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The Nature of Predators - The Sacrifice (6/6)
🕑 Added 2023-11-25 12:00:04 +0000 UTCMemory transcription subject: Cedric Flynn, Human Civilian
Date [standardized human time]: March 5, 2137
The thought of killing Mallin had stabbed at my heart, so I was grateful to have spared the bright-eyed Yulpa. He didn’t seem averse to predators in the way Kippe was; it wasn’t my impression that he had the full understanding of what he was a part of. The alien had proven more than willing to help, handing over his holopad without hesitation. I’d squinted as he held a visual translator to the screen, and parsed through Duerten Shield members on the planet. My best option had been the Embassy of the Leshee Junta—weird, brightly-colored giant frogs, as far as I could tell—who still had their doors open. The reported information about their especially strict stance on predator disease didn’t seem encouraging, given how brutal the Feddies were in general.
That said, the reports that they weren’t well-liked within Federation space—for being “contaminated” because their tadpoles required water—could work to my advantage. There were a number of quirky factoids on their page that I would’ve loved to delve into, such as rumors of them spitting poison darts and parents not interacting with their young until they reached maturity. How could a species that wasn’t raised from birth learn? Did neuroplasticity last into later stages of their life than us? Unfortunately, none of the species data seemed useful for winning them over, so I’d have to hope their stringent stances were only about predator behavior from their own.
These aliens are interesting from afar, just imagining how different they are from us. Still, from now on, I think I’d rather leave anything not SC at a distance—and even then, SC races aren’t perfect paragons toward humans or their own people.
Mallin proved to have greater strength than me, able to support Kippe’s weight on his back without missing a stride; I propped her hindlegs on my shoulder, but most of the work was done by him. We walked in silence to where the predator catchers left their transport vehicles. During our journey, I chewed over how I’d persuade the Leshee to help me. The Duerten Shield had allied with humanity on a military level, so I didn’t see how a member race could advocate for Earthlings being sacrificed brutally on live TV. However, the fact that the Junta’s embassy was still open, after my well-publicized capture, was cause for concern. There hadn’t been any objections from foreign diplomats that I could locate from a quick internet search.
The perimeter around the woods was free of personnel, allowing us to creep to the parked vehicle. An unconscious Kippe and I hid in the back of the truck, so no Yulpa on the road could spot us. Mallin promised that he was capable of driving; while I mostly trusted him, I gauged landmarks against a digital map to confirm he was heading the right way. My unexpected ally had been rather quiet, ever since he pledged to help with my return home. I hadn’t broached the topic of bringing him to Earth with me yet. He could have better prospects back on the blue marble, but that suggestion might spook him. Whatever was bothering Mallin, I hoped he wasn’t having second thoughts about predators.
“What’s on your mind?” I ventured, as we were a few minutes out from the Leshee embassy. “We don’t have to keep quiet anymore. We’re not sneaking around the woods.”
Mallin kept his snout pointed at the road. “I know that. I was just wondering…since you talk and think, like a Yulpa. I don’t feel good when I think about the awful ways my other teammates died. Do you feel bad at all about all those people you killed today?”
I paused, chewing over how to answer. “No. I won’t lie to you and say that I do. I had to do it. I liked doing it.”
“Why?”
“Because those Yulpa hurt and wronged me, and I see it as payback. If someone holds a gun to your head, you’re not wrong to do the same thing in turn. You understand they would’ve tortured me, right?”
“Yeah, but you still…killed them. It seemed like it was easy for you.”
“I’m trained to do that, Mallin. Tell me, do you feel guilt about the predators you’ve captured throughout your career?”
“No. They weren’t people like you are.”
“They were living and feeling. You knew they’d die in awful ways, just like the Yulpa fell to my handiwork today. You were trained to kill predators, and even though really, they haven’t done shit to you…you see them as having wronged you, by existing. Does that make sense?”
“I guess. You’re right that we kill a lot of them. Should I feel bad?”
My eyes lowered toward the ground. “We both should feel bad about taking a life, Mallin, but we don’t. It is what it is.”
“It doesn’t have to be. We can change!”
“If we want to and decide it’s a problem. It’s a lot harder when you start down that path to survive. I’m doing this to save other humans from being captured and butchered, and I believe that’s the right thing. Protecting the innocent costs someone, somewhere, something. I wish it didn’t.”
“I wish so too. I’m sorry you were abducted…and for chasing you, Cedric.”
“Apology accepted. And I’m sorry for slaughtering your friends in front of you, even if they were sick fucks.”
The Yulpa steered the vehicle through vine-covered gates. “They weren’t my friends. But I think you’re my friend.”
“I am. We’re on the Leshee’s doorstep, so I need to ask you what’s been on my mind. Come with me to Earth, away from these assholes. You don’t have to be a part of all this death anymore.”
“That means to never go home?”
“It does,” I replied, understanding Mallin’s reservations. It must be difficult for him to leave the only life and society he’d ever known. “There’ll be no returning or seeing anyone here again.”
“Good. I don’t like it here. Everyone is mean to me.”
“Oh. Uh, that isn’t what I expected you to say, but great. Let’s go pay the Leshee a visit then.”
Mallin hopped out of the vehicle, and allowed me to load Kippe onto his back out of the rear hatch. Leshee embassy staff were hopping toward the vehicle, which would’ve been comical if they didn’t start reaching for guns at the sight of me. Rather than helping my ally bear the burden, I raised my arms and sank to my knees on their driveway. The amphibians must be quite appalled at the sight of me, covered in dirt and leaves; my wild appearance must aggravate their existing biases against humans. My accomplice toting an unconscious Yulpa probably wasn’t a good look, but I refused to let Kippe get away. At least I’d left my weapons behind in the truck, or I’d seem even more threatening.
The Leshee have no teeth, from what I can see, just pink gums that make them look like children. The big eyes add to that effect, even though I know they’re adults. Dammit, Cedric, focus—you’re supposed to be a badass!
I kept my voice as gentle as possible. “Hi. I’m here to ask for your help, not to cause you any harm. I have nowhere else to go…you know what the Yulpa want to do to me. I need someone to get me off this world. Please, just let me plead my case.”
“Stand up, predator. Move inside—we don’t want the locals to see you here,” a Leshee croaked.
Mallin tilted his head. “But I already saw him. Lots of people saw him.”
“Uh, good joke, Mallin! Very funny.” I scrambled to cover for the Yulpa, as I sheepishly ducked through a door that was about a foot too short. “There, I’m inside. Thanks for listening. All I need is to hide out on one of your ships, and you can drop me off at any SC port! I’ll be no problem at all.”
The frog-like alien scrutinized me with gumdrop eyes. “Before you explain why the fuck we would do that, you can start by explaining the hostages.”
“Oh, Mallin isn’t a hostage! He’s here willingly.”
“Cedric is my friend,” Mallin agreed. “I want to go with him. He didn’t kill me, so I helped him carry Kippe’s body.”
That last qualifier asks more questions than it answers.
My eyes widened with alarm. “It’s not anything you should feel worried about. Kippe is the predator catcher who captured me. I’ve been running for my life the past few days, in the woods, being chased by her; if you don’t believe it, just look at me! I want to hold her accountable, and bring her back to the Sapient Coalition for a trial. Beyond that, we need her to warn Earth about the Yulpa’s plans to abduct more human civilians.”
“Understood. You’re still asking us to tote a Yulpa citizen, from their world, into predator custody. Why would we want to get involved with this, human?” the Leshee asked. “The Duerten Shield has no obligations to help humanity, apart from a military alliance when necessary to protect herbivores.”
“Well, first off, I’m asking the Leshee Junta, not the Duerten Shield. You understand what it’s like to be the odd man out, to be seen as contaminated for something out of your control. Your rules are strict, but I think you’re fair; you know me being captured, while responding to a fake distress signal, isn’t right. I was punished for showing the empathy you think humans aren’t capable of. Besides, what kind of example would this set, if you turned me away?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that it would send a message to humanity, that you’re okay with our civilians being caged and tormented, picked off at any moment. That’s not neutral; that’s supporting outright hostilities against us. We treat other species with respect, but there needs to be some reciprocity from folks who aren’t our enemy. Beyond that, Earth will owe you one, and if the Leshee Junta ever needs us, we’ll be there. That’s who we are.”
Some emotion flashed in the amphibian’s eyes. “I’ve seen no proof of a predator’s trustworthiness.”
“Yes, you have. When has anyone asked for our help, and we haven’t lifted a finger? We rushed to save Khoa, we fought the Arxur at Sillis and Fahl after those two bombed our world, and we haven’t given up on Mileau while it’s been taken over for months. Compare that to the Kolshians’ record, and tell me whose favor you’d rather have.”
“You…you make excellent arguments, predator. We know what happened to the Thafki, the cradle, and Nishtal. I certainly don’t want active hostilities with your people, by sending the message we condone the Yulpa’s sacrifices. We’ll make room on a diplomat shuttle for three passengers, and transport you to Mazic space: the nearest human territory to our present location. I hope you’ll send word of our cooperation to your leadership.”
I nodded. “I will. Thank you.”
The Leshee staffer turned around, before hopping off in the direction of a docking port. It could only host two spacecraft, presumably for emergency evacuations in case of a raid. I shimmied through the tunnel, still taking care not to make any sudden movements, while Mallin hauled Kippe onto the small transport shuttle behind me. The exhaustion of the physical labor I’d carried out was beginning to kick in, now that I’d finally reached safety—a hot shower and a long sleep sounded wondrous. It was a relief that this ordeal was coming to a close, though I wouldn’t truly relax until our ship had departed Yulpa space. In a battle that was me against the world, with no tools given to help me, I’d managed to come out on top.
I’m proud of how I handled myself out in the woods, and defending myself from those psychopaths. Now, I have a few days of space travel to think about how Kippe will react to her new home, and what two cents I’ll give the UN.
I would be the only human that had seen Grenelka from the ground; our intelligence no doubt had some awareness of every known species from the Galactic Federation, but the threat the Yulpa posed to civilians might’ve been underestimated. As much as I resented that this had happened to me, it was good that I was selected as their victim. There were a small fraction of Terrans who could’ve escaped within minutes, survived in the woods, and taken out twenty predator catchers hellbent on recapturing them. What I said might have some sway in what the UN decided to do about these brainwashed loons.
As the shuttle rushed through its launch protocol, I found some rope to tie up Kippe; the predator catcher seemed on the brink of stirring. She would be the prisoner in a cage now, terrified about her fate at the hands of a hostile power. I leaned against the wall, and waited for the massive quadruped to wake up in confusion. Mallin walked over to my spot in the cargo hold, yawning in dramatic fashion. The Yulpa dropped to the floor right next to me, and placed his head in my lap. My eyebrows raised in surprise, before I gently placed a palm against the tough sinew of his brown-furred neck.
Mallin wasn’t a heartless, bloodthirsty monster. If there were people like him down on Grenelka, not every Yulpa could be horrifying as Kippe or the sacrifice’s spectators. I didn’t feel that it should be up to me to pass judgment on an entire people; I should report what I’d seen, and make sure humanity was safe. The United Nations could sort out how to handle this clusterfuck without my advice.
Kippe’s eyes blinked open, followed by an immediate flash of horror. “Huh? H-how the fuck did you get a ship?”
“Ah, I asked nicely,” I answered. “Your free vacation to Earth starts right now.”
“Don’t take me to a predator world. W-what kind of torture do you have planned? Fuck, no, don’t tell me all the details! I don’t wanna know!”
“Oh, I’ll tell you. You’ll have to talk to us, every day, for the rest of your life—which might not be long, after your trial. You’ll be forgotten on Grenelka, or shamed as the predator catcher who let a human get away and got her team killed. And worst of all, you answer to us now. The galaxy will know you’re a monster who is worse than a predator, and only cares for herself. That will make you crumble from the inside out.”
“You’re delusional. You can’t do this! It should’ve been a simple sacrifice. All I did was pretend to be bait, and use your instincts; I was doing my job!”
“Earth is going to know all about your job, and your plans for humanity. Once I turn you over, I don’t care what they do with you. Either way, we’ll be prepared for the Yulpa now, and you won’t be prepared for us. That’s your legacy: starting a fight you can’t win.”
“My species doesn’t deserve to pay, for rounding up a few humans for religious necessities,” Kippe spat.
“Don’t worry—whatever happens to the Yulpa race, it won’t be because I called for your extinction. But human sacrifices end today. That’s what I need to see actualized, out of this fiasco. We deserve better.”
“What is it you want, predator? If you’re not going to let me go, then kill me! I don’t want to be your cattle. I just want to go home.”
My lips curved up in a gleeful smile. “Now you know how it feels, Kippe. When they execute you, I’ll be there, watching the life fade from your eyes. What I want is for you to think of my name, in your final moments: the same thing you said to me. In case you forgot, it’s Cedric Flynn.”
The Yulpa prisoner fell silent, as the full realization that our roles had switched sank in. After I persuaded the Leshee to bring us off-world, my work to survive and protect humanity had been seen to completion. Now would be the time for some long overdue rest, before I could return to my life on Earth. I traced my fingers in circles on Mallin’s scruff, allowing myself to nod off. It was my sincere hope that I could stick my old skillset back in a dark corner of my mind, and return to improving the galaxy once the Space Guard launched.
The escapade on Grenelka would soon be an adrenaline-pumping, distant memory. I was going home.
A/N - The final part! Mallin helps Cedric to get Kippe to the car, and drives him to the Leshee embassy; before their arrival, Mallin questions Ceddy over his lack of guilt for the killing, then agrees to go to Earth with our human, since everyone on Grenelka mistreats him. We learn a bit about the Leshee, a Shield member, who help Cedric escape to limit hostilities with the UN. Kippe wakes up only as the shuttle is leaving, as she realizes she is now the prisoner who will be taken to Earth, a foreign world, for a trial.
Do you think Cedric be able to return to his life and Space Guard plans, and tuck his skills back in a dark corner of his mind? Will Mallin live a happier life, and stay close with Cedric? How do you imagine Earth will react to news of the Yulpa's sacrifice attempts...and what do you imagine it'll be like for Kippe in their custody?
As always, thank you for reading and supporting! There will be a mention of what the UN will do about cultists like the Yulpa in main canon, before all is said and done.
Comments
erickjosemolina
Que les paso a los yulpa al final?, no lo recuerdo
Lukas
Mallin is definitely a good soul. and in my opinion far too innocent and gullible. than he should be denied a beautiful and fulfilling new life with his new friend.
just a person
This is definitely my favorite side series you made so far. I really like this spin on "The most dangerous game". Its great to finally see a human take some serious action against these people.
neon_ns
Oh, how the turns table
Taran
Yeah, as others have said here I want to see how the interrogation and trial go for the would be hunter. Good series.
Julien Barrette
I’m ready for HF to kill Mallin and Ced to go John Wick on them.
PhycoKrusk
Meanwhile, Veiq is desperately trying to show that she's reforming and not at all a danger to anyone, she she really should be transferred to a lower security wing. Or a higher security wing. As long as the other two aren't with her, she's not picky.
PhycoKrusk
Deuteragonist from "Farsul Abductee."
Mike Barth
Clearly the correct thing to do about the Yulpa is to wait for their next televised animal sacrifice and after they do it show up and blast the hell out of their crops, repeat yearly till they learn their evil spirit is nothing more than something that brings misery.
Mr Mopp
No doubt the yulpa will find out about Kippe’s capture when it pops up on Human news channels. I hope Cedric can convincingly edit the Leeshie’s involvement out of his escape story (and keep Mallin from blabbing about it) or the Durtan embassy in the yulpa home world is NOT going to have a fun time.
Space Paladin
I don’t see how this is a cliffhanger; it’s a nice clean ending with a bow! I’m glad people like my stuff and are sad to see it go, but you can’t say everything is a cliffhanger 😋
OctupleThreat
Now this is podracing! The wrap up is a little brief and could possibly, probably even have been two parts, leading into an epilogue, but it is cathartic to have a human not be on the backfoot constantly. Definitely would be interested in a little bit more of the aftermath!
Nicholas
Man I’d love to see how the UN reacts to human sacrifice and what will happen to the Yulpa. I imagine they’re not gonna just get a slap on the wrist.
Nicholas
There’s been too many stories for my poor memory to keep up with. Which one was Veiq again? Name isn’t ringing any bells.
Johan / Phoenix
How about a chapter of Mallin happily helping out at a petting-zoo, as a zoo-keeper. I think he'd like that, with getting petted by human children the best part of his day.
Johan / Phoenix
I'd love to see the an epilogue where Kippa and Kalsim is having a heart to heart about how horrible the humans are for how they're treated, and why they both ended up in the same place. Both basically going "Waah! Why couldn't the human(s) just accept that they needed to die for the Betterment of all?"
Johan / Phoenix
I'd love to see the an epilogue where Kippa and Kalsim is having a heart to heart about how horrible the humans are for how they're treated, and why they both ended up in the same place.
Mundane Purpose (big E)
Is there gonna be a part 2? This is a bit of a cliffhanger
Seamus
Dying for an ancient arxur side story
Yannis Morris
Like someone else commented: I think she’s only going on trial for faking the distress call and kidnapping Cedric. I don’t think that constitutes a life sentence. Heck, I don’t even think an *attempted* murder goes for a life sentence. But I don’t really know how severely those crimes are punished
Space Paladin
Glad to hear this series topped the list for you! This was definitely one of the most traditional HFY ventures in my side content 😅
Amanda Chowning
In addition to kidnapping, to be fair that’s also attempted murder. Attempted murder is still a crime. If human laws regarding kidnapping apply, human laws regarding attempted murder also probably apply. Also even if we’re going to let her off on kidnapping and attempted murder since Cedric was human and her own laws probably don’t apply to that: Just being Federation, she could be a prisoner of war since she’s DEFINITELY a hostile. If someone brought back a Nazi soldier who actively attempted to kill a Jewish American visiting Germany during WWII, I doubt the U.S. would accept “Well that’s not illegal in Germany, so…” Mallin, despite also being Federation, was a willing defector that got Cedric out- So they would probably give him amnesty.
Amanda Chowning
I third a Mallin chapter one-off or epilogue. I’d also still like to see that fan fiction from the Human Exterminators 2 Farsul, and the POV of the Arxur they found in the archives.
1Blaster777
Great story! I dare say it's a new favorite side story. I liked it even more than Human Exterminators season 1+Kalsim Trial, the Arxur Miniseries, and Farsul Abductee which I guess are now all fighting for 2nd place instead of 1st place in my mind. This could probably do very well by itself in r/HFY. I can already see people in this universe making memes about how bad ass this guy is when it eventually gets to the human public. I wish there would be another Arxur side story before the main story finishes, but I'm still looking forward to Veiq's one shot and I'm curious if other prisoners like Kalsim or Kippe will be mentioned in it.
Apogee
Considering how many aliens they have in prison so far if you count the Farsul archivists and leadership. They probably have a dedicated xeno prison
BigSneppy
The Farsul from the archives
Conner Deese
Who is Veiq?
Vladi Vladi
absolutely not, the weakest, by far, was the Gojid Exterminators where the wrong character personalities were used and a happy ending was pulled out of nowhere. The second worst was Human Exterminators Part II where again everyone's personalities felt amplified and where Cain became a mouthpiece rather than a character and again it finished on a happy ending when it really shouldn't have
DemonVee
Nature of Predators - Prison Mini Series (1/?)
BigSneppy
We need a sitcom of Kippe, Kalsim, and Veiq sharing a cell block
Some Lvm
@Elias: here is part of the first paragraph of the first chapter: >> "Nature was transactional, requiring death in exchange for the preservation of our lives. ... the blackened heart of a hunter, pierced in a holy sacrificial ritual, gave our deity the bargaining power to spare us from beast and famine. ... bringing one scoundrel down was what allowed our society to ascend into prosperity. The deadlier the predator was, the more time and favor its life could buy us." While this might be interpreted as exchanging sacrifice for a mere blessing, I would argue that the more stringent interpretation is that they need to kill predators to simply continue living - i.e. it is the price, the fuel if you will, for their continued existence. I would not be surprised at all if some of the more devout Yulpa saw the sacrifices as necessary as food and water. As for charging Kippe, I think a competent prosecutor should be able to make the case that she intended to murder Cedrik from the start, and since she began that crime in Coalition space, the murder attempt should fall under their laws. I won't deny there is some wiggle room, but if they don't try to go for attempted murder it will set an even more dangerous precedent, since it will allow a non member hostile power to do as they please with any kidnapped member of the coalition. With more than 200 Fed sympathizing species still out there, not to mention the Dominion, Yulpa gunning for humans is not going to be the only danger.
Stueymon
I don't imagine that Kippe will be executed. Technically she didn't kill anyone and Kalsim was responsible for billions of deaths Speaking of Kalsim, wouldn't it be fun if those two ended up in the same prison?
The Walrus Transcendent
A nice, happy Mallin epilogue does sound delightful!
Spencer M.
As people on here have already stated, there's a difference between murder and attempted murder.
Roscuro
Yeah, it'd help if I remembered these were dated. But I stopped reading the dates in chapter 2.
pfreya
This chapter is March 5, 2137, while the most recent mainline chapter was March 25 of the same year; a few weeks behind, but near to current events
Roscuro
When does this take place in comparison to the main story? I'd love to get a bit of follow up on how things go. I imagine Mallin will stick close to his new best friend, as he's the only person who's ever been nice to him. Kippie will most likely get a thorough interrogation, followed by a trial, then getting thrown in a deep, dark hole to be forgot about. And I'm sure Cedric won't be able to return to his life quite so soon. Between his own intelligence debriefings and interrogations, as well as Kippies trial that he will absolutely have to take part in, it's gonna be at least a few months before he's back in the saddle. But I would like to see some closure on all of that.
SimpleArtist
Well deserved peaceful ending ❤️ I LOVE CEDRIC
PhycoKrusk
@Elias If the galaxy as they inhabit it is what they get *with* the Spirit of Life's blessing, then not having that blessing is basically Hell. Fair points about what she's likely to be charged with, though (thanks to @Talisyn as well!), since it could set a bad precedent. However, they can still get her on unlawful use of astratime communications, kidnapping, and possibly attempted murder (since the entire purpose of the unlawful communications and the kidnapping was to put Cedric into a situation where his death would occur).
Tazeell
Nice happy ending with all the loose ends tied up. Mallin getting his pets after a job well done. It's one chapter shorter then I'd hope but maybe the aftermath will be covered eventually.
PhycoKrusk
I... doubt that. The Leshee are described essentially as large, talking tree frogs. THIS is a Battletoad: https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/doubledragon/images/7/73/Zitz_-_01.png/revision/latest?cb=20190208075318
richfiles
Wow, man is so badass, he had 4 days to be saved by the galactic malware, and he was like, nah bro... I got this! LOL!
EliasArt2Life
@PhycoKrusk Just a note: I don’t believe that the Yulpa religion is “sacrifice predators or go to hell”. Best I can tell, it’s more of a sacrifice to gain a blessing; sacrifice predators, and the Spirit of Life will bless your people for longer. It’s very similar, but my point is that the Yulpa don’t necessarily have an analogous concept to hell. I’m also going to add that, as @Taliesyn pointed out in another comment, the UN is unlikely to charge Kippe for her actions on her planet. Kalsim’s actions were in human space, against Earth. Kippe’s actions were in Yulpa space where such actions are expected and lawful. The UN can easily charge her for the fake distress call and abduction, but going any father would set a precedent that many members of the SC and Federation Remnants would be worried about.
LeeVaughn Graves
They probably were before the Federation got to them.
EliasArt2Life
I hope that this gets a follow up, in either the main series or another spin off. The situation seems ripe for drama and intrigue. Humans in the post-Kolshian era, having to deal with the Yulpa religious practices, having to make decisions on how best to push them away from that religion, without seeming like they are taking the Kolshians’ place. The Yulpa reaction to the Archives files, remnant sects of their religion trying to abduct SC members, there are tons of ways this can go, that have yet to be explored.
Sworishina
I need a Mallin chapter 🥺
Dookus Maximus
Encore!
fuzzball
Yeah, this was the confrontation I had been looking forward to and I feel like it should've/could've been more.
PhycoKrusk
I will confess, friends: I am a little bit disappointed that the Leshee Junta isn't just an entire planet of Battletoads.
PhycoKrusk
@Walker In Kalsim's case, it was a purely physical threat that was demonstrated repeatedly to have nonviolent solutions that he chose to ignore; religion played a lesser to inconsequential role in his actions. They're was never a point - that I can remember at least - where he was concerned about the state of his soul. Kippe had nothing to ignore; there is no nonviolent solution to "kill predators or go to Hell." The state of her soul was her chief concern; even her desire for recognition ultimately grew out of a drive to show off her immaculate spiritual character, which was naturally a problem itself. Pride was her chief sin, and it ultimately destroyed her in spite of the many signs for her to exercise humility. (Interestingly to me, both Kippe and Cedric display an abundance of wrath. Enter Mallin: Kippe basically ignores anything he brings to her, and even extends her wrath to him. Cedric, in contrast, sees everything Mallin brings to him, and as tempers himself as a result. Competence aside, Cedric also had the advantage of superior morals; make of that what you will)
An_Insane_Rogue_AI
Yeah. I liked this miniseries a ton in concept, but after reading it, I think it was the weakest so far.
fuzzball
I'm going to be honest, the dialogue in this chapter felt very stunted and rushed. It could've used some less exposition, more emotion, and probably a pause.
Tyler Ellis
I really hope to see Cedric and Mallin again! Hopefully both serving in the UN space guard, if the UN will allow a non SC in their ranks.
Tyler Ellis
Man I really need to finish that series! Thanks for reminding me!
Matěj Habarta
I hope the charactes of this miniseries will be incorporated into the main storry line.
Byron Ritchie
I didn’t know the slann would make a appearance /j but seriously it’s a good ending but I hope a epilogue will help clarify and expand on some things more Still I pretty good though and I hope we see more of Cedric and mallin
Pay Me For NOTHING
My boi Cedric took a huge win.
PhycoKrusk
"A Boy and His Navy SEAL," eh?
PhycoKrusk
Execution probably isn't even on the table for Kippe; as much as she might have wanted to kill Humans, she didn't succeed, and generally speaking, Humans draw a distraction between murder and attempted murder and consider the latter to be a lesser crime. No, I think the much worse thing that could be done to her is to give her regular updates on how Mallin is doing, and the grand time he's having on Earth. Both to show what she could've had of her attitude had been different, and also to maybe make her feel a little bit bad about how she treated him. kiss
Thrownawaz
That moment when your stupidity well and truly catches up to you
Byron Ritchie
Truly a fate worse then death
Some Lvm
When I read how their features made Cedrik think of them as kids, even though he knew they were adults, I remembered the "Godlings" from the Witcher.
Alekss Žukovskis
im gonna need more of Cedric and Mallin
Colin Mackay
I would love to see some court room drama over this.
Peter
I doubt Cedric believes she would be, he's probably just making her squrim and rubbing in their swapping of place.
T___
I hope that rope was strong and no improvised weapons are in the room within tongue distance.
Mr. Walker
A military Junta of Frog people? I am getting toads of "Amphibia," vibes. That was a good series
Danny Luca
I need more Leshee content and lore!!! Also, Mallin is adorable and I need more of him too
Mr. Walker
My reading of Kalsim was that his belief in Inatalia played a role in his actions, even if beliefs of a more secular origins were a major influence too.
Taliesyn
I very much doubt Kippe will be executed. Humanity can get her on the fake distress call and kidnapping, but charging her for her actions after that means applying human laws to non-SC sapients doing things on non-human worlds that are legal on those worlds. That is *NOT* a can of worms the UN wants to open.
Danny Luca
It’s the perfect combo! Mallin gets kidnapped? In comes our boy to save him!
Mutedmirth
Ah finally he can have some peace for a moment until he has to brief them. Thankfully the shield allies were swayed and not thinking about how would earth know they refused him? Def would love to know what happens to kippe and Mallin.
Ondram05
Hes a precious lad that one
Some Lvm
Well, that escape was way easier than I expected! Not that our guy doesn't deserve a break, but still... I hope the new duo gets their own story!
kenneth Moore
You know Mr Paladin, there is some wiggle room between overstaying your welcome… and sneaking away early because people are exhausting and you don’t really want to get drawn into a long goodbye even if everyone at the party loves you and doesn’t want to see you go. I stand by my criticism from the last chapter.
Some Lvm
I second that! How will human judges treat Kippe's actions given that they were religion based, unlike those of Kalsim, who was acting strictly on Fed teachings? I wonder if Cedric has any young relatives? I can imagine them meeting Mallin and going "Horsee! I want a ride!". Which he will probably happily give. If he can carry a full adult Yulpa on his back without breaking a sweat, carrying a human child around should be a breeze, and I get the feeling he is the kind of person who gets along better with children than with adults.
DemonVee
Still it set a precedent that aliens could be to crazy to get the death penalty. After all, Kippe lived long enough to get her brain scanned.
un_pogaz
Ahah, so this is how it ends: The human's power of instant pack bonding has struck again! Cedric Flynn will have been a perfect and complete representative of humanity, both in our ingenious violence to our irrepressible compassion and empathic willingness to help even our enemies.
Cakeb
Epiloooooogueeeee
Kakapo Kid
Definitely need some Cedric/Mallin adventures in the future.
ace_of_aces_68
We've got one more side story for November. Maybe that's what it'll be?
Ciberj1
God this needs an epilogue or conclusion with a pov of the three. I need it!!!
Paperclip
Tbf, Kalsim really only lived because a human wanted to make a statement. Everyone else wanted the death penalty.
Adam Myers
True, but the mental anguish is the goal. That was well worth it I think.
Alekss Žukovskis
brilliant
Adam Myers
I really want to know Kippe's fate, the conversation amongst the SC(Zhao's, Tarva's, and Veln's reactions will be priceless), the judgment on what the SC decides to do about the Yulpa, and what Mallin decides to do. Extra points if Kalsim gets a cameo.
ToddTheSquid
We need an epilogue
patreoncryptid
Yoooooo i love mallin
John Benjamin Cate
Woo! They have escaped! There are still questions, but none for the characters here. They have ended where they should be, and it is great!
Anemoia
Oh it'll be horrible, Kippe. The prison guards, they'll call you "Pumba" when they think you can't hear. You'll be woken up everyday with an enthusiastic "Hakuna Matata!" Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.
Found&Lost
I think this one might need an epilogue at some point. This is one of the better recent stories.
Paperclip
Oh my god we have canon frog species, what a W. I feel like an epilogue miniseries with Cedric and Mallin just going through misadventures would be really awesome. Just a wholesome little thing because I feel like this duo has a lot of potential. One is a badass (navy, right?) vet that can survive in the wilderness against a bunch of dudes with guns with just sticks alone. The other is a good-hearted, if oblivous soul that just wants to have friends. I'd read a whole series solely about these two.
Brandon Elizondo
YOOOOOOOOOOO?
gooordy
WOOP
Loco
yo
Jackson Hazeltine
Awesome! The finale is here!
Youre a swedekisser arent you
YOOOOOO Mallin is still an absolutely precious bean, and I am glad Cedric had a high enough charisma stat to persuade the Leshlee into helping him. Kippe will probably be shocked that the executions were just bluffs, too. I mean, they decided not to execute -Kalsim- of all people, so she's probably gonna get to live. I'm sure Cedric will pay her a visit every so often, saying hi and laughing at her.
