Memory transcription subject: Chief Hunter Isif, Arxur Rebellion Command
Date [standardized human time]: January 15, 2137
The humans were checking their timekeeping instruments; Kaisal still had three minutes to arrive for our briefing. The scrawny Arxur had no intention of lingering for an extra second of chatter, and was leaving the pre-meeting socializing to us. The command structure here monitored ship activity near our stealth habitat, which was hidden within Harchen space. Fahl and its subsidiaries were just across the border of what once had been Shaza’s sector. We were keeping vigilant for any new Dominion attacks.
With Kaisal’s arrival still pending, that left time for Felra to poke and prod as she always did. The Dossur stayed away from the general Arxur populace; I was glad that word of her presence hadn’t gotten around, after yesterday’s confession. It wasn’t safe for her to encounter any non-empathetic Arxur, and even those with softer emotions might not be fond of her. The primates had been a positive presence that grounded her socially, especially with her curiosity about mankind.
“Planning operations against the Dominion is important. We can’t have Giznel thinking we’ll run,” I mused aloud. “Keeping our morale up is partly my outreach, and partly scoring some victories. How are each of you holding up?”
Olek adjusted his glasses. “Seeing Arxur up close…I don’t know. I loved the idea of meeting aliens, but the videos we saw of you on Earth…they were gruesome. Had no clue you were being starved by your own government, on purpose. Guess that shows what you get knowing one side of the story; a lesson I’ve preached my whole life. I’ve come around to thinking you’re a cool guy, Siffy, if a bit prickly.”
“They always taught us the grays were incapable of compassion. Clearly not true across the board; you’re sweet.” Felra’s whiskers twitched, and I wondered once more how she could stand me. If the humans used “grays” or “sweet”, I would’ve smacked them, but I let it slide in the Dossur’s case. “We’re not worth the effort to collect, so the Dossur weren’t your typical victims. I’d see the horrible things on the news, but they happened to someone else.”
My nostrils flared. “Hrr. I tried to be as cruel as possible, for Betterment’s liking, and to think of what would hurt people most in my attacks. I brainstormed a number of those horrible things you saw. I know I had no choice, but perhaps I was lying when I said fault could not be assigned, yes?”
“I don’t think it’s your fault. Everyone taught you that was right, just like people taught me all predators are evil. By the time you actually got real power, you were doing what kept you alive before.”
“Millions died as a direct consequence of my orders, Felra. I’ve eaten prey like you alive! I executed my own kind, targeted herbivore schools on purpose, and ran cattle farms.”
“Those were mistakes, but you didn’t know there was another option, except to die. You gave the cattle back to Tarva, and you want the future to be different. Don’t you want to do what’s right for us all, Siffy?”
“I…yes, of course I do! You’re one strange Dossur. Why are you like this?”
“Well, I know who you are and what you’ve done now. The future is what matters, making things change. What do you want to do when the war ends?”
“I’ve never thought about it. Ask the leaf-lickers.”
Felra turned an inquisitive eye toward the two human guards, whose wistful gazes landed on her. The thought of going home to Earth, with the war settled and opportunities abounding, seemed to fill them with a wishful mindset. I’d listened to the two describe the concept of homesickness, which I couldn’t wrap my mind around. Terrans were sentimental predators, more than willing to domesticate themselves to boring pastimes.
“When everything settles down, I’d like to start my own business,” Lisa said. “Something like a coffee shop, where people can come to relax and play board games. I like the idea of bringing people together.”
I narrowed my eyes. “That is your grand ambition?”
“Who said it has to be grand? What’s important is having a life that’s fulfilling. Bringing positive vibes, and leaving the world a better place. Also, I thought my sister was dead for a few weeks, so it’ll be nice to hug her again. We still haven’t had that reunion, and it would be cathartic.”
“Typical humans. They give better, more censored answers, yes, Felra? Ah, don’t answer that. What’s your lame ambition, broken-eyes?”
Olek scowled at me. “It’s like the glasses are the only thing you see about me! You’re an old man. I’m gonna fuckin’ laugh when your vision starts going.”
“Ah, Olek, your true vision failing is your blindness to reality. Nobody’s gonna believe you worked with Arxur rebels. It’ll just be another of your crazy stories,” Lisa teased.
“Maybe I’ll pitch the story to Hollywood then! Writing a book doesn’t seem that hard, and it’s a guaranteed bestseller. How Earth secretly worked with the Arxur, all the way up to the Secretary-General, while building their superweapons! All that shit about Giznel writes itself too: starvation, an unwritten agreement with the Feds.”
I sighed in annoyance. “You must have more serious aspirations than that. Don’t you have people you care about?”
The conspiracy theorist fell into a contemplative silence. “I do. There’s a human kid I’d like to see succeed. I was…adopted, so foster children are an issue close to my heart. Everyone deserves to land on their feet, you know?”
Kaisal strolled into the room, and our self-indulgent chatter ceased in an instant. I’d been trying to gauge if there was a trace of defectiveness in him, but my new second-in-command hated socializing. He seated himself far away from Felra and the primates, taking it upon himself to boot up my messaging system. There was a file sent from the Secretary-General’s office, which was flagged Urgent intelligence.
I’d just spoken to Zhao a day ago at length, so I wasn’t sure what could’ve happened between now and then. It wasn’t important enough to merit an in-person call to interrupt, but the human government wasn’t known for meaningless communiques. The arboreal predators were excellent at sifting through oodles of information. Weaponized knowledge was among their primary fortes.
“Prepare the projector,” I ordered Kaisal. “Go on. Olek, Lisa, any Dominion movement on the ship tracker?”
Olek leaned closer to the sensors readout. “No Arxur vessels within five light-years of the habitat. I see a sizable contingent of Federation craft, which seem to be on a sweeping patrol.”
“From the faint trails we can pick up, and known identifiers, those ships look to be Kolshian. That might be what Zhao is informing you of. Earth was due to launch operations against them any day. The bastards could just be on high alert, or moving in on another UN ally, like they did the Dossur.”
“Do you have any thoughts, Kaisal? We welcome your input,” I prompted.
Kaisal kept his controlled pupils on the screen. “I think the Kolshians deserve to die, for what they did to us. They’re the party behind our starvation. They’re here. We should kill them.”
“Prophet-Descendant Giznel told me that the Commonwealth conceals their true strength. We are in a vulnerable position. We must exercise caution.”
“After the…animal you keep with you, it would be a way to prove you’re not with the Federation. They’re our enemy as much as the Dominion.”
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
“What Isif is saying is that we should win one battle first before taking on another,” Felra chimed in.
“Nobody asked for prey’s opinion.”
“You will not speak to her like that!” I roared, blowing Lisa’s hair out of her face from the force of my exhale. “NEVER AGAIN!”
“I said…I would tolerate it. I’ve done that, but no amount of food, or threats, can push me further. Do we have a problem, Isif?”
“No. Do not address Felra at all, if you cannot be polite. Brief me on Zhao’s message, now.”
Kaisal swallowed, a lump passing down his throat. He transferred the contents onto the holoprojector, and allowed us to read at our own pace. The Secretary-General informed us that these were intercepted messages sent between the Kolshian Commonwealth’s Office of the Chieftain, and the Arxur Dominion’s Betterment office. That was enough to cause me to narrow my eyes in confusion. Since when did those two parties directly communicate?
Prophet-Descendant Giznel stated that their agreement was unspoken. Perhaps that wasn’t the whole truth, or they’re trying to establish backchannels for some reason.
The scrawny Arxur wagged a claw. “Should I play the video logs?”
“Yes,” I growled.
Kaisal clicked on the video clip, which showed an indigo Kolshian initiating the conversation. Despite the wrinkles on his face, Nikonus had a way of scowling with his bulbous, side-facing eyes that made him look threatening. He folded his tentacles across his chest, and turned one pupil on the camera. There wasn’t a trace of fear, despite the fact that this was directed at Betterment. I wondered how the humans had gotten a hold of this footage, but there was rarely any explanation of their methods.
“The Dominion interfered with our operations at Mileau,” Nikonus stated in a cold voice. “Though we’ve never spoken, I thought there was an agreement between our offices. Explain yourselves, or you will face our unfettered wrath…as we are showing the humans.”
After several minutes of footage, which Zhao had scrubbed through in the package, Prophet-Descendant Giznel appeared on screen. I could tell from his locked teeth that he didn’t like speaking to an herbivore. It was remarkable that he would accept a direct invitation to parlay from the Kolshians; it was apparent Betterment did not want a war with the Commonwealth, if they’d go to such lengths. Nikonus must have reasons to wish for the Dominion’s continued existence as well.
A hiss emanated from Giznel’s throat. “As your control slips, ours does as well. That was an action of a rogue Chief Hunter, Isif, who apparently seeks to rebel against the Dominion. He thinks that he can rule all by himself. He’s blasting the tune of peace and satiety to anyone who will listen. The arrangement with Betterment still stands.”
“I see. Don’t get me wrong; we hate you, and I know you hate us,” Nikonus said. “The Kolshians grasp our moral imperative to fix the galaxy, but that is a centuries-long process…these humans have been a major setback. There are untapped worlds out there. We need one predator around, and the last thing I want is a fucking Arxur asking for peace! It makes you look good.”
“I know; it’s sickening. A fat, lazy Dominion without Betterment? The war must continue, for the sake of control. We’re trying to hunt Isif down, but he’s been elusive.”
“I will send ships to put an end to this sycophant. We always have a few tricks behind our tentacles. Just remember your role, and you can go about your merry raiding in peace.”
The Kolshian ended the transmission link, and the five of us sat in silence. Kaisal looked the most shocked of us all, seeing the Dominion’s highest levels openly cooperating with the Federation’s leader. I was floored that Nikonus would volunteer his forces to flush us out; with my past knowledge about their motives, it was easy to reconcile their actions. My push for peace was antithetical to their desire for a forever war, which conveniently depicted predators as mindless drones.
What would the other herbivores think, if this footage got out? Surely the United Nations could use this to garner more support; they were always looking for a propaganda angle. Lisa and Olek had returned their focus to the sensors screen. The humans were muttering to themselves about the Kolshian ships sweeping entire systems, meandering toward us. My maw jerked with realization, and I realized the Federation were seeking out an attack against my rebellion.
The habitat is cloaked, but the Kolshians seem to think that can’t stop them. Nikonus mentioned tricks, and even Giznel thought they were stronger than they let on. That they could beat us in a no-holds-barred fight.
Racking my brain for ideas, I transmitted orders to all patrollers and warships to be on stand-by for combat. The slow-moving habitat wouldn’t be able to outrun the Kolshians, who were a few light years out; it also would alert them to our presence definitively, and leave a clear trail, if we jumped out via FTL. I turned to Olek, and barked for him to dial up the Secretary-General in a hurry. The humans had sent us this intelligence, so they must have some idea of what we should do.
“Hello, Isif. I was expecting you might call.” Zhao’s form was visible on screen, as he rode in some antiquated airplane. A slight smirk was on his face, though I saw some signs of sleep deprivation which I’d noted in Elias Meier. “It surprised the United Nations as well, and I figured it would be critical intelligence to pass along to you.”
“It is—thank you. But the Kolshians are already coming for us. There’s thousands of ships rooting out any rebellion assets, drawing nearer to us. Escape isn’t a viable option, and I must be a critical asset for you to preserve, yes?! Please…you have to help, human,” I hissed.
A taut grimace crossed his face, though I knew that generals of his caliber only revealed as much emotion as they wanted to. It was a promising sign that Zhao would show his concern; however, what we needed was a commitment of ships to ward off the Kolshians. If Nikonus had the extraneous resources to devote to our demise, there was no telling how many total craft were under his control. I wouldn’t make the mistake of writing them off as a weak herbivore military.
“Humanity is engaged in many battles. Mileau is still an ongoing affair, with a bit of a stand-off ensuing. The Kolshians possess drone technology, which our nanodrones neutralized, yet we lack numbers to dismantle their fleet. They’re using biological weaponry against our ground assets, so those missions have been called off. Tell your Dossur friend we’re sorry it’s been a mixed bag, will you?” Zhao asked.
Felra skittered up to the camera lens. “I’m glad that you tried. We…I don’t want you to throw human lives away.”
“We did what we could, but it’s always my goal to stop senseless loss of life. I will do whatever is necessary to keep Earth and humanity safe. That’s my policy, to the day I draw my last breath. Anyhow, we also have a good chunk of ships forging ahead to Kolshian and Farsul territory, which should be a vicious fight. Tack on the defensive requisites and we’re short on ships to spare.”
“If you don’t help us, the rebellion ends today. You’re damning my species to extinction!” I spat.
Earth’s leader raised his hands placatingly. “Let me finish. I’m thinking aloud here. We must remain decidedly neutral at this time; we don’t want a fight with the Dominion. UN vessels will not fire upon Arxur craft. We’re already warring with one giant, and Giznel declaring war on us might bury us.”
“It’s not the Arxur. I don’t see any of ours in the count, and we can handle a few Dominion scouts.”
“Well, we’re at war with the Kolshians already, so they are fair game. It’s a poor example to let them go wherever they like and lash out, in our territory. The Harchen are a Terran protectorate. We didn’t let the Arxur have Fahl, so we sure won’t be letting the Federation get their tentacles on our space. We have the political cover.”
“So you’ll help?”
“I’ll help, but you’ll need to come to us. I don’t have assets within an hour’s travel. Warp your assets to the UN garrison at Fahl, and we’ll handle any Kolshians that follow you. To be clear, this is not an outward declaration of support. It’s a one-time pact.”
“Understood. Thank you, Mr. Secretary-General.”
Zhao dipped his head, and signed off the call. I told Kaisal to transmit the coordinates to the habitat’s forces, while encouraging them to make a rapid evacuation. A rendezvous with the UN fleet aided our chances, though I was still nervous about a large-scale battle. Such broad conflicts hadn’t been how our insurgency operated; we’d adopted the policy of quiet disruption, due to our lack of numbers. Felra tugged at my claws, which I yanked back.
Crazy Dossur. If she grabs those stabbing instruments and I don’t see her, her throat might end up like those gouged Kolshians back at her research station. It’s not like the humans’ weak fingers.
“What is your problem, rodent?” I snarled. “This is not the time—”
Felra pulled on my paw insistently. “I want you to know it’s going to be okay. And I want you to pick me up!”
I huffed in outright irritation, noticing the withering look on Kaisal’s face. My paw slid under her stomach, hoisting her on an express journey to my shoulder. Felra nuzzled against my chin, mere inches below where my serrated fangs showed. Perhaps it would’ve been better to leave her at Proxima Centauri, rather than suffer this constant embarrassment. I was the leader of a faction of apex predators, not some toy!
“Do you trust these humans not to attack you? It could be a trap,” Kaisal grumbled.
“It’s not. It’s not pure altruism either; it’s useful to them to keep us alive. They wouldn’t have bothered to support us at all if they wanted to kill us. We’re going to Fahl, and we’re going to fight…whatever good that may do.”
Lisa ran a hand through her hair. “Fahl. That’s where we were stationed before Mileau—it’s all come full circle. I hope the forces are ready to receive some Kolshians.”
“Chief Calamari’s gonna get a boot in his squid behind. Have some faith, Siffy,” Olek declared.
I heaved a weary sigh, and summoned a warship for myself. A good leader, in the Arxur tradition, commanded by example; we were supposed to be the most fearsome hunters alive. It wasn’t clear if that was still true, after my exposure to this inane Dossur, but I intended to do what I could at Fahl. The Kolshians wouldn’t put our rebellion to bed if I had anything to say about it.