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The Nature of Predators - The New Arxur (2/10)
🕑 Added 2024-08-31 11:00:09 +0000 UTCMemory Transcription Subject: Raza, Arxur Collective Operative
Date [standardized human time]: August 18, 2154
The command palace was dark and foreboding on the outside, like most architecture on Wriss; many buildings to this day still didn’t have electric lighting, since it was deemed unnecessary for our nocturnal preferences. Chief Hunter Isif had complained about the fluorescent bulbs on a human colony called Liberty’s Bastion, yet he’d installed some fixtures to accommodate foreign diplomats. He told me a story about a Terran diplomat named Elias Meier, who’d visited him at a hotel by the moon of a Sol system gas giant; Isif believed the diurnal omnivore had been perturbed by the darkness in his room. Was I strange to wish I could see a city that was not only noisy, but bright and cheery? While others complained about the sun burning their scales, I loved basking in the heat.
It was the reason I’d be well-suited to diplomacy with the rest of the galaxy, who were largely diurnal and slapped bright lights on everything. It also made me valuable as an operative, that I didn’t lose functionality during the daytime hours when most Arxur were asleep. While it was easier to be spotted from afar under the sunlight, there was foot traffic everywhere in the evenings. I stared up at the giant searchlights mounted on our watchtowers, which wheeled cones of illumination across the courtyard; artificial lighting had some benefits to the Arxur Collective, forcing any unwanted visitors out of the shadows. Spikes were buried off the beaten path as well, and would rise sporadically to impale anyone who slunk through the grass. Security measures were necessary to prevent Betterment sympathizers from taking Isif out.
The Chief Hunter surrounds himself with trustworthy rebel officers: Arxur who owe their lives to him, and know that he was the one who caught Giznel and Nikonus colluding. He can defend himself too.
“I never finished my joke. Why is it easy to confuse Zefriss and the moon?” Hysran hissed.
Zefriss parted his mouth threateningly, not happy that our budding comic was now working him into her jokes. “Because we’d both rather be in orbit than walking next to you?”
“No! Because you’re both gaseous.”
I snickered in spite of myself, amused that the cantankerous Arxur was the subject of her mockery. “Finally, a good joke, Hysran.”
“How can you like that one? She’s barely even trying anymore!” Zefriss protested, making a claw swipe toward me that almost grazed my snout. “What’s the point of these terrible puns? There are no jokes in Arxur culture. They’re unserious drivel with no purpose. What do you gain if we laugh at your stupidity?”
“It’s fun. I know you wouldn’t have any concept of fun, huffing and puffing as you do, but it’s this silly idea where you actually enjoy life,” Hysran retorted.
“I enjoy life plenty! I enjoy sleeping, walking, and eating: especially that cloned hensa meat that pissed off the Yotul. Those things have biological purposes, which we’re meant to enjoy.”
“Arxur are always so grim and serious. We literally ate people and bred them like animals, but we laughed as we tortured them—not even two decades ago. I don’t know if you gain anything from laughing, at torture or at jokes, but clearly, mirth is a part of us. So I’ll keep making light of everything, and annoying you!”
“What do you think of this idiocy, Raza? Not all defective pursuits have value!”
I flared my nostrils. “I think…if all you enjoy is eating and sleeping, that’s hardly beyond the realm of animals. Our brains have a biological purpose too, even if I’m not convinced Hysran is using hers.”
“I knew you’d side with me!” Hysran celebrated. “What do you enjoy in life, Raza?”
“Talking to people. Seeing new places. Tliskis. Most of all, politics.”
“You’re practically a human,” Zefriss complained.
I narrowed my eyes, as we walked into the palace’s entry hall. “What’s wrong with humans? By all accounts, they’re successful predators who can adapt to anything—and who are much more tolerant than us.”
“If you’d ever talked to one of those chatterbox apes, you’d know. Their ambassador isn’t fooling anyone, wearing animal skins around and mounting stuffed heads on their embassy’s walls. Pretending to be some tough, wild man, until you accidentally get him talking about his kid’s ‘soccer’ games. Dreadful!”
“How would you know, Zefriss?”
“I might’ve poked my head in the UN embassy because I was…hrrr, curious.”
“You? Curious?”
“That sounds nothing like you,” Hysran agreed.
A growl rumbled in Zefriss’ throat. “Shut up! We’re about to see the Chief Hunter.”
Chief Hunter Isif was growing old, and perhaps a bit infirm, with injuries from decades ago catching up to him; his bones creaked when he moved, and he growled about aches when standing. Perhaps it was his advanced age—ancient for an Arxur—that had emboldened Ilthiss to stand up against him. The tactical mind that had overthrown Betterment, and made him successful in his sectors’ battles over the years, still remained. Taking the seditious, rural provinces of Sefturna and Kiznith had been a sweeping success, rolling in tanks and even digging tunnels into enemy territory—Ilthiss and Usliff called the latter a cowardly display. I, on the other hand, thought it was progress; strength was winning, by another name.
Getting our troops into the biggest cities, with the Sefturna Sniper prowling the roads as a one-person army, was difficult; the stories had a life of their own, and had I not seen the intelligence reports myself, I would’ve believed the kill count to be a fantastical exaggeration. To think Ilthiss called us cowards, then resorted to hiding away for far-off murders. Tracking down this individual, I had thought, was our highest priority. We needed to deal a morale blow to the rogue Provincers, and take away the recruiting campaign slogan about learning to be the deadliest killers. To keep the cities like Cruelty’s Maw, we needed the assurance of not getting picked off before we knew what hit us.
What could be more important than finding the greatest organic asset in Wriss’ history? I question why Isif has summoned us. As much as I want to transition to a diplomatic post, what we were all doing was critical. I don’t know what would become of Zefriss and Hysran without me; we’d likely part ways, since they abhor the political realm.
“Your Victoriousness.” That title was an upgrade to the Chief Hunters’ honorific, Your Savageness, under the Dominion. I averted my eyes from Isif’s throne, which was made of preserved Arxur bones, and handed him the written note of our findings. “A source near the Kiznith border spoke of rumors, that the Sefturna Sniper uses Death’s Pass to cross between the provinces.”
Isif’s eyes gleamed. “Death’s Pass: the infamous one in the Kizniftor Mountains? That is the most perilous climbing trail on all of Wriss, is it not?”
“Yes, that’s the one. An ancient trailhead for a long-gone mountain tribe, that’s been inaccessible since the Great Avalanche two hundred years ago. Icy cliffs with delicate footholds—or outright no footholds at all—that must be climbed to ascend, and unstable ledges that could crumble in a wrong gust, on the Sefturna side. That’s before you have a steep, nearly straight-down slope on the Kiznith border. Turn that in reverse for the journey the opposite direction.”
“If my memory is not mistaken, my understanding is that most Arxur do not come back alive attempting it once, yes? And this Sefturna Sniper is, according to this source of yours, crossing it on a regular basis without dying. I am not sure how much credibility to vest in this story.”
“That’s what I was saying, sir,” Zefriss commented meekly.
I shifted uncomfortably, not wanting Isif to dismiss the story on account of my skeptical colleagues. “Zefriss has been nothing but skeptical of any intelligence about the Sefturna Sniper, down to their very existence, and I myself considered this may be a rumor…part of the legend. However, it would explain how the Sniper gets around undetected; who would look there? Who would be able to get up there? My source had…some proof, in the form of there being regular patrols by that trailhead. It doesn’t seem an important place to guard otherwise.”
“What do you think of the given evidence, Zefriss?” Chief Hunter Isif inquired. “I should like to hear all of your opinions freely.”
“Hmph.” The male Arxur’s eyes darted toward me, before casting a glance toward the bandage over the bullet wound on his tail. “What Raza considers proof never ceases to confound me. It seems a sorry rumor to risk our hide, crossing war-torn regions, to carry back, sir. While I shouldn’t like to come back empty-jawed, this attempt is doing less to save face than to say it did not pan out.”
“I would not do such a thing! Do you not know me well enough, after growing up, training, and serving together for a decade, to attest to that simple fact?!” I hissed.
“I trust you as a leader, but do not trust you to admit you achieved nothing. It is not in an authority figure’s interest to admit such things. I cannot see a lick of substantiated proof.”
“That’s how rumors work, Zefriss! People tell you things, and you make a judgment call if it merits investigating. That’s what I do, and I can read Arxur in a way that only defectives can. What I could tell was that our source believed this was true, so there might be something to it.”
“Might? I rest my case. I hope that unchecked empathy doesn’t mean an Arxur must believe everything that is said, Raza.”
Isif turned his eyes toward Hysran, as I struggled to contain my frustration with Zefriss: that damn Arxur never hid what he really thought. “I said I would like to hear all of your opinions. What do you think, Hysran?”
“I think Zefriss is angry about the bullet lodged in his tail. That makes it more difficult to lash it all day, so that everyone can see that he’s tired of our company,” Hysran deadpanned.
“Serious answers. What would you make of the Death’s Pass rumors, if you were myself?”
“I don’t know what I would think if I was a Chief Hunter. I can only speak to what I believe, as me.” The comical Arxur stared at me for a long moment, perhaps recalling that I’d taken her side when Zefriss lambasted her interest. Come to think of it, that might have been why the male was so bold critiquing me with Isif; his ego was likely chafed from that. “I believe in Raza’s intellect enough to assume she wouldn’t have us chasing rumors for no reason. It’s also not like we have any other leads on the Sefturna Sniper.”
“What if it’s a complete fabrication, a dead end?” Zefriss scoffed.
“It can’t hurt to investigate, though since the conditions are inhospitable to drones and Arxur, I can’t say how.”
“Orbital surveillance,” I suggested swiftly. “Their anti-satellite weapons might take out anything that tries to spy on them, but spaceships could move in and take quick peeks at that region a few times a day. It would take hours for anyone to cross that pass, so it’s not like we’d miss them if they travel it eventually.”
Isif’s eyes gleamed with intrigue. “And if nothing turns up, then it is ruled out as holding any veracity. I will have my ships look into it, and let you know if we turn up any movement. This is a suitable resolution, yes?”
“It is, sir. Thank you. I am happy to be of service to the Collective.”
“I hope you will be equally happy with the request I summoned you for; it is of the utmost importance, and I need a team I can trust. This emergent situation is most strange.”
“Strange, in what way? I’m ready for anything my planet demands, Your Victoriousness.”
The elderly Arxur chuckled. “I hope that is the case. Yesterday, a Nevok ship arrived in our space, and its occupant requested to, hsss, be granted citizenship on Wriss.”
“What?” Zefriss spat. “A sniveling Federation leaf-licker, moving to Wriss? They spit on us and our culture. You cannot possibly allow this, Chief Hunter!”
“Yet I already have. It is not without its difficulties, but I recognize this Nevok immigrant as an opportunity to set a precedent, where non-Arxur could be welcomed as equals under the law and live here without harm befalling them. To prove that we could do this, it would give us a great bargaining tool with the Sapient Coalition, do you not think so? It would demonstrate the change in our behavior, and also give us something to distract them with, so they do not pry into the war.”
Hysran narrowed her eyes. “How did this…Nevok even get in here, past the SC quarantine?”
“The SC’s quarantine is to keep us in our isolation bubble, not to keep others out. The Nevok ship was checked for weapons to ensure that he did not intend to attack us. He stated he was a trader, and was allowed to pass. They do not stop their own from freely associating with us.”
“Hrrr.” I mulled over the situation for several seconds, collecting my thoughts to regurgitate them to the Chief Hunter. As much as I’d love to engage with a member of a properly social species and learn about faraway worlds…and while I saw the political advantages, this was a bad idea. “If I might be so bold, I don’t see why the Nevok would choose to live on Wriss. Are they suicidal? I don’t share your faith that they would be able to…live here without harm befalling them, since plenty of Arxur see them as food still.”
“I know that it will not be safe for the Nevok to travel in any areas settled by Arxur. That’s the reason I have assigned you and your team to guard the herbivore, and see that he is not eaten or otherwise assailed while traversing Wriss.”
“Our new assignment is to protect some feeble, squeaky prey creature?! How beneath a Collective operative!” Zefriss snarled. “That’s what you recalled us for?”
“Yes, it is, though you will find he is not so defenseless. In regards to the why, the Nevok—Hossat is his name—has some form of predator disease diagnosis on his home planet, related to what could be called sociopathy. As I am told from his words, he wishes to live here because sociopathy is accepted and even the norm. He also wishes to live somewhere he can be allowed to engage in violence, and gain from such pursuits. Even the humans, a ‘soft and social species’ in his words, would not accept him as he is.”
“The Nevok outright said he wants to gain from violence. Is that the type of person we want in our new, changed Collective?!” I challenged. “Hossat sounds about as good as an empathyless, violence-loving Betterment lackey.”
“I believe the correct word is mercenary. When Ittel—ah, the Nevok homeworld—condoned Hossat’s forays into corporate espionage, and achieving his goals by whatever means he deemed fit, there was no issue. They only charged him with predator disease when he failed to cover up one of his…sanctioned hits. He lives for the thrill, and will not abide a quiet life. I saw the potential to utilize him as an operative. So long as we tell him to do a job and pay him decently, he can be most useful.”
Zefriss’ anger was growing incandescent, as he seemed to forget any semblance of decorum. “You’re making a Nevok an operative, like us? You want that creature to go on missions—clandestine missions—with us? Just waltz through Sefturna settlements with a prey animal; that won’t stand out at all. That scent trail won’t stand out at all!”
“The Nevok can find ways to hide himself. Hossat has already been supplied with oils to mask his scent. I think he will add versatility to your team. He can get into spaces that you cannot—and that the enemy will never expect him to be.”
“I hate to agree with Zefriss, but this Nevok would only be a liability on my team…and I’d never trust someone with his disposition,” I countered.
Hysran cleared her throat. “I wouldn’t either. If you’re looking for a political win, Chief Hunter, this could backfire quite easily. Should Hossat ever get captured, especially in enemy territory, he’d be eaten—or worse, thrown in a cattle pen. How would that look to the SC?”
“Not very good, which is why I’m counting on you to make that not happen, yes?” Isif said. “I know this addition to your team must displease you, and I hate to disrupt the harmony of one of my most successful units; there are no others that would take such a task. You were taken in when your acceptance was scoffed at, yes? You will do this, because they are my orders.”
Zefriss stalked forward, eyes narrowed to slits. “I will not—”
“I am lenient; the old Dominion would have every bone in your body broken for your insolence. If you do not like it, you can go work for Ilthiss instead. I will let you leave now. They would love your backtalking and your extra digit, yes?”
“I want nothing to do with Betterment, but—”
“Go be angry about this all you like now. Sleep, sulk, whatever is necessary. Before the sun sets tomorrow though, you will all go to the training hall so you can be introduced to Hossat; Raza will integrate him to all your activities. That includes your attempt to pursue the Sefturna Sniper, if my orbital surveillance finds them in Death’s Pass. Should you fail to report by the time the moon hangs overhead next eve, I’ll charge you with treason and desertion. Am I clear?”
Hysran tilted her head. “No, I think you were quite vague about what you meant. Could you clarify?”
“I could, but I will not. Raza, Zefriss?”
“I have nothing to say to you,” Zefriss growled.
“Hrrr.” A cold disgust ran through my veins, hating that my unit was charged with babysitting some heartless ex-Feddie. I cared for my companions, and that cohesion was what made us an effective team. So much for getting a proper diplomatic mission; this was how Isif thanked us for our good work. “Very well, Chief Hunter. If that’s how it must be.”
“It is. That’s all; you are dismissed.”
My legs carried me out of the hall, but my mind wanted to circle back and argue with Isif. I was still shocked by the idea that I had to integrate a Nevok into my team: a prey sapient deranged enough to move to Wriss. The idea was as ludicrous as any notion could be, yet Isif had gone along and made Hossat an operative. Accepting murderers from SC planets wasn’t going to win us any diplomatic credit. I hated that the Chief Hunter had thrown it in our faces, that us defectives had no choice but to support him. If he hadn’t saved my life and raised me, I might openly say this entire idea made him unfit to be the Collective’s leader. Perhaps Ilthiss had a point about age doing things to the elderly Arxur’s mind, since this wasn’t the layered strategy he’d imparted to me in those old tliskis sessions.
I stormed into my room within the guest wing, slamming the door behind me. My unit was being turned into a mockery. Tomorrow, I’d have to face some unhinged Nevok, and somehow keep him alive long enough to appease Isif. With how much my companions would also resent Hossat’s presence, I knew the social time together that I’d looked forward to was going to be turned into abject misery.
A/N - Part 2 of the Hysran…um, I mean Arxur series! We see where Isif installed his seat of government, and learn what various members of the team consider worthwhile pursuits. The group arrives before the Chief Hunter, with Zefriss challenging Raza every step of the way as she shares her findings about the Sefturna Sniper. Siffy agrees to see if the Sniper is crossing through Death’s Pass, a deadly trail that nobody would expect repeat traffic on.
The Chief Hunter then shares what he summoned Raza and her team back for: a Nevok sociopath, formerly a corporate spy who got caught for an assassination, decides to move to Wriss to be allowed to profit as a mercenary—without strict rules or social obligations. Isif allows Hossat to stay in the hopes of showing the SC how Wriss is changed, with a prey sapient being able to gain citizenship. Raza and Zefriss are especially displeased about this development, though Siffy reminds them they have little choice…and demands compliance.
How credible do you think the lead on the Sefturna Sniper is? Is Isif right to make Hossat an operative? What do you think the new Nevok addition to the team will be like…and how will he get along with the current trio?
As always, thank you for reading and supporting!
Comments
kabhes
Is nobl one mentioning the fact that Isif sits in a throne made from Arxur bones.
kabhes
He could have just made a single mistake that got him caught.
kabhes
I'll hope he's like the one from Monthy Python and the holy grail.
pogman
peak
Assailant
Isif: Please help this prey :D Zefriss: No. Isif: Please, help this prey. Zefriss: No. Isif: Help this prey. Zefriss: N- Isif: Not negotiating, do it or I throw you to the Nazis. Zefriss: >:( Isif: :)
Aured
This is going to be fun. These Arxur have no idea how predatory the capitalists can be
PhycoKrusk
Well, he's got no permanent address and is looking for work, so legally he's a murder hobo. ... and now there's four of them, so that is enough for a party! Murder hobos everywhere!
TheDudeAbides
Nevok... So he's a murder-rabbit?
PhycoKrusk
@Xilac Ok, fair enough that it may simply be skewed Arxur perception (although I suppose he _could_ be wearing leather shoes and a belt, or possibly a jacket). Truth be told, when someone says "wearing animal skins," my thoughts immediately go to Hercules wearing the Nemean Lion.
EliasArt2Life
@Xilacnog A duality that isn’t being accepted by others, which is what’s pushing us to hide those things.
Xilacnog
The exterminatus thing would be "funny" for the surprised Pikachu. The other point is arguably more important, it's absolutely fine for the ambassador to be a fearless hunter wearing leather and a skin cloak to show off their kills but also to gush over their kids soccer games; that duality is part of who we are.
Apogee
Mabey once they started to implement human policies they started to ‘notice’ that it wasn’t a predator attack it is not like it was hard to cover up such things before the humans came along
Bow-Tied Engineer
Clearly they aren't hiding much, if the ambassador feels comfortable gushing about his kid's soccer games. There's a difference between hiding things, and putting your best foot foreword. They just picked someone who is a hunter and a wilderness survival expert, and probably suggested he ham it up a bit, wearing a fur cloak or a coonskin hat or something like that. That's not hiding things any more than wearing your best suit to a job interview is.
Bow-Tied Engineer
Or just someone who leans into the stereotype. In the setting of NOP, I could see them having hunted large predators on various Federation worlds. I want to see a stereotypical British safari hunter who traveled the galaxy hunting down the largest and most threatening predators for the reformed Extermination offices. I mean, the description of him as a "wild man" seems to lean more towards an Appalachian mountain man vibe, but I think it would be so funny if he's actually a very well muscled and slightly portly British gentleman who's been hunting the strongest and most violent beasts he can find across the galaxy, before settling down on Wriss to be the face of Humanity.
EliasArt2Life
@Xilacnog Me being frustrated and seeing a lack of acceptance by other species is in NO WAY me advocating for genocide. I’d think that if you read any of my other comments on other chapters, it would become very clear that I’m almost hopelessly pacifistic. And @everyone, Yes, I understand that not EVERY species is this way. I just didn’t want to lengthen my comment even longer by listing those exceptions. Especially when those exceptions include the Yotul, who have become fierce rivals of humanity, and are constantly trying to seize power from us, and the Bissem, who don’t trust us and are trying to develop a new alliance under our noses without inviting us to have anything to do with it; a Carnivore Alliance which has 3 herbivores, but not humanity. Also, the Reskets and Jaslips, who we are currently at war with, and our relationship with them is currently unclear. Also, just to clarify something that I didn’t mention in my original comment; I’m not saying that things can’t get better. I AM saying that things WON’T get better unless all the species involved decide to attempt to change, rather than holding onto the idea that they can stay the same.
Joe bro
Love the description of the diplomat. Hoping he looks like friggin' Saxton Hale.
Kevo
Think of the Resket and Jaslips, they see us objectively
Aerowarrier
I mean it’s not like they view Hensa that way. A closer comparison would be turtle. Some people keep them as pets but others see them as a tasty stew
Xilacnog
It's often done for storytelling or maybe Hossat is that good that he got the target and managed to escape the ambush.
Xilacnog
@PhycoKrusk, I'm not so sure about the animal skins, could have just been the Arxur perception of clothes. That said, I can definitely see any human ambassador in Wryss using crocodile leather belts and shoes.
PhycoKrusk
Being fair, it was synthetic hensa, so they could truthfully claim that the Yotul were overreacting. I would certainly raise objections to someone eating Labrador even if I knew for a fact it had been cloned and was not from an actual dog.
PhycoKrusk
Honestly, doing everything in half-measures and failing to actually commit to anything is exactly the sort of behavior I expect from the UN. It's like a person who rails against vanity, but goes to great lengths to conceal a facial blemish because they're self-conscious about it; hypocrisy, as you say. Truth be told, the ambassador probably could have gotten away with the taxidermy and gushing about his kid's soccer game if he wasn't also wearing the animal skins; the Arxur aren't stupid, and would know good and well that Humans don't regularly dress like that. Then again, treating others as if they were all dangerously stupid is another behavior I expect of the UN. Just goes to show that war and politics never change; out-of-touch elites using the rest of us like disposable pieces to be moved about the board as they please. This is probably why so many of us like Isif. We _know_ that he doesn't care about the individual pieces he uses and discards in the pursuit of his vision, but we let it slide because unlike the UN he does it without pretense; the only thing that matters to him is his vision for the future of Wriss, he doesn't care how many lives he needs to sacrifice to get there, and he doesn't act like reality is anything other than that.
PhycoKrusk
Hm... unlikely. Trying to tie off a loose end in that fashion invariably creates more loose ends.
Xilacnog
SP, if you ever get the Human Ambassador to appear and talk, I really REALLY hope it's a British that wears a Pith helmet and used to hunt in Africa (maybe a human from the Archives?)
Xilacnog
Or he was setup? It could've been his own corp setting them up
Xilacnog
It's also well known, for humans at least, that a human can both be extremely caring for his family and friends and extremely cruel to non-sapients and enemies.
Xilacnog
So, what should humanity do? Exterminatus every species that does it? Could be my perception but Bissems and Yotul also don't see humans that way; I doubt that the Krakotl do too. Maybe most species try to shoehorn humans into known boxes exactly because they don't interact with humans enough.
Daru Arura
Needs more banjo
Kevo
The UN sent the south USA ambassador to Wriss, I imagine he has a magnificent mustache, aliens need to party more with us to have a understanding
EliasArt2Life
“If you’d ever talked to one of those chatterbox apes, you’d know. Their ambassador isn’t fooling anyone, wearing animal skins around and mounting stuffed heads on their embassy’s walls. Pretending to be some tough, wild man, until you accidentally get him talking about his kid’s ‘soccer’ games. Dreadful!” Aaannnnddd once again, the hypocrisy of it all. The UN is hiding major parts of humanity to try to appeal to the Arxur. They see through the bluff, and dislike the deception, but simultaneously are disgusted at the glimpse of what humanity is hiding, calling it “wrong”. On one hand, the herbivores are never going to see beyond humanity’s predator side, and treat us like predators who just so happen to be somewhat compatible with them. On the other, the Arxur are never going to see us as anything but prey who have a few acceptable traits. And maybe the Krev will never see us as anything but adorable pets who have a few traits that make us like people. Everyone is trying to shoehorn humanity into something they know, instead of treating us like something unique and different. Well, the Venlil seem to get it. The Zurulians too. Those guys are the good ones. I don’t think Isif’s plan is as simple as he’s making out. He admitted it himself; Raza’s team is one of the most cohesive and successful. So, why not hand the Nevok off to another team? Even if his mind is going, it can’t have gone THAT much. There’s more going on that Isif isn’t saying.
PhycoKrusk
He's something to consider: We know that Hossat failed to cover up one of his sanctioned hits. How? Why? He's had several other successes, as the narrative implies, so it's not like he didn't know how to cover it up, or to at least make sure it didn't get traced back to him. So, what happened? Was his intel incomplete? Did he get sloppy? Did he fail to cover it up on purpose?
PhycoKrusk
He's got one failure to several successes, and the only reason he failed is because someone found out it was him. See below.
Gumcel
Ok I was joking about the hossat sniper thing but if it’s inaccessible by arxur it might actually be an alien lol. And eating hensa meat? What are they stupid? Just eat beef? Alienating one of the few friendly states just so you can eat space cats? Average arxur only capable of thinking about food smh.
PhycoKrusk
Would you eat cloned Labrador meat? That's honestly the more relevant question.
Roscuro
For sure, I'm morally against eating lamb. But if it was lab grown instead of slaughtered, I would definitely have gyros and the like more often.
Wholesome Redditter
Hell there’s a sub genre of cloning fed species for meat
George Smith
Look up EXACTO rounds. DARPA started researching that in 2008 and there’s videos of the test and it working from 2015
George Smith
I mean, if you think about it once you get the ability to get any sort of meat ethically people will start trying a bunch of random stuff. They probably never would’ve previously. Like I would never eat a whale but if you clone the meat, sure I’m down.
George Smith
I mean, depending on how long he’d been doing it failing a mission might not be the end. I’ll be all. You play the game long enough eventually something happens.
Dookus Maximus
This story took a turn. I can understand why the team is against working with Hossat, but I suspect they'll come to view him as a useful tool in their hunt for the Sniper. And if he's truly a sociopath, he'll probably be as interested in befriending them as they are. One concern I have is that we already know Hossat failed a previous mission, which makes me question Isif's wisdom in taking him on so readily. Some interesting ideas from others about who the Sniper could be. There isn't enough information yet to really say who it could be, but I like the idea that they are a fellow merc that Hossat has history with.
REDemon14
Raza's desire for light and warmth is a certified reptile moment :3 Senior Siffy! Glad to see he lives. Poor guy should have had the chance to retire, but the youngens decided they want to do stuff so hear he is. Zefriss's mindset is exactly why he's the one following orders instead of giving them. Very short sighted. If they investigate the pass and find the Sniper, they can track them and perhaps blow them to kingdom come. If the sniper turns out to be a myth, then they can share that with Siffy's side, which will boost morale. Also constantly back talking is gonna get him in trouble one day. They also don't seem to understand that a man of the wilderness can love his son too. Someone should tell him that expecting everyone to be a caricature is fed-brained. That'll shut him up. So he eats cloned hensa in front of a yotul, and no one told him about "trolling"? A sociopathic Nevok, huh? This should be interesting. Especially since he has a kill count. Isif's main goal is to show that Arxur won't eat people anymore, if the other races kill arxur, they shouldn't be complaining about Isif taking him in. I can see why Raza and Hysran are upset about having a sociopath on the team since they seem to be mentally "defective". So the Arxur had a mountain civilization. That's kinda neat actually. Can't wait to see how the meeting Hossok.
Alekss Žukovskis
someone mentioned guided bullets, and yeah: drone technology keeps on advancing, not too difficult to put a computer on a bullet with wings and motors, but none of that was found after bullet analysis.
Elliott
We're definitely not as successful as psychopaths. Most aren't high-functioning either and can be pretty solitary and violent depending on the person. In all likelihood I think he'll end up being the latter if he was a hitman. Though I'm interested to see what his dynamic with the squad will be.
Kevo
I’d like to hear more about this human ambassador lol
DDDragoni
Isif! So good to see you again! I can't imagine a throne of bones is comfy, but it sends a hell of a message
Aerowarrier
Isif has a point that the quarantine really only cares for keeping them in. Presumably this is the first person to willingly travel to Wriss so the people on duty were probably very confused xD
Aerowarrier
Hmm. While I absolutely agree that taking in a sociopathic Fed hitman is not exactly a good diplomatic move, it will definitely be good to bring him in as a sort of military informant. He’s gonna have very different views and abilities compared to Arxur, and that will likely prove useful for finding someone I’m sure is also pretty “defective” if they’re willing to kill that prolifically from afar. Hopefully this guy still has some level of empathy, since Isif said it’s similar to sociopathy, not that it actually is. If they’re lucky, he’s just have the same thing as the Exterminator PR rep from Human Exterminators, but I doubt that will be the case
Clippy Clippy
Cloned Hensa meat??? 😭😭😭
Neu5Ac
I think if it was a guided bullet, they would have mentioned it in the ballistic reports. Actually, they might have noticed rifling marks too, which hurts my theory that the Arxur lack rifling. Then again, they might also dismiss the grooving in the bullets as a quirk of the firearm and not make the connection that they improve accuracy, so it's still within reason.
Bjorn Ironblood
I don't see Betterment working with feddies that openly unless things have significantly changed. A human mercenary theyed at least see as being somewhat predatory so they might accept one. Also this feels like a reference and the snows gonna start speaking finnish
un_pogaz
So, that a Nevok. At least, if Hossat was capable of working as a mercenary, that means he's at least "functional", and that's better that nothing. And the announcement of this new member went badly, but's hard to blame them, it's a very bold thing Isif did today. It's going to be great to see Raza and Zefriss find out they're wrong.
AnAbsoluteVillain
He is going to give them the cooties. 😅
DemonVee
That's not the most telling part, I'm sure even an Arxur would put on some environmental coat. What is, is that it's supposedly near impossible for an Arxur to climb, while Humans remain as extremely compitant climbers with some practice. Im guessing they'll find a surprisingly small figure moving across the pass with unexpected haste for them. We'll have hired sociopaths fighting on both sides.
Michael Halpern
Could also be a guided bullet.
Michael Halpern
Im going to bet a Finn.
DreamEnvoy
Is it me, or does Zefriss seem old fashioned. A nevok, huh. We don't get much focus on their species. I thought I heard that sociopaths tend to be successful people, but I realize I may be confusing them for psychopaths. Even so, the suggestion of making Hossat a mercenary may work. Though I feel like his survivability as a Wriss citizen should be tested before being placed in war, despite that being where he would be most comfortable.
Neu5Ac
Regardless of whether he's a human or not, I think he's almost certainly using a human weapon. I imagine Fed and Arxur weapons are unrifled, both are poorly adapted for dealing with distant enemies and rifling is not at all an obvious way to stabilize a bullet. Even for humans, it was not immediately obvious that rifling was a good idea; we put "soot grooves" in muskets for centuries before thinking to add a twist, and the only reason we did that was because people who fletched their arrows wrong discovered they actually went further if the fletching made the arrow spin. Why would aliens ever think to spin stabilize a projectile if they've spent most of their history thinking 100 meters is the upper limit of infantry combat? the sniper is taking out targets in excess of 1,600 meters. At those distances, shooting is less about depth perception and more about math and having good equipment. He could be an alien, since looking through a x12 or more scope doesn't change much if your eyes are forward or side facing, but he'd need a very precise gun: probably something with a floating barrel and match-grade ammunition. Even if the aliens have invented rifling, I can't imagine they've gone to those lengths for accuracy.
Anthony Mears
that and the fact that humans known for their targeting computer like abilities and the use of "strange crystals" mounted on their guns. hard to think of a human supporting the other side of this fight though
Michael Halpern
the only reason I can see Liberty's Bastion to use Flouresents over LED or HID or whatever comes next is for additional heating,
Jonathan Cardoso Mota
No, no. I'm thinking the sniper is a *letian*. Letians also have great depth perception, they're natural climbers (they build their cities in mountains, even!) AND they can fly (well, glide) silently. Plus, I absolutely want Hossat to finally meet the sniper and *recognize* them because they worked together in the past.
Neu5Ac
It probably would have been smarter for Isif to let some of the Arxur get acquainted with Hossat before assigning him to any teams. Perhaps he's desperate to stop the sniper and thinks Hossat is just the guy, or maybe he's simply getting jaded and impatient in his old age. I wonder if he'll bring his own Fed weapons, or if he'll try to use what the Arxur have. I mentioned in the last chapter that the Arxur might not have developed rifling, and the same might be true for the Federation as well given their limited depth perception: on that note, he might wind up borrowing the human ambassador's hunting rifle instead.
Byne
Still thinking the sniper is probably a human merc. An icy pass where no arxur could survive and the human is like 'bro just wear a jacket'.
Elliott
Nevok sociopath? Oh SP I'm flattered you'd write me in but really you shouldn't have! Kidding, but on a more serious note we really haven't gotten any Nevok insight so even from a literal outcast's perspective this should reveal loads of information if he's even a bit of a social-antisocial yapper like me. I feel like he's probably going to end up clicking with Zefriss more though judging from his background.
Swan
Didn't think traders were to visit the Axur, good to know
Tyler Ellis
There so back!
mitsos_pr
Second
Jhon Bustamante
first
