The Nature of Predators

Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, Federation Fleet Command

Date [standardized human time]: August 21, 2136

A contingent of Federation soldiers blasted into the patrol ship, keen to unravel its secrets. I was relieved that the Venlil opted not to barricade the main hatch. With their recent obstinance, I figured they’d make our entry a drawn-out process.

There were five others beside myself, a crowd for the tiny ship. It took a few moments for my eyes to adjust to the dim lighting. There didn’t appear to be substantial damage to the ship’s interior, but I didn't hear any vocalization from the occupants. It became a priority to locate the passengers, and determine if they needed medical attention.

I spotted a Venlil slumped in the rear seat, with blood dripping down his forehead. Judging by the wound’s location, his head was tossed into the ship frame during one of the Arxur’s strikes. It was possible he had been knocked out prior, from fear or shock. Those injuries required extensive treatment, if it was severe enough for him to remain unconscious.

The sound of heavy breathing drew my attention, and my eyes darted toward the pilot’s chair. The creature’s form was mostly void of fur, if the bits of pinkish skin that peeked through its garments were an indicator. The sole hair clump was a mop of red fuzz on its head, which cut off near its neck line. With its back to us, I couldn’t make out any more about its features.

Was this the species that docked at the station earlier? It didn’t look like any lifeform I’d stumbled across in my travels, so that ruled out it being a Federation member.

Something about it made my skin crawl. Maybe it was just the lack of hair that made it look freakish? Its skin looked soft, lacking any sort of natural armor or defenses. Its stature wasn’t impressive either; only a touch taller than myself.

“What are you?” I growled.

“Uh, I’m Marcel. Just a guy. Nice to meet you?” he offered. “Please, um, help Slanek. He’s injured.”

I sighed in irritation. “Fine. But why the fuck weren’t you answering our hails? We almost blasted you out of the sky.”

“I didn’t know how to use the comms system. My buddy was unconscious, er, in shock I think.” Marcel’s voice was low and breathy; he seemed to be hyperventilating. “This is my first time flying one of these.”

“You’d never flown one of these ships before? And you fly like that?”

“Like what?”

“Never mind. Turn around and come with us.”

“I can’t do that.”

How dense could a person be? This was not a negotiation. These two were in no position to argue with us. My boarding notification was explicit enough in stating that they were our prisoners, not our guests. My attempts to be sensitive, and not wave guns around the second we stepped in, clearly hadn’t paid dividends.

“Marcel, I wasn’t asking,” I hissed. “If you expect us to help your friend, you better comply.”

“Let’s just talk for a moment, okay?” The peculiar pilot raised his hands over his head slowly, but kept his head pointed toward the viewport. “L-listen, I’m not your enemy. I don’t want you to shoot me. I don’t want to hurt you…or whatever it is you all say.”

“You think you could hurt us? You are surrounded and alone.”

“No, that’s not what I’m saying. I’m just…not like the Arxur. We’re on the same team, okay?”

“What is this nonsense? Your rambling is madness. Don’t tell me you’re going into shock too?”

Marcel drew a shaky breath, and turned his head slowly toward us. The crewmate nearest to him staggered backward, reaching for her sidearm. She tripped over the lifeless Slanek in her retreat, and discharged her weapon in a panic. The round ended up buried in the ceiling, punching a hole in the already-battered ship.

Firing plasma guns, and demonstrating reckless trigger discipline, in a contained spaceship?! The damn thing was venting atmosphere as we spoke. The crewmate earned a scorching glare from me; I was appalled with her behavior.

“WHAT HAS GOTTEN INTO YOU?” I screeched. “Holster your weapon at once. I’ll have you disciplined for your—”

“Captain Sovlin…” another crewmate interrupted in a squeaky whisper. “L-look. It’s one of them.”

My gaze flitted back over to Marcel. Shock stabbed at my heart; my insides twisted into knots. The pilot sported binocular vision, just like the Arxur. A cruel intelligence glistened through his beady eyes, even as he tried to avert them. Every time he directed his gaze at someone, it felt like they were being tracked. His inky pupils were no more than dilated pools of hunger.

The pieces fell together, as I gaped at Marcel dumbfounded. A feral hunter on a Republic ship could only mean one thing. The Venlil home world was occupied by an army of predators, and in all likelihood, their species was enslaved. These beasts must be the reason for that distress signal a few weeks ago.

Perhaps I owed the Venlil an apology, since I had misjudged them so terribly. The tragedy they endured was unspeakable.

The monsters probably threatened to kill their entire populace if they tried anything, which was why Tarva betrayed us. Her decision-making was still terrible, but something I could forgive. Chasing the Federation armada off under duress was different to abandoning her friends.

The resentment festering inside of me dissipated in an instant, replaced by a burning hatred. We had never gotten our paws on one of the reptiles, so we’d have to settle for the next best thing. I would not let Marcel’s species follow in the Arxur’s footsteps. I would make them pay for everything they had done, tenfold.

Marcel’s hands trembled, and he closed his eyes. “Guys, I’m just here to fight the Arxur. What they’ve done is despicable, and we would never—”

“QUIET! Get on the ground.” My voice was cold and assertive, as I raised my sidearm at him. “Don’t shoot him, unless he pushes us. I want him alive.”

The predator obeyed, sprawling out prone on the floor. He was lying flat on his stomach, so his eyes were facing the ground. He linked his dexterous digits behind his head, as though to prove he wouldn’t take a swipe at us.

My soldiers gave me an expectant look, waiting for orders. Did they presume I had the answer to everything? There was nothing in the book about predators hiding in plain sight. But if I didn’t take command, there was going to be a total collapse of control. The last thing I wanted was my unit fleeing, and leaving this creature on the loose in our territory.

“Protect Slanek until medical assistance arrives,” I said, gesturing toward the unconscious Venlil. “Get him out of here, and somewhere safe. Be gentle with him when he wakes. Make sure he knows he’s free, and that he never has to see this monster again.”

Marcel stiffened. “Free? Slanek is…”

“Another word and I’ll kill you. Don’t tempt me, freak.”

Summoning my innermost courage, I approached the predator with a pair of restraints. There was no other person I trusted not to freak out, if he twitched or spoke. The creature didn’t move, only sucking in erratic breaths. His submissive behavior was odd, but he could be baiting me within proximity. I needed to keep my wits about me, and stay prepared for a surprise attack.

I knelt down over Marcel’s back, pinning him to the ground with my hind legs. One paw held the barrel of my pistol against his neck, while the other paw reached for his hands. The sensation of my fur brushing his skin made me flinch. I couldn’t snap the manacles around his wrist fast enough.

Behind us, two crewmates crouched by Slanek, shooting glances toward the predator as they did. It was apparent they wanted to get as far away from him as possible. We had to wait for the ship medic to arrive with a stretcher and drugs though. If the Venlil had spinal damage, it was too risky to transport him without professional supervision.

That said, the damn doctor was taking his sweet time arriving. I was the one stuck guarding a novel predator, absorbing the full brunt of the terror. The minutes standing by Marcel seemed to drag; it was agony, even as he remained compliant and silent. Part of me wanted to put a bullet in his brain and be done with it.

“You’re pressing way too hard on the prisoner’s abdomen.” A disapproving voice drifted from the ship’s entrance, earning a relieved sigh from me. Doctor Zarn strode in, scanning the scene. “What is going on here, Captain?”

“Don’t ask. I need a sedative, now,” I replied.

“For a new species? We have no idea which drugs are safe, or how they could interact with its nervous system. I can’t sign onto this.”

I rolled Marcel onto his back, and Zarn’s eyes widened. The doctor dropped his kit to the floor and stood frozen for several seconds. It took a pointed cough from me to snap him out of his stupor. The medic drew a shuddering breath, trying to compose himself. He was quivering as he filled a syringe, and inched toward us like he was on cracked ice.

I extended an arm as far as I could, and snatched the sedative from his outstretched paw. Zarn darted back to a safer distance, muttering several curses. He gave Slanek a brief examination, feeling the vertebrae of his spine. At the doctor’s go-ahead, the soldiers moved the Venlil onto a stretcher.

My eyes shifted back to the predator, whose gaze bore directly up into my skull. Turning him over for the doctor to see might not have been the best idea, since it meant his face was visible again. Well, Marcel wasn’t going to sedate himself, was he?

“Fucking hell. Here goes nothing,” I growled.

I found a large vein in the predator’s neck, and brought the syringe toward it. Marcel shrank back into the floor, possibly mistaking the pointed blade for a weapon. It was doubtful his species had any concept of medicine. With a quick motion, I jabbed the needle into his pale skin.

Marcel winced, and those awful eyes flickered shut. I finally allowed myself to feel my emotions, and doubled over, panting. My gun slipped from my paws; it took everything to bite back a scream. I couldn’t lose my composure in front of the crew.

“Captain. Listen, you’ve had a terrible shock, and the most exposure of anyone,” Doctor Zarn said in a soft tone. “Let your first officer step in. You need to rest. You’re risking cardiac arrest if you push yourself any further.”

“Let Recel call the shots? Over my dead body,” I snorted. “I will be the one to tell Piri, and to move this thing to a holding cell.”

The doctor flicked his ears in disdain. “Yes, it’s a terrible creature. I didn’t think any humans were still alive.”

“Any what?”

“Humans. That’s what it is.”

“We knew about these demons before?!”

“Indeed. You know, the predator race we discovered after the Arxur? The Federation glosses over it, but surely you’ve heard it mentioned.”

“The extinct ones?”

“Clearly not that extinct. We were certain humans killed themselves off, though. The number of explosions on their planet was astronomical. It was a fitting ending for a species that tormented each other, and lived in constant battle.”

“What do you think they’ve done to the Venlil?”

“Humans are conquerors, who derive pleasure from dominating others. That is what their 'explorers' have always done on their homeworld. They are aggressive, brutal, and territorial. Every bit as savage as the grays. You can fill in the blanks, Captain.”

“Dear stars. I should wonder how you know such detail, Doctor. Enough to recognize one.”

“I researched humans for my bioethics thesis.”

“Of course you did,” I said in a derisive tone. “I bet you argued it was worth saving them, because a doctor’s oath is to saving all lives.”

“On the contrary. The Federation developed plans to raze their planet, Earth, which were scrapped after their presumed extinction. My paper argued that some animals are not worth saving; that not all life is equivalent. Killing humanity would’ve been justified for the greater good. It was our moral obligation to follow through, even.”

“I never thought I'd hear those words from you, Zarn. Humans must be irredeemable.” I glowered at Marcel’s lifeless form. My mind was buzzing with thoughts of a fiery raid on this Earth. “Well then, I suppose it’s time to tell Piri we have unfinished business.”