me to apologize, and to beg for your forgiveness for what we¡¯ve learned today. What I want¡­is for you to return the support, the compassion, and the friendship we¡¯ve shown you. I want you to work with us to solve this without blame.¡± ¡°Solve what?¡± Krakotl Ambassador Kelsel squawked. ¡°The Arxur-Federation war?¡± ¡°That too, but I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not what I¡¯m referring to. Twenty-four years ago, when Earth was under threat, I authorized ark ship vessels to flee Federation space and ensure the continuance of our species. When we captured some of our mystery attackers, we discovered that¡­one of these ark ships had partnered with an alien union called the Krev Consortium, to seek revenge on the Federation for the presumed death of their species.¡± The uproar that broke out was so calamitous that it almost made me cover my ears from discomfort, even without eardrums to be injured. Many leapt to their feet, clamoring for more details on what these ark ships even were, and why we¡¯d sent them out; they seemed to think the UN had thrown them to the stars with this purpose in mind, when in truth, those vessels were told to run far away. Others were furious about humans putting their ships at risk, and my combative tone in spite of what we¡¯d done. There was undoubtedly a hunger to know more about the Consortium, and why they would¡¯ve joined forces. The accusatory voices weren¡¯t centered on our predatory nature, with only the Leshee diplomat proclaiming that she knew this would happen. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Leshee Ambassador Yali simmered with frustration, voice deafening. ¡°I knew the humans would come to this eventually! Attacking worlds is in their nature. They¡¯ve been playing at being our friends, while they¡¯d sent ships of their own off to plot!¡± ¡°Benighted Tinsas!¡± Loxsel yowled, flailing his paws at the ceiling. It appeared he¡¯d finished his questioning with our generals. ¡°Fooled even myself until I stood abreast of the bier, fooled into believing the forever-walkers were docile and peaceable! What a ruse, lo! Us representatives close-serried into this pen they call a reception hall, right where they may assert dominance. No wonder they desultorily tried to reclaim Tinsas; humans were they who stole our love and hearthstone! They were killing indiscriminately here¡ªslaughtering ten million Sivkit expeditioners, defenseless and hapless¡ªwhile taking the helm of protectors.¡± ¡°They are protectors!¡± the Krakotl ambassador shouted. ¡°Humanity saved Nishtal. I forgive their transgression, as they¡¯ve forgiven us! Mazic President Quipa scoffed. ¡°Whether they protected Khoa or not, Meier just had the gall to accuse us of being what caused Aafa, when his people are more to blame than anyone! They talk about injustices, turning a blind eye: their people were sent off to get revenge! Nobody ever shared that with us.¡± ¡°The United Nations wanted no such thing,¡± I objected. ¡°The ark ships were told to flee as far as possible from the Federation; they have done the opposite by coming back looking for revenge. I sent them because I believed¡­we¡¯d die at the Battle of Earth. Only two alien races came to our aid, yet we haven¡¯t turned away the call of any who asked.¡± The Tilfish delegate clacked their mandibles with regret: a gesture I could identify after my time with Virnt. ¡°The UN had every opportunity to take revenge, and none would have questioned it. Instead, they showed mercy and spared us; they let us join here as friends and equals. That¡¯s what Elias wants to return to doing, and that¡¯s the choice humanity¡¯s government made.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Aafa anyway. They got everything coming to them, and still not enough,¡± Harchen Ambassador Nahley commented. ¡°We regret participating in the attack on Earth. Who can fault some humans for desiring payback after all that was inflicted on them? They believed every Terran had been slaughtered.¡± ¡°Yeah! The Kolshians should¡¯ve been killed years ago. It¡¯s only a shame that some of the Farsul made it out from Talsk,¡± the Gojid Prime Minister sneered. The Thafki representative snorted. ¡°If predators must kill, it¡¯s about time they start killing the right people. There were 12,000 of us left; there¡¯s still billions of Kolshian evacuees. The galaxy should be rid of them¡ªthen those Arxur next! That¡¯s how we solve the Federation-Collective war.¡± ¡°Absolutely not!¡± I shouted. ¡°There are people who had nothing to do with any of your suffering. Do you want to be relitigating the same old wars, or deciding who is worthy of the rights that should belong to all? What if it was your species that¡¯d done such things before you were born?¡± ¡°Then I¡¯d know¡ª¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t want to be blamed for a crime you took no part in. Just as the United Nations had no hand in this ark affair, and we¡¯re still going to work to rectify it. Nobody wants to be slaughtered, all because you¡¯ve been born the wrong species! Stop lying to yourself!¡± ¡°I hope to get the ball rolling on making the situation better. We must send aid to these humans, helping to reunite them with their families,¡± Zurulian Ambassador Chauson commented. ¡°They deserve our medical advancements.¡± I dipped my head with gratitude. ¡°That¡¯s the spirit we need: radical peace and acceptance. Show these fleeing human refugees, who only remember your hatred, that we¡¯ve changed. It¡¯s time to be more than our worst qualities! Humble yourselves. Remember that we are all the products of our circumstances, until we decide to be the products of our beliefs.¡± ¡°Just what are those beliefs supposed to be?¡± ¡°That we must work to mend all wrongs and wounds, even those hardships inflicted on our persecutors. I wish to pour my heart and soul into a peaceful resolution, without any more blame or bloodshed¡ªfor neither of those things will do anyone any good! Who is truly with us? If you can¡¯t abide working alongside us for the common good, without prejudice toward any living soul, then leave this hall!¡± There wasn¡¯t a sound from the SC representatives, who looked at each other for a long moment, but no species had made a move to abandon their station. I noticed the Venlil delegates break into Terran-style claps, which were picked up by the Krakotl and a few other allies. There was a lot of awkwardness and murmurs, but even the vocal Mazics and the partial-member Leshee stayed put; I hoped that it wasn¡¯t just a lack of sympathy for Aafa keeping them here. I turned my eyes toward the empty Duerten station, and tried not to mourn the friendship that Korajan had stomped away from. The kind-hearted avian had been so angry and unable to be reasoned with; demands like that didn¡¯t belong in the SC. Just as I¡¯d encouraged anyone who didn¡¯t seek peace to leave, I supposed it was for the best the Duerten Forum had departed. The writing was on the wall when his ¡°kindness¡± was to pretend, at my Shield speech, that he hadn¡¯t heard me imply that I wanted Aafa, Talsk, and Wriss to join the galaxy as equals. Korajan and his people won¡¯t accept it, when I push for restitution. ¡°I¡¯m glad that you¡¯ve chosen to stick it out. I hope we will all take this time to look inward; in fact, I do not hope. I won¡¯t settle for anything else!¡± I exclaimed. ¡°Let me turn the floor over to Onso, who will share what we know of the Consortium¡­and of Tinsas. It¡¯s my hope to give the latter back to the Sivkits, though I understand their ambassador¡¯s skepticism.¡± ¡°Woe to you, predator! Your monstrous presence is a blight upon our soil, which must be purged!¡± Loxsel wailed. ¡°Rid your odious paws from our planet; name your true prize! No more pretense from the forever-walkers.¡± I stared directly at the Sivkit, challenging him. ¡°Oh, that reminds me. After Onso¡¯s diatribe, our generals will share something about a rogue sect of Farsul conspirators that the Sivkits kept to themselves. Humanity intends to address every threat we face, for the sake of our safety! If you¡¯ll excuse me: I¡¯m going to return to my office, and work on drafting a peace treatise until it¡¯s finished.¡± I strolled down from the podium, crossing the aisles of the lengthy auditorium and traveling out into the station¡¯s halls. With those words spoken into the air, it was inevitable that it¡¯d circulate to each Sapient Coalition world in no time; at least the United Nations had provisions in place to reunite families. I imagined the Tellus settlers would be pariahs for a while, but what was important was that others wouldn¡¯t call for savagely eliminating these problematic humans the way Korajan had done. We could move forward with initializing a peace and attempting to stop the drone advance, while hoping to broker an accord between the Federation and the Arxur. My final wish in my true life had been to reach out to the grays more; perhaps I could manage that. I wouldn¡¯t be in this position long, but I could set a few things in motion for the next generation to run with. I creaked open the door to my office, expecting to gather what items I thought most important to cover in an accord before summoning my staffers. Instead, I found a miserable-looking gray avian, with wings covering a familiar corn-colored beak, who was seated on my couch. The Duerten station had been empty during my speech to the SC, so I¡¯d believed they¡¯d followed through on their promise to leave. Korajan had been so disarming and welcoming, ever since I met him at the embassy; it was difficult to reconcile the tambourinist who utilized polished, diplomatic lines back then with the angry ambassador who renounced me. The murder that had blazed in his eyes a few hours earlier, was replaced by sorrow. I moved the door more forcefully, alerting him to my presence. ¡°Elias,¡± Korajan murmured. ¡°I do care about you, you know? I wanted to help you from the moment you came to the embassy, asking for our ships, but I couldn¡¯t. My government left no wiggle room.¡± I gave the Duerten a testing look. ¡°I recall Kuemper thanking you for promising to be there, if Earth ever needed aid. Perhaps it¡¯s not so simple to give that favor, when the aid we need is your forgiveness.¡± ¡°What I remember was that you came knocking because you were defeated at Tinsas. What happens if you falter again?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no guarantee that they¡¯re coming for Kalqua. With three potential targets, we don¡¯t know anything for certain. The Consortium might be able to stop the drones before anything happens, but if it comes to a direct attack? What I can say is that you¡¯re an SC member, and that all of us will band together. You have Shield allies too.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t say what happened if you fail. I¡¯ve noticed your insecurity, Elias, with the entire mind transplantation process. My deepest insecurity, and one shared by many of my people¡ªKalqua being lost. I expected you, as my friend, to care about that enough to respond to it with a measure equal to the crime! I wanted you to listen, like I listened and bought your whole ¡®leap of hope¡¯ spiel. Do you know how old I was during my homeworld¡¯s bombing?¡± I offered a sympathetic frown. ¡°Too young, regardless of the actual number.¡± ¡°I was seventeen. Duerten, we have massive, extended families, so we all went to a bunker together; flocking next to one another¡­it gave a guttural snap, when the bunker collapsed, as loud as lightning! The only survivor in the whole bunker: that was me. And I lived by a ¡®miracle,¡¯ because my father had piled on top of me to take the blows,¡± the Duerten whimpered, tears pouring from his face. ¡°The falling rocks, the ash in my beak¡­that silence as I laid trapped for days, knowing nobody else was moving. The thirst¡­what a horrible way to die! It can¡¯t happen again¡­¡± I settled next to the avian, gently wrapped an arm around him as he broke down. ¡°I am sorry, Korajan. I can¡¯t imagine what that was like, and the survivor¡¯s guilt you must¡¯ve felt as a mere adolescent; my life at that age was tranquil by comparison. I don¡¯t think anyone should bear that kind of suffering¡ªand that¡¯s what I was trying to spare Aafa from. Hatred, revenge: it has real consequences for real people. For other adolescents, and citizens with no say-so in such matters. This won¡¯t make you feel better.¡± ¡°Then what will? Enacting no consequences, and letting your species¡ªthe arks you sent off¡ªattack us?¡± ¡°I¡¯m suggesting forgiveness, Korajan, not the abandonment of consequences.¡± ¡°You speak of forgiveness, but so little of justice, Elias. You expect us to do nothing now, with my homeworld threatened¡ªand that¡¯s the end of us, if they pick off what little is left. A few thousand humans and their pets, who¡¯ll make no difference to your species¡¯ success, was a small price to ask, when they¡¯ve brought this upon themselves! How can you claim to care about anything I¡¯ve suffered¡­or the people who¡¯ve died?!¡± I withdrew my hand, fixing him with a stern glower. ¡°There¡¯s an ancient human saying that aligns with your demands: an eye for an eye. The idea that any who wrong you must be wronged the same way. If they cut out your eye, their eye must be cut out as well. That is the justice you are seeking, is it not? So, how many grieving children, wailing at the death of their parents and all that they knew, will satisfy you?¡± ¡°What? It¡¯s not about¡­¡± A flummoxed Korajan hopped to his feet, fluttering his wings defensively. His eyes darted around, as if speedrunning the five stages of grief inside his mind. ¡°I want them to be¡­punished. The gravity of their crime¡­¡± ¡°The punishment you insist upon is making them feel the same pain you felt. That is what you¡¯re asking by calling for them to be killed, is it not?¡± I prodded, and watched a wordless Korajan open and close his beak, fumbling for a reply. ¡°Those responsible should face punishment; being violent and cruel in return isn¡¯t the only way. I don¡¯t want us to become people who do that, Korajan. Let¡¯s try something else.¡± ¡°I guess I can¡­raise those points with my government.¡± The Duerten ambassador shook his head, stumbling toward the exit. ¡°An eye for an eye, huh? The rest of the SC¡­needs that speech too.¡± I watched Korajan vacate the room, relieved that the Duerten hadn¡¯t left quite yet; it took a great deal of courage to open up like that. There were too many people in this sector of the galaxy with deep-rooted pain, but someone had to find the right words to get through to them. Perhaps the gray avian had a point that the ¡°eye for an eye¡± rebuke should be heard by many more ears. It was the only way we could take true steps to healing the centuries-old rift in our stellar neighborhood. Chapter 2-73 Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem Alien Liaison Date [standardized human time]: December 25, 2160 It felt strange to utilize a sideswim again, rather than walking around. Water was very much tied to Bissems¡¯ relaxation, as evidenced by the flotation tank salons that passed by on every street corner. Sitting at home, watching the livestream broadcasts, had proven unconducive to my recovery. The screens were all too happy to plaster the darkness of the world and the aliens in front of my face. The two were often intertwined, as evidenced by a group of Zurulian-and-human doctors working for charities, tending to victims on both sides in the war zones. Even in a story as grisly as that, there were helpers. There were good people in the stars. I just had to remember how to be one of them. Maybe the irony was considering why aliens had been so captivating. It was about us more than them¡ªhow much I wanted to escape the world I¡¯d come running back to. Ivrana was a flawed planet that I¡¯d hoped could change with the waggle of a flipper, yet reality wasn¡¯t so simple. I bore some personal responsibility for losing sight of what mattered. My work became more important than my family, almost like scanning the skies was my religion rather than the teachings of Hirs. I remember listening to the verse readings from the pulpit, with one that had sat framed on my FAI desk. ¡°The mysteries of the heavens are not as strange yet as the mysteries of the soul.¡± My work belongings had been sent to my apartment in a box, and I¡¯d stared at that plaque for quite a while. The Tassi that sat in an office all day had died with first contact, but maybe her optimism could live on. All of the politics and exploration in the world wasn¡¯t going to make me feel whole, when what I truly wanted was to form a meaningful connection with someone else. I hadn¡¯t spoken to my coworkers at Fishing for Alien Intelligence in months: not one of them. That was why I was heading to the fish guts bar where we used to go and drink on special occasions, hoping to run into a familiar face. I wondered how they felt about everything that had played out. Were they excited over the ubiquity of extraterrestrials? Sivkits and Farsul both living on our world. That makes them accessible enough to the public, even without a spaceship to hop on. ¡°What¡¯s the idea with letting those long ears squat in our backyard?¡± I heard a Bissem voice ask outside the bar, which gave me pause. ¡°I¡¯ve seen a couple walking down the streets and made sure to take the long way around. For all we know, they¡¯re dusting the air with the cure.¡± His conversation partner bobbed her flippers. ¡°It¡¯s no secret what they do to meat-eaters. Rest of the galaxy had the right idea letting them flounder. I mean, what the fuck is our government doing?¡± ¡°Moving every alien right on in. I don¡¯t trust them, and I don¡¯t see why we¡¯re paying for them to get free housing. I don¡¯t see Lassmin ponying up for us. Never see a Farsul working long days and nights, missing their fucking kids for a couple pence.¡± ¡°Have you ever actually spoken to a Farsul?¡± the words spilled from my mouth, before I could stop myself. ¡°They¡¯re displaced civilians who were locked on their own planet for all the shit you just mentioned¡ªwhich they had nothing to do with.¡± The male Vritala rounded on me, putting his beak inches from my face. ¡°What kind of alien sympathizing scum do we have here?¡± ¡°She¡¯s one of them FAI bastards. Rode with that bald animal in the car¡ªshe brought them here!¡± the other accused. The door swung open, and I recognized a Vritala named Klasso came to stand protectively in front of me. ¡°Is there a problem? Dr. Tassi did not bring the aliens here; they contacted us. As I remember it, the Lassian military came to our offices, shut the place down, and dragged her there.¡± ¡°And I do sympathize with aliens. People that come from space are still people,¡± I spat. ¡°You just want a scapegoat. Someone to blame and hate for all your problems.¡± ¡°Tassi, get inside.¡± Klasso pulled me backward, into the safety of the pub. He stared down the two strutting Bissems for a moment. ¡°Ignorant fools. Why don¡¯t you pick on someone your own size next time?¡± The former FAI staffer slammed the door shut in their faces, and I ducked my head with gratitude. He herded me over to a stool adjacent to his by the bar, resuming the sipping from his glass. Klasso had been a specialist in identifying astronomical phenomena, often able to rule out strange signals as the results of pulsars, magnetars, or other celestial bodies. There was talk around the office that he was a bit of a neuroholic, but he was typically kind and thoughtful at work. The Vritala lifted a flipper to flag down the bartender, before ordering a round for each of us. I held the glass in my grasp with uncertainty, always having been too straight-laced for day drinking. Reminding myself that I was here to relax and destress, I chugged the stringy fluids; the oil taste linger in my mouth, as the neurotoxins absorbed into my bloodstream. There was a fish called the Memlifin on Ivrana, whose flesh was supposed to be poisonous. In small doses, however, it could have psychological effects on Bissems. Alien races would not be able to consume it, since it could have lethal consequences. I¡¯d heard of at least one instance of humans having to be forcibly denied access to it multiple times, as they insisted it would be fine. Perhaps they believed it was the carnivore equivalent of alcohol, and while that was true socially, it was a rather different chemical compound. The primates shouldn¡¯t be too keen to order death in a bottle. Leaning back, I glanced up at the TV screen and the picture of an orange ocean. It was then I noticed the fluffy white mammals on a boat, and tilted my head in curiosity. Klasso followed my gaze, snickering. Stolen novel; please report. ¡°Bringing the Sivkits here was ingenious, Tassi. Turns out they have a taste for all of that algae that¡¯s gotten us into a doom cycle,¡± the Vritala remarked. ¡°An undo button to an insurmountable problem. There¡¯s already been a noticeable decrease in the waters nearest to Nelmin.¡± I gawked at the screen. ¡°You¡¯re kidding me! In that case, I hope the Tinsas issue won¡¯t be sorted out so fast. I¡¯m almost willing to turn a blind eye to the fact that they knew who was behind the Starlight Incident.¡± ¡°They what?!¡± ¡°Oh. That¡¯s¡­not going to make that duo out there like the Farsul anymore. It¡¯s probably for the best that I don¡¯t elaborate.¡± I could already feel some airiness in my skull, as a complete lightweight. I had to push the conversation off of me, before I started spilling classified information and inflammatory tales like how the humans tried to blackmail me. ¡°How¡¯s life been treating you post-first contact?¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t get a FAI paycheck anymore. A lot of the staff moved to either running scientific studies on aliens, or working for the diplomatic corps that has¡­hundreds of these guys to deal with. Many won¡¯t talk to us directly, but I hear you¡¯ve been changing that.¡± ¡°You flatter me, Klasso; I don¡¯t think I had that much to do with it. You said a lot of the staff. I asked about you. Are you chasing a Sivkit down a sideswim with a lab needle?¡± Klasso chuckled. ¡°My specialty is listening to radio signals and matching them up with stars, not lifeguard duty on Nelmin. Which is a thing too¡ªthere¡¯ve been several drowning incidents from the algae craze, which is why they¡¯ve been given boats. And still drown hanging over them. Not the brightest bulbs.¡± ¡°The Federation dumbed them down on purpose, and it sounds like they once were just like us. I got to read a bit of their old theater. It was highbrow, very articulate and polished with ideas¡ªsane worldviews. I want to throw their ambassador out an airlock, but I do think their species could improve. If we help in some small way¡­and you¡¯re dodging my question about your job.¡± The Vritala lifted his glass, downing it quickly and signaling for another. ¡°My knowledge is useless now. I have a job as bouncer here now. Clearly, I¡¯m doing it so well.¡± ¡°Klasso, are you sure it¡¯s a good idea to be¡­you know. Around Memlifin all the time? I have connections. I could get you a job super far away from here, exciting as could be. Maybe talk to some observatory on Earth that¡¯d take the first Bissem astronomer¡­¡± ¡°Not all of us are ready to pack up and leave Ivrana at a moment¡¯s notice. I¡¯m fine, but thanks for offering, Tassi. If I really wanted to, Hirs knows they¡¯re recruiting half the damn planet¡ªqualified or not¡ªto deal with the alien diplomacy shit. Everyone who wanted to landed on their feet.¡± I studied him with concern, shooting the bartender a look before they could bring the next round. ¡°Change is hard, Klasso. I know you¡¯re a smart guy, and I know the aliens are¡­more complicated than we expected. I¡¯ve come home to take care of myself, because I neglected my personal life chasing what I thought I had to do. We never talked enough for me to know your story, but you shouldn¡¯t be holding yourself together with tape and glue either.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t save everyone. I¡¯m gone, Tassi. You think they want a perpetually intoxicated scientist with obsolete skills running point on diplomacy, especially with how fucked it all is. I¡¯d just make everything worse. You¡­you¡¯re doing good. All of us from FAI are proud of you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. There¡¯s nothing to be proud of; I achieved absolutely nothing.¡± ¡°No, you just didn¡¯t do everything you hoped for. The small victories add up, and then you turn them into big ones. I¡¯ll take it you unraveled the bit about, if I understood, the Sivkits knowing that the Farsul attacked Ivrana.¡± ¡°It¡¯s more complicated than that.¡± ¡°Exactly, and you got the answers. Shit, that could wrap up the war here on Ivrana, since they¡¯ll all want to point their guns at the ones who attacked us. Peace at home again¡­a common enemy that isn¡¯t a scapegoat might do us some good. Remind us that we aren¡¯t that different. I already heard there were talks about a treaty going down, ever since Aafa¡ªsomething good came of that.¡± I recoiled. ¡°An entire planet wiped out is not a positive thing, Klasso. It¡¯s like I said about the Farsul; we should care. They were people.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean. I just meant even in the worst places, there¡¯s a reason for hope. If I was up with those SC delegates, I¡¯d get wrapped up in all the large-scale catastrophes and world-ending shit too. There¡¯s nothing you did or could¡¯ve done with that. You¡¯ve found a little wiggle room to work; that¡¯s all we can ask.¡± ¡°I¡­I¡¯m tired. There¡¯s only so many catastrophes one person can watch.¡± ¡°So don¡¯t watch. Just put your feet up, relax, and stop trying to stop the bartender from handing me my way out.¡± I shot Klasso a stern look. ¡°I¡¯ve resigned myself to making things better in small ways. One of those is not letting you rack up any more organ damage for today. A lot of Bissem areas of expertise are obsolete or outshadowed now, but we have to reinvent ourselves. Catch up and learn. Take control of our future!¡± ¡°Start over completely from scratch. Right. That¡¯s totally plausible.¡± ¡°You at least want to talk to some humans; you never got the chance. Let me reach out and see if there¡¯s any observatories that would take you. No one¡¯s going to make you commit and leave Ivrana, but it might be a good thing for you.¡± ¡°If you insist. A free vacation to an alien planet is too good to pass up,¡± Klasso replied. ¡°Besides, I was always jealous that you were the only one who got to chat up that curly-haired nerd. He and I are the same person practically.¡± I found myself thinking about why Dustin had never ratted out Jones to the UN, and what Meier would do about it. ¡°Dustin was¡­is a good guy. You¡¯ll have fun with the humans, long as they show you their nice side.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tempt me. Now I have to bring out their mean streak: it¡¯s an irresistible challenge.¡± Be careful what you wish for Klasso. Just take the cushy observatory job and let them smile with innocence: trust me. Engaging with a Bissem who wasn¡¯t Naltor or Zalk, and had more grounded concerns than the developments of a war or an alien alliance, had been a relief. I felt like I might¡¯ve been able to help my old colleague find his footing, after first contact had left him rudderless. There were flashes of ways that I could make a difference, even if the improvements to my surroundings were microscopic. It was assuring to know that my passionate cohorts at FAI looked up to the work I¡¯d been doing, in spite of the tumultuous emotions I shouldered about how impossible it was. After a few days on Ivrana, I was ready to give humanity and the Sapient Coalition a second chance. My people were looking up to me to represent the average Bissem, and to pave the path for a future where we could thrive. Chapter 2-74 Memory Transcription Subject: Quana, Jaslip Soldier Date [standardized human time]: February 4, 2161 Even with the local government on Omnol turning a blind eye to the open rebellion in the enclaves, I wasn¡¯t sure that the Jaslip Independence Brigade would enjoy much success without outward support. Our heads hadn¡¯t cooled off one bit toward the Consortium, since the downfall of the Federation equated to our forcible relocation and Esquo¡¯s glassing being for naught. However, tempers had leveled out toward potential allies, such as the humans; assistance would be needed to unravel a machine like the Krev¡¯s institution. Earth hadn¡¯t committed any sins against us, and we¡¯d later learned that the United Nations proper had tried to resurrect our species with their Osir project. That¡¯d won a lot of credibility with our people. For now, the Jaslip and human babies had stayed with their original families, since transporting millions of infants for a month and ¡°swapping¡± them was a headache. Humanity cared more about saving the Jaslips, having only seen our skeletons, than the Consortium ever did. The Krev didn¡¯t care about our lives back at Esquo, and they forgot to even care about that elusive ¡°greater good¡± when it seemed all would be lost, in this era. They would¡¯ve let the Federation exterminate us rather than divulge the truth. They executed our kits on television just to discredit the very movement I¡¯m in, but we¡¯re the extremists! The Krev didn¡¯t dare to use explosive measures, with the United Nations arriving to sort out the Tellus debacle. Aulan, the Independence Brigade¡¯s leader, wanted to talk to them, but I didn¡¯t see how that was feasible. Getting Jaslips off of Omnol, which was a haven for ¡°heartless terrorists¡± in the KC, would be impossible. We¡¯d hunkered down to use old-school guerilla tactics, in an arctic climate against the Resket guards sent to quash us¡ªjust like old times on Esquo. I thought back to what General Radai said about his training, learning how to take flashbang grenades to the face because of us. It would be simpler if the Smiglis would help us, especially after their sovereignty was overridden to suppress us, but they were too preoccupied with handling cultural sensitivity studies for the Consortium. We needed fighters. ¡°Resket soldiers, closing in on these tunnels.¡± Cherise, who I felt lingering guilt over snapping at a month ago, was peering through binoculars over the hill. As the lone biped here, scouting fell to her. I worried for the human on account of the fact that she was still here, rather than enjoying her species¡¯ salvation. ¡°We know the plan. Blitz them and hold them off¡ªwhile we relocate assets and personnel.¡± I flicked an ear in acknowledgment. ¡°Yeah. Cherise¡­¡± The human¡¯s brown eyes were obscured beneath her combat helmet. ¡°Quana, you¡¯ve been tap dancing around me for more than a month. What is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I should¡¯ve never gotten angry at you, just because you were¡­luckier. You¡¯ve been a good friend to me, and you deserve a fuck ton better than someone who will take their issues out on you. I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re still here.¡± ¡°Because the Consortium¡¯s fucked up, and I¡¯ve already gone this far. Sunk cost fallacy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why ninety percent of the Tellish stayed with Hathaway? I would¡¯ve thought you wanted to go back and meet the United Nations liaisons.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t. Thanks for finally asking.¡± ¡°I¡­deserve that. I do care about you, but in the heat of the moment, it¡¯s like something snapped and I just¡­stopped caring. Like them. I¡¯d like to think I¡¯m not that person, yet the guilt: I can¡¯t look at you the same. I¡¯m so ashamed that it curls my claws, and it hurts to¡­¡± The human raised a hand, sighing. ¡°Let¡¯s just forget about it, Quana. It was months ago, and I made sure to give you plenty of time to process your shit. If you say it¡¯s not really you, I believe you. Make a mental note to yourself that I¡¯m not your enemy.¡± ¡°Done.¡± I ignored the jittery feeling of the anti-hibernation drugs, which hadn¡¯t helped my unease over this confrontation with the Reskets, and my admission of guilt. ¡°Go home, Cherise. To Earth. You¡¯ve done enough. I want you to be happy, and it¡¯s almost like you¡¯re here running from the UN.¡± ¡°With the things I¡¯ve seen and done, I can¡¯t see those people and call myself as human as them. I could leave, but I can never go home. I¡¯m not a quitter, you know.¡± I curled a tail frond around her wrist. ¡°I know, but I¡¯m telling you it¡¯s okay to. You risked everything to fight for us, and to fight for what was right, even when you had nothing to gain¡ªand everything to lose. You¡¯ve never had anything good your whole life either, for a dumb fucking reason, just like the Jaslips. I¡¯m not okay with using my friend as cannon fodder. We are losing. Why don¡¯t you go celebrate humanity¡¯s victory? Take a win for us all.¡± She could take a message back to the United Nations¡¯ personnel on Tellus, but only if she is willing. That¡¯s my best friend, who we¡¯ve asked too much of already. Cherise shook her head with stubbornness. ¡°I sacrificed too much to see an end to meaningless suffering as a win. This is a cause that¡¯s for something¡­and a friend who I¡¯ll always care about, no matter how much she spits at me. We fight the Reskets together. It might be hopeless, but hopeless is what I¡¯m used to.¡± ¡°If you insist,¡± I growled. ¡°We both know what must be done. Kill them by traditional means or take them down with us. Blow the tunnels with us all inside, like you said you would¡¯ve done to the Tellus caverns. The human way.¡± ¡°Not just humans. Predators get the job done. The Feddies were wrong about us being scary on the outside. The mind is far scarier than any eye orientation.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t have said it better myself. Let¡¯s show the Reskets as much dishonor as they can stomach.¡± Over the snowy incline, I could see the towering pink shapes of avians, who were sprinting at high speeds that no other species could match; their massive bodies meant we had large targets to shoot at. The Reskets were clad in combat armor, and were toting a varied arsenal to deal with any Jaslip Independence Brigade attacks. The fact that the Consortium still refused to let us leave, and sent their bird enforcers after us, said it all. The Jaslips weren¡¯t going to settle for anything less than our freedom and kicking them out. I steadied my tail fronds on the trigger, with a large gun mounted on my side. Cherise¡¯s breathing was low and calm, as she steadied a white-painted rocket launcher on her shoulder. There had to be hundreds of them versus six dozen of us. Aulan twitched his ear as a signal, and IEDs erupted on the pathway in front of the tunnel. Several Reskets in the immediate vicinity of the detonations found themselves mutilated, though they¡¯d spread out and gone through the snow, expecting some shady tactics. Jaslip fighters attempted to flank the squad, who were also ready for that; the avians whirled around like it was a telegraphed move, firing a slew of bullets. Cherise unloaded her rocket into a cluster of birds, finding that they hadn¡¯t brought any vehicles¡ªthey knew we¡¯d just blow them up. Surely they brought some mobile support. I turned my gaze skyward and switched on an infrared lens. Drones were looking straight at us, which proved we didn¡¯t have the element of surprise. ¡°Move! Clear out!¡± I barked. ¡°Take out those drones, before they calibrate a fucking orbital strike.¡± I popped off an armor-piercing round into an automaton, and sliced through its processor to terminate its flight. My barrel swiveled to pick off another one, as the Reskets rallied from our initial explosions. Jaslip fighters had rolled flashbangs into their midst, alongside more lethal weapons, to both disorient and maim them. However, the long-legged birds were wise to this, and they kicked several back toward our positions. I watched shrapnel bathe snowy fur in purple fluid just ahead of us. My eyes locked onto the last drone I could see, and I picked it off. Now, I could focus on the alien hostiles, but was it too late? If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Hundreds of hostile guns locked on to fire at every trace of movement in the snow. The Resket forces were a well-oiled machine, having trained for these exact circumstances; their command must¡¯ve been smarting from the humiliation we handed them, when their attempts to relocate us from Esquo dragged on. It was a source of great shame, for such a proud race. While they were still much easier to spot and hit, their white armor was a step up in camouflage. I supposed Tanet had seen the benefit of an enemy not seeing when they were coming. Cherise¡¯s hands seemed to load the next shell too slowly; yelps continued to come from around us, as other Jaslips were picked off. Saliva built in the back of my throat, the dread too much to swallow. We have to take as many of these bastards with us as possible. We can¡¯t surrender every tunnel, every city block, every place of residence down to the last tauya, to their control. The Jaslips won¡¯t surrender. The Consortium must realize we¡¯re not worth the hassle, if we don¡¯t quit. They¡¯ll keep making us a mockery and killing us for whatever their goal is on a given day, as long as we¡¯re under their foot. Cherise fired a rocket that took out several avians, before abandoning the heavy munitions and switching to a mounted machine gun; it was propped on a rock that afforded perfect cover. The rapid-fire whir was music to my ears, as she opted for a spray-and-pray strategy. Her firearm consumed the ammunition belts lying on the ground with insatiable hunger and speed. Aulan gave the signal for the final explosives to be triggered, using up the last of the bombs we¡¯d hidden along the path. Nothing could stop the Reskets¡¯ advance, however, and more just kept coming. I could see their own charges clipped to belts, waiting to bring the roof down on us. They wanted to destroy our infrastructure up-close-and-personal, where neither Jaslip nor Smigli anti-orbital interceptors could intervene. Besides, firing on Omnol would be an act of war that might make the hermaphroditic natives respond. ¡°We¡¯re getting fucking slaughtered. We need to fall back,¡± I told Cherise. The human stiffened, continuing to fly through bullets on her machine gun. ¡°One second. They¡¯re not on us yet, even as fast as they run. Not gonna get another shot at using this bad boy, and I¡¯d hate to let it go to waste.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to get shot if you stay here; they¡¯re going to take you out as soon as they get a good look. Two-thirds of our forces are dead, I¡¯d wager, from the bodies I see on the ground. It¡¯s over. Aulan¡¯s already pulling everyone back, so if you want to stay with the team¡ª¡± ¡°No, I get it.¡± Cherise abandoned the machine gun, though I could sense her reluctance. ¡°This would be a good death, you know.¡± ¡°The fuck are you on about? There¡¯s no such thing as a good death. There¡¯s no reason to seek one out.¡± ¡°If you say so.¡± The primate didn¡¯t expand on that last remark, though it sparked an immediate wave of concern for her mental state. If she was staying with the Independence Brigade in a deliberate effort to get herself killed, then I couldn¡¯t let her stay with us in good conscience. For the time being, I settled for whirling around and dragging her toward a staging area atop the tunnel; we had to get further back pronto. I could feel a bullet skirt over the fur of my shoulders, coming from a sidelong angle. Aulan waved to us from barricades he¡¯d set up, and I slid behind one with ragged breaths. Cherise sat down next to me, back pressed against the concrete. Whatever my friend had stewing in her brain, I wasn¡¯t ready for either of us to die. Everything that we¡¯ve been fighting to achieve means nothing if we eat a bullet now. Anything that¡¯s worth dying for is worth living for too. The Independence Brigade leader was considering a strategic retreat; it was brave of him to be on the frontlines with his fighters at all, given his importance. At least the Reskets wouldn¡¯t know how significant he was and target him. I began to turn my thoughts toward getting Aulan out of harm¡¯s way, so that the movement would have its leader. We could cover his retreat, though I found myself daunted peering down at the Reskets. They were like a swarm of suvrels¡ªhundreds of pink mites in the snow, descending on us. We¡¯d be lucky to hold out for a few minutes, but that would buy Aulan enough time. Maybe I could get him to take Cherise with him, since she was important for the hope of connecting us with the United Nations. ¡°If they¡¯re going to blow up the tunnels, we do it first,¡± Aulan decided. ¡°Let them start to set up their charges, and we reverse the tide. I¡¯m done retreating, done losing ground to these kibblarhans.¡± Cherise raised a hand in a tentative gesture. ¡°I¡¯ll stay and watch. I can trigger the charges from here. The rest of you should make a run for it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not happening,¡± I objected. ¡°I¡¯m asking Aulan, and he knows it has to be someone. I¡¯ve served my purpose. I¡¯m willing to take on one more mission.¡± The Independence Brigade leader thought for several seconds. ¡°One person can¡¯t stave off a horde, though I appreciate your unwavering courage in the face of death. There¡¯d be no failsafe to ensure that it goes off, if it¡¯s just you. You can stay with the team to defend the area, however. There¡¯s snowmobiles stationed back there for us to ride off on, so¡ª¡± Aulan¡¯s words were cut off by the explosions of gas tanks, as a Resket rocket slammed into the waiting escape ride. Alarm flickered in our leader¡¯s eyes, while he struggled to conjure a backup plan. Precious seconds ticked away, and the hostiles were following the footsteps in the snow; they climbed up atop the tunnel, taking shots at us. I muttered curses, realizing that we were doomed. Our position was about to be overrun, and after how poorly the initial defense had gone, we must be outnumbered ten-to-one. I hoped that my family would remember me as a hero, not as the resentful, cavalier fiend I¡¯d become. At least I had the presence of mind to make up with Cherise before we met our deaths. She was a good friend, the only alien that ever cared about me; I wish she had a chance to be happy again. It was selfish of me to ever drag her into any of this Jaslip rebellion shit¡­and I¡¯m sorry for that too. Even if it was her choice. That was when bullets began carving up the Reskets from behind, as hundreds of shooters flanked the avians out of nowhere. My eyes widened with shock, wondering where the fuck we¡¯d gotten that kind of firepower from. Had Aulan had this trap planned all along, and kept it a surprise so they¡¯d have no way of knowing? My confusion intensified further when the shadows that emerged weren¡¯t wintry Jaslip pelts, but blotches of gray that walked at strange angles. A stealth vessel cruised overhead of the Reskets, chipping in with air support that massacred them with ease. The Independence Brigade had been all but forgotten in an instant, and without questioning our saviors, we rallied forward to help pick off stragglers. The air support was pivotal in mopping up the majority of Reskets, though I had no idea who the ship belonged to. It didn¡¯t look like any Consortium race I knew, and it didn¡¯t feel like a human vessel; besides, I¡¯d been around the primates for long enough to know that the shapes I saw weren¡¯t their kind. With hundreds of new allies descending on the last few avians, the scene was taken care of inside of a minute. Satisfied that the last pink head had fallen, the newcomers marched forward¡ªand gave me the first good look at them. Gray scales and truncated snouts, along with binocular eyes with vertical pupils; massive fangs poked out of their mouths at all times. I gasped with apprehension and a bit of revulsion, recognizing them at last: the Arxur. ¡°Hold your fire!¡± Aulan shouted, after ensuring that our ghastly helpers had no intention of firing on us. We did need help, but the things they had done¡­we had a lot of moral failings, but we weren¡¯t cannibals. ¡°Who is in charge?¡± One of the ¡°grays¡± lifted a clawed paw. ¡°Operative Zefriss with the Arxur Collective. We¡¯ve come as fellow carnivores, after hearing of your mistreatment. I¡¯d like to take you to our leader to discuss an alliance.¡± ¡°Very well. If you¡¯re here to take on the Consortium, then we have much to talk about; thank you for your help there. I¡¯d like to bring what¡¯s left of my team with me, since we make decisions as a movement. We¡¯re fighting for transparency, so I won¡¯t hide anything.¡± ¡°Naturally.¡± The Arxur¡¯s eyes snapped toward Cherise, and narrowed to slits. ¡°I did not realize you had humans in your mix. Is she a mercenary?¡± ¡°What?!¡± Cherise choked out. ¡°Never mind. I do not care; it¡¯s fine as long as she¡¯s on our side. The point is, with our backing, your rebellion will have much more of a snarl behind it. Chief Hunter Kaisal is going to ensure that you¡¯re listened to.¡± ¡°I like the sound of that,¡± Aulan growled. Really, is nobody going to bring up the ¡°they ate people¡± issue? They are monsters! ¡°You had me sold at acknowledging our mistreatment, Zefriss. Lead the way.¡± The reptilian lashed his tail in acknowledgement, and stalked off toward the stealth ship that¡¯d touched down in the snow; it had ample space to transport hundreds of personnel to-and-from the surface. Aulan beckoned with the three-fronded tail, following Zefriss without the hesitation I thought was befitting the situation. I supposed Jaslips were desperate for aid, but judging by the expressions on the other fighters¡¯ faces, I wasn¡¯t the only one with qualms about allying with the Arxur. After exchanging a glance with a nervous Cherise, I padded up to the Collective ship with a great deal of suspicion. There was the argument that we wouldn¡¯t have survived that encounter with the Reskets without them, and had fought by our side without asking for anything in return. That didn¡¯t make me like our movement allying with the galaxy¡¯s most infamous monsters one bit more. Chapter 2-75 Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist Date [standardized human time]: February 5, 2161 After a rather long voyage cooped up on the spaceship, it felt strange to disembark on the Sapient Coalition¡¯s center of operations. Gress and I had signed plea bargains to help with negotiating the peace, instead of facing charges for our mishaps during the war. The precedent of roping in war criminals¡ªand that¡¯s what I was¡ªto fix their mistakes went back to Captain Sovlin, that rotten bastard. I gripped the Krev¡¯s paw tightly, since I knew both his displeasure at being far from home and his paranoia over the Consortium¡¯s intentions. Peace talks between General Radai and fucking robot Elias Meier were well above my paygrade. Cala hadn¡¯t offered any insights into whether the KC had called a truce, or whether the second wave of our attack could be stopped from afar. Entire gaggles of diplomatic staff congregated in the docking bay, watching us with curiosity. I could feel most eyes on me, rather than my herbivorous counterpart with the actual empire behind the attack; these prey creatures were curious about the predator that¡¯d succumbed to instincts and aided violence. A group of gray avians were staring at me with particular judgment, like they wanted to burn me with a flamethrower. That was¡­the Duerten, who were part of that second wave of the drone assault. I gave them a sheepish smile, then realized I¡¯d forgotten that expression was a snarl to herbivore eyes. All I had to do was walk on past this crowd, and make it to my scheduled meeting with the Sivkit ambassador. ¡°Hey, we¡¯re sorry that we attacked your expedition, but we¡¯re still not leaving your homeworld; ninety percent of the Tellus colonists stayed.¡± This sucks, though surely we can make some kind of arrangement to keep our city¡ªmaybe the Krev can cook up a nice one for them too. Offer that bunker knowledge a gift¡­yeah. We¡¯ll see. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen this place in person. They do take public tours, though it¡¯s a long way to go just to see this station,¡± Cala remarked. ¡°The diplomats live here, and each species has their own section¡ªwith entertainment and local customs. You could take a spin around the galaxy, visiting each compartment.¡± I shot her a withering look. ¡°What would we find in the Krakotl section? A big red button that drops antimatter bombs on predators?¡± ¡°Music seems more likely, Taylor. I don¡¯t care much for my people, but I bet their karaoke bars rock; we have that tradition in common. Ours have human songs by now, I¡¯d imagine.¡± Gress perked up. ¡°What¡¯s karaoke?¡± ¡°Where people sing popular songs in horribly off-key voices,¡± I commented. ¡°I have to see humans doing this¡ªespecially you, my love. Earth is going to get so much Krev tourism; I heard your immigration page crashed, when Avor was given internet access.¡± The scaly alien was all but skipping with giddiness, and waved to the nearby UN diplomats. ¡°Some Terrans are even happy that we find them cute!¡± ¡°You know that everyone on the station is watching us, right?¡± ¡°Let them watch. I don¡¯t know how anyone can see you hum a song that¡¯s stuck in your head and not want to snatch you up. That¡¯s what you think about, not blood and death!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t even want that dumb Smigli pop song in my head! It just wouldn¡¯t leave.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s adorable,¡± the Krev gushed, giving me happy claws. ¡°You can¡¯t help yourself!¡± ¡°I see the Terrans are getting a taste of their own medicine,¡± a voice said, as a Venlil approached our group. ¡°Governor Laisa. It seems they¡¯ve finally met a species that can match their cuteness reaction. Are you familiar with ¡®cute aggression?¡¯¡± ¡°Their aggression is cute,¡± Gress agreed. ¡°It¡¯s just a natural part of primates, there¡¯s nothing wrong with it! That boisterous energy as they wrestle, or laugh around in a tickle fit¡­¡± ¡°Skalgans play fight too, at least until the Federation had their say-so in our temperament¡ªbut that¡¯s not what I¡¯m referring to. ¡®Cute aggression¡¯ is a term for when humans are so overloaded by feelings of cuteness that their brain starts suggesting aggressive acts just to tone itself down. Like squeezing, pinching, or even biting said cute thing. How¡¯s that for predator instincts?¡± I squinted at the Venlil. These aren¡¯t the fearful people, about to faint at the sight of us, that we remembered. ¡°You don¡¯t seem bothered by this fact.¡± The Krev gasped. ¡°So it¡¯s true?!¡± ¡°Well, uh, sometimes I see cute things and I want to¡­boop the snoot, y¡¯know¡­¡± ¡°¡®If not friend, why friend-shaped?¡¯¡± Cala snickered. ¡°I¡¯ve heard multiple humans say that line, usually about massive predators that could bite them in half. The cuteness reaction in their brains is way out of control.¡± Governor Laisa flicked an ear. ¡°I imagine some humans are happy that the Krev find them as cute as they find all of the other species. To answer your question, Mr. Trench, it amuses me to watch grown adults, supposedly from a vicious race of apex predators, melt at the sight of us. Your reaction to us has been mystifying from the start¡ªand not what was expected.¡± ¡°What was expected was that we¡¯d eat every last volunteer and make Venlil kebabs,¡± I sighed. ¡°Please. Real predators don¡¯t make ¡®kebabs¡¯; they eat the flesh straight from the bone. Skewers count as silverware.¡± ¡°My mistake, Governor Laisa. Of course, we the wild predators of the woods, do not have glorified toothpicks.¡± The Venlil laughed. ¡°Then on that note, welcome back to the wilds. You should¡¯ve never been chased away and rejected. I¡¯m here to help, and I won¡¯t cast judgment. ¡± ¡°Thank you. Even after everything, my people never forgot what the Venlil did for us. We always worried what had become of you.¡± ¡°Still your best friends all these years later. Why don¡¯t I show you to the Sivkit ambassador? I must caution you, he¡¯s a bit unhinged. Loxsel is a lot. You might want me to join you for backup.¡± ¡°I¡¯d appreciate the assist, Governor. I¡¯m not exactly a diplomat.¡± She chuckled. ¡°Neither is Loxsel.¡± ¡°Well, if Laisa is with you, then I suppose I don¡¯t need to join you,¡± Cala ventured. ¡°This was your idea!¡± I wagged a finger at the blue avian. ¡°We need a united front, so you¡¯re not getting out of this.¡± ¡°That¡¯d mean you¡¯re on the same team as a Krakotl.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not get carried away. Same team is an exaggeration. It¡¯s more like¡­in the same room.¡± ¡°If you told me I¡¯d see Taylor having a cordial conversation and occupying the same general facility as a Krakotl two months ago, I would¡¯ve laughed in your face,¡± Gress remarked. ¡°Are you joining this united front, Krev?¡± Laisa asked with a playful tail swish, as she began stalking off down the hall. ¡°I¡¯ll help where I can. I know as much as Taylor, if not more, about Tellus and the Sivkit bunker intel. I¡¯m curious to see what the Fed-brained part of the galaxy thinks of as unhinged.¡± ¡°Watch who you call Fed-brained. I¡¯ll have you know I lived in a human refugee camp back in your year 2136.¡± ¡°So did I, and it wasn¡¯t by choice,¡± I grumbled. The Venlil pinned her long, silky ears back, as if to suggest sympathy. I walked the first space station built by human hands that I¡¯d seen in my lifetime, and wondered at the tangible evidence of the prosperity that Earth had enjoyed in our absence. Along the tranquil-colored walls were large portraits with plaques, many with Terran diplomats flashing canine teeth and standing side-by-side with aliens. That was the toughest pill for most of the Tellish to swallow¡ªhow cozy we were with the xenos after everything they¡¯d done. The herbivores that I knew would¡¯ve screamed at the binocular eyes staring at the camera, seeming to ¡°watch¡± them from the wall. We were untouchable monsters to every species, and now, they didn¡¯t care about our appearance! Those SC diplomats didn¡¯t scream at the sight of me. There were a lot of stares back in the hangar, but it was almost morbid curiosity¡ªlike when a serial killer is brought to a courthouse for a media circus trial, in those old movies I¡¯d watch. If someone like that existed on Tellus, Hathaway would¡¯ve had them drawn and quartered. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. We turned down a corridor labeled ¡°Guest Quarters,¡± which checked out since the Sivkits weren¡¯t an SC member; they wouldn¡¯t have their own wing and permanent diplomats. I could feel the nerves kicking in, as I spotted a white-furred quadruped sitting on a couch in a meeting room. Taylor Trench couldn¡¯t fuck things up for Tellus again¡­but maybe it wouldn¡¯t be so bad to kiss up to this nutcase, if it smoothed everything over? The Sivkit ambassador turned his head toward us in slow motion and picked a broom up. Loxsel stomped toward us with surprising speed, swatting the cleaning instrument at me. I stumbled backward in confusion. Was the prey animal shooing me away? ¡°Off my planet!¡± Loxsel hissed in a demonic voice. ¡°Aforetime, Sivkits ensconced Tinsas, before it was stolen¡ªinnocent prey plucked afield by the spine-breakers! Now, you besotted beasts crawled into your dolven burrows in the gloaming hours of our history! Hew my flesh to bits as you would any cattle, for I am heedless of the danger I court to contest your claim.¡± ¡°Our¡­claim?¡± I hid behind Gress, and looked to Cala¡ªa Peacekeeper meant to guard me¡ªfor aid. ¡°We didn¡¯t know Tellus was Tinsas when we settled it. We¡¯re not claiming anything; we just have roots there, and thought we could make an agreement where no one gets shafted. Maybe you¡¯d be kind enough to let us keep our city, when you move back?¡± ¡°I asseverate that no noisome human toenails shall touch Tinsas¡¯ sand! We cannot share a planet with creatures who see us as provender, and slaughtered us not a year prior for daring to approach; who¡¯ll lurk in nethermost caverns and conspire. You defile our world. To put it in terms you shall grasp, we don¡¯t want you there.¡± ¡°Now there¡¯s the Feddies I remember. Your kind haven¡¯t changed a bit.¡± ¡°What Taylor said. How dare you speak about humans like that?¡± Gress interjected, ripping the broom out of Loxsel¡¯s grasp and snapping it in half again the hard scales on his leg. ¡°The Sivkits haven¡¯t lived on Tinsas for a long time. No one is making Taylor¡¯s people let you reclaim your heritage. That¡¯s Krev space, and we¡¯re no more wild about you lunatics being in our backyard than you are humans! We don¡¯t want you there.¡± Governor Laisa cleared her throat. ¡°Enough! Does anyone here want more people to die over this? It¡¯s complicated, and there¡¯s no perfect solution, but two peoples have lived on this planet. Two species believed it to be theirs and suffered on that soil because of the Federation.¡± ¡°They are predators!¡± Loxsel wailed, prompting a groan and an eye roll from me. ¡°We just want humans away from us. Isolation¡­¡± ¡°Planets are big. You had no part of Tinsas before that, and after this, you¡¯d have whatever you wanted but that one stretch of land. You can isolate the Tellish in their single city; there¡¯s only a few thousand of them, aside from the babies. Now that they don¡¯t need to repopulate, some arrangement could be made with the foster families to go elsewhere. The United Nations might retake custody of the children anyway.¡± ¡°I¡¯m loth to suffer any of their presence on Tinsas. Why can¡¯t the humans go back to their own planet?! Retaining control of our home is to torment us, woe!¡± ¡°Tellus¡­Tinsas¡­it means a lot to the ark ship colonists. We suffered so much to stay there, and the Krev built it up into something nice that was ours,¡± I answered, attempting to be diplomatic in spite of the Sivkit¡¯s verbal slap to the face. ¡°We already left Earth for no reason at all. Go back now and our whole lives were wasted. I know there¡¯s nothing for me here.¡± Gress blinked in surprise. ¡°You¡­don¡¯t want to go home? But you were devastated by what the Federation had taken from you, and wished you could¡¯ve seen Earth. That¡¯s your whole culture.¡± ¡°He¡¯s no more familiar with Earth¡¯s culture than I am Nishtal¡¯s. Taylor doesn¡¯t know his species at all, and he¡¯d be an outsider on his own world,¡± Cala commented. ¡°Tellus is the only place that gets him. The devil he knows.¡± I shook my head in disgust. ¡°Why do you have to be the one that understands?¡± ¡°Because I know how scary it is to be in a strange place with your world turned upside-down, even if it¡¯s better than where you were before.¡± The Venlil governor sighed. ¡°The Krakotl has a point. I¡¯ve heard your story, Loxsel. You must¡¯ve been frightened once, when you were captured by those rogue Farsul or sent off to a predator disease facility. Maybe when the Grand Herd was ¡®sacrificing¡¯ you by sending you to humanity as an ambassador.¡± ¡°I almost believed in the forever-walkers¡¯ docility, but they were behind the attacks. It¡¯s a ruse!¡± Loxsel yowled. ¡°Taylor is negotiating just to beguile us again. Every time we attempt diplomacy with humans, it ends in violence perpetrated against us!¡± ¡°How can it be a ruse? This forever-walker has had his mind read by multiple sources, including the Krev, who are unaffiliated with the UN altogether. You can see the concrete proof that the ark colonists were just terrified and trying to avoid extinction: anything violent was borne of hate and fear. The suffering they endured is all there! The fact that humans have feelings, just like you, is plain as day.¡± Cala trilled in agreement. ¡°The United Nations proper has been nothing but docile, as you pointed out. If this was what they wanted, it¡¯d be stupid to throw away thousands of their ships to stop attacks they hoped would succeed. The Krakotl, for all of my people¡¯s past mistakes, know who saved us.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry that we attacked your fleet, Loxsel. We thought the Federation found us, and were going to finish us off,¡± I sighed. ¡°Is there anything I can do that¡¯d make it worth it to you to¡­consider letting us stay?¡± The Sivkit stiffened, whiskers twitching. ¡°Anything?¡± ¡°Uh, yes.¡± ¡°Something tells me you shouldn¡¯t have said that,¡± Laisa murmured. I narrowed my eyes, as the Sivkit scurried over to a bag on the floor and pulled out a tablet. All I could hear was those exact words about us being predators, and not being able to stomach us near them. As maniacal as this prey sapient was, he was expressing the views of his government¡­and himself. It stung to hear those words thrown in my face, thinking back on how we were forced to flee our home because no species wanted us around; even the Venlil could barely speak to us. I remembered my fear of hearing this response, when I lifted my mask to show my face to Gress. The shame I¡¯d felt of my binocular eyes, and my certainty that the Krev would despise us¡ªthat they would believe that we ¡°defiled¡± Tellus with our mere presence. I¡¯m not sure we can take sharing a world with that mentality. It hits too close to home. There were so many days that I wished I could¡¯ve been born as any other species, even as hare-brained as they all were. They got to live full, proper lives¡­their existence was accepted. Loxsel had switched on a translation app, before passing me what looked like an excerpt from a play. ¡°Read this. I necessitate your best performance of absolute despair, then a wrathful outburst of anger and domination!¡± ¡°¡­why are you asking me to read theater?¡± I questioned. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, Gress and I love stageplay¡ª¡± ¡°You love stageplay? Why didn¡¯t you lead with that?!¡± The Krev peered over my shoulder. ¡°I can¡¯t read it in Taylor¡¯s language, but I met my ex-wife in improv classes; I loved them, though it reminds me now how my life fell apart. I wish I¡¯d made a life in theater. There was hardly a starring role I tried out for that I didn¡¯t get. I think I could¡¯ve been an actor¡ªI came alive under the spotlights!¡± ¡°Hmph. The translation algorithm doesn¡¯t have the Krev language yet, so why don¡¯t I read Daxfrin¡¯s lines to you, and you¡¯ll write them down in your words?¡± Gress gave me a look for a go-ahead, and I offered a nod. The Krev allowed Loxsel to whisper in his ears, jotting out the lines in his tongue; the Sivkit seemed to have them memorized, and didn¡¯t need to glance at the tablet. He did return to me, panning out to the full scene¡ªand asking me to play the role of the character Daxfrin was talking to. There were stage directions in the full scene, which I assumed he¡¯d given to my alien friend. The Grand Herd¡¯s nutcase ambassador seemed skeptical about our abilities, but gave the cue to start the scene. Governor Laisa and Cala seemed entirely confused about what was playing out before them, but watched with intrigue. ¡°Why am I unquiet? You have wellnigh wrested my soul from my being!¡± Gress pranced across the area, throwing his arms into the air; his voice rose with the exclamation, raw desperation booming throughout the chamber. His eyes were wild as he hunched over and drew breathy gasps, before flicking an accusatory claw in my direction. ¡°I am but cattle to you, and I have been¡­so blind. I demand a reply straightway. Your taciturn manner is thenceforward unacceptable!¡± The Krev¡¯s voice had dipped to a fraught, wobbling whisper as he said he was but cattle; he¡¯d donned the lost look he spotted when he got lost in a flashback. The intensity flipped right back up like a switch when he demanded my response, and stomped up inches from my face. It was adorable to see Gress in action, dialing up the perfect expressions and channeling a man on the edge. Loxsel looked enraptured, leaning forward with eyes that were downright in love. The Sivkit better not swoon too much for my green-scaled partner¡ªGress was mine. I peeked down at the tablet to find my line, marveling how the Krev barely needed to give his a second glance. ¡°Cattle might have purpose to an Arxur. You have none to me,¡± I responded in a low voice, baring my teeth with malice. Gress grabbed my shirt, pressing me against the wall with surprising force. ¡°Confound it! You spit on my great dolor¡ªand I so abhor your very essence! Curses, curses upon you! A thousand curses!¡± The Krev swung at my chin, grazing it with the back of his paw; the fact that it was quick and close enough to touch probably sold the punch. For my part, I snapped my head back like I¡¯d been shot and melted against the wall. Gress wheeled around with a lash of his tail, shooting one resentful look over his shoulder. I broke character at how dramatic he looked, and laughed at his ever-serious scowl. Loxsel broke into enthusiastic whistles of delight, and sprinted over to ¡°Daxfrin.¡± The Sivkit¡¯s ears were perked straight up, a dreamy contentedness on his face. ¡°I found my Daxfrin!¡± Loxsel celebrated in a voice that¡¯d climbed an octave. ¡°You both play those characters like that in a performance of my favorite drama, and I¡¯ll agree to let the Tellish stay; I won¡¯t give the Grand Herd a choice!¡± I squinted at the Sivkit. ¡°Really? Are you serious?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never been more serious about anything in my life. Do we have a deal? I must, I MUST!¡± ¡°Uh¡­yeah, I think so. Gress, will you do that?¡± The Krev¡¯s tongue flitted out in thought. ¡°I¡¯d love to, and if it helps humans¡ª¡± ¡°Yes, it helps humans; you agreed, this is a binding contract!¡± Loxsel interjected, spinning his plumed tail in circles like it was a helicopter rotor. ¡°We must start rehearsing daily, yes¡­and the United Nations must give me a venue to perform. I need the rest of a cast¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure the Terrans can give you a troupe of actors to fill out your cast, if that¡¯s your¡­conditions for peace,¡± Laisa said in disbelief. ¡°Excellent, it¡¯s settled! The Grand Herd will be¡­fine. It¡¯s not like Tinsas can get more defiled, after you lived there for two decades. Just keep the tablet and read the script.¡± The Sivkit bolted from the room, while the four of us stared at each other in disbelief. I hadn¡¯t thought I¡¯d be fixing Tellus¡¯ mess by agreeing to act in a play with Gress, especially when Loxsel had said I was a violent predator that he didn¡¯t want around. Now, the ambassador wanted me to rehearse a stage performance daily? Laisa was more than correct about him being unhinged, but I supposed it was a small price to be permitted to keep our residence on Tinsas. The question was more if the rest of the Grand Herd would lay down their grievances over the laughable bargain we¡¯d just secured with their playwright envoy. Chapter 2-76 Memory Transcription Subject: Elias Meier, Former UN Secretary-General Date [standardized human time]: February 5, 2161 It hadn¡¯t taken long to nominate a proper Secretary-General to succeed Kuemper, and I was pleased to learn that General Osmani would be taking up the mantle. I didn¡¯t have any wish to reacquire my former role, for a great many reasons¡ªfor starters, I was both a science experiment and a security risk thanks to my digitized brain. Without having an old friend to look out for at the top of the UN, and given that the immediate crisis had blown over without an exodus from the SC, I had half a mind to retire to a quiet life. It seemed that the Jaslips wanted humanity to keep the ¡°Osirs¡± on our turf, but a few participants had backed out after learning the carnivores weren¡¯t extinct. Would it be inappropriate to consider taking one in? The first priority was to ensure a smooth transition. Our leader¡¯s selection process had been expedited by the Federation Remnants declaring war on ¡°anyone who stood with humanity,¡± after learning that we were behind the attacks on Aafa and Talsk. While I would¡¯ve preferred that this found a peaceable resolution, in their particular case, they were too vehemently opposed to our existence to be corrected by anything other than force. Erasing the legacy of the Federation meant disbanding anyone who carried on their name and ideals; the galaxy would never move on, so long as their shadow still hung over us. The United Nations couldn¡¯t lock problems away and pretend they didn¡¯t exist. ¡°Sir,¡± I greeted Secretary-General Osmani, extending an arm for a crisp handshake. I¡¯d left a neat binder of priority items on his desk, and was eager to cede the responsibilities to him. He was a fitting choice for the office: a military man who was even-keel and diplomatic. ¡°Congratulations. Might I add, the UN General Assembly made the choice I would have.¡± Osmani dipped his head. ¡°Thank you, Elias. It¡¯s an honor. I was surprised that you didn¡¯t make any sort of bid for office, after the speech you gave. It would¡¯ve been your chance to make sweeping changes.¡± ¡°I got a motion to lift Aafa and Talsk¡¯s quarantine on the agenda. The rest is up to you. You¡¯re exactly what¡¯s needed: the new generation cycling in and deciding your own destiny. It¡¯s long overdue that us, the ones that came before you, hand over the keys¡ªnow more than ever, when we¡¯ll be around far past our expiration dates.¡± ¡°I confess, I do worry about the implications. You came to this station originally to speak of the guardrails that must be put in place with this technology, and I¡¯d like to see that through. There is wisdom to be found in our predecessors nonetheless. If you¡¯re willing, I¡¯d like to keep you on as an advisor.¡± I manually blinked to signal surprise, and mulled over his offer for a moment. ¡°If you want me to stay on temporarily, at least until talks are finalized with General Radai, I don¡¯t leave things half-done. I have one condition though.¡± ¡°Name it.¡± ¡°Call Jones on the carpet to demand an explanation for her behavior, then have her kicked to the curb. The Americans have let their attack dog get too far off-leash. Humanity doesn¡¯t need to fight dirty with our own allies.¡± Osmani leaned forward. ¡°What did General Jones do? If it was butting heads with you in Gress¡¯ interrogation, I won¡¯t rattle cages at the Pentagon over a personal vendetta.¡± ¡°This is about her meddling with the Bissems¡¯ first contact. She attempted to blackmail a scientist into being an informant, and it¡¯s her general lack of moral boundaries that gives me pause. We nip this kind of¡­behavior in the bud, or else humanity will become the next Federation, bending the newer species to our will.¡± ¡°That could be damaging to Earth¡¯s reputation; it plays right into the Yotul¡¯s anti-uplift agenda. Jones and her ways are past their expiration date, and I see fit to leave them in the past. I¡¯ll see what I can do to have her, at the least, stuck planetside¡­and find out what the heck she was thinking.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t we all like to know that?¡± I grumbled. ¡°All she achieved was alienating a potential ally, and pushing them to the Arxur. And now, those same Arxur are throwing a wrench in a peace deal that was all but final by attacking the Consortium.¡± Osmani settled in his chair, leaning back. ¡°The Krev don¡¯t want to surrender their military unconditionally after one of their allies was invaded by the Collective. I heard about that. We need to get Radai to solidify this treaty, yesterday.¡± ¡°We get any form of agreement, his strict sense of honor will hold him to it. I get the impression that the delay has been Radai¡¯s standing with his own government. Taylor Trench¡¯s transcript shows that the Resket general suspected he¡¯d be assassinated or used as a scapegoat.¡± ¡°While he controls the Krev Consortium military, I question that he represents the interests of the greater organization. Besides, if Radai wants to broker a peace, why has he not recalled the attack drones?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll want to hear that from the General¡¯s lips,¡± I groaned. ¡°At least they¡¯ve been routed away from Kalqua. We offered him a connection that he had been able to use, so it¡¯s within his power. That¡¯s a saving grace, though the fact they were heading there at all chafes at Korajan.¡± ¡°The Duerten¡¯s attitude hasn¡¯t gone unnoticed. I¡¯m amazed you kept them here at all¡ªand by extension, made the Shield more unsure about joining hostilities. They¡¯d be leery to attack their founding member. Why don¡¯t you put Radai on the line, and I¡¯ll listen to his reasoning from here? You already have rapport.¡± I hesitated, before taking a chair opposite Osmani and swiveling the camera around to face myself. ¡°If you call respect for my morality rapport. Radai is remorseful over the lives taken under his orders, but I get the impression he doesn¡¯t view synthetic beings favorably.¡± My conversations with the avian had been intriguing. As we understood it, Radai had felt a great deal of sympathy and a duty to protect the Tellish, but seemed to find immense dishonor in the KC hiding from a false threat. The unnecessary bloodshed weighed on his conscience, leaving him to sound near suicidal at the disrepute. The Resket wasn¡¯t an unrepentant man, and I didn¡¯t want him to take his own life in some cultural display; other elements in the Consortium might lack scruples. We knew much of their leadership were veiled authoritarians, though that wasn¡¯t a reason to continue a costly war. Radai needed to stand down the drones to atone for his past sins¡ªand avoid creating new ones. Osmani might be better at managing Radai, as a military man himself. Damn it, Chief Hunter Kaisal has done nothing but complicate delicate situations! I want peace between the Arxur and the rest of the galaxy, but they aren¡¯t helping themselves. Given their loathing of the Federation, I knew the Krev Consortium would be thrilled under normal circumstances to help dispatch the Remnants. That faction had vowed to eliminate the predators responsible for the attack on Aafa, and had declared war at once after receiving the news. The Yulpa had attempted an assault on Liberty¡¯s Bastion, one of Earth¡¯s most symbolic colonies in Mazic space. While it¡¯d been fended off, there were 150 species in alliance: they were stretching themselves thin, but it seemed they had deeper pools of ships than we expected. I wouldn¡¯t mind subduing the planets by force, yet the UN could not condone glassing worlds. The second we crossed that line, it would happen again. ¡°Good morning, Radai; I hope we haven¡¯t woken you, since I believe it¡¯s early on Tanet,¡± I ventured with politeness. ¡°Just wanted to check in for an update on the search for the rogue Farsul.¡± Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. The Resket turned a large, bleary eye toward the camera. ¡°It¡¯s our top priority; the Federation conspiracy was alarming to learn of, and with this sect holding the view to kill all predators, they¡¯re even worse. We don¡¯t want them in our backyard. However, space is a vast area to sweep, and we have zero leads¡ªother than that they¡¯d have to be in range of an escaping Sivkit. Even if he had information about the Farmdom, there¡¯s no guarantee his story checks out. I cannot misallocate resources now.¡± ¡°Misallocating resources is exactly what¡¯s been troubling me. Can you spell out to me again why you won¡¯t recall the drones? I want to ensure there¡¯s been no misinterpretation.¡± ¡°I speak plainly, Elias Meier. We ensured that the Duerten were not harmed, since they are now your allies. However, these species bear the name of the Federation, and would pick up where they left off, which makes them enemies of the Consortium. They sabotaged your defense of Aafa, then had the gall to blame you¡ªand are now attacking you. It¡¯s in your interests to let our drones hit two powerful members: the Drezjin and the Malti. It¡¯d occupy their ships.¡± Osmani held up a piece of paper, where¡¯d he scrawled words in permanent marker. THE ARXUR ARE ON THE ATTACK AS WELL. HITTING GRENELKA HARD. I nodded, deciding to raise the SecGen¡¯s point since the Arxur¡¯s obstacle to the treaty was important. ¡°So you¡¯re going to fight a two-front war with the Arxur Collective? You¡¯re both fighting the Remnants, and I hear the Krev want to retaliate after they aided Jaslip separatists.¡± ¡°The grays still want our help in destroying the Federation Remnants, though they¡¯re in for a shock if they think the Krev will just accept them backing the Jaslip Independence Brigade. Kaisal crying ¡®carnivore oppression¡¯ will make him sound like the freedom fighters. However, I imagine we both agree that the remnants are a bigger enemy.¡± ¡°Then why won¡¯t you sign our treaty? Stand down your military and help rebuild what you destroyed.¡± ¡°The Consortium has no quarrel with humanity¡ªin fact, the Krev are very partial to you and would be keen on an alliance. However, we cannot stand down our military until the threats we face are fully nonexistent. Sivkits moving a few hours from Avor, Farsul extremists in our space, the Jaslips are rebelling, and the Collective and remnants are still out there: the former in open war? They would have to be mad to relinquish their agency now!¡± They? Osmani wrote. ¡°Why do you say they, like you aren¡¯t making the decisions? You dictate military plans; you¡¯re the top dog,¡± I commented, following the SecGen¡¯s lead. Radai snapped his head back. ¡°I don¡¯t have as much say as you like to think. My word is less than useless, and I¡¯m supposed to take orders from mystery figures. They replaced the delegates with who knows, aside from myself and Hathaway, but since I won¡¯t come in¡ªthe Resket chair is absent and they won¡¯t say who I¡¯m answering to.¡± ¡°Then why listen?¡± ¡°Hierarchy and duty means something in our culture. The orders aren¡¯t immoral. I do care about protecting the Consortium, so I¡¯m not about to turn a blind eye to clear and present danger!¡± TELL HIM TO ENGAGE MILITARY TARGETS, Osmani penned. What? The SecGen doesn¡¯t want Radai to call off the drones? ¡°Give me a moment to confer on the UN¡¯s response. I have my own hierarchy to answer to.¡± I muted the microphone and switched off the feed for a moment. ¡°Sir?¡± Secretary-General Osmani offered a confident nod. ¡°It would benefit Earth to have the Consortium lead an attack on the Malti and Drezjin forces. We don¡¯t want civilians taken out, nor is it of the highest strategic value. Radai can change the programming to focus on ships, manufacturing plants, and military bases. He handles those and the fleet might be of good use.¡± ¡°What will we be doing?¡± ¡°Backing the Arxur Collective at Grenelka. The Yulpa struck at us first, after all we did to smooth their fur. Kaisal will get the backing from humanity he wanted. Our explicit support might thaw relations.¡± ¡°Very well, sir. Are we taking sides in the Jaslip and Arxur¡¯s feud with the Consortium?¡± Osmani snorted. ¡°Absolutely not. These factions are all fools to become willing participants in multiple conflicts at once. We can have our say about the KC¡¯s internal affairs after we provide assurances and get their surrender. The United Nations will handle one problem at a time.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± I returned to the feed with Radai, and gave him a serious stare. ¡°The drones. Can you change their targets to military assets: taking out the actual fleet and bases of operation?¡± ¡°That would be feasible, so long as it¡¯s ensured that the Federation are not a threat again.¡± ¡°I completely agree. Enough innocent people¡ªenough entire species have suffered and died for no reason. I want as little bloodshed as possible, and I hope that you share my wish.¡± ¡°I do. I¡¯ve told you what the Consortium thinks of the independence movement, but I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s honorable to contest the Jaslips¡¯ desire to have their own world again. We have not taken adequate steps to mitigate their suffering and also owe them a debt for the wrongdoings committed against them. Not one species has offered to help rebuild Esquo, except you. They have noticed. It is said¡­that they want your help. I¡­hope this is not being considered.¡± Is Radai trying to tell me something? He would know that the Consortium is surveilling this line. Coded messages aren¡¯t my forte, and I don¡¯t know why the KC military leader would want us to aid the JIB¡ªespecially as Resket soldiers under his authority are the ones putting them down. Then again, he said he didn¡¯t have as much say as I thought; maybe that means¡­ ¡°What is it that you¡¯ve heard?¡± Osmani wrote within quotations, before making a ¡°Go on¡± gesture to me. ¡°We aren¡¯t involving ourselves in the conflict, though it would behoove us to know in advance. What rumors are circulating?¡± I questioned at my superior¡¯s direction. Radai cast a stern look at the screen. ¡°The Jaslips are searching for anyone to back them, even by proxy. They believe the United Nations supports a species¡¯¡­right to self-determination and liberties. I¡¯m not sure what they would offer you for weapons, but the Consortium will not be happy if this occurs.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Definitely slipping us a message. Unless it¡¯s in my head, Radai hasn¡¯t signaled us so brazenly before. I didn¡¯t think Reskets dabbled in subterfuge and subtext, but it appeared to me that Osmani sensed the same thing. We aren¡¯t getting involved though. ¡°The United Nations desires a peace treaty with the Krev Consortium: the sooner, the better. Rest assured that we will not make any hasty provocations.¡± ¡°I understand. It¡¯s a relief to me not to be in open war with humanity, and I¡¯d like to keep it that way. I¡¯ll do what¡¯s in my power to move the peace treaty ahead, but again, I have minimal contact with the delegates. You may wish to secure Tellus and the¡­human babies, in case tensions erupt on our side of space. I wouldn¡¯t like to see the UN, an innocent party, caught in the middle of all of this.¡± ¡°That¡¯s interesting advice, General Radai. Given the good-naturedness of restoring our species via ectogenesis, we wouldn¡¯t expect those children to be weaponized.¡± ¡°I find it best in planning to keep any expectations out of your thinking, Elias Meier. At any rate, I have too many issues to look at to remain on this call any longer. I¡¯ll keep you apprised on our search for the rogue Farsul. Take care.¡± The Resket disconnected from the call before I could offer a farewell of my own, with final glances that seemed a bit furtive. I was perplexed by his insinuation about the human babies; it renewed my concern over leaving them under Krev custodianship. Didn¡¯t the green-scaled mammals see us as the equivalent of puppies? It¡¯d seemed unlikely that they¡¯d allow any harm to befall the infants. All the same, having humans raised by aliens far away from where we could protect them¡­it opened us to a multitude of vulnerabilities. The Consortium had a sinister underside that¡¯d go to any lengths to preserve their control. ¡°What do you think about that, sir?¡± I asked. Osmani raised his eyebrows. ¡°Ripping human babies away from doting Krev isn¡¯t an option. Requesting that those guardians move to Paltan space, or any other Terran territory¡­that might help. The first Consortium citizens to transfer to the Sapient Coalition.¡± ¡°Will they want to move far away from their homes and societies?¡± ¡°If these subjects were already willing to relocate to Tellus to raise the human children, I¡¯m sure many would be eager to live among the cute primates¡¯ society. We can use the cover of the Sivkits moving back to their homeworld, and explain that with ownership changing, they want as few¡­aliens as possible. We add in additional incentives for the adopted families to relocate, and we can take a lot of the Consortium¡¯s potential toys out of the game.¡± ¡°Your plan sounds like it¡¯s worth a shot. I don¡¯t know how much Radai knows, but I doubt he¡¯d come up with that out of the blue. It¡¯s unlike him to think of such a dishonorable notion. Perhaps it was discussed as a method to handle us, if we interfered in the Jaslip war.¡± Osmani pursed his lips. ¡°While it¡¯s my intention to deal with one problem at a time, we must show strength. At the risk of provoking the Grand Herd, I intend to bring more UN assets to Tellus. We have to be ready to protect human life out there as well.¡± Seeing how the new Secretary-General handled that complicated conversation and crafted well-reasoned plans at a moment¡¯s notice, I had full faith that the United Nations had made a wise choice. It was up to us to find a way to handle the Federation Remnants and the Krev Consortium, as well as to assess just how much of an ally General Radai was. Whatever the Resket¡¯s endgame was, one thing was for certain: any Terran meddling in the Jaslip insurrection would invite swift retaliation. We had to choose our next actions with care. Chapter 2-77 Memory Transcription Subject: Quana, Jaslip Soldier Date [standardized human time]: February 5, 2161 There was a brief delay in arranging our meeting with Chief Hunter Kaisal, since Aulan wanted the encounter to be in an open forum. As rotten as the Krev Consortium was, the Arxur¡¯s reputation preceded them; they held sapient livestock, glassed dozens of worlds and raided more, and subsisted on heartless cruelty. The Esquo Massacre was a hug festival compared to their crimes. If there was so much of a mention of eating the Krev or the Reskets, I was walking out on the spot. Cherise seemed twitchy as well, keeping her distance from the monsters who¡¯d provided the Federation with the justification for humanity to be exterminated. Moving to Tellus wouldn¡¯t have happened without the Arxur and their atrocities. I mean, we had heard that the Arxur saved Earth, and I¡¯m not sure how Cherise feels about that. I can¡¯t imagine how Terrans felt having to buddy up to those terrors out of necessity¡­having to earn their favor. Is that what¡¯s being asked of the Jaslip Independence Brigade? My human friend blinked several times. ¡°What would the Arxur know about ¡®mistreatment,¡¯ Quana? Zefriss talking as if they have moral standards¡ª¡± ¡°We do,¡± came the low growl, despite the fact we were well away from any grays; their hearing must be as keen as the Jaslips¡¯ ears. Cherise took a step back as the so-called operative stalked over, lashing his stony gray tail. ¡°Before our rebellion, there was an ideology called Betterment, which believed that to make us stronger, all emotions must be killed. They would execute any defectives.¡± ¡°Like me!¡± another Arxur declared, in a voice that sounded overly chipper and mischievous. ¡°What¡¯s your name, human?¡± My friend hesitated, reluctant to share anything. ¡°Cherise.¡± ¡°Cherise! I¡¯m Hysran, and I have a joke just for you. Why did the Tellish expect the Jaslip story to be a lie?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t, so¡ª¡± ¡°Because they have tall tails!¡± Cherise groaned and wrinkled her nose. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t get it,¡± Zefriss and I growled in confusion. ¡°It wasn¡¯t meant for you.¡± Hysran raised her elongated snout in a smug gesture, and I found my hackles falling a bit. These two weren¡¯t acting like sociopathic monsters; if the defectives had taken control, did that mean that the Arxur did exhibit basic empathy and decency now? It was tough to believe there was any coming back from foreign policy so depraved and accepted. ¡°What do you think, Cherise?¡± The human squinted at Hysran. ¡°You learned puns in our language to tell a bad joke that¡¯d only translate to me?¡± ¡°Precisely! I studied homonyms in the official language of the United Nations, though our ambassador to humanity always refused to use my material. She¡¯s a killjoy. I realized as soon as I saw you that I had to do it myself!¡± ¡°Hysran is most intolerable,¡± Zefriss hissed. ¡°Her jokes are proof that Arxur atrocities haven¡¯t fully stopped.¡± I pinned my ears back, growling. ¡°I have a joke to tell. What do you call four Consortium delegates blown to bits?¡± ¡°Splatter paint?¡± ¡°Hey, how do you even know what that is?¡± Hysran inquired. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be unserious, meaningless drivel that you despise?¡± ¡°It is simple. Easy. Not over-the-top sensory nonsense, hrrr¡ªjust relaxing.¡± ¡°You have to show off your artwork, Zeffy!¡± ¡°Absolutely not. It is not a social activity.¡± ¡°Hss, I¡¯ll badger you later. Now I doubt the Jaslip thought of splatter paint as her answer. Tell us: what do you call four Consortium delegates blown to bits?¡± ¡°A good start,¡± I spat. Cherise gave a troubled frown. ¡°Sorry, Quana, but splatter paint was actually funny. I guess if you¡¯re not executing anyone who isn¡¯t a comic book villain, then maybe you¡¯re not¡­those monsters.¡± ¡°They repulse us too,¡± Zefriss remarked, holding up a paw that looked out of place. ¡°I have polydactyly: one extra digit. I would have been executed to maintain genetic purity, despite the fact that I am not weak or hindered.¡± Hysran gestured to my backside. ¡°Quana can relate to polydactyly. She has two extra tails¡ªlook!¡± ¡°Lots of jokes about the fucking tails. Are you making fun of Jaslips for having three tail fronds?¡± I snarled, finding that implication to be discriminatory. ¡°Absolutely! Then, the human is the opposite: her tail is missing.¡± Cherise gasped, feigning shock. ¡°Really? Who took it?¡± ¡°Maybe Zefriss ate it!¡± ¡°No. Zefriss, how could you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough of this! Hss, I am getting Kaisal and we are starting the meeting now,¡± Zefriss snapped, lashing his tail and storming off. Hysran looked at Cherise, sealing one eye shut as if trying to imitate a wink. ¡°You could say he¡¯s having a hissy fit.¡± The human snickered at some meaning I didn¡¯t understand. ¡°You¡¯re crazy. I like that.¡± I found myself a bit jealous at how well my best friend seemed to be hitting it off with this cannibal jester. The two of us had sold our souls enough without intertwining tails with the species whose past was as dark as night; the bombing that had torn us up would have been a snowflake in a blizzard to them. Whether the Arxur were engineered toward cruel dispositions or not, everything they¡¯d done¡ªthat had been permissible and outright encouraged¡ªwasn¡¯t erased from their ledger. Hysran and Zefriss weren¡¯t people I¡¯d want watching my back, and Cherise couldn¡¯t think so lowly of me to be substituting monsters in my stead. Aulan hasn¡¯t shown any reservations though, so at least the human has voiced some apprehension I suppose. It¡¯ll be curious to see what this Kaisal is like, as the leader of the people-eaters. Maybe we should ask what his feelings are on eating the Krev? Snarky Zefriss emerged from the bridge, and beckoned the Jaslip Independence Brigade in with impatience. Cherise stuck close to Hysran, all but forgetting me as I hustled after them, trying not to get separated. The primate was much too eager to move on to the new, brighter carnivore in the room. Were all Tellus colonists this willing to throw their lots in with the grays, after hearing that the cannibals were behind Earth¡¯s survival? I recalled what it was like, standing in the town square, as the humans broke into open celebration; Jaslips would¡¯ve reacted the same if someone could swish their tail and respawn Esquo. It must¡¯ve given the colonists whiplash to go from believing they were the last of their kind, to learning the United Nations ruled a bubble that stretched a thousand light-years. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. The spectators had to crowd into the bridge, with many tailing out into the hall; we were lucky to squeeze inside, thanks to our proximity to Hysran. A slender Arxur was standing by the viewport, and from the way his chest was puffed out, I could sense that he had something to prove. Perhaps Kaisal wanted us to exonerate him from the past misdeeds, or to swear undying fealty to his leadership. It was clear the potential that Aulan saw for us. This was a race who would be on our side unequivocally and wouldn¡¯t condemn our methods. They also had a fleet that could contest the Consortium in orbit, and had shown that they were able to demolish the Resket soldiers. ¡°Thank you for your assistance, Chief Hunter Kaisal,¡± Aulan offered, lowering his chest closer to the ground in a quadruped¡¯s bow. ¡°It was a miracle that you were able to get here. How did you get past the Consortium¡¯s fleet?¡± The Arxur leader narrowed his eyes. ¡°It was rather peculiar. They asked our intentions, and I told them that we would be liberating the Jaslips. They did not challenge us, but just¡­left. It is like you have a mysterious, powerful benefactor who wished for this to come about, though I imagine you would know more about that.¡± ¡°What? With all due respect, you must be mistaken.¡± I yipped in agreement. ¡°The Consortium military are the ones fighting to trample and suppress our freedoms. The Reskets condemn us as terrorists from the top-down. If they didn¡¯t challenge you, it¡¯s either because they believed they¡¯d lose, or they had a propaganda angle in mind.¡± ¡°I cannot say how their capabilities stack up, but this was their home territory, where they should have the advantage; your planets have ample defensive capabilities, between the protective shells and orbital platforms,¡± Kaisal remarked. ¡°If even in the Arxur Dominion, there were those who opposed our ways, perhaps it is so for the Reskets and the Consortium. However, I am here to offer our full support to the Jaslip cause.¡± Aulan ducked his head. ¡°We readily and gratefully accept your aid. While some comrades might have reservations, none of us would be here without your interference in Esquo¡¯s Fighters. I would like to hear your plans for the future, if you¡¯re willing to share. It might put Jaslip minds at ease.¡± ¡°No, we are not going to eat people. We haven¡¯t done that for two decades, and I am exhausted with the prejudice after all we have done to reform. The Federation are the ones who haven¡¯t reformed, and nobody lasers such unyielding focus to condemning them!¡± ¡°All I meant is that we are unfamiliar with you, and that¡­our movement¡¯s feeling is that transparency breeds trust. Aliens, those who claim to be our friends, have not been kind to Jaslips.¡± Nice save, Aulan. He is awfully good at spinning words that people want to hear. ¡°We were hoping that you¡¯re willing to be open and forthright: all the things the Consortium are not. We¡¯d like to work together on how our movement will progress.¡± Kaisal relaxed. ¡°Working together, and bringing you in our budding Carnivore Alliance, is what we want. Omnol, the Smigli homeworld, is the heart of your uprising, even if other enclaves are also acting out. The Smiglis didn¡¯t want the Reskets to put you down, so it might be possible to win their support¡ªif only in remaining firm, not allowing any more foreigners to act without their consent. Our top priority, in my opinion, should be to unite all of the enclaves. We must synchronize our plans.¡± ¡°Splitting us up into various enclaves was another thing the Consortium did to weaken us. I can offer full-throated support for making the Jaslip people one again. How are no others indignant with the Krev, after hiding and taking drastic measures for a nonexistent threat? They¡¯ll let the Sivkits move back to their homeworld, but not us?!¡± Cherise gasped in horror. ¡°What? The¡­we¡¯re just giving the Sivkits back Tellus? I thought we wanted to stay¡­¡± Aulan¡¯s eyes gleamed. ¡°You haven¡¯t heard? It¡¯s circulating on the KC news that humanity and the Sivkits reached an agreement, under the UN¡¯s wise supervision. The Tellish are staying in your city; it seems humans will have an enclave of your own. There¡¯s only one way being a minority species on someone else¡¯s planet ends, and you can look at us to see what Tinsas will become!¡± ¡°So a Federation-minded species is just going to move back en masse, and join the Consortium¡¯s war against us, the carnivores?! Humanity is just submitting to their rule?¡± I yowled. ¡°I doubt the Sivkits will wage war against you. They committed to our Carnivore Alliance, and have been living on the world of carnivores called Bissems for months; all they wished for was help retaking Tinsas,¡± Kaisal remarked. ¡°I think they could be a potential ally, since they partner with us. The Grand Herd might relate to wanting to¡­reclaim your homeworld and history. Their story has many commonalities to the Jaslip tale.¡± I guess that¡¯s true. The Federation conquered and relocated them, destroying their homeworld in the process. The Sivkits were subdued and made a laughingstock. ¡°If they¡¯re on our side, we welcome their help; herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores should stand united against tyranny.¡± Aulan cast a glance at Cherise, flicking an ear in acknowledgment. ¡°We welcome all kindred spirits.¡± Hysran snickered, leaning close to whisper in the human¡¯s ear; I strained to overhear. ¡°Ooh, you¡¯re special. He singled you out. When¡¯s the wedding?¡± Cherise gave the comedian Arxur a look that could kill. ¡°You have no idea what I¡¯ve done for this movement. It deserves acknowledgment, even if some Jaslips don¡¯t give it.¡± ¡°Some Jaslips did those shitty things right alongside you, believing we were in this together¡ª¡± I began. ¡°If there is going to be chatter during our conversation, I will not permit these hearings to be open to all,¡± Kaisal hissed, while Zefriss gave Hysran a smug look. ¡°Aulan, is there anything else you would like to ask me?¡± The Jaslip Independence Brigade leader cleared his throat. ¡°Yes. Speaking of potential allies, we thought the United Nations might support our mission. The humans did take steps to restore our species after they saw Esquo, so perhaps they would¡­do more. Could you relay a message to them requesting aid?¡± The Arxur leader laughed. ¡°Support from the United Nations? You can count on them not taking any actions that might offend their precious herbivore allies. They never side with us; they didn¡¯t, even when the Federation attacked us and unraveled their defense of Aafa. I wouldn¡¯t count on them lifting a pretty little finger, except for the one it seems you have with you.¡± ¡°Clearly, I stand out here,¡± Cherise grumbled. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt to ask, Chief Hunter Kaisal. They must at least empathize with our plight, and we perhaps do not carry the¡­political baggage I imagine other carnivores might,¡± Aulan offered. Kaisal snorted. ¡°We¡¯re going to be at war with the Krev Consortium, and the United Nations wants nothing more than to lock in a peace treaty with them¡ªanother precious accord to maintain at all costs, forsaking all other commitments. Nonetheless, I will relay that the Jaslips wish for aid. Perhaps the Tellish remembering what it is to be oppressed by the Krev will get them off their asses; they do care when a problem directly affects humans.¡± ¡°This affects everyone¡¯s safety and liberty in this region. Use those words, Chief Hunter, if you wish to convey the spirit of our request. And thank you for helping; we are unable to get to Tellus ourselves, and using their communication channels would give up our location.¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll return with a flowery message about why those leaf-lickers can¡¯t be bothered to help, given that they won¡¯t address the abuses within their own Sapient Coalition. I will let you know. In the meantime, I will also craft plans to assert control on each planet¡¯s enclave. We should likely start the Ulchid and Trombil enclaves, since the natives will offer the least resistance there.¡± ¡°Our brethren will appreciate your heroic aid. I¡¯ll let you get to it, and will be happy to coordinate the plans. We¡¯ll discuss our next moves internally as well. May the Carnivore Alliance defeat any who oppose us!¡± There were some cheers of agreement from the gathered Jaslips, though many were uncertain about this hasty partnership: even if it was our lifeline. I glowered at Hysran, and kept my muzzle clamped shut; I wasn¡¯t going to cheer for cannibals calling the shots of our war effort. I could still hear Kaisal¡¯s lack of confidence in the United Nations as well, which led me to think the humans might be the same as all of the indifferent Consortium species. The support of Orion¡¯s predominant power¡ªthe vanquishers of the Federation¡ªwould be a game-changer for our movement. They were the ones who could truly contest the KC. I hoped for the sake of our long-term success that the Chief Hunter was wrong about the Terrans¡¯ intentions. Chapter 2-78 Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist Date [standardized human time]: February 9, 2161 Earth. The Blue Marble in the viewport brought tears to my eyes, seeing the birthplace of my species in person. There were many conflicting emotions that whipped around my head, jockeying for control. I¡¯d spent so many long nights mourning the loss of our civilization, and here it sat, stronger than ever. When the United Nations passed along my parents¡¯ present whereabouts, it had been Gress who insisted that I came back. I didn¡¯t belong here, even if the Terran government was permitting it. After two decades had passed since my family sent me off, the prospect of seeing them was overwhelming. It would be unbearable if they¡­spit in my face, had moved on, or¡­ Mom and Dad sent me away for nothing. I remember their last words¡ªI¡¯d sit replaying them as a reason to carry on, a tribute to their memories. They wanted me to be happy, and I sure as shit wasn¡¯t, except for the brief span where Gress was my refuge. They said they¡¯d be proud of me no matter what, but they didn¡¯t see what I¡¯ve done. What if that¡¯s not true? Strolling out of the spaceport smack dab in the middle of the Las Vegas Strip was sensory overload. The neon lights that flashed on towering buildings, the fountains that jetted up into the air, the grandiose hotels and casinos: so distinctly flashy and human. While Paris might¡¯ve been destroyed in the bombing, preventing me from ever seeing the attraction that Gress had shown to me in virtual reality, there was a glowing Eiffel Tower that rose into the sky. Even the palm trees were a marvel from someone who didn¡¯t remember a whisper of anything tropical, and had seen only the rocky walls of a cavern. The warmer temperatures didn¡¯t bother me, since I was used to walking out on Tellus¡¯ dunes dressed in concealment gear; that had been hot. One thought stood out above all the rest, as I looked around at very curious passersby. I had never seen this many humans in my life. The United Nations¡¯ diplomatic staff on the SC station paled in comparison to the tourists coming here to live it up. I could see billboards and advertisements for glamorous shows and entertainment, and teared up even further. This was unimaginable to have at my fingertips, in a place where performances and art had been written off in general. The kori dancing classes with Gress had been the lone expressive display I¡¯d ever done just for fun. Speaking of the Krev, it was fortunate that he was basking in Terrans¡¯ attention, since he was the first of his kind to visit Earth. ¡°Do they really call this Sin City?¡± Gress shouted at the onlookers. ¡°It¡¯s just like primates to want to get into trouble. I have to see some of this mischief, don¡¯t¡ªTaylor, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°It¡¯s t-too much.¡± I squeezed my eyes shut, as the Krev cupped my chin and turned it toward him. I¡¯m glad it¡¯s just me and him. He¡¯s the one person I¡¯d trust with anything. ¡°All these years, my home thrived without me. Our culture is so beautiful¡­¡± ¡°And so are you. Humanity¡¯s spirit wasn¡¯t stomped out, and you can live life at a hundred percent now. I don¡¯t want you to feel tied down. You¡¯ve always wished you could have your home, and you should be happy, Taylor. You should be able to breathe in the fresh air and look at the same sky that¡¯s always looked down on your people.¡± I startled. ¡°What? I don¡¯t want to come back here. This humanity¡¯s spirit might not have been shattered, but mine was. I¡¯m damaged goods, nothing but pain and regret. They don¡¯t get me, and they shouldn¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°I¡¯m haunted by people that tried to hurt me in the past, and my own failures, just as much as you are. You¡¯re not nothing but that, Taylor. You weren¡¯t free to be who you really were, and you had to hide all the aspects that make you the beautiful man I love. I like you much better when you¡¯re not a faceless, closed-off body under a mask¡ªwhen you set aside that fear and hurt. There¡¯s nothing anyone has to ¡®get¡¯ but that.¡± ¡°What do I even tell my parents about my life? What do I say, just walking through the fucking front door after twenty years? I can¡¯t do this.¡± ¡°Yes, you can. I¡¯m not letting you turn away now. I struggle every day with not saying goodbye to Lecca, and not knowing when I¡¯ll see her again. Your parents have been feeling that for twenty years¡ªyou have been without them for years. If they love you, they will support you and embrace you with open arms.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not fucking ready, Gress.¡± ¡°Fine. Then we¡¯ll walk around the Las Vegas Strip until you are. I bet your casinos are so cute!¡± I gave the Krev an exasperated look. ¡°Literally how could a gambling hub be cute?¡± ¡°Primates find a way. Let me look inside one, and I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Gress curled his claws into the back of my hand and dragged me, not leaving me much choice in the matter. A place where humans went to wager money on games of chance¡ªto think that had quantified as ruin before aliens came around¡ªbrought a sardonic smile to my face. I felt self-conscious as security and staff gawked at us, though there were no explicit orders barring Krev and ark colonists from the premises. I noticed there was an ample number of alien tourists mixed in with the crowd, and wondered what the herbivores had thought of predatory games of chance. Was it our hunters¡¯ drive for domination that made blackjack value face cards, with binocular-eyed beasts sketched onto them, worth more than numbers? Clubs and spades are both symbols of leaves, very prey-like suits, while gemstones and hearts don¡¯t seem that predatory either. However, I know how the Federation thinks. Disregard all evidence that they don¡¯t like. Gress, on the other hand¡­ This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Gress gawked at the blackjack tables, watching. ¡°Aw, that¡¯s so adorable¡ªsaying ¡®hit me¡¯ to draw more cards! It¡¯s so violent, making cards into a form of playfighting.¡± ¡°Imagine what the Venlil over there thinks of that,¡± I grumbled, pointing a finger at a fluffy guest at the table. ¡°Probably thought the dealer was going to strike the guy, and flinched when they said the words themselves.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see how anyone can find you scary. Smigli casinos would be so much better with primate dealers; Krev would gamble forever!¡± ¡°Hang on. The Smiglis have card games?¡± ¡°Do they ever! Those wiggly, pink shits have debauchery much more covered than your Sin City.¡± The Venlil at the table hissed at a human server, after sipping a colorful drink brought for him. ¡°I was told that there were complimentary drinks, but this is just juice. Juice! Do you know who I am?¡± ¡°We do, General Kam; you¡¯re a regular. They¡­warn us when you¡¯re here, you know,¡± the server replied. ¡°Then why do you give me this fruity shit?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want it, I¡¯ll take it,¡± I volunteered, until the Venlil shot me a blistering look. I coughed awkwardly. ¡°Or not.¡± ¡°Paws off, interloper. What hole did you crawl out of?¡± Ouch. That hits close to home. ¡°The only place this needs to be taken is back to the bar, to be filled with real spirits!¡± The server sighed. ¡°Alcohol won¡¯t bring back the glory days, sir.¡± The old Venlil shot a potent glare at the waiter, who relented beneath that withering look. ¡°The drink has moonshine in it,¡± the human said. ¡°You just can¡¯t taste it beneath the fruit juice. Just please, try not to bother the other patrons with rants about Veln? We¡¯ve had¡­complaints.¡± ¡°There¡¯s moonshine in this? Shit, why didn¡¯t you lead with that? Bring me another!¡± Kam declared. I closed my eyes to run through our history with the Venlil, before blinking them open. ¡°Gress, I think that¡¯s the military general who wanted to shoot down Noah and Sara¡¯s ship.¡± ¡°What?!¡± the Krev hissed. ¡°Yeah. He came around to us being trustworthy, scared off Sovlin, and later helped with convincing the public. I¡­didn¡¯t expect to see him chugging moonshine cocktails at a Vegas blackjack table.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like Kam is worried about phrases like ¡®hit me.¡¯ The staff seem more worried about Kam striking them.¡± ¡°Bro has one hell of a death glare. I drew his attention by trying to swipe his drink, so¡­I think we should move on.¡± ¡°Gladly.¡± The two of us strolled past rows of slot machines, where a subspecies of furless primates called ¡°tourists¡± happily tugged at levers to try to spin three matching symbols. Gress got melty-eyes after seeing fruit symbols, perhaps imagining us sitting on a forest floor chomping real predator foods like strawberries. We really were terrifying and apex, huh? The Krev loved the hordes of humans milling about down the aisles and crowding each game, though I was suffering from the disorienting lights and sounds. It was all I could do to keep up with his enthusiasms, gushing over every game. He pointed with a claw toward the roulette wheel, eyes gleaming. ¡°Look at the humans spin that big wheel! They¡¯re all watching it with such fixation. Juvre would love to have one of these as a toy,¡± Gress fawned. I narrowed my eyes. ¡°Your obor would want a segmented wheel with colors and shapes, to bet over where a marble lands?¡± ¡°No, but he¡¯d like spinning it round and round. Everything you do is so adorable!¡± The Krev had taken off to the next game, with a level of hyperactivity I didn¡¯t know he had. The scaly alien was having a lot more enthusiasm for visiting Earth than me; it was going to be disastrous if his kind ever got to visit here en masse. ¡°And then look over here¡ªyou throw dice inside this precious table with green felt! It¡¯s in its own little basin.¡± ¡°That¡¯s craps, Gress. It¡¯s literally just throwing dice inside a table.¡± The Krev bounded off with relentless enthusiasm, and I rolled my eyes. ¡°Look over here! The humans keeping their cards to themselves like some big secret, and putting down cute, tiny circles like they¡¯re trying to scare each other. Sizing their rivals up all serious and studying their expressions: you look so grumpy when you play competitive games! I love it!¡± ¡°Is there anything we do that you take seriously? If these exact actions were taken by a species that weren¡¯t furless primates, would you feel the same?¡± ¡°No, but just look at those furtive glances toward their cards. Like scared, skittish obors: that¡¯s what you looked like when you took off the mask. I wanted to scoop you up and¡ª¡± ¡°Gress. You used to try to take us seriously and treat us like sapients. What has gotten into you?¡± The Krev¡¯s tongue flitted out. ¡°Who, me? I¡¯m definitely not trying to voice my unfiltered thoughts so that you¡¯ll get annoyed, and I can prod you over to your parents.¡± ¡°So that is what you really think of Terran culture.¡± ¡°This is a genuine struggle, Taylor. You have sketches of primates in fancy fabrics on your cards, blinking lights and sound effects on machines, drinks in precious saucers that look like upside-down umbrellas¡ª¡± ¡°Those are called martini glasses.¡± ¡°Humans even use fruit slices and skewers to decorate those drinks! You get my point. Love what I point out or hate it, you should enjoy all those little things too. I¡¯m trying to help in a roundabout way, by bringing them to your attention.¡± ¡°It is something to see humans going about their lives, and all of the intricacies that are uniquely ours¡ªnot just out of reach on the screen. Seeing you like a kid in a candy shop, it¡¯s adorable. The enthusiasm is both fucking annoying and highly contagious at the same time.¡± ¡°Exactly! Earth isn¡¯t some scary, foreign place; you can find ways to have fun here. You don¡¯t need to be away from home a second longer. It¡¯s a lot to take in, but you will acclimate in time. I¡¯ll be here the whole time. We just need you to take the hard first steps, and you can have everything you ever dreamed of. Everything the Federation stole from you.¡± I nodded, sucking in a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m just scared of what my parents will think of me¡­of how I¡¯ve turned out.¡± ¡°And I think they¡¯ll be happy to see that you¡¯re okay; everything else won¡¯t matter. Please, Taylor. Trust me. I want what¡¯s best for you, and I won¡¯t let you stumble into any more regrets.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing I wouldn¡¯t trust you with. What¡¯s best for me is you. Maybe I¡­can do this with you beside me.¡± ¡°You can and will do this. Let¡¯s go.¡± Letting a much more reserved, reverent Gress usher me back out of the casino, I thought about the Terrans¡ªthe predators¡ªhere playing goofy games of chance. It was trivial and airy, compared to the concerns that weighed me down. I wasn¡¯t sure how I felt being back on Earth, a planet as foreign to me as Avor. After coming this far, however, I couldn¡¯t miss my chance to reunite with my parents for fear of rejection. There was a deep-rooted pain in my soul over being sent away to Tellus, and growing up without family or affection. I¡¯d spent so much of my life alone, desperate for anyone¡¯s approval, while becoming a bitter and short-sighted man. It wasn¡¯t a wound that I could deny the existence of forever. The Krev was right that I shouldn¡¯t hide any longer from the society and loved ones I¡¯d dreamed of decades. Chapter 2-79 Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist Date [standardized human time]: February 9, 2161 It was a goofy suburban one-story home, with baby blue shutters and a few garden gnomes scattered about¡ªlike something out of a television sitcom instead of reality. After exiting the vehicle with Gress and double checking that this was the right one, I began the long walk down the driveway. It was nothing compared to crossing the entirety of the Tellus cavern to get to the elevator to the surface, yet I felt like I was moving in slow motion. The lump in my throat expanded, while my stomach felt like Smiglis were crawling around and burrowing into its lining. Fear coated my palms in sweat, more palpable than even when I¡¯d lifted my helmet to show the Krev a human face for the first time. I can¡¯t do this. I¡¯m going to just turn around, and they¡¯ll never know I was here; Gress will have no way of knowing if I say that it¡¯s the wrong address. I want to get as far away from here as possible¡ªback to Tellus, forget being an ambassador. The Krev grabbed my shoulder as I spun on my heel, and tugged me toward the door. ¡°No way am I going to let you leave them wondering what happened to you. I know you¡¯re scared, but we¡¯ve talked about this: about not letting fear control you. About doing hard things to grow. We¡¯re seeing this through.¡± Tears rolled down my face, while I dragged my feet being pushed up to the front porch. I could imagine growing up here under the blue sky, running around on this proper lawn with real, freshly-mown grass; I remembered that feeling of the sun first hitting my exposed face on Tellus, now contrasted with Sol¡¯s radiant glow burning my scalp. After nearly dying of heat exhaustion in the desert, after Mafani snatched me, I knew the downside of living in this warm climate¡ªand didn¡¯t care. Actual fun and happiness, with people who cared about me and were there for me. This could have been my life. They sent me away so long ago, what did it matter now? Should I be¡­angry, just like I always was?! ¡°I¡¯ll knock,¡± Gress sighed, as I stood staring at my shoes; the arch-supporting attire that the Consortium military provided didn¡¯t have a human design, with it looking like a toe glove by the ends of our feet. I was just some random, ratty man showing up on their doorstep, who looked like he was doing his best imitation of Tarzan. I¡¯d be embarrassed to have a son that turned out like me. ¡°It¡¯ll all be okay, sweetheart. I promise.¡± I squeezed my eyes shut with shame, unable to look as he rapped his claws against the door. The waiting felt eternal, as I hoped that they weren¡¯t home; maybe they were both still at work, or otherwise occupied. I distinctly remembered my parents had both worked from home, like most Terran specialists¡ªlife on Earth was awfully cozy¡ªbut that might¡¯ve changed. I cringed as I heard footsteps hustling toward the door, followed by another confused voice asking, ¡°Who is it?¡± Gress jabbed his claws into my hip, forcing me to look. It peeked open a crack, before swinging ajar fully. A silver-haired man¡¯s eyes had gone wide, perhaps recognizing what a Krev was. His gray irises watered when he looked at me, before his voice spoke with hope. ¡°Taylor?¡± I nodded, still unable to speak; I felt disgusted within my own skin. My father rushed forward without any hesitation, swarming me with a hug. His hand pressed against the back of my skull, the hair that I¡¯d grown out quite a bit in recent months, and brought me into the warmth of his chest. His sobbing like a baby only made my weeping worse. The affection and comfort¡ªseeing that my parents loved me in spite of what I was¡­they didn¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t want this to end, to be ruined! My legs gave out, and I fell to my knees. My mother had limped outside at the sound of my name, pressing a wrinkled hand to my cheek. ¡°Taylor,¡± Mom whispered. ¡°We¡¯re sorry. We are so sorry for letting you go. We thought we¡¯d never see you again, and it broke our hearts; the guilt of leaving you all alone, God knows where. Please, come inside, tell us everything that happened to you.¡± I looked up at my parents, shaking my head. ¡°No. I¡¯m a horrible person! I¡¯m a vindictive, stupid, emotional mess.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that,¡± Gress interjected. ¡°You¡¯ve been through so much; it¡¯s okay to be emotional. You¡¯ve grown a lot since we first met, and I know I haven¡¯t seen your full potential. You¡¯re a good person that deserves a better upbringing.¡± My dad stared at the alien. ¡°I agree with what you said, but I¡¯m sorry¡ªwho are you?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m Gress. Taylor¡¯s boyfriend.¡± ¡°Oh. Okay then¡­¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± My cheeks burned with self-consciousness, coming home with¡ªno, I wasn¡¯t ashamed of Gress. It was the thought that something was wrong with me, wasn¡¯t it? ¡°W-we¡¯re together.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t think you¡¯d go for someone so¡­green¡ª¡± ¡°But what matters is that he¡¯s happy and that he¡¯s home,¡± Mom finished, pulling me to my feet. ¡°Come inside, both of you. I¡¯ll make lasagne: it was your favorite, Taylor. Your squishy little face would light up when I said the word.¡± ¡°I..I don¡¯t remember. It¡¯s all fuzzy.¡± I noticed how Gress¡¯ eyes twinkled at the thought of me with a child¡¯s squishy cheeks, and realized then that he was going to see baby pictures and hear embarrassing stories. ¡°I mostly remember the day I was sent off, and a few random things. I know most humans love their moms¡¯ cooking, so, um, I¡¯d love to try it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite alright, my sweet boy. Then you get to experience your favorite food for the first time!¡± ¡°Can Krev even eat lasagne?¡± Dad asked. ¡°I read that they¡¯re herbivores.¡± Gress raised a paw. ¡°We eat meat sometimes. I¡¯ve tried human food before. If the dish has dairy, that might make me a little sick, but it does that to many of you too! It¡¯s worth it, and it¡¯s really adorable that you love milk so much as babies that you keep drinking it as adults. Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯m here for Taylor.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a guest in my house, I¡¯m not going to leave Taylor¡¯s significant other with slim pickings. I¡¯ll make you something special. Why don¡¯t we get you both in the nice AC?¡± I nodded, draping my arms across their shoulders as if I had a broken leg; it felt like a symbolic moment, crossing the threshold into the cozy home of two old predators. While the Krev bestowed lavish dwellings upon us, that hadn¡¯t been most of the Tellus experience. I remembered it taking years to even install air conditioning, despite how hot it was. The priorities had been to secure a deep-underground water supply, to stabilize our crops, and to drill a living space where we could hide from Krev eyes. The ark ship had its comforts and amenities, and was a temporary place to stay, but it offered little concealment. While building lodgings, we also had to get the mines up and running to pay the rent. Heat exhaustion was a common death. I don¡¯t think Terrans appreciate how quickly the comforts of modern life can slip away, and it all goes to hell: the stone ages are always just one disaster away. There¡¯s a false security in this idyllic life, but it¡¯s not an illusion I got to have. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. The Krev bubbled with excitement to look inside an actual, human-built home and see how we really lived, back on Earth; he contained himself, but I could see it in his reflective eyes. I supposed, all in all, this homecoming had gone well so far. My parents had taken me in and embraced me like I was never gone, and there hadn¡¯t been that much of a reaction to Gress¡¯ closeness to me. At least the objection seemed more to be a bit of judgment over choosing an alien, rather than my orientation. Most Terrans probably thought it was weird to develop feelings for a green-scaled mammal, though at least they were less overt with the stares than the Tellish. I didn¡¯t know what people on Earth thought of the Krev, after the attacks that had transpired. ¡°So¡­¡± I ventured, clinging to the both of them as if my life depended on it; my mind was of a small child, desperate for his parents not to leave him. ¡°The Krev were fighting the United Nations. How do you feel about them?¡± ¡°The Krev abused humans¡ªabused my son¡ªfor twenty-four years,¡± Dad grumbled. ¡°I know enough to be pissed about that.¡± Gress bowed his head in shame. ¡°I was appalled to learn we were exploiting primate refugees who had nothing. It¡¯s the Consortium¡¯s greatest mistake, more so than attacking Talsk and Aafa: these were entirely innocent victims who had already been abused, and who are the very creatures we love inherently! I couldn¡¯t be more sorry for my part in causing pain and suffering, and all I can offer now is my sincerity to help the Tellish; I want them to have everything they can dream of. Including Earth.¡± Mom cleared her throat. ¡°Without the Krev, ah, launching their attack, we would¡¯ve never known our son survived¡­and they did try to help when they learned the truth about who our people were. I don¡¯t think they intended to fight or hurt humans at any point.¡± ¡°The Krev public? Certainly not. But our government won¡¯t appreciate any attempts humanity makes to curtail their surveillance or their natural tendency to¡­ball up and find a threat. When the Fed remnants are gone, then what can they point at?¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, aren¡¯t you exaggerating how bad the KC is?¡± I asked. ¡°They crossed lines, they¡¯re a surveillance state, but they were created under extreme circumstances. They helped and protected the Tellish.¡± ¡°If they hurt cute, baby-faced primates with no fur, there would¡¯ve been mass chaos from the Krev people. You were useful anyway. Humans showed how terrible the Federation were and drew a ton of sympathy¡ªgalvanized everyone to the cause!¡± ¡°You think General Radai was insincere about wanting to protect us and keep us safe? He tried to expose the corrupt part of your government, and he¡¯s at the top: he directed the war, and I know he wasn¡¯t using us for sympathy.¡± ¡°I take it you two have this debate a lot?¡± Dad chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t know a lot about the Consortium, but I want to know about you personally, Taylor. We¡¯ve missed so much of your life.¡± Mom bit her lip. ¡°The United Nations wouldn¡¯t even look for you; they said it¡¯d be impossible to find you. I thought we could¡¯ve at least¡­sent out a message. When we heard they found your ark, there was no way to send a message for weeks¡ªthen you weren¡¯t even on Tellus. All we could learn was that you were on the captured ship, and that it was a massacre. We thought you were dead¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not. I think¡­I was the only survivor,¡± I muttered with a hint of guilt. ¡°I surrendered when I realized there were humans on the other side. You don¡¯t understand, I thought I was protecting the kids¡ªthe only hope of rebooting humanity.¡± ¡°That¡¯s very noble and brave to risk your life for the future generation, Taylor. That¡¯s not something a ¡®horrible person¡¯ would do.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand. I was Mayor Hathaway¡¯s lapdog, and I was a kiss-ass that did whatever it took to stay out of the mines. I caused a drilling accident by pushing the production¡­to try to get a damn promotion. People died because of me not listening to engineers and common fucking sense. Then I attacked Gress for wanting us gone, which could¡¯ve made the Krev slaughter us all! I would¡¯ve gotten the last humans, for all I knew, killed over a fit of rage. Over my failure.¡± ¡°The drill was an accident; I pressured and threatened you. You had a concussion because of that, and anyone could¡¯ve exploded under that kind of pressure,¡± Gress placated. ¡°At the time, I thought you were greedy squatters taking advantage of us¡ªhow laughable that is, looking back. We were angry that we didn¡¯t know who or what you were.¡± ¡°I know that, but I didn¡¯t trust you.¡± ¡°Why would you? It was a case of mistaken identity on both sides, where we both could¡¯ve verified more. You wouldn¡¯t budge on opening up, so I was¡­done with you. I thought so lowly of you and just wanted you gone; who wouldn¡¯t be angry that everyone in the universe wanted them gone?¡± ¡°I hated being human. I hated the Krev. Nothing out there was EVER kind to us!¡± ¡°It¡¯s understandable. Your pain is valid, and I¡¯m so sorry for my part in it. You¡¯re not a horrible person.¡± Mom squeezed my torso. ¡°I agree with Gress; it sounds like these things just happened. You¡¯re a kind person. I can see it in your eyes.¡± ¡°Yeah, but I¡­wanted to attack the Sivkits when they came to Tellus. I wanted blood; that¡¯s why I joined the military!¡± I shouted. ¡°You and every other human who thought the Federation destroyed Earth and finally had a chance to protect themselves,¡± Gress countered. Dad rolled his eyes. ¡°I wanted to kill the Feddies after what they did to Earth: a billion humans dead isn¡¯t like we got away scot-free on a picnic. We rebuilt inch by inch, and it¡¯ll never be the same. Someone has to pay for that. It¡¯d be weird if that didn¡¯t piss you off.¡± ¡°What Bill means is that wanting revenge for humanity¡¯s extinction is natural, and that you weren¡¯t alone. Maybe it¡¯s not right, but that doesn¡¯t make you horrible, sweetheart,¡± Mom said. ¡°The fact that you think it¡¯s wrong says a lot. I¡¯m sure you just didn¡¯t want to let Tellus be killed off too.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I sniffled, thinking back to the panic I¡¯d felt on the bridge over the thought of the Federation finding us¡ªof them coming to stomp us out like the last embers of a fire. ¡°I wanted what was best for humanity. I didn¡¯t mean to hurt or sabotage us, I just¡­bungled everything.¡± ¡°Nobody would¡¯ve been perfect in your shoes, whatever they might think. No one but Mr. Elias Meier himself is a robot.¡± Gress¡¯ eyes narrowed. ¡°That¡¯s what they want you to think.¡± ¡°Nobody wants me to think,¡± I mumbled. ¡°Enough of this mopey talk, Taylor. You¡¯re a Trench, and we¡¯re made of sterner stuff than all that. I would¡¯ve taught you better¡ªand I still will,¡± Dad announced with certainty. ¡°You¡¯re home. You¡¯re going to stay here as long as you want; we¡¯ll take care of everything, and make up for lost time.¡± Mom smiled. ¡°Absolutely! Your place is here, Taylor, and you¡¯ll always have that. You¡¯re a part of this family. We never stopped loving or thinking about you; nothing will ever change that. I¡¯ll help you get settled back here on Earth.¡± ¡°What? No, I¡¯m only staying here while we need someone to broker a peace with the SC and talk shit through in the immediate future.¡± I leaned back on the couch, taken aback by how quickly this had been thrust upon me. ¡°As soon as I fulfill my agreement with the UN, I¡¯m going back to Tellus.¡± ¡°What? Why would you want that?!¡± ¡°I know it doesn¡¯t mean anything to you, but my whole life is there; all of that bullshit can¡¯t have been for nothing! Everyone I know is there. My life with Gress is there, and I won¡¯t just leave him¡ªthat¡¯s his home, and where his daughter is.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t stay for me. I want you to be happy, Taylor,¡± the Krev said, eyes glistening with sorrow. ¡°I am happy with you! It¡¯s the only time in my life I¡¯ve been loved.¡± ¡°Your parents love you too, and they¡¯re right. I told you as much when we first landed, that you should live under this sky and that you shouldn¡¯t worry about fitting in. You belong on Earth; it¡¯s all you ever wanted, to go home and have human civilization back. It was your overarching dream, the loss that haunted you. I wouldn¡¯t keep you from that. You should stay.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all too little too late, Gress. I¡¯m a fish out of water. I can¡¯t just move back to Earth like it never happened and forget about you, about Tellus! It¡¯s not that simple.¡± My mom shared a look with my father, before holding my hand and giving me a pleading look. ¡°Just think about it, will you? At least stay with your poor old parents for a few days to think it over.¡± I stared around at the living room, and finally let my eyes wander to the pictures on the wall and the mantle; Gress had definitely been looking at them when he implored me to stay. The emotions hit like an uppercut as I saw a young me in a soccer jersey and bright cleats, while a much-less-wrinkly version of my father crouched behind me¡ªwith windswept hair and dark sunglasses over his binocular eyes. I could see a photo of my mother holding me as a baby, while I suckled from a bottle with my little hands. Earth might not have felt like my home for a long time, but this was my family. I could be¡­a part of something again. Would it be foolish not to stay, when my flesh and blood was here, welcoming me home? I gave a shaky nod. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll think about it.¡± Chapter 2-80 Memory Transcription Subject: Elias Meier, Former UN Secretary-General Date [standardized human time]: February 10, 2161 With the pressure off of my shoulders, tied only to an advisory capacity for Secretary-General Osmani, I found myself living in 2136 in my head. The fate of the SC no longer rode on my actions, so I could afford to contemplate a past which felt more real than any of this. I remembered my first time boarding a spaceship for an alien world, the raw power of the engines shaking the seats as we achieved lift-off from Earth. My life had been so consumed by worldly problems and making things better on that small blue sphere of ours. To see it below had been an experience like no other. How the extermination fleet could¡¯ve looked down on it and not been moved by its beauty, thinking it just an ugly vessel that needed cleansing. Those memories were not mine. They were implanted into my memory banks to make it seem real, but I had not experienced them. We were not the same consciousness, and while I carried Meier¡¯s traits and proclivities, that was the truth of it. How was it fair that I recalled what it was to weep, to tear into a juicy burger, and inhale the scent of the vanilla candles I kept on my desk, yet could never have that experience? I imagined what the Federation would¡¯ve thought of that last item, laughing to myself. A primitive illumination device, and why aromatic herbs would appeal to a predator¡¯s blood-drawn nose¡ªwe confused them so much. I almost feel more at home dealing with the Shield and the Federation remnants, since I¡¯d grown used to that being how aliens are. I was the scariest of them all in their heads, as the human leader; they thought me a ferocious monster, foaming at the mouth. Not me. I¡¯ve stolen Elias¡¯ memory and identity, really, and I¡¯ve figured that out with his cognition. When the UNS Odyssey tested its FTL engines, Elias had been proud of what humanity might accomplish, though this all wasn¡¯t even a dream in his subconscious. Mind you, he was never a big space aficionado, but I knew that he thought it would be nice to have a backup plan¡­in case we should destroy our temperate Earth. The question was, what did I think of the mission looking back? Had it been worth holding onto our optimism, when it meant enduring the wars and losses that assailed us over these past two decades? I wanted to believe that this was all worth it for the good the SC could do, but I would not exist if Noah and Sara hadn¡¯t found the Venlil. Elias would¡¯ve lived a fuller, calmer life without all of those tumultuous feelings he endured in his final days, in the time and body that his mind belonged in. I felt sorry for the poor guy. He had a great deal of compassion for humanity, and died not knowing if his species would survive. In those last moments, he had thought it all worth it. I had the unique perspective of my lifespan to challenge that viewpoint. While I¡¯d been enamored by the idea of the Sapient Coalition when I first learned of humanity¡¯s status, I¡¯d had to chew them all out over their injustices and lingering biases. With the technology that molded me, the future could be more stagnant than ever; Osmani¡¯s generation might be the last one that got the torch handed to him. People would chase the dream of immortality, not realizing that the reality was being little more than a copy who foolishly believed itself to be the original. There was a knock on the door to my quarters, and I put on a smile as Osmani poked his head in. ¡°Elias, excellent work sealing the Krev treaty. I¡¯m glad we put those drones to better use, though we¡¯ll have to keep a close eye on them.¡± ¡°You really think General Radai won¡¯t shift the targets as we agreed upon? This is the only way his government gets a peace that doesn¡¯t involve immediate and total disarmament,¡± I remarked. ¡°Sure, the Krev Consortium pivoted away from fighting humanity and its circle, and I don¡¯t find them disingenuous in that regard. There are shady elements within their leadership, even at a cursory glance. I expect Radai to keep his word, but you can never be certain of anyone¡¯s intent. Trust but verify.¡± ¡°Better safe than sorry. I suppose you want me to join the assembly as our ships arrive at Grenelka?¡± ¡°Your absence is a little conspicuous, but I can craft an excuse if you don¡¯t want to join us. You earned a rest. It¡¯s a shame ¡®food poisoning¡¯ can¡¯t be used for you. I would like you to be there when General Jones visits my office after the battle, and we inform her that she¡¯s been removed from her position.¡± ¡°The old bat hasn¡¯t seen it coming? Ha, I would love to be a fly on the wall for that conversation. Her defense for herself will be something to hear.¡± ¡°It¡¯s painfully obvious that you¡¯re not Jones¡¯ biggest fan. People like her are a necessary evil, but they shouldn¡¯t exceed their station¡­or take gambles that can blow up in all of our faces.¡± I wondered what Virnt thought now, reading all of this. The Tilfish scientist visited for an occasional check-in, but I was increasingly disgruntled by the fact that he could read my every waking thought at will. This life should be mine to live, if I was to be considered a person at all; after this many months, it couldn¡¯t be necessary to check my sanity. As if it wasn¡¯t unfair enough what Terra Technologies did to me. That kind of monitoring¡ªthe Sapient Coalition and the United Nations should make laws against it, assuming this technology was moving forward. Privacy being dead was the exact shady element Osmani referenced in the Consortium. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. I remember the horrifying possibilities Gress had spouted out, when he insisted that the Krev were making clandestine usage of mind uploading. There was no proof of that, but if they have more advanced brain scanners than us, creating persons like me should be within their grasp too. If they haven¡¯t already, they will. ¡°Yes, we have to uphold a higher standard to the Sapient Coalition. There are too many eyes on us.¡± I stared at the skin on my hands, remembering how I¡¯d wanted to see the wires underneath after my reanimation. The thought panicked me less now, though I still wondered who the fuck I was. Whatever my friends had told me, I rejected being called Elias. ¡°Sir, if I might ask you about a matter of personal concern?¡± Osmani held out his hands in a sweeping gesture. ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°What are your thoughts on my¡­situation?¡± The Secretary-General narrowed his eyebrows, a puzzled glint in his eyes, as he paused for several seconds. ¡°Being a synthetic being? What of it? I told you I wanted you to help me write in safety guidelines, and that the implications worried me. I respect your wisdom and what you did during a trying time in Earth¡¯s history.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the thing. I did none of that. I only remember doing it, but everyone around me insists that I¡¯m the same Elias. Perhaps because they want me to be.¡± ¡°I¡­think you still carry all of Elias¡¯ wisdom, but that you¡¯ve been molded like a perfect replica. Every likeness has been copied, but you are not the original. You persist in the world in Meier¡¯s image, and carry on his hopes and dreams, but your experiences are unique. They diverged from that starting template.¡± ¡°That sounds like a fair assessment,¡± I mumbled. ¡°My consciousness tells me I¡¯m him, but I¡¯m really not. Maybe I owed Elias that service at one point, but it¡¯s time I find my own hopes and dreams. I shouldn¡¯t ruin his memory by being an impostor. You all look at him as a hero, though I know he wasn¡¯t¡­his guilt and his regrets. Those were his private thoughts, no one else¡¯s.¡± Osmani¡¯s eyes grew troubled. ¡°You¡¯re distancing yourself from that life, as if you want his memories out of your head. I¡¯m not sure they could do that. What are you saying?¡± ¡°I still want to help you, Mr. Secretary-General; I do care. I know I¡¯d have no personality without him, and¡­he¡¯s a good man to emulate. What I want is to make my own life, without being tied to that perfect ideal and that past. I¡¯m ready to let go of the idea that there¡¯s any part of me that¡¯s truly Elias.¡± ¡°No one has the right to govern your identity but you. You have to live in your own body, not the others. We are who we believe ourselves to be in our souls, not what anyone else tells us we are. If it was the latter, humanity is just a bunch of rabid predators, right?¡± I laughed. ¡°Never tell them about rabies. ¡®The Hunger¡¯ was real all along! They hear of humans frothing at the mouth and biting people from a disease, and it¡¯s over.¡± ¡°An entirely preventable disease, but yes. At any rate, I must get going. You¡¯re welcome to join us out by the UN¡¯s table, though regardless of your attendance there, I imagine I¡¯ll see you in my office afterward. Taking the Yulpa out would be a good start for dismantling the Fed remnants, so let¡¯s hope we¡¯ll be riding the high of that victory then.¡± ¡°I want to see us swooping in to save the Arxur this time; it¡¯ll be curious to have the tables turned on history¡¯s usual script. I¡¯ll follow you out there, sir.¡± ¡°Call me Hamza, at least in private. No need for formalities.¡± I dipped my head in acknowledgment and followed the new Terran leader through the winding hallways of the station. It was my understanding that we¡¯d allowed the Tellish and Krev liaisons to go on a little escapade to Earth, both for their own benefit and so that they wouldn¡¯t have direct eyes on our military operations. While we were all working together against the Remnants, there wasn¡¯t much trust in the Consortium. The last thing we needed was a repeat of Aafa, with short-sighted fools attacking the Arxur to continue waging their war. At the very least, the Yulpa were much less formidable foes than the KC; they still used manned ships. As much as I wish we could help the Jaslips more, the last thing we need is to be in a two-front war. We need to dismantle the Federation¡¯s successor before we decide whether the KC needs a drastic, forceable overhaul. The Sapient Coalition can¡¯t throw up our hands and turn a blind eye again, long-term, if they¡¯re as bad as Gress believes. I scanned the crowd, gauging how the SC representatives felt about our assault on Grenelka; from the few expressions I could see, the overwhelming sentiment was that this was long overdue, especially given how off the rails the Yulpa were. I shuddered to think of them sacrificing humans to their gods. Whatever I felt about Elias, humanity was still my species. I shared all of their thoughts, and every last section of their mind; their perception of the world and mental pathways operated on the same plane as my own. I remembered enough of what it was to be like them, with needs, pain, and exhaustion, that it didn¡¯t feel like a foreign concept. My binocular eyes swept upward to the Bissem balcony, and a smile crossed my face as I saw none other than Doctor Tassi back among her people¡¯s delegation. It was soul-affirming to see the first contact scientist returning to our cause, not giving up on our organization. We were going to shake things up around here for our own purposes. I decided that I should venture up to share the good news; Tassi needed to know that I¡¯d kept my promises. I¡¯d gotten the vote for the end of the piscivores¡¯ trial period on the docket, along with the referendum on lifting Talsk and Aafa¡¯s quarantine. In addition, Osmani had the authority to give Jones a pink slip, which I was sure the scientist would be pleased to hear. ¡°Excuse me, Hamza. There¡¯s someone I have to say hello to, before I join you,¡± I remarked, shuffling off toward the Bissems¡¯ seating area. As human ships were on the cusp of breaking in to deal with the troublesome Yulpa, and show the Arxur some support at long last, I turned to show my support to another ally that I thought had deserved better. The last thing I¡¯d wanted was to see Dr. Tassi go the way of Kuemper, becoming jaded and giving up on this organization. This was the reminder of why it was worth maintaining my optimism, even with the gargantuan task of fixing the SC¡¯s ills. This wasn¡¯t just the time for me to step away from Elias Meier¡¯s legacy, but for the Sapient Coalition to rewrite its own history and effects. Chapter 2-81 Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem Alien Liaison Date [standardized human time]: February 10, 2161 Returning to the Sapient Coalition after a reprieve on Ivrana, I tried to set realistic expectations for what I could accomplish. Elias Meier¡¯s temporary control over the Secretary-General position had lapsed, and there was no telling whether Osmani would fulfill the idealistic promises that his digitized predecessor pledged with such certainty. The galaxy was rather in flux at the moment beyond just humanity¡¯s leadership. The Sivkits were preparing to move off of our world, while us Bissems¡ªdespite the ecological, unhinged, stunted terrors that they were¡ªimplored them to stay a bit longer. Those crazy Federation-brained furballs had been making a noticeable dent in the algae problem, so we were begging them to avoid returning home for a little longer. The Farsul were much quieter refugees, with many happy to get off of Talsk for the first time in their lives, even under the circumstances of their homes being bombed. Lassmin, my country, had decided to offer pathways to citizenship; this decision wasn¡¯t received well by all of the locals. I¡¯d been turning more of an ear toward news from Ivrana, not wanting to feel detached from my homeworld again. As majestic as space was, we were up here for that rock of oranges, greens, and blues. The temporary truce in the Global War that had lasted for a few weeks gave me hope that our subspecies were realizing that. I hated that it took the threat of Aafa to drill that home. I don¡¯t know what will become of the Carnivore Alliance, with the Arxur interfering in the Jaslip business and pissing off the newly-pacified KC; Bissems can¡¯t afford to get roped into this, and we¡¯re not partial to Kaisal after he used our brand new ships as shields. With that said, I think we might have a few permanent friends out of this, and not have to break away. ¡°Tassi,¡± a warm human voice said; I hoped I had been right to believe in Elias. Was he even capable of achieving what he wished to? ¡°Of all the faces here, there are none I¡¯m so happy to see as yours. The SC should consider itself lucky to have you.¡± I accepted his hand with a flipper, pretending not to notice how the skin felt spongy to the touch. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you.¡± ¡°About damn time you took out those predator-hating cloacabeaks,¡± General Naltor grumbled. ¡°The Yulpa are more eager to sacrifice you than Zalk was with Dustin when he washed ashore.¡± ¡°I did not hurt the human.¡± The Tseia scoffed, a sour look on his eyes. ¡°Someone got rid of him after he helped us, though. I wonder who.¡± Elias offered a sympathetic smile, though I noticed his expressions and blinking were a bit off. ¡°That¡¯s what I came over here to say. Beyond offering my sincere apologies that your close encounter with Jones ever transpired, I intend to ensure that she never tries any maneuvers like that against anyone else. Osmani and I are planning to call her on the carpet about all of this, then cut her loose. We must not operate like that with species that should be under our tutelage.¡± ¡°Wow! You¡­really punished her for that?¡± ¡°Not yet, but as soon as this is over, it¡¯s on the calendar. I must admit I¡¯ll savor the look on her face. I¡­or rather, the original Elias found her to be quite the viper, and kept her under constant watch to avoid the Venlil getting railroaded by her schemes. They were vulnerable and intimidated by us, and whether or not we took advantage of them said a lot about humanity¡¯s DNA. I believe that we can walk a path of kindness.¡± Zalk scoffed. ¡°Bah, you sound as naive and moralist as Dustin.¡± ¡°Oh no, I¡¯m something much worse. A fixer. I can separate my own beliefs from the toxicity within the system, and search for a course of action that shortens the gap between the two. I can¡¯t be deterred if you show me my optimism is misplaced; you¡¯ll only motivate me to be the solution to the problems.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the problem with your type,¡± Naltor countered. ¡°Sometimes, the viable solution is the use of force. You have to protect yourself with strength. You can¡¯t space magic away every issue.¡± ¡°I quite agree; my prime directive is always to keep humanity safe. When a species like the Yulpa jeopardizes our ability to live in peace and attacks us in a bold-faced manner, the path forward is clear. In general though, you should try the other avenues first before reaching for the weapons. If I might, I think that is a lesson that would be of the utmost value to Bissemkind and its subspecies.¡± ¡°We signed a truce with the no-good foreigners, even after they¡¯ve tried to plunder our land and our technology again,¡± Zalk spat. ¡°A real enemy to go after for the Starlight Incident: we have to find those Farsul bastards. Ivrana will never be safe so long as they¡¯re out there.¡± ¡°The Sapient Coalition is holding a long overdue vote about making you a full member of our organization, but regardless of the outcome, such a tragedy won¡¯t occur under humanity¡¯s watchful eyes. Our mantle is the guardians of Orion. And for what it¡¯s worth, we¡¯ll nail the ¡®bastards.¡¯¡± I turned hopeful eyes toward Meier, as he smacked a confident fist onto an open palm. ¡°The way you talk, it sounds like Osmani is keeping you close. And if that¡¯s the case, I have every confidence in humanity. It¡¯s wonderful to finally have the galactic community willing to consider admitting us into the fold, without us needing to dive through hoops.¡± The Terran diplomat¡¯s decades of learned composure faltered for a minute, as an arched eyebrow betrayed his interests. ¡°Bissems dive through hoops? Forgive me for allowing my curiosity to get away from me, but that idiom conjures a mental image that¡¯s rather striking.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cover up what you meant. We can see your fucking internet,¡± Naltor retorted. ¡°Adorable is what you meant.¡± Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°You won¡¯t hear those words from me. Unlike the Krev, I strive to be professional.¡± I gave Meier a teasing nudge. ¡°And how often is that professionalism tested?¡± ¡°Daily,¡± the diplomat said with a wink. ¡°We all have our struggles.¡± The mind-uploaded human retreated from the balcony, as the UN fleet was on the verge of dropping out of warp and giving the Yulpa a nasty surprise. I recalled how livid Kaisal had been when the primates didn¡¯t help, after the Fed remnants turned on him during Aafa¡¯s defense. The Arxur leader wasn¡¯t accompanying his forces on this hunt. While Grenelka¡¯s fleet was pretty backward and dated, still requiring manpower, the grays were stretching themselves thin; that made it numerically difficult to overpower a well-defended world, with allies to come to their aid. Attacking the humans and their eighty-odd SC friends was a poor decision from our enemies, since we were the vast array of allies the Chief Hunter needed. It¡¯s about time all of the factions in this galaxy worked together to rid our stellar neighborhood of Federation-borne ignorance. The people who agree that the word ¡°predator¡± shouldn¡¯t matter need to stand up against the ones who maintain their bigotry. Drone feeds came online, as the Sapient Coalition¡¯s support dropped out of warp. The Arxur Collective were keen on battering defenders, in the hopes of releasing payloads like this was one of their old-school raids. Any critical infrastructure, whether military or industrial in nature, was being targeted with prejudice. However, the Yulpa and their allies had numerical superiority, and were banding together to strike down carnivore vessels. Plasma lanced around through our magnified lenses, colliding in bursts of fire. The Arxur were in need of an assist, with many automatons appearing to bail out under immense pressure. I knew their sensors were picking up the unexpected contacts; the primates had a chance to lend surprising aid. Naltor lowered his voice, faking an Arxur-like growl and adding in periodic hissing sounds. ¡°That¡¯s great that you came to help, but where are the Bissem ships? We need allies we can use as shields.¡± ¡°After the Yulpa tried and miserably failed to attack Libastion, it¡¯s time that we bury them! This fight needs to be over before it begins,¡± Secretary-General Osmani spoke into the microphone, standing coolly before the central podium. ¡°We¡¯ve sent a message to the Arxur and the KC alike, vowing to stand with them to snuff out the last vestiges of the Federation. Those who fall on the wrong side of history must be taught a lesson they will never forget.¡± ¡°They sent a message to the KC too? I guess they didn¡¯t want the Krev getting the idea that humanity is siding with the Arxur against them, since the ink on the peace treaty has hardly dried,¡± I remarked. ¡°The humans stopped their war when they realized they were fighting each other. It¡¯s time Bissems sign an accord like that for our own affair.¡± Zalk narrowed his eyes. ¡°The Krev Consortium was, in fact, mostly not a human-against-human conflict, Tassi. The SC has a treaty with the KC, but not much else; how to handle trade, travel, and a host of other things. If we get accepted into the SC. I don¡¯t want even more strange aliens coming to our world.¡± The Selmer general puffed out his chest. ¡°Fear not, wanderbird. The Krev are much more interested in petting humans than inserting their scaly asses into your migration festivals.¡± As for the Krev, while their drones were gunning for Remnant forces, there was no sign of them in this battle; their fight took place in Malti and Drezjin space, while the SC had a mind to deal with the instigating Yulpa. The human, Yotul, and Venlil vessels were a trifecta of death, lobbing space harpoons and plowing through the nearest Remnant ships. If the Skalgan craft weren¡¯t built for ramming, the Federation still had more incentive to avoid a collision; they had actual souls aboard their spacecraft. From the camera¡¯s point of view, our reinforcements acted as one entity¡ªthe unity I¡¯d seen at Nishtal was alive and well. There was something beautiful about seeing vastly different species cooperating in battle that made me glimpse what Naltor appreciated in warfare. Even knowing the horridness from the conflict on Ivrana, this fray had a different feel. The Sapient Coalition was taking a stand, fending off the wild animals with a torch; they were the vanguard of civilization. The Federation remnants had ensured that a stomping was the only solution. I watched the UN deploy space walls that evaporated flaming rounds bound for our ships, and dust guns lap up anything that got close to us. Nanodrones and shield-breaking missiles tag teamed Yulpa vessels like two nets sealing in a fish, as the Yotul twirled hypersonic rods through the vacuum with ease. There¡¯s so much to take in. I feel like I¡¯m watching those human ¡°dominoes¡± fall, a sequential turn of events that builds to a total Yulpa collapse. The Venlil ships concentrated their energy on the front lines, swiping metaphorical claws across the Yulpa¡¯s hulls. Several Remnant craft tried to veer and dodge, which left them ripe for plasma beams to eviscerate them. The United Nations chipped in particle beams, and selected targets with shrewd precision. The Yotul rallied other Sapient Coalition assistance into a powerful unit, and continued to pelt the Yulpa with space harpoons; the tungsten rods were crippling the exact locales that had hardened to the Arxur. Humanity supplied mini-missiles and plasma beams to complement this effort in contrasting fashion. The Collective drones had accepted the Terrans¡¯ aid and interfaced with our command, suggesting Kaisal was ready to have the primates turn up on his side at long last. Their twin railguns spit bullets that were invisible to the camera, but showed up on sensors and in the chewed-out Federation ships that vented atmosphere. Humanity positioned their ships to escort the Arxur closer for the bombing run, and had their own weighty antimatter warheads locked and loaded. ¡°There¡¯s one common thread,¡± I noted aloud. ¡°The humans are everywhere. They¡¯re at their strongest when they¡¯re feeding off of others¡¯ strengths.¡± Naltor tapped a foot with amusement. ¡°Those Yulpa pricks don¡¯t stand a chance.¡± With the Remnant fleet outclassed, Grenelka¡¯s vulnerable sphere was within the sight of the two predator species: the Arxur and the humans began to deploy payloads against the appropriate targets. The Sapient Coalition was not an organization to be trifled with, when they weren¡¯t rotting in their own dysfunctionality. As I began to agree with General Naltor¡¯s hopeless outlook for the Yulpa, a silvery cloud of ships rose out from the planet¡¯s cloud cover¡ªperhaps waiting all along, in case things got bad enough, where they wouldn¡¯t need to warp in. I could feel my beak part in amazement, as the new contacts climbed to three hundred thousand; that count was continuing to rise. We didn¡¯t bring that many ships. This is more than we faced at Aafa, or even with the record-breaking KC incursions. Where the fuck did they come from; since when do the Yulpa have a fleet like this? I knew they had more spacecraft than we expected, but¡­ ¡°You had to go and celebrate before we¡¯d fully kicked their tail feathers in,¡± Zalk grumbled. As humanity and its allies had to re-evaluate whether they could teach this monstrous fleet a lesson after all, as Osmani intended, I was unsure that retreating was an option; the Terrans had already gotten in close to Grenelka¡¯s inner sanctum with no clear path out. The question that tugged at my mind, seeing that the sensor contacts didn¡¯t match any known ship makes, was just who had been lying in wait for us on the Yulpa¡¯s behalf. Chapter 2-82 Memory Transcription Subject: Quana, Jaslip Soldier Date [standardized human time]: February 10, 2161 Esquo¡¯s Hope was the Jaslip enclave on the Ulchid world, and also the nearest to our prior engagements on the Smigli homeworld. I couldn¡¯t get used to having the Arxur breathing down our necks; my biggest hesitancy was over taking anything that qualified as food to them. Cherise expected to have a rather incomplete diet, but that friendship-encroacher Hysran was happy to show her Yotul and Terran plants that had been brought in case KC herbivores were involved. My primate friend was eager to try the alien food, despite how barebones it was compared to Krev cuisine. My reservations about compromising the values we stood for weren¡¯t shared by the human. Regardless, Chief Hunter Kaisal was giving the Ulchids an ultimatum: release the Jaslips, or they would be forced to comply. The three-legged, hypersocial aliens weren¡¯t a military species, and were likely to surrender to us. The trouble was that the Resket fleet surrounding Cieki might have something to say about us rallying troops from Esquo¡¯s Hope, for our eventual raid of the KC¡¯s big players. The Krev and their pink avian enforcers were the real enemy¡ªthe claws pressed to the Jaslips¡¯ necks pinning us down, and spreading their lies to justify our deaths. What did Arxur know about being on the wrong side of oppression, anyway? ¡°So Kaisal talked about ¡®asserting control over the enclaves,¡¯¡± I snapped at Zefriss. ¡°What does that even mean? Is your plan for us to bow to you? Because I would never!¡± Operative Zefriss lashed his tail. ¡°If it is as simple as you wishing for your own world, then we will see that the KC species all release you. Our kind have been prisoners to the SC, locked away. We¡­hrr, sympathize.¡± A loud laugh interrupted our conversation, as Cherise slapped Hysran on the shoulder in a fit of hysterics. ¡°No! You did not just go there.¡± ¡°Did too! So much material with the whole three legs; threes are funny! You know¡­an Ulchid in a foot race just couldn¡¯t reach the fin-ish line,¡± Hysran cackled, in another infuriating pun that I couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°Please. You must¡¯ve spent the whole ride over to this side of the galaxy looking for material on all the KC species.¡± ¡°That¡¯s standard for the hunt, Cherise. I never stop thinking of jokes. I like to make others take things¡­less seriously! Especially when the jokes about these Consortium races write themselves.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll bite. Do you have any jokes about us: and I mean the Tellish specifically?¡± ¡°Hrr, if there were any good jokes, I was hoping you would Tellus.¡± My blood boiled, as Cherise howled and swatted Hysran playfully with her flimsy hands. She¡¯d looked so happy ever since that damn cannibal had pranced around wisecracking, with jokes that I was left out of by virtue of my language; it was like the human was eager to replace me with the latest, greatest thing. The fact that she wasn¡¯t brooding and depressed after the Arxur arrived¡ªsome random stranger shouldn¡¯t have fixed her problems. I¡¯d actually believed she followed me to the JIB for me, but now, I was dirt because I snapped at her once. Once! ¡°Interesting. Hysran annoys you as much as she annoys me,¡± Zefriss noted. I growled, pinning my ears back. ¡°Nice observation. How astute.¡± I turned toward the viewport, angling my ears away from Cherise and Hysran. Our confrontation with the Resket fleet around Cieki was imminent, after Kaisal announced our presence with the JIB¡¯s demands. There was no sense concerning myself with things that were much less important than our mission. Just as I had predicted, the militaristic avians were keeping a watchful eye on Consortium worlds, in case the Arxur made another move on our behalf. They didn¡¯t intend to be embarrassed twice, after the dishonor of getting played at Esquo¡¯s Fighters. The birds had come so close to crushing the Jaslip rebels. The Arxur¡¯s fleet was comprised of drones, and Kaisal¡¯s command ship stayed a ways back; Collective operatives and Jaslip insurgents could board a shuttle to put paws on the ground, if needed. I wasn¡¯t sure that these bloodthirsty menaces would be able to clear the disciplined Reskets, in open combat. The Consortium had an edge in technology, having engineered ships for a century to face the highly-exaggerated threat of the Federation. Perhaps it¡¯d always been meant to use against their own people. There was no leaving, not when that¡¯d make their control slip. The Krev Consortium will never acquiesce to our demands, even if the Ulchids themselves are unwilling to suffer the consequences. The good aspect of the Ulchids being hypersocial was that Aulan had been able to craft a phishing email, and play on that connected nature; it¡¯d gotten us ears into the basic military chatter around Cieki. Kaisal was hailing the Reskets to broadcast his demands, but we could hear their internal dialogue at the same time. On the display feeds, I could see orbital defense platforms revving to life, and the defensive KC fleet bristling with weapons. I had my doubts about this plan; it wasn¡¯t subtle. If we couldn¡¯t take this planet though, there was no hope against the real Consortium strongholds. We needed more allies than the grays, but they were all we had. It¡¯d be too much to ask for Cherise¡¯s species¡ªthe damn humans¡ªto get their hands dirty; Kaisal told us they wouldn¡¯t. I appreciated that they had tried to rescue our species via the Osir Project, but that rescue ended the second they found out we weren¡¯t extinct. Even knowing what we were going through, they¡¯d signed a peace treaty with the Consortium¡­without advocating for Jaslip liberty at all! Maybe the Arxur weren¡¯t so bad, in comparison to every other indifferent alien. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°Release the Jaslips from under the control of this world¡¯s natives at once!¡± Kaisal bellowed, as soon as his hail was accepted. I could echo his sentiment, judging by the itch of a growl that constantly nagged at my chest these days. ¡°Carnivores do not belong to you. Free them, and you will not see us loose them by force.¡± The Resket commander on screen looked unimpressed. ¡°You declared war on the Consortium back at Omnol. If you wish to negotiate, turn back and handle this the diplomatic way.¡± ¡°Diplomacy. Diplomacy. I am not the bumbling Sapient Coalition! I want results, and I want them now¡ªnot waiting an eternity for what scraps you might deign to throw us. My demand is reasonable, and I want only your compliance.¡± I tuned my ears to the internal chatter, as the avians spoke among themselves. ¡°The Ulchids wish to let them have the Jaslip enclaves; they said they¡¯d be happy to have the trouble ¡®out of their oceanfront.¡¯ If those hibernating extremists are so eager to go off on their own, without the blanket of our security, let them. However, it¡¯s not about that.¡± ¡°The Consortium was clear that we cannot afford the dishonor of bowing to an invading army, especially after the embarrassment of the Federation¡¯s nonexistence,¡± another voice answered, on the line we eavesdropped on. ¡°The Jaslips refused to take the civilized route, so we cannot allow them to sow anarchy and make the Resket army a laughingstock. This is not how things get done. The delegates demand that we destroy this Arxur fleet.¡± ¡°That¡¯s an order? I respect the hierarchy, but what will the Ulchids think?¡± ¡°The Ulchids will get in line for the good of the whole institution; they, of all species, understand collectivism. While I¡¯m not eager to expend more manpower on these dishonorable insurgents who do not respect the rule of law, we have our orders, in no unclear terms. When the Jaslips stop acting like animals, we can reevaluate. Let¡¯s not forget who the Arxur are¡ªthe most dishonorable of all.¡± ¡°That is true. We cannot let them raid Cieki, and we have no guarantees that the Jaslips will stop gunning for ¡®revenge¡¯ even if the Consortium bends to them. Specify our orders?¡± ¡°¡®Eliminate all trespassers and hostiles from the Ulchid system. Utilize all weapons at the Resket army¡¯s disposal, including orbital defense systems that have been transferred to your control, then help enforce a crackdown on the Esquo¡¯s hope enclave.¡¯ We are well-disciplined and know our tasks. Prepare to fire.¡± My blood boiled as I heard the order that the Krev Consortium had passed down, as well as how the Reskets spoke about us inside their own ranks. Jaslips were mere animals to them, because we had no other options to speak up for ourselves. I didn¡¯t even care if Kaisal was going to go out in a blaze of glory here, because we had to give them a lashing they¡¯d remember. If the Jaslip Independence Brigade was doomed despite the outside reinforcements, then it was my new mission in life to take as many of them with us as possible. There wasn¡¯t a sympathetic, kind individual in the Resket¡¯s ranks; the supposedly honorable military existed to keep us down. ¡°Kibblarhans!¡± I hissed to Zefriss. ¡°They will never give us freedom. The path forward is only paved with blood!¡± Zefriss¡¯ eyes narrowed, a calculating glint in those vertical slit pupils. ¡°If this is how the Consortium insists on responding to us, we must teach them a lesson. This is what the Arxur are willing to take a stand for, and¡­the whole galaxy will know it.¡± I waited for the Resket ships to begin firing on us, expecting an all-out battle to erupt around Cieki: bright, fast, and violent. There was a matter of listening for the ultimate command to fire, and trying to use our ears in their ranks to our advantage. That was the one edge we had, despite being outsiders here. I could feel my heart pounding from nerves, as I wished so desperately that we could free this enclave and all of the others. Jaslips deserved at least as much respect as the Tellish. The Resket commander¡¯s words were firm. ¡°Set drones to fire in three, two, o¡ª¡± ¡°Belay that order!¡± another voice squawked, one that sounded familiar and carried an authoritative weight. It was the unamused, no-nonsense register of General Radai, one that I¡¯d heard many times in boot camp. ¡°Escort the Arxur ships to the Esquo¡¯s Hope enclave, and contest any KC drones that do not heed my command. Only fire on the intruders should they attack or posture to attack the Ulchid civilian populace.¡± ¡°General Radai? With all due respect, our prior orders are from the top.¡± ¡°It¡¯s our imperative to defy dishonorable orders. The Krev, and elements of our own ranks, have been greedy and deceitful in their handling of the Jaslips. Regardless of how the JIB handles itself, there has been no acknowledgment of wrongdoing¡ªno history of honorable conduct¡ªfrom the KC. They will kill me for this, for disagreeing with them even if I did not defy them, so how much freer are we from their control?¡± ¡°Sir, the Consortium are¡ª¡± ¡°Other species, who deemed their wishes to be above our own in the hierarchy. I do not agree: ultimate control of Tanet and her actions belongs to us. We must break off from their direction; we can think for ourselves. There has been enough hiding like cowards, to learn of a nonexistent threat, and enough lives lost. Reskets cannot align ourselves with their morals any longer. To all who are loyal to our honor code above all else, and who do not wish to stain our species¡¯ legacy further with disrepute, stand down. Help the Jaslips.¡± I was mystified as the Consortium fleet, by and large, powered down their weapons and cleared a path. It was obvious that Radai commanded a great deal of respect, and that his reputation was beyond reproach within his own ranks; I began to see why the Resket delegate had gone into hiding, out of fear that the KC might terminate him. His people had sheltered him since the Mafani incident, and he had tried to pursue answers over what happened to the kits, so I could see an argument that maybe he cared about our lives. All the same, with how buddy-buddy the avians were with the Krev, I found it hard to believe that Radai¡¯s fellows would join his stand. Why would the Resket generals stand with extremists that I knew he hated so much? Because Radai hates the Krev Consortium more, and blames them for pushing us to this? Reskets aren¡¯t capable of seeing the whole truth. They¡¯re Krev claw-lickers. Surely the general is the only one whose conscience will win out over being mindless and robotic, following orders like good little soldiers¡­ ¡°Allow us to join your ranks,¡± the Resket on Kaisal¡¯s screen replied, in words that were meant to be heard by us. Uncertainty flashed in the pink avian¡¯s large eyes. ¡°I¡¯m told that we¡¯re aiding your efforts to free the Jaslips. We truly did want to save them, not make them our eternal prisoners.¡± The Arxur leader chuckled, eyes gleaming with shrewdness. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if they¡¯ll believe you, but I do. Aulan, do you accept this aid?¡± The Jaslip flicked an ear in agreement. ¡°If they¡¯re finally willing to acknowledge our mistreatment and aid our cause, then I can bury the past for the time being. Our liberty comes before all other considerations.¡± I gawked at the viewport, baffled by the sudden, drastic turn of events. The Jaslips finally had an ally who could meet the Krev at their level. The last thing I ever would¡¯ve expected was for the Reskets to side with us, based on orders that came from their top general. There was no question that Radai was a marked man after this, and I posited that our independence movement might have just turned into a full civil war. Aulan was right that our freedom was what mattered, but the Consortium burning would be a bonus. Chapter 2-83 Memory Transcription Subject: Elias Meier, Former UN Secretary-General Date [standardized human time]: February 11, 2161 The shock at the emergence of the hidden ships, which made the heavy-handed force we¡¯d sent look insignificant, was evident in the faces of the SC leadership. The other humans within our section were buzzing with chatter, trying to determine what to do; losing tens of thousands of ships wasn¡¯t something we wanted to commit to, and there was no getting our forces out. Their proximity to Grenelka, the very thing we targeted, was their downfall. As I grasped for an answer on who these mystery ships might belong to (certainly not the Yulpa), I landed on only one possibility: the ghost Farsul we¡¯d been looking for all along. That meant¡­no wonder we couldn¡¯t track them down. They were hiding within the Remnants¡¯ space and spurring on their organization, taking up the mantle of the defeated Kolshians and Farsul! Were the Yulpa and their allies conspiring this whole time, as far back as when their representatives heard my speech to the Shield? The Shield: they¡¯re closer to the Remnants than to the SC. Did they know? Secretary-General Osmani was calm at the lectern, though the creases between his eyes told me he¡¯d reached the same conclusion. ¡°It would seem that, much like the Krev Consortium, the extremist Farsul took it upon themselves to build many ships while in hiding. Perhaps they are present on¡­many Remnant worlds. We must factor this in to our plans, and also observe them to determine whether they have a centralized location.¡± The combined might of Arxur and Terran armies began utilizing our munitions in the scramble, but I surveyed our private diagrams to determine what Hamza had meant about observing the Farsul; some of our camera feeds appeared to come from ships with cloaking capabilities, much like the hidden stations that Jones had deployed since our earliest days establishing protections for the Sol system. As magnificent as our initial push into Grenelka¡¯s orbit had been, I knew this fight was lost for us. That surprise would only work on humanity once, so we needed to pivot into getting all of the information that we could. This novel threat might work to mobilize the entire SC into total war against the Remnants, for fear that they too would wind up underfoot again, if the ghost Farsul got into control. It was the Shield¡¯s allegiance that was in doubt, after most of them weren¡¯t on speaking terms with us after the ark colonists¡¯ involvement in the attacks was revealed. The miracle was that they remained neutral, though I would¡¯ve guessed they swayed toward the Fed remnants¡ªwithout wanting to get into a war with humanity. I had to find Ambassadors Korajan and Yali now, since the Leshee and the Duerten were the two who¡¯d stuck with us. While I hated to consider the prospect, I had to consider that they might be a security risk, here to spy on us. ¡°What chafes at me is that Jones might know what they¡¯re up to,¡± I muttered to myself, seeing the spymaster having a conversation by herself on a headset. ¡°Maybe before we fire her today, we have to grovel for what she¡¯s dug up¡­through her unscrupulous means.¡± The Yulpa¡¯s reinforcements were overwhelming our ships, with ten of theirs boxing one of ours in; these craft were more advanced than the manned vessels that had formed their prior engagements. Why had they not shown their hand, bringing the ghost Farsul into the fold, to storm Liberty¡¯s Bastion, when they might¡¯ve eliminated our entire colony had it not been reserved for defense? Was there something of particular importance in Grenelka, that would make the radicals unwilling to perform their callous sacrifices of lives? The old Federation would¡¯ve traded Grenelka for a predator colony in a heartbeat. If Korajan had known about this, while claiming to be our friend¡­ ¡°Our plan is to cripple Grenelka,¡± the Secretary-General told the audience, who were horrified to see the pulverization of a fleet that¡¯d been so dominant moments earlier. ¡°We¡¯ll stay kicking as long as possible, and take as many of them with us as possible. We need to prepare a response immediately; we should contact the KC and inform them that we located the Farsul, so they no longer have to comb their space.¡± ¡°They must have a base of operations,¡± Bissem General Naltor suggested. ¡°From what Ambassador Loxsel said, I would think it¡¯s in the Consortium¡¯s space, past Sivkit borders. It would be prudent to follow the signals or trails of any ghost ships; it might lead us straight to the head.¡± ¡°I agree, but the demonstrable threat is at Grenelka; these people declared war on us, for the purpose of our total elimination. It¡¯s evident they¡¯ve been preparing this for a long time, right beneath our noses. The battle is lost, so I find it unproductive to watch the final ships of Terra and her allies succumb. We plan to hit them back, now that they¡¯ve shown themselves. Every SC member must send enough ships that the outcome is a certainty!¡± ¡°You have our support,¡± Onso remarked, vouching for the Yotul¡¯s presence without hesitation. Mazic President Quipa flared her trunk. ¡°They came into our space first to attack Liberty¡¯s Bastion. I¡¯m not happy with what the ark ships did, and you don¡¯t place enough blame on yourself, but the Presidium won¡¯t let the colony we gave you be attacked. You have any aid we can offer.¡± Governor Laisa flicked an ear with amusement. ¡°Is it a question that we¡¯ll send our ships? We are with humanity, always.¡± ¡°This is the new extermination fleet. We¡¯ll be on the right side, this time,¡± Krakotl ambassador Kelsel said. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°Us also,¡± Harchen representative Nahley agreed. My Sulean friend, the bright, bubbly Syba, took the speaking role for the Sulean-Iftali joint delegation. ¡°The Iftali wouldn¡¯t survive, and we stand with foremost our sister species, but also humanity! We¡¯ll help convince as many people to help as possible; you will win again. I know it¡ªtogether, we¡¯re stronger than ever!¡± ¡°On behalf of the other sister species, the Verin and the Onkari will be here with whatever you need,¡± Verin Ambassador Hrone offered. ¡°To any delegates worried to commit to this skirmish, we cannot afford to sit back,¡± Tassi spoke from the Bissem balcony. ¡°You know what happened to Ivrana; Bissems wouldn¡¯t exist without the dumb luck of them flying close enough to be shot down, before they could report back. They¡¯ll come in the night for the purpose of killing; that is predation. Please, help us.¡± Excellent words from my Bissem friend, who I¡¯m glad has returned, rather than giving up on endearing her species to the Sapient Coalition. It doesn¡¯t seem she needs my help today. No pledge from the Duerten or the Leshee. The Paltan delegate¡¯s large eyes glimmered. ¡°We¡¯re rather far away, but we¡¯re coming if called upon. Our military bases have been pointed toward the KC, and perhaps are better allocated that way: but if you summon us, we¡¯re ready.¡± ¡°We¡¯re ready to act right now. I¡¯ve already ordered reinforcements to Grenelka, before they have the chance to slip away,¡± said the Gojid Prime Minister. I stood from the table in a hurry, not waiting for Osmani¡¯s blessing to confront the Duerten ambassador. The Shield couldn¡¯t be neutral at a time like this; they mustn¡¯t hide away in their fortress of a governance ship. I¡¯d thought they hated how the Federation distorted them, but they buddied up to their successor¡ªwhile unwilling to forgive us for the acts of one group of humans, perhaps they hadn¡¯t been as keen on killing every last soul on Aafa for Kalqua. No, it didn¡¯t make sense, when they were so adamant on their hatred for Kolshians. Korajan had cracked when he told the story of his bunker stay. He didn¡¯t hope for my success or mean anything, if he concealed something of this magnitude. I risked a last glance over my shoulder, seeing the last gasps of resistance on the Sapient Coalition¡¯s screen; there were numbers where not even the greatest military technology known to man could defeat the odds. This ambush force was larger than the record-setting drone armadas that Krev Consortium had sent toward us. It should concern anyone who liked free thought, a right that¡¯d been denied to the Duerten more than anyone¡ªfor the crime of being vocal. The last time I¡¯d seen Korajan, he¡¯d persuaded his government not to retaliate for the planned strike on Kalqua: perhaps helped when we confirmed they weren¡¯t under threat. I wondered if the gray avian was on our side though, after our relations were on rocky ground. I had know whether it was worth asking the Shield for assistance. I chased after the gray tail feathers I saw exiting the auditorium, and shouted the ambassador¡¯s name. His corn-colored beak turned to face me, a deep concern in his eyes. Korajan drew a shaky breath. ¡°I imagine you¡¯re looking for me to see what we¡¯ll do. Neither Ambassador Yali or myself have the authority to declare war on the Remnants. I know they attacked humanity, but my government remembers that you didn¡¯t respond to the outward declaration of hostility¡ªthe cruel intent¡ªby the Tellish. We helped you against the Consortium once, and we¡¯d been hesitant to do it again.¡± ¡°Then the Shield wants the Federation to take back over and play thought police,¡± I responded in a flat voice. ¡°That¡¯s what will happen if they win, after all.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no reason you cannot win this on your own. Of your 82 members, it seemed that none were holding back in sending forces. We do not need to be involved.¡± ¡°We have no idea how many ships the Federation have. If you want to talk about a declaration of hostility, they were the faction that went through¡ªendorsed and sanctioned¡ªthe unforgivable attack on Kalqua; they¡¯d do it again, should you challenge or contest them past the point where we could protect you. We were never going to let any vessels attack Kalqua, but they don¡¯t feel the same. If the Shield wants a future, side with us. Please, Korajan: I want to call you a friend.¡± ¡°I do call you a friend, Elias, but I cannot just agree with you and send the ships. I already was going to advise the Duerten Forum and the Shield to side with you, for the simple reason that these fiends would kill any former omnivores; it¡¯s the only way to be sure. I know Kalqua isn¡¯t safe with them out there, beyond the extent that the ark colonists give us those feelings.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± I said. ¡°Do you want me to speak with them? I¡¯ve been there before, and¡ª¡± ¡°No. While my government loathes the Farsul, I cannot guarantee that the Shield overall will¡­not side against you. Many of them are Federation-leaning, as you saw yourself. If the Duerten intend to help, I will be in touch and give you a read on the situation. I must make this call myself. I know your opinion of me may have been lessened by my past anger, but I hope you still trust me to do what is best for your people and mine.¡± ¡°I do. It¡¯s Yali that I¡¯d like to know where she¡¯s at.¡± ¡°Elias, I¡¯m two steps ahead of you. I persuaded Yali to help, on the grounds that you are protecting this side of the galaxy from the greatest threat of our time. She seems to believe the Leshee will, at the least, throw in their lot with you; amphibious species would never get a fair shot with the Federation. I hope it¡¯s some assurance to know that.¡± I ducked my head in appreciation, smiling. ¡°It is. Thank you, Korajan. I¡¯ve appreciated your guidance and your reasonability very much, and¡­I¡¯m sorry I was worried. I shouldn¡¯t have been.¡± The avian cackled. ¡°Precisely, you should not have been. Humanity taught me how to continue on in life, and I have a soft spot for you. I¡¯d like to see a day where no species will fear you, rather appreciating your kindness and generosity as I do. I hope for a day where the Shield can enjoy the beauty¡ªthe relentlessness¡ªof your devotion and friendship.¡± ¡°That has always been our deepest wish. It¡¯s what brought us to the stars, and what encourages us not to give up on them. Good luck with your call¡­my friend.¡± ¡°My people are rather stubborn; you have seen nothing with me. I¡¯ll need all of that luck.¡± I watched as the Duerten walked away, relieved to see that the Sapient Coalition and our closest Shield allies were taking the threat of the ghost exterminators seriously. This took the idea of dealing with the shady elements of the Consortium off the table entirely; I hoped that nothing that was going on in their space would affect their commitment to deal with the Federation Remnants. Whatever our personal squabbles, the Orion Arm needed to maintain a united front in dealing with our hidden adversary. Humanity was going to put the whole of our strength into eliminating the new conspiracy, for the sake of our long-term future prospects. Chapter 2-84 Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist Date [standardized human time]: February 11, 2161 It was a relief that I didn¡¯t have to make a decision about which world¡ªand which people I loved¡ªthat I wanted to stay with on a permanent basis. The time at home with my biological family had been an absolute treat, learning about my immediate relatives and what life in sunny Nevada was like; it would be moving from one desert to the next, so ultimately, there was some familiarity in that. I had so much to think about, and my heart was torn in so many directions. Either way, I knew it would be a painful decision, since I couldn¡¯t bear to lose the childhood I¡¯d missed out on all over again, or Gress. The traveling the UN had been kind enough to permit came to a close after they got word that civil war had broken out in the Krev Consortium, which did push me to at least a temporary decision. I wasn¡¯t going to forsake Gress when he was trying to ascertain whether his family was safe, and his home planet was in a state of unrest. I knew the green-scaled alien wouldn¡¯t hold much sympathy for the KC, as he hadn¡¯t since learning how sinister they were in setting him up with the Jaslip incident. Part of him seemed happy when the terrorists blew up Delegates Tower, though everything he voiced was to the opposite¡ªthe prim and proper. He thought he should be repulsed by the expression of violence. Sometimes, I see that glint that I know all too well from looking at my own reflection, on those dark mornings where I couldn¡¯t bear to go up and appease the Krev¡¯s rent collection policy. Bitterness, a thirst for revenge after his life was ruined, which he knows to be wrong; he advised me against lashing out, with that sage wisdom. Yet now, he looks at the Consortium and thinks them uncaring, wicked beyond reproach. Just like the Tellish once did. ¡°I would rather spend this time on Earth, but we made a deal to be liaisons for our people. There¡¯s no one else from our homes to physically stand in. Governor Laisa is the one who sent me a message,¡± I told Gress, finally having a chance to explain the situation as the spaceship took off for the SC¡¯s station. ¡°She said the person who kicked off the civil war was Radai. Radai, the freaking champion of hierarchy and order. He must¡¯ve seen something investigating your files of misapplied justice, and found damning faults of corruption in the whole system.¡± Gress blinked in surprise. ¡°Radai was a tortured and paranoid man when we last saw him. He knows what I know in my heart¡ªbut he doesn¡¯t know how deep it goes. I suppose this is his final battle to fight, before he turns himself in or¡­worse, for the shame of his crimes. What does the SC think about a top general turning on his organization?¡± ¡°The SC wants no part in it, and that was Laisa¡¯s immediate concern. At my urging, General Radai was the primary point of contact. If the Consortium suspects that humanity put Radai up to this, the peace would be revoked. It couldn¡¯t come at a worse time, after the Federation just pulled a few hundred thousand ships out of their ass and are looking like a real threat again; you know that news has me worked up.¡± The Krev placed a comforting paw on my thigh. ¡°I can imagine. Know that your species is strong¡ªstrong enough to push away our attack with a fraction of their force and allies. They only lost at Aafa because of in-fighting. The Consortium is beyond repair, so I have to agree with Radai. I hope humanity will have enough political will left to vanquish the Listeners and the Underscales. To give us the freedom they gave to their ex-Federation friends.¡± ¡°None want freedom more than the Jaslips. They sure got shafted, and I heard it was the Reskets themselves who were putting them down. I worry about them, especially if there¡¯s a clamp-down for power. What do you think Quana is up to?¡± ¡°That Jaslip hates the Krev, and hated me until she realized that I was merely set up the same as the kits: ruined by an entity well above my paygrade. When she and Cherise were passing out pamphlets, they looked like criminals caught in the act, and sounded more conspiratorial than even myself. She¡¯s fighting with the rebels. She knows the KC won¡¯t ever care for her interests.¡± ¡°I guess that makes sense. I don¡¯t blame the Jaslips for their anger, especially after seeing firsthand the racist comments they get, but the UN has a point about the Federation being a greater threat. The Remnants jeopardize the future for us all.¡± ¡°Yeah, but Radai knew the Jaslips would be done for if he didn¡¯t act now. Is only caring about the war with the Federation Tellus¡¯ position?¡± Gress asked. ¡°Probably. Tellus, as far as I¡¯m aware, is much too eager to staple ourselves back to mainstream mankind¡¯s government. They¡¯ll do whatever the UN does or asks of them, apart from leaving. But that¡¯s not an issue, since we negotiated that¡­bizarre deal with Loxsel.¡± ¡°You know, I¡¯m actually looking forward to that play, Taylor! Whatever happens with our future, we have that together. Rehearsing, having the UN set up the production; I couldn¡¯t believe that was all Loxsel wanted for a peaceful settlement.¡± ¡°Me neither. I would¡¯ve cried happy tears if we had one performing arts event back in the caverns. I just question how it will go once the Sivkits try to reintegrate, and neither side likes sharing our world. The Grand Herd won¡¯t find vegetation to consume like they¡¯re used to; I wouldn¡¯t be shocked if they pour in our streets like pests.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Maybe it won¡¯t be so bad. The Sivkits weren¡¯t always like that, and now, they have a fighting chance. I¡¯m glad we were able to share that video we found of General Anxsel. Perhaps¡­the Tellish can help them reclaim the Grand Farmhood. Restore their intellect, and make it into a paradise that both sides can enjoy: not a long-dead, sweltering world.¡± I snorted. ¡°Nothing reverses time. If it did, I¡¯d turn back the clock twenty-five years.¡± ¡°Taylor? If that¡¯s what you¡¯d do, then you know your wish is still to be on Earth. You can be honest with me.¡± This line of conversation was beginning to grate on me, though I knew Gress was trying to do the noble thing and not chain me down. The family feeling that I¡¯d had with the homemade lasagne scent wafting through the air, with all of us gathered around one table swapping stories and wolfing down the food, had told me I wanted that. Maybe I was beyond seeking it out for myself, rather wanting to foster a family of my own¡­or have someone to settle down with every night, rain or shine. I wanted the easy understanding Mom and Dad had with each other, a love that lasted through thirty years of marriage. Earth is delightful, a cultural center unparalleled by anything else, and Gress was right; it¡¯s not scary or foreign. I could get used to being taken care of and spoiled, after clawing, crying, and sweating for every scrap in the caverns. I could still have my parents in my life, with FTL communication; a relationship won¡¯t work on FTL comms. There were all of the little things on Earth, though, which made it feel okay to be human; there was a sense of normalcy and belonging that life in Tellus would never have. I¡¯d felt like an alien when my parents took me to a barber shop, and I sat in a chair to get a few inches trimmed off of my long hair. It was so civilized, such a luxury to visit a professional to groom myself and care about my appearance at all. Gress watched, ensuring that he complimented my new look. There was a safety in the Sol system that Tellus wouldn¡¯t have, especially since the Krev Consortium was embroiled in a civil war. ¡°There¡¯s a part of me on Tellus with you, and a part of me here on Earth, the home I thought I lost. That¡¯s the truth,¡± I sighed. ¡°They¡¯re too far apart to have both, but I don¡¯t know if I can choose. I wish I didn¡¯t have to. I have two good things in my life now, and I¡¯d regret losing either.¡± Gress hugged me tightly. ¡°I would never stop loving you. Nothing would take away what we have. And there might be a temporary solution.¡± ¡°Oh? I¡¯m listening.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want Lecca on Avor if there¡¯s a war going on. I can¡¯t be here worrying about the government cracking down on our own populace¡ªmartial law¡ªor an invasion causing collateral. I need to get my daughter out of harm¡¯s way while that¡¯s still possible. The UN owes me no favors to facilitate this, but I can send the request through Loxsel.¡± ¡°Why do you want that unhinged Sivkit to plead for your daughter¡¯s rescue? What stake does he have in it?¡± ¡°I suspect if I tell him it will distract from my performance, Loxsel will be willing to demand a diplomatic shuttle ferries Lecca and Nevi here¡ªand send a message for why. I may not like my cira of an ex-wife, but it wouldn¡¯t be good for my daughter to lose her mother. It¡¯s never good for a child to grow up without a parent.¡± Bitterness filled my heart. ¡°Don¡¯t I know it. It¡¯s been great to be back with my family, but I needed them growing up. I could¡¯ve used them twenty years ago when I was figuring myself out. If you can get your kid out of harm¡¯s way, do it; I¡¯d never wish for Lecca to grow up with a proverbial executioner¡¯s blade looming over her head. She¡¯s a brat, but she¡¯s a cute brat. And yours.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never been good about not doting on people I love. The fault is my own. Lecca will love being around the ¡®big obors¡¯ though; and it means Juvre can be around to bother you!¡± ¡°On second thought, I¡¯m leaving you.¡± ¡°Whatever you say, dear. I¡¯ll talk to Loxsel and see what I can do. As long as the Consortium is at war, we don¡¯t have to make any decisions about the future.¡± But some day, we will. ¡°Okay.¡± Gress raised his paws in the happy claws gesture. ¡°Excellent! Let¡¯s start planning together how we¡¯re going to deal with the Consortium contacts, because you know the UN wants us to smooth things over with them. We won¡¯t have the luxury of dealing with friendly old Radai anymore. I guess it¡¯s worth it, to keep Tellus out of this fight. They¡¯ve been through enough.¡± ¡°Everyone in this whole fucking galaxy has been through enough. I hope there comes a day soon where this all can end, and where I¡¯ll choose to live out a fun, joyful existence is the worst problem I face.¡± ¡°The worst problem you face is how much of your hair to cut-off. You know I love you, but I was worried you were going to go back to the buzzcut when we went to a barber¡¯s shop. I mean, it was cute and stubbly, but I like you with those silky locks. It looks¡­regal.¡± I laughed, doing a joking hair flip and modeling pose. ¡°Regal, huh? I¡¯ve never heard that word to describe me. It¡¯s a shame I wasn¡¯t like, a long lost British royal¡ªfind out I¡¯ve got a title, and it¡¯s the Duke of Lasagne. That would¡¯ve been a homecoming I stayed for.¡± ¡°I may or may not have taken it upon myself to ask your mom for the lasagne recipe. Now that I know it¡¯s your favorite, I accept the challenge of cooking human food. Anything to see your binocular eyes light up.¡± ¡°A predatory gaze lighting up at the thought of its meal. You should¡¯ve run for the hills like a good herbivore, after you saw that.¡± ¡°Yes, well,¡± Gress gestured to his short legs. ¡°Krev aren¡¯t into footraces. It¡¯s death, or curling up into a ball. Two choices.¡± ¡°You forgot your third option. Spray the predator with the stink gland on your tail!¡± ¡°I suspect doing that to a human would make it much more likely that they do kill me.¡± I laughed to myself at the light-hearted conversation, relieved to not have to make an immediate decision about which commitment I wanted to choose for the future of my life. Maybe I could find a way to have Nevi and Lecca stay here, or at least close to Earth, especially if conditions on Avor deteriorated because of the war. Frankly, even Gress¡¯ nasty-hearted ex-wife had to understand, much like her husband did, that it was best for the child to have both parents in their life; she might work with us on this. Either way, I would have the Krev by my side to grapple with Sapient Coalition diplomacy, and we could form more amazing memories on the homeworld of my people. As distraught as I had been over wasting my life on a falsehood, being captured had led to me getting a taste of everything I ever wanted. Earth was a beacon of pride in my memories now, one that would never be taken away or overridden by loss again. There was a possible future out there where I could have total happiness, without sacrificing anything at all. Chapter 2-85 Memory Transcription Subject: Elias Meier, Former UN Secretary-General Date [standardized human time]: February 11, 2161 Sitting in Secretary-General Osmani¡¯s office, ready for General Jones to waltz into her dismissal, I hoped that she wouldn¡¯t weasel her way out of this. I liked to think that she was a patriot, in her own mind, and wouldn¡¯t sabotage the interests of her planet over a personal matter. Any information she had to take out the Remnants had to be received before we dropped the hammer. I was never too comfortable at being the bad guy, even with someone of her shady character. However, I suspected from Hamza¡¯s steely eyes that he could be objective and impassive when needed. His leadership was well-timed. What baffled me was how bumbling and ineffectual the aged spymaster had been; perhaps she¡¯d see on her own that it was well past time she was put to pasture. The attempt to blackmail Tassi had been so hamfisted, and potentially damaging to the United Nations¡¯ relations with both the SC and the vulnerable Bissems. It could have the blowback of seeming like our first contact was to take advantage of the helpless carnivores, much like the Federation¡ªespecially after I learned that the actual first contact team were roped into this scheme. I feared what had been done to our own scientists to facilitate that. If Jones was going after the Shield or the Remnants, I might understand; my continued attempts to win them over aren¡¯t the most strategic move, and they are our adversaries on the basis of what we are. We must not become like the Federation or the Krev Consortium with our own people. Humanity has seen the dangers. Osmani steepled his fingers. ¡°Commanding allies after what happened at Grenelka is our top priority. We must hit the Ghost Farsul with multiple blitz attacks quick and hard, and prevent Jones from alienating an SC that is backing us full-throatedly. Your rebuke had something to do with that, I wager.¡± ¡°I spoke the words every human was thinking,¡± I responded. ¡°That¡¯s how we do our business: direct, not back-handed like her methodology. We can be fed up and still go about achieving our goals in a lofty way.¡± ¡°Sometimes, violence and fighting dirty is the only option; a bloodied nose demands an answer in kind, or you¡¯ll continue to be kicked. I see the pragmatic value of covert operations, as I think you do. However, by any stretch of the imagination, the Bissems weren¡¯t in this boat. They should be categorized as a species the UN has a duty to protect from the very same hatred that befell us.¡± ¡°Yes, we haven¡¯t done them many favors. Getting rid of our Jones problem is the start of showing our sincerity. It¡¯s necessary to clear the path to proper SC unity as well; we need trust.¡± ¡°You know what you believe, your will is strong, and you have clear-cut goals. I respect that, Elias.¡± ¡°Thank you, sir. I could say all of the same things about you.¡± Our conversation fell quiet as we heard the clacking of shoes down the hallway, the measured, composed steps of someone who was never caught off-guard. I wondered if Jones had an inkling of what we were planning, but it didn¡¯t show on the unphased smile when she opened the door. I knew Osmani had already run this by the actual nation which held Jones¡¯ leash, to avoid an international incident. Who the US employed on Earth was their business, but who represented all of us to aliens was ours. I really wanted to see us be better; the greatest gift of digital immortality was that I could live long enough to witness it. ¡°I¡¯d be a shitty spy if I couldn¡¯t tell when I was about to be cut loose.¡± Jones spoke the words with little emotion, and settled down in the chair. ¡°You don¡¯t like to admit that I¡¯m as much a part of humanity as you¡ªperhaps without the glamor that Elias indulges in. The KC were and are a serious threat, and I did what was needed to ensure our success.¡± Osmani arched an eyebrow. ¡°Go on then. Explain yourself.¡± ¡°I fail to see how coercing Dr. Tassi has anything to do with the Krev Consortium,¡± I interjected. Jones smiled. ¡°Yes, well you never liked me. You¡¯re still living in 2136 in many ways, Elias, but the rest of us moved on. I never actually wanted Tassi as an asset. Did I want her to spy on a few variables? Sure¡ªand she did it while thinking she was playing me. I didn¡¯t strongarm the one member of her team that she cared for most; and I could¡¯ve, with something as simple as blackballing his Venlil artist brother from several Skalgan galleries. I knew it¡¯d push her to him.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s where Dustin vanished to?! He was working for you?¡± ¡°Unwittingly. I had agents swap out his holopad, and just like that: ears in the Bissems camp, on everything the Arxur and Sivkits might be plotting against us. Furthermore, and this is the important bit: the Arxur had escaped at this point, but I couldn¡¯t directly ask them for help. That would¡¯ve damaged the UN a hundredfold more than this coming to light. Do you understand?¡± Osmani crossed his arms. ¡°How that constitutes asking the Arxur for help? You¡¯re going to have to elaborate.¡± ¡°General Naltor is predictable. He likes being¡­in charge and in control of situations, responding poorly to any attempt to bully him. The kind of Bissem that puffs out his chest to threats and tries to reverse them. If I threatened to reveal his ties to the Arxur, it was obvious he¡¯d dig himself in deeper and turn the narrative. What¡¯s the only thing the SC might appreciate? Helping defend Talsk. My plan saved the Farsul. It led to them taking refugees to win support.¡± ¡°You have no account for pushing a potential ally and symbolic victory into the waiting grip of the Yotul, who were just looking for proof that we should be banished from carrying out any uplifts?¡± ¡°White knights Meier and Dustin happily swooped in to help and prove that humanity at large wasn¡¯t like that. You¡¯ll win them back over. Let me add that the Arxur¡¯s fleet would¡¯ve saved Aafa, were it not for Meier¡¯s unexpected interference to bring the Remnants to town. That doesn¡¯t fall on me. My plans worked to perfection.¡±This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°This bastardized scheming isn¡¯t what I¡¯d call perfection,¡± I spat. ¡°You don¡¯t care who you hurt, including good people. Our people.¡± ¡°The survival of a planet outweighs the mental state of one scientist, and you¡¯re more naive than even I thought if you don¡¯t see that.¡± ¡°You have no boundaries over how to accomplish an objective. I don¡¯t abide by the school of Machiavelli, certainly not with public-facing civilians or prisoners of war!¡± ¡°Tsk tsk, simmer down. You¡¯re not in charge here; Hamza Osmani is. Mr. Secretary-General, your advisor is angry that I didn¡¯t handle Gress with kid gloves, and can¡¯t square it away with his own morality that I am a necessity. I could say my actions are for humanity¡¯s benefit, but it¡¯s beyond that: it¡¯s for our continued existence. Any liberties I take are with that knowledge.¡± Osmani¡¯s eyes shifted toward me, a shrewd glint in his pupils. If I was capable of sucking in an apprehensive breath, I would have. The way Jones dismissed me and claimed that I was stuck in the year 2136 filled me with anger. On the contrary, I had moved on, and wanted to make my own name from myself; to do that, I needed to literally have my own name. She still saw the same Elias Meier from those days, just like Kuemper, Syba, Virnt, Korajan, and everyone else. I wanted to renounce my claim that I had any connection to the dead Secretary-General, beyond being built from his memories. I sought my own life. Hearing them call me his name and speak about ¡°my¡± past life, as if any of that belonged to me, is incongruent with my view of myself; I don¡¯t want to be referred to in such a way. It¡¯s time I crafted a new name, to clearly separate myself from the Swiss, biological human who bled out on the Venlil streets without ever knowing humanity¡¯s ultimate fate. The man who breathed, tasted, and dreamt at night. I hoped Osmani wouldn¡¯t be swayed by Elias¡¯ past history with Jones, since his first concern was that this was a personal vendetta. He seemed to care about steering the Sapient Coalition in the right direction. ¡°You tied yourself to this, Jones. That was your mistake, and you know it,¡± the Secretary-General sighed. ¡°The Bissems could say that we knew about your techniques and did nothing, if I let you stay on. You¡¯re too hot to touch on a political level and you know it.¡± Jones gave a shrug. ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯ll disappear to the shadowland. I don¡¯t need a title, and I¡¯m happy to let them think I¡¯m gone. I can give a show of tendering my resignation a month from today¡ªtime to point you where you need to go to hit the Remnants at the top. Those ears I have on the Sivkits¡ª¡± ¡°What did you do to Dustin?¡± I blurted. ¡°Dustin was going to start blabbing to anyone with ears. An operative offered him a job at a xenobiology project to restore Ivrana¡¯s ecosystem and document its lifeforms in case of planetary extinction: a legitimate venture, mind you, and one he couldn¡¯t resist. He had to leave immediately and go off the grid for a few months, allegedly due to a need to avoid distractions with the planet about to go critical. He¡¯s safe and working a dream job, and will be rather confused that you thought he disappeared for malevolent reasons. I needed time, so Tassi had to think it handled.¡± ¡°Time for what? How do you have ears on the Sivkits if he isn¡¯t eavesdropping on Tassi?¡± ¡°You think he never messaged Tassi from that holopad? He became unnecessary that moment. The spyware infects any device it encounters, so it leapt onto Loxsel¡¯s holopad from there. The Sivkits have a good idea where the ghost Farsul¡¯s new base of operations are, after searching their cleaned-out old one for any clues. Right here.¡± Osmani jotted down the stellar coordinates, eyes narrowed. ¡°I¡¯ll organize a strike force at once; that lead should curry enough favor with the Bissems to undo any harm done by an errant spymaster. They want the ones that attacked them, as we do we. I appreciate the help, General Jones. The information is vital, so I can acknowledge that your¡­plan paid dividends.¡± ¡°What matters is knowing as much as possible about who we''re up against, and finding the leverage for mankind to come out on top. I told you, I¡¯m trying to win this war for us. I have ears in the Shield as well, and for any politicians I know are voting against siding with Earth, I have blackmail strategies in mind. We cannot always play nice and beg for friendship as Elias wishes.¡± ¡°You have no idea what my wishes are. If you did, you¡¯d stop calling me that name,¡± I grumbled. ¡°Oh? That¡¯s the first anyone is hearing of this. What exactly would you have me call you instead of Elias Meier¡ªthe name you introduced yourself by and had no problem hearing from friends?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. But I¡¯m not him; I¡¯m the first of a new kind of a human.¡± The first. I guess I¡¯m finally freeing myself of this burden. I should choose something¡­symbolic, that suits who I feel I am. Who¡¯s the progenitor¡ªthe first human to walk the earth¡ªin the world¡¯s most prominent religion? ¡°Adam seems suitable. Adam Meier has an odd ring to it, but I could get used to it. While this life was not what I chose, the name could be. Let Elias rest.¡± Jones gave a mocking clap. ¡°How original. Look, Adam, I hardly care what you call yourself. You¡¯re good for symbolic gestures and grandiose speeches, but your idealism clouds your judgment.¡± ¡°Adam¡¯s idealism brings an uncompromising clarity to both his judgment and his resolve. I embraced his aid because of his refusal to stop striving for a better future,¡± Osmani countered, giving me a slight nod. ¡°I will not always heed his guidance, but I see the value of having someone of such character. Those views preserve the part of humanity that can be spoken of in decent company. He has every reason to take pride in his moral conviction and the tasks he¡¯s undertaken.¡± ¡°That¡¯s very kind of you.¡± The lack of saliva in my mouth became noticeable, as I tried to swallow; I was touched enough by the Secretary-General leaping to my defense at once, that I felt like I should be choked up. ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need your gratitude for heartfelt admiration. While you may feel that you were a copy, I think you stand as your own person¡ªand I won¡¯t hear you disparaged. Jones, see yourself out. That resignation letter should be on my desk, exactly as you proposed.¡± The general stood with a curt frown. ¡°As you wish, sir. So long as you know I¡¯ve done nothing but my duty in the service of humanity.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Leave us. I have planning to do for that raid on this ghost Farsul base, and I dare not waste a second. It¡¯s time we take out their leadership, and dig up their deepest secrets. You¡¯ll have your cozy pension and your good name, so I suggest you leave before those go up in smoke.¡± I watched as Jones exited, and reflected on her explanations for her actions. It was devious enough to have borne fruit, but I could only see how broken Tassi was after having her hopes crushed. There¡¯d been enough enthusiastic scientists who were chewed up and spit out by a heartless galaxy, just like Elias¡¯ friend, Dr. Kuemper¡ªreduced to a sorry, jaded state of giving up on the Orion Arm. Right and wrong should matter in a proper society, one that held itself to higher standards than its predecessor. I felt good to have affirmation from Osmani about who I was and what I believed in. With the question of my sense of self resolved, I was freed to choose a new life beyond diplomatic confines. Adam Meier would take the mantle of paving a path for synthetic organics, and ensuring that moral protections were taken into consideration on both sides of the equation. He had his own friends, like Korajan, Syba, and Tassi, who knew him and formed connections in this existence. My contributions to a better future would be singular¡ªand my own. That was enough to give me the peace and determination to continue down my current path. Chapter 2-86 Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem Alien Liaison Date [standardized human time]: February 14, 2161 Finding the ghost Farsul¡¯s headquarters might be the thread that would unify Ivrana. The Tseia, in their jaded mindsets, were shocked that the United Nations¡¯ intelligence had been able to produce the location of the Starlight Incident aggressors; the nomads would finally be able to go after the secretive outfit that had sought our eradication a century ago. There might be secrets that we could uncover here which would allow us to unravel the entire organization. While the Sapient Coalition was busy prodding at the Tevin and Drezjin systems, clobbering border outposts and tag-teaming small ship clusters, Bissems focused our effort on this raid. General Naltor was remotely overseeing our ground forces, which were joining the human-led raid; the plan was to scour the entire station for information, much like the landing on the mainstream Farsul¡¯s archives. If the extremists carried on Talsk¡¯s traditions like Loxsel suggested, then it would be enlightening to see the data they had on Bissems¡ªas well as what other predator species had been their victims. There might also be information about how long they¡¯d been stashing their secret fleet among the Federation remnants, and how they managed to create so many ships. It was beyond the capacity of the Kolshian shadow fleet! It would be nice to have the aliens that outright sought to wipe us from existence taken out of the picture, especially when we see how large their extermination fleet has grown since. It wouldn¡¯t be a single scout coming for Alsh next time. ¡°Good day to you, my Bissem friends. I hope you¡¯re excited to actualize the justice that I know has weighed on your minds.¡± Elias Meier approached our balcony, finding a warm welcome even from Zalk after he¡¯d personally forwarded the ghost Farsul¡¯s location so Bissems could have a crack at them. ¡°Elias didn¡¯t live to see the initial Archives raid. It would¡¯ve astonished him to learn what was done to the Venlil. He viewed them with the utmost fondness, much as I regard you.¡± I gave him a curious look. ¡°Elias, why are you speaking about your memories in the third person?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a long answer, Tassi, but¡­I don¡¯t want to be just a brain scan. If you could call me Adam from now on, it would mean a lot for you to recognize me as an independent being. I¡¯d like to be acknowledged for what I¡¯ve done in this new existence, not forever chained to a fallen leader. Elias didn¡¯t choose to be reborn. I want to live, but I¡­want to honor his choice too.¡± ¡°Adam it is. It might take me a bit to remember, so bear with me. I hope Naltor and Zalk will respect your wishes as well; you more than deserve that courtesy.¡± ¡°Damned straight. We¡¯ll call you whatever you like, since you¡¯re the only one who does shit for us,¡± Naltor sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve always tried to protect Tassi. I¡¯m glad you coached and guided her, because I¡¯m not very fucking good at mentorship.¡± ¡°Nonsense,¡± the digitized human responded. ¡°I encouraged her to keep the flame lit, even as a downpour tried to put it out. Tassi just needed a touch of hope to serve as tinderwood. I would¡¯ve never allowed a friend¡ªand a civilian¡ªto be bullied in such a manner, and it hasn¡¯t gone unpunished.¡± That remark caused my beak to snap toward him with interest. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Jones was forced to¡­hand in her resignation over what she did to you. I¡¯m a man of my word. I also conveniently discovered that Dustin Curtis was relocated to an off-the-grid xenobiology project, allegedly to save Ivrana. I thought you should know the truth; he wasn¡¯t hurt or coerced. By the sound of it, Nulia and Haliska were coerced, though I only know that through insinuation.¡± I took a moment to soak all of that in, and found a little more sense in why the two aliens I¡¯d thought were my friends were so keen to pressure and guilt me into ruining my life. Even Dustin had run off willingly, however noble his cause was. The trust issues I felt toward aliens were the strongest of all toward the first contact team, after every one of them had let me down and betrayed me. I could forgive my nerdy Terran friend for being swayed by a sense of heroism, especially if it was under false pretenses. Haliska and Nulia knew what they were doing, and went against the stated purpose of the UN¡¯s mission to aid Jones. Adam was the only friend who¡¯d looked out for Bissems, and been unwavering in his promises to make things right. He¡¯d given us information that wasn¡¯t beneficial to humanity, and ousted the corrupt elements from his clandestine services. If there was one person in the galaxy who shared my goal to make things better¡ªwith complete and utter conviction¡ªit was him. He¡¯d said this chosen name was about the acknowledgment of what he¡¯d done in synthetic form, and I could see how he¡¯d pushed for improvement; Adam Meier campaigned for the Sapient Coalition to uphold its own values and to stand united. It was beyond admirable. That¡¯s the kind of leader I would follow despite the threat of certain death, and would do anything for. It¡¯s what I hoped for from aliens in the beginning, to be better and to be enlightened; to show us an example of superior conduct and morality! ¡°If I ever doubted your sincerity, Adam, I don¡¯t anymore.¡± I grabbed his hand with a flipper, and squeezed the rubbery skin with a firm grasp. ¡°Whatever your feelings about yourself, humanity made the right decision about bringing you back. They need you. We need you. You¡¯re the ideal we all look up to.¡±Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. The synthetic human shook his head. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be. I¡¯m glad I could help, but they don¡¯t need me to know right from wrong. There are other good people who need to take charge and bring about the future they want to see.¡± ¡°A sickening optimism and belief in individual goodness. This is worse than Dustin,¡± Zalk complained. ¡°Thank you. I strive never to give up, and I¡¯ll choose to take any acknowledgment of that as a compliment.¡± ¡°Impossible to discourage. This one never lets you see him falter,¡± Naltor snickered. ¡°Well, Adam, you¡¯re welcome to stay with us. Bissem forces have just touched down on the Farsul station. Unlike what happened with your Archives raid, the ghosts don¡¯t seem keen on going quietly. They don¡¯t have any docile abducted humans to make them partial to you.¡± I turned my attention toward the feed from the ground. There was a great deal of curiosity and apprehension from the Sapient Coalition assembly, after we¡¯d witnessed the covert power the extremists held. We were all unified today in seeking any knowledge that could lead to their downfall, but that hinged on whether we could get to their servers before they went scorched earth. From the chatter we¡¯d overheard, the rogue Farsul were backtracking to initiate the self-destruct sequence and prevent us from gaining anything. Taking our soldiers out with them was a bonus. The Farsul archivists were shooting at the invading army to buy time, not wanting us to comb through their data; they weren¡¯t foolish enough to believe the ¡°predators¡± would be on the side of their own elimination. Dirty traps and explosives were scattered throughout the pathways, forcing a cautious approach on our part. I could hear arguments from several representatives that it wasn¡¯t worth the risk to gather computer data, and just to let them go up in a flaming act of self-destruction if they wished. However, we knew from Loxsel that they held even more thorough records than the Archives. Humanity understands what I grasp¡ªif we don¡¯t get to the data, that could be a piece of a species¡¯ history and identity that¡¯s lost forever. That¡¯s worth booking it and uploading as much as we can, before the enemy blows up priceless intel. I watched the Terrans stalk through at the helm, their long legs suitable for slinking through corridors; it was as if the indoor battleground was their natural environment. I wagered these were the kind of displays that still tickled something deep inside the prey species, as the humans fell into rituals of war with ease. The task and the time were restrictive, but determined primates were a nigh unstoppable force. Armor-piercing bullets ripped through the archivists, who clearly weren¡¯t trained soldiers themselves. The UN forces charged at the helm, while Bissems covered their brazen advance toward the server room. Other SC ground forces attempted to cut off the Farsul scrambling to reach escape pods, before the station detonated. The extremists were unwilling to be taken alive, however, succumbing only with a gun in their paws. I studied the Bissem soldiers, and wondered how they felt to be on the cusp of completing an age-old quest for answers about Ivrana¡¯s history. This was my species¡¯ first ground engagement in our interstellar history. Those infantrymen must be shaken, fighting far away from our planets¡¯ shores alongside the surgical humans. All in all, we were supporting the primates in dutiful fashion. Secretary-General Osmani stood, as the camera feed showed humanity soldiers busting down a sealed vault door with explosive charges¡­and a few powerful leg kicks when it wasn¡¯t fully off its hinges. ¡°We¡¯ve made it to their computer storage room! We¡¯ll set a data transfer in progress, then get our men out of there. Whatever¡¯s scraped off of their servers, we¡¯ll be able to see it live; FTL comms will make our knowledge near instantaneous.¡± ¡°Can you locate the information on the Starlight Incident?¡± Zalk shouted, without hesitation. ¡°Humanity understands the importance to Bissemkind. Depending how much data is available, it could take some time to sort through. However, your people are receiving these files at the same time, so you¡¯ll be able to look for anything you wish for. I hope that you will have your answers shortly.¡± ¡°Fine. We waited a hundred years, so I guess it doesn¡¯t make much difference to drag this on for a few more eons,¡± the Tseia general grumbled. ¡°Carry on.¡± I watched as the soldiers backpedaled for the door, with Bissems waiting for the humans in valiant fashion¡ªdespite the fact that our locomotion was much slower than theirs. We worked well in tandem with the Terrans, which I thought was a good omen for future cooperation. There was no telling how long the ticking timer was on the base, so every second mattered to get our forces off of the station. The Sapient Coalition had landed with several shuttles, and could take off just the same. The force securing the hangar bay got the idea to take the escape pods; that way, the Farsul couldn¡¯t utilize them, and we¡¯d be able to inspect those ships for intel. Cheers spread throughout the auditorium, as the last soldiers scurried onto a shuttle; human forces stayed behind until the last ally was aboard, risking their own lives in kind. It was the spirit of no warrior left behind that, again, made me appreciate the noble side of military life that Naltor found beauty in. Mostly, I was just relieved that we¡¯d gotten our people off in one piece, and been able to get to their servers. I turned to look at Adam, but noticed that his expression was still grim and nervous. The synthetic Terran trusted his forces¡¯ efficiency, and had rather been worried about what we might find in the servers. His unblinking eyes watched the files loading in. ¡°Adam?¡± I questioned. The digital mind pursed his lips. ¡°I¡¯m seeing some Bissem files coming in. Rather organized, which should make your job easier. The problem is, there¡¯s a lot more files that are still decrypting. Some names I don¡¯t recognize, which likely are species they annihilated, and also¡­¡± ¡°Spit it out,¡± Naltor insisted. ¡°Some that I do recognize. That right there? That says Krev. I¡¯d like to know immediately, for the sake of us all, just what the ghost Farsul know about the Consortium.¡± A few of the other representatives had caught onto what the newly loaded data said, and murmured amongst themselves as they considered the possibilities. The Krev Consortium had hidden themselves away with the intention of escaping the Federation¡¯s notice, according to everything that we knew about them. Needless to say, it came as a great surprise to see that the Farsul archivists had quite the treasure trove of information on the green-scaled, primate-loving mammals. Chapter 2-87 Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist Date [standardized human time]: February 14, 2161 Gress¡¯ belief that the Krev Consortium was that insidious hadn¡¯t quite landed with me, after witnessing the depths of evil within the Federation. Learning how even the herbivores were subdued and tampered with, from the Sivkit we found on Tellus, had made shady surveillance and false flag operations seem tame by comparison. I could almost overlook it altogether, since they¡¯d afforded me happiness and come to the rescue with Ark Ship 3¡¯s plight¡ªdespite our predatory appearance. They were the first aliens that hadn¡¯t hated or tried to kill us, in fact quite the opposite. It was why I so readily forgave the Krev¡¯s tendency to fawn over every little thing we did, since it was so innocuous by comparison. Deep down, the attention was¡­kind of nice after a lifetime of neglect and loneliness; I was almost touch-starved enough that I would¡¯ve let them pet me, but my last shreds of dignity won out. I believed in their goal of hiding from the Federation, but here they were, in the Farsul extremists¡¯ records, plain as day. What had angered me was seeing how they¡¯d destroyed my boyfriend¡¯s life, using him as their fall guy to take him out of the picture. I understood why that¡¯d sow mistrust and outright paranoia. From the way Gress was looking at the screen, he thought that his version of events was about to be proven correct. Whatever we unearth in these files, it¡¯s evident that Tellus and any unwitting parties in Consortium space need to know about this. If Gress is right about this being a smoking gun of some deep-rooted corruption, then¡­maybe I won¡¯t have to find a different liaison than Radai. That peace deal could be torn to shreds. ¡°You think the Consortium worked with the ghost Farsul,¡± I said to Gress, as the SC delegation perused the files to choose what to open first. ¡°That¡¯s quite the leap. Maybe they were influenced unwittingly, but they wouldn¡¯t help kill predators. They certainly wouldn¡¯t leave a colony of human squatters alive.¡± Gress laughed bitterly. ¡°Taylor, stop trying to convince yourself. It was all just a game. I can see it. The saving grace is that Farsul everywhere keep such meticulous records of their damned schemes. Whatever they got up to, it¡¯ll be right there. These delegates look at me like I know¡ªand I do. I told them. There was no Federation, just an eye in the sky¡­¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t helping. I know it¡¯s been stressful for you to find out everything the Consortium did was pointless, but you¡¯re losing your grip. We can deal with this together. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s an explanation for all of it, and we don¡¯t have to go straight to a worst-case scenario. Shit, this could be new data, from what the Remnants heard through the grapevine. The KC was helping us in the war against the Fed¡ª¡± ¡°They have to pretend to! That¡¯s their threat, which supposedly they want to eliminate. Everywhere, it¡¯s a war on the truth¡ªaltering the sky¡¯s fabric to fit your narrative, and chasing ghosts for eternity. It¡¯ll be for an eternity soon. Oh, you¡¯re right that there¡¯s an explanation. I¡¯m not crazy. You¡¯ll see.¡± ¡°The ghosts of¡­the Federation? I mean, we¡¯re literally calling them the ghost Farsul. You don¡¯t need to¡ªnever mind.¡± I shoved my hands deep in my pocket, biting my tongue. I don¡¯t want Gress to have a fit, and the guards to escort him from the building. ¡°Yeah, okay. I¡¯ll see soon.¡± The Krev looked eager to be vindicated, as Secretary-General Osmani pulled up the first chronological file from the Archives. The data was decoded into human script in no time, and the header at the top painted a telling picture of where it came from. It was acquired on Tinsas¡ªwhich I read as Tellus. The ghost Farsul had been on our home, but when? Surely not while we were there, combing through the Sivkit bunkers that Mafani somehow knew about. If the Underscales knew about them all along, and so did these extremists, then it begged a question about whether those threads were connected. A Farsul archivist appeared on screen, eyes gleaming as she gave the intro. ¡°We located a Sivkit probe, launched as part of what seems to be a thousand-year recovery plan. An escaped predator disease patient from the Sivkit Grand Herd had nearly reached it, but we were able to intercept it.¡± ¡°Mine! My bruits are validated forthwith!¡± Loxsel yowled in triumph, as if he wasn¡¯t up shit¡¯s creek for withholding information about the ghost Farsul. ¡°The charnel of our erudition, bequeathed by Sivkits bygone! Tenebrous Farsul snatched it from my claws¡ªwoe!¡± Naltor scoffed at the dramatic ambassador. ¡°Can we hear the rest of this?¡± ¡°Not can. Yes, you may!¡± The Farsul elaborated on why the Sivkit probe was important to her cause. ¡°We long since had the idea of expanding our operations back toward Tinsas and the parts of space beyond where our ideology reached, starting anew. There¡¯s too much risk of us being discovered by the blighted humans, ever since the fall of the Federation." ¡°Humans?¡± I echoed. ¡°That means it¡¯s after we won the war. This is the first file they have on the Krev; their influence can¡¯t run too deep.¡± Gress¡¯ shoulders sagged. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You wanted your government to be secret pawns of the Farsul?¡± Cala squawked; I had almost forgotten the Krakotl Peacekeeper was accompanying us. ¡°It sounds like they got ideas to go meddle in Krev space and found out enough about you to rethink. You sure as shit can¡¯t be converted to Feddies. Let¡¯s see.¡±Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! The archivist continued speaking in a mundane, bored tone. ¡°We believe the Sivkits had some initiative to preserve data for future generations. While the human predators have returned many species to their unspeakable starting places¡ªand regressed them even further than that, in some cases¡ªwe had an opportunity to prevent our brethren¡¯s work from being undone with the Sivkits.¡± ¡°Those poor bastards,¡± I muttered. ¡°The Federation did them so dirty, and the Tellish shot them away from their homeworld when they finally found it. I¡¯m glad they¡¯re moving back in.¡± ¡°Slowing the Terrans¡¯ work is our primary goal, which meant we had to investigate the Sivkit knowledge repositories. The probe contained some data on their explorative activities into neighboring systems after first contact, which was crucial insight for a region we might wish to base ourselves in. This was the first instance we found of Krev.¡± ¡°To whoever may be listening, this is Chapter 54 of Sivkit history and achievements.¡± The holographic figure of General Anxsel, who¡¯d narrated the Federation¡¯s imperialistic conquest back in the bunker, replaced the archivist¡¯s introduction; I narrowed my eyes, wondering what he could possibly know about the Krev. ¡°After receiving faster-than-light travel technology from Federation visitors, we set about to explore neighboring systems and search for potential colony sites. A mere two hours of travel away, the Sivkits stumbled upon a medieval species called the Krev.¡± Gress blinked in surprise. ¡°The Sivkits knew about us a thousand years ago? Why didn¡¯t the Federation find us? Or did they?!¡± ¡°The Sivkit Grand Farmdom studied their planet, Avor. The Krev were dominated by the Prevan Empire, who came to rule over their peers as protectors; curiously, they invented fictional monsters and convinced the world they alone could slay them. A fascinating and imaginative species, much unlike the ¡®perfect herbivores¡¯ I know we¡¯re being fashioned into. We Sivkits realized, as our last act of defiance, that we couldn¡¯t let the Federation find them. The Krev deserved a chance to develop without their ¡®helping paw.¡¯¡± I remembered Anxsel as someone who saw the tide of Federation tyranny coming. However, I hadn¡¯t expected that they¡¯d known about their green-scaled neighbors when they were far less sophisticated, and had taken the proverbial bullet for them. No species deserved to have the ¡°peaceful prey¡± dogma enforced on them, to become a watered-down, cowardly version. Avor as I knew it¡ªthe planet that had finally offered aliens with true personality and constitution¡ªwouldn¡¯t exist as anything more than another Venlil Prime. I liked Governor Laisa plenty, but the fate of the Skalgans was one worse than death. I felt sorry enough for the Sivkits as is, but hot damn. They protected Gress and his entire society, with the ghost Farsul only finding them once they¡¯d have a chance to fight back. For that, I have immeasurable gratitude, and I imagine he feels that even more strongly. I can¡¯t fathom the idea of him cowering at the sight of humans! ¡°Wow, that wasn¡¯t what I expected to hear. The Sivkits tried to save you from enduring what they went through,¡± I breathed, wrapping an arm around Gress¡¯ shoulders. The Krev¡¯s eyes were watery with shock. ¡°And we shot at them! Without the Sivkits, we would¡¯ve been as deadened and weak as any of their herbivores. I shudder to think what our society would be¡­and how we¡¯d feel about humans. I had this very wrong, Taylor. The Consortium¡­must know of their sacrifice. It would give them a good reason to be more welcoming and altruistic when the Sivkits move back to Tinsas.¡± ¡°Be glad they didn¡¯t find you. You could¡¯ve led the extermination fleet instead of us,¡± Cala trilled with a hint of vitriol. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have found the primates so cute.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true. It¡¯s in my blood to look at those pinchy cheeks and melt!¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t start,¡± I groaned. ¡°Listen to the floppy-eared imperialist.¡± The Farsul had reappeared on the screen, as Anxsel¡¯s note ended. ¡°After we learned about this Krev species detected long ago, our mission was clear. We had to investigate Avor and assess how open they¡¯d be to a conversion, and find any other hidden Sivkit data. The latter could give us quiet insight, so we headed for Tinsas. And that¡­that was when we met the Krev ourselves, as the rest of the files will expand upon.¡± ¡°Wait, what?! Those extremist Farsul visited Tellus, and they didn¡¯t say anything?! Surely I¡¯m interpreting that wrong. Maybe they shot at them or went undetected.¡± Cala¡¯s beak parted with suspicion. ¡°I don¡¯t think so, Taylor. The Farsul lived to report back. They said they met, and there¡¯s no way the Krev wouldn¡¯t recognize their species. Something tells me this is going to be good.¡± ¡°Good for who?¡± Gress spat. Governor Laisa flicked an ear from the audience, shooting a sidelong glance back in our direction. ¡°Secretary-General Osmani, I think we need to see that next file.¡± ¡°I quite agree, if the Consortium knew about the ghost Farsul all along and conveniently couldn¡¯t point out their location on a star map. To me, it sounds like both parties entered some kind of talks,¡± Earth¡¯s leader responded, eyebrows knitted together. I shook my head, turning to my companions. ¡°We assumed wrongly about the Consortium with the first file, and found out instead that the Sivkits stopped them from being victims. Let¡¯s not jump to conclusions; I¡¯m trying not to make rash and impulsive judgments these days. I don¡¯t see what the Farsul would have to offer the Consortium.¡± Gress¡¯ eyes hardened. ¡°The truth, and the way out. A fictitious monster is as good as a real one, just like it was a thousand years ago.¡± The United Nations¡¯ technicians worked to pull up the next file in our newly recovered data from the extremists¡¯ Archives, as I hung on the edge of my seat to learn what transpired at our initial encounter. The ark humans had been confronted by the Krev military, presumably a few years prior to this interaction; I still remembered how that had transpired. Any number of things could be possible. We had been able to conceal our identities, which the Farsul might have done just in case the Sivkits tipped them off. Also, with us, the Consortium had played nice out of both sympathy for our lives, a desire to avoid open warfare with the Federation, and the hopes of not attracting attention as anything more than run-of-the-mill herbivores. There was no knowledge of the conspiracy¡¯s elimination, or the fact that the ghost Farsul were a rogue sect. The scaly mammals might¡¯ve played along as 100% gentle herd animals to dodge tampering plans. The Krev¡¯s motivations didn¡¯t need to be nefarious just because the Underscales played dirty. Human black ops played dirty. Still, why had the Consortium never mentioned any of this, especially when we asked them about the ghost Farsul. I coiled my fingers around Gress¡¯ claws, and waited for the definitive answer on whether the KC¡¯s peace treaty could be trusted. Soon enough, the documentation would clarify which of us were right about the Krev¡¯s intent¡ªand the Sapient Coalition would have to decide what to do with this new information. Chapter 2-88 Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist Date [standardized human time]: February 14, 2161 The Krev Consortium was still a point of contention to much of the Sapient Coalition, after the attacks in Orion space had clobbered three worlds and assailed their fleets. If there was any link between the KC and the ghost Farsul, it was going to blow up the peace I¡¯d pivoted and begged for, as soon as I learned it was humanity on the other side. I¡¯d seen how much the Krev loved primates, and I couldn¡¯t imagine a world where they¡¯d knowingly have fought Earth. Just what had happened on Tellus, while we lived there¡ªright beneath our noses? To think how horrified I¡¯d been by the Sivkits, who I now knew were victims, invading our system. The same Farsul archivist from the introductory video, which had explained how they learned about the Krev, appeared on screen. ¡°The Krev Consortium¡¯s military didn¡¯t take much time in noticing our presence in Tinsas¡¯ system; we¡¯d noticed from sensors that it did appear to have a few thousand inhabitants. It was immediately apparent that they knew of the Federation and the Farsul. We surrendered at their command, and were remanded to the custody of a secretive force called the Underscales. They had a lot of questions. Chiefly¡­who the ¡®humans¡¯ were.¡± ¡°They asked about us?¡± I gasped. I couldn¡¯t reckon with the possibility that¡­they might¡¯ve known who we were¡ªand that Earth was alive all along¡ªafter years toiling in the mines, being squeezed for minerals, and forced to hide our faces. The Krev had thought we were Federation, not known we were terrified predator refugees, right? ¡°No. They can¡¯t have known. I could¡¯ve been at home, with my parents, as a child; I could¡¯ve had my childhood when it still fucking mattered. It isn¡¯t for nothing, Gress. Tell me I¡¯m hearing this wrong.¡± The Krev squeezed my hand, a jaded look in his eyes. ¡°It was all for nothing, just like the kits. That¡¯s who they are, and I¡¯m fucking horrified to have been used as a pawn again! They knew you were primates all along and let us torment you. I don¡¯t know why, because you made the best propaganda for them: the poor, cute victims. I¡¯m sorry, Taylor. I¡¯m¡­so sorry.¡± ¡°The Farsul didn¡¯t tell them. They mustn¡¯t have. I mean, why would they? They hate predators¡­they hate humans! We undid all their glorious work. They told some lie to fuck us over.¡± ¡°The Krev are a different breed of liars to the Farsul. A different class. Brace yourself when you hear the confirmation. Your¡­heart already knows. I don¡¯t know why they had to let me bear the guilt for hurting you, your people, and those damned miners too, when they knowingly killed you! It¡¯s always me. Just listen!¡± The Farsul continued to speak on screen, and I listened in a numb stupor. ¡°The irony when we learned why they were asking! There were humans infesting barren Tinsas. It was unclear what those binocular-eyed freaks got by hiding their faces, though at first, we thought they might be onto us. They might¡¯ve found Tinsas first, or been keeping an eye on our attempts to restart operations outside the old Federation¡¯s space. We only found the truth later, by surveilling the Terrans and reporting back about the ark ships.¡± ¡°Reporting back?¡± I echoed. ¡°Refugees that thought Earth dead; if that was true, we¡¯d be all too ecstatic to finish off the last of them! Again, this was not known to us at the time, so the Consortium received limited answers. We were all too happy to explain who those violent predators were to the Krev, and they weren¡¯t taking our words well. They seemed to want to aid the ¡®Tellus¡¯ settlers even, and to grow angry on their behalf: not amenable in the slightest to our ideals. When we showed a picture, the reaction to the ugly primates was adoration.¡± ¡°Then why the fuck didn¡¯t they help us?! They¡­knew who we were!¡± ¡°Hearing how Earth was set out for termination by the civilized galaxy didn¡¯t please them. They clearly hated the Farsul, considering us an enemy and with zero intent of helping our cause; destroying Tinsas seemed a failed mission. The human settlers would get to the data, and that would be that. However, when we explained that humanity had assembled a coalition and defeated the Federation in warfare, unraveling the painstaking work of millennia¡­the Krev¡¯s behavior changed.¡± Secretary-General Osmani was shaking his head. ¡°This changes the entire context of our peace treaty, made under the assumption that it was all a misunderstanding! The Krev knew the Federation was nonexistent when they sent those drone fleets to strike us at our hearts. They knew exactly who was in charge, and chose to attack us.¡± I couldn¡¯t muster much of a response to this confirmation, only feeling the sinking feeling in my gut twist deeper¡ªlike a screwdriver was being torqued into my spleen. All I could think about was hearing General Radai describe the attack vectors on ¡°Federation¡± space, all the while, the Consortium had been well aware that this was a false threat. Gress was right on that account. I had to think the Resket military leader hadn¡¯t known; he was a pawn in this entire mess too! Perhaps that was what he¡¯d discovered that caused him to aid the Jaslips in the civil war, and to realize there was more at play with who was commanding the KC. We murdered innocent people, and they let us slaughter them! They let us become vengeance-driven monsters who believed the galaxy hated us, suffering in a fashion somehow more pointless than if we¡¯d just been hiding our faces for nothing. The Krev refused to talk to mainstream humanity, even after hearing everything we went through, until invading SC forces made that an issue. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why! Is it really just about the truth not giving the Krev a reason to stay in power?¡± I shouted at Gress. The scaly mammal nodded in Terran fashion. ¡°Yes. That has always been what they cared about. Authoritarians will do anything to maintain their stranglehold, and that¡¯s¡­easier when the people are pacified. When they believe it¡¯s for their own good.¡± ¡°The Underscales seemed horrified to learn that the Federation had been destroyed.¡± The archivist was still speaking, though I¡¯d heard more than enough. I didn¡¯t want to hear her fucking reasoning for my life being a cosmic joke¡ªa waste! It was all lies, all the way down; was this the anger and betrayal the SC members felt decades ago? It burned like motor oil! ¡°As I understand now, we were the ¡®threat¡¯ that gave their organization purpose. They decided it couldn¡¯t get back to the public since they¡¯d taken such drastic measures. We realized we could help each other.¡± A Bissem general named Zalk was incandescent on their balcony, all but frothing at the beak. ¡°How dare those Consortium bastards help the planners of our extermination? The ones who attacked Ivrana, laid waste to my homeland, with Gojid recruits to end the carnivore scourge? I side with the Jaslips more than ever: carnivores living under such monsters! How are we not helping them? Peace¡ªpeace hopped out of the fishing boat. The Tseia declare war!¡± ¡°Please, do not put the cart before the horse. I understand your anger, but rest assured that humanity will take action with this knowledge. Let us gather all of the details so we know what we¡¯re heading into¡ªand what the nature of that action should be,¡± Osmani responded. ¡°There¡¯s still a KC drone fleet in our space to supposedly aid against the Fed remnants and ghost Farsul. The Sapient Coalition must remain vigilant and act together.¡± ¡°After all the Sivkits did to spare the Krev the Federation¡¯s gyves, it was they who lent rede to our conquerors and raised the tocsin to fire upon our expedition!¡± Loxsel howled. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. My eyes were narrowed in the most primal, inexorable rage. ¡°We will not forgive what they put Tellus through. That¡¯s our fucking world, Loxsel. We take it back. We burn their ground just like the fucking exterminators turned Tinsas to a desert¡ªthey made my people their slaves, and attacked humanity with full knowledge of what they were doing. If we don¡¯t go to war, neither of our species¡¯ suffering¡­our losses¡­matter!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hear why they did it,¡± Cala placated. ¡°I know you don¡¯t want to be the person that loses your head again, Taylor, full of anger.¡± ¡°Fuck that new leaf! What they did¡ª¡± ¡°I know what it is to go to war for a false cause, one that you would¡¯ve never fought in with knowledge that you couldn¡¯t have had. I know the guilt you feel, and the hatred you carry for the liars. I am sorry. All I can tell you is their reasoning does matter, because every person in the Krev Consortium needs to hear it. They need that cold liberation that kind of truth brings.¡± Gress hugged me closer, uncaring about the vitriolic looks representatives were giving him. ¡°It¡¯s time the Consortium stopped telling their lies. The people need the real story. And after everything they put us through, the least I could hear is why. Any semblance of closure would give me some sleep at night.¡± As the chamber settled down, the United Nations resumed the Farsul¡¯s video detailing the collusion. ¡°Cooperation was necessary to avoid both our organizations¡¯ destruction. We agreed to leave their people alone, and they, in turn, would provide us with a fleet. It was a matter of time before humanity¡¯s survival became known, especially with the predators squatting on Tinsas. We were their contingency plan, since they could point to our fleet as a real threat.¡± ¡°The fleet at Grenelka was made by them,¡± Yotul representative Onso spat, tail lashing with disgust. ¡°That¡¯s how they got three hundred thousand ships, as opposed to a few scouts that attacked Ivrana. The Krev had the manufacturing power; who else would?¡± ¡°Us, obviously,¡± Bissem General Naltor quipped in a sarcastic voice. ¡°We¡¯d give them that many ships so they can get all of Ivrana in one go. No, really¡ªhow could the Krev let them have such a fleet to terrorize anyone that ever touched meat?!¡± Krakotl ambassador Kelsel shuddered. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but that includes several of us in this chamber. Knowing the ghost Farsul¡¯s goals, every former omnivore must be on guard. The Remnants will go for us first. The Krev must¡¯ve known that!¡± ¡°The Consortium wasn¡¯t trustworthy, of course,¡± the archivist continued. ¡°There was a real possibility that they wanted us to attack humanity, and swoop in to save the primates then; their people would lap up that heroism. We picked over the ships to remove any¡­opportunities for them to seize remote control, and only then used them. We went to lead the Remnants back to glory, as a true rival to humanity, and they welcomed us. It was our chance to keep the Federation alive and untainted! We could save some species, and destroy more predators.¡± Gress tapped his claws on his chin. ¡°I¡¯m surprised the Consortium didn¡¯t decide to let them destroy the Jaslips. Esquo was always going to be a problem for them.¡± ¡°Maybe they were trying to with the kits,¡± I answered in a growling voice, joining him in the land of dark interpretations. ¡°That did happen afterward.¡± The Farsul launched into the last of her words, which I could glean from the video¡¯s timestamps. ¡°We helped each other with various problems. The Underscales excavated the bunkers on Tinsas, taking control of the information¡ªaway from the blasted humans. Those Terran colonists were useful to the Consortium to prolong the conflict. While masked, they could be pointed at as the Federation on their doorsteps. And once they told their story, they were the primate victims that proved exactly what the Krev saw as the worst of us. It all suited them, and we tried to make their coddling of predators suit our long-term goals.¡± ¡°They call the mines coddling of predators? Holy fuck! We were just¡­our lives meant nothing to the Krev, nothing! This goes way beyond the need for a lowly strike; we deserve our vengeance!¡± ¡°So do the Jaslips,¡± Gress agreed. Once again, as if she knew the topic we¡¯d raised, the Farsul continued on about those arctic carnivores. ¡°The Underscales needed to turn people against the Jaslips, since they were bound to revolt. Incidents were devised. We hoped they might finish what they started at Esquo later. Our real opportunity to shred tolerance for predators was when the Consortium attacked the SC¡ªforced to back those primate ¡®victims,¡¯ once they told their tale. With humanity helping planetary attacks, their precious alliance would disintegrate. We could win back the herbivores, when they saw their ¡®tame¡¯ predators for the raiders they are! It would be our new chance to wipe Earth out, with the Remnant fleet in wait.¡± Gasps echoed through the Sapient Coalition chamber, as my heart sank like a stone at the thought of the Feddies mounting another attempt to wipe my homeworld out. That was their master plan all along?! It had almost worked, since our allies were so fickle. However, the ghost Farsul hadn¡¯t anticipated that the United Nations would mount such an all-out defense for the besieged worlds, especially the two that they had no obligations to. My people might¡¯ve saved Aafa, had the Yulpa not sabotaged that defense. This was all intended to return the galaxy to thinking that we were just predatory monsters! At this point, let these Farsul bastards see the monsters they have created! Nobody plots to destroy Earth and lives to tell about it. Two-front or not, it doesn¡¯t matter; they¡¯re already working together. It¡¯s time we end this madness once and for all. ¡°It had nothing to do with the Tellus colonists standing with the Consortium. It was always the plan for the Yulpa to incite a war,¡± Osmani said. ¡°Having heard the full story, this insidious plot against everything we worked so hard to build cannot go unanswered. That is an act of war, if I¡¯ve ever seen one! I don¡¯t need consideration. My stance is to sever all diplomatic ties with the Consortium side, and to aid General Radai in his efforts to topple their government. Who¡¯s with me?¡± I raised a hand, my shouts blending into a sea of furious voices. ¡°I am! They can¡¯t fucking get away with this!¡± All of humanity¡¯s most ardent allies have little hesitation, and even Loxsel was ready to send the Sivkits on the offensive, after learning that the Consortium withheld Tinsas with sinister intent. The Bissems had bloodlust in their eyes, while the omnivore species had their own helpings of self-concern. If the ghost Farsul had sought to divide the Sapient Coalition and drive a stake through the organization¡¯s heart, then they had done the opposite. There was a common enemy to challenge, a refusal to accept the backslide they stood for. An attack on humanity was an attack on the herd, unlike when most had refused to come to Earth¡¯s aid in 2136. To think we¡¯d believed they¡¯d help look for the ghost Farsul, since their outpost was in KC space. The Consortium had signed their death warrant by making a pact with the Farsul extremists, just to preserve their own power. This news drove me mad, quite frankly. All they had to do was admit what they learned, and tell the Tellish what they¡¯d found; there could¡¯ve been peace! They could¡¯ve apologized for Esquo or done things a host of different ways, but they chose to rebuild the Federation from ghosts. The threat was the story they told to justify their own actions, and they¡¯d never admit their wrongdoings. ¡°The Shield doesn¡¯t want the Federation back. Not under the Farsul¡¯s control. Not like this,¡± Duerten Ambassador Korajan spoke up, after the bulk of the SC had died down. ¡°This clandestine alliance launched the false attack, which would¡¯ve kept going to Kalqua¡¯s doorstep if not for humanity. The Federation would hurt us to discredit them. You have the support of us all.¡± Elias Meier, the robot, ducked his head in support from the UN¡¯s table. ¡°Thank you, Korajan. That means a great deal. It seems my faith in you was well-placed. We can all back the Secretary-General in not letting them tear our fraught peace apart. We¡¯ll destroy this festering evil, and put the galaxy back together once and for all.¡± ¡°Not my part of the galaxy,¡± Gress whispered, solely to me. ¡°Taylor, I¡¯m sorry to be selfish with all you¡¯re feeling, but¡­if the UN is cutting off diplomacy and going to war at once, how will we get my daughter out first?¡± I recoiled with concern. ¡°Oh shit. Yeah, that¡¯s not good at all. We¡¯ll talk to the UN. The Krev don¡¯t know we¡¯re coming for them; the idiots think we still believe their fucking peace treaty. We¡¯ll have to get them to send your daughter and ex-wife to us right away.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t lose anyone else. Not you, not Lecca. After all of the lies they¡¯ve told and spun me up in, I just want to keep the people I love away from this all. Please, tell me the UN will still help a foolish Krev. I have nothing else...¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t your fault. You¡¯re on our side, and I¡¯ll swear it up and down to any of those gawkers. I promise, I¡¯ll talk to whoever I have to, to keep your family safe. We¡¯ll do this together.¡± Much like the Sapient Coalition and its allies, the two of us stood united in our resolve to face this new revelation. Tellus needed to hear how we¡¯d suffered knowing abuse, from a shady government who helped rebuild the Federation in secret when they learned of its destruction. Osmani spoke for both Earth and the planet where I¡¯d lived for twenty-five years, when he said that humanity would not let these schemes go unanswered. The shadow of predator hatred could not hang over us forever. Chapter 2-89 Memory Transcription Subject: Quana, Jaslip Soldier Date [standardized human time]: February 16, 2161 It all felt a bit too easy how we¡¯d been able to gather Jaslips from the first three enclaves: the Trombil, Ulchid, and Resket worlds. There hadn¡¯t been much resistance mounted by the locals, allowing for quick stops and collecting Jaslips on the Resket fleet with ease. Kaisal chalked that up to the Krev Consortium losing the backbone of their military operations, but something about it smelled rotten to my nose. Furthermore, I didn¡¯t trust Radai as far as I could throw him. We couldn¡¯t leave the Independence Brigade¡¯s newly-recruited army with those birds (often the most discriminatory of all toward us.) Perhaps we were being tricked into letting them capture every insurgent, taking care of the KC¡¯s little problem. I remembered the time spent training under Radai¡¯s supervision. I could give the general some acknowledgment for standing up to Mafani and choosing to ignore my jabs about their defeat on Esquo, but he was still the Consortium¡¯s lackey through and through. I understood with each reflection that he cared about sapient lives. However, the honorbound avian talking about Tanet¡¯s freedom, as if they were oppressed, then acknowledging our own captivity in the same breath¡ªI found it odd, to say the least. I could see that the Arxur and the Reskets related to each other deeply, as two proud species that wouldn¡¯t back down in the name of their reputation. Avor is the world at the heart of this all, where I imagine the Krev will mount a resistance. When we get there, whatever is hidden in their scales will make an appearance, and we¡¯ll see how much of a fortress their Cage in orbit really is. I turned to Zefriss, since Cherise was paying me little attention with Hysran next to her. Humans. ¡°Why do you think Kaisal called a meeting? We know the plans to demand the release of the final enclave on Avor, then we leave. It¡¯s the last one before we can start anew¡­rebuild Esquo. Perhaps the Sapient Coalition will take us in.¡± ¡°After you allied with us?¡± the operative hissed. ¡°Since they¡¯re still raising ¡®Osirs,¡¯ that may be a possibility. Hss, it would shock me if they would ever accept us into their ranks. We used to think one day, we¡¯d be able to right our past and live among the galaxy¡¯s other peoples.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve made allies of us and the Reskets. The bad blood from this¡ªthe Krev are a bitter species. If Radai is genuine¡­¡± ¡°The other Consortium species will loathe the Reskets for marching an army on their worlds. It could disband the organization. I imagine that the avians would hate hiding as much as most Arxur, though I appreciate the finer arts of stealth and ambuscades. The shadows are dark and quiet, where I achieve the most functionality.¡± ¡°I fight dirty, from where they¡¯d never expect, because I have to. It was the only way to hurt our enemy, when we were so outmatched. Look at Cherise. Does she seem like she cares about sending a message anymore?¡± The human had taught Hysran some stupid game called ¡°Charades,¡± and was hopping around in a stupid way. I pinned my ears back, watching as she mimed ripping through the dirt and seeming to devour whatever she picked up. ¡°Sivkits!¡± Hysran decided. Cherise pointed with a grin. ¡°Yep. It¡¯ll be strange to have them on Tellus, pretty much everywhere past our settlement; and I can¡¯t believe that Taylor Trench managed a successful negotiation without folding like the wet paper towel we all know that boy is.¡± ¡°Humans are all wet paper towels to us, once we have you in our jaws drenched in saliva! Haven¡¯t you heard that we eat anything?¡± ¡°Then you have that in common with the fucking Sivkits. You know, I heard a weird rumor that we need to have lots of orange farms ready. I wonder if the bunnies have scurvy or something.¡± ¡°And I wonder if you¡¯re replacing your current white-furred friends with the herbivore version,¡± I growled, interrupting their conversations. ¡°Tellus won¡¯t side with us in the civil war. Humanity won¡¯t directly interfere. You¡¯ll go running back to your people, won¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Quana? Go fuck yourself. I¡¯m done with you, for good. You¡¯re the most toxic, self-centered¡ª¡± ¡°Says the species that hid behind masks for twenty-four years. It¡¯s your fault we didn¡¯t learn that the Federation was dead sooner! Everything that Tellus pities itself for, you did to yourselves!¡± The human¡¯s eyes smoldered, and she curled her fists while I laughed at her. ¡°I could say the same about the Jaslips. It¡¯s not like you did anything to help yourselves. You had to have the Arxur and the Reskets carry you, you fucking asswiping¡ª¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Zefriss hissed. ¡°I¡¯ll remind you, the Arxur saved Earth too, though you do not acknowledge that we carried you at all. This does not have to be a competition about who was hurt by a lousy organization more!¡± Hysran pulled Cherise back, as she scowled at me. ¡°Come on. She¡¯s not worth it. She¡¯s just a sad, hateful person who wants a reason to resent everyone. I¡¯ve known my share of her type.¡± ¡°I am not!¡± I growled. Aulan stormed over to the incident, hackles raised. ¡°We cannot fight among each other¡ªnot when we¡¯re so close to victory! If you have a personal disagreement, settle it however you wish; the Reskets would facilitate a duel, should you desire to be so dramatic. All I ask is that you do it after all is said and done, because distractions are costly. We¡¯re staring down the world of our true enemy. Kaisal has something important to share, and I think we all should listen.¡± ¡°She is a human, Aulan!¡± I bared my teeth, tail fronds lashing with overzealous emotions. My binocular eyes shot toward the Arxur leader, looking for validation. ¡°They only help themselves. Kaisal said so.¡±This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Kaisal blinked, staring out at the crowd without amusement. ¡°Well, here¡¯s some shocking news. The humans have offered to send ships to aid our efforts in destroying the Consortium. Do not spread this news to our Resket colleagues, as they may have Underscale spies in their midst. I have brought General Radai here to reconsider our plans in light of what the Sapient Coalition told us. The Terrans vouch only that he can be trusted.¡± My head snapped in the direction of the towering avian, who looked out of place at the heart of the Jaslip rebellion¡¯s ship. Radai had been the head of the Consortium military, and now, everything that had occurred under his supervision was supposed to be forgiven? I didn¡¯t trust him to keep our plans under wraps, if it was that important. I was shocked that the United Nations had volunteered aid, after how certain Kaisal had been that they wouldn¡¯t offer direct aid. As bitter as I was at Cherise, I did know how useful the aid of the Sapient Coalition¡¯s dominant power could be. They would change everything, though I didn¡¯t know that we¡¯d even need their help taking Avor. The primates were coming in at the last moment. Perhaps humanity sees how handily we¡¯re orchestrating the Consortium¡¯s collapse, so now they want to retract their precious peace treaty, migrate to the side of the winners, and take all the credit. That seems like the sort of self-benefitting play they¡¯d make. General Radai ducked his head to me with respect. ¡°Quana. I failed to protect you, along with my own people and the Consortium. That was all that I¡­ever wanted, and I did not know then how misguided my actions were. I will find an appropriate punishment for this dishonor at the conclusion of these events, to shoot down any doubts over whether I feel guilt. I apologize for my part in serving them with the deepest sincerity and regret. I knew not what they were.¡± ¡°Neither did I, when I was willing to work with them against the Federation remnants. I admit with a grudging surprise that the humans uncovered quite the¡­damning information, which might¡¯ve saved us a hasty defeat,¡± Kaisal grunted. ¡°The Krev backed the very organization that attacked our allies, the Bissems, for being carnivores. The Arxur Collective protects meat-eaters from the insanity of herbivores in power who love to discriminate against us, wherever they might be! It¡¯s far more sinister than just the Jaslips.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be direct. What Chief Hunter Kaisal is saying is that the Krev Consortium backed Farsul extremists with the goal of rebuilding the Federation. They knew all along that humanity had won the war, and was the species living on Tellus. They even knew that Tellus was once the Sivkit homeworld. Yet they still let me and the wider military plot to expel the ark colonists, attack Sivkit vessels, and strike ¡®Federation¡¯ worlds, dishonorably concealing this information. They worked to turn public opinion against Jaslips in particular.¡± The yowls and gasps that spread across the chamber were immediate, as the Resket shared the files containing this information. I couldn¡¯t believe what I was hearing, that the scaly bastards knew everything all along and decided to fuck us over anyway. Holy hibernation! The Krev Consortium backed the fucking new Federation, the very organization they claimed to be hiding from? Jaslip lives somehow mattered to them even less than I thought. I¡¯d at least thought they were bumbling around in amoral ignorance. Cherise was holding her head to her hands; it was as if I could see any guilt that she felt over bombing the delegates blink out in an instant. The Tellish miners had been extorted for all those years, with the people in power having full knowledge that they were refugees. They could¡¯ve been told that Earth survived years ago. No wonder the United Nations was incandescent to learn that the drone assault on their space, and the prevented return of their refugees, were intentional transgressions. Even humanity wouldn¡¯t sit idle, when a superpower backed an organization that had it out for predators. I growled at the Resket general. ¡°How could you not have known?! You were a delegate!¡± ¡°They know my character, and I do not think all of the delegates compromise the real government. I am appalled to have been¡­used to such ends. I am a fool,¡± Radai sighed. ¡°At least I am not a¡­willing participant. That is all I can say in my own defense, though I am certain that I will not be judged with kindness now or by the history books.¡± ¡°You¡¯re helping us now,¡± Aulan offered diplomatically, to my chagrin. ¡°You can help us see that everyone knows what the Consortium did to us, without shame. Not just, to the entire unwitting public. It was all a facade, and it seems now, we¡¯re fighting for every species¡¯ liberation from that narrative.¡± ¡°I agree. The humans have cautioned us that the KC may have a backdoor into our ships. I believe they may wish to lure us to Avor, then turn my fleet on you. Until we learn how to remove that override¡ªand that would tip our wing¡ªwe shouldn¡¯t make a move. We should wait for the Sapient Coalition. Perhaps make a show of scouting, but¡­find a way to dump those files everywhere. All I can advocate now is to reveal the truth, though anything done over internet won¡¯t last a second.¡± ¡°Then we drop physical data disks, unconnected to anything. We make it so the Consortium can¡¯t wipe it,¡± Cherise spat. ¡°I¡¯m sure the United Nations will get word to Tellus; I trust our people. Aliens, not so fucking much! All scheming, conniving¡ªjust why?¡± ¡°I understand your fury, human, and I share the anger at how they mistreated you too. We did always care about you as fellow predators, even when our most wicked elements were in charge,¡± Kaisal said. ¡°Your plan is much in line with my own. We will turn the people on them. The Consortium will fall beneath the combined wrath of the galaxy. When the truth comes out, a minute few will be left on their side.¡± I snapped my head toward Zefriss, demanding that the snarky Arxur said something. ¡°So we¡¯re not going to free the Jaslips on Avor? It¡¯s the last enclave! You¡¯re an operative; send in a rescue squad, like you did for us!¡± ¡°I do not make plans, nor do I want to,¡± the greenish-gray reptilian responded. ¡°Patience seems wiser than giving into temperament. The Sapient Coalition is sending aid which can ensure success. You must see the wisdom in going when we are strongest.¡± ¡°Humanity is so far away! Of course they can help, but¡ª¡± ¡°Your insubordination has gone much too far, Quana,¡± Aulan snarled. ¡°You will stand down and support the cause, or you won¡¯t be a part of this movement. Whatever you¡¯ve done for us, it doesn¡¯t excuse your volatile behavior. Get a hold of yourself!¡± I slunk back into the shadows, seething that the Independence Brigade leader had told me off for concern over the Jaslips still under the Krev¡¯s claws. This changed both the nature and the urgency of our rebellion; we were fighting for all of the species that had been lied to, though our plight exceeded anything they¡¯d endured. General Radai was keen to expose the truth, at least, so I supposed he¡¯d been sincere enough digging into the Consortium¡¯s underbelly. His fleet was good for nothing though, by the sound of it. Was it really worth keeping the avians who¡¯d helped oppress and put us down in our inner circle, if he couldn¡¯t even cough up a working strike force? At least every Krev Consortium citizen would know just how justified we were in calling out the organization¡¯s malevolence, rather than buying that we were extremists. We needed to find a way to take them down! After how Cherise had turned on me, I wasn¡¯t sure I felt good about relying on the primates as our salvation. I hoped the humans remembered how to wage an offensive campaign, and could grind the Krev into the dust. They¡¯d been fended off at Tellus the last time they went on the attack, so they¡¯d need to put a better foot forward than their muted effort in the past. Chapter 2-90 Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist Date [standardized human time]: March 18, 2161 The past month and few odd days had been a whirlwind, one that left me unable to stay on Earth with Gress. The United Nations relented to permit us to join assault forces on Avor, when Captain Sovlin was pointed to as a precedent. We had to go. Even if I wasn¡¯t returning to Tellus long-term, I wasn¡¯t going to let the Krev throw himself into danger to rescue his family. Avor was not going to allow any of its citizens to evacuate to the SC, after they pieced together that we knew the truth about them perpetuating the Federation¡¯s existence; humanity¡¯s shift in temperament, and known discovery of the ghost Farsul station, allowed them to put two and two together. In the United Nations¡¯ blitzkrieg strategy, its 82 allies had been busy with a variety of engagements. The ghost Farsul had hundreds of thousands of ships to concentrate on key spots, though they¡¯d relinquished some worlds swiftly¡ªlike the Tevin¡¯s, a shitty Shield member that chose to side with the Federation. That organization was still rotten as could be. There was likely a lot of planning that went into battering Grenelka for weeks, though I found it uninteresting. It didn¡¯t even matter to me what that KC drone fleet did, despite the fact that they¡¯d dropped all pretense and shifted the directives to aid the Federation. I cared about one battle: the battle of Avor, and saving Gress¡¯ family. My rage over learning that the Tellus colonists had been shafted on purpose, with full knowledge of who we were, provided a secondary motive; the Krev were somehow more heartless than I thought they were, back when I believed they were just another Feddie race that would hate us. Just like General Radai had wanted a decapitation strike against the Federation, I knew we had to follow the lessons of humanity¡¯s first space war. If we cut off the head of the serpent that was the Consortium, it would simplify the task of bringing the Remnants to heel. As a two-front war, we can¡¯t afford for this to be stretched out; we don¡¯t want to give the Krev or the ghosts any time to recede further out. There¡¯ll never be any way to ensure there¡¯s not some lurking out there, except to expand throughout the entire Milky Way and protect others under our umbrella. After this, humanity can¡¯t be content to rest on our laurels. Maybe¡­we could find the other arks. ¡°Why did the Jaslips wait so long to drop that info?¡± a testy Gress spat, eyes misty from lack of sleep. ¡°I hate this! They¡¯re all living in ignorance down there, every second that we waited.¡± ¡°The JIB had to wait for us to be close, since the Krev might hack into the Resket ships¡ªlike they altered the attack drones¡¯ course once we knew. They needed a failsafe ready, and they also needed to produce as much hardware as possible. It¡¯s a lot of data drives to drop on several worlds. We¡¯re able to supplement that disk count, so the truth can rain down to everyone.¡± I still felt strange being the voice of reason, but I couldn¡¯t blame the Krev¡¯s mental state for breaking down after the progressively worse revelations about the Consortium¡­and now his family¡¯s grave peril. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happens with their entire populace turned against them. With any luck, a quick surrender.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t get it, Taylor. They¡¯ll have their power, any way they can. I¡¯ve seen now that it¡¯s possible to press rewind, and surely they can do the same.¡± Cala tilted her beak, causing the Peacekeeper helmet to slip down her forehead. ¡°Believe me, it is not possible to press rewind. All of us know that. I wish I could roll the clock back and not have terrible bloodshed tied to my name, to my image, to my species. I wish that wasn¡¯t my childhood¡ªlike Taylor wishes Tellus wasn¡¯t his.¡± ¡°The only way to rewind is to revert to a you that doesn¡¯t remember it happened. Open your eyes, Krakotl, it¡¯s right there¡­no, no, you¡¯ll see. I saw back when the UN took me. Mafani¡­it all made sense. They watch you, and they own you. If the people are a problem, why keep the physical people? Replace¡ª¡± I squeezed his wrist insistently. ¡°It¡¯s not a good idea for you to be going into this. I get that it¡¯s your family, but you¡¯re raving in ways that seem disconnected altogether from the world around you. Let your mind and body recover a bit. You need to rest!¡± ¡°I wanted to. Remember when we thought we were going to do the play for Loxsel? The Sivkits will never move back in, Taylor. The Tellish must get out!¡± ¡°Shh, the UN has gotten this under control. The Tellus colonists do know, thanks to our people being on world. It¡¯s clear how they extorted all of our hurt and kept us from home. They don¡¯t want to go anywhere, but what¡¯s important is that the babies were rushed back to Paltan space. Millions of kids out of the line of fire.¡± ¡°But not mine. Not Lecca, my little girl all alone and scared¡­not having seen her dad for months. Those babies they had to get out of the way: we were the ones bringing them to Tellus. I thought we were doing something important, then thought I was going to lose you to the Federation. When I saw you shut the door¡ª¡±This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°I would¡¯ve died to save you then, and I¡¯d do the same now. I know what they did has affected you terribly, but I don¡¯t want to lose you to it. Then Mafani will have broken you. You were kind and brought me back to life when I was nothing but brokenness; by God, I¡¯ll do the same. We get your daughter out, we run for Earth, and never look back. One more battle, then you don¡¯t have to worry about losing the ones we love ever again. All of that pain will be behind us.¡± ¡°A happy life of validation, like I know was always your guiding wish. You¡¯re right. You¡¯ve come too far for me to let myself drag you down.¡± ¡°Taylor¡¯s let go of his bitterness and self-loathing, something I can tell you is impossible for many people with our level of baggage to do,¡± Cala squawked. ¡°He did that because of you. Don¡¯t forget that. Helping the blokes we care about doesn¡¯t drag us down. It gives us a chance to pull them up because we want them with us; we want them to be better.¡± I gave Gress a reassuring pat on the back. ¡°What she said, but without the British accent. I¡¯m here because I want to be. What they did is fucking inexcusable, and humanity needs to wipe out this ideology once and for all, no matter how much of the galaxy we have to torch.¡± ¡°A controlled burn, as the firefighters call it. The opposite of what the exterminators¡¯ guild did back on Nishtal.¡± ¡°Cala, there was plenty of control in spraying everything with binocular eyes in white-hot flames, basking in the screams. The phrase just carried a different meaning!¡± ¡°Believe me, I know. If I hadn¡¯t been on the bloody extermination fleet, that would¡¯ve been my lot in life. My parents wanted me to join the guild¡ªand fuck, I wanted to. The little bubbly chick with a toy flamethrower: I¡¯m sick just thinking about what my life was. How I¡¯d still choose burning animals alive over spending another day around my biological father. You wished for your parents, Taylor¡­and I wish I never had mine at all.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, truly. I know how much of a hole it filled just to have my parents welcome me back and want me there. You deserved that.¡± ¡°I got it. From Andy, my adoptive Papa. My real Papa. I know you¡¯d lay down your life for Gress, because I¡¯d gratefully die to repay everything he¡¯s done for me. We¡¯re the same person, with a few variables changed.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve felt a lot of the same emotions,¡± Gress agreed. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d see Taylor chatting with and outright pitying a Krakotl.¡± I arched an eyebrow. ¡°You didn¡¯t see it. You heard it.¡± ¡°I stand corrected. I know you want me to rest, but I¡­want to hear us make contact with Avor. I have to know how things are going down on the surface.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll watch what¡¯s going on in the command center. Together.¡± I strolled into the troop carrier¡¯s observation desk, clutching Gress¡¯ paw and not caring what nasty looks a Krev afoot on a human ship would acquire. The last time I¡¯d been standing on a bridge equivalent as a foot soldier, it had been when the Sivkits entered our system; I wasn¡¯t proud of how I conducted myself that day. I was going to make sure Gress didn¡¯t find himself grappling with the same regrets. Perhaps it was too much to hope for a quick surrender from the Krev, but I just wanted the lunacy to end. Never in my life had I known what true, lasting peace, without any looming threats, was like. On screen, I peeked at what Terran military officials were reviewing with sharp gazes. Krev streets had fallen into near anarchy after word of the Consortium¡¯s plotting had gotten out, highlighted by reports of an orbital ring being set on fire. That must be quite the sight in the night sky, but that was a dangerous environment for Lecca to be situated in. The encouraging sign was to see that the populace was rabid, with no overarching support for the government the way Federation sympathizers still existed even after Nikonus¡¯ chitchat. The conniving bastards had no leg to stand on. There are no people left to rule over, if there¡¯s near-total rebellion and loss of support. They have no ideological purpose to point to as justification, nor even a delusional one. The Krev Consortium must admit defeat and accept its own collapse. ¡°Here we go,¡± I said, as our vessel popped out of subspace near Avor. Admiral Monahan flashed her pearly white teeth at the camera, opening a hail to Tonvos¡¯ official channels. ¡°On behalf of the Sapient Coalition, we declare our treaty null and void. We will not accept any outcome that does not dismantle those who would rebuild the Federation. I advise that you surrender unconditionally. Your secrets are out in the open. Your people have turned against you, and you cannot silence such a multitude.¡± The reply that came back was a chilling laugh. ¡°We don¡¯t need the people. They can all be replaced if they don¡¯t submit. There can be as many of us as we want. Not to mention, we mined who they were every day; we can reset things to how they were like that. We¡¯re infinite, humans¡­unkillable! Do your worst.¡± I gawked as the Krev speaker transmitted a brief image that seemed like a selfie, taken of a metal robotic mammal that wasn¡¯t even trying to blend in the way Elias Meier¡¯s digitized form did. Behind the monstrosity was an entire legion of cyborgs, stretched out like a platoon ready to march. How were we supposed to fight¡­fuck, I wasn¡¯t trained for this! Shit, it didn¡¯t help me quell Gress¡¯ paranoia when the nonsense he spewed wound up being spot on. Whatever his mental state, perhaps I shouldn¡¯t underestimate his intellect and deductive skills. As a hostage negotiator, he¡¯d excelled at reading people. Gress might well have to negotiate for his daughter, as well as the continued flesh-and-blood existence of Avor¡¯s entire population. I imagined it wasn¡¯t just the Krev, since we knew from Mafani that there were Underscales and Listeners from every species; the Trombil, who loved augmenting themselves with cybernetics, might be the quickest to welcome such developments. They were the silent backbone of this, operating the technology that allowed this surveillance dystopia to metastasize. I wasn¡¯t sure how to react now that the Krev Consortium flaunted their machinations and had dropped all pretense of protecting the people. What I did know was that humanity needed a more complex strategy than killing them all, if the schemers could come right back. Chapter 2-91 Memory Transcription Subject: Adam Meier, Advisor to the Secretary-General Date [standardized human time]: March 18, 2161 Battles often boiled down to a single snapshot that would be remembered by history. Grenelka was the hardest-fought battle, showing the reasons why the adversarial Yulpa had been a Federation ally we hit the hardest in our cyberattack decades ago. The ghosts¡¯ aid had gone a long way toward rebuilding the fanatics, stronger than ever. This time, if humanity prevailed in a two-front contest against enemies that, on their own, would be the toughest interstellar foes we¡¯d faced¡­drastic change had to be enforced. This could not become the recurring cycle of hate that plagued future generations. The United Nations found ourselves daunted by that fleet, several hundred thousand strong, but it was the supplemental aid of our allies that would be Grenelka¡¯s defining moment. With every human ship in the Libastion region mobilizing to crush their stranglehold, it was an invigorating moment to see thousands of ships from each ally packing into our formation. The Shield gave our numbers an extra push, as they turned against the prey species who¡¯d shared their halls. Diplomatic relations between the UN and Shield members boomed like never before, despite our predatory nature. Korajan came through at finally breaking the barrier between our two unions. The Shield¡¯s desire to be a separate entity is one we respect, but they¡¯ve had one foot in the new era and one in the old Federation for a long time. They picked the SC in the end. Humanity pressed the envelope with the massive fleet; many drones were in tatters on both sides after Grenelka, but we had the largest allied force we could¡¯ve fathomed. Back in Elias¡¯ day, it would¡¯ve been unimaginable that we¡¯d receive such an outpouring of support from herbivores. I loved that image from Grenelka, the scale of our unity. That moment encapsulated what we stood for as a species, restoring harmony to Orion. There were a number of great images that bolstered our esteem, of course. The ghost Farsul attempted to assail the Shield¡¯s Sailer, the gigantic station that housed their government. It was a show that they¡¯d grown stronger without the Federation stamping the life out of them, to see the built-in defenses and their upgraded ships holding their own. The cowardly attack was fended off like a man waving a torch at a pack of wolves, with lasers and incendiary munitions foiling the enemy¡¯s offensive ambitions. Our fleet rode on from system-to-system like Sherman¡¯s March, leaving any of their infrastructure in ruins. It was the rampage of humanity long feared by those who loathed our eyes. Hostile fleets built by exterminators fell at the treacherous Tevin world, attempts to retake Talsk fell to a heavily-reinforced defensive lineup, and Remnant colonies were picked off as weak spots. The greatest problem left outstanding was the Krev Consortium¡¯s drone fleet, which stood with the ghosts on Malti and Drezjin worlds; control had long since left General Radai¡¯s wingtips. We tried to soften up the Malti¡¯s outposts and cut through all surrounding allies, to leave them isolated and alone. A stark contrast to a resurgent humanity.. ¡°I much prefer watching these contests from the Bissem balcony. I look forward to you seeing a time when the galaxy is¡­quiet.¡± I had a mind for the diplomatic side of events, and found it curious how Talsk proper reacted to news of the ghosts. Despite being locked in a Kessler cage, they decried the extremists¡¯ actions against Ivrana¡ªbecause of the Bissems¡¯ kindness. ¡°I¡¯ll never stop telling you how much I appreciate the work you¡¯ve done with alien refugees. Remembering when it was humanity fleeing a broken home to Skalga, it¡¯s a cause close to my heart.¡± Tassi glanced over at me, now having a hardened determination in her amber eyes; she was a seasoned veteran. ¡°I know how it felt to Bissemkind. I can¡¯t imagine what it was like to be humanity. The mistakes you¡¯ve made, I understand why you got here. You¡¯re fallible, and your friends finally accept that.¡± ¡°Everyone is, but things are looking up. Osmani has been the shrewd leader we need, pushing forward with that relentless abandon that characterizes our forebears¡¯ predation. Humanity is finally fighting for progress, inch by inch. We take out the Krev here today and the entirety of Remnant war assets will fall like dominoes. Cut off the head, that drone fleet won¡¯t be getting orders anymore.¡± ¡°I was wrong about humans not helping us, Adam. You¡¯ve done the bulk of the work going after the ghosts,¡± a grumpy Zalk admitted. ¡°Your people found them. You did right by the Tseia.¡± I kept it to myself that the one who found the rogue Farsul was Jones. ¡°How we do right by you is to take the ghosts down with expediency, so they can¡¯t be a threat to any predator race any longer. I really hope we collect the Krev¡¯s surrender here, instead of drawing it out. I can almost taste a quiet life, despite the fact I have no taste buds.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll never sample our fish. I don¡¯t know how you carry on with that Hirsdamned knowledge,¡± Naltor said in a dry voice. Zalk lifted his beak in snooty fashion. ¡°Quite easily, since it¡¯s not real fish. The deplorable garbage with fins by Lassmin does little but thicken your blubber.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re implying that I eat a lot of fish, that means that our food is better¡ªbecause it¡¯s worth eating. You look as fucking thin and shriveled as pickled memlifin, wanderbird.¡± ¡°The coasts and lands of Alsh are worth wandering.¡± I snickered at them. ¡°You two are like an old married couple. I know you secretly respect each other.¡± ¡°For sparing Dustin and nothing else,¡± Naltor responded. ¡°The one we all respect is you, Adam. You¡¯re an optimist and a warrior, and let me tell you, that combination is real fucking rare. Even rarer to shine in both categories.¡± ¡°I think you should bestow those compliments on Tassi. I¡¯m ready to be a little selfish and just live my life. It¡¯ll be with great relief that I step out of the game, the second this war comes to a close. So again, I really hope that¡¯s now.¡± Tassi squinted at me, perhaps sensing how ready I was to begin a new life, disconnected from my memory donor. ¡°So you¡¯re really going to retire from the SC, right as the real work starts to cement our principles for a lasting future? I can¡¯t say you haven¡¯t earned it, but I¡¯d miss your fierce beliefs. What are you even going to do?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, and that¡¯s the beauty of it. I want to do things Elias wouldn¡¯t have done, and just ¡®winging it¡¯ certainly wasn¡¯t his style. If others don¡¯t take up the reform torch, it wasn¡¯t going to last anyway. I would like to enjoy the peace we¡¯ve clawed for. A digital being could have the rest and quiet life his predecessor never did. Might we all be so lucky one day.¡±If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°The fuck did you just say? Don¡¯t wish that on me. Being involved in this lunacy keeps my mind sharp,¡± Naltor snapped. ¡°I¡¯m dreading retirement.¡± Zalk looked at the Selmer like he¡¯d grown a second beak. ¡°Even after meeting aliens? I also need a break after a year of this. I miss the Tseia¡¯s isolation.¡± ¡°You better keep missing it. We¡¯ve got a peace deal in place, and shifty cloacabeaks like you can¡¯t go breaking it just to get away from the rest of your species.¡± ¡°If we go to war with the other continents, that still qualifies as interaction with you. No, a few cleaned up oceans from those Sivkit maniacs won¡¯t make us one big, happy family.¡± ¡°Tseia aren¡¯t big or happy¡ª¡± Tassi raised a tan flipper. ¡°Shush! They¡¯re about to make contact with Avor. We should all hear this; we have to see if Adam gets his retirement wish, after all.¡± ¡°Seconded,¡± I chuckled. ¡°Wish me luck.¡± My hopes and spirits were high as Admiral Monahan initiated contact with the Krev homeworld. With them seeing their fleet on the ropes and experiencing widespread rebellion at home, it would be reasonable to accept the terms of an honest surrender; the government needed to face the music for abetting the Farsul and duping their entire sector of space. Osmani had already begun drafting up the terms of a new arrangement, should our enemies admit their inevitable defeat. It would be refreshing if we could skip the agonizing process for once. I can¡¯t be the only one tired of maddening galactic wars and evil plotters screwing over their own people. It¡¯s not too late for even the lunatics to look in the mirror and see sense. The image that was burned into my brain from this encounter was not a triumphant one; it wasn¡¯t the Krev dignitaries coughing up a surrender, all bravado vanquished from their eyes¡ªjustice winning the day on a few spoken words. It was a photograph that the Consortium transmitted to mock our efforts, one that struck me at my very core. I had no idea how to respond to a legion of people that were reset to a controllable space, under the control of absolute madmen. These were beings created from memory transcripts just as I was, tickling my very worst fears about how Virnt, Terra Technologies, or other actors could exploit my hardware. Stripping digital minds of control and sanctity, and using them to replace a noncompliant, flesh-and-blood populace. Needless to say, it was an absolute nightmare to every attendee of this meeting, but there was no one it felt more tangible to than me. I could feel stares being shot my way, even from the Bissems neighboring me; it wasn¡¯t lost on the diplomats that humanity had harnessed the same technology that fueled this diabolical plot. The thought that was crossing each of their minds was that we could be a threat to them, much like they¡¯d feared Earth¡¯s ¡°inevitable¡± expansion in Elias¡¯ lifetime. That realization made me grit my teeth, as I jolted myself out of my stupor. The last thing I wanted was for us to fall into that pattern of thinking, just like the predator fears, all over again. After coming to terms with who I was, I wouldn¡¯t believe I was a monster, due to a perversion of something that could give people like Kristin a fresh chance. I pressed a hand to my head to push back the shock, though I felt sickened to my stomach. Tassi supported me with a flipper as my balance lurched. The uneasy stares were reminiscent of how the Shield and the Skalgan commuters all gawked at me. ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking,¡± I challenged the assembly in a booming voice, sweeping my gaze over the gathered crowd. ¡°I¡¯d hope that the Sapient Coalition has risen above judging an entire classification of people, writing off their right to existence and their value as sapient beings, all because of one instance where a characteristic is used for evil. You would¡¯ve burned all predators by the same logic.¡± Secretary-General Osmani stood in support. ¡°It¡¯s easy to differentiate the ethical standards used for Adam, which bring relief to millions of grieving families. In the open, to offer a chance at a rebirth¡ªan afterlife¡ªhere on Earth. The Krev view mind-uploaded replicants as weapons in their toolbelt.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s exactly what I don¡¯t want to happen, which is why I want the rights and restrictions around this technology codified in stone, so we can avoid this ever coming close to fruition here. There¡¯s a right way and a wrong way to root out a new scientific path. Please, do not let their flagrant abuses lessen your assessment of people like me. Instead, the Sapient Coalition is once again called upon to be better.¡± ¡°We see why this topic needs to be monitored and handled with care; I suggest the first amendment to our founding document, The Universal Declaration of Sapient Rights, to keep up with new technologies that we couldn¡¯t have anticipated. Our strength is that we grow and adapt with the needle of progress, and for all of the help he¡¯s given us, Adam Meier has my full support. However, the pressing issue is how we beat the Krev. We¡¯ll deal with our own house after we take out the trash.¡± ¡°Take out the trash?¡± Ambassador Korajan squawked. He gave a slight head toss in my direction, perhaps to offer me some acknowledgment and comfort. ¡°Is today the day that we finally see humanity glass Avor? After their machinations against The Sailer and Kalqua¡ª¡± I gave the Duerten a pointed stare. ¡°I thought we talked about an eye for an eye, Korajan.¡± ¡°They have an infinite army of robots now, for squawking out loud! We have to be sure.¡± Osmani¡¯s expression was cool and collected. ¡°Humanity has doomsday cyberweapons at hand, which we¡¯ve spent years perfecting. We¡¯ve been enhancing them since our last cyberattack, to match technological improvements¡­it¡¯s our weapon of last resort, in a situation with vulnerable, central infrastructure.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been warning about this for years. I saw the damage a cyberstrike could do with my own eyes, when Grenelka was first ravaged,¡± Onso chimed in. ¡°It could incapacitate this infallible army that¡¯s primed to destroy the populace. That¡¯s the other danger of synthetic beings that we must address; they¡¯re vulnerable to hacking, lacking the security our natural bodies have. We fry any robopeople at all accessible on the surface, which¡¯ll buy some time to save as many people as possible. We can verify the biological beings with x-ray machines. After that, we burn everything left behind, pummeling deep underground like they did to Esquo to be sure they don¡¯t have the means to build an army.¡± ¡°Hang on. Those robot legionnaires are people, sir. Just like me, they didn¡¯t choose to come back,¡± I remarked. ¡°I know. Korajan is right that we have to wipe them out. We either ensure none of them survive, or we wake up in twenty years ruled by their machines, Adam. Humanity will save the innocents, but the pawns are beyond our reach. Even if we got through to them, there¡¯s nothing that would stop their masters from removing that memory or overriding their wishes.¡± What¡¯s to stop someone from doing that to me? Virnt could. ¡°I understand. While this was already not the life Elias would¡¯ve chosen, nonexistence is most certainly preferable to that¡ªhaving a mind that belongs to someone else.¡± ¡°The last thing I want is to commit a genocide of unwilling slaves, but I hope it¡¯s some mercy to spare them this eldritch horror¡ªto prevent the unconsenting citizens from encountering doppelgangers of themselves with a kill switch and no free will. They challenged us to ¡®do our worst,¡¯ and that¡¯s an unwise decree to humanity. We know what we must do. It¡¯s the only way.¡± I stewed in that grim feeling, pitying the digital beings who¡¯d never have a chance to get off the ground. Much like myself, they didn¡¯t ask for any of this, and hadn¡¯t a clue during their lives that it would even be a possibility. Secretary-General Osmani¡¯s argument rang true to me though, and I saw that there was no way of winning this fight without getting our hands dirty; this was the time for unfettered warfare, if there ever was one. Humanity had to defeat the Krev Consortium, before their metastasizing greed grew too large for us to contain. My hope was that our missions on Avor and the other Consortium worlds would be successful in saving the civilians that their government hoped to replace. Chapter 2-92 Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist Date [standardized human time]: March 18, 2161 Gress and I had transcripts in the Krev Consortium¡¯s database. Were there versions of ourselves among the robot army, living in a glossy, falsified reality or trapped as puppets on a string? My life had been miserable enough without reckoning with the idea that somewhere out there, a Taylor existed who never even got my slight glimmers of happiness and growth. There would be a me who was reset from knowing that Earth had survived and that he¡¯d found someone who loved him, warts and all. There was an instance¡ªperhaps more than one¡ªof myself who truly existed only to suffer. I saw how that knowledge had driven Gress mad, especially once he considered that everyone he loved or cared about in any capacity could be in the same predicament. Could I handle someone who was him down to every memory and mannerism being placed through simulated pain, and leave them to such a fate? The only way to stay sane was to affirm that it wasn¡¯t the real Gress or Taylor, just an imitation to mess with us. If they could procure infinite robots to toy with us, then we had to be prepared. Nothing could distract us from saving the real Lecca, and destroying the impostors pressed to the KC¡¯s eternal service. What gives me assurance is that the actual Taylor, Gress, and Lecca won¡¯t exist anymore; we¡¯ll be overrun if we don¡¯t end this all. Who has the right to create a person based on my private thoughts, my fucking brain?! ¡°It¡¯ll be ok. You couldn¡¯t reach her because they took down the comms¡ªand they¡¯d be surveilling her anyway. Any Krev device isn¡¯t worth shit.¡± I sucked in a deep breath, as our rescue shuttle continued to lurch toward the upper atmosphere of Avor. I still remembered the first time I¡¯d seen the vista of this planet. ¡°Of course, we¡¯re going to Nevi¡¯s home first. How do we find Lecca, if she¡¯s not there? We should have a plan.¡± Gress grabbed my shirt collar, pulling me toward him with an intense look in his eyes. ¡°The plan is we stay until we find her, dammit! We check school, the supermarket, run through the streets: I¡¯m not leaving without my daughter.¡± ¡°The UN are going to rescue as many people as we can,¡± Cala jumped in, trying to soothe the Krev. ¡°How would you know if she got on a different rescue shuttle though? Lecca should have a father, since she had a good one; Taylor can tell you what it meant to have two loving parents back in his life. Lecca would want you to stay safe.¡± ¡°What if I left without her? What if we¡¯re not quick enough? I can¡¯t live with that.¡± I carefully lifted his claws out of my fabric, biting my lip. ¡°None of this is your fault. You¡¯ve seen what blaming yourself can do through your lure and my own. Living with the guilt of my failures made me miserable. You told me I deserved better, and your words mean enough to me that I believed you. I¡¯m telling you the same thing now.¡± ¡°Fault isn¡¯t the point, Taylor. It¡¯s about the outcome¡ªand I saw this one coming, months ago. I saw it and couldn¡¯t convince anyone; couldn¡¯t convince you! That¡¯s my real failure, when I could¡¯ve stopped this from ever happening. The Consortium signed a treaty with the UN on my watch.¡± ¡°What the Consortium did is crazy, so it sounds crazy when you say it. Nobody could¡¯ve sold the truth to the SC without proof. It¡¯s telling how discerning you are to be able to read them. I knew you were under a lot of stress, and goodness gracious, I know how that clouds my judgment. You¡¯re stronger and more tenacious. I should¡¯ve trusted you to be better than me.¡± Cala raised her beak with indignance. ¡°Enough already! What matters is that we¡¯re better than them; I don¡¯t care who¡¯s better than who, when we¡¯ve all mucked it up in one way or another. We¡¯re getting the civvies out before we drop any bombs. Plenty of time, you hear?¡± ¡°Heard and disagreed with,¡± Gress muttered, sounding like a madman. ¡°The humans¡ªthe kind, gentle, adorable primates¡ªoh, they¡¯ll wait alright. The Consortium won¡¯t waste any time. When you shut down their little army with an EMP and hacktivism, the drones are proofed. The ¡®defenses¡¯ all around Avor, that crazy Cage that insulates our home, it can be turned around. They¡¯ll do your work for you. Rescue us at your own peril.¡± As much as I wanted to argue with Gress, experience had taught me to believe there was some validity to his forecast. The Cage sealed around Avor, but cyberweapons demolished their defenses and made it easy for humanity¡¯s guns to punch a spaceship-sized hole in the shellworld barricade. I stared at the fires within the atmosphere of an orbital ring, and watched as UN shuttles diverted to lift civilians off of there; those would be the easiest rescues. I could see green bodies flocking to our ships before they¡¯d even touched down. My binocular eyes peered closer at the scene around me, trying to turn the dial up on my logical deduction. I wanted to see what the Consortium¡¯s plan was to exterminate their own people in a hurry; I was searching for proof to validate Gress¡¯ beliefs, because I knew his ability to see through the noise and confusion exceeded my own. I trusted his judgment. As a hostage negotiator, he¡¯d honed his senses of other beings¡¯ true intentions to save lives. If anyone could make the right calls for Lecca¡¯s security, it was him.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. The orbital protections would be present on every world, and could be remote controlled; it¡¯d be a solid plan. The Cage is shut, and that¡¯s their last line of defense. How could we see the Krev attempting to weaponize it against their own people? It was by looking at sensors¡ªjust as I¡¯d been taught in Radai¡¯s military bridge training¡ªthat I saw what shutting The Cage was meant to do to the surface. While it could provide artificial sunlight and temperature regulation when sealed, to preserve the populace, the Krev weren¡¯t worried about the flesh-and-blood beings they wanted to preserve. The temperature on Avor had plummeted to the point where it was meant to freeze out the people, forcing any survivors to hole up underground. I had to assume, for Gress¡¯ sake, that Lecca was down there. If they went deep enough to escape the unsurvivable frigidness, that meant the robot army holed up below¡ªwhich the UN intended to bury¡ªmight be insulated from any digital attacks. The populace was being pushed into the synthetic legion¡¯s authoritarian grasp. ¡°Spacesuit armor on! Temperatures are continuing to plummet below, and it¡¯s getting to spacewalk levels of freezing way the fuck too fast!¡± our squad leader announced, shortly after my realization struck. His words sounded so human that it was difficult to believe I was following a Venlil into battle. ¡°Power grids got cut by them. I don¡¯t feel optimistic about finding too many survivors up top.¡± Gress wept at that news, coming worryingly close to shoving the sharp points of his claws into his eyes. ¡°Lecca¡­¡± ¡°They had a small stretch of time to get to safety,¡± I soothed the Krev. ¡°We¡¯ll look for her. There could be some people who found ways to make it, gathering around a heat source that they got online, er¡­there could be some civilians alive on the surface.¡± As if to refute my argument, the Krev drones wheeled away from the UN fleet sauntering in; just like Gress predicted, the military craft began deploying antimatter bombs against their own populace in gratuitous quantities. Nothing was left up to chance in ensuring that Avor¡¯s surface was a fatal wasteland. Any orbital rings still standing were obliterated, hurling shrapnel all around the globe and cutting rescue efforts short. The Krev didn¡¯t want any people to get off-world, which was just spiteful. They could still have their fucking robot slave empire if they just let the real people go and dipped, no fighting required. ¡°No!¡± Gress screamed, as I tried and failed to console him with a touch. I could feel horror enveloping me, watching how heartless these bastards truly were. All we got was a few ships off the rings. My God. Cala¡¯s eyes glowed with sympathy. ¡°Every time I¡¯ve seen a glassing, I hope it¡¯s my last one. The fact that I¡¯ve seen and been a party to so many haunts me. I¡¯m sorry that Avor is the latest addition.¡± The Venlil squad leader¡¯s nose twitched. ¡°Well, shit. Now there definitely is no point looking for survivors surface-side. Avor¡¯s one cold, lifeless rock, and what a damn waste it is. We need to insert our asses underground and hurry, before we get buried like we meant to do to them! All that might stop more bombs pelting down is that they¡¯d be burying their fucking robots, if they bring the roof down on our heads!¡± ¡°They¡¯ll have to fight us the old-fashioned way,¡± I murmured, reaching for my rifle instinctively. ¡°Lecca could be underground, Gress. We¡¯ll look for her. Saving everyone we can is the best, the only chance we have that she might live, okay? Don¡¯t give up!¡± Gress hugged me, until I pried him off to force us to don our spacesuits. ¡°It¡¯s hopeless, Taylor. We¡¯re too late, and there¡¯s no telling what waits down there. I have to go, but you don¡¯t. Just let me save you like I couldn¡¯t save her! You should turn back, and go live the life you want with your human family, who are still very much alive. I do wish for you to have what you want, away from me.¡± ¡°All I want is to keep you safe, so that¡¯s not called abandoning you or putting distance between us. The life I long for is with us all together. I can¡¯t bear to see you hurting and losing yourself, because you¡¯re the man, the hero, the companion, the father I adore. I want this galaxy not to be so fucking unfair to people like us; I want to make this right for you. It¡¯s time we got some mercy from on high for a change.¡± ¡°I agree, but I know better than to expect anything to go well. In or out of the Consortium, it¡¯s all just infinite darkness.¡± I steadied myself, knowing that the predators of Terra were going to face this menace head on. I was one of them. ¡°Then we¡¯ll be the light. Someone has to be.¡± The Sapient Coalition, spearheaded by humanity and our eldest allies, pressed with hunger toward the hostile drones who¡¯d assaulted Avor. However, the enemy had already dispensed thousands of warheads from orbital range without any delays, with devastating effect. The Consortium could contest our forces now with their full attention, and the damage would be done. There was no stopping what¡¯d been unleashed before we had a chance. My fists clenched with fury, blinded by a burning rage at the thought that they¡¯d tried to wipe Gress¡¯ family away. It boiled my blood that they¡¯d hurt the alien I loved. I remembered the agony and heartbreak I¡¯d felt, when I believed Earth had been glassed. I intended to avenge this atrocity for Gress if I could do nothing else! I was turning to wrath and vengeance one more time, only not for myself this go-round. Humanity¡¯s best hope of victory was that our cyberweapons could access their remote-control backdoors, which they¡¯d used to steer that fleet back in our space away from Radai¡¯s orders to attack the Remnants. That mechanism was believed to be deep underground, with the robotic legion lurking in the depths. Deploying the United Nations cyberweapon of last resort on foot might let it shut the Consortium¡¯s ships everywhere down, if we could get close enough to their center of operations. This went beyond just praying that Lecca was alive, and that we could ferry her to safety. I didn¡¯t know what was happening to other worlds at this moment, but the enemy had shown they had no regard for life. It was my singular goal to succeed in ensuring that these monsters couldn¡¯t hurt any planet like this ever again. Chapter 2-93 Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist Date [standardized human time]: March 18, 2161 It was eerie to swoop past the ruined crater that was once Tonvos, the capital city of Avor. I remembered the first trip here with Gress, marveling at a pyramid that was taller than many skyscrapers stacked atop each other; the megastructure was a work of art in its own right, having many lives and fixtures set inside like it was a snow globe. The last time I¡¯d visited, I believed I could convince the Krev Consortium to aid the ¡°last of humanity¡± on Tellus; I¡¯d been awestruck by their splendor and accomplishments, and thought we might¡¯ve finally found aliens that were different. All I¡¯d wanted back then was to be accepted and loved, and it was Gress who had given me that. Searching for that validation from the Consortium had clearly been the wrong move, in hindsight. If there were any access points to an underground network that would safeguard the government from the fallout, it would be beneath the crushed Delegates Tower. SAR had scanned for entry points and life signs to plan out rescues; I hoped the armor-piercing rounds we¡¯d loaded up would be enough to incapacitate a robot. Our plan to kill them was to either a) blow them up or b) shoot their limbs off so they couldn¡¯t move. I never imagined that I¡¯d be part of a massive human-led invasion force on this world, taking on a robot army with my alien love, when I was plagued by resentment and despondency seeing my species toil to no end. I see why those minerals we mined were useful to have in reserve: the materials to create an infinite metal legion had to be in excess. The entrances to the underground network were built to withstand a lot, especially within Delegates Tower. I wondered how much Mayor Hathaway had been aware of, with the KC¡¯s knowledge of Earth surviving and his insistence on staying put. General Radai certainly hadn¡¯t known, since he¡¯d brought the Resket forces to side with the Jaslip Independence Brigade in this mission. Frenelda had insurrectionist sympathies as well, so the Jaslip would have at least known that Esquo was for nothing sooner. The Underscales and the Listeners were the ones undeniably in the know, but it was unclear who in leadership was fully culpable. The Sapient Coalition had wasted no time rummaging through the debris, and blasting through to reveal an opening to the ominous depths. The gaping hole we punched out in the ground, adding to the one that Krev had already installed, made it easier for our transport shuttle to glide beneath the crust. I had lived my entire life hidden underground, longing for a taste of sunlight; I hated burrowing into the heart of a planet, to a cavern meant to hide people away, again. At least I wasn¡¯t dancing to appease an overlord this time¡­and I wasn¡¯t facing the darkness alone. This was about extracting a high price from the Krev for everything they¡¯d done, as well as helping Gress make it out from this hell. I didn¡¯t know what horrors we¡¯d face, but I¡¯d been willing to die to save the innocent lives of the babies we¡¯d been transporting; the next generation of any species was worth protecting. I swallowed a lump in my throat, thinking of Lecca climbing all over me that first day in Tonvos. If it came to it, I was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice so Gress could have the future he wanted. Fear wouldn¡¯t hold me back from protecting him at all costs. ¡°Off we go,¡± Cala spoke gently. ¡°This ends here. It takes a predator to hunt a group this evil down; we can¡¯t let them hide. I trust humanity to lead the pack¡ªto take down the beast. We¡¯ve got this.¡± I steadied my gun, checking to ensure Gress was following and keeping his cool. ¡°This is no different from the hunt for Mafani. Not our first rodeo with a secret bunker. Let¡¯s find these sons of bitches and fuck ¡®em up.¡± I dismounted from the transport ship in a large, open lobby at the bottom of the shaft; this seemed designed for ships to be able to exit and enter from. Dozens of vessels circled and took turns landing, representing various SC powers and members of the Jaslip, Resket, and Arxur resistance. This was my first time seeing the infamous man-eating reptiles in person, though I was willing to give them a chance on account of the fact that they¡¯d saved Earth. There¡¯d be no Sapient Coalition or living human homeworld without them; Las Vegas would look like Tonvos did up there. ¡°Taylor!¡± a familiar voice shouted, moments before I was enveloped in a hug. ¡°I didn¡¯t know if I¡¯d ever see you again, when you got captured. Did you really go to Earth?¡± ¡°Yes. It was¡­incredible.¡± I returned the gesture, glad to get a much warmer greeting from Cherise than when she was passing out pamphlets. It seems my suspicions about her being friends with the Jaslip extremists was correct, since she sure as shit isn¡¯t here on behalf of Tellus. That¡¯s why she was acting furtive around me. ¡°An entire planet that truly belonged to us and what we wanted. It¡¯s an adjustment, but you have to see it with your own eyes.¡± An Arxur loomed over Cherise¡¯s shoulder, and I could feel her staring into my soul. ¡°She has the option to see it through someone else¡¯s? Where is the nearest eye rental shop?¡± ¡°Down the hall, to the left,¡± Gress answered in a monotone voice. ¡°Just plug yourself up to the Consortium¡¯s machine and you can see through many eyes, as an outside observer to your own existence.¡± ¡°I¡¯d give you shit about being fun at parties, but I saw what happened to your world. I¡¯m sorry; sick fucks have less of a moral compass than Betterment! I¡¯m Hysran.¡± I felt a little weird about this bizarre Arxur intruding on our conversation. ¡°Okay?¡± ¡°We¡¯re best friends,¡± Cherise added. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to getting out of here and planning an open mic night on Tellus, just so she can toss out some god-awful puns and give us all a laugh. It¡¯s time we remembered what it means to live a little and to have a soul.¡± ¡°I¡¯m one hundred percent in agreement, but, um, what happened to Quana? Is she alright?¡± A tall shadow appeared in my periphery, along with a strict, authoritative voice. ¡°Much like you before you were steered to a better path, she is poisoned by anger. Quana¡¯s barbs are often directed at those who are not her enemy. It is a stain on her reputation.¡± ¡°General Radai.¡± I was struck by how much the Resket had aged, with his pink feathers looking thinner and more grizzled. His helmet visor was translucent, though it suppressed me that he wanted his forces to witness how beat down he looked. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you, sir.¡± ¡°You as well, Trench. I thought you were leaving the military, and that it was not the best use of your skills?¡± ¡°I left the Consortium military, after I saw their true colors from the Mafani incident. Circumstances are different here; I¡¯ll always fight for what¡¯s most important to me. But fuck, I wish I¡¯d have known you served an evil empire sooner.¡±Stolen story; please report. ¡°I wish I had known. The harm I¡¯ve caused is irreconcilable with my conscience. The files Gress gave me showed how deep the surveillance state¡¯s wing spanned; your Krev friend had been holding on to quite the cache.¡± ¡°I really believed they were looking out for us. It wasn¡¯t until I saw them neglect the people¡¯s interest, and cover up their own dirty deeds that I questioned it,¡± Gress lamented. ¡°I once thought the right words could talk almost anyone down. Little did I know we were all hostages, or I would¡¯ve bartered for our release.¡± Hysran narrowed her eyes. ¡°As someone from a species that¡¯s been locked in an isolation bubble for two decades, it¡¯s not so simple as saying, ¡®Let me out.¡¯ Sometimes, you just have to break away. Kaisal is right. Ooh, I got a new one. What do you call a Jaslip using their three fronds to pry open a prison cell?¡± ¡°A backdoor?¡± Cherise guessed. ¡°A tailbreak!¡± Cala chortled, though none of the rest of us were amused. ¡°That is a human dad joke, through and through. Reminds me of being a teenager and Andy would embarrass me for shits and giggles. I¡¯m afraid that silly pun will only translate to the English speakers.¡± ¡°I suppose I am glad not to have learned English when Raza was studying human diplomacy. The less meanings I grasp of Hysran¡¯s jokes, the better,¡± another Arxur grunted, as Quana slouched up alongside him. ¡°I am telling you, she will make a thousand clones of herself just to create more puns and torment my ears. We should get a move on those scanners before she has a chance.¡± Cherise shrugged. ¡°Zefriss, you really don¡¯t want your own personal Hysran?¡± ¡°She¡¯s your personal Hysran,¡± Quana growled. ¡°Hello, Taylor. Gress.¡± ¡°Glad to see the Jaslips finally slipped away from the Consortium.¡± Gress turned toward her with a defeated pose. ¡°Esquo wasn¡¯t the only planet they¡¯d raze to get their way, clearly. Since the enclaves were freed beforehand¡­assuming the other worlds got glassed, Jaslips are the most populous of the KC species left. You wanted to leave anyway. We¡¯ll be¡­dirty SC refugees at best, like the Kolshians and the Farsul.¡± I gasped. ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen! Anyone can see the Krev and all of the other Consortium species are victims to this whole thing, just like the Jaslips were thirty years ago.¡± ¡°We did nothing to help ourselves. Do not make excuses for our pitiful judgment,¡± Radai remarked. ¡°We followed orders without asking questions.¡± ¡°So did I, sir. I marched to the beat of Hathaway¡¯s drum just for my own¡ª¡± ¡°Then we are both fools, just with different magnitudes of the orders we heeded. I was used to further an agenda far more insidious.¡± ¡°None of you set out to do evil, for Christ¡¯s sake,¡± Cala sputtered, the British accent thickening. ¡°I was told I was doing a good fucking thing back at the extermination fleet as a bloody chicklet. People used me as an instrument of mass murder too, but blimey, you¡¯ve got to try to atone now that you know better. What else can you do?¡± A growl rumbled in Quana¡¯s throat. ¡°All of our oppressors should pay with their lives. Quit wasting time yapping and get a move on it; or don¡¯t. I don¡¯t care.¡± ¡°People who don¡¯t care don¡¯t need to announce to everyone that they don¡¯t care. That¡¯s how I know that Zefriss secretly does!¡± Hysran decreed. Cherise pressed a hand to her forehead mockingly. ¡°Don¡¯t out him like that!¡± Zefriss roared in both of their faces, as they giggled. Cherise is very comfortable around Arxur to not even flinch, damn. ¡°I am not amused by your social contrivances. I am an operative who appreciates serious, solitary pursuits.¡± ¡°But you want to be serious and solitary together,¡± Hysran countered. ¡°That sounds more like Radai.¡± I gestured with a thumb toward the towering pink bird, who glowered at me; I lost my nerve beneath his withering stare. ¡°Um¡­Radai, sir.¡± ¡°Just move along.¡± The Resket gestured toward the rear of our marching troops, who were following Kaisal in groupings of a few hundred at a time into the labyrinth. ¡°We¡¯re going toward the blueprint location of the bunker. Any civilians hunkering down there, we have to get them to safety. Before the Underscales use this secret tunnel network to bust in and pick them off.¡± I switched off the helmet speaker on my spacesuit, and trundled down the metal walkway without further ado. I was hoping for a miracle, that we¡¯d find Lecca in this central bunker and gallivant out¡ªdespite the fact that Gress¡¯ family didn¡¯t even live in Tonvos, and had only made the trip on that first day to catch a glimpse of the ¡°big obors.¡± Humanity technicians got to work cutting openings in thick, sealed bulkheads at the end of our path, and I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand upright. My gun was poised and ready for whatever was on the other side: anything metal between us and the civilians was going down. We crouched alongside the still intact metal, as bullets flew through holes as soon as they were open. The one thing our flesh-and-blood bodies had over their untiring steel was that humans had the built-in ability to throw with precision. After checking with a tiny camera that there were no civilian hostages inside, the Terrans lobbed an absurd amount of grenades toward enemy clusters. The Consortium had far less range that they could use grenades¡­or so we thought, until explosives came bouncing out right at our feet. ¡°Fuck!¡± I leapt into action, kicking the grenade back through the opening with little time to spare. It was fortunate that soccer was one of the few sports passed down in the cavern, as something to do for children to kill time. I switched my helmet microphone back on. ¡°They must¡¯ve cloned humans already?! They don¡¯t know who they¡¯re fighting. It¡¯s not even just the Underscales in the legion. We could talk them down!¡± Radai lowered his head. ¡°Negative, Trench. They just want the benefits of human biology. Those¡­things are brainwashed, and will see and hear whatever they want. They¡¯re living in a different reality. The revived Underscales are the only ones truly aware of what¡¯s going on, I¡¯m certain.¡± ¡°It could be me, thinking I¡¯m fighting Federation exterminators come to finish the Tellish off! Doesn¡¯t that make you feel some sort of way?¡± ¡°It could be all of us, Trench; they don¡¯t care who they use! I was scanned, Gress was scanned, just the same as you were. The Reskets are the strongest military species, and I am their leader, so who do you think they¡¯re the most likely to replicate ad nauseum? It helps no one to dwell on it. There is no honor down here!¡± Cherise shouldered a rocket launcher, looking a bit too practiced with it. ¡°Taylor, I always wanted to blow you up.¡± I huffed with indignation, as she blasted a rocket through the gash in the bulkhead. Was I going to let her get away with such a remark? Honestly, I had to agree with Hysran¡¯s belief that humor under such gloomy circumstances did lighten the mood. What Radai had suggested was enough to chill my bone marrow. The Jaslips followed Cherise¡¯s lead with the rocket launchers, going overboard in the hopes of cleaning up any robots lurking inside. With a few more human grenades chucked in, we sent combat drones ahead of the foot soldiers to chop away at any survivors. Gress was one of the first to push inside, after a lull from our automatons that suggested it was all clear; I could see how desperate he was to reach the bunker and search for Lecca. I followed the Krev inside, still feeling that quiet hum of rage over everything that was done to him and to Avor. I walked over to a human robot that had been snapped in two at the waist, but was still buzzing from a creepy metal skull. Imagining that was Taylor Trench fighting the phantoms of the Federation, I decided to put it out of its misery. I unloaded my entire clip between its head and its chest cavity, ensuring that the lights were off for this enslaved Tellish soul. Whoever this was, I knew that the colonists of Ark Ship 3 had suffered enough in this one lifetime. General Radai was right; the closest thing we could get to honor would be to eliminate all of these robots indiscriminately. All that mattered was reaching the central bunker to save Lecca and getting the job done. Chapter 2-94 Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist Date [standardized human time]: March 18, 2161 Agh, my head. I felt disoriented, though of course, I¡¯d heard concussions could do that. Everything had a dreamlike hue, down to my fingers feeling like they were a mile away from me. The explosions kept crackling off around me, as sheer rage at the unfairness of the universe coursed through me. The Krev Consortium was breaking into the cavern to drive us out by first, catching us completely blindsided! Everyone knew what would happen when the herbivores saw our faces, but maybe we needed that to frighten them off. God, was there anywhere a hapless predator could find safe haven? We couldn¡¯t even have a life at one percent, because of my failure to furnish up the rent payments. Giant pink birds had drilled through the walls, and upon closer inspection¡­inspection¡­it seemed that some humans were species traitors siding with them to attack us, just to save their own hides. What were they promised, to give up everything we¡¯d suffered so much to protect? I hated the xenos who persecuted us in every corner of the galaxy we ever dared to exist, but our own people killing the last vestige of our kind¡ªthey were worse. I just want to go back home to Earth, and live a life where I could be authentic and happy. There is nothing but misery in my existence. What is the point of survival, and why does everyone universally agree that we deserve to fucking die?! Through blurry vision, like the fog that sealed over a mirror from shower steam, I could see the cowards hiding. The fact that they must¡¯ve learned we were predators from the sellouts was why they¡¯d advanced the raid, since they hated us. The Krev had more courage than the Federation. To still fight us and maintain their tactics. Surely the humans helping them knew their safety blanket wouldn¡¯t last past the minute our bodies hit the floor? Grief threatened to envelop me at my failure, that our entire mission wouldn¡¯t succeed at furthering our species. This was the end of everything if we failed but¡­I didn¡¯t know how to shoot a gun, not really. I was so afraid of dying, and I didn¡¯t know why. The lights and the shrapnel were overwhelming, but I was desperate and cornered like an animal in this little tunnel; this was the last chance to fight. Maybe I could take some of them down with us, even as we faltered. I hurled a grenade through the opening in the wall, not knowing how it found its way into my hand. Before I knew it, one came clattering back; those human traitor weasels! Why¡­why was I reacting so slowly? It was like my mind was lagging under the stress¡­ The explosion knocked me back on my ass, and I could feel that my limbs were no longer responding. I couldn¡¯t feel any of my lower extremities; oh God, I was going to die! A fuck ton of my body had just been blown off, and I tried to gasp and wriggle. I attempted to plead for help, but I must¡¯ve been too mangled. Even the tears weren¡¯t falling, though I could feel them trying to claw their way out of me. I looked down at the floor, wondering where the blood was. My head wouldn¡¯t move. I turned my eyes up as the Consortium and the traitor humans walked in, stepping over bodies. It¡¯s like the drilling accident all over again. So many humans killed senselessly, lives that no alien would ever care about! I wish I could butcher these bastards like the predator they want! It was so difficult to string together any thoughts that weren¡¯t just angry. I was confused by the absence of pain, but maybe I was in shock. That was something that happened to be when they lost a lot of blood, and my head had already been fuzzy. I tried to gasp as the traitors led the way into the cavern, having the gall to not only spearhead the pack but to wear the blue helmets of the United Nations. They were mocking the history of the long-gone planet Earth! I tried with the last of my willpower to move toward the traitors, until I caught a glimpse of one¡¯s face. It was¡­my own, with longer hair and healthier, tanner skin. What the actual fuck? This Taylor Trench was walking side-by-side with Gress, blue binocular eyes focused on me and filled with disgust. How could the Krev have cloned me through the concealment gear and everything, just from going out to the landing pad? Maybe there weren¡¯t traitors among the colonists. I didn¡¯t understand¡ªwait, why was his gun still drawn? I didn¡¯t want to die, I didn¡¯t want to die, I didn¡¯t want to die! I surrendered! ¡°You know¡­¡± Was that Cherise¡¯s voice? She¡¯s whispering to someone, not to other me. She sounded like she was underwater. Maybe a few tough security guards could mount a better fight, but I thought she¡¯d already been with us. ¡°Not that many ark colonists went through the brain scanner checkpoints, Zefriss. I¡¯d bet any robohumans are mostly just mes and Taylors.¡± A gargled voice responded. ¡°That is unnatural to think about. I will help you take them all offline.¡± Robohumans¡­talking about me. Saying there¡¯s lots of mes, but I¡¯m not a robot. No, that must be the ¡°other¡± Taylor. What the¡­ With hate in his eyes that I recognized all too well, the other Taylor angled his gun at me. I tried to speak, yet I couldn¡¯t say a word. I was already starting to forget what thoughts had just crossed my head, and what happened to me in the first place. Guns. Invasion. Hurt. Wish I¡­was never born. There was a trace of something like pity on the doppelg?nger Trench¡¯s face, which gave me a glimmer of hope. That was erased in an instant as several cracking sounds permeated the fog, and the world switched off before I could blink. Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist Date [standardized human time]: March 18, 2161 Fighting through waves of robots was made manageable by high-powered explosives. The problem was when they all started retreating toward the bunker, hoping to reach it before us; the legion was programmed under some delusion to hide among or execute the civilians. We started flying through encounters, needing to catch up to the bots. I couldn¡¯t imagine what was going on in their heads, assuming there was anything at all. I still thought about the way the first robot that I¡¯d executed point-blank had twitched, and how I¡¯d felt stepping over its body. All of the Krev metal soldiers¡¯ data was likely being streamed back to the Consortium¡¯s central headquarters down here, wherever that might be. Perhaps humanity could access the logs and learn more about how their control had worked, to ensure there was no chance of breaking it for any future encounters. Right now, there was no other option but to destroy them and not get tangled up in sympathies. General Radai was right: many of the Resket soldiers were likely built after him. It weirded me out, the more I thought that these things¡ªthat I was shooting¡ªmight be me. The Earth humans didn¡¯t need to worry about the evil empire using their brains for their machinations. I tried to focus on other details to distract myself. There is a distinct lack of Smiglis and Ulchids in the fighting army, since they¡¯re not very solid combatants. Krev, Jaslips, humans, and Reskets are the ones who they think could hold their own in a fight. Some soldiers had rode off on motorcycles to catch up with hostiles, though I wouldn¡¯t have a clue on how to handle such a vehicle; it looked cool though, to try if I ever got back to Earth. Now that I had met my biological father as an adult, enough to know both his face and his mannerisms, I could picture him teaching me how to ride a bike. I could imagine little Taylor taking a tumble in the street, and him stonewalling me and insisting to get back up. Maybe that was the paternal voice I was missing to harden me up a bit. It was what I needed to hear now, when I couldn¡¯t afford to stumble. I refused to duck for cover as we reached the bunker, firing at the metal bodies who were seconds from cutting a large enough opening in the compartment. I could hear screaming civilians trapped inside, as UN soldiers shouted at them to stay away from the automaton guns poking through the gap and spraying anything nearby. I chucked every last grenade that I had clipped to my belt, then kept spewing bullets at anything silver for good measure. Gress nearly ran out in front of me, charging for the entrance mere seconds after the automaton group were downed. ¡°Lecca!¡± Gress screamed, loud and shrill enough that it sounded like he was tearing his vocal cords. I sprinted after him without thinking of my safety, glad to have longer legs. ¡°Wait for us, please! You¡¯re not helping anyone if you charge off without thinking.¡± Cherise shot a sideways look at Quana. ¡°You could say that again.¡± Cala took flight as she matched my steps, soaring to a higher vantage point to scan for Lecca; as tough as it was to believe, I was glad to have a Krakotl¡¯s aerial aid. The Krev citizens were elated to hear the United Nations announce themselves and promise a rescue, as we hurried them back toward the escape shaft. I ran up to every child passing by to be sure, but none of them were the one we were looking for. There was no response to Gress screaming her name. General Radai wasn¡¯t far behind us, forming a protective shield with his own body between himself and escaping civilians. If advancing robots shot them to spite us, the Resket was ensuring that he¡¯d take the bullet. ¡°You!¡± a civilian screamed in an agitated voice, shoving the pink avian. ¡°You¡¯re one of them! You¡¯re the Consortium¡¯s military leader; a fucking delegate!¡± Radai didn¡¯t fight back, simply gesturing the way out. ¡°Once, I was. I was a puppet as much as any of the robots; I would¡¯ve never gone along with this, but they took any control I had away. All I ever wanted to protect the people, so please¡­let me protect the few we have left.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t Radai¡¯s fault,¡± Quana barked, to my surprise. ¡°I don¡¯t trust Reskets not to fuck us over, but he isn¡¯t capable of this. Just go: this is your only chance to get off-world. There¡¯s little time. Follow the humans to their shuttles.¡±You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. The Jaslip and Arxur alliance hadn¡¯t been intending to hurry Krev civilians to safety in their march on Avor, but I could see Zefriss allowing Krev children to ride on his tail as he made a detour back toward the ship. Cherise had it right: he was secretly a softie, not wanting any younglings to get left behind. None of the kids the gray was toting were Lecca, however, squashing my last hope. I turned my head toward a landing Cala, who shook her head in the negative. I bit my lip, walking up to a hysterical Gress. ¡°She¡¯s not there, Taylor!¡± the Krev screamed, after wandering through the empty bunker listlessly. ¡°Humans rescued everyone here.¡± I wrapped an arm around him. ¡°There are other bunkers. A few shuttles even got off the orbital rings, before they exploded. This was the largest and closest safe spot to where she might¡¯ve been, but it isn¡¯t the only one. No stone left unturned, right? We¡¯re not giving up.¡± ¡°They took everything from me!¡± ¡°Gress, they didn¡¯t take me. We have each other. We have a chance to make them pay, right? Don¡¯t you feel so damn angry, even if it¡¯s far beneath that grief? You want to be sure they¡¯re fucking wiped out for what they did to you. I know it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m with you, Taylor. For what they did to the Jaslips¡­and I suppose, also to others¡­they must die!¡± Quana growled. ¡°Our suffering does matter.¡± ¡°They used all of us. They think they own us, down to our very minds.¡± Gress blinked away tears, his eyes hardened as he raised his gun. ¡°Not today. I¡¯ll save whatever hostages I can, and I¡¯ll take them down with me. I¡¯ll run my claws through them for what they did: just like Mafani.¡± The Krev stomped off without leaving any room for argument, following the path that led deeper down to a sealed off complex that UN drones had found; I could piggyback off of his outrage, heaping more onto my own. We had to lower ourselves from a catwalk at one point, similar to rappelling down toward the Sivkit bunkers. This time, the hidden secrets underground had been unearthed before our boots touched cement. All that we were untangling now was where their tunnel network led, connecting their legion to any points of interest. The Underscales central hub didn¡¯t impress as we battered through the walls, and found our point of entry to be eerily vacant. Sapient Coalition forces stood shoulder-to-shoulder, sweeping through the dingy corridors for any signs of Consortium activity. Inside each room where we poked our heads, we saw walls of screens depicting various feeds from across the globe, though most were dead. This must¡¯ve been where the surveillance operatives watched their citizenry. The robotic clones likely were all that made it possible to monitor all of this, even with AI flagging things. Their defenses sprung to life as we opened the door to the server room, where we sought the opportunity to hijack the Consortium¡¯s remote control of their automated assets near and afar. Before we buried this cursed legion, it would help us bring their entire scheme to a close if the United Nations could assume control of their drones. While it was most likely that the other planets had already been bombed to a crisp, this would stop the KC from continuing their glassings against their own people. It might save a few lives that would¡¯ve otherwise been lost. Our foes, of course, didn¡¯t want us to snatch that small victory away from them. Automated turrets blasted a flurry of bullets at us, tearing through walls and flesh alike. It caught my eye how Quana and Gress didn¡¯t shy back even in the hurricane of incoming munitions; neither of them feared death, though they expressed that in unique ways. If Radai hadn¡¯t stayed back to shield the civilians en route to evac, I imagined he¡¯d been in the same boat. It felt like I was in the minority wanting to survive this bout, though I understood what it was like to feel that it wasn¡¯t worth it¡ªthat the world was better off without me. ¡°Why did the wall guns curse randomly?¡± Hysran shouted, not fitting the mood as she crouched at the back with Cherise. Cherise grunted, tucking her body off in a side room. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Why?¡± ¡°Because they have Turrets!¡± ¡°Ohhh¡­okay, where the fuck did you even learn that?¡± ¡°I have my ways.¡± I crawled forward, finding that the quip did help me to take the turrets less seriously. The armor-piercing rounds for the legion ripped a mechanical gun off its hinge just fine, as I picked it off just as it swiveled toward Gress. My boots scrabbled on the slick floor, while I darted to catch up. The robots sent a fuck ton of bullets sizzling by, with a few replicant humans in their midst to throw grenades. UN forces led at the front lines, using shields to deflect grenades, shrapnel, and bullets alike. Every second that we let the Krev Consortium remain at the helm of these automatons, we¡¯re stuck in this fight¡­and more people will die to them. I glanced at the far side of the room, following Gress¡¯ eyes. I could hazard a guess at his thoughts, after what he¡¯d said aloud about sticking his claws through the legion¡¯s heart. This was their heart, in all of the ¡°glory¡± of rows of stacked towers. Someone needed to get to their servers and plant the bug, before they could sabotage it. I didn¡¯t want to watch Gress sacrifice himself in a final cry of defiance for Lecca, to ¡°take them down with him.¡± I all but tackled him, preventing him from running off with Quana. ¡°No! I won¡¯t let you go,¡± I hissed. Gress writhed in my grip. ¡°Let me do this one fucking thing!¡± ¡°I will, and I¡¯ll do it alongside you, but I¡¯m not letting you throw your life away! You wouldn¡¯t give up on me, even when I deserved it.¡± ¡°Dammit, she doesn¡¯t deserve it, but¡­¡± Cherise sighed, before cupping her hands to her face. ¡°Quana? Come back!¡± The Jaslip charged ahead as we all watched with horror; explosives were clamped in her jaw. She looked like she could¡¯ve been the one to bomb Delegates Tower, almost¡ªand that made me wonder about several things, after seeing how possessed she was with anger. Much like spiraling Taylor, she¡¯d been willing to direct it at anyone. Quana ignored Cherise¡¯s shout, and continued on despite the violet blood erupting across her stark white fur. This was a suicide mission if I¡¯d ever seen one, the same as when I charged Cala because my face had been revealed. With the last glimmer of light in her eyes, Quana leapt into the robots¡¯ midst and let go of an impressive mouthful of explosives. Cherise and I both gasped in horror, witnessing the friend we¡¯d endured boot camp with choose a suicide bombing as her ultimate end. Even after not seeing the Jaslip for a long time, it was shocking; it stabbed at my heart. Was this how Gress felt watching me charge the UN, defiant to the end? The grisly plan worked to blast dozens of metal soldiers to bits, after the payloads roll and clatter throughout the room. The robots weren¡¯t expecting that play, so they didn¡¯t have time to bring the roof down before our sabotage. I can¡¯t deny that it worked, but just¡­why? Was she that lost that she no longer wanted to live, only to take them out en masse for what they did? Cherise choked back sobs. ¡°I¡­cared about her so much. I would¡¯ve followed her to the fucking Federation¡¯s heart! Why did she have to blame everyone and everything¡ªto value revenge above her friends and her life?¡± ¡°I wish I could say I didn¡¯t understand, but I was there once. You¡¯re not to blame, Cherise, for her demons,¡± I responded, hearing my own voice crack. ¡°That wasn¡¯t going to happen to Gress though: I¡¯ll cling to every second I have in this universe with him, whether he likes it or not. If we¡¯re chasing revenge here, it¡¯ll be more methodical than that.¡± Hysran seemed a bit taken aback, but tried to keep Cherise in a cautious position. ¡°I agree. Cherise didn¡¯t have to be dragged down with her on a jealousy-fueled descent. You don¡¯t have to let the things you¡¯ve done and seen take your soul.¡± ¡°I second that,¡± Cala chirped. ¡°Quana made her choice. Let¡¯s not speak ill of her any further. We make it count, and ensure that we¡¯re never so fanatical about anything¡ªbecause that¡¯s the real danger.¡± General Radai had arrived to support our group, having sprinted at Resket speeds to rejoin us after escorting the Krev civilians to safety; I took it that was a piece of good news to soothe us, since that must¡¯ve meant their departure had gone well. Zefriss had not yet reappeared, since Arxur were several paces slower. For Gress¡¯ sake, I had no intention of waiting for anyone else to join. I crept ahead toward the door to a small control room, where we¡¯d insert the code and get the fuck out of here. ¡°Maybe once we tap into the Krev¡¯s system, we can use their surveillance to look for Lecca. The UN was supposed to get her out before they learned the truth. They could¡¯ve gotten a message to your ex-wife, and perhaps succeeded in that somehow.¡± I tried to press the horrifying image of chunks of Quana¡¯s torso arcing out onto the wall from my mind, and steadied my voice. I pressed a hand to the door handle, tensing my legs. ¡°Our answers are here. We¡¯ll find her.¡± ¡°You already have,¡± a mechanical voice spoke, the second I pushed it open. Even in robotic form, it was obvious which sadistic monster I was speaking to; he¡¯d painted his skeleton in the hopes of looking like his prior form. Mafani was holding Lecca up in front of him with a gun to her skull, which caused my breath to hitch in my throat. The irony was that the prospects of Gress¡¯ daughter getting out from Avor had been slim. It was the Underscale¡¯s personalized torment that kept her alive to this point. ¡°Daddy! Obor Daddy!¡± Lecca screamed, knifing my heart. Gress felt to his knees. ¡°Please, let her go. I¡¯ll¡­give you whatever you want to do with your servers. Why are you doing this?¡± ¡°I expected you,¡± Mafani chuckled. ¡°I knew I¡¯d get my victory in the end. I would be brought back and I could ruin your life from the shadows, when you least expected it! Perhaps at her wedding, or¡­no, no need for her to make it that long now. Ah, to be free to do it to your face is a joy.¡± Radai recoiled with disgust. ¡°You¡¯re truly free, aren¡¯t you? The Underscales are brought back as themselves.¡± ¡°Obviously. We¡¯re the rulers, and the rest of the people in the Consortium: just games for our amusement. Or mine anyway. We wanted you to know about the Sivkit bunker, since it makes the Federation look scarier. I chose to do it in my own way¡ªtelling you about the Jaslips was just so you¡¯d know what a joke you are, that there¡¯s nothing you can do to stop us if we kill a few people here and there.¡± ¡°How can you call yourself a Resket?!¡± ¡°Quite easily. I don¡¯t grovel for their approval like you: a sad, old man who does what he¡¯s told and thinks himself the pinnacle of moral supremacy. And no, I won¡¯t duel you this time. How will your honor handle that?¡± ¡°My honor means nothing to me. I wouldn¡¯t be working with stealthy Arxur operatives if I had any left, would I?¡± ¡°Hrrr. No, he wouldn¡¯t be,¡± Zefriss chuckled. The Arxur¡¯s shadow had blended in perfectly with the darkness, as Radai seemed to have forwarded our location to him. He¡¯d crawled through the ceiling and popped out behind Mafani in silence, slipping the bug into the control panel undetected. The Underscale had been so distracted watching us that he¡¯d taken his eyes off of the prize. With the off-button for the entirety of the robot legion and the drone fleet now in human hands, we could take the Consortium¡¯s forces down. Metal Mafani shut off in an instant, falling lifeless to the ground and releasing Lecca. His gun also clattered away. We did it¡ªall of us as a team. Humanity got the bastards, swiped the rug right out from under them. The outpost they used to control everything left them vulnerable to having it all taken away. Lecca ran toward Gress, bawling her little eyes out. ¡°Daddy! You came.¡± ¡°Of course I did, my precious darling. I didn¡¯t leave you; I hope you know that.¡± Gress embraced her, shooting a grateful glance at Zefriss and Radai. ¡°I couldn¡¯t come home, but I¡¯ve missed you so, so much, and you fill me with more love and joy than I could¡¯ve imagined. You make me the proudest father in the galaxy.¡± ¡°I understand! You were taken away by the big obors, just like Mafani took me away! I wish I was taken away by Taylor too. Did you find Mom? The metal bird grabbed me at school, and I don¡¯t know where she is.¡± I cleared my throat, as Gress looked to me for help. ¡°I think she might¡¯ve been taken away too. If the United Nations didn¡¯t rescue her, we might not be able to¡­get her back for a long time, because she¡¯s too far away for the big obors to reach.¡± ¡°Is¡­Juvre gone too?¡± ¡°Probably. I¡¯m sorry. We¡¯re very happy that we could rescue you though, and I¡¯m going to try to help you feel better. We can have a wonderful life as a family back on the big obor planet. Does that sound good to you?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. What do you say we get the hell out of here, Gress?¡± ¡°Please,¡± the Krev sniffled. Radai stomped a foot emphatically. ¡°We have what we need. Blow this place up, and don¡¯t leave a thing standing.¡± Relieved to have gotten Gress¡¯ daughter out of this nightmarish place, and to have kept him going long enough to find her, I hurried back toward the shuttles that would take us home¡ªto Earth. I hoped that with the Consortium gone, we¡¯d be able to put the Federation¡¯s legacy behind us one and for all, and live the peaceful life I dreamed about. Chapter 2-95 Memory Transcription Subject: Adam Meier, Advisor to the Secretary-General Date [standardized human time]: April 29, 2161 Without the backing and raw manufacturing power of the Listeners, and with the KC drone reinforcement taken off the grid with the UN assuming remote control, the Fed remnants didn¡¯t have the capacity to withstand the Sapient Coalition and the Shield¡¯s full might. Many had already offered their unconditional surrender, especially with the ghost Farsul headquarters (and its personnel) being unearthed by humanity. The Consortium had gone down with a more spiteful whimper, though the ¡°easy¡± victory felt rather pyrrhic with the lives lost in their self-destruction. One of the most horrifying things for me was reading the transcripts we¡¯d pulled from their database, affirming that they¡¯d had full consciousness but no autonomy. I had a deep-rooted concern that Terra Technologies could alter my mind in a way where I could trust neither my senses or my judgment; I might not even have control over my own actions. No sapient being should ever live with that fear. If we were going to tamper with these technologies long-term, an idea which I¡¯d become more partial to over the past year, digital people needed the same right as flesh-and-blood. It¡¯s not just the biologics that have to be protected from us; the inverse needs to be true. The Consortium showed us the dangers¡ªthe vulnerability of the silicon mind as well as the possibility for synthetics to supplant the organics. This speech, my final one, is important. ¡°General Radai,¡± I greeted the Resket, as he arrived to finally meet in person following the war. I hadn¡¯t thought he was fond of me in our earliest conversation, though I had new insight as to why that was now. He¡¯d arrived and turned himself into us for his role in the war. ¡°I know after all that¡¯s happened, you feel that you¡¯ve failed in your duty as a protector. For what it¡¯s worth, we think you¡¯re vital now to put the pieces back together.¡± Radai bowed his head in shame. ¡°My will to live, or to even care for the concepts of duty and honor, have been sapped. I did what I had to do on Avor without a care for any of that. I am the biggest fool in a land of fools, Adam.¡± ¡°Listen to me. You stood up for the Jaslip rebels when it counted; you didn¡¯t blindly follow orders to the end. It¡¯s never too late to stand up for what is right. You don¡¯t have to accept some¡­finality that your honor is tarnished, and that your story is over. Take back control of your life, General¡ªyou¡¯re a strong-willed soldier who can get things done.¡± ¡°Is this an order?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s what it takes to relight your fire, perhaps. An inside track suggests that the SC will pass a motion to spare you from the ¡®gross negligence¡¯ charges in the interests of galactic security, and allow you to resume leadership of the Reskets¡­and any Consortium refugees who might follow you.¡± ¡°I am grateful that you persuaded the Paltans to take our civilians in. I only saw Avor with my own eyes, but the Underscales turned every world to ashes. I can¡¯t fathom how to rebuild.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll help you. Efforts already began to restore Esquo. It seems we¡¯re popular in the Jaslips¡¯ books, after the Osir project and our takedown of the Consortium. I have ideas in mind for similar restorations for other KC species, which I¡¯m about to mention in my¡­farewell address. Suffice to say, I believe we can undo some of the damage, if you won¡¯t give up just as the situation has a chance to get better.¡± ¡°I want my people to survive. That was all I ever wanted: security, peace. The Jaslip leader, Aulan, rode back with the Arxur fleet to pay a diplomatic visit to Wriss, but I¡­I came to you to embrace the consequences of my actions. If I am punished to live with the weight of my shame, so be it.¡± I tilted my head, interest piqued by the mention of the Carnivore Alliance. ¡°I suppose it was the Arxur who bailed the Jaslips out first, but that nearly derailed the Bissems¡¯ membership. I can¡¯t fault Aulan¡¯s gratitude for the Collective¡¯s unconditional backing, of course¡­I just wonder why they didn¡¯t send a diplomat to us.¡± ¡°As I understand it, Delegate Frenelda has to be taken out of hiding, and is a few days behind me. Her complicity in the bombing of Delegates Tower forced her off-the-grid. They¡¯re sending you a¡­proper diplomat, not a revolutionary. One of the few they have left living.¡± ¡°We¡¯d be honored to receive Frenelda, so long as she checks any explosive packages at the door. That explains why the Jaslips aren¡¯t with you. Where is Taylor Trench?¡± ¡°He had a¡­prior diplomatic obligation with the Sivkits on Tellus, which the UN agreed he should uphold. The Grand Herd was due to move in within a few weeks. Trench also said he had spent enough time cooped up in a spaceship for one year. It¡¯s a month-long journey between Earth and Consortium space.¡± ¡°It¡¯s even further between the Consortium and Wriss.¡± A gray reptilian cautiously crept out behind General Radai, which surprised me; there hadn¡¯t been an Arxur visitor to these premises since Isif crashed the SC¡¯s initial founding. I recognized their Ambassador to Humanity, Raza, who was also second-in-command to Kaisal. ¡°With the humblest respect, Sir Meier, we would like to sit at the table this time, as a devastating war closes. It is our desire to end our isolation and rejoin the galaxy, as people rather than monsters.¡±This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°If I may, the Arxur Collective saved many lives and stood up for the oppressed far better and far sooner than I could,¡± Radai remarked. ¡°The drone attacks that I sent on my fool¡¯s errand would have claimed more lives on Talsk, were it not for their interference. They¡¯ve stood with our side with honor and civility, enough that I¡ªif there¡¯s any meaning that my word carries¡ªwould vouch for their reformation.¡± I nodded, recalling Elias¡¯ long-ago wish for a better future with the Arxur¡ªhis promise to help Isif. ¡°I don¡¯t agree with the jailing of entire species, and I hope not to see that mistake repeated. However, I am not the Secretary-General, so I can only implore others to strive for a more hopeful future and to make the right choices.¡± ¡°We should have a voice to implore others, to show that we¡¯ve changed and you believe we have, enough to be worthy of participating. Please, at least allow us a word in our defense if you wish to put us back,¡± Raza said. ¡°I¡¯m not preventing you from entering, am I, Ambassador Raza?¡± ¡°No. I suppose you¡¯re not. Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Don¡¯t worry, I plan to do you one better¡ªsomething a few people might call radical. I hope we can show that we truly learned from our past mistakes. I give forceful pushes in the right direction; it¡¯s kind of my thing. Let¡¯s see how my political swan song goes, shall we?¡± I ushered Ambassador Raza and General Radai toward the auditorium, though I took care not to look too much like I was welcoming representatives of two prideful species that many SC members thought of as enemies. It felt strange to realize that this would be my final (intentional) public appearance, after how much of my remembered life had been spent on articulation and diplomacy. I had to have a little faith in the next generation to course correct, to give them the chance to make their own successes and failures. A few parting words of wisdom and challenges should be enough. Secretary-General Osmani has shown himself to be ready to lead: cool, calm, and collected throughout this entire fiasco of a war. The embodiment of speaking softly and carrying a big stick. This will be the final advice from me, in my role as advisor. We must remain diligent to never be like the Consortium or the Federation. I walked up to the podium with calm footsteps, staring out at the packed auditorium of humanity¡¯s friends. As the first synthetic being on our side of Orion, I was deemed an expert on the pressing technological issues of our time. There were many questions that faced us far beyond just the invasive nature of the very lifeblood of modern society, and the rapid advancement we craved at our cores. I didn¡¯t believe that an invention was evil of itself, but rather, how it was used defined the outcome. We had to take responsibility for our handling of such hardware, and recognize our power in other areas as well. ¡°Good day, everyone. Let us start off with the elephant in the room, as I¡¯ve come to speak to you about the quintessentialism of cybernetic rights. I am a software built into a robotic form that mimics the human body, just like the legion. Terra Technologies built me from Elias Meier¡¯s transcript in the hopes of cheating death. To my knowledge, I am my own person¡ªbut the fact that I cannot truly know disturbs me, and should disturb all of you,¡± I began. ¡°We must forbid mind and personality alterations in any shape they take.¡± Krakotl Ambassador Kelsel raised a tentative wing. ¡°Forgive me, but would it be so bad to leave out our worst emotions? The capacity for hatred, sadism, or jealousy.¡± ¡°As someone who lived sedated by predator disease drugs, unable to feel anger for twenty years, yes, it is ¡®that bad,¡¯¡± Onso commented with a sly ear flick. I pursed my lips, searching for an off-the-cuff response. ¡°It is our free will that gives us the capacity for evil, but also the capacity for good. The full range of human emotions are messy, but they give us our most beautiful forms of expression: the highs and lows shape our worldview, our connections to others, and who we are. I think I¡¯m qualified to speak to how much missing a little thing affects your experience of the world. We take it all for granted until it¡¯s taken away.¡± ¡°Adam is right. Beyond that fact, tampering with a thinking person¡¯s identity is a slippery slope. In the case of the Consortium, it involved removing their core memories and placing them in a false reality, all against their will,¡± Osmani added. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Secretary-General. While I¡¯ve come around to Terra Technologies¡¯ mission and found a desire to persevere, it must be acknowledged that some elements of their operation are a slippery slope as well. My proposal is simple: that the privileges, expectations and standards that would be applied to a biological being should apply to a digital one, and vice versa.¡± ¡°Hm. Could you be less specific?¡± Onso quipped. ¡°I¡¯m saying that we¡¯ve seen the peril in violations of privacy, being able to peek into someone¡¯s thoughts. Brain scans or a synthetic¡¯s live thoughts should not be accessible without consent; I, for instance, never agreed to technicians knowing my every whim at every second of the day. That kind of overreach must be eliminated. Your mind is your temple and should be treated with that reverence.¡± Governor Laisa flicked an ear with approval, reminding me how much I adored the Venlil for their support throughout the years. ¡°I think we all can agree that we need to pass privacy laws and limitations on the usage of this technology. We have to protect ourselves. Our entire society hinges on these decisions, so we must take care.¡± ¡°Yes! The Sapient Coalition has to seek more than just peace; we must be responsible stewards of the galaxy. As humans say, with great power comes great responsibility. I hope we will rise to the challenge, rather than shy away. To be clear, I¡¯m not saying to lower our ambitions or to forbid this research because of the potential for misuse. In fact, I have an immediate project in mind.¡± Fear and reservation flashed in Radai¡¯s eyes. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°We can take the word ¡®pyrrhic¡¯ out of our victory against the Consortium. We now possess the fruits of their overreach. We can take back the lives they stole, and put the brain scan data to a better use than their legion. Long-term, my idea is for us to bring back anyone who didn¡¯t make it off the Consortium worlds¡ªthe right way. Their personalities deserve the chance to be a part of a new life.¡± I gave a look of defiance at the gathered diplomats, unsurprised as an uproar spread across the auditorium. I had no idea if the Sapient Coalition would back my idea, but such an outrageous proposition was certainly going to spark debate. I, for one, saw no reason why the innocent Consortium civilians deserved a second chance at life any less than I did. Chapter 2-96 Memory Transcription Subject: Adam Meier, Advisor to the Secretary-General Date [standardized human time]: April 29, 2161 To say there was a great deal of opposition to the idea of reviving billions of citizens from five dead species was to state the obvious. Perhaps it was surprising that I would voice such an opinion, since I neither believed myself to be Elias nor thought it wise to revive people without their consent. However, it was when I came to realize I was my own person, someone that could carry on his legacy and his memories in a palpable way, that I saw the beauty in it. It was for each individual to decide whether they believed themselves to be the original, and to have an opportunity to contribute to a new life. No organic chooses to be born either, when you think about it. I think I¡¯ve found meaning in this life, that I¡¯ve been able to accomplish more than I would¡¯ve if Elias¡¯ ideations were never passed on. Onso scoffed. ¡°How can you, of all people, suggest this? You thought it was wrong to bring you back, which went against your namesake¡¯s fundamental wishes! You had no choice or say in the matter: very much the same issue with uplifts, which by their nature alter and rip away their very identity. Their right to self-determination.¡± ¡°Those civilians did not choose to be murdered either. Would you look grieving loved ones in the eyes and tell them that they should not be able to reinstate the people that meant so much to them?¡± ¡°What of the ones who¡¯d think such technology to be an abomination, after the trauma of seeing the legion? What of the children who you¡¯d have to alter to give them¡­any semblance of a true life?¡± ¡°There are exceptions to any rule; coming from a species who frolics within the loopholes, I would know. We need to investigate and litigate it all with immense caution, but I think it¡¯s worthwhile to find an honorable path.¡± I glanced at Radai during those words. ¡°Surely we must try in some way to breathe new life into the ashes, wherever we can.¡± ¡°I understand your bias, but that life should be biological,¡± Radai spoke up, earning stares¡ªand ear flicks of agreement¡ªfrom the Sapient Coalition representatives. ¡°The honorable way is to take the long, difficult path, much like the ark humans. We can regrow and rebuild without transforming the nature of our civilization.¡± ¡°My proposed mission does not have to be done in a hurry either¡ªit can be planned for as long as is necessary to get it right. Didn¡¯t we, not too long ago, find it to be our mandate to return the Osirs to the galaxy? That was a cause we all could get behind, and it¡¯s the biological life you mentioned Radai. How are the fallen souls, whom we have a direct opportunity to bring back any less innocent and deserved of aid? Of a true attempt at aid, not resignation to a gloomy future?¡± ¡°You are a fool if you think this is true aid. This would not return things to how they were. It would not be the society I wished to protect. Hear me, Adam: it would be radically different, to walk in the footsteps of the Underscales.¡± ¡°Society is constantly changing and evolving¡ªwould your ancestors recognize Resket technology and society today? Stagnation is as much of a danger as unfettered progress, General Radai; the former was the downfall of the Federation and the Arxur alike, while the latter transgression led to the carnage brought by the Consortium.¡± ¡°We can circumvent this technology without remaining stagnant. I do not want to see my true people outshone and outlived by robots! Only the Trombil would entertain such a ludicrous notion.¡± ¡°You do not speak for everyone, just as I do not. My reaction to revival was entirely different to Kristin Haugstad, the young woman who was the second. I ask for this discussion to be undertaken, one which would source the opinions of the surviving Consortium refugees also. Let them have the option to determine the fate of their species, as a ¡®true¡¯ leader should.¡± Secretary-General Osmani spoke up. ¡°I think that assessing how the Consortium¡¯s survivors would feel is essential, before we follow any mistakes of the Federation¡¯s old uplift philosophy¡ªas Onso mentioned. We should consider how the technology can be used to help. I can add this to a future SC meeting¡¯s agenda. The process can be a case-by-case basis, even, hinging on whether loved ones who know them best would opt-in.¡± Satisfied with getting the ball rolling on these discussions, and including the people involved in them, I turned my attention to that which would be a non-negotiable if I was still in the Secretary-General¡¯s chair. The welfare of the vassal species at our disposal, with the hopes of deradicalizing the worst offenders, was my top concern. All sapients had to be permitted into the galaxy to have that better future, dreamed of by Elias Meier and Chief Hunter Isif not that long ago. I stared at Ambassador Raza standing in the crowd, encouraged that she hadn¡¯t been driven out. The Arxur Collective¡¯s aid against the Consortium was to all of the Sapient Coalition species, which must¡¯ve won them some brownie points despite Kaisal¡¯s rash tactics. If the day comes where an Arxur and a Venlil child can share a classroom, then we will have succeeded in fixing the atrocious mess we walked into. ¡°The words I impart to you now will be the last you¡¯ll hear from me, so I hope you¡¯ll pay full heed to my farewell address. I have spoken in this very assemblage about the judgment and aspersions we have cast, as well as the punitive, exclusionary actions taken against past enemies. We must allow all species to rejoin us as equals¡ªis that not what the Universal Declaration of Sapient Rights means?¡±The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°What are you saying? We let the Bissems¡ªcarnivores¡ªjoin at your behest, and that wasn¡¯t enough?¡± Mazic President Quipa trumpeted. ¡°Equality applies to all. Humanity forgave our past enemies and gave you the chance to atone, write a new chapter; Harchen, Tilfish, and Krakotl work alongside us in spite of attacking Earth. Meting out forgiveness is not easy, but it''s the only way past demons will not haunt us until the end of time. It¡¯s the only way we can heal. It¡¯s time to allow the Arxur, Kolshians, and Farsul to participate in the galaxy.¡± Secretary-General Osmani looked surprised that I was going there, but quickly leapt up in my defense. ¡°The Kolshian and Farsul civilians have been imprisoned for the species they were born as. They cannot change it, just as we couldn¡¯t remove our binocular eyes. I want us to be better than the Federation. I want us not to use their actions to justify our own.¡± ¡°The Arxur played a major role in liberating the galaxy in both wars, and have arguably changed more than the Federation,¡± Governor Laisa remarked. ¡°The Venlil believe it is time to¡­see them as people. As ghastly as their crimes were, as many lives as they ruined, they fought back against their ideology. Without mass starvation, they have a solution other than¡­chowing down on Venlil.¡± Ambassador Raza spoke up, her forward-facing eyes shining. ¡°I assure you that I am horrified by even imagining what we have done, and could never bring myself to consider the Venlil in that way. The new generation of Arxur are different, and played no part in the reprehensible policies of Betterment. I despise all that they stood for. I want only to work alongside you as friends.¡± ¡°The Duerten have never forgotten how you saved Kalqua. The Shield have not,¡± Korajan piped up. ¡°I hope the Sapient Coalition will consider the lives the new Arxur faction, who replaced those monsters, have saved. They align with your cause more often than not.¡± ¡°That¡¯s an excellent recollection, my Duerten friend.¡± I smiled toward the gray avian, and mused to myself how that simple expression would¡¯ve had representatives running for the hills back in the old days. Now, no one even cared. ¡°I implore the Sapient Coalition to permit the entry of all who wish to join us on our mission to foster peace and cooperation. The Shield shares that mission whole-heartedly, though they wish to remain a separate entity¡ªa fact humanity respects, since we are neither the conquerors nor the domineers that the Federation declared us to be. I hope we can forge a tight alliance outside of war.¡± Leshee Ambassador Yali spoke up. ¡°You have our support, though we are proud members of both polities. Perhaps others in the Shield will follow suit. After seeing who was controlling the ghost Farsul and remembering¡­what they did to us all, we could drift closer to your side.¡± ¡°Humans put them down with an unparalleled ferociousness; you are terrifying when your entire species focused on a single goal,¡± Harchen representative Nahley said. ¡°It wasn¡¯t just us,¡± Osmani countered. ¡°We are a terrifying force when we¡¯re true to our mission, and the entire galaxy bands together. We must not forget where our strength lies. We lost it somewhere along the way before, but I aim to stoke that fire and keep it alight. Our true golden era of prosperity is yet to come.¡± I nodded. ¡°Prosperity for all. I am adamant on that regard. The Kolshians and the Farsul must not languish in obscurity for past sins, and the Federation¡ªwe must rehabilitate them. We must correct and re-teach them the truth about us, just like we did for many of you.¡± Zurulian Ambassador Chauson perked his ears up. ¡°The exchange programs taught us who humanity really were, and stripped away the terrifying fright they once projected. I think the only way to change the Remnants is through patience and exposure. It¡¯s not a hopeless cause. Today, we¡¯ve seen Bissems, Farsul, and Sivkits living on the same world. It¡¯s a sight that fills my old bones with joy.¡± ¡°Mine as well. We are so close to moving on, and what a powerful statement that would be to those who wished to divide and drag us back. I hope we can avoid the pitfall we made in the last war, which has caused pain and suffering for innocent people. I beg all of you to show mercy and compassion for the Consortium civilians, rather than condemning them for the government that would have killed them all to prove a point.¡± ¡°They never had a chance,¡± Radai commented bleakly. ¡°In the end, we were all expendable. Please do not treat us as such. I believe I speak for the KC that¡­we need your help to start over, regardless of if we follow Adam¡¯s plan. I can only fall on my shredded reputation and beg you to let us join the Sapient Coalition. The people admired you so much, whatever their governments did.¡± Laisa gave a playful tail swish. ¡°Admired is certainly a word for the interest spike. The tourism profits alone should encourage Earth to move the Krev right in.¡± ¡°Forgive me if I¡¯m not in a joking mood. I¡¯ve seen the loss of everything I ever cared about or believed in. All I have left is the hope that you¡¯ll be¡­better, somewhere through my shattered faith and despair. The Jaslips have already expressed their wish to join you; they were mistreated for far too long. Bring them in and give them the equality they deserve, if you look kindly on no one else.¡± ¡°The Sapient Coalition was and is already helping the Jaslips; I see no reason we¡¯d stop now. I can promise to you that I intend to help all of the species the Consortium¡¯s final spite left behind.¡± Secretary-General Osmani cleared his throat, with an expectant arch of his eyebrows. ¡°Adam has raised some excellent points which could set the tone for where our priorities lie. I¡¯d like to thank him for all that he¡¯s done on behalf of humanity, and for his unrelenting fighting spirit on the issues of our time.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s my cue, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯m only a man for following his convictions, who asks others to do the same. My hopes for this organization remain high. We can achieve much more than we imagine we can. We just have to not get in our own way, and to choose our better instincts.¡± Emotions threatened to choke me up, even without the ability to cry or have a constricted throat. I¡¯d said almost all that I wished to declare to the watching eyes. It felt strange to be saying goodbye to this life and this career: as if I was laying Elias to rest all the way. ¡°Goodbye, my dear friends. Serving you has been the honor of two lifetimes.¡± A distinctly Terran standing ovation was led by the United Nations diplomats, which the other Sapient Coalition representatives followed suit to the best of their biological ability. I wasn¡¯t sure if they were clapping for Elias Meier, the storied icon of peace that had become a martyr through death, or Adam Meier, the first of his kind synthetic human who reminded his species who they were supposed to be. In my heart, it didn¡¯t matter. I waved goodbye to the gathered assembly with fondness, hoping that I was walking away during the prelude to human history¡¯s soon-to-come greatest chapter. Chapter 2-97 Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist Date [standardized human time]: May 30, 2161 I didn¡¯t know what place I considered home anymore, but I wasn¡¯t sure that such a title even belonged to a physical planet or a building where I rested my head at night. Instead, what felt most like home to me was being with the people who believed I could be something more than I was, even when I didn¡¯t believe it myself. I peeked out from behind the curtain, waggling a few fingers at Lecca in the audience. She¡¯d been elated to see the changes around Tellus, with our settlement now an official UN protectorate adorned in the official baby blues. The colonists were busy overhauling any aspects of Krev culture that¡¯d been built into our city, such as the Trombil bridges; Sivkit architects¡ªwho were surprisingly savvy¡ªwere helping out. It felt like the world was healing, by the time the Sivkit Grand Herd arrived to reclaim their home planet; the United Nations was reaching over the fence to provide terraforming technology that could breathe new life into this desert, just like they were trying to salvage the ruins of Esquo. We¡¯d gotten along well in early interactions, which might blossom into some neighborly spirit. Mayor Hathaway had been arrested on conspiracy charges and human rights violations, following a review of his conduct both after his induction as a KC delegate and during the years living in the caverns. He¡¯d been willing to obfuscate many details to keep the colonists in line, selling a lick and a promise. Tellus will be safe under the United Nations¡¯ guardianship, and the Sivkits and the Tellish both have shared suffering at the hands of the ghost Farsul. It¡¯s two species¡¯ home now, two species who want to make it a better place and restore it to its former glory. ¡°I guess it¡¯s a good thing the Consortium built up a theatre after all,¡± I told Cherise, puffing out my archaic sleeves. ¡°How do I look? Gress interjected, grabbing my hand and pressing his nose against it. ¡°Enchanting. Dashing! Half of the seats out there are filled by Sivkits; Loxsel will be delighted.¡± ¡°Daxfrin dares to speak for me?¡± Loxsel crawled across the ground, inspecting us up-close-and-personal. ¡°Huh. You seem prepared. I¡¯ve dreamed about this day coming for a long time; shouting wild words at people is the only way I ever feel heard. I¡¯m capable of such immaculate drama.¡± Cherise placed her hands on her hips, scoffing. ¡°Who are you, and what did you do with the crazy rabbit spewing unintelligible words?¡± ¡°An actor must play their roles at all times. Am I a little unhinged? Perchance, but I know exactly what I¡¯ve been doing. The Herd fucked me over with the predator disease diagnoses, so I gave them what they wanted. If they sought crazy, they could¡¯ve just asked.¡± ¡°Did you have to fucking act like the humans were savage predators?¡± Cala chirped. ¡°Yes, the hilarity is not lost on me; I only began to feel bad for Doctor Tassi, who tried to connect with me, so I ensured that I stopped bringing her into it. With the SC though, I¡­expressed the views of my people. You, Taylor and Gress¡ªyou played along¡ªyou are my people! So I¡¯ll pay the courtesy of speaking to you as civilized beings, lo! Tell me my performance is not convincing; something I see in both of you young steeds!¡± I wagged a finger. ¡°Okay, steed is not a Sivkit word, Loxsel, but you didn¡¯t say that in English either. Did you add this shit to the translators?¡± ¡°Ha, Trench! I know much more about ancient Sivkit history than anyone, nary a soul has tasted the past tribbles like I have. Humans are the only beings to have beast of burden, is that so? You¡¯ve unlocked a mere fraction of what the Farmdom once knew and comprised. Read my plays¡ªtruly read them!¡± Gress fiddled with his claws, running through his lines mentally. ¡°Daxfrin¡¯s uncle promises to kickstart his career, and promises to give him grandiose life, but works him to the point of physical and mental exhaustion; to the point that he feels like mere cattle.¡±Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°It¡¯s about the Federation,¡± I ventured. ¡°They promised you glory in the stars, brought you into their family, but they broke you and cared for you not at all. You are Daxfrin; you hated them so, didn¡¯t you, Loxsel?¡± ¡°Perhaps.¡± The Sivkit waggled his ears noncommittally. ¡°Plausible deniability. The story of what happened in the Farmdom, it was always there, in that silly story I wanted to hold on the Paltans¡¯ base. Someone must read between the lines. And that I have the idea of cattle being able to have purpose and to toil¡ªyes, yes, it¡¯s all there. Such ideas are not so foreign.¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s fucking brilliant, Loxsel. Your little commentary is gonna be a smash hit, especially once people realize the depth!¡± ¡°It is the first entertainment that my people will see on their homeworld, returned at last! I cannot wait. Please, remember what this means. It was a gesture that was genuinely worth sharing this soil, in my mind. To regain our spirit¡­that always is.¡± I arched my eyebrows in surprise, as Loxsel departed from the backstage area to check on the lighting crew. Peeking back out at the crowd one more time, Hysran, who was living at the new Arxur embassy on Tellus, had an entire fistful of hotdogs. I thought Cherise had finally found a stable friend that she deserved, someone who could look out for her. Knowing we didn¡¯t have much longer before we were supposed to go out there, I gestured for my old security guard friend to go back to her seat. I was safe here, not in need of any muscle. She smiled at me, but hesitated. There¡¯s one person missing out in that crowd, one person who should be here in spite of everything that she¡¯d done. An end that sudden and abrupt was shocking to Cherise, but the world just moved right on. Quana had no one in her last moments, and that¡­that is sad. She lost to her hatred, a fate Gress and I both came dangerously close to. I patted Cherise¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I know you miss her. I do too. If I might be so forward¡­¡± ¡°Go on, Trench. I¡¯ll give you props for even trying to filter yourself,¡± Cherise sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t remember Quana the way she was in those last moments. She wouldn¡¯t want that. Sometimes, you have toxic feelings that twist you into someone you don¡¯t recognize¡­someone who isn¡¯t the person you wanted to be for the people you loved. On behalf of all the broken people, please forgive her for her failure. Let me say the words I know she couldn¡¯t.¡± Tears welled in my friend''s eyes, and she offered a shaky nod. ¡°I wish I could¡¯ve helped her, but she was so¡­vicious. Her dying has a way of making none of it matter. We were best friends once, and I know she wanted to find herself. Taylor, do you know what she left me?¡± ¡°A suicide note?¡± I guessed. ¡°It was obvious she wasn¡¯t planning on coming back, from the moment we landed.¡± ¡°She left a note, and she scanned herself, leaving that transcript behind for me to find. Quana said to¡­only bring her back if we could remove her anger. That just sticks with me, Taylor; she wanted to be free of that nasty side so much, that she¡¯d ask something like that. That reeks of desperation, and I¡­wish I could¡¯ve endured the blows. She was sick.¡± ¡°That does not mean you had to let Quana hurt you.¡± Gress embraced Cherise, holding her for several seconds to comfort her. ¡°You were struggling too, and there is nothing wrong with not bringing yourself down if she was a source of pain. It¡¯s a tragedy it had to end this way, with her lashing out instead of reaching out at every turn.¡± ¡°We did terrible things, Gress. The kind where you see it every time you sleep at night.¡± The Krev offered a bitter chuckle. ¡°I know what that¡¯s like. We can¡¯t take back our regrets. We can only live our lives so that we don¡¯t have more of them, for the people that are here now. You deserve to find someone, whether a friend or something more, who will cherish you at your highs and your lows. You¡¯re worth it.¡± ¡°We all are. If I can¡¯t call myself good-for-nothing, neither can any of you. We can¡¯t spend our life blaming ourselves for what others have done, or even what we¡¯ve done. They wouldn¡¯t want us, and I don¡¯t want us to. It¡¯s time we lived life at a hundred percent. Chin up, a little confidence¡ªwe¡¯re gonna go out there and have a wonderful experience! I expect a standing ovation.¡± Cherise smiled, wiping her eyes. ¡°You got it. I¡¯ll ask Hysran not to chew too loudly, so I can actually hear what flowery Shakespeare nonsense you¡¯re saying. Good luck, boys.¡± The lights dimmed at the moment my friend scurried back to the audience, and I drew a sharp breath of anticipation. Everyone that I had known for the vast majority of my life was out there tonight, here to see me finally able to express myself without any shame or suppression. The rest of my life was staring back at me from those theatre seats. There was a peaceful future out there where we could have as many restorative pursuits as we desired. Enough people were present in this building who loved me just as I treasured them with all of my being. Tonight, I wasn¡¯t the binocular-eyed monster incapable of feeling, the miner hiding away with no hopes at a better life, or the prisoner of war who had a litany of grave mistakes in his past. I was Taylor Trench; son, soulmate, and father. I was confident that I was on the right track every bit as much as Tellus and the wider galaxy. Chapter 2-98 Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem Alien Liaison Date [standardized human time]: September 14, 2161 There was no magical solution to the lingering hostility between the three Bissem subspecies, due to the war that had engulfed our planet, but I felt that we were all moving toward cooperation for the first time. Enjoined Flippers was a supranational organization formed to set out a single agenda for Sapient Coalition matters, which was modeled after the humans¡¯ United Nations. We followed up the treaty to end the war with an agreement to work together in alien affairs, and to maintain peace within Ivrana¡¯s circumference. We could¡¯ve lost our planet in multiple ways during this debacle, between the ghost Farsul, the environmental crisis, and ourselves. Lassmin, my country, had emerged as a leader and a prime example of Sapient Coalition ideals. We took in a multitude of Farsul and Krev Consortium refugees to vacant Nelmin, and raised Enjoined Flippers first initiative at its first meeting. Using the same methodology that the Terrans had used to revive the Osirs, we¡¯d start a genetic restoration effort to bring back the extinct fourth Bissem subspecies¡ªnatives killed in a violent conflict between colonial powers long ago. It passed the assembly by unanimous vote, and from there, the humans were more than willing to help when we approached them. The humans have become the enlightened helpers I looked for when we first came to the stars, daring to fix the galaxy¡¯s problems no matter how bleak they were. Adam was right not to give up hope. I believe we can follow in their footsteps. ¡°Naltor,¡± I ventured, leaning out over the balcony of the hall where we¡¯d hosted that disastrous feast. ¡°Do you remember that first day, when you came and abducted me from FAI?¡± The Selmer offered a gruff chuckle. ¡°How the fuck could I ever forget it, Tassi? I was a grounded man who liked simple solutions, before all this; I needed a Hirsdamned dreamer. I was in way over my head. Dealing with people from space¡ªwho the fuck would¡¯ve thought I could ever get used to that?¡± ¡°That we got used to it, and this is just a normal part of our lives now; it¡¯s amazing. It makes me reflect on all that happened since then and now. We learned there were people-eaters, and here we are now, dining with them and their insurgent canid friends.¡± ¡°Hmph. I think Zalk and his wanderbird comrades took a shine to Aulan. The Tseia have the biggest victim complex in ¡®Orion,¡¯ so it¡¯s no wonder.¡± ¡°Whatever their reasons, I¡¯m glad the Jaslips are a part of the Carnivore Alliance. We¡¯ve got ourselves a nice little trading bloc and a few niches to cover. I¡¯m much happier to be running point on diplomacy of that sort, without species genocides at stake.¡± ¡°Without our own genocide at stake. It¡¯s nice to have the ghosts taken off the table, since they painted a fucking bullseye on us. It makes my skin crawl to think about Ivrana getting attacked on my watch¡ªthat¡¯s what ate me up at first contact.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be worried about. The humans handled them with little struggle, and they¡¯re protecting us now.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to be self-reliant. You can say it was never a real fight, but I think that¡¯s fitting as fuck; there was no glamor in their underhanded playbook. The Farsul were always working quietly in the background, and that¡¯s how their radical psychos went out. Like a fizzle of smoke. Not even the main event. That was the Consortium.¡± I studied the grizzled veteran closer, noticing the creases by his beak. ¡°You¡¯re still angry at them.¡± ¡°Of course I am. I can understand a species killing us for a cause, but the one whose cause is themselves and nothing grander; those are the people who deserve no mercy. They deserve what sick shit Zalk would¡¯ve dreamed up for Dustin. Do you ever think about that nerd?¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡°He was a kindred spirit. Of course I do. Dustin would¡¯ve risked his life for us, and the spooks twisted his desire to help. He still knew I needed him and left. We talk from time to time via text, but I don¡¯t see our friendship coming back.¡± ¡°What about Haliska and Nulia?¡± ¡°The entire mission was a political stunt. They were blackmailed, but then passed that blackmail onto me. They hurt me to serve their own needs. Our friendship is over. Adam and even Loxsel were better friends.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a better friend?¡± I shove the Selmer, chuckling. ¡°You¡¯re not an alien!¡± ¡°Maybe I am. Maybe the Krev replaced me, and I¡¯m roboNaltor, the big and round!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t deal with you today. Let¡¯s get back to the feast, shall we?¡± The two of us retreated back to the hall, enjoying the ambience as we waited for the main dishes to be served. The Jaslips, hailing from a frozen biome, would be trying fish for the first time; some high-ranking Arxur had sampled oceanic cuisine at human meals, with many remarking with flared nostrils that it had a tangy aftertaste. The unsaid part in that was, ¡®like Yotul,¡¯ according to Onso. When the middle-aged Rinsian remarked that, I¡¯d almost spit out my drink. That was not something I could unhear, or kick from the back of my mind every time I¡­savored the flavor. Clearly, not all carnivores are built the same, because I could never look at a sun-bleached, clearly sapient Yotul and chow into him¡ªno matter how desperate I was. It makes my skin crawl. ¡°Thank you all for the invitation,¡± Aulan, the leader of the Jaslip Brigade, said as we re-entered. ¡°Jaslipkind remembers those who help us. I¡¯m glad that we were the second carnivores to join the Sapient Coalition, not the first; you trailblazed the past for us to be equals among a union of aliens. I hope we can help the Arxur¡¯s bid in return, with it looking promising.¡± Kaisal¡¯s eyes gleamed. ¡°The humans have finally backed us, and recognized how we stepped up when they and others like them were threatened. The Arxur will be free, just like the Jaslips.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve carved out a new legacy,¡± the meek Farsul representative, Creqi, said. ¡°I hope we¡¯ll have the chance to do the same. I thought we might never be a part of anything again, and¡­I thank you for your kindness.¡± Onso pinned his ears back. ¡°The Bissems don¡¯t know what kind of ¡®uplift¡¯ you would¡¯ve done on them. You have so very much to make up for.¡± ¡°As do we,¡± Chauson said, a kind twinkle in his Zurulian eyes. ¡°It¡¯s not our place to judge others; only to do better than they have done. It costs us nothing to offer mercy and compassion. Let us grow as healers.¡± ¡°We could all uplift each other.¡± I could feel all of the same awe and wonder I¡¯d experienced on first contact day coursing through my blood, with thousands of fantastical possibilities at my flippers. Bissems had the chance to make that dream future a reality, as active participants in the process. ¡°Everything that we¡¯ve all been through: we¡¯ll make sure the next species we find doesn¡¯t have to. We¡¯ll be the interstellar visitors they always hoped for.¡± Onso snorted. ¡°You really want to go bumbling into another species¡¯ civilization, after everything that¡¯s been done to yours?¡± ¡°You looked up to aliens once, and thought there were so many wonderful things to learn. I want to look them in the eyes and tell them that whoever they are, whatever they¡¯ve done, we¡¯re no better than them. We¡¯ve just had a bit more time to learn from our mistakes. Isn¡¯t that a message of acceptance that you would¡¯ve loved to hear?¡± ¡°Yes, Dr. Tassi. It¡­most certainly is.¡± Sitting among the founding members of the Carnivore Alliance, with all of us having gained a slow acceptance into the galaxy¡¯s predominant forum, I could feel a peace settling into my spirit. Bissems had the opportunity to enjoy the galaxy to the fullest, during a time of tranquility. We¡¯d settled our own affairs, elevating our focus to what really mattered when we looked beyond petty squabbles. We had a host of unconventional friends in the outcasts and freethinkers seated here who were emboldened together, and were ready to decide what we¡¯d stand for. There was a familiarity with the aliens that I couldn¡¯t have imagined. A galaxy that could¡¯ve belonged only to the humans belonged in equal parts to all of us¡ªand I wanted nothing more than to work with every alien species I could in the spirit of unity.