u/GrammarNatziHunter

Holy Moly! Two in one day!

That's right, I didn’t just post a chapter on days back to back. I actually got TWO chapters done in ONE day! I know that these may be a little short because of it, and how I decided to space them out, but I figured it’s better than waiting an entire month to get out one long to decently sized chapter. So for all you who have enjoyed the story so far, buckle up and get ready, because here the story finally begins to truly diverge into the AU that I promised way back in the prologue.

Special thanks to our lord u/SpacePaladin15
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 Memory Transcription Subject: Ambassador Tarva of the Venlil Republic

Date [standardized ZM time]: 6, 8, -678. redux:(5,5, 2127)

Silence. 

Oppressive, heavy, all consuming, silence.

In the short time that followed since the Governor made his decision, the other aids, Advisors, and people in the bunker had been informed of the situation. Now most of us were gathered together, silently standing in front of the computer terminal, waiting to see what would happen when the ships arrived.

I saw Rellin, standing further back than the others since he wasn’t actually a government employee like the rest of us. The only reason he had been allowed inside the bunker in the first place was because he was my mate and I had brought him in with me. Stynek had apparently finally fallen asleep in his arms, her beautiful face breathing gently against his wool.

As much as I would have liked to go over and stand beside him, I thought it important that I stay up front with the Governor and his chief military advisors. 

I was the official ambassador of our species. It was my job to create and maintain diplomatic relationships with other government bodies and their leaders. I would say that I had done a pretty good job all things considered. I had just finished making a deal with the Gojid and their relatively newly elected Prime Minister, Piri, before my pregnancy forced me to take a break. 

It was my responsibility to ensure that our species communicated and were friends with all the other species that encompassed the Federation. After all, we were all one herd. It was all of us, together, standing in unity against the predators. Our bonds and connections to each other were our greatest strength that allowed us to endure and survive the terrible atrocities they regularly commit against us.

However right now something was happening that had never happened before. I couldn’t recall a single time in our history, or the history of the Federation that a situation like this had occurred.

We were stuck in the middle of an Arxur raid, waiting and praying for the Federation to receive our distress signal and send reinforcements to save us. However new ships had arrived, only they weren’t Federation. 

Due to the damage our planet had suffered, a lot of our equipment and electronics weren’t working. Our usual long range sensors and scanners were broken, we only had a single defensive weapon ready, and we couldn’t get any visuals on anything happening in or beyond our orbit. 

What we did have were more basic and short range sensors that had managed to identify the four unusual vessels that were quickly approaching the world that was currently under siege. While I didn’t understand why they were doing this, and we didn’t know who, I was still hopeful that maybe they were more than just a few stray Arxur ships.

After what felt like multiple claws of waiting, a new notification finally appeared, surprising myself and everyone around as Military Advisor Trelev announced what it was.

“We have an incoming hail, coming in on all frequencies sir.”

It took Kevek a moment before he responded in a quiet subdued voice.

“Answer it.”

Trelev accepted the hail, and as soon as he did my wool immediately puffed out in fear.

All of us who were standing around the terminal listening heard the sounds of several low, guttural yips and barks and growls that were exactly what one would expect from predators. Some of us brayed in surprise and shock, others physically recoiled or attempted to scramble back and away from the machine, as if it could lunge and bite at us itself. People flinched and gasped, and whined, and tripped and fell over each other for a few moments before our translation software managed to convert these terrible, horrific noises into an actual language we could understand.

“Hello? Hello? Is anyone there? Do you read me? Can you hear and understand me? Do you understand my language? Hello? Hello?”

Once the meaning of the words finally reached my frightened mind, I managed to calm down and think about what the voice was actually saying. It was just asking some basic questions, nothing more. No threats, no malicious words. Just simple questions spoken in a horrific sounding language.

For a few moments, no one said anything. There was a near complete silence in the room, which was interrupted once the voice began to repeat itself. It asked the same questions again, once more without any threats, and it silently waited for one of us to respond. 

There was no video feed to go along with the words. Apparently this transmission was audio only, which while strange was also disconcerting since seeing the face of fellow prey would make the accompanying voice much less intimidating. 

After another moment of silence, I focused my vision on Kevek and Trelev, noting how neither one of them were doing their jobs, forcing me to do it for them.

“Hello?”

“Hello? Is someone there? Do you understand what I am saying?”

“Y-yes. Yes I do. Who are you?”

“Hello there. I assume that your species has developed sufficiently advanced translation technology for us to be having this conversation. My name is Colonel Glass Song, Captain of the fourth division, United Zodian Military Coalition scout fleet. To whom am I speaking with?”

That barrage of words almost left me at a loss for words as I was forced to take it in. There were several things that stood out immediately. The first was that the person was speaking formally, and with a seemingly respectful attitude. Then was their name. ‘Colonel Glass Song’ gave me a weird translation that I hadn’t really come across with any other species in the Federation. It sounded like this person had a military rank, but their name was a direct translation of two concepts? That was unusual. In fact, I had literally never heard of anyone having a name like it before.

My translator also assigned him a male voice, which also made me wonder what females of their species sounded like. Lastly, there was something he said that didn’t translate into anything else. It was the word ‘Zodian’, which I assumed given what he said and the context to be his species. I had never heard of any species in the Federation called Zodian. 

Between that and the comment on our translation technology, it seemed obvious now that I was talking to an alien, someone who wasn’t from the Federation. As strange and unlikely as that was, it was the best explanation for everything that had been happening so far and what he was saying to me. 

While I was still somewhat startled by hearing his untranslated words in the beginning, I was now feeling better, more confident, and happy about this conversation. Even though we were still in the middle of an Arxur raid, regardless of whatever else happened, this was a momentous occasion. I was currently making first contact with what would be the first and only species to ever develop FTL technology on their own without help from the Federation!

While I was still processing just how truly special this talk was, I had to remember to do my duty and answer the question he had asked.

“I am Ambassador Tarva, of the Venlil Republic. The planet that you and your ships are approaching is known as Venlil Prime. May I ask what brings you here?”

“Of course. My ships were scouting a nearby sector of space when we came across your interplanetary communications network. We detected a wide range repeating broadcast coming from this planet that our computers believed to be some kind of distress signal. We attempted to communicate with you and this planet earlier, however none of our long range communication methods got through. While my ships have managed to pull up visual information and live video feeds on your planet from up here, what I am seeing is somewhat… confusing, and…troubling. Is your planet broadcasting a distress signal and do you require any assistance? Is there anything we can do to help?”

I could hear it, feel it, and even experienced it myself. A collective sigh of relief and the release of tension from everyone around as the Zodian asked those questions. Governor Kevek, Trelev, Kam, Rellin, and all the others who were listening in. We all understood immediately what his words meant.

This alien, this brand new species that had no connection to the Federation, had traveled for who knows how far through space, exploring a region completely foreign and unknown to them, and the very first thing they did was see if someone needed help. Even though their language was strange and scary, it was no longer a question of what they were anymore. The Zodians were fellow prey, just like us. Of that, I was completely certain.

While I would have still liked a visual in order to see who I was talking to, that wasn’t as important anymore. The Zodians were prey and had unknowingly stumbled upon us during our most desperate time. They had come offering us help, and it seemed now that they had presented that offer, Governor Kevek was ready to accept it.

“Yes! Hello, please, please help us! Our planet is currently being raided by the Arxur! We need help, as much as you can offer! Please, please help us!”

I flicked my tail in annoyance at Kevek’s sudden decision to intrude on the conversation I was having, however I couldn’t really fault him for it. Our planet was being raided, we had called for help and someone was now here, offering, and even though I was Ambassador, he was Governor. It was his role and responsibility to govern over our people, which he was now finally doing.

Kevek was frantically pleading for help to the person on the other side of the call. As soon as Kevek took a short breath, Glass Song responded.

“I’m sorry, but who was that just now? Would you mind repeating that more slowly, and calmly, as I did not fully understand what you just said.”

“Yes, yes. I’m sorry. Please forgive me. My name is Kevek, and I am the Governor of this planet, Venlil Prime, and the leader of my species, the Venlil.”

“It is nice to make your acquaintance Governor.”

“Yes, yes, and while I would normally love to exchange words, right now we are having an emergency! Our planet is under attack! The Arxur are here, killing and destroying and tearing us apart. Please, if there is anything you can do to help us, please do so! Our people are dying out there on the surface while we’re desperately waiting for help to arrive!”

“I understand some of what you are saying, Governor. Am I correct in assuming that these ‘Arxur’ are another species which are different from yours? Another spacefaring civilization?”

“Bah! There is nothing civilized about them! They are predators, doing as predators do, killing and destroying all that they can! If your species has made it all the way to space, I can assume that you understand just how dangerous predators can be! Please, we need help. Whatever you can offer, I promise to pay back many times over if you can aid us right now! Please!”

“Alright, please calm down Governor. I have a clearer understanding of your situation right now. While some of the words you are using have a strange translation in my language, you and your planet are under attack from an invading extraplanetary force, correct?”

“Yes! We are being hunted, either eaten and consumed, or taken away as cattle! Please, help us!!!”

As much as I wanted to be upset at Kevek for sounding so weak and desperate, I couldn’t. Even though he was our Governor, the Arxur were truly the most awful and dangerous threat that prey could face. He was scared. Trelev was scared. I was scared. We all were. There was no fate worse than facing down an Arxur invasion. If they didn’t eat you immediately, they would torture you just for their disgusting idea of enjoyment, or you would be forced to breed children that they would consume in front of you. 

The Arxur were the living embodiment of evil, predators in the truest sense of the word. While I would rather our species, nor our leaders, appear weak and helpless, that is what we were. We were weak. We were helpless. We were completely dependent upon the stronger, more competent races of the Federation to offer their support and protection for the services our world and species provided. It was all we could do just to survive. All we could do was beg for someone else to help us.

“Governor Kevek, I understand what you are asking. However, I unfortunately do not believe that we can aid you at this time.”

I could feel the mood of the room immediately change upon hearing those words. Just a moment ago, everyone was hopeful, almost happy and excited at the prospect of being saved. However with just two sentences, all of our hopes were now falling down into a deep chasm of despair.

“W-w-what. Why? Why can’t you help?”

While Kevek was more than willing to ask the question everyone wanted an answer to, I was scared to hear an answer that would doom many more thousand of Venlil to a fate worse than death.

“Because Governor, I am merely the leader of a scouting party. I only have four ships under my command, and upon those ships, I only have forty soldiers that I would be capable of deploying to the surface of your planet.”

Unfortunately, the Colonel’s argument was sound and logical. However even after giving us one good explanation for his refusal, he continued to inform us of just how doomed we were.

“Not only that, but my sensor analyst has traced nearly one hundred unique FTL signatures towards this planet, which I assume to be from the invading force you call, the ‘Arxur’.”

I saw as the Governor’s tail slowly began to wrap around his leg, and as others also did the same as the Zodian continued on.

“I cannot deploy my people onto a completely unknown alien world, in an environment that is new and foreign and actively hostile towards us. Not without a better understanding of the enemy we face, their weapons, tactics, strengths, weaknesses, goals, objectives, and general combat philosophy.”

It was strange hearing the Zodian speak about the Arxur as if they were people instead of predators. While I wanted to question him on what kind of philosophy he thought a predator could have, he instead continued to explain just how much he couldn’t help.

“We would be outnumbered, facing down an unknown number of enemies with capabilities we do not understand, and that is simply a risk that I cannot and will not force those under my command to face. Not only that—”

The energy of the room was gone now. There was no happiness, no joy, no relief to be had or found. I took a brief glance over at Rellin and saw that even he was at a loss after hearing all of this. Yet the Zodian continued on, virtually condemning and burying us with every logical reason why he could not save us.

“—But I do not have the authority to actively interfere with or intervene during an extraplanetary military conflict between multiple spacefaring species. I do have the capabilities to ask for support from my superiors, and even request their physical presence here, but I cannot act on my own accord. I do not know or understand why your species and the Arxur are in conflict with each other, and I cannot act as the authority of my people and pick a side for us to fight on.”

While everything he had said made sense to me so far, his last reason was so unusual and strange that it completely took me off guard. Apparently I was not the only one, as his words caused Advisor Trelev to speak up and join in on the conversation for the first time since it had begun.

“What!!! What are you talking about! We told you, the Arxur are predators! That is why they are attacking and killing us! What do you mean picking a side? This isn’t a conflict, this is our survival!”

While the old General’s words were frighteningly loud, they were also completely correct. Unlike the Zodian, what he was saying made sense, although the alien didn’t seem to think that way.

“I’m sorry, but that word you keep using, ‘predator’, has a strange translation that I haven’t been able to figure out. I don’t understand what you mean when you keep saying ‘predator’, and ‘prey’.”

“...”

The room was now silent, as no one seemingly knew how to respond to that. What did he mean that he didn’t understand? The universe is divided by predators and prey, it was the most simple and basic logic that everyone knew and understood. I took a moment during the silence to try and figure out what his words could mean and only came to one conclusion.

“If, if they don’t understand predators and prey, does that mean… Are they… Are they primitives?”

Only primitive people, those who had not yet been taught by the federation didn’t understand the importance of predators and the dangers of predator disease. Just how long ago had this species achieved FTL? Was it possible for a species to advance all the way to the point of traveling across the stars yet somehow not discovering predator disease? Was the person we were talking to… Was their whole species secretly diseased and they didn’t know?

I wanted an explanation, something that made sense, but the more I tried to think about it the less it did. It was strange and confusing, and everyone else was apparently just as confused as I was. However before any of us could think about what he said for too long, Colonel Glass Song interrupted our silence.

“Governer Kevek, Ambassador Tarva, are these ships yours?”

I was surprised as much as Kevek at the question, but it appeared that Kam of all people was ready with an answer for us.

“Governer Kevek, Trelev, our sensors are detecting Arxur ships, leaving the planet.”

I turned my attention towards the screen and saw that Kam was right. There were roughly a dozen Arxur ships that had launched from the surface heading out into space.

“Are they… Are they leaving? Does that mean… The raid is over?”

“... No sir. It seems like just these twelve ships are leaving, and they’re heading right for the Zodians!”

I could feel the fear begin to rise up and course through me as I understood what he was saying. The Arxur had noticed the Zodian’s approach, and just like the predators they were, they wouldn’t let easy prey go by unnoticed.

“Colonel Glass Song, this is General Trelev, official military Advisor to the Governor! The ships that are approaching you are Arxur vessels! I repeat, those ships are Arxur! You need to run! You are outnumbered!”

“Understood General. I will order my ships to fall back and attempt to hail the Arxur.”

“...What. What are you talking about? Why would you attempt to hail them?”

“If the Arxur know and understand that we are not here to fight, I hope that they will not take aggressive action against me or my ships.”

Whatever logic and reason the Zodian had used earlier seemed completely gone now. I couldn’t describe what he was saying as anything other than the ramblings of someone who was severely predator diseased. The Arxur, not being aggressive? Talking to him? This person clearly didn’t understand how the universe worked, which meant that they and their ships were at risk and about to be destroyed right before my eyes.

I focused my attention on the Governor and acquired his with a quick flick of my tail.

“Governor, The Zodians clearly have no idea what's going on or what's about to happen to them. They are confused and or possibly predator diseased, however we cannot leave them to their fate.”

He flicked his ears signaling me to go on, although he did seem confused as to where I was going with this.

“We currently have one working planetary defense system, and every Arxur that we kill is hundreds of prey that we save.”

The Governor understood what I was getting at, and Trelev, who was also listening, flicked his ears in understanding.

“Kevek, give the order.”

“Right. Fire upon those Arxur ships!”

A few moments later, I saw the holodisplay light up as the missiles appeared on screen, rapidly making their way to the Arxur ships that were bound for the Zodians. There were twelve of them, but hopefully we could at least even the odds and possibly save them from being killed, or worse, taken as cattle.

“We have confirmed hits on two of the ships. Two Arxur ships destroyed.”

I released a breath I didn’t know I was holding as my wool also calmed down. It felt good being able to do something to stop the Arxur from hurting others. While it was unfortunate that there was more than likely prey aboard those vessels, it was better killing them outright then having them be taken and turned into cattle.

“The Arxur have noticed us. Two of them have diverted and are aiming for our defense system!”

The tension was now back as the Arxur were about to leave us completely defenseless once again. I watched the figures move across the screen, as two more missiles were fired at the incoming Arxur. One missile hit and destroyed one ship, however before the second one collided, the Arxur shot at and destroyed the missile battery. The missile still collided with the ship though, however that still left eight Arxur vessels against the Zodians four. Advisor Trelev was now calling to them, pleading for them to simply run as far as they could.

“Colonel Glass Song. Please, I beg you, run! Get as far away from here as you can! Call your people for reinforcements, send as many ships as you can, or just escape! Whatever you do, please, don’t let the Arxur disable your ships or board you! Death is much better than being taken away as cattle!”

Glass Song, however, was apparently doing just as he said he would, and was attempting to contact the Arxur while still on call with us.

“Hello. Hello. This is Colonel Glass Song, Captain of the fourth division, United Zodian Military Coalition scout fleet. Come in Arxur vessels, we do not seek conflict with you or your species. Come in, come in. This is Colonel Glass Song broadcasting on all channels. Please cease any military action and respond or else we will be forced to treat you as a hostile force. Come in, come in.”

It was painful, and awful, hearing him desperately trying to speak to creatures that were incapable of empathy, of sorrow, of feeling anything other than hunger and pleasure at the suffering of others. The Colonel was completely and hopelessly unaware of just what the Arxur were, and now he and his soldiers were going to pay the price, just as we did for our ignorance all those hundreds of cycles ago. 

As Trelev continued trying to shout at him, and he continued trying to speak to the Arxur, I watched as their eight ships moved closer and closer, gathering around and cornering their prey. They moved, slowly approaching the ships that were separated from the herd, and I saw as our sensors read that they had their weapons locked on and primed to fire.

“Please, Glass Song, run! Do it now! The Arxur have a lock on you!”

His desperate pleas were too late however, as I saw that the Arxur had begun to fire upon the Zodians. Even though we didn’t have the best working equipment and couldn’t get any actual visual readings, watching the death of a brand new species through holo images was just as haunting and awful as it otherwise would be. 

The room was quiet as all we could do was watch the violence unfold. Trelev had stopped talking now that the Zodians had been destroyed. Watching them come in, and offer us aid, only to be brutally executed by the Arxur was a harsh reminder of the reality we lived in. We were prey. Weak, helpless, defenseless prey. We couldn’t stand against the Arxur. They were too powerful. Too strong. Even though we had numbers, they chipped away at us, more and more, cycle after cycle, tearing away until there would be none of us left.

They had already exterminated many dozens of species, eradicated worlds, brought civilizations to the point of extinction and killed untold numbers of us every day. The predators were strong, savage, and could not be stopped. We couldn’t stop them, and we couldn’t save anyone, not even ourselves.

“Govoner Kevek, look.”

The somehow not sad voice of Kam, snapped everyone's attention back towards the holo view. I looked for myself and what I saw must have been a computer error, because it couldn’t have been real.

It was the Zodians. Their formation of four ships were still there, on screen, even though eight Arxur ships had attacked them all at once.

The Arxur ships were still flying around, getting into different positions as they fired, again and again, at the Zodians ships. I watched as they continued firing several more times before suddenly, one by one, the Arxur ships began to blip off screen.

They vanished, blasted into errant debris by something that the projector couldn’t see. I didn’t see the Zodians weapons, what they were using, whether they were charged up or locked onto anything. However the only possible explanation was that their shields had withstood the Arxur’s assault and that they had returned fire against them. 

I wasn’t sure that I wasn’t simply imagining what was happening, not until our call with the Colonel suddenly resumed.

“Hello, Governor Kevek, Ambassador, are you still there?”

“Y-yes, h-hello. Colonel Glass Song? Is that you? Are you alright?”

“Yes Ambassador, we are. Thank you for your concern though. I appreciate it.”

“Colonel… What happened? How are you still alive?”

“It appears our technology is more advanced than their own. We were capable of withstanding the Arxur’s weapons. They were unable to get through our shields.”

“...”

Everything that was happening right now completely surpassed any expectations I had. Nothing was currently making sense and yet here I was, bearing witness to a series of impossible events. First contact with a new species. One that had somehow made it to space without knowing the difference between predator and prey. One that was somehow more technologically advanced than we were, and could defeat and destroy an Arxur attack while outnumbered?

Nothing was making sense right now. I truly didn’t know how to handle or process what I was seeing and hearing, and yet the day was still far from over as Kevek reminded me by speaking up.

“You mean that you withstood their attack, and then just… Destroyed… All eight ships?”

“That is correct, Governor.”

“...”

“However, that does bring up another important topic. Earlier I stated that I didn’t have the authority to engage or open hostilities with the Arxur since their conflict was with you; but now they have ignored my hails and request for nonviolence, completely refused to communicate, attacked me and my ships without provocation, and continued to try and attack us when we did not immediately respond with violence. Give me just a moment to change the nature of this call, and then I will tell you what that means.”

I, Kevek, Trelev, everyone, stood in silence for a moment contemplating what the Colonel was about to say before his aggressively deep voice began to loudly blast from the console speakers.

“All ships, listen up! This is Colonel Glass Song, Captain of the fourth division, United Zodian Military Coalition scout fleet! The species known as Arxur have attacked us without provocation, without warning, without communicating stating any grievances or laws we have violated, and without answering our calls for non violence. In accordance with Article three, section twelve of the Zodian Military code of conduct, they have proven themselves a direct threat to us and our species and I now have complete authority to engage in any self defensive action I deem necessary until such time that a superior officer grants me new orders.”

Hope. Hope bloomed in my chest once again, only this time it was reinforced by the deep booming voice of the Zodian, as he stated what he was doing both to us, and his subordinates. 

“Effective immediately I hereby declare this planet of Venlil Prime an active Zodian warzone, and only the species known as Arxur are to be treated as enemy combatants. All ground soldiers are to prepare for combat, and I order all Walking Armada’s to prepare for LACROD drop in three hundred [seconds].”

There were several things he said there that either didn’t translate or I simply lacked the context to understand. While I did know that he was addressing both us and his troops, it was still somewhat strange hearing him barking out orders and information.

“All soldiers are ordered to assist the local populace in any way they can and to defend them while assaulting and pushing back the Arxur invasion. Governor Kevek.”

“Y-yes?”

“Would you be able to send us whatever translation software you are currently using? I want to make sure that my soldiers are capable of understanding your people so that they can better work alongside and assist you.”

“Yes… Yes! Of course! We’ll send that to you right away! Thank you Colonel, for helping us out afterall.”

“Yes, Governor. I do hope that you understand my decision for not helping you out earlier. However now that the Arxur have clearly made themselves our enemies, they will quickly come to regret their decision to attack. Would you also send out a message to whatever soldiers, ground troops, or defensive forces you have on the planet to prepare for our arrival. This will be the first actual meeting between our species, and while I understand that you are already aware of and have made contact with other aliens, you might find our appearance confusing, unusual, or somewhat intimidating.”

“Okay… Yes, I’ll make sure to let our people know. Our exterminators are currently doing their best against the Arxur, so I bet they will be thrilled to hear that help is on the way!”

I could tell Kevek was unsure about what was being said. Why would the Zodians think we would be afraid of them? There were still a lot of things I didn’t know or understand about this new species, but they were coming down onto our planet in order to help us fight off the Arxur. This was about the best case scenario that I could have hoped for.

“Also, Governor Kevek, I have put out a priority distress message of my own, as per our military protocol. My species will be sending reinforcements to assist us and suppress the Arxur as soon as possible. Not only that, but since it seems our species now shares a common enemy, I am sure that our leader would like to get in contact with you in order to officially establish friendly relations between our peoples. I will inform him about our conversations and I expect he will be delighted to speak to either you or your Ambassador.”

“Thank you Colonel Glass Song. Once our planet is no longer under attack, I would love to speak to your leader on behalf of my people.”

I spoke with gratuity from the bottom of my heart. I really did want to meet and get to know these new aliens who had seemingly arrived out of nowhere. They had come here, immediately offered to help, and were now going to assist us in fighting the Arxur. I walked over to Rellin, giving him an affectionate nuzzle while picking up my precious little pup. I gently rubbed her soft wool with slow loving strokes. As I quietly embraced the people I loved. It seemed as though we were right after all. Everything was going to be alright. We were safe, here, together. 

There were still many things that I did not understand about them, but I figured that soon enough, I would get to—

“Um, Colonel Glass Song? This is assistant military Advisor Kam speaking. Why are your ships launching missiles at our planet?”

I quickly turned around and forced my way back through the crowd that had only just started to disperse. I looked over at the holoscreen and saw that there were indeed four missiles that had been fired from the Zodian’s ships and were rapidly approaching our planet. 

They were going fast, very fast, and they all appeared to be aiming for several major population centers. The ones closest to the Arxur landing parties that were being hit the hardest.

“Ah, my apologies, Advisor Kam, I forgot you people are unaware of how our military operates. You see, before we deploy our ground troops, we typically survey the area and acquire as much information as possible before we fight. It is very important to know what to expect before heading into a combat scenario. So before we send any foot soldiers, we send in specialists.”

“... Alright. I can understand that. But what does any of that have to do with those missiles that are rapidly heading towards our cities?”

“Oh yes. Sorry. Those are not missiles…”

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Hello again. Wow, two uploads in two days? That’s incredible! But as I am sure you all know by now, not everything is all that it seems. I had a free day and decided to spend it mostly writing this fic and another project I'm working on. A certain prophetic comment under the previous chapter left me wanting to try and speed things up a bit and get to a point where you guys won’t be able to easily call out things that are about to happen, (hopefully).

I know this chapter is a little short, but don't worry, more is coming soon.

Special thanks to our lord u/SpacePaladin15
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Memory Transcription Subject: Captain Coth,  Arxur Dominion Third Fleet

Date [standardized ZM time]: 6, 8, -678. redux:(5,5, 2127)

I stood there, drinking in the death and destruction that I had wrought upon these pathetic prey. Thousands were dead, blown to pieces by our initial attack which disabled what little protection they had against us. Buildings destroyed, infrastructure disrupted, communications offline, and an army’s worth of my soldiers were freely running around, slaughtering and capturing as many morsels as they could find.

The Venlil were one of the weakest, most vulnerable species amongst the horde of prey that was the Federation. They couldn’t run fast or far, their claws were small and dull, they couldn’t smell, and they were horrifically scared of everything, us especially so. They were stupid, pathetic, weak, and only possessed value in the weight of their flesh. 

While they were about as common and plentiful as any other prey, I did enjoy their flavor more so than others. Even though we still had plenty of them in our cattle pens, it was also good to refresh our supply and remind them of their place in the universe.

They were our prey. We ate and consumed them because they are weak, and we are strong. We were their predators, and we enjoyed being so.

I watched as another group of soldiers started to approach from a distance, the smell of their bounty reaching my nostrils long before I could see. Fear, blood, anxiety, pain, I could smell the prey and all the emotions they carried with them as they were pulled along by my troops, already aware of their fate. 

Some of the new cattle begged, pleaded to just be killed and consumed now, while others had seemingly already broken and were completely numb to everything happening around them. A couple had visibly broken bones, or were bleeding heavily. These ones wouldn’t make the journey to the pens. They would be the first to go, and as they got closer, I was forced to drink the saliva that was accumulating in my maw.

I would perhaps grab one or two of the more injured ones just for myself. After all, that was one of the benefits of being in a position of authority.

“My Visciousness.”

One of the soldiers spoke up, giving a small bow as he regarded me with the reverence I deserved.

“Yes, what is it?”

“The raid goes well. I have brought back a bounty to add to our stock.”

I whipped my tail back and forth as I narrowed my eyes at him. This soldier was merely stating the obvious, making a very poor attempt at differentiating himself from the others that were doing the same. It was obvious that this one was hoping for praise, or some kind of reward for his work, possibly even hunting for a promotion. Unfortunately I was not so naive or easily won over to simply reward someone for doing their job.

“You have, just as hundreds of others before you have. What of it? This is a raid and the prey is plentiful. What makes your catch any better than the others?”

“Ah, my Visciousness, but I have come bearing a special offering, just for you. Something I am sure will please.”

I watched the soldier curiously, as he turned away and moved through the herd of captured and leashed prey he had brought before me. All of them cowered and scurried, trying to get as far from him as possible, creating a path where he moved. After a few moments, he stopped and grabbed one in particular that was screaming and crying harder than the rest. 

The soldier held it up at eye level, and I was shocked to see that the prey he was holding appeared to be a Thafki. I knew that as Commander, I had to maintain an authoritative presence, and so I made sure to not show any obvious signs of what I was feeling. The soldiers brought the specimen back and presented it before me as a gift.

“I managed to find this one on my journey, a Thafki, just for you.”

I was forced to swallow once again as my hunger surged with renewed vigor. Now that the prey was closer, I could finally make out its smell, although it was heavily masked and obstructed by harsh chemicals. It now made sense why I hadn’t been able to smell it sooner. Thafki were a rare breed since they were the first species to fall to our Dominion. Their flesh was considered a delicacy, and usually only reserved for the higher members of the military. 

I thumped my tail approvingly against the ground, showing that I did appreciate such a gift.

“And what is your name?”

“First Hunter Zellif”

“Well Hunter Zellif, this is indeed a good offering. It does smell like it needs cleaned first, so I’ll keep it in my quarters for now. Take it there, and once we leave, I will ensure that you receive extra rations all the way back to Wriss.”

“Understood Captain.”

The eager young Hunter went off to follow my orders, and now I was excited for a special meal that I would have later. The other hunters went about corralling and leading their various prizes back towards the cattle ships without issue, and so I was left alone once again, feeling all the better about the current raid.

Chief Hunter Isif had appointed me Captain only a few moons ago, and this was set to be my first assignment. I knew and went into this with the expectation that failure, or not performing to Isif’s expectations could potentially lead to either demotion, punishment, or death. This was the first test of my capabilities as an Arxur Commander, and so I had been somewhat worried about making sure everything went well.

However it appeared as though everything was proceeding just as planned, and that the haul from this raid would secure my position.

As I continued to watch and oversee the soldiers and operation of the raid, another soldier, one that I recognized, quickly made her way over. She bowed down and spoke quickly.

“Captain Coth.”

She was the chief communications officer aboard my ship, and she was addressing me only by my title and not using any honorifics. 

“What is it Zareel?”

“Our sensors have picked up several ships on approach to the planet.”

Once again, I found myself surprised, only this time it was not pleasant.

“The Federation is here? Already?”

I knew, just as every Arxur did, that the first thing prey did was call for help as soon as we attacked them. They were weak and cowardly after all. They could only ever pose a challenge when they greatly outnumbered us.

I knew that the only way to successfully conduct a raid was to be fast, efficient, and leave before their reinforcements arrived. While the prey had weak, dull claws, and no fangs to speak of, laser beams and plasma fire were weapons that exceeded biological superiority. While their military tactics were tried, and near useless, their ships weapons and bombs were still capable of taking our lives if we weren’t careful.

What I didn’t understand was how they had arrived so quickly. The next closest Federation world was still a [several hour] flight from here. We had been listening to their interplanetary communications network for years, and knew what patterns they normally adhered to. There shouldn’t have been any patrols nearby, and any random trade or transport ships would have turned around once they noticed that this planet was currently being raided. While I was busy searching my mind for an explanation, Zareel answered the first question I had asked.

“I’m not sure.”

“...What?”

Now I had even more questions. I lashed my tail angrily and stared her down, telling her without words to keep speaking, and quickly.

“Even though they are already close to the outer atmosphere, we only just detected them. For some reason we couldn’t see their FTL signature and cannot follow their trail to figure out where they came from. Also their ships do not appear to be like any we have ever seen from the Federation. Their designs are unique and strange.”

“...”

Nothing about what she had just said made sense. Strange ships? Untraceable trail? I was being left with more questions than answers, but there was one which stood above the rest in priority.

“How many ships are there?”

“We’re now scanning the rest of the system to see if there are any more on their way that we didn’t notice earlier. However, we have only found four ships so far, heading towards the planet.”

“Four ships? That’s it?”

“Yes Captain. That is all we can see.”

I smacked my tail against the ground in anger. Here I had been so worried about having to end the raid early, and yet there were only four ships on their way. I had brought over eighty ships, and landed them all across the habitable ring of this world in order to maximize the amount of cattle we captured. Four ships were barely even worth my time, let alone worth abandoning the raid for. 

The fact that I had been so worried upset me, and so I quickly made a decision on what to do.

“Zareel, order twelve of our combat ships to head up and annihilate those approaching vessels. Tell them to do so immediately and come back down to the raid once they are done.”

“But sir…”

I opened and snapped my maw at her as I slammed my tail onto the ground with a sharp smack.

“Are you disobeying my orders?”

“N-no sir, of course not. It’s just—”

“Just…What?”

“...Nothing. I will relay your orders.”

She bowed down and walked away, leaving me alone with my thoughts. Four ships, strange designs, ignoring the raid signs and warning. How unusual. Still, while I didn’t know exactly what was going on, I was certain of one thing. These weren’t Arxur vessels. They would have sent a signal or somehow let us know of their approach. Zareel said that they had strange designs and signatures, but none of that mattered.

If they were not Arxur, then they were prey. The whole galaxy was full of nothing but pathetic, sniveling, weak, defenseless prey. We had been at war with the Federation for hundreds of years, and in all that time we had never once found any evidence of another race of true sapients amongst the stars. We were alone. We hunted alone. We hunted everything, because everything else was prey to be hunted.

There were no others like us. No others who understood us. Space was vast, and cold, and empty. While there were many pastures, and plains, and forests, and deserts, and a nearly endless supply of food waiting to be claimed, we hunted and feasted completely alone. 

I took in a deep breath and exhaled, as I tried to clear my mind of these invading thoughts. I decided that I needed a moment to calm down and relax while I waited for my soldiers to take care of the new ships. I ran my long tongue across my maw as I made my way back to my personal quarters aboard the ship. It looked like even though it was dirty, I would get to enjoy my snack much sooner than anticipated…

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Hello all, thank you for the love and support I got for the prologue to this fic. I know it's been a minute, but I've had a really busy and somewhat life altering month. My car exploded, I won on a huge scratch off, bought a new car, and paid off some debt. Enough about real life though, let us get on to the new fantasy that we all love to entrench ourselves in. Also let me know of any broken links, spelling errors, or little things that need cleaned up. Thanks.

Special thanks to our lord u/SpacePaladin15
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 Memory Transcription Subject: Ambassador Tarva of the Venlil Republic

Date [standardized ZM time]: 6, 8, -678. (redux: 5,5, 2127)

I only knew of one instance of a predatory species achieving sentience in the galaxy.

The Arxur were discovered over four hundred cycles ago, and were an anomaly that sparked the Federation’s curiosity. By previous hypotheses on intelligence, their existence was impossible. Conventional wisdom stated that cooperation led to higher thinking, which in turn, led to the formation of technological societies. A predator’s natural instinct for aggression should have limited their evolution.

But it turned out that there was another motivator for technological progress; war. The Arxur derived pleasure from killing each other, and in doing so, managed to claw their way to an industrial stage. Their warfare was so deadly that we feared they would become extinct before we could study them.

The Federation saw their cruelty, but in our naivety, we thought we could change them. If we uplifted them, there would be no logical reason for their destructive ways to persist. Thus, we made our worst mistake: we decided to intervene.

It was out of our kindness that we unleashed the galaxy’s worst monsters. We gave genocidal maniacs the means to escape their planet, and all but invited them to our doorstep. The Federation was an easy target to them, and they set out to claim our territories for themselves. They torched worlds, enslaved millions, and bred our children as delicacies. Our pleas for mercy fell on deaf ears; predators had no sense of compassion to appeal to, after all.

The Federation rallied together to fend them off, and began the ceaseless war for our survival. From that point onward, it was agreed that no predatory species could be allowed to reach the stars. Their kind were too great of a threat to the civilized universe.

However we were still left with the Arxur, the unceasing hunters who consumed and destroyed everything good that we created and cultivated. They were a force of pure hatred and evil. Unstoppable monsters that all prey cowered before. They even hunted us in our thoughts, our dreams, making it so that even mentioning their name in public could cause a stampede. And right now they were here, on my homeworld, hunting and ravaging this planet and everyone on it.

Fear. Terror. Dread. These emotions were threatening to consume me just as much as the predators I was cowering from in the Governor's private bunker. I do not know whether I was lucky or unlucky to be on planet during an Arxur raid. I was taking a small amount of time off from my work of being the ambassador of my species since I had just birthed my first child.

I held my daughter gently in my arms, trying my best to not show her just how scared and upset I was. Yet I couldn’t prevent my body from shaking or my tail from wrapping around my leg as the raid continued on up above. Even though she was far too young to speak or understand what people were saying, Stynek could tell that everyone was upset, and so my baby wailed no matter how much I tried to keep her quiet.

“Shhhhh. Shhhhh. Shhhhh. It’s okay, it's alright Stynek. I’ve got you. You’re safe here. The predators can’t get us down here.”

While I directed the words towards my daughter, they were just as much for me. I was trying to convince myself of this just as much as her, and unfortunately I was failing on both fronts.

I felt a tail begin to move against my backside, trying to work itself around my own which was still wrapped around my leg. I saw Rellin to my side and allowed myself to relax and let his comforting touch keep me steady.

“Hey, hey, it's alright Stynek. It’s alright. Your mother is right. You’re safe here. You, me, her, we’re all here together, safe and sound. We’re going to make it through this together. Everything is gonna be alright.”

I didn’t know whether he meant what he said, or was just telling himself those words like I was, but the effect was immediate as both Stynek and myself began to calm down. Her cries began to quiet, instead shifting into a soft mewling. I pulled her towards my breast and let her feed as I nuzzled my mate and gently licked him as a show of appreciation.

“Thank you. We needed that.”

“I’m just glad that I’m here with you.”

“Yeah.”

I looked over across the room and saw Governor Kevek, talking with some of his advisors. I was glad that my position offered me and my family a spot within the bunker. Out of everywhere we could have ended up, there were few places in all of Venlil Prime more secure than the Governor's private bunker. It was built deeper in the ground, using more metal to make a thicker shell and blast doors, and had enough air filters and stored rations to last dozens of people multiple rotations.

Most of the staff in the mansion had managed to make it in before Kevek made the decision to seal us off. While most of the advisors and other people within the mansion had managed to make it in, I still thought that he had acted too quickly, leaving many others to fend for themselves up above when there was still space left to give. He was scared, as were we all, but he was Governor. I myself had barely made it inside along with Stynek, and Rellin was the very last one to squeeze through before the door sealed shut, locking deep within the supposed safety of the bunker. 

Kevek was discussing something with his military advisor who was getting on in years. Trelev, the chief military advisor, was planning on retiring soon, and had already picked out someone he considered to be a suitable successor. His replacement was of course a high ranking General, an individual named Kam, who stood just off to the side of Trelev and appeared to be part of their talk. 

Even though there wasn’t much noise in the bunker now that Stynek had finally quieted down, I couldn’t hear what the three of them were discussing. They were quietly whispering about something and for some reason that bothered me.

I tried to ignore them for a bit as I fed Stynek but their discussion, while quiet, became more and more intense. I saw them gesturing, flicking their tails and ears back and forth angrily, and I thought I saw the Kevek’s wool start to puff out in either anger, indignation, or fear. I focused an eye on Rellin who flicked his ears to show he was listening.

“Would you mind holding Stynek for a moment, I want to see what the Governor is talking about over there.”

“You know she’ll probably start fussing again as soon as you stop feeding her.”

“I trust you to keep her quiet for a couple whiskers. I shouldn’t be too long.”

I pulled my very hungry daughter off of me, which did prompt her to start whining once again, as I handed her off to my mate and walked over to Kevek’s group.

Even though they could see me, they were too focused on what they were saying to notice my approach. As I got closer, I began to make out the angry whispered words of the Governor.

“—on’t care what you think, you are still just an observer, nothing more!”
I quickly realized that Governor Kevek was apparently talking down to Kam, who was fervently trying to say something.

“But their ships ar—”

“Are not ones that we recognize, meaning that they’re Arxur! The same ones that are currently raiding us.”

“Excuse me.”

As soon as I spoke and cut off Trelev, all of their eyes flicked towards me, acknowledging my presence and also seemingly staring me down. I could feel different emotions emanating from each of them, but I decided to continue on in order to find out what they were talking about.

“I couldn't help but notice your discussion from across the room. Is everything alright? Anything I should know about, or could help with?”

I hoped that by offering my assistance that they would include me in the topic of their discussion. After all, I was our species ambassador. I had proven myself effective at handling diplomatic situations and was known by all three of them. While I might not have been an advisor, I did have a close position within the Governor's office.

“I’m sorry Tarva, but I do not believe that you can help with what we are discussing.”

Military Advisor Trelev spoke before the Governor could, but Kevek merely flicked his ears in agreement. It appeared as though neither one of them wanted me to be part of their discussion, but Kam had a different opinion.

“I believe that our Ambassador should have a say in this.”

Both Kevek and Trelev chuffed in response, but if Kam was offering to fit me into their meeting, I was inclined to squeeze in.

“I would assume that whatever you are discussing is important if you are doing so in the middle of a raid. Has something happened outside? Have Federation reinforcements arrived yet?”

“No. Nothing’s happened yet. We’re still waiting on reinforcements.”

Trelev’s words were cold and emotionless, however Kam’s interjection was anything but.

“We don’t know that! These ships could be here to help us!”

I waved my tail and ears in surprise. New ships had arrived? Were they just in our system or were they in orbit? How many were there and why did Kevek and Trelev seem upset about them? I suddenly had too many questions and so I quickly decided on which one to voice first.

“There are new ships within our system?”

“Yes, but just as I was telling Kam, they are most likely just more Arxur vessels, coming in to kill and enslave even more of us.”

I couldn’t stop myself from flinching at the thought of even more Arxur coming down to join the raid. However before I could say anything, Kam spoke up.

“But these ships don’t look like Arxur ships! We know what Arxur ships look like and these ones are different.”

“But they are also not Federation designs.”

Trelev’s words didn’t cause me fear like Kevek’s did, but rather confusion, mixed with curiosity.

“You mean they aren’t Federation ships?”

“Yes Tarva, that’s what we’ve been saying.”

While Kevek was attempting to sound condescending, I finally had enough information to understand their discussion.

“You mean to say that there are ships within our system that don’t resemble either Federation or Arxur vessels? Where are they? How many are there? What are they doing? Do we know where they came from? Have we received any communications from them?”

I quickly threw out as many questions as I could think of in the hopes of getting answers. Governor Kevek and Trelev seemed surprised by my sudden outburst and almost at a loss for words. Almost.

“Tarva, we are in the middle of an Arxur raid! Our people are up there dying, getting torn apart and eaten or being carted off to become cattle! We should assume that any ships approaching the planet that aren’t of Federation make are just more predators, coming to dig in to an easy feast!”

Governor Kevek’s words sucked the energy that had been building in my tail, as I realized that he did have a point. The Arxur were here and tearing our planet apart. While the raid had only been going on for just about a quarter of a claw, any ships that would approach our planet in such a situation were most likely just more Arxur, possibly using some new horrific ship design built to inflict as much death and destruction as possible.

The only other ships would be the easily identified Federation vessels that were on their way to help fight off the Arxur. After all, there had never been another space faring species in the entire history of the Federation. Only the Kolshian’s had discovered the secrets of FTL travel. Every other species, my own included, was handed down this knowledge by them and the Federation they created.

As much as I hoped and wished for a new species to suddenly arrive and save us from the predator threat, that wasn’t very likely to happen. After coming down from my brief moment of excitement, Kam spoke up, continuing the conversation.

“But we can’t confirm that without trying to contact them! Maybe they are just more Arxur, or maybe they are actually a new type of Federation design we haven’t seen before! Or maybe they are something else entirely! We can’t know unless we reach out, and looking at the data you have pulled up, they are on their way here regardless.”

Once again, curiosity moved me again as I stepped over to the data console Governor Kevek and Advisor Trelev had been standing near. Because of the Arxur raid, a good portion of our defensive network and communications had been damaged or destroyed. There were orange blinking lights, indicating critical failure of our planet's infrastructure, and that also included our long range scanners.

However from our short range sensors, I could see four unique ship signatures that were quickly approaching. While they would have normally been in range to hail our planet by now, with all the damage we’d already sustained, they would have to contact us using shortwave radio signals.

Even after seeing everything, I was still unsure of how to feel about what was happening. Before I could decide, Military Advisor Trelev spoke once again.

“Look Kam, I know you are still young and haven’t seen as many raids as I have, so I won’t insult you over your misplaced optimism. What I will tell you, and what you should already know given your current rank, is that the unknown is one of the most dangerous parts of any battle, scenario, or situation. Not knowing things can lead to unexpected casualties and needless deaths, and hoping for any good news during an Arxur invasion is just asking for despair and disappointment. We’ve been at war with them for hundreds of cycles Kam. Nothing ever turns out well when they are involved.”

Kam looked down as his ears and tail both drooped in defeat. While I had to admit that Trelev had a point, and that the reality we lived in was often sad and devoid of miracles, I did have something else I wanted to know.

“So I assume that this whole time you three have been arguing on whether or not we should reach out and try to contact them, correct? Well I believe the solution is simple,” I said, returning their collective focus back to me.

“According to the data, their ships are already on approach. We just need to wait and see what they do once they arrive. We’re trapped in this bunker right now anyways, and there are already Arxur swarming the surface. As far as I can tell, there really isn’t anything we can do about them anyways.”

I finished saying what I thought was a correct assessment, but after seeing Kevek and Trelev’s tails twitch, I had the distinct impression that I was missing something. That notion was immediately confirmed by Kam a moment later.

“One of the first things the Arxur typically do when they raid is target and destroy our defense systems. It prevents us from firing back and defending ourselves. However, one of our surface to space missile stations was only somewhat damaged, and is now partially operational.”

Suddenly everything was clear, but I wanted to confirm with the Governor first just to make sure.

“You want to fire upon unknown vessels?”

Before Kevek could respond, Trelev answered instead.

“Tarva, while most of our equipment is currently non or barely functional, our readings have confirmed several key things. One, there is only a small number of these ships, far too few to be any kind of Federation military formation, and too few to send as a response to our planetary distress signal. Two, if these were civilian ships, they would have seen and understood the signal and situation and ran away once they saw Venlil Prime was being raided. 

Three, no Arxur ships have left the planet yet, meaning that they either don’t care about the ships approaching or are expecting them to land and join them, making them Arxur ships. And finally, there has never once been any record of another species discovering FTL on their own, and the chances of that occurring right now, at this very moment, are astronomically small. It is simply logical to assume that these are Arxur ships, and we should treat them as such. It might not make a big difference given how many other ships have gotten past our defense, but every Arxur we kill is another life saved. They are predators, Tarva, and need to be exterminated.”

It was hard to argue against his reasoning, and I now understood why Kevek was inclined to agree with his advisor, and ignore the impossible hope that Kam was clinging onto. Yet as much as I understood and agreed with what Trelev was saying, I couldn’t simply ignore the point that Kam had made earlier.

“But even still, we don’t know. I assume that given the situation, we currently cannot do a subspace scan or trace their FTL signature, correct?”

A single silent ear flick was the only response given, but it was still the confirmation I needed.

“Then even if it is an incredibly small and unlikely scenario, we would still risk firing upon innocent prey if we didn’t confirm what they were. Kevek, I know you want to help the people, and I do too, but I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I was accidentally responsible for ending the lives of innocent people, even if it was while trying to defend others from the threat of Arxur. What about you? Could you live with yourself if that happened?”

Kevek was merely silent, saying and doing nothing in response to my question. Kam looked over at me with hope in his eyes, and Trelev instead stared with resignation and despair, as his voice trembled with those same emotions.

“If we do not fire, and they turn out to be Arxur, the additional lives they take would also be your fault.”

Now with two seemingly terrible options, Kevek was once again quiet as his tail flicked anxiously behind him, debating between what to do. After a few more quiet moments of inaction, I decided that there was nothing else I could say to convince him of my point, and so I merely said what I thought would help him to make his decision.

“I suppose what it all comes down to, is whether you would rather regret an action you took, or an action you didn’t take. If you decide to fire, then you should do it soon since it seems the ships will be near our outer atmosphere in just a few more moments. If you don’t, then it will not be long until we have our answer on whether they are predators, or prey.”

With that, the conversation had ended. Kevek was left with a choice that was entirely up to him. After a few more quiet moments, the Governor gave his decision.

“We will wait, and see what they do…”

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