The Nature of Predators - The Sacrifice (6/6) (Patreon)

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Memory 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.

Mallin One-Shot

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.