Baskylla Jardzen Dzor'Vassa Grrgh Khla'Chn, the highest ranked commander of the vanguard force probing this planet's defenses, watches the fourth of the human ships leave the cloaking field in orbit. He has no doubt there is a station there, but he is unconcerned with it at this time. The ships have each roughly been the size of a Fievegal Battleship, but vastly under-armed. And, if their defensive capabilities match those of the much larger mining ships the Fievegal recently destroyed, it will be less of a battle and more of a butchering of a slightly resistant livestock. The young officer monitoring the radar calls out, "{Yarjen Craw! Another ship fleeing!}"
His second in command remarks from nearby, "{Their sustainable population grows, Yarjen. I must recommend interception...}"
"{No,}" grunts Jardzen Khla. "{Interceptors cannot take them alive. The Fievegal shall capture them. Their rulers are undoubtedly onboard.}"
"{If they activate Falight...}"
"{IF they had that technology, Neohlate Yarjen, they would not be fleeing at sublight in the first three.}"
Niolajt Jardzen Ghwung'Vrahkh Dzroll Mrff'Chn, second in command of the ship and subsequently the Baskylla, nods civilly. It is his duty to not agree with the Baskylla Jardzen if there are valid concerns. But, Jardzen Khla is not concerned about the few thousand humans fleeing their own homeworld without a whisper of a real fight. He is concerned with what the humans may have left behind in waiting.
Jardzen Khla turns his seat back to the tactical screen. Something the humans had is actively causing problems. At a glance, there are many of the tiny blue scales representing fallen soldiers. The tiny blue spheres are seemingly scattered about the map, with many more silver scales outnumbering. At a glance, it simply shows the human warriors are lucky if not clever and resourceful. Already 46 of Khla's 1000 ground soldiers have been eliminated. At a glance, there is no pattern.
However, he did not achieve his status with glances alone. Khla studies the map. Over half of the blue scales form a loose line. And, that line is consistent with times of death. Something travelled from a point in the human clutsion to a point outside as close to directly as possible. He orders, "{Overlay human fleeing patterns.}"
"{As you wish, Yarjen!}" replies the technical officer. The map changes colors, from grey to increasing intensities of orange. Khla studies the updated map. While many of the humans flocked straight outwards from the city, concentrating on their synthetic pathways –which disadvantaged them to no end-, a noticeable spike in intensity of the color seems to follow the line formed by the deaths. But, the times don't match. The concentration happened BEFORE the human asset made its way there.
Be it a massive horde of the mammalian warriors, or some as yet unseen superweapon, the asset AND the majority of the fleeing humans seem to be headed to the same location.
Suddenly, eight more silver scales turn blue in the span of only a minute. One single scale stays silver. It is at the apparent destination of the line AND the mass fleeing. Khla's heart tightens and his skin shrinks slightly.
He was among the last of the Fievegal males to be granted the great honor and privilege of conceiving an egg with Saurmynnyka Reez'Vvonn Shrrgh Nulgh'Chn, ruler of the Fievegal. She graced him with a single egg, which he and his bondmate would raise with honor and distinction.
Grodrrns pray that their hatchlings are male, as females carry with them a stigma fed by the laws of the Fievegal. However, when Khla discovered that his hatchling was a beautiful green-skinned girl, he forgot all about his fears.
Then, the assassination of Saurmynnyka Reez'Vvonn by a long range orbital attack shattered the calm day-to-day nature of the Fievegal. The Grodrrns fell into chaos. The military mobilized. Khla was able to bring his hatchling and bondmate on the operation, and during the long voyage, raised his daughter to be a military pilot –a high honor for any Grodrrn if accepted-. And, she succeeded.
Now, eight blue scales surround one silver scale from the assault ship Neezha'Dzor Mvon Khla'chn was piloting. A one in nine chance separates his only hatchling from death. Khla is afraid to pull up the details on the survivor. He's not sure he wants to find out what the muse of the universe chose.
Khla shifts his mouth and jaw to ensure he doesn't bite his lips or tongue. He opens the silver scale's status display.
A decompressing hiss slips through his throat, undoubtedly audible to those closest to him. His muscles relaxed unnaturally in deep, soul-felt relief. Helmdraavv Neezha'Dzor Mvon Khla'chn; Zhi {daughter} of Baskylla Jardzen Khla. Status; injured, losing blood, conscious, under duress.
Khla inhales deeply, inadvertently causing a deep growl in his throat, but only Niolajt Jardzen Mrff looks over at him, holding his impeccable -if weathered and slightly stooping- posture. He knows Khla's current struggle better than Khla himself. Mrff also knows the bad ending.
But, redirecting assets to her location would jeopardize the gauging of the human forces. It was a crucial mistake Mrff made that cost him many loyal soldiers and his Myzh {son}. He was disgraced and fortunate not to have been exiled. Mrff gives Khla a look that keeps the Jardzen from making rash decisions.
To his surprise, however, the silver scale and her ship begin moving. Khla calms himself. Even pilots are highly trained soldiers. Perhaps she bested the human asset slaughtering Fievegal soldiers. He is curious to hear her report.
Khla orders plainly, "{Have Lash Guard close perimeter around the point the humans are fleeing to. Find out why they want to get there so desperately.}"
"{As you wish, Yarjen!}"
Mrff nods, and Khla continues to watch Neezha's scale travel in a slow line. It still strikes him as odd, though. Her course is lazily orbiting the location.
Khla brings up the ship's status. The speed is full, but he spots it. Her ship is ascending.
Khla consciously ensures some of his attention goes to the battle. Many things could still happen to wipe out the entire Laczgrrd. This is especially true if the humans have more of the mysterious asset that killed so many already.
But, his thoughts also dwell on his hatchling. Fleeing battle doesn't look particularly good, even if she's injured. But, she may have captured the asset, which would be acceptable to turn over as quickly as possible. The question then shifts to; why not fly directly to the lead vessel? Instead, it's almost as if she's following some sort of...
Orbital elevator. THAT's how the humans fled the surface so quickly. They must have detected the active gravionic wave pulse used to map the solar system and triangulate the human homeworld, as well as any assets they may have already had in space. The pulse detected the station in orbit, but Khla had no idea that a species that had used rockets not long ago and still has divided nations and languages would have managed to construct an orbital elevator. Otherwise, he would have comfortably assumed the humans fleeing on their space-bound vessels would have already been in space at the time, possibly from an orbital place of rulership. Human religion still places a lot of spirituality on the sky, and their ruling classes often seem to have god-complexes.
His radar officer reports, "{Yarjen! We're detecting rocket-propelled launches from all over the world!}"
"{Show me!}" booms Khla. His display shifts to a larger scope depicting the life-bearing world. Thousands of lines depict the missiles rising from the surface; from oceans to mountains. He starts to order, "{Bolster drone defensive barrier forward and ready defensive fire from all batteries. Damage control...}" He trails off. The missiles turn, but not towards his ship or the city. At least, not many head toward the city. The vast majority of the missiles begin to arc downwards. They arc more and more as his command staff watches. The minutes tick by quickly. One of the officers asks, "{They strike their own hides?}"
Khla looks at Mrff. The subordinate Jardzen looks back with equal surprise. Khla knew conflict was still prevalent on the human world, but this behavior is baffling. They deployed with the expectation that humans would band together against a common enemy. It should be their only chance of survival at all. Instead, they are attacking themselves?
Mrff remarks, "{Recommend... monitoring communications, Yarjen. Perhaps there... is some clue to their behavior.}"
Khla nods. "{Make it so. Find us the strongest signal.}"
The communications officer replies, "{As you wish, Yarjen!}"
A human voice clicks on, playing on the bridge. It says calmly and proudly in human speech, "Do not fear, fellow citizens. The nasty rumors and misinformation being leaked are untrue. We have withstood the trials of politics, of conservatism, of capitalism. We have shed our shackles of the old, unequal world. Rejoice, for the war is won."
The voice continues, "Do not let lies and propaganda taint humanity's new freedom. The world is as it should be; with the worthy in power and our enemies; YOUR enemies; ousted forever. Together, we unite with the world in one unifying display of fireworks like no other. Join us in celebration, citizens of this global union!"
The communications analyst reports, "{Yarjen, it appears to be pre-recorded. Edit stitching and false fades. Voice is female, we're fairly certain.}"
Khla nods, thinking. The defensive analyst reports, "{Yarjen, we're detecting a strange signature from the weapon. Radioactive isotopes and gamma decay. But, why would they put radiation in a missile?}"
Khla had many years during the voyage to research the data about the humans. It's not all-encompassing by any stretch, but fireworks were mentioned; celebratory displays of explosions. However, unless humans have a resilience to radiation that Grodrrns lack, there should be no beneficial outcome to radiation in these displays. In fact, there should be no use in it at...
Khla's thought is cut off when the first human missile detonates across a narrow section of the ocean from the invasion forces. The tiny speck that was a missile deceived the payload it was carrying. The fireball emitted rapidly expands in a flash, becoming noticeably sized on the radar. Astonished, Khla stands up and looks out the window of his ship. A bright glow, like a surface-bound sun burns brightly on the blue and green world. Within seconds, more stars ignite for brief moments, visible from hundreds of thousands of dunenths. The other officers stand up, amazed by the display.
The power of these human weapons sinks in quickly. This was NOT in the human encyclopedia entry. Khla quickly takes his seat, ordering, "{Recall all forces at once!}" It may already be too late, but he must try. The communication officer scrambles back into her seat, relaying the order. Khla watches the weapon line racing for the city. He let his guard down. And, the denial of intelligence gathering on this world has his eyes tied. A few ships begin ascent, but too many are still gathering troopers.
Khla looks at the status display of Neezha. Her bleeding has stopped and she's conscious. And, her ship is nearly in orbit. She should be okay. He looks back at the city, awaiting the impending final moment.
A flash. Silver scales turn blue in a blink. All of the soldiers near the ground and even up to 15 dunenths suddenly flick to blue. His teeth clench. He can feel his gums being poked from the pressure. Only two ships, aside from Neezha's, have survived. He orders, "{Relay this new information to the Skoolchvih. I'm headed down the hangar to receive the survivors. Defensive posture.}"
Several voices, including Mrff, reply, "{As you wish, Yarjen!}"
Khla storms down to the hangar, arriving just as the first ship is unloading troops and prisoners. He asks, "{Are you okay?}" The squad leader replies, shaken, "{Yes, Yarjen!}" He salutes by bowing at the waist, covering his right eye –his vertical pupil-.
Khla inspects the human children captured. There are twelve of them, with varying skin, fur, and eye tones. Their skin looks like it is leaf-soft and easy to tear, and their fur seems to serve little, if any purpose; most prominent only on their heads. Their Grodrrnoid appearances; bipedal with two arms and five-fingered, dexterous hands; are ultimately very tiny and frail. These children are barely larger than a six month old hatchling.
Khla doesn't know much about humans, true, but he knows they have binary sexes similar to Grodrrns. But, their children are particularly difficult to distinguish. Especially these twelve. Khla inhales deeply near the cage of whimpering mammals. His eyes snap open. He looks at the squad leader. "{There are no females.}"
Surprised, the squad leader takes off his helmet, exclaiming, "{That's impossible!}" He halts, remembering protocol, and corrects, "{Yarjen, I must disagree. Look, those three are wearing clothing identical to that of females in the archive. They even have more elaborate... H-... Hier... Fur.}"
"{They stink of testosterone like male livestock. If they share that with OUR mammals, then females should smell of estrogen.}"
The squad leader sniffs cautiously. His face sinks. He says apologetically, "{Y-Yarjen... I... I was certain...}"
Khla sighs. "{We must pray the other ships have at least one female, then. We NEED both. ESPECIALLY their females.}"
"{My deepest apologies, Yarjen. I've failed you.}"
"{We are not lost, yet.}"
"{How many others survived?}" asks the squad leader cautiously.
"{NOT enough.}"
The second ship arrives, but the squad only managed to bring back one male child. Khla silently curses the fates. He would never expect what would be on the third –his own hatchling's- ship.
As Neezha's ship docks clumsily, Khla realizes something is wrong. His spine crawls when the door to her ship opens.
Neezha is wearing a Laczgrrd's torso armor, and her hands are tiny nubs of what they once were. Doubtless, she did not pilot the ship in this condition. What enrages him, tempered only by Neezha's proximity, is the pathetically small beast standing beside her with one of their own weapons aimed at her ribcage. The squads in the hangar instantly aim at the human, snarling enraged taunts and threats.
Khla is shocked, enraged, bewildered, and... afraid. He is afraid for Neezha's life. The gall this human has pales compared to the concern Khla feels for his only hatchling; his truly irreplaceable treasure.
The human is injured heavily, soaked from head to toe in blood and filth. Its only identifiable feature not obscured by filth are eyes seemingly lacking any color compared to the evidence the archive shows.
The disgusting mammal orders in its vile, unnaturally silky voice, "Present your commanding officer."
Khla resumes a semblance of his officer decorum, turning his face to a hateful, but controlled, glare. He snarls in his own tongue, undoubtedly unintelligible to the primitive, "{Helmdraff Craw! Free yourself of the mammal and soldiers; do not waste shots with misses.}"
Neezha suddenly cries out, "{Hul-Yarjen!}" She says more somberly, "{The device he wears translates.}"
Khla looks at the human's forearm. True enough, a metal device with floating rings adorns its scrawny forearm. The human nods an affirmation.
Khla growls, more openly displaying his anger. He forces out as calmly as he can, "{What do you want, Human?}"
The human replies, still in his own speech, "Your commanding officer. I'm offering a trade."
Khla licks his teeth, displaying sarcasm. He retorts gruffly, "{I'm afraid we don't speak human speech.}"
The human says bluntly to Neezha, "Tell him."
Neezha looks down, replying somberly once more, "{He knows we understand, Yarjen.}"
Khla stares at the two for a long time. Is this human the mysterious asset? If so, what is his goal?
Khla finally replies, "{What trade?}"
"Are you the commander?"
Before Khla can answer, Mrff's gruff voice growls in human speech, "No. I commond. {No. I command.}"
Khla shoots him a glance, but he is met with a brutal backhand before Mrff grips his jaw, yanking him off to the side. Mrff could be ripped limb from limb for such aggressive behavior toward a superior officer. However, Khla realizes what Mrff is doing.
Mrff snarls at him, "{I was to be informed of ALL hostiles on this ship, Craw! Insubordinate wretch!}" He then turns to the human, snarling in the same tone, but in human tongue, "Yuuu darr eenvadd MY sheep!? {You dare invade my ship!?}"
The human retorts, "Yep. And you're going to help me sabotage it."
"Een exchangg for seengull soljurr? {In exchange for single soldier?}" asks Mrff, surprised. "Keel her. Eez her duutih. {Kill her. Is her duty.}"
Khla growls, but the human retorts, "Actually, I'm done with her. She got me my audience." In a strange turn, the human drops the gun. However, he makes a hand gesture, and suddenly, all of the guns are ripped from their owners' hands, as if by magnetism with a will of its own. The soldiers cry out in surprise, and in another mind-blowing move, the human shoves Neezha away.
The human taunts, "You can help me sabotage this ship in a way you can recover, or I destroy this whole ship."
Khla moves to speak, but Mrff scoffs, growling tauntingly, "Ovur my deed bodih. Yuu wunt my sheep, yuu fass een bottle of onnurr. {Over my dead body. You want my ship, you face in battle of honor.}" Mrff smirks. He's counting on intimidating the tiny human.
However, Neezha cries out, "{NO! Yarjen Murf! You don't understand what he is!}"
Mrff scoffs, shedding his officer's jacket. He flexes his body, relaxing his powerful muscles and loosening his tough skin. The frail human SHOULD be no match for the only undefeated Grodrrn Alpha in Fievegal history. He has never lost a Battle of Honor, evidenced by many scars on his body, head, and arms, but none on his back, as well as his high standing in the Fievegal keeping him from exile.
The human, surprisingly, sheds his own armored top, revealing a body with the same soft and delicate skin, but with dark welts, bruises, scrapes, and burns. Khla isn't sure how a fight of honor can be considered so, given how injured the human is, but the tiny being shows no fear. Neezha tries again as Mrff growls eagerly, "{Yarjen, Please! He's not like...}" She pauses, suddenly appealing to the human, "Pleez donn keel heem hoomin! Pleez! {Please don't kill him human!}"
Mrff snarls at her, "{You dare insult me!? Watch and learn, hatchling!}"
Mrff lunges, springing forward viciously with a squeak of his silicone boot treads. He roars a feral, primal roar. The human holds his ground fearlessly. Khla notices Neezha look away. It was almost distracting enough for Khla to miss the whole thing.
In a bird-like, feather light whirl, the human spins. His foot whirls out after a full circle, and the top of the human's boot connects with the side of Mrff's jaw. The human is sprung sideways some, but the real surprise is Mrff, who tumbles in a calamitous fall. Dazed, the Grodrrn warrior collects his senses on his back as the human stands calmly ready.
Some of the soldiers roar, "{Kill it!}" "{Monster!}" But, Mrff silences them with a quick snarl. He climbs to his feet, flexing his jaw. He readies his sharp claws. The human may be fast, but one nick from a Grodrrn's claws will empty his blood in seconds.
Only one nick. That is what it takes.
Mrff lunges in, slashing viciously. The human ducks aside effortlessly. Snarling, Mrff swings again, this time more broadly. Still, the human swoops under his arm. A third, double arm swing, but the human slides between Mrff's legs, stopping behind him. The tiny mammal kicks the Jardzen's posterior, stumbling him forward.
The soldiers roar in rage. The human is toying with their respected warrior. It appears the human has no real fight in him; only agility.
However, as Mrff roars in fury, he spins. The human flows with Mrff's vicious slash like a tuft of smoke. His hands wrap around Mrff's wrist as the sharp claws miss the frail-seeming body. As soon as Mrff's momentum peters, the human wrenches, twisting Mrff's arm. The large, aged Grodrrn winces, coughing in surprise. In the next moment, the human kicks Mrff's knee, doing nothing at a glance. However, the third motion sums all of it up. The human pivots his whole body, further wrenching Mrff's captured arm. The whole move causes Mrff to topple forward like a heavy sack, rolling once more onto his back while the human stands.
The human says plainly, "The next grapple will kill you, Yarjen."
Mrff sighs in effort, still in a fury. He climbs to his feet, grunting, "Thar no BEE nuxt! {There no be next!}" He starts toward the human, but Neezha darts between them. She screams, "{No! He is NOT bluffing, Yarjen! We MUST yield, or he will kill everyone on the ship!}"
Mrff's hand flies on its own. Maybe he knows she'll ultimately be okay with the healing unit healing her. But, more than likely, his aggression has spiked his blood, and he is blinded by fury.
However, the human stops the claw's ascent to her face before anyone else can react, appearing in their proximity and holding his arm down with a loud impact clap. Wrist is pressed to wrist, and the two Grodrrns look at the human in genuine surprise. The human says nothing, but he strikes Mrff's lower torso with his other hand using the heel of his palm. Mrff coughs as he's launched back several paces. He lands on his hands and knees, retching.
The human orders, "Yield, Yarjen, and your people live to pillage another day."
Mrff coughs, grunting, "{I yield to no primitive.}"
In a panic, Neezha whirls and cries out, "{Hulm'hin! (Father!)}"
Khla is now torn. He must choose the honor of his most trusted officer and friend, or the possible wisdom his Zhi {daughter} believes she has. The human is undoubtedly skilled, but surely he can't defeat a fully crewed recon battleship, can he? And, asking them to willingly sabotage their own ship? Is this human madness that he would believe them to be amenable? What did Neezha see on the surface that makes her so afraid of this relatively primitive being?
Khla sees it. As Mrff readies once more, the human is unfazed. He is cold and calculating. He has been timing his moves and plotting them carefully. Not to defeat Mrff, but more specifically NOT to kill him. This primitive spared Neezha's life, even after defeating her squad in an instant. Mrff is no more a threat to this human than a flyk to a mountain Grodrrn. At best, he might briefly inconvenience the tiny being. But, the human is not concerned at all.
Khla shouts, "{Stand down, Neohlayte Yarjen! It's not worth your life.}"
Mrff pivots, snarling, "{Honor most CERTAINLY is!}" So, he DOES realize it then? He knows he can't win?
Khla replies calmly, "{There is no honor in dying in a hopeless fight. Yield, Yarjen. We will negotiate.}"
Mrff growls angrily, rumbling the whole hangar. He growls lowly, "{I am prepared to die for the Fievegal.}"
"{I'd prefer we live, and actively assist the Fievegal.}"
Neezha relaxes, and she pleads to the human, "{Please show us mercy, human.}"
He replies, "First, we talk. Tell me why you invaded."
Mrff rises back to his towering height, growling tauntingly, "{Your wretched tribe doomed our race.}"
Confused, the human replies, "How so?"
Khla explains more civilly, "{A long range missile originating from this world assassinated our Saurminnica... Our ruler.}"
"That's impossible. I'm suffering from amnesia right now, but humanity doesn't have that technology; not to pinpoint strike another world."
"{LIAR!}" snarls Mrff. Khla tries to calm him. Part of it is the adrenaline boiling his blood into a fury. Khla replies, "{This missile had some sort of data system onboard. Our scientists were able to extract information about your world, your species, and even your languages.}"
The human chuckles, amazed. "That's insanity. What idiot would put that on a mi-..." He halts in mid-thought. He whispers, "Voyager..."
Mrff snarls, barely restrained by Khla and Neezha, "SO YUU DUU KNOW UV EET! {So you do know of it!}"
The human doesn't recoil, but he does reply, "This has been a terrible mistake! That wasn't a weapon by design. It was supposed to be merely a contact vessel."
Mrff growls, "THAUGHT DONN RIVEEV OUR SAURMINNICA! {That doesn't revive our Saurminnica!}"
The human slumps, replying, "I know. But, I can't let you destroy our people. I saw the blasts. You didn't kill our world just now, even if you intended to. Don't pursue us, or this unnecessary war will only worsen."
"{That may not be an option.}" replies Khla distantly. The human looks at him, puzzled. Khla redirects, saying, "{If you are true to your word, human, those interceptors and our radar dome are your only threat until the full Baskylla arrives. The radar dome specifically is how we pulsed your world.}"
"Very well," replies the human. "Now, free those children. I'm not letting you keep them." This time, several soldiers growl. But, Khla silences them with a wave of his hand. He replies calmly, "{Take them. For my daughter's life, my crew's lives, and my left hand's life.}"
The human nods. The children are freed, and he ushers them into the ship. Just before he closes the ramp, the human says calmly, "Yarjens; Helmdraff Neezha'Jor M'von Craw'Khn refused to tell me anything or cooperate, forcing me to cut off her hands. She is a proud and loyal soldier. For... whatever that's worth from me. Helmdraff Craw, I am sincerely sorry it came to that. May we never meet again."
With that, the ramp closes. The ship takes off, flying out of the ship to the abyss. The battleship shakes, and an alarm sounds. A voice calls over the intercom, "{We've taken fire! Radar destroyed!}"
Mrff growls lowly, but much more calmly, "{Letting it go was a mistake.}"
"{Maybe. But I trust what Helmdraff Craw saw on the surface.}" He glances at her, and then back at Mrff. "{I don't think he was bluffing. Or, if he was, it wasn't worth any more lives.}"
Mrff sighs. He rolls his shoulders, causing his old joints to pop and crack. "{What do we do about our other problem, then?}"
"{If Skulczhwy believes Human younglings are the key, then we will pursue and try to capture them again.}"
Mrff nods. "{As you wish, Yarjen. Permission to retire for the day?}"
Khla chuckles, replying, "{Granted.}" He then says to Neezha, "{Helmdraff Craw;}" She straightens her posture rigidly, and he orders, "{Make a full report to the intel chief. You're the only known survivor that dealt with that human.}"
"{Right away, Yarjen!}" Just before she turns, Khla hisses, "{Neezha...}" She halts and looks at him. He whispers softly, "{Thank you.}" She smiles softly and nods.
********