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The Nature of Predators - The New Arxur (6/10)
🕑 Added 2024-09-14 11:00:06 +0000 UTCMemory Transcription Subject: Raza, Arxur Collective Operative
Date [standardized human time]: August 19, 2154
The endless walking across the countryside was taking its toll on me, though having the destination in sight helped me to press on; the Kizniftor Mountains were visible on the horizon, dark triangles jutting up into the skyline. How did the Sefturna Sniper travel such long distances between provinces without growing weary? Death’s Pass represented a half-day of climbing at its quickest, which was part of the reason why it was so deadly. Exhaustion gnawed at every fiber of one’s body after the first hour, and it might kick in at a spot where there was no safe place to rest. The trek took precise steps and phenomenal grip strength, which must be another of the sniper’s supernatural talents. The more I considered the impossible nature of successfully crossing it a hundred times, the more certain it seemed that our mark had aid or a secret path to make it doable.
There would be no chasing the Sefturna Sniper if they retreated up that deadly pass, so we had to ensure they wouldn’t detect an ambush; the slightest scent might give us away. Hossat’s masking oils might wear off by then, which meant I should think of ways to ditch him as soon as we got across Rissana Canyon. With the sun throwing a few embers onto the horizon, we didn’t have much time before the white, rocky ground beneath our feet became both scalding and painfully reflective. I liked bright settings, but not to the point of having the glare of a star bounced into my sensitive pupils. Using my binoculars, I’d scoped out all three bridges that cleared the chasm; Ilthiss’ soldiers had them all locked down on both sides. My best idea was to go in guns blazing, and make a run for the truck on the side of the central, hourglass-shaped connector.
“What’s your fantastic plan, Raza?” Hossat seemed to have his own periscope, designed for his lousy side-facing vision. “Use more grenades as a supposed distraction? You don’t seem like the original type.”
I growled at the Nevok. “There’s no way around it. The central of the three is the least-guarded, so we need to try to shoot our way across. Maybe we lure and ambush a lone soldier, try to use them as a shield…”
The prey animal had the gall to burst out laughing. “That’s a terrible idea! There’s a dozen men on each side of the bridge, and you think one meat shield is going to cut it? This is…did Isif train his operatives at all?”
“That’s enough of your disrespect! I am the leader of this team, and my decisions are final. The odds are against us, but there is no choice. The only other way around the canyon is to climb down, then scale the other fucking side; we don’t have time for that. Are you scared, Hossat?”
“Scared of your incompetence? Most definitely.”
“I’ll rip you to pieces myself! Try me one more time, you fucking asshole.”
Zefriss narrowed his eyes, before gesturing toward Hossat. “I’d like to hear his plan. He had the right idea back at Tless. Getting gunned down in a hopeless fight isn’t a plan; it’s suicide. There’s no version of Raza’s idea where we all make it out alive—we’d be lucky if any of us survived.”
“Traitor! Hossat doesn’t know shit about our planet! And his plans: he got caught at his old job, didn’t he? That’s his record! You’ve done just fine for yourself under me. Who taught you survival skills, when we got stuck in Bristh Forest for a week? Who got through Cruelty’s Maw four times—no thanks to you questioning my every whim? Whose plan got the intel that found the Sefturna Sniper to even be here right now?”
Hysran shifted with discomfort. “Raza…you agreed this plan is a longshot. I know you don’t want to lose any operatives unnecessarily. What’s the harm in hearing whether Hossat has an alternative, and comparing it to our dismal prospects?”
“This…this is a mutiny. And for him. That awful Nevok! Really, Hysran?”
“I don’t like Hossat, but if he helps us make it through, then that’s not very relevant.”
“Relevant. What’s relevant, that I said and nobody fucking addressed, is that Hossat’s incompetence is proven! Sniveling preyfolk caught his murders, and if that doesn’t prove he’s sloppy…”
“Hrrr. I would like to hear what happened there, so I can know what his blindspots are before I listen to what he says,” Zefriss commented. “Why did your last ‘great plan’ unravel, Hossat?”
“I was sold out by someone I worked with—they were paid an executive’s ransom for the info of where and when I’d strike. That’s why I should work alone,” the Nevok snapped. “People aren’t worth the risks they pose. Why bother to be charming when that consideration overlooked one key variable? They’ll stab you as soon as it’s in their own self-interest.”
Hysran thrashed her head with excitement. “Why did the Nevok banker charge himself a high loan rate? For self-interest!”
“Hossat is awful, like Raza said, but your jokes are worse than anything he’s done. Shame on you,” Zefriss hissed.
“Is nobody going to even acknowledge what I just said?” Hossat’s voice was as low and charged as I’d ever heard from a prey animal. “I answered your stupid question.”
“Oh, I heard the answer, and I’m not that interested in hearing any elaboration.”
The Nevok looked disgruntled for a moment, before returning to his suave expression. “Right. Good, I mean. I don’t want to answer any more dumb questions, so don’t bring it up again.”
“Your plan?” Hysran prompted.
I sneered in contempt. “Are you stalling to think of one?”
“Of course not!” Hossat snarled. “Since it’s dawn, which is basically the equivalent of changing to night on Ittel, I imagine there’ll be a shift change soon. Even the perfect bloodlines of Betterment have to sleep. In that brief window, while there’s a shuffle and they’re not paying attention, we should be able to make a break for it.”
“‘Should?’ So what happens if they see us?”
“Hopefully, they don’t question it. We say that we were authorized to cross, perhaps something about an initiative to bring back sapient cattle when they see me. But that’ll break down when they radio to the other side to confirm. We pick them off at that point, and pray the silencers keep us silent enough.”
Zefriss’ eyes were skeptical. “Won’t they pursue us, as soon as they notice guards’ bodies on the other side?”
“I suppose so, but I’ll hotwire that vehicle and get us out. If possible, we’ll dump the bodies into the canyon so they’ll only be…missing from their post, not lying dead out in plain sight.”
“Hsss. At least this has more depth than Raza’s plan, which isn’t saying much.”
“Yeah! It’s like saying it has more depth than your personality, Zefriss,” Hysran cackled.
“My personality is fine and normal. You know what doesn’t have depth? Your jokes.”
“You know what does have depth? Your gut! How is your cholesterol looking?”
“Well, it’s higher than your comedy hopes, but that’s not saying much.”
“Enough!” I glowered at my two treacherous squadmates; neither of them had asked whether I approved Hossat’s plan. Did they think this was a democracy? “If I’m still giving any orders around here, why don’t we wait for that shift change in silence?”
“Seconded,” Hossat sighed. “We’ll only have a fractional window. We can’t afford to be distracted by your inane chatter.”
The cliffside was barren of vegetation for the most part, so we huddled behind a lone, shriveled shrub. It burned me that the Nevok’s plan had some semblance of logic to it, at least giving us a fighting chance. That was supposed to be my role, studying the battlefield and using the strategic mind I’d learned from tliskis. Hossat had discerned the enemy’s weakness without any issues and devised a course of action. Maybe this was why Chief Hunter Isif had assigned him here: to replace me. After all, my own squadmates, who I’d known and worked with for a decade…they were deferring to him over me, after a single evening traveling together! If my supposed friends wanted a sociopath in charge, who didn’t care for their lives and was the equivalent of old-school Betterment, then they could have their wish. This entire mission had been insult after insult.
I’ll never command the proper respect because I’m a defective; I’m lesser than a malevolent prey animal! Let’s hope this shift change comes soon, before the silence allows my thoughts of clawing Hossat to death to grow.
With the sun’s rays stretching further across the landscape, and bathing the white rock in a serene pink, Ilthiss’ personnel did begin to filter off toward their camp on the other side of the canyon. Their replacements would be coming from that direction soon, which meant we shouldn’t dawdle. While Betterment’s men got to snooze at the end of the evening, there was no slumber for us; operatives had to stay awake for long stretches. I was used to the feeling of mental exhaustion, since I always volunteered to keep vigil while Hysran and Zefriss rested. Staying awake had been so brutal at times, but that was another thing I did for them, without complaint, that had gone unappreciated. My eyelids felt heavy even now, though we still had a ways ahead of us. When we rested after the mission was complete, Hossat or Zefriss could keep watch. I was done.
Adrenaline should keep my blood pumping now, as we scurried over to the vacant bridge. Our team couldn’t advance too quickly, since Ilthiss’ guards were slinking off in lazy fashion. One errant footstep or pebble kicked ahead of us could make their heads snap around, and then, we’d be busted. I wished the hostile sentries weren’t taking their sweet time in departing, as we crouched by the truss that suspended the strangely-shaped bridge. The Arxur did clear the path across for a brief moment, though that was where Hossat’s plan broke down; the vehicle he intended to hotwire was the one they hopped in, and sped off with. Of course, it was there to facilitate a return to their camp. Why would they walk? Our team made our way across, pausing then to search for a way out. There was no ride to speed off in, only more exposed, stony ground.
“Well, that’s just great! There’s no exit strategy now,” I growled.
Hossat ducked behind this side’s truss, as he heard the rumble of an engine. “Of course there is. They’re bringing another ride now. Adaptation is a necessity for any plan; what did you do when things changed last time you were in the field, Raza? Give up?”
“I would never! We can make a run for it, try to put some distance between us.”
“They will see us, and they have a truck,” Zefriss snapped. “Raza, you have been impulsive and exceptionally short-sighted since Hossat arrived. Try thinking without this pride and need to…upstage prey. What you’ve shown us hasn’t been flattering. Isif might’ve been right, when he doubted that you’re worthy to lead this mission.”
“How dare you? I’m not the one that was rude to this entire team, and lied to Isif from the first time we met him. Hossat is unworthy of even…being on our planet.”
“This isn’t the time!” Hysran shouted. “Where do we hide? Or are we shooting them? We could try to set an explosive charge under the truck, where the other one was parked…”
The Nevok pinned his ears back. “Assuming all of the dozens inside the vehicle were taken out of action, an explosion and a failure for any to check-in at their posts would result in Ilthiss’ camp sending five times their number to handle the mess. Plus, then we’d have no truck to escape.”
“So what do we do? We can’t hide here either, since they’ll see us crouching behind a fucking truss as they drive on in; they’re looking right at us,” I growled.
“That’s what the cliffs are for.”
Hossat shimmied down the canyon’s side in a flash, moving down tiny, precarious ledges with ease; I shuddered as I saw bits of loose dirt flake off into the abyss. It was a long way to fall, but the Nevok didn’t seem the least bit daunted. As an Arxur, with much bigger legs and poor balance, I wouldn’t dare to follow. We needed to stall, perhaps by hiding in plain sight once more. The prey creature was the most problematic one to be spotted, since passing off his presence as normal was impossible on any part of this world. Would these guards buy that we were fleeing Tless, just as ordinary Sefturna citizens? With all of the weapons we were carrying, that seemed unlikely; nevertheless, I didn’t dare to throw them down the cliffside. Instead, I ripped off Zefriss’ tote belt, and stuffed his accessory into the rations bag.
Our handguns did fit in there with ease, which meant we had to hope Betterment didn’t look inside. I slung the tote onto my back, trying to project confidence. Hysran shared a glance with me, before stuffing her charges inside the bag as well. For all of the Nevok’s bluster about being included in our plans, he’d only saved himself when shit went south; we couldn’t climb and he damn well knew it. My final allocation was to wrap Zefriss’ extra-toed paw in gauze, since it might make sense for a burn victim to have wrapped his own wound. It was the best I could do to hide his deformity. The vehicle crested into view, and the soldiers hopped out of the truck with guns pointed at us. I tried to present the strong, impassive front that Betterment mandated, not daring to flinch. Maybe I should’ve gone with Hysran’s plan of setting charges where the transport would be.
A duo forced us to kneel, while the other soldiers trudged on to their posts; the ones stationed on this side fanned out, keeping an eye on us. I trained my gaze straight ahead, and pretended not to notice the Arxur guard who’d strayed the farthest from our location. A paw reached up from the cliffside like a lightning strike, both pulling and stabbing at his ankle; the hostile tumbled down the canyon while screaming his head off. That diverted the sentries’ attention from us, as their maws twisted in that direction with suspicion. The two crowding us returned their gazes to us, after seeing nothing.
“Who are you? What was that?” came the raspy question.
I gestured to myself. “We are from the village of Tless, which burned down; its flames could push further. I despise that we had to approach together, but there’s one vehicle to use to travel away from the area—and it’s not advantageous to fight over it. Sefturna needs its citizens to stay alive, or those Collective weaklings will overrun us.”
“Why did I hear a scream? Did you see what happened?”
“I don’t pay much attention to other Arxur. It’s a true hunter’s duty to look out for oneself and no others. I imagine it was another burn victim from Tless, because there were many. This is said to be painful.”
The guard pointed at Zefriss. “His paw is burned?”
“It will heal. I will not be an infirm burden,” the male Arxur hissed in response. “Any challenge to my strength will be met with a refutation in the form of your takedown.”
“As if you could take me down.”
“I could and I will, if you won’t back away from a fight. I can take both of you at once—and then, I’ll take your vehicle and leave this overcrowded, bright, wretched place.”
What is Zefriss doing? That would be a way to get them to hand us the vehicle, since honor will demand they answer a challenge; he’s talking to them like weaklings. He’ll have to fight without that paw, and two-on-one—I should’ve volunteered, as the tliskis expert.
The guard snickered, gesturing to the other Arxur who was openly snarling. “Both of us? Fighting words, and stupid ones when I’m the warrior; and you’re the coward living in a toasty village.”
“You’re a real warrior, guarding a bridge from your own villagers. You must be Ilthiss’ champion,” Zefriss taunted.
“Get up! I’ll give you a permanent debility that leaves no doubt whether you need to be executed.”
“So I can strike you now? As you wish.”
Zefriss jumped upright, as the two guards threw their rifles to the ground; their eyes glowed with wicked delight, eager to teach this upstart a terminal lesson. The snarky Arxur waved his unbandaged paw, a gesture inviting his opponents to come closer. He’d backed his hindlegs to the canyon’s edge, which made me nervous that he might not know how close he was to falling. I eyed the rifles on the ground, and weighed whether to intervene. This wasn’t a winnable fight for Zefriss, yet he still beckoned to the two he was dueling—and laughed at their cowardice. The guards both charged with infuriated roars, and swung at him with reckless abandon. The male Arxur was nimble on his feet, ducking and diving out of the way.
I watched in amazement as the hostile duo failed to skid to a halt, finally noticing the massive dropoff. The wrathful swings had their body momentum hurtling forward, and gave them no opportunity to balance on the edge. The first one lurched over headlong, while the other teetered for a moment; he tried to dig into the smooth stone with his tail, but there was little foothold. Zefriss stepped in to give the guard a shove from behind, and I heard the caterwauling wails as the second of the bunch plummeted. Hossat pounced on the cover of that sound, and reached up to pull another wandering guard over the edge. One-third of the bunch were gone…but the remainder were angry about Zefriss’ “weakling” tactics. I dove for a dropped rifle, and Hysran followed my lead.
An unarmed Zefriss wrestled a gun away from the nearest guard before she reacted; the disarmed hostile shouted to her straying comrades in a panicked voice, as my male squadmate spun the barrel around and pumped lead into her chest. I opened fire on the other trio in close proximity, gunning them down in a heartbeat. A far-out guard whipped around to study the commotion. I noticed a cloaked Hossat pop back up from where he’d dangled by the cliff’s edge. The Nevok crept up behind the distracted foe and slit that enemy’s throat with the dagger he’d been using to stab ankles. The downed Arxur couldn’t make a sound that’d give the prey assassin away, while he gurgled from the red blood that seeped out in waves.
“Only four left on this side, but they’re about to get backup!” I shouted, right before Zefriss blasted an Arxur’s head clean off. “Make that three.”
One enemy soldier had gotten his rifle upright, and had it angled toward Hysran’s center of mass. By the time I voiced that split-second concern, I knew it would be too late; my own weapon wasn’t facing the right direction, and I felt like I was turning in slow motion. The lethal Arxur’s paw began to curl down on the trigger, as an oblivious Hysran took out a different grunt who had zero accuracy with their shots. Two left, but all it took was one good shooter to kill my best friend. My heart seized at the thought of losing the brightest personality on our team; I didn’t have the first aid necessary to handle it, if such a serious injury was meted out! Without explanation, the hostile’s barrel lurched downward, and he toppled over. It was then I could see the knife planted into the back of his skull, cleaving through his brain. Hossat retrieved the bloodied instrument, giddiness in his eyes.
The Nevok bastard is having fun with this! Sick fuck, but at least he saved Hysran’s life. The one good thing he ever did.
I gunned down the final enemy on this side, and caught a glimpse of the other dozen rushing back across the bridge. “Everyone good? More enemies inbound. Hossat, can you hotwire the truck?”
“Sure.” The Nevok stooped over the body he’d stabbed in the back of the skull, and unclipped keys from their holster. He deposited them in my paw with a smug expression. “Done.”
“What do we do about them?” Hysran demanded.
“Get the charges out of the bag!” I decided swiftly. “Line a few up here, and blow up the supports. It can collapse while they’re running across.”
Zefriss moved in to help without being asked, grabbing one with each paw; the bandages made that a bit unwieldy, but he managed. Hysran copied his lead, hastily spacing her two charges out. The snarky male slapped his down as well, and both primed their devices. I watched as they scampered backward, keeping low to avoid the hail of bullets from the enemy squad hurrying across the bridge. While the three of us sprawled out flat on the stone and covered our heads, I noticed Hossat watching with anticipation—like this was the best scene of his favorite movie. The Nevok was hanging back, seeming to have some weapon held under his cloak…just in case any made it over. That concern proved unnecessary, as the series of explosives ripped across our side.
Chunks of stone that connected the bridge to this side of the canyon were punched away; the blast left it stapled solely on the other side. More pieces crumbled and slanted downward in a chain reaction, which sent several soldiers sliding to their demise. Gravity’s tug was unraveling the entire structure, with the trusses collapsing. The few hostiles that managed to hold on scrabbled desperately, while the angle grew steeper—until it was a small island dangling vertically from the other side. Hossat’s eyes watched the final enemy that hadn’t been sucked downward, whose claws were digging into a crack. She held on for painstaking minutes, until her grip strength waned and her claws slipped. The Nevok seemed to be committing that moment to memory, before he marched over the vehicle.
“That was spectacular, but what happened to what I said about explosives? That it would lure in five times that number?” Hossat grumbled, hopping into the passenger seat.
I shot him a triumphant look. “I dealt with the immediate problem, as the leader of this team is supposed to. People coming after us were the least of our worries. We just have to get through the camps by Death’s Pass before whoever they send looking for us.”
“One more stop to go!” Hysran declared. “Then, we catch the sniper in their tracks.”
“That’s right. It’ll only be a short nap, but why don’t you guys get some rest on the ride to camp?” This is still my team, who I care about. I’ll watch out for them, because I’m not Hossat. I don’t just serve my own self-interest. “I want you rested and at your best before we face such a legendary killer. We only get one chance at this.”
Zefriss leaned his head against the window, as I began speeding away from the canyon. “Let’s worry about getting to Death’s Pass first. It’s bad luck to count our cattle before the raid; especially while Raza is driving.”
“You have a point, but maybe don’t use that idiom,” Hysran cackled.
“What do you mean, he has a point?” I hissed with irritation. “Get some rest, before I rescind my kindness and let one of you two drive.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
The commandeered truck hurried onward toward the mountains, which weren’t the distant shadows they used to be. We had one more encampment to get to before reaching the sniper, and there was hope that this mission would see completion. Whatever Zefriss had said earlier, I was determined to prove to Isif that I was more than worthy to lead his team; we’d been his best operatives for a reason. I wanted us to pull this off, for both the Collective’s sake and my own.
A/N - Not going to make a super long note since I’m on writing break right now, but hope you enjoyed seeing Hossat go full Metal Gear Solid and learning how he got caught. What do you think of his skillset? Will Raza get over her bruised ego after they looked to him for a plan?
As always, thank you for reading and supporting!
Comments
Assailant
Zefriss continues to be my favorite. They continue their MO of “being a Betterment Arxur in ideology and attitude, but with ‘prey-like’ actions that contradict that.” Always a good time.
Aerowarrier
Yo what if Hossat just straight up is the Sefturna Sniper and he decided to change to the winning side so he could keep getting money xD and the movement they saw on the mountain was those guy sending a team to find out what happened to him as he hasn’t checked in for a while
un_pogaz
It's possible indeed. It seems rather improbable because it would mean that Ilthiss would have agreed to work with inferior prey, which is absolutely not for him (where a human can always justify by being a "true sapient carnivore"). But at the same time, he's hypocritical and dishonest enough to do this. Such a revelation would be an even greater blow to Ilthiss's morale troups.
PhycoKrusk
Honestly, I'm starting to think the "failed assassination" is just a cover story. There's more and more pieces building the picture that the Seftuna Sniper is the actual Hossat, and that the Nevok with them has simply assumed his identity temporarily so he can get in and tie off a loose end.
PhycoKrusk
You're not the only one: Hossat even specifically states that he was sold out by someone he worked with; it would make perfect sense that the secondary reason he's there is for revenge. It would also make an equal amount of sense if Hossat isn't trying to run away from anything at all and that he's actually still in good standing with whatever organization he worked for, and that the _real_ reason he's there is because the Sniper is somebody's loose end. In that case, it would make sense for Isif to play along (assuming he would know the truth at all) because it gets rid of a serious strategic hurdle; the Seftuna Sniper. Why keep it a secret? Zeifriss and, unfortunately, Raza. Based on their past performances, if they knew that the Sniper was a Nevok, I feel like they wouldn't take the assignment seriously (of the three, I'm convinced that only Hysran is actually serious about anything), and _would_ be liabilities. Additionally, no Arxur really seems to haver bought into the idea that "prey are dangerous too." If you just tell them, no one will believe it, and any revelations thereafter are liable to be dusted away as a cover-up. You have to catch them in the action live, and then they'll start to believe it. And they _have_ to believe it, because if they don't, it's actually going to be harder for them to start reintegrating into the wider galaxy later (which we have of course already seen is the case, perhaps regardless of all this). Lastly, the Sniper is an extremely valuable recruitment tool for Ilthiss, in addition to being a powerful war asset. If it comes to light that Ilthiss has been hiring prey to fight for him, and has been keeping that secret, not only does that destroy his recruiting tool, it also destroys his entire platform, because if a Nevok has been outperforming hardened Arxur warriors like it was just another Tuesday, then what value is Betterment actually bringing to anybody? If prey traits not only don't stop one from being an effective killer, but in fact seem to make them better at it, then what good is Betterment? Anyways, thanks for attending my unglued TED Talk.
EliasArt2Life
“Raza, you have been impulsive and exceptionally short-sighted since Hossat arrived.” Her team’s not turning against her; they’re just recognizing that her feeling on the matter are making her judgements worse. She needs to recognize this in herself, sooner rather than later. I’m seeing a lot of people talking about how they think a human is the Sniper, I’ve already stated that I think the Sniper is another Nevok, and Hossat came here because of that. Did anyone else catch this; “Hossat shimmied down the canyon’s side in a flash, moving down tiny, precarious ledges with ease” It would seem that Nevoks are indeed suited to climb sheer cliff faces with no issue. And, once again, when made to talk about his “mistake”, he gave minimal information; talking in generalities, and keeping everything vague. Yeah. I think my theory is seeming more solid by the minute.
Elliott
Somehow I doubt the human merc theory, it seems like a red herring. Logically there's very very few humans who would work with them, and of that fewer still have any means of getting on-world, and Betterment definitely wouldn't be inviting them seeing how ideologically pure they are.
Elliott
He's masking and it's definitely his way of putting on armor over any perceived area of emotional weakness. He acts cold and distant because he likely did let his guard down before and trusted people. But getting betrayed so badly would only reinforce that sentiment in their mind that any kind of relationship or connection or gambled trust is foolish and dangerous. Hossat might not be a total psychopath like I thought initially, or atleast he has some vulnerability and cares what others think, especially ones he might subconsciously consider "close" to him.
takingday
Maybe a human who is against the SC, they could be tied to a human separatist group and the end goal could be a team up with the arxur or just so the arxur don't become friendly with the SC.
Gumcel
“People aren’t worth the risks they pose. Why bother to be charming when that consideration overlooked one key variable? They’ll stab you as soon as it’s in their own self-interest.” I mean that’s to be expected in the industry of assassinations and political intrigue. The surprising part is that it took him so long to figure this out. “‘Is nobody going to even acknowledge what I just said?’ Hossat’s voice was as low and charged as I’d ever heard from a prey animal. ‘I answered your stupid question.’ ‘Oh, I heard the answer, and I’m not that interested in hearing any elaboration.’ The Nevok looked disgruntled for a moment, before returning to his suave expression. ‘Right. Good, I mean. I don’t want to answer any more dumb questions, so don’t bring it up again.’” Is the literal assassin seriously trying to fish for sympathy about a failed assassination attempt💀bruh.
Gumcel
“Maya pressed a black device to her eyes, which seemed like an extension of her gaze. Judging by the two lens, I decided it was some kind of magnifying device.” From arxur miniseries 2/6, looks like the arxur finally know what binoculars are now. More English idioms and wordplay here again…When I saw “Bristh Forest” I actually thought it said British for a second. No, I will not drop this, it’s a conspiracy! There’s putting chemicals in the water to turn the aliens into anglophones! “Zefriss narrowed his eyes, before gesturing toward Hossat. ‘I’d like to hear his plan. He had the right idea back at Tless.’” His plan literally wouldn’t have worked if Raza hadn’t set the fire to begin with.
Bow-Tied Engineer
I'd disagree there. He seems firmly of the opinion that they are more liabilities than assets, I suspect that the only reason he hasn't just disposed of them is because he knows if he does Isif will be suspicious of that. He clearly thinks that Raza and Hysran are incompetent, though he might actually appreciate Zeifriss. And while I do agree that her anger has become mostly about him being more tactical than her, I do think that it was originally fueled by his sociopathy. She's really invested in the idea of a battle brothers type close knit unit of people who care about each other, and a sociopath doesn't fit into that mental image.
DemonVee
Maya is the Human soldier who Kaisel travelled with on the Cradle, she later kinda abandoned him when they arrived at a bombing shelter, leaving Kaisel understandably bitter and Maya guilt stricken as seen in the last cameo with her. People have been hoping for a reunion ever since the very first Arxur series, and... She was a sniper.
Schnitzelsemmel
Who is Maya again?
PhycoKrusk
I am intensely disappointed in Raza, because she's just Kaisal: Childish and petulant. Her anger and aggression towards Hossat have nothing to do with him being "prey", or even being a sociopath who reminds her of "old-Betterment". She is angry about him being there because he's a better tactician and strategist than she is, and poses a threat - whether real or perceived - to her authority as mission commander. She has built up this mythos in her head about how awesome she is, and Hossat is threatening that personal narrative because he is objectively better than her at this kind of work; Raza is the Crying Narwhal to Hossat's Venom Snake. Above all, however, Raza is wrong; Hossat will _not_ casually throw away the lives of those he is working with, because having those extra hands is making his job (at least to this point) objectively easier. Sociopathy and stupidity are not the same thing, and given that Hossat undoubtedly knows and understands (probably better than Raza, Hysran, and Zeifriss do) exactly how dangerous this assignment is, he's just going to just toss away assets. He may not be especially upset if they happen to die, and he might not put in a lot of effort to save them during the final confrontation with The End if they get wounded, but he's not going to devise plans that will throw them into the fire because they are objectively more useful to him alive than dead.
Sci-fi reader
That’s why you need small portable drones. DJI drones are used by both sides for this propose in UKR today. Drones will be smaller, more quiet, and better armed in over a hundred years. With directional audio sensors / radar, the sniper will get one maybe two shots before mortar / mini missile counter fire. Artillery / air strikes / mortar are the usual counter sniper weapons. Not as sexy as a counter sniper, but more realistic.
DDDragoni
Hossat saved Hysran, all crimes are forgiven. He is now permitted to be as rude as he likes. And love to see Zeffris pulling out the classic Looney Tunes tactics. Razaz though... even if her disdain for Hossat is coming from the opposite direction of how Betterment feel about herbivores, it's going to be a real problem if she doesn't start listening
Quiidek
That. Was. Awesome. Hossat definitely is a little psycho but a necessity for sure at this point. Seeing as he can get to those points that Raza and her crew can't.
Nachtmund
I think that instead of a Hossat equivalent, it could also be a genuine Human Space-Nazi. After WWII a couple of people who fought against the Nazis were swayed by the ideology, due to trauma and disillusionment with the Allies. Rockwell is an example. I imagine Earth now may have a small share of Human Betterment and Federation loyalists.
DemonVee
Human it is, maybe my jokes about it being Maya will pan out lol. Hossat's reaction was interesting after telling his story, like he's not "as" cold as he lets on, but acting out due to the betrayal.
DemonVee
Good ways to give away their positions to a legendary sniper, while the snipers position might be unclear.
REDemon14
That one comment about how someone could make the trip through the mountain is starting to make me think it could, in fact, be a human merc. Hossat getting literally sold out shouldn't surprise me. At least that's something he doesn't have to worry about here, since his team has their own reasons to not go to Betterment. Hysrans, you silly croc :D Raza's pride is starting to get to her. I fear it's gonna get someone hurt or killed before she learns her lesson. A leader doesn't just give orders, they also take suggestions and use all Intel and tools to the best of their abilities. The war wouldn't have been so devastating to the prey species if more were like Hossat. Happy to see everyone for our of this scuffle. Let's hope their luck keeps up.
Yonael Blackwood
Human Hossat equivalent.
Sci-fi reader
No portable drone for anti sniper work? Or mortar?
DreamEnvoy
The first paragraph does make the theory that the sniper is human seem plausible. One thing that keeps me from subscribing to said theory is the question of why would a human join Betterment. Raza's team has the right idea to at least want to hear Hossat out, but then Raza throws a hissy fit. How childish. “Raza, you have been impulsive and exceptionally short-sighted since Hossat arrived. Try thinking without this pride and need to…upstage prey. What you’ve shown us hasn’t been flattering. Isif might’ve been right, when he doubted that you’re worthy to lead this mission.” Zefriss is absolutely correct, but should be saying that when they're NOT in the middle of executing a plan. "Can you hotwire the truck?" "Sure" hands over keys "Done" Lol
Willy
Mamamia
Dookus Maximus
Great chapter! With every hint about who the Sefturna Sniper is, it seems more and more likely that they are a human, probably a merc. Marksmanship, climbing ability, and now endurance - definitely the traits of a trained human.
un_pogaz
With the description given at the beginning, you really want there to be no doubt that the Sniper is a human. Now that I think about it, I'm curious and worried to see how Raza will react to this fact. She already has trouble with a sociopath in her camp, but a human in Betterment's camp and she could intercept it as a betrayal and react very violently. As some people pointed out in previous comments, and Zefriss was their voice today, Raza hasn't behaved rationally since Hossat arrived. It's a complex mix of hatred, anger, fear of devaluation... she needs to see a therapist (basically, a lambda NoP character).
Mari
Yup, the sniper is definitely a human.
Mutedmirth
I'm really enjoying this one! They seem to be reluctantly settling as a team haha
fireblaze
Oh hey, I can be first this time :3c great chapter ^v^
