The Nature of Predators

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.

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.