The Nature of Predators - The New Arxur (9/10)

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Memory Transcription Subject: Raza, Arxur Collective Operative

Date [standardized human time]: August 20, 2154

The journey back to Collective territory was devoid of issues, thanks to the Arxur truck that camouflaged us as one of theirs. There were a great deal of military vehicles cruising around, with the chaos that we’d wrought throughout Sefturna. So long as we kept Casey and Hossat out of sight, we’d blend in with any of Ilthiss’ men trying to rein in order. The bridge guards didn’t give us a second glance; their numbers were fewer than they would’ve been before our charges lit up the central pathway. The Nevok wiping out an entire camp with neurotoxins resulted in even more soldiers being recalled from the front lines. Based on the radio chatter I overheard through the truck’s audio system, they thought their province was under attack. 

Tless burning, a bridge being taken and blown to bits, an entire camp dead via some chemical weapons. Ilthiss rerouted dozens of tanks to secure the province—they think we’re an army! We’re also bringing back a truck that has ears into their communications. Imagine what we’d be capable of if we set out to disrupt Betterment operations!

My first glimpse of Collective territory was through binoculars. Ilthiss’ tanks had run roughshod into border mines, and with their mounted turrets being generations behind our roaring, double-barrel cannons, they’d been outmatched by ours. Without the intended numbers to overrun our sentries, the last remaining hostiles had surrendered. A great humiliation for the insurrectionist troops; while Arxur had the concept, submission was only a path taken in the face of certain death. It was a clear-cut admission that one had been bested, and was weaker than the opposite party. That, coupled with explaining who Casey was, and how much stronger Isif’s military had been—or even that a team of four had generated such havoc against an entire province—would give us ample fuel. I was almost certain the civil war was over in all but name.

It was a great relief, to have certainty that I’d made the right decision in pursuing the Sefturna Sniper, rather than turning back to warn my people about the incoming advance. I knew they could handle whatever the backward fools threw at them, and that our Chief Hunter was as seasoned in warfare as any Arxur; how anyone could call such a proven commander weak was beyond me. Ilthiss himself was maimed to this day from a tliskis duel with Isif. What we’d proven out there was that our team could never be called incapable again, despite being defectives. I would’ve never imagined that our deeds could aid Collective forces in pushing back a wall of tanks—ripple effects that stretched beyond our intended task. There had been a fierce pride burning in my chest, as I radioed our patrols to inform them who we were.

The Chief Hunter waited for us back at his command palace, particularly intrigued after learning a Terran mercenary was behind the fantastical kills. The Nevok assassin had been keen to know what point he’d be paid at, and whether there was a bonus for bringing the target alive; Casey and Hossat had different personalities, but I thought they were made from the same cutlet. I had a grudging amount of respect for the herbivorous sociopath. We couldn’t have done this without him. Even Zefriss’ doubts, about both the weakness of prey and the predatory abilities of humans, seemed quelled. My lingering misgiving was that Isif didn’t respect me or my leadership abilities.

“Why did Hossat climb faster than Casey? Because he sniped her!” Hysran cackled.

The human gave a weary sigh. “Is that even a joke at all? I wasn’t expecting wall-running. Nevoks on Wriss: hell must’ve frozen over. Whatever you’re paying him, I promise I’m more versatile for the same money.”

“Who said that we will be paying you anything?” came the raspy question, as Isif emerged from his skeleton throne. “Take the human below, to the prison cells. Let’s see if the darkness suits her, yes?”

“Sir, I could explain what I have to offer. I’m an asset to any team. I can be useful!”

“Yes, you will be useful. Down there, reminding the other mercenaries not to pick the wrong side.”

Hossat waited until the primate was hauled away, before perking his ears intently. “Chief Hunter, what of the mercenaries that did pick your side? I endured a great deal of suffering and took many risks to bring the Terran here. She was an unforeseen complication. That’s without mentioning that we took every possible opportunity along the way to deal with the enemy.”

“Your exploits have reached my ears. I am also aware that Raza and Zefriss were none too pleased by your addition to their team. Before I determine what rewards to mete out, I should be curious to hear what they have to say of your contributions.”

“The Nevok did not slow us down. His strategies were sounder than I would’ve expected: more courageous than a flighty creature should be. In fact, he…” Zefriss narrowed his eyes with reluctance, lashing the tail that had mostly healed from its gunshot wound. “…impressed me. Unlike Hysran’s jokes.”

“That’s a surprising change of heart from you. As for what I think…” I turned my pupils toward the Nevok for a long moment; his purposeful humiliation of me in front of Isif was still fresh in mind. I would never like the prey sophont. Yet I asked myself, what would a leader do, when served an opportunity for pettiness? “We couldn’t have done the mission without Hossat, sir. His skillset was the key factor in allowing us to instill so much chaos within the province. His ingenuity merits praise. He is the one who stopped the Sefturna Sniper’s escape, where we couldn’t have.”

Hossat pinned his ears back with surprise. “Yes, that’s correct. I’m worth keeping in your employment, Chief Hunter.”

“He’s halfway decent. Don’t send him to share a cell with Casey yet,” Hysran snickered.

“Very well. I am glad that you have learned to work together, yes? You each shall receive two times the standard pay, and a discretionary bonus on top of that for the magnitude of what you’ve accomplished. It will be nice to have this team available in the future.”

More time road tripping with Hossat. I can’t deny his efficacy, but I’m not looking forward to dealing with his winning personality on every mission. My authority will always be eroded with him around.

The Nevok cleared his throat. “If I may, I’m always happy to take solo missions. My best work is alone.”

“I have taken that under advisement, though I do not intend to heed your wish at this time,” Isif growled. “Zefriss, Hossat, and Hysran, you are dismissed. Raza, might we have a word in private?”

“I’d like that, Chief Hunter. I was hoping for some explanations about how we left things off.”

My teammates slunk out of the throne room where this mission had started, with Hossat going his own way. Zefriss acted like he was ignoring Hysran, yet there he was, still walking alongside her and showing his irritation at regular intervals—despite being off the clock. The snarky male could’ve had his solitude if he actually minded her comedy routines; I was onto him. That was what made our unit the best of the best: that we cared for each other. Despite Hossat’s contributions in the field, the Nevok would never bring that most important factor to the table. Why had the Chief Hunter not respected his defective squad? There was a sacred trust that had been broken, as I thought we were special to him. 

Does Isif not believe that I can be more than a simple squad leader? Maybe it was my arrogance that had me thinking that he was honing my skills for statesmanship, and saw me as a potential successor for Kaisal’s role. I didn’t think I was a tool.

“Sir, I didn’t feel respected by you in the slightest. It didn’t seem like it mattered at all how we felt, or what we wished for,” I remarked. “We’ve done everything you asked and been loyal to the Collective; you had our gratitude for saving our lives. Why punish us after our success? I thought you might’ve…rewarded my leadership, but I guess I never had any potential to you.”

The Chief Hunter offered a sharp hiss. “Raza, I placed Hossat on your team as a test to see if you could handle more diplomatic tasks.”

“What?! You think he’s a shining example of a Nevok?”

“That’s not the point. If you are to represent the Collective to the rest of the galaxy, you will have to take orders you may not wish to, so that peace can be maintained. You must also bear great insults and rudeness—as the prey species will spit in your face and hold your life with just as little value as that sociopath. They will want nothing to do with you, yet you must be unflinching and unphased, yes?”

I blinked in surprise. “Sir? You mean this was all…what? A way to see if I could keep my cool, in the face of adversity?”

“Hrrr, yes. You are a good leader, Raza, and can be quite clever. I appreciate your more sentimental side, but some of your emotions can be a hindrance to your judgment. You have a temper, and I must trust that a diplomat will not further our sordid reputation. I had to see, would your anger and personal feelings inhibit you from completing the mission?”

“It did not, Your Victoriousness. I’d say we did exceedingly well.”

“Better than I could’ve hoped, it is so. It will not be easy to make the prey accept us, but we do have some tools in our hunting satchel now. Casey Brenner in our custody, Hossat making a living among the Arxur: and you had a paw in all of this. You sought a reward, Raza, so here it is. Do you wish to be placed into a diplomatic occupation?”

“I would, sir!” I exclaimed, elation bubbling in my chest. Exploring new places and meeting properly social aliens sounded like a treat. This was what I had always dreamed of, yet it would mean that I’d be parted from my friends. “But…what about my team?”

“I was going to put Zefriss in charge. He always questions you, yes? If he has his own plans, let him try them out. While I don’t trust Hossat, he’ll be a good strategist to counterbalance Zefriss; the Nevok has clever ideas as well.”

“And Hysran?”

“What of her? Someone on that team must not be dour. She works well with Zefriss and will advise him when it matters. They’ll all be fine, and you can still visit them. It won’t be that far between here and the human embassy.”

Human embassy? I’m getting paired with the social predators, who might actually be friendly toward us? That’s perfect! I always was interested in their species, and Casey excluded, I’d love to be more like them. They run the galaxy: that’s as important of an assignment as I’ll get from Isif!

“The humans? You mean it, sir?” I asked, shock radiating through my voice.

Isif lashed his tail. “I do. We need a proper emissary to send to their embassy, and remain in regular contact with them. You’ll be making regular trips to visit, including for your initial meeting with Ambassador Flynn tomorrow; he’s supposed to be a rather ‘predatory’ human, to impress us. Hunting, special forces training, some killing spree during the war. Do not let this fool you, he is as soft and sociable as any of them.”

“Zefriss warned me. This Terran sounds rather curious to me; I’m sure he has interesting stories to tell. And I, for one, think it’s refreshing to have a person who can embrace predatory pastimes while still caring for others. Both personality aspects can be true.”

“Especially for a pack species. They do not believe in defectiveness or infirmity in emotions. In this, we could afford to learn from them. And we definitely wish to be on Earth’s good side, correct, Ambassador Raza?”

I ducked my head. “Absolutely! I won’t let you down. I’ll do everything I can to improve our relations with Earth, and I’ll be ready tomorrow; you can count on me!”

“This I believe. Why don’t you go and tell your friends the good news? I suspect they’ll be happy for you—and this way, Hysran will have a day to come up with ambassador jokes.”

“Do we want to give her time for that?” I groaned.

“Let her have a little fun. She has a point; we Arxur could afford to practice the concept a bit more.”

“I agree, sir. Thank you so much for this wonderful, delightful chance!”

“You’re welcome, Raza. In many ways, I consider you as my own child. We may not always share the exact same vision, but I do hope that you succeed in all of your dreams. And I will always be proud of you.”

“That means the world to me. I’ve learned everything from you. Everything.”

The Chief Hunter lashed his tail in acknowledgment, before giving a wave of his grizzled snout that encouraged me to leave. My mind buzzed with thoughts of what my new life as an emissary would be like; this was a budding career field, Arxur engaging in diplomacy with aliens! Much like Ambassador Flynn had converted his special ops training into a diplomatic career, I was going to take my knowledge as an operative into our interplanetary relations. We might have a lot in common, and I could see what a social civilization was like up-close-and personal. It was strange to be parting ways from my friends, yet I had faith that they would find success in my absence. We’d still spend time together at the palace.

I had a great deal of newfound hope for the future, on the personal and the macroscopic levels. The mission to capture the Sefturna Sniper, and the unwanted addition to our team, had been Isif’s final test before giving me the promotion I always wanted. After hearing his rationale, I could understand that Hossat was preparation for the unpleasantness I might face when interacting with the Sapient Coalition. No amount of hostility was going to deter me from reaching out on behalf of my government. The new, reformed Arxur were going to find acceptance in the galaxy one day, and I was overjoyed to be playing an instrumental part in shaping that future.

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A/N - Part 9! Raza’s team disrupted Sefturna enough that it affected the course of the tank invasion, as Ilthiss recalled troops thinking he was under attack…and suffered a humiliating defeat that has ended the war in all but name, especially with the new propaganda victories. Casey gets thrown in a deep, dark hole, and to Hossat’s surprise, he gets a nod from his Arxur teammates. The operatives learning to work with our Nevok assassin pleases Isif, who tells Raza this was a test to see if she was ready to take a diplomatic role. Our narrator is appointed as a liaison to the human embassy.

What do you think about Raza’s growth as a leader, deciding to commend Hossat? Will she be a good diplomat, and did she earn that promotion in her eyes? How do you feel about Isif’s given reasons for why the test with the Nevok was necessary, as well as his fatherly sentiments toward our narrator? How will Zefriss fare as the squad’s new leader?

As always, thank you for reading and supporting! The main chapter might be delayed to Friday, due to hurricane conditions/potential loss of internet. I’m afraid it’s not ready to preload yet and I’d rather ensure it’s polished and finished than meet Thursday at all costs. My apologies for any inconvenience caused if it’s moved to Friday!