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The Nature of Predators 90
🕑 Added 2023-02-10 12:00:03 +0000 UTCMemory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, United Nations Fleet Command
Date [standardized human time]: December 3, 2136
Once the Arxur arrived at Sillis, the humans’ usage of FTL disruptors was strategic. The blocking effects were limited to upper orbit, and that allowed our fleet to travel further out. While the enemy was knocked to real speed, we were still zipping through subspace. The Terran warships were patient and dutiful in following the grays, all the way from Khoa. Stalking the reptilians across vast distances showcased the UN’s predatory roots.
Our shadow fleet emerged from FTL travel, just shy of the active disruptor zones. A gap of light-years had been bridged in minutes, and our signatures were muddled by the Arxur’s own wakes. Their fleet size was around ten thousand strong, and ours paled by comparison. But humanity had a few tricks on standby, and we hoped to make the child-eaters suffer.
From the sensors station, Onso and I parsed through the grays’ transmissions. A female reptile was taunting the humans, by mocking their defensive line. This was wondrous confirmation that the Arxur were officially enemies of Earth. Sillis had been expecting the attack, judging by their organized formation. However, the evac shuttles leaving the surface suggested their notice was limited.
“Sovlin, you’re up!” Tyler snapped his fingers together, which made me wince. I was unfamiliar with the painful-looking gesture. “We’re going for a pincer movement. Your task is to make sure that none of them escape. As a secondary job, watch for target-locks and inbound fire.”
I snapped upright. “Yes, sir!”
“Onso, Captain Monahan was impressed with your thinking. I want you to brainstorm aggressive options; keep them ready and up-to-date. That’ll be on top of managing the viewport.”
“You got it!” the Yotul yipped.
“Harris and Romero, scan for any noteworthy signals from the surface. We need to have a full grasp of the situation as it progresses.”
Carlos frowned with disdain. “Understood…sir.”
“Great. Sounds fun,” Samantha said dryly.
With our tasks dished out, the sensors station was focused on the battlefield. The Terrans delegated duties with impeccable organization; there were dozens of moving parts on the bridge. Back in my days as captain, I’d never had such an efficient crew. Humans could always do more than us with less manpower. Their snap decisions were better than the Federation’s months of planning.
I remember what Tyler said about humans craving victory and domination. Maybe that reprehensible drive is what gives them the edge.
But this wasn’t the Kolshian fleet we’d dismantled with ease, nor was it the small raiding band that hit the cradle. This was every Arxur ship in a hundred light-year radius, meant as a show of force. It was impressive enough to put my spines at full bristle. Seeing the monsters swarming Sillis, I decided they’d been holding back against the Federation. A vendetta against any particular world would ensure its death.
Why wouldn’t the Dominion vanquish us all, if they had the decisive edge? Perhaps such a move would force us to unify further…or to flee. Chasing their food source off would crush hunting opportunities, and render swaths of space preyless. The balance was hitting the Federation enough to keep us scared. They didn’t want us to believe we could win, but they didn’t encourage the idea that all was lost either.
“The sensor overlap didn’t confuse them long enough. We’re quite visible,” Onso said. “Look at the viewport…their rear flank is pivoting.”
Captain Monahan glowered at the screen. “Sensors, how bad are the numbers?”
“The UN garrison on Sillis has about a thousand and a half ships, minus civvies and transports,” I replied. “Then, there’s a thousand of us from the shadow unit.”
“Understood. We’re making our move, people. Fire our weapons right behind the shield-breakers. We only get one chance at a first strike.”
That was our hope: that the grays didn’t know about our shield developments. One-hits were still unlikely, since Arxur ships had significant armor beneath ionic barriers. This trick wouldn’t rattle them for as long as the Kolshians. However, even a demon would derive some confusion from shield outages. We’d have to see how many bullets their plating could absorb.
Testing our enemies’ defenses fell to the human gunships. The UN commenced its electromagnetic ambush with a literal bang, by hurling missiles into the Arxur’s midst. Each detonation tossed out shrapnel, though most explosives were stopped en route. Crucially, the volleys blasted away the shields of nearby grays. This proved the magnet-bomb’s effectiveness against all current ships, not just the Federation armada.
“Let’s give them something to chew on,” Monahan growled.
The Terran crew members dipped into our new cache of bullets without hesitation. A relentless spray of our munitions rippled across the Arxur’s rear flank. Kinetics punched holes in their steel plating, with other UN ships chipping in. Armor-piercing shells chewed through 80 centimeters of steel alloys like it was nothing.
It seemed the Terrans had figured out the Arxur’s specifications, and tailored their weapons accordingly. Humans traded in firing speed for sheer power; from the results, their choice seemed justified. I was appalled that the Earthborne predators devised bullets which could puncture that deeply. Why had they crafted so many killing abominations for intraspecies wars?
The grays’ evasive maneuvers were nigh instantaneous, as though rehearsed. Rather than bumbling into each other like the Federation, the Arxur communicated to avoid collisions. They turned sharply across our flight path, and were aided by a small turn radius. The enemy’s mobility presented an added layer of difficulty for human targeting systems.
Sensors confirm hits on about 400 hostiles. That’s solid, but not as much as I hoped.
It was then that the planetary defenses revealed themselves on Sillis’ moon; lights decorated the lunar body, near its volcanic centers. Fearsome lasers pounded the grays, concentrated strikes that melted the hardiest ships. The Tilfish’s orbital constructions had been hastily reassembled, after most infrastructure was lost to the post-Earth raids.
With each crackle from the moon, the Arxur weaved in different patterns. Their bombers initiated twists through the air, and changed orientations on a dime. A small posse swooped toward the lunar body, dodging attempted strikes with wild flying. I could see the glimmer in the humans’ eyes, acknowledging a skilled foe. Even if they wouldn’t vocalize it, the Terrans respected the grays’ quick adaptation.
“T-there’s about three thousand fighters, whipping around to face us. A few hundred going for the moon, and the rest…” I muttered.
“Focused on the defenders and the planet,” Onso finished.
Tyler cleared his throat. “How many enemy casualties? Visually, it…doesn’t look too convincing.”
“A bit shy of a thousand, per the sensors.” I chewed at my claws, and stared at the oncoming formation. “I see a worrying pattern here, fighting every battle outnumbered.”
Samantha flashed her teeth. “He wasn’t quizzing your pattern recognition skills. Taking on the entire galaxy has its drawbacks, obviously.”
“Right. I know you said not to let the fuckers escape…but unless you reasonably think you can win, it’s us who need to pull back,” I offered.
Tyler raised an eyebrow. “Without even meeting them head-on?”
“Five attempted target-locks on us already. Do you think we can survive that? The grays are gunning for the Terran-made ships, not the Federation retrofits.”
The blond human narrowed his icy eyes, and jogged over to the captain. Monahan was on the comms with the rest of our fleet, plotting our overarching strategy. The Arxur ships sailed closer, and I could make out their signature twin railguns. That one-two punch could hammer a target on both sides, ensuring serious damage. It also made evasion a steep task, at the cost of splitting power output.
On the opposite side of the battlefield, I could see the Arxur firing a hefty barrage at the UN defenders. Several grays feinted toward the planet, hoping that the humans would be reckless to prevent orbital strikes. However, our goal was to mitigate the damage rather than stop it altogether. The Terrans had no intent of throwing a key battle for the Tilfish inhabitants.
It was a small sacrifice to halt the Arxur’s aggression, in the scope of the galaxy. Humans were logical when it came down to their survival, and they hadn’t forgotten the Tilfish’s part in the Krakotl coalition. That was why I expected Captain Monahan to second my assessment, pulling back before we could sustain heavy damage.
“Reverse thrust at full power! We’re going to clear our FTL disruptor zone,” Monahan barked. “Drones will run interference on the Arxur’s targeting systems.”
I could see the automated craft gunning forward, and snaking through the enemy ranks to confuse their systems. That move hindered the grays from lining us up, whenever the drones obstructed their shot. The Arxur must be guffawing at our cowardice, as we receded through the night sky. Smaller Terran ships were pushing a considerable fraction of light speed, leading the retreat.
The other human wing, defending Sillis, spit out a few shots before surrendering their posts. They dove into the planet’s atmosphere for cover, and conceded orbital range to the Arxur. The UN was sacrificing the very target they sought to protect altogether! This concession spit in the face of military doctrine; then again, the “defenders’ disadvantage” was linked to being tied down.
The Terrans’ only objective was to best the grays in combat, and I suppose that meant regrouping elsewhere. Arxur bombers were mopping up the planetary defenses on Sillis’ moon, with no friendlies assigned to its defense. The lunar bases succumbed after chucking a few bombs; it was a last-ditch attempt to take some hostiles with them. Seemingly, humanity was losing a battle for the first time since Earth.
“We’re out of range of the FTL disruptors!” I yelled to Tyler, in a breathy voice. “M-might be able to stall enough to jump out.”
“We’re not jumping anywhere!” Captain Monahan snapped her chin toward my shouting, with dilated eyes the size of moons. “Our goal is to cover the rear contingent as they warp out.”
Officer Cardona skipped back to his post. “Yep. Change of plans, Gojid. You see any ship target-locking the ships in warp prep, you let me know.”
“Yes, sir. May…may I ask why we’re not all warping out?” I questioned.
“Skipper says those ships are going to warp back here in staggered intervals. Something about FTL keeping the enemy paranoid. The rest of us…our goal is to maintain a stalemate, and keep the grays’ attention.”
A third of our shadow fleet, which was already lacking in numbers, had retreated well behind our main formation. I could see UN breakaways spooling up their drives on sensors, and plotting warp paths in a stationary limbo. The process generated a gravitational disturbance that was tough to miss. Guarding ships that were out of the fray seemed like a foolish task.
Perhaps my prior assessment, that humans were the most advanced military in the galaxy…perhaps it was premature.
The Arxur had swatted away the drones, though a few automatons were still harassing them. Unlike the Kolshians, the grays excelled at manual targeting. The foul predators’ reflexes took over, and defied all predictability from Terran algorithms. There was no rhyme or reason, just their impulse at the current moment. Spontaneity couldn’t be simulated or projected, not even by a human contraption.
Despite the daunting odds, it was up to our manned craft to hold them back. Terran warships tested the waters with a few plasma beams, though my particular craft held our fire. Two behemoth carriers opened their bellies, and spawned a number of UN fighters. Without enemy shielding, perhaps their nimble dogfighting stood a chance.
Onso flicked his ears at Tyler. “Do the fighters have plasma weaponry?”
“A few do. The ones molded from patrol boats have small plasma rounds,” the human answered. “Overall, we prefer kinetics. Why?”
“We should blind the bastards up-close. Throw it right in their face—er, I mean, viewport.”
“That could be a good supplementary play. I’ll pass that along, buddy.”
The Arxur had extreme light sensitivity, due to their forward-facing pupils. For some reason, humans were not as susceptible to these tactics; Noah’s greeting party made them aware of the idea, though. Shining a bunch of plasma flares right at the grays might work in a space setting too.
The initial foray didn’t appear to be going well; momentum had swung in the enemy’s favor. The Terrans’ smaller craft weren’t faring well against the heavyweights. Dominion bombers powered up coaxial railguns, and took out fighters by the dozen. Even without shielding, tiny kinetic-based ships weren’t getting the job done.
Onso’s tip must’ve been relayed to the charging fighters, because a few human ships went for a pass. These must be the boats with plasma munitions. Their turrets unloaded at much shorter ranges, and with less power than a railgun. However, their firing speed allowed them to spew energy bolts one after the other.
The grays’ relied on optical reflexes, but in this instance, that was an exploitable weakness. Blinding plasma streaked across their field of vision, and left their ships heedless to incoming munitions. The Arxur were forced to backpedal, dampening their breakneck pace. That was fortuitous for us, since our stalled ships still needed time to achieve warp.
Monahan signaled to weapons and navigations. “Move forward! I want us in missile range, yesterday! Fire the railgun while we’re advancing.”
The lights dimmed on the bridge, as our railgun projected molten munitions toward the Arxur. The carnivores were disoriented, and unable to enact evasive maneuvers. Our warship’s beam sundered one enemy with its scorching power, and left it as a lifeless husk. Fittingly, its crew was doomed to slow suffocation.
Others in our fleet surged forward, using aggression to keep the enemy at bay. Fighter allies capitalized on the blinding too, dispensing their kinetic haul. This was our primary stand, buying precious seconds for the Terrans’ elusive plan. If we could whittle the enemy down to a more manageable ratio, that was a bonus. It was possible we’d lose our own hides, should we falter.
It was that very sentiment that the primates greeted with impassivity. The aliens on the bridge found our eyes drawn to certain humans; there was something new in the predators’ gaze. It looked like acceptance…because they knew high casualties were probable. How could they be so calm?
There’s more in their war-brain than the dominating urge, the call of predator instincts. Self-sacrifice for a comrade comes naturally to humans.
The Arxur attempted to shirk our advance, but we adjusted our vectors to match them. Our opponents had shaken off the blinding tactic, and refocused on UN ships that were warping out. My orders plainly stated that their destruction could not happen. I highlighted several vessels on my sensors, ones who were trying to establish target-locks on the warp group.
Tyler took the cue, without any explanation. “Here’s our targets! Bury them!”
Each UN warship picked their mark, and we began swapping missiles with the grays. One enemy projectile was arcing a bit too close for comfort, but we intercepted it first. Our own success rate was also paltry, with the Dominion bombers picking off numerous warheads. At least it distracted them from the vulnerable warpers, for a moment.
I glanced at my sensors readout, feeling my stomach flip from nerves. We couldn’t protect sitting targets much longer; the Arxur’s numbers were far more than we could hope to restrain. Hostile bombers, fresh from demolishing Sillis’ moon, were joining up as reinforcements. Our last trick had been executed, and now, this was a straight-up brawl.
In hindsight, the Terrans should’ve withheld a sect of the shadow fleet from the beginning. But the main ambush was supposed to be deadlier, and we expected to scatter the enemy. I figured the reason our ship lingered was because the brass realized every craft couldn’t escape. Someone had to guard the jump point.
Captain Monahan stomped her foot empathically. “Do not let the Arxur get anything off at the rear flank!”
“They’re aiming for us too! There’s a target-lock on our ship!” I called out.
“Dammit. If we try to evade, they get an opening. Shoot them first!”
A weapons tech coughed. “There’s no time to calibrate…”
“Eyeball it! Give me a Hail Mary.”
The Terrans identified the ship target-locking us, and swiveled the railgun in its direction. With the vastness of space, it normally took several seconds to align the sights and set the coordinates. The technician squinted through one binocular eye, as though that would enhance her predator instincts. She jerked the railgun on target, and scrolled across the viewport quickly.
I knew the task was impossible, given that humans didn’t possess omnipotence. Picking something that looked about right wasn’t enough; it had to be perfect. Dozens of factors went into a successful kill. Bungling a single one, such as our ship’s vector, their distance, and their future location, would cause a hopeless miss. Not even an apex predator could ‘eyeball’ that in a second.
“Carlos? Sam? I’m…glad I got to know you,” I croaked.
Samantha sighed. “There’s no other racist war criminal I’d rather spend my last moments with.”
Carlos chuckled to himself. “Likewise. We saved each other’s ass a few times, huh?”
“Yeah. Mostly me saving you,” I snorted.
The plasma railgun had released its ‘Hail Mary’, but I couldn’t bring myself to watch. Why spend my last seconds dwelling on our failure? Perhaps I understood the acceptance in the predators’ eyes earlier. Everyone aboard this vessel knew we could wind up dead, and we endured that risk. Monahan could’ve dodged our target-lock, yet the captain put the mission first.
I didn’t understand why the Terrans had their eyes glued to the viewport. That impossible hope persisted in them to the last, unwilling to acknowledge reality. But there was no sense in crushing their childish optimism, in their last moments. The loss of my friends, of Marcel’s packmate, and even primitive Onso weighed on my heart. The last emotion I felt was grief.
Claps, whoops, and cheers sounded across the bridge, which startled me half to death. Onso focused the viewport on a shattered vessel, which must’ve taken a hit to the drive column. I glanced at my sensors, and saw the target-lock was gone. That was not possible, even for a predator; the odds were astronomical! There was no way any living being could land such a shot.
“We’re alive! We fucking made it!” Tyler hollered.
I exhaled a shaky breath. Humanity had sustained a few losses, but our warship wasn’t among them. Miraculously, our stall tactics had delayed the enemy for enough time. Dots from the rear contingent vanished off sensors, one after the other. Those UN ships warped out in a hurry, and I had no clue where they’d gone.
The humans succeeded in getting a few players out of the system. Now, we were stuck here, and we had to find a way to survive.
A/N - The battle begins! Humanity has multiple moving parts, between Sillis' moon, the retreating defensive line, and Sovlin's shadow fleet. It remains to be seen how the warpers will factor in. Do you think the initial ambush can be called a success? Will humanity be able to turn the tables on the Arxur?
As always, thank you for reading and supporting!
