The Nature of Predators - The New Arxur (3/10)

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Memory Transcription Subject: Raza, Arxur Collective Operative

Date [standardized human time]: August 19, 2154

Sleep hadn’t lessened my irritation at having a Nevok corporate spy forced onto my team. We were responsible for gathering critical intelligence, and eliminating dangerous enemy assets. This was a disgrace to our names. Isif’s deadline to report to the training hall to meet Hossat approached; I wasn’t convinced to not let this deranged prey befall an “accident” in the field. The damn herbivore complicated even the simplest matter of supplying our unit, given that he wouldn’t accept our rations. I stalked over to where I was forced to go, deciding that I would set the Nevok straight about getting in our way. Ilthiss had to be defeated in this war, so deserting the Collective wasn’t something I’d do—though I couldn’t vouch for Zefriss’ intent. He was right, that babysitting was beneath us.

Maybe I can scare some sense into this imbecile, so that he’ll go home of his own free will. How could Hossat ever help us, when my sources would balk or salivate at the sight of him? Besides, he’s every bit as uncivilized as those Betterment brutes! This isn’t a Nevok that’s worth talking to, the way I imagined it with alien diplomats.

My chest was still burning as I got my first look at Hossat, who had taken apart a gun to clean the mechanism; what, was he here to be our weapon polisher? That cream-colored fur would stick out amid stony grays, red clays, and forest greens alike, making it impossible to blend in among our darker colorations. He was meant for an arctic climate, not the fields of Sefturna. Having concave hooves on his hindlegs and paws on his forelegs made me imagine he’d slow us down; how clunky he seemed, for a biped! At least he looked unafraid around us, because I couldn’t bear that song and dance. The long, round ears on his head were relaxed with disinterest, though I knew he saw my entry with his peripheral vision. I was the first to arrive; Hysran and Zefriss had yet to show up.

It sickened me how other Arxur viewed the preyfolk. I’d never perceive any talking entity as food, but that didn’t mean I’d tempt fate in some vain effort to prove that we’d changed. Isif’s folly was bound to get this Nevok killed. At least the humans were predators that could command respect and defend themselves. This creature was only capable of attacking those who were completely unaware of his presence, or being used as bait to mask our escape! The more I stared at Hossat, the more I was working myself up into a Zefriss-like rage. I hoped I didn’t lose the sarcastic, extra-toed Arxur over this, seeing him driven from the Collective army for refusing orders that insulted us. He was a royal pain in the ass, but he was a good operative. One Zefriss was worth ten Hossats.

“Listen here,” I growled, slamming a paw on the table and tilting the alien’s chair ever so slightly. “Do you think that any Arxur would want you on their team?”

The Nevok slowly looked up with annoyance, like I was a fly buzzing in his face. “Do you think I care? Do you think I even want to be on a team, having to bow to the supreme intellect of fools? I don’t need you. I work alone.”

“You need us not to get fucking eaten walking around. We’re saddled with babysitting you. Wriss is no place for you to sit around and play with your guns. You can’t walk up and kill an Arxur with that!”

Hossat returned to cleaning his weapon, having the temerity to look bored. “Walk up? No, this is a last resort. Neurotoxins on an object they’re bound to touch, absorbed through the skin…more interesting. Death is so dull without a bit of mystery. There’s artistry, finesse, in the assassin’s craft, whereas you see a nail and only think hammer.”

“You sound just like fucking Betterment. There was a real art to their senseless cruelty and torture, and I suppose that’s why you want to be here.”

“I don’t derive joy from others suffering: common misconception. I’m merely indifferent to it. The way you feel about a branch snapping off in the wind.”

“A branch? You’re a sick, vile creature, Hossat. I suppose that’s the consideration you want me to give your life.”

“Of course. I am not reliant on your concern, gray, and you do not seem like you’ll be very useful.”

“Gray? You will address me as Operative Raza; I’m your commanding officer. This Collective may have become a joke because of you, but I won’t stomach insubordination.”

“I won’t address you as anything, because I see no need to address you at all. I’ll do things my way, you do things yours, and we can pretend the other doesn’t exist. I’ll complete the mission that’s assigned to me, frankly much more tactfully than you would otherwise. Now if that’s all, you can remove yourself from my immediate vicinity.”

I released a deafening roar in the Nevok’s face, which only led him to paw the spittle that’d landed on his fur with disgust. Seething at that bastard, I stalked over to a dummy and eviscerated it with my claws. If Hossat wanted me to pretend he didn’t exist, I’d be happy to oblige. Cosmos forbid that the first prey citizen of Wriss would be a friendly, social creature that’d actually be pleasant to talk to. That would get dangerously close to livening up our society. The guards outside this room had seen me report here, so I could leave now, couldn’t I? However, it suited me to wait and see if my companions arrived; I’d have to direct them to avoid this worthless piece of shit. Perhaps when he wasn’t looking, I could remove the firing pin from his gun—he had it coming with his disrespect.

Isif can’t expect me to put up with someone who won’t even acknowledge my orders. He didn’t tolerate Zefriss defying him, yet I’m supposed to take it? Why: because I’m weak and defective? I thought I was being trained for something more!

Hysran ambled into the hall; since the moon was climbing ever closer to its peak, that filled me with relief. “Here’s a new joke, Raza. Why does a Nevok spy worry about his bedsheets on a windy night?”

“Because he’s cold and heartless,” I sneered.

“No! Because he doesn’t want his cover blown.”

I groaned. “One of these days, Zefriss and I will catapult you into the sun.”

“You know you wanted to laugh. What about you, Hossat; do you like that joke?”

Hossat pinned his ears back, baring his teeth. “I didn’t think Arxur talked this much.”

“The ones that won’t eat you do. If you want us to watch your back, you should try being nicer. It doesn’t benefit you to be rude when we have to work together; why do you think I’m being festive with you? Come on. Tell us a bit about you.”

“I don’t sustain myself on your adulation. What makes you think I want to share anything about myself with the likes of you?”

Hysran laughed. “Spare me the act. Everyone likes to speak about themselves, and to have others’ admiration.”

“I don’t care what you think of me. Your admiration is not needed for access to resources or climbing the ladder; therefore, it is useless and of no import. I came here because it’s so tedious to tap-dance around emotions and society. Arxur life is the pursuit of true power—that is all I seek.”

“You seek for us to leave you alone. Satisfy our curiosity about Nevok culture, and we’ll let you disassemble your guns in silence. Sound fair?”

Hossat began fitting the pieces of his firearm together, as if he was trying to impart a threat with the action. I wasn’t sure why Hysran cared to know anything about this asshole, but decided not to suggest my disinterest; the Nevok speaking would give her material with which to craft jokes at his expense. I did have curiosity about Ittel’s culture, and what it was like to live there. Places that I’d never seen before had a certain mystique about them, and I supposed this was a way to engage in the study of a foreign people. Gleaning some diplomatic knowledge from this laughable affair might be the sole solace I could muster. The Nevok government didn’t have any repute with me, if they’d allow this sociopath to act on their behalf.

The same could be said of ours, I suppose, with Isif welcoming Hossat into our network. If we’re accepting these sort of mindsets again, we might as well just go back to the Betterment life.

I’d also noticed that moon has reached its highest point, and there was still no sign of Zefriss. Isif’s words about charging him with desertion still rang in my ears. The Chief Hunter wasn’t the type to make idle threats. I hoped that the snarky Arxur would show up with some kind of excuse, which might merit leniency from the most extreme punishment. It stung to imagine that he was just…gone. While his grumpiness might not have been the most endearing, we’d grown up together; we’d been through many harrowing missions alongside each other. I was so used to him questioning my decisions, which pointed out flaws and inconsistencies in my logic. I never thought he’d leave the Collective, because…as Isif noted, where else was an Arxur with polydactyly going to go?

“One question each, then you both leave me be,” Hossat growled.

I lashed my tail with disdain. “Who would a corporate spy infiltrate or kill, and how is that okay with your government and contemporaries—especially if you’re murdering your own people? Why?”

“I’m not certain that’s one question, but since it all reeks of the same naivety, I’ll allow it. We’re in a trading war with the Fissans, so disrupting their operations on foreign worlds was deemed in the public interest. I had great leeway on how to take out their agents, suspected operatives, and even third-party aliens sympathetic to their side. There’s only a few megacorporations on our planet, so it’s…rare that it’s against our own. Unless it’s a great technology that would threaten a monopoly. Hypercapitalism at its finest.”

“How does a prey society even adopt hypercapitalism? I can’t see how this isn’t considered predatory,” Hysran muttered.

“That’s your question, to be clear. To answer it, it’s the natural course of a system that’s end goal is to maximize profits at all costs. Those who have no moral boundaries have nothing preventing them from succeeding to their highest potential. It collects wealth and power in the paws of a few. If the Federation called controlling and manipulating the entire system predatory, that might require some self-awareness. They had little regard for life and limb, which I can respect.”

A snarl rumbled in my chest. “You respect the Federation that disregarded biology to inject us with a cure, allowed preyfolk to be kept as cattle just to have a threat to point at, and rendered herbivores weak through genocide if necessary?”

“They had a goal and were willing to do anything to achieve it. My greatest complaint with them is that their enforced ideology won’t allow others, like myself, to do the same.”

“You didn’t fully respond to what I said,” Hysran prodded. “How did the Federation justify hypercapitalism as not predatory?”

“They’re the ones who exacerbated the megacorporations, and called them one big herd. How could wanting to trade with other prey be predatory? They create goods that are needed through ingenuity; they’re the technology that makes the Federation spin! And so on. The Farsul’s ability to craft a narrative that suits their purpose was second to none. Now, that was plenty of words to satisfy your little minds: begone.”

I reached out with a paw, sweeping the parts of Hossat’s gun off the table and onto the floor. The Nevok fixed me with the iciest stare I’d ever seen, before picking up the pieces with murder still brewing in his pupils. My eyes turned toward the tall windows of the training hall; the moon had definitely progressed past the point where it would qualify as “overhead.” Zefriss was a no-show, despite Isif’s warning. Hysran’s worried glance told me she’d realized the same thing, and neither of us knew what to do about it. Should we try to fib to the Chief Hunter, and say our comrade had shown his face briefly? Had Zefriss left the palace without consulting us, since he knew he’d be charged with desertion? My alarm was elevated, as I saw Isif prowling up to the doorway toward us. He stopped just outside the threshold, eyes looking at something.

Is Isif telling a guard to put out a notice for Zefriss’ arrest? Forget the mission: if he’s captured, I’ll argue for him at his court-martial hearing. That’s more important than accompanying Hossat.

The Chief Hunter tilted his head. “Why are you lurking right beside the door frame?”

“If there’s one thing I’ve learned from Hysran, it’s the literal meaning of words,” Zefriss’ familiar voice was as sweet as warm blood in my mouth, coming from concealment behind the wall. “You said I had to go to the training hall, not go in. Here I am.”

“You are being purposely obtuse, is that not correct?”

“I did what you said. Given how coercive and degrading it is, don’t expect me to act happy.”

“Go into the training hall with your team. Step through the doorway. That is clear enough, yes?”

Defiance gleaming in his eyes, Zefriss stood in the doorway and inched both feet barely past the threshold. “Done.”

Isif raised himself to full height, moving his grizzled maw toward an unblinking Zefriss. “I tire of your obstinance; you’d do well to mind yourself. You will listen to this briefing, and you will not cause trouble. Am I understood?”

“Yes, you are understood.”

“I like this one,” Hossat decided. 

Hysran scoffed at the herbivore. “Really? Because he does not like you.”

The Chief Hunter scowled. “No more of this pettiness! It will cease, before you are sent on an important task. Your pay is received for your compliance, not as charity given for free, yes?”

“Of course, Your Victoriousness.” The Nevok took on a more disarming posture, and stood to demonstrate respect for the Chief Hunter. “It seems I’m most unwelcome here. These two have both gotten up in my face and attempted to intimidate me; Raza threw my weapon onto the floor, and there lie the pieces.”

“What? You lying pest! You antagonized me, and refused to show basic fucking respect.”

“Look who’s the angry one here, and it becomes clear who wants a quiet, efficient job. How can a Nevok be expected to know Arxur customs? Isif’s wisdom is why he’s tolerant and understanding, though it seems his subordinates haven’t come as far. I didn’t mean to cause any trouble, and while I’m of a mind not to feel fear, being assaulted is not ideal for my safety. Perhaps it’s best for the mission’s sake that I work alone.”

“Assault? That was not assault!” I roared. “You’re lucky I only touched your gun.”

“This is exactly what I mean. Her emotions run strong, Chief Hunter. All I ask is for my peace and privacy to be undisturbed. It’s a humble request for the benefit of all; you’ll find I’m low-maintenance. Simple pay for simple work. I truly don’t need any unwilling companions, so set me free. Let me prove my worth.”

“I doubt from what I’ve just seen whether Raza is worthy to lead this mission…” Isif’s eyes gleamed with interest; had he been swayed by this deceitful fiend? Hossat was trying to get me stripped of my command! “But I have no one better. If I should have to give another reprimand to any of these soldiers, it will be much less polite. You do not want a boring life, yes, Hossat? You wish for the thrill and pursuit of violence, as well as corporeal rewards?”

“I came here in pursuit of the raw, regal life and liberty—license not to close the door on violence, when it has its purposes for the self and for all. The Arxur have a unique strength, which I’d like to add my own aptitude to. So long as I’m compensated well, you can count on me to do anything you ask.”

Isif laughed. “Then consider this offer valid to all of you. Should you not only succeed in neutralizing the Sefturna Sniper, but also ensure that your whole team comes back alive, I will give you double the pay on the bounty. That means all four of you. An incentive to work together and protect each other, yes?”

“Double? That’s fair for being…situated with them. With how hazardous their company is, I’m glad you saw fit to make it worth my while.”

Zefriss glowered at the Nevok. “Double sounds like an underpayment, saddling us with such a useless creature. Keeping him alive for more than two seconds will be a job of its own.”

“Hrrr.” Is it worth it to get my normal pay, rather than see Hossat live to potentially be forced onto us for another mission? Just say you’ll do it, and you can decide how much selling your dignity is worth on the journey. “That amount is acceptable.”

Chief Hunter Isif chuckled. “I knew you’d come around, Raza. Your companions look up to you and will follow you, are you not aware? It seems the compensation will make this arrangement easier to digest for all of you. Now that you’re committed, your agreement and improved behavior is expected at once.”

“So I don’t get to vote at all?” Hysran protested.

“Hysran, you do not care who travels with you the way those two do. You’ll gamify this all, and it matters not so long as your group is together.”

“Jokes and games are not the same. Oh, Chief Hunter! I have a question for you.”

“There’s an important briefing to get to. We located the Sefturna Sniper; do you not wish to hear of this?”

“This will be fast. Why do pack hunters buy so much glue?”

“Probably like a Dossur mechanic I am familiar with, who has spoken of construction glue, wood glue, and useful items. It’s most resourceful.”

“Silly! They buy glue so they can stick together.”

Zefriss snarled. “My ears! Can I get a pay increase for dealing with her as well?”

“Seconded,” I grumbled.

“Come to think of it, I have to deal with three of them as compared to one, so we shouldn’t get the same pay buff…” Hossat ventured.

“You will do this mission, and appreciate my generosity for not lashing every one of you with my own tail, yes? I came here to send you out, as the orbital surveillance detected activity on the Kiznith side of Death’s Pass. You must reach Sefturna before they have arrived on that side. If this is truly the Sefturna Sniper, their activities must be stopped by any means necessary.”

“Perfect. It’s easier to work without restrictions and boxes; we’ll do excellent business together, Your Victoriousness,” the Nevok responded.

I pointed my tail at Hossat. “You want us to cross the same province we almost got killed in with him? Not to mention getting by the enemy patrols on the way to the Pass. His scent is a dead giveaway.”

“I have oils to mask my smell, though it seems your intelligence wouldn’t allow you to think of such a thing.”

“Well, that’s one of the senses down. What happens when they see you?” Zefriss spat.

“I’ll wear a nice gray, dark cloak that’ll blend it perfectly with the night sky.”

“That won’t blend in the day, when we often travel to avoid the bustle and foot traffic. You are a disruption to the very way we operate!”

The Nevok gave the snarky Arxur a look of exasperation. “If any of us are spotted in the day time, we’re fucked anyway; you think your extra digit will escape close inspection, any more than my face? We’re leaving now, right? There’s no time to waste, since Isif ordered us to catch the Sefturna Sniper. We should go.”

Isif lashed his tail. “Hossat is right. It shouldn’t fall on him to make the plans and find solutions to problems, when Raza was instructed to include him in her planning. Leaders should rise above the petty behavior I’ve heard described today. I thought she shared my goal of seeing relations with the rest of the galaxy improve.”

I bit my tongue, while Hossat looked pleased with himself. I do want to get along with the preyfolk proper, but this Nevok is anything but proper. If all of them were like him, I wouldn’t want any relations with them at all! Maybe that’s how they think about us…

“Do you not have anything to say for yourself?” The Chief Hunter prodded.

I narrowed my eyes, tail lashing with irritation. “Only that I have never felt less respected by you in my entire life: to believe the word of a sociopath over an operative I thought you had higher hopes for. We’ll be on our way.”

Beckoning to the squadmates I actually cared about, and not paying any mind whether Hossat followed, I stalked out of the training hall to head for Death’s Pass. It would be a difficult task to catch the Sefturna Sniper in time, with the amount of terrain we’d need to travel before they cleared us. Shuttles would take us to the edge of the province, but from there, we’d be sneaking through hostile territory during waking hours—with an alien that was the very definition of untrustworthy. If Isif truly wanted us to take out the deadliest shot ever known to Wriss, he had a funny way of showing it.

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A/N - 3! We meet Hossat, who is anything other than friendly to Raza and Hysran, but later paints himself as the victim when Isif arrives. The whole team does show up, though Zefriss indulges in malicious compliance…and Hysran pries for any details about Hossat. Siffy’s rebuke of the trio for their insolence and supposed mistreatment of the Nevok irks the team further. The Chief Hunter attempts to incentivize everyone by offering double pay if they all return alive, and affirms that the Sefturna Sniper is in Death’s Pass—the unhappy quarter are to go after the mystery sharpshooter at once.

How do you think Hossat will fare in the field on Wriss, and affect the team on a mental and physical level? Do you think this unit can be functional in the field? How do you feel about Isif’s decisions with the Nevok; has he shattered the team’s respect for him permanently?

As always, thank you for reading and supporting!