The Nature of Predators

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.”

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.