The Nature of Predators - Sovlin’s Capture (What If)

A/N – Here’s an original NOP AU where Sovlin didn’t torture Marcel, but instead follows a human ship to Earth and is captured after the battle we saw in the Arxur cattle world battle (which is the referenced Sirius-9 descriptor). Just a note that “First Strike” was my placeholder name for the Federation’s planned attack on Earth circa 1980 where they would’ve wiped us out. As always, thank you for reading and supporting, I hope you enjoy!

Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, Federation Fleet Command

Date [standardized human time]: March 7, 2137

The glow of artificial lighting was the first thing that met my eyes. I stared at the unfamiliar surroundings in confusion, trying to recall where I was. Someone had cocooned me in a downy blanket, which insulated me from the drafty room. The bed was wide enough for me to fit comfortably, but not more spacious than that. It was tucked in an alcove, as the floor space was taken by a table and plumbing fixtures.

My gaze drifted to a bowl of bright-red fruit on the table. It wasn’t any flora I recognized. Who could afford to import exotic foods, in these times? Had I partied a bit too hard with some politicians? Maybe that explained the pounding headache; it sure felt like a hangover.

Cautiously, I rolled out of bed. My paws connected with the tile floor, which was shined spotless. There was a glass of water on the table, and I lapped some down to quench my thirst. It tasted smooth and clean, fresher than the recycled stuff on our ship.

The ship…why wasn’t I on my ship? The last thing I remembered was the Federation’s briefing on Sirius-9. There had been a grand investigation into who defeated the Arxur, and every military general was called in to consult. Orders came in on my tablet, and—

The memories flooded back, and I doubled over in shock. I wanted to shove a paw down my throat and retch the water back up. Who knew what poisons were in that predator sludge?

It was strange that the predators had chosen non-lethal ammunition; the entire mission must have been designed around our capture. Why was I still alive? If the humans opted not to kill us, it meant that they had a more sinister fate in store for us. Perhaps their intentions involved enslavement, or fattening us up for slaughter?

The conditions weren’t as appalling as I expected from the lumbering beasts, though. By comparison, the Arxur kept their captives in squalor; a pen designed for five soldiers would be the size of my room’s bed. The reptiles had no qualms about piling us on top of each other and degrading our dignity.

Whatever the humans were playing at with this façade, it wasn’t going to earn my compliance. My sole objective was to force them to kill me.

From my peripheral vision, I saw the door creak open. I raised my claws in front of me, dropping into a defensive stance. The human that entered had an unkempt brown mane, and sand-colored flesh that looked quite vulnerable to stabbing. Its attire had a strange green-and-brown print; the color scheme looked like a tree threw up on it.

“Making yourself comfortable, I see.” The predator observed me with a calculating gaze. Its murky pupils were empty and soulless, boring into my skull with haunting effect. “We weren’t expecting a visit from the Federation.”

The human took a step toward the table, but I had no intentions of letting it draw closer. With the most ferocious snarl I could muster, I lunged at it. My claws swiped through the air, aiming for its hideous eyes. The primate sidestepped at the last moment, and muttered several curse words.

Before it could gather its senses, I picked up a red fruit and hurled it at the human. Perhaps if it was struck in the head, it would be stunned long enough for me to escape. However, the predator reacted quicker than I thought possible. Its clawless paw flashed up, and it caught the object without flinching.

“Anyhow…” The human studied the fruit for a moment, before tossing it back in the bowl. It maintained its distance though, which was a relief to me.  “I’m General Jones. You’re in the custody of the United States Space Force. What is the nature of your visit to Earth?”

“The nature is for you to go fuck yourself,” I spat.

Satisfaction sparked in my chest as the predator bared its teeth; my words had elicited the desired reaction. Vibrations rattled its throat, and I wondered if it was growling. My glee morphed to dismay as the translator told me that it was laughing.

“I’ll write that down as ‘First Strike’ then,” General Jones chuckled.

I flinched. “How do you know that phrase?”

“We know many things, Captain Sovlin.”

“Who told you my name?!”

“There’s a wonderful thing called reading. Full list of personnel on the ship computer.”

“You have no right setting your mangy paws on my ship!”

“I don’t think it’s your ship anymore.”

“You’re so fucked, predator, and you don’t even know it. You attacked a Federation vessel without provocation. When we don’t return, they will come for you.”

“You trespassed in orbital range of Earth. The Federation was pretty explicit in their intent to eradicate us. We’re well within our rights to seize your ship.”

I scowled, not bothering to hide my disgust. “First Strike was exactly what you deserved. It’s just a shame we didn’t pull the trigger. Your history is as stained with blood as the Arxur’s. You are a cruel, violent species, because that’s what you evolved to be.”

“You can call us names, and compare us to the Arxur, all you want. It’s your people who would kill billions out of hatred and prejudice. You’ve been fighting them for so long that you’re becoming them. Tell me, how has humanity wronged you?”

“You kidnapped our civilians on Sirius-9.”

General Jones’ eyes narrowed to slits. I sensed that I’d finally struck a nerve; from the celebrations on their broadcast, the humans were very proud of subjugating our people.

“We rescued them, at the cost of a few hundred human lives. Not that you care,” the general muttered. “They’ve been given refugee status, until we figure out what to do with them.”

I slammed my paw on the table. “You’re lying. Do you think I’m fucking stupid?!”

“You don’t believe me? Well…you have a visitor. Perhaps you’ll believe her.”

The human walked out of the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts. There was no chance they were capable of charity. Predators’ actions were driven by the urge to dominate the world around them. If they had helped our people, it was for some perceived gain or nefarious end. Was their plan to use the captives as leverage against the Federation? What “visitor” was General Jones referencing, anyway?

“Meier, I’m fine. I don’t need an escort,” an insistent voice said, in close proximity to the door.

The accentuation and melodic dialect…it sounded identical to a Venlil’s cadence. But I didn’t have any Venlil as crew members, so they couldn’t be from my ship.

The response was a gruff, human voice. “I don’t want you to get hurt. General Jones says he’s violent.”

The Venlil scoffed. “To you. Sovlin won’t take a swing at me.”

The door to my cell clicked open again, and my eyes widened in disbelief. The newcomer was none other than Governor Tarva, encircled by a human posse. The primates lurked by the entryway, guarding her escape route. How in the stars had the predators captured a planetary leader? And why would they bring her to see me?!

Tarva settled at the table, gesturing for me to join her. The Venlil lacked any visible wounds, but that didn’t preclude the possibility of mental torture. We hadn’t parted on the best terms, but that was water under the bridge now. Whatever knowledge she gleaned could be essential to plotting an escape, and discovering what had become of my crew.

“We meet again, Captain. How are you holding up?” the Governor asked.

I inched forward, eyeing her with concern. “I’m still fighting. Yourself?”

“I’m wonderful. I knew the humans wouldn’t hurt you, but it’s good to see for myself.”

“What do you mean…you knew they wouldn’t hurt me?!”

“They have rules, Sovlin. My trip to Earth has taught me a lot about human customs. They’re an interesting species. You would like them, if you gave them a chance.”

I squinted at her in bewilderment. Tarva spoke as if she was on this blasted rock by choice, not through any hostage situation. Come to think of it, her words were casual and unaffected while speaking to this “Meier” entity. Why was her assessment of the humans so generous? How did she get here? There had to be something I was missing.

My mind drifted back to the distress signal incident, half a cycle ago. Tarva’s actions were seemingly devoid of logic, and her explanation was lacking in detail. Why was she so dead set against us taking subspace readings, unless she was hiding something? Threatening to shoot a ship out of orbit over measurements was absurd! I wrote it off as war-induced psychosis, but…

“You set off that signal because of them. The humans,” I stated.

Tarva flicked her ears in agreement. “A science vessel made contact with us, Sovlin. After speaking with them, I couldn’t let you chase their trail to Earth.”

“How…how could you betray the Federation?” I hissed. “You chose the lives of a few predators, over all of ours?! The Venlil people should feed you to them!”

“The humans have been the best friends we could ask for. I’d make the same choice a thousand times over. We can all co-exist, you know.”

“No, we cannot. They are monsters. Have you seen their history?”

“Nuclear weapons, genocide, conquest. Wars that killed millions. Am I missing anything?”

I recoiled in horror. “How can you say that like it’s nothing?! What have they done to you?”

“It bothers me, Sovlin. It’s not what I wanted to hear. The degree of violence, not the accusation itself, is what floored me. They seem so…civilized when they speak to us. But I think we should at least try to understand why.”

“Why is murder understandable, Tarva? I can’t wait to hear this.”

“It has to do with their evolution. We evolved to avoid threats. When faced with danger, your instinct is to hide and find safety, right?”

“Yes.”

“Their evolution was different. Radically so. Their ancestors found a way to kill, or outsmart their predators. They’re not shy of fighting for their survival, and tackling danger head on.”

“What does that have to do with genocide?”

“It all stems back to the way they deal with threats. Human instinct is to solve problems through violence, and to lash out when they feel angry. Look, they’ve done terrible things, but that isn’t who they are. They mean to be good.”

A long silence presided over us, as I couldn’t begin to formulate a reply. The admission that humans evolved to be killers, detached from logic and empathy, wasn’t exactly winning my heart. How could we work with a species that’s first thought was violence? How could we trust them not to endanger the galaxy? It was miraculous that they achieved a functioning society at all.

“Mean to be good,” I sneered. “Oh, we mowed down a few million here and there, but we didn’t mean to! Just a little accident. You know how that happens.”

“Don’t mock me! The humans learned from their mistakes, and that is what matters. The Federation needs to forgive them for their past.”

“Absolutely not. Pick a side.”

“I have picked a side.”

“You’ve lost it, Tarva. May the Protector save your soul…because I cannot. Get out of my sight. And if I ever see you again, I will take a swing at you.”

The Venlil gave an unimpressed wiggle of her ears, and departed from the table without any further argument—leaving me to wonder how these hideous predators ever could have duped her so thoroughly.