Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, Federation Fleet Command

Date [standardized aurigan time]: Heather 5, 1 AA

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For two days me and my bridge crew were stuffed inside the holding cells of the predators, guarded by horned giants with axes, no doubt a slave race in servitude of the furless mezari.

At the end of our journey they shuffled all of us out of the ship and out in public, where a crowd of venlil waited, shouting insults and accusations at us, that we were somehow the villains, wanting to attack their world. Pathetic, blind fools! We were trying to rescue them!

Now I was sitting in a venlil prison, waiting for my impending slaughter.

I was stirred from my thoughts by the viweing area door opening and a venlil guard announcing that I had a visitor. Looking up I could not believe my eyes, it was Recel, with Tarva by his side.

"Governor Tarve, you're alive?" Was the first thing out of my mouth, choosing to ignore the treacherous Recel.

"No thanks to you, Captain Sovlin. Your people were planning to attack my planet."

"Only to save you from the predators!" I retorted, feeling the anger welling up in my chest. How dare she not see that it was for her own good!?

"While your concern is appreciated, we do not require saving, especially not at the barrel of a gun." The unusually calm Tarva responded. No doubt she had been coached to say that, or worse. What had they done to her to control her like that?

"How dare you! We both lost children to the Arxur! You know what monsters predators are. How can you trust these newcomers and their slaves?" I responded, hoping to get her to admit the truth.

Tarva seemed to puff up at that, her fur standing on end. "How dare I? How dare you, sir? Just because I'm a public figure doesn't mean you have any right to mention my daughter like that. You are going on trial in the morning, for conspiracy against the Venlil people and attempt to violate our sovereignty. Recel, you have five minutes with him. That's all I'll allow him."

My former companion nodded, as Tarva turned around and stormed off, using her tail to convey unkindness upon me. I then turned to the kolshian, staring at him in silence. Whatever he had to say, it was too late.

"Captain- I wish it hadn't come to this, but you must've known that attacking Venlil Prime was a terrible idea. It's not for us to interfere in another race's internal politics, and the mezari have herbivores amongst them. They have doctors, and pacifists, and religious leaders. They're true sapients just like us!"

After a few moments of biting my tongue, I spat in disgust. "What religion could flesh eaters have? The religion of blood and decay? You're being played, Recel! Please, let me out of here. It's not too late to abandon this foolishness."

"I'm not being played! I've seen their religious texts, translated by the venlil! They believe that the universe is a great orrery, and that the stars and planets are alive, guiding and shaping us all. They saw their home world as a living, loving mother, one that'd been ravaged by false gods, beings the call The Endless. When their planet died they wept! They still mourn the loss with ever passing day."

"And how do you know these texts weren't fabricated last week? Think, boy. Predators deceive. They're just playing a long con on you. Go down this road and soon enough you'll be like those brutes of theirs, guarding cattle from other species, like they guarded my crew on the way here."

Recel seemed conflicted, mulling my words over for a moment. "No, you're wrong, I've seen how they act, both with each other and other races. They're friendly people. The other prisoners aren't in some cattle pen, they're here, waiting trial, just like you." Recel pointed at me accusatively, and I had to resist huffing in discontent.

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"And what if you're wrong? What if they eat me tomorrow? Do you really want to risk that? Please, I took you under my wing, I taught you everything. Trust me on this. I beg you. Help me get out of here, and get me on a shuttle. That's all I ask for."

Looking down at the controls to my holding cell, Recel was clearly coming around. I just needed to convince him one last time. "And if I'm wrong, nobody gets harmed. But if I'm right... things will only get worse for everyone. Are you willing to risk everything?"

With a shaky breath, my first mate opened the door to my cell, right as the viweing area door opened as well. This was my only chance to escape, I had to take it. Grabbing Recel by the neck and stealing his sidearm, I pointed the gun to his head.

"Any sudden moves and I kill Recel!" I shouted, right as Tarva walked back into the room. Shock filled her face, and her tail stood up on end. Then the guards moved in behind her, axes at the ready. "I mean it, one more step and I'm killing Recel!"

"C-Captain." The kolshian managed to croak out, but I didn't have the heart to tell him that I was bluffing. This had to be convincing. So I squeezed his head into my shoulder a little harder. Not actually putting more pressure on his throat, but definitely making it look like I yanked hard.

"Sovlin, that's insane! Let the man go!" Tarva pleaded, her arms slowly raising as she motioned to the guards to stay out of this. "You don't need to do this."

"Too late, governor! This whole planet is infected with predator disease! I won't let you infect me too! I'm leaving, and Recel is my way out. Now take me to a shuttle, without the guards. Or else his blood is on your hands!"

I pushed the barrel of the pistol against Recel's squishy temple. Once we're out of here he'll understand. He must understand.

Taking a step back, Tarva looked to the guards with worry, clearly about to panic, before finally ordering them both to leave. "Go! Prepare a shuttle! I'm not letting him kill Recel!"

Sighing in relief for a brief moment, I moved closer to the door, still holding the pistol trained on Recel's head. "Now, move. You're in my way." I barked at Tarva, and she took another step back, into the hallway. "Take us to the shuttle. Remember. No sudden movements."

Using Recel as a meat shield, I stepped out of the observation room after Tarva, and followed her past the observation rooms of other cells, all containing various captured gojids, as well as other crew members from the failed bombing plan. I wanted to rescue all of them, but it would be too difficult to do now.

One of them caught my eye though, Zarn, the doctor that wanted to cure Slanek of his predator disease. "Open this one. He's coming with me too!" I said, stopping in front of Zarn's cell.

"Captain! Recel! You're alive!" Zarn seemed elated upon seeing me, standing up and moving to the cell window.

"That I am, doctor. And Recel here is going to need your services once we're off planet. But until then, he's my bargaining chip to getting out of here."

"Open it, Tarva. I'm taking the doctor with me." I then ordered again, aiming my pistol at the governor.

"Y-Yes, I heard you!" She responded in a panic, before pressing on the controls for Zarn's door.

"Ok, now move. And don't try anything. Doctor, keep an eye on her till we're out of here."

Making our way out of the prison, the wardens forced to let us pass on Tarva's orders, we stepped out into the courtyard, where we had a shuttle ready for us. It was Tarva's shuttle for official business, judging by the government markings. Not the most inconspicuous, but good enough.

"Alright, we're taking Recel with us, just so your crazy predator friends don't shoot us out of the sky. If anyone tries to stop us, I'm blowing his brains out." I reiterated one last time, before making my way to the shuttle, with Zarn in tow.

I let Zarn go in first, before stepping inside after him, walking backwards and using Recel as a meat shield just in case.

It turned out to not be enough though, as an arrow suddenly hit my shoulder, forcing me to let go of the kolshian. Falling backwards into the shuttle to avoid further fire, I used my remaining good hand to pull myself fully in. "Close the hatch! They shot me!" I managed to call to Zarn, who thankfully did as he was told.

"Sovlin, are you ok?" The doctor then rushed towards me, looking panicked.

"Do I look alright, doctor? I have a primitive projectile stuck in me!" I spat out, standing back up to my feet.

"I don't have time to patch you, we need to get off world before they catch us. Just try not to die."

"Hah. Very funny. I'll try." I said, walking over and sitting down in the pilot's chair. "Grab those controls there, and do as I say, hopefully they don't shoot us down, even without a hostage."

The doctor nodded and did as I said, and within second the shuttle took off, heading up into orbit. Its weak engines would take a while to get us anywhere, but it was the only way we had to get off this predator-infested rock.

Thankfully, they didn't shoot us down, but my shoulder still needed mending...