《Anathematized》 Chapter 1 Awe is a powerful feeling. For something to be so grand as to inspire respect, devotion and envy is a rarity in the galaxy. On such a short list, the Flarian Royal armada was at the very top. No other species could rival the might of their military. Despite being known on the galactic scene as kind and benevolent rulers of one of the biggest Empires to ever exist, their methods of expansion were anything but biophilic. They had a big stick and were not opposed to using it. *** ¡°Captain, we will be approaching the Zeta sector in 1 minute.¡± Said the navigator. The captain, an imposing Flarian female seated in her command chair, simply nodded without so much a word. As the ship exited hyperspace, the captain rose from her seat. ¡°Search the database for any active outposts. We are in dire need of supplies.¡± ¡°Ma¡¯am, this territory is outside Flarian jurisdiction. All planets in this sector are under human rule. And considering their standing with the Empire, I doubt they will willingly offer their supplies.¡± Orvina responded, looking over at the captain. ¡°We do not require their willingness, Vice Captain.¡± Nubela replied in a cold tone, her lips curling into a barely visible smirk. ¡°We are thousands of light years away from the heart of human controlled space. Even if we weren¡¯t, those cowards would never dare fire a single shot at a Flarian Destroyer class ship.¡± ¡°The scanners have detected an outpost, Captain.¡± The navigator spoke while turning his head towards Nubela. ¡°We will be within communication range with the outpost in 10 seconds.¡± The ship began slowing down, stopping fully just before the lower atmosphere of the rocky moon. Captain Nubela approached the main panel, looking through the blast proof glass down at the yellow surface where the colony was. ¡°Hail them.¡± She ordered, adjusting her uniform a tad. Within seconds a screen appeared, stretched across one of the glass panels. Nubela raised an eyebrow at the sight of a withered old face of a human woman looking back at her. ¡°Greetings. I am captain Nubela Argrath of the Royal Flarian Destroyer ¡°Solar Echo¡±. Who am I speaking to?¡± The old woman simply looked at Nubela for a moment, a look that stirred something in the captain. There was no fear, worry or surprise on the human¡¯s face. Just a look of tiredness, as if the Flarians were nothing more than unwelcome chore after a particularly long and gruelling workday. ¡°Well?!¡± Hissed the Captain, her two long and bony tails smacking the ship floor in annoyance. ¡°Apologies. The comms system is quite old. Takes a bit to load the feed.¡± Spoke the woman on the other side, slowly fiddling with the keyboard. ¡°Ah, there we go. Hello.¡± ¡°Hello.¡± Grumbled Nubela, before repeating her question. ¡°Who. Might I. Be speaking. To?¡± The human cleared her throat, getting ready to answer. She looked so old that Nubela half expected clouds of dust to come out of her mouth. That thought brought the smirk back on her face for a brief moment. ¡°I am Tomyris, the Head of the Kalibash mining colony. To what do we owe this pleasant surprise?¡± ¡°We are in dire need of supplies and request that you allow us to descend on the surface and acquire some from your settlement.¡± Replied the captain. ¡°I am afraid that would not be possible, Captain. You see, Kalibash is not a part of the major supply routes. Most of our supplies are from the crops we grow ourselves.¡± Tomyris replied, shaking her head slowly, as if disappointed that she can¡¯t help the Flarian in their plight. ¡°We will judge if that is true or false.¡± Nubela frowned. ¡°A squad and myself will be descending to your colony within the hour. Your words better be true.¡± With that the communication was cut, leaving Nubela with the satisfaction of having the final word. She turned on her heels and walked back to her seat. ¡°Anchor the vessel here and prepare a squad for deployment.¡± ¡°Captain.¡± Vice Captain Orvina spoke up. ¡°I request to come with you to the moon¡¯s surface.¡± The captain shot her a quizzical look. ¡°For what reason?¡± ¡°I¡­ I have never seen a human ma¡¯am. I¡¯ve only heard stories of them in academy classes.¡± Replied Orvina. Nubela scrounged her face up in disgust at the sight of someone being so curious and excited about lower life forms. ¡°Consider your eyes lucky then. These creatures are nothing to marvel at.¡± After a brief pause she sighed and continued. ¡°But very well, Vice Captain. If you wish to test how well you can hold your lunch, who am I to stop you?¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Orvina replied with a smile and returned to her duties. *** The settlers went about their work, trying their best to ignore the Flarian shuttle that just lander at the entrance to their outpost. Even the farthest-reaching outposts of the Galactic Union knew of the Empire¡¯s warmongering ways. Wherever they appeared, bad news followed. It was for that reason that Vice Captain Orvina was not surprised that the settlers did their best to avoid the soldiers that arrived. As hard as she tried, seeing them the same way Captain Nubela did was difficult. They certainly seemed unimposing, that much was true, but what species didn¡¯t when compared to the Flarians? She even found them somewhat endearing. They were like half of a Flarian. One pair of arms, one pair of forward-facing eyes, half the size and height. Both species were mammalian, though humans seemed to lack any form of tail or fur¡­ or claws. Even their jaws lacked any sharp teeth. ¡°I guess I can understand why Captain Nubela considers them lower lifeforms. They seem so¡­ soft. More like pets than predators.¡± Orvina thought to herself. The group walked through the outpost, leaving foot prints in the yellowish mud, heading straight to the main building. Halfway there, an old woman walked outside of the facility and leaned against the wall, crossing her arms. Nubela snarled, voicing her displeasure of having to be surrounded by these creatures to the rest of the squad. Up close Tomyris seemed even more like a dried-up apple than she did over the communication feed. Her grey hair was short curls that stopped at her shoulders. The uniform she wore fit her loosely. Orvina could bet both her right arms that the Head of the Kalibash colony was the smallest specimen of her species present on the moon. ¡°Hi there. How do you like our little piece of Heaven?¡± Tomyris asked, extending her hand upwards to shake with the Flarian captain. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°I¡¯d hardly call this paradise.¡± Nubela replied, looking down on the old human, who¡¯s height barely reached past the captain¡¯s belt. With her smaller arm, Nubela reached down and shook the woman¡¯s hand. ¡°Excuse me?¡± Orvina raised her larger arm above her head to catch the human¡¯s attention. ¡°What¡¯s with all the carved tree trinkets?¡± ¡°Oh, those?¡± Tomyris smiled. ¡°People here like to carve those little totems and trinkets as a pastime. Some believe it helps the crops grow and the harvest to be more plentiful. Like blessings of a sort.¡± Nubela let out a low growl. ¡°You¡¯ve unlocked interstellar travel yet you still cling to such superstitions. Only the weak rely on a mysterious higher power.¡± The old woman simply chuckled, waving the massive Flarian captain off dismissively. ¡°Oh, pish. It¡¯s a piece of culture. If it helps them feel more at home by making trinkets that remind them of life on Earth, who am I to spoil their fun?¡± She looked up at Orvina and winked. ¡°And if some mysterious higher power likes the woodwork enough to toss us a few potatoes more per harvest, I sure ain¡¯t complaining.¡± The Vice Captain smiled at the woman¡¯s joke. All their flaws aside, the humans definitely had a certain appeal. Slowly the old woman turned around and headed inside the main facility, which doubled as her home. She moved slowly, using a wooden cane for support. The inside of her home was the standard outpost interior design, however decorated with various colourful knitted cloths, carved trinkets that hung on string and would jingle every time someone opened the door or a draft blew through the room. A mixture of yellows, greens, oranges and browns made the interior very pleasant, a stark contrast to the metallic grey of the Flarian Destroyer vessel. Orvina had a hard time describing the feeling she was getting from the old woman¡¯s living quarters, it all felt uniquely Earthy. ¡°Sit. Would you like some tea? I¡¯d offer you coffee, but we¡¯ve run out of that a couple of weeks ago.¡± Tomyris said, motioning to the table. ¡°Pass.¡± The Flarian captain shut her offer down sharply. ¡°Do not try to worm your way out of accepting our request by using hospitality, woman. I¡¯ve told you what we need.¡± The human sighed. ¡°And I have told you we cannot help you. We barely have enough for ourselves. No chance we can supply an entire Destroyer class vessel and have anything left to tie us over until the crops mature.¡± ¡°I. Wasn¡¯t. Asking.¡± Nubela growled, baring her sharp teeth to the old woman, tails smacking the ground behind the captain, a common show of annoyance and aggression among Flarians. ¡°Nan!¡± A shout came from behind the human, interrupting the captain before she could say another word. ¡°Nan!¡± ¡°I¡¯m in here, darling.¡± Tomyris shouted back over her shoulder. A human male emerged from one of the rooms. He towered over the elderly woman as he approached her from behind and wrapped his arms around her. The Flarians were slightly taken aback by how strange he was dressed. His uniform, a standard yellow and black colonial attire, was decorated by an assortment of items, ranging from feather and small animal bones to carved wooden trinkets. A long coat was draped over his shoulders, no less decorated than his uniform. Wooden chimes hung from it, jangling as he walked. The unusual appearance was tied together by a Grumlag skull he wore on his bald head, its antlers rising upwards. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Orvina couldn¡¯t help but ask. The male looked at her, his face dirty and beard caked in mud. Something was off about him. He was an adult by the looks of it. The uniform hugged his body tightly, revealing strong muscles beneath. But his eyes were dull and the look he gave the Flarians was filled with childlike curiosity. ¡°What did I tell you about wearing than thing on your head?¡± Tomyris sighed, taking the skull of her grandson¡¯s head with one hand and giving the back of his head a light smack with the other. ¡°Sorry, Nan.¡± He replied, looking down at his feet shamefully. ¡°The boys and I were just playing Beast and-.¡± The old woman sighed, putting the Grumlag skull on the table next to her. ¡°Alright, alright. Go wash up, it¡¯s time for lunch and you¡¯re all muddy.¡± The man just nodded and walked towards another door, sneaking glances over his shoulder at the aliens in his living room. ¡°What are you looking at, dullard?¡± One of the soldiers hissed, causing the human to quickly look away. ¡°I apologize for my grandson.¡± Tomyris spoke with a sad look on her face. ¡°He is a good boy, just¡­ not all there.¡± The Flarian captain opened her mouth to speak but the Vice Captain cut her off again, unable to contain her curiosity. ¡°How old is he?¡± ¡°Twenty-eight. Lost his parents in a mining accident when he was four. With no next of kin, I¡¯ve been taking care of him ever since.¡± The Head of the colony replied. ¡°Poor soul.¡± Orvina thought to herself, knowing words of pity should never be spoken in Nubela¡¯s presence. Such specimens would never survive to adulthood in Flarian society. Defects of the mind were no less frowned upon than defects of the body. Unlike Orvina, the captain felt herself becoming more disgusted with every minute she spent on Kalibash, surrounded by inferiority on all sides. ¡°Ugh. Where were we?¡± Nubela spoke. ¡°The supplies.¡± Tomyris answered. The two locked eyes and the Flarian captain already knew that the woman did not change her answer to their request. ¡°How much do you need?¡± ¡°Enough to lasts us to Umlaut sector.¡± ¡°Impossible. We can provide you with enough to last you to the next outpost in Zeta sector.¡± Nubela frowned, taking an intimidating step towards the human. ¡°We are at war. On a journey of conquest for the glory of the Flarian Empire. You think I have the time to hop from outpost to outpost like I¡¯m going grocery shopping?¡± The elderly woman stood her ground, defiance burning in her eyes as she stared the captain down, despite the obvious difference in height. ¡°I told you. We barely have enough for ourselves. I will NOT risk the lives of this community to feed your soldiers or fuel your battles.¡± Her anger was reaching a boiling point, Nubela could hardly contain the desire to tear the human limb from wrinkled limb. She placed her huge hand on the old woman¡¯s head. ¡°I¡¯ve seen your community and came to a conclusion of my own. You do not have a shortage of food; you have a surplus of useless bellies to feed. Perhaps we should help you achieve more efficient numbers. Feeding the elderly and feeble minded, what a waste of supplies.¡± ¡°Captain.¡± Orvina grabbed her captain by the bicep, feeling Nubela¡¯s muscles softly flex as she prepared to begin rearrangement of the colony, starting with the head of the settlements leader. ¡°Leave Nan alone, Beast.¡± Came from the captain¡¯s left side. Tomyri¡¯s grandson had returned, appearing next to his grandmother in a flash, knocking the chairs over in his dash from the bathroom to the centre of the living room, fist raised. ¡°Tarnuk, NO!¡± The elderly woman yelled, but it was too late. The smirk on Nubela¡¯s face was erased in a fraction a second, as the man¡¯s right fist connected full force with the left side of her face. Even though he was punching over his shoulder, the sound of the impact caught the Flarians by surprise. ¡°Fuck, the idiot put his entire bodyweight into that swing.¡± Nubela thought as her head whipped to the right. The Vice Captain stared in absolute shock, along with the rest of their squad, as the captain lost her balance and took a single step back to regain it. A single step. She never thought anything except another Flarian could cause the war forged Nubela Argrath to stagger on her feet. Just as fast as she was hit, Nubela clenched the larger of her two right fists and swung back on the human. He raised both arms to block the impact. The Flarian held nothing back, putting all the frustration that had accumulated since they arrived on Kalibash into a single punch. The man staggered, taking two steps back to regain his balance. Orvina could see the surprise briefly flash across the captain¡¯s face when the colony leader¡¯s grandson didn¡¯t move back more than two steps. Nubela straightened her posture, letting her arms drop to her side. She huffed, exhaling all the air from her lungs before taking a long inhale. This brief altercation seemed to help vent her frustration a bit. ¡°You¡¯d made a great soldier if you weren¡¯t a mentally stunted animal.¡± She said to Tarnuk, who was still staring daggers at her. At that moment, the rest of the squad snapped back to reality, the realization that their captain was just decked across her face finally setting in. They quickly approached the human, ready to end him for that transgression, when Tomyris put herself in their path. ¡°Enough!¡± the old woman said, looking over at the captain. ¡°Take what you want and fuck off. The sooner we see the end of you, the better.¡± Nubela smirked triumphantly, turning on her heels and heading for the door, motioning her squad to follow. The Vice Captain was the last to follow, watching as the human went from a courageous man defending his grandmother to a bawling boy in an instant. ¡°Grannyyy! I was so scared.¡± Tarnuk hugged Tomyris as she comforted him. Orvina felt strangely guilty. These people weren¡¯t their enemies, they weren¡¯t even allied with the foe they were sailing across the stars to fight. ¡°I¡­¡± At the same time, she felt strangely speechless. They just robbed these people, left them to die. What can she say to soothe the unfamiliar feeling tying her guts into a knot? ¡°What game were you playing with your friends?¡± She finally found her voice, taking a step closer to the pair and bending over slightly to meet the man at eye level. Tarnuk looked at her, wiping the tears from his face with his sleeve. ¡°Beast and Farmers.¡± He replied. ¡°Oh, and how do you play that?¡± Almost like a switch was flipped, the man¡¯s demeanour changed from being sad to being excited to talk about his favourite game. ¡°Well. Whoever wears the Grumlag skull is the Beast, the rest are the Farmers. The Farmers have to hide and run from the Beast. Whoever is touched first by the Beast, has to put on the skull and then he is the beast and has to continue searching for the others.¡± ¡°Sounds fun. And it ends when there are no more players who the Beast can give the skull to?¡± Orvina asked, not being able to help smiling. ¡°Uh-huh. Then the Beast eats itself and the game starts again. Well, if Nan doesn¡¯t call me to eat lunch.¡± He nodded. A loud beep interrupted her next question. She straightened up and sighed, turning her attention to Tomyris, who looked at her with absolute disdain. ¡°Duty calls. For what it¡¯s worth, I¡¯m sorry. I hope you guys can somehow manage.¡± The words felt hollow, bringing no satisfaction. They just condemned this outpost to die of starvation. No apology or well-wishing could mediate that. Chapter 2 Chief Officer Baland stood next to the Flarian transport shuttle, watching the squad he came onto the moon¡¯s surface with load the heavy supply crates inside. He didn¡¯t see any reason why their soldiers had to tire themselves by such menial labour when there was an entire colony of inferiors, they could just get them to do it, but Vice Captain Orvina was not budging in her decision. Something about not wanting to demand more from the colonists than they already have. ¡°Whatever.¡± He thought. ¡°The last of the crates is almost loaded. Soon we will be off this wretched cheese wheel of a planet.¡± The captain was already inside the shuttle, all her duties relegated to Orvina and himself. She¡¯s been inside since the squad left the main facility. The colonists also kept their distance, safe for the Head of the colony and her grandson. The tall human stood, not taking his eyes off the cockpit and the captain inside. The coat he wore draped over himself would chime every time the wind blew and moved the various trinkets on it. Baland could see the human¡¯s mouth move, but was too far to hear if he was saying anything of meaning. Considering his mental state, the Chief Officer doubted the man spoke a single word beyond gibberish. The old woman that stood beside him looked even older now, her face elongated by a defeated expression and something akin to pity. ¡°She must be lamenting their fate.¡± The Flarian chuckled to himself a bit, as one of the soldiers banged on the inside of the cargo bay door. ¡°She¡¯s all set! The captain said We take off immediately.¡± Spoke the soldier. ¡°Yeah, of course. I don¡¯t want to stay here any longer than she does.¡± Replied Baland, checking his wrist monitor to make sure all the personnel were accounted for. ¡°Alright, close the cargo door and let¡¯s get the hell off this rock.¡± *** Upon arrival back to the Solar Echo, Nubela disappeared into her quarters, telling her subordinate she needs rest and does not wish to be disturbed. Baland oversaw the crew as they unloaded the supplies from the transport shuttle. This was great, enough food to last them until the Umlaut sector, if they rationed smartly. Human food was not considered a delicacy by any stretch of the imagination, but at least it was better than fighting the Xyrlek while half starving to death. ¡°Sir Baland.¡± Called out one of the crewmen, already on his way towards the Chief Officer. ¡°What is it?¡± The Flarian replied, noting the object in the soldier¡¯s hand. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°Uh, this came on board with the cargo. I am unsure as to what it is, but none of the men loading the cargo remember bringing it aboard the shuttle. Perhaps a trinket the Vice Captain or Captain brought along?¡± he raised the object in his hand, showing it to Baland. His superior gave it a closer look, then raised an eyebrow. ¡°It¡¯s a Grumlag skull. Must have fallen out of one of the containers during transport. I mean, did you see that place? They had shit like this hanging everywhere, carved totems and chimes. Toss it in the garbage.¡± ¡°Right away, Sir.¡± Baland nodded, turned around and left the cargo hold to report to the Vice Captain. The ship¡¯s engines rumbled as it began moving once, leaving the yellow moon of Kalibash behind it. With a soft hiss the doors to the bridge opened. He looked around, noting that the captain¡¯s seat was still empty. ¡°Cargo is unloaded from the shuttle Ma¡¯am,¡± Baland said to the Vice Captain. ¡°Excellent. Along with what we still have stocked up, the trip to Umlaut should be a breeze.¡± She replied, turning her head over towards the navigator. ¡°Armen, how much time until we arrive at the front?¡± ¡°About 3 weeks Ma¡¯am.¡± The navigator replied. ¡°Good.¡± She nodded, looking out the large bridge windows, taking one last look at Kalibash. She felt oddly uneasy about what happened on the colony. Worse than that, there was a mounting sense of dread that loomed over her. Her hair stood on end, chills running through her entire body every time she looked at the moon. Orvina wanted to go back, to return the supplies and ask the old woman and her grandson for forgiveness. They would surely accept her apology if she brought it all back, they seemed like nice people. Maybe she could even play a game of Beast and Farmers with the man. No, that would be silly. She¡¯s a Flarian, she¡¯d easily dominate the other players and it wouldn¡¯t be fun for anyone but her. ¡°What the hell am I thinking?¡± The Vice Captain shook her head to clear her mind of such foolish notions. ¡°I need a distraction.¡± Just then the door to the bridge opened a second time, Captain Nubela walking in and heading for her chair. ¡°Something on your mind, Orvina?¡± Nubela asked her subordinate. ¡°You seem troubled.¡± The Flarian captain seemed to be in an excellent mood, which caught the Vice Captain by surprise. Orvina hasn¡¯t seen Nubela smile honestly in weeks. ¡°I am alright Ma¡¯am. Just, uh, a little tired.¡± She replied. ¡°You?¡± ¡°Oh, I feel like a million credits. A quick nap and I am right as rain, ready to take on fleets upon fleets of Xyrlek.¡± Nubela chuckled. ¡°Ugh, what¡¯s gotten into her?¡± went through Orvina¡¯s head as she looked at the captain. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that ma¡¯am.¡± She added. The Flarian captain sat down in her chair, addressing everyone on the bridge. ¡°Everyone to your stations, we have a far away place to be at and not a lot of time to get there. Power up the hyper drive.¡± The engines roared to life, filling the entire ship with an oppressive droning sound as they were brought up to full power. ¡°Initiating hyper drive. Preparing to depart in 3¡­ 2¡­ 1¡­¡± Said the navigator. Solar Echo moved suddenly, punching through space away from Kalibash and towards the other side of Zeta sector. Orvina stood from her chair, turning towards the captain. ¡°Ma¡¯am, if I may be excused. I wish to rest in my quarters until I am needed.¡± She said. ¡°Of course. You are excused.¡± Replied Nubela. With a nod, the Vice Captain left the bridge and headed down the hallway to her room, the feeling of unease only increased by the Captain¡¯s sudden boost of positivity. Chapter 3 The muddy surface of Kalibash was drowning in heavy rain. The colony was silent, all settlers must have gone inside their homes to wait out the downpour. A perfect opportunity for her to strike. She rose to her feet, head held high, chest expanding as the lungs took in as much of the thick air as they could hold. And then she screamed. A roar that threatened to shake both Heaven and Earth, signalling the beginning of the hunt. Once done announcing her presence to her soon to be victims, Nubela moved towards the main gate of the outpost. She was alone, no squad or shuttle in sight, dressed in traditional Flarian garments, much different than her captain¡¯s uniform. A screaming red with golden accents, covering just enough of her body to keep her modest. Her bone plating and patches of fur that ran along her back were dripping wet from the yellow rain. She did not have her gun with her, she did not need it to deal with such lowly lifeforms. A battle axe in her larger right hand and a hunting knife in her left. Claws, jaws and whip-like tails. Her body was a killing machine by design, all she ever needed. The Flarian captain exhaled, trembling from the excitement and anticipation of the bloodshed to come. She will take out the transgressors first, old Tomyris and her mentally defective grandson. Just thinking about it, how a lowly, improperly developed human ever dared lay his hands on her, made her blood boil. She salivated, thinking of all the ways she could end his life. Soon, she will test as many of those execution methods as she can. ¡°I hope he does not expire too soon.¡± Nubela grinned, taking a step towards the colony. Then another. Soon her movement transformed into a wild sprint, closing the distance between herself and the outpost at neck-breaking speed. She could hear the noise on the other side of the gate, humans alerted by her howl running around, grabbing whatever weapons they could find and mounting defences in hopes of stopping her. Nubela grinned, knowing none of them would work. The Flarian captain was a beast unlike anything humans faced before in the galaxy, and she would make sure that the carnage she painted on the soil of Kalibash served as a reminder to the rest of their species. Approaching the tall walls of the outpost, she leapt into the air, latching on by sinking the claws of her lower pair of hands into the wall. In a few swift motions, the female stood atop their only barrier, howling once more before looking down at the terrified colonists before her. The resistance she was met with was less than pitiful. As Kalibash had no wildlife, let alone predators, the humans of the colony did not possess any form of firearms capable of harming her. Those with ranged weapons, be they stun guns or makeshift spears, watched in horror as everything they threw at her simply bounced off the thick bone plating that covered the majority of a Flarian¡¯s body. Nubela hopped off the wall, landing in the centre of the group, swinging her axe in a wide circle as soon as her feet touched the ground. Those caught by the swing were given the pleasure of seeing their entire body from a whole different angle, before their heads fell into the mud. Much to the Flarian¡¯s delight, those that remained stood their ground instead of fleeing. Some, armed with longer weapons, even managed to leave a few cuts and bruises on the places where she had no plating. It did not matter if they fought or fled, they had nowhere to go. If they hid, she would search until she found every last one. Them staying and fighting was at least saving her time. Nubela moved ferociously, her combat style, acquired through decades of rigorous military training devolving into animalistic swings and lunges. ¡°Using Tager-Na on these worms would be an insult to martial arts across the Empire.¡± She thought, looking to justify how messy the one-sided combat against the settlers had become. But in truth, the satisfaction she felt with every second of combat was making her salivate and tremble with pleasure more befitting to the very savages she was tearing limb from limb than a Royal Destroyer Captain. Stolen story; please report. Finally, with no more humans standing in her vicinity, Nubela made her way towards the main facility. She could almost smell it, the fear and panic the old woman was about to go through when they met face to face. She wanted it to last, high on her power and bloodlust, fuelled by the carnage she left behind. With a single kick, the entrance to the settlement leader¡¯s home went flying off the hinges. Seated at the table were Tomyris and her grandson, enjoying a cup of tea. As before, the chimes jingled when the draft would blow through the room. Nubela threw her weapons on the ground, clenching and unclenching all four of her fists, lips pulled back to expose a row of shark-like teeth. The old human¡¯s reaction nearly had the Flarian plunged into new depths of ecstasy. It was everything she hoped it would be and more. The gasp and the wide eyes, followed by trembling and falling on her back in an attempt to get away from certain death. Old age and mind numbing fear caused the human¡¯s bladder to betray her, leaving a wet trail across the carpet in her attempts to crawl away. Nubela¡¯s head was buzzing, there was only so much delight she could experience at once. With her left arm she wiped the drool from her mouth and began approaching the humans. Each step was slow, deliberate, trying to savour the moment that had her entire nervous system tingling, her heart pounding in her chest. Like before, the grandson leapt to protect his grandmother, but this time that was what the captain was waiting for. With a single swing of her large clawed hand, the Flarian detached his jaw from his head. Gurgling noises mixed with mournful weeping filled the living room, a music to Nubela¡¯s ears that drowned out the mind-numbing jingling of the chimes. As Tarnuk¡¯s lifeless body collapsed onto the floor, soaking the carpet in blood, the monstrous invader was finally ready for the crescendo, setting her sights on Tomyris. The old woman was cowering on the floor, eyes locked on the body of her grandson, mouthing the word ¡°monster¡± over and over again. ¡°That¡¯s right. I am a monster.¡± Nubela thought, grinning ear to ear. ¡°You should have feared me the first time. THIS is what defiance gets you.¡± She reached down and picked up the old woman by her sides, holding her like a child holds a doll, as if the old woman was nothing more than an object, a plaything. The urge to sink her jaws into the human¡¯s head was overwhelming. But so was the feeling of disgust at the thought of tasting such inferior flesh. Feeling like she was about to explode from all the conflicting thoughts at how the old woman should be sent off to the great beyond, Nubela squeezed harder on the human¡¯s sides, channelling that frustration, crushing her playthings'' ribs. Still, the feeling persisted, so she began to shake the human. The old woman made noises that Flarian never thought possible for a person to make, but then again, she never shook a person to death while crushing their ribs. Finally feeling Tomyris go limp in her hands, she turned around and threw her out the living room window, putting her entire back into the throw. The glass shattered and the old woman¡¯s body flew a good distance before tumbling into the rain-soaked mud. Nubela laughed triumphantly, feeling her honour restored and more importantly her pride mended. Suddenly rumbling. Louder, more persistent, never ending. She exited the main facility, looking around for the source of the noise. It sounded like it was coming from all directions. A familiar rumbling of the Solar Echo¡¯s engines getting warmed up for hyper drive. ¡°Ugh, fuck. Mmmmhhhh.¡± Captain Nubela stretched, slowly sitting upright in her bed. ¡°Can¡¯t remember the last time I had a dream so sweet.¡± She slicked her hair back and rubbed her eyes, before checking the time on her wrist PDA. ¡°And it¡¯s only been a little over half an hour. Great, just in time for departure.¡± She got out of her bed, tightened the sheets a bit as her bed was the only one aboard the entire vessel that had that automatic function disabled. Nubela believed making one¡¯s bed is a good way to start a morning with discipline in mind. As the door opened, she left her room and headed for the bridge, noting how she never felt more like herself than she did after that amazing dream. She knew dreams that good were always quick to fade when a person wakes up, but she would try her hardest to remember it for as long as she could.