January 12 2106 (military calendar)Tempestria(transted) 70 10,156 (Tukyarid calendar)
Kheks
Onboard the onager
This moment should be remembered for eons. I’m the first Tukyarid to peacefully board an alien spacecraft. After about two months of tests and studying it was deemed safe for me to join this crew.
Now I’m being guided by one of their medical professionals. He’s a subordinate of both a colonel Griffin Sarin and Colonel Parks. Their structure like them is completely alien.
I’m in no position to argue their structure however as when I left for this mission we had no military. “I’ll lead you to the general… let’s hurry we should be able to arrive before it starts” the man’s deep voice rumbles my carapace.
I tilt my head “Before what starts” his big helmeted head turns to me and the glowing eyes become unnerving “There’s a saying I’m not sure how well it’ll transte but it goes ‘if left unattended those enlisted will find new fascinating ways to destroy something’ this is compounded when the command often acts as an enlisted”
I think about that for a moment but before I can ask to crify it he speaks again “Don’t think too deeply it’s just a phrase but bored soldiers do find interesting ways to pass the time like a division-wide championship”
His words confuse me further. “Do you choose your leaders by martial might” I ask. He shakes his head, something I’ve learned means negative. Humans are very expressive creatures like ourselves but do so in very different ways.
“We choose off one’s ability” We come to a rge door with a man without his helmet “your almost te it’s about to start I saved some seats” I’m
Thankfully for the headpiece, they gave me to transte their speech.
We enter a crowded room with some big screens on each wall and a boisterous man’s voice being bsted from the walls.
“Ladies and gentlemen it’s time for the final round to start and for all of you who had to face our finalists good job not dying”
“On the prow side we have the Trex managing to pass a few rounds with knockouts, poor bastards. And on the aft end, we have the archangel himself who just couldn’t be pinned down”
“Now let’s begin let the bloodbath begin” he shouts and the crowd cheers. Immediately they open fire and sparks fly off their armor.
The one called a trex jumps and charges the other still shooting as they close the distance. The announcer shouts “She’s trying the tried and true but I don’t think it’ll work this time”
True enough the man easily dodged the flying person and fired a few shots. Once the woman nds they put their rifle on their back and… pull out a sword and pistol?
“Oh no looks like Griffin is in trouble how will he get out of this one” Amazingly they wield both weapons at the same time with great proficiency. I didn’t know humans could do that.
Next came a shock to everyone the one named Griffin fires a grappling hook and whips himself at the woman. She tries to swing at him but he shifts position mid-air going from his upper body leading to his legs.
His boots make contact with the woman’s chest and he kicks off sending her into the wall with a great ringing of metal. All the men around me let out an ouch sound.
She bounced off the wall limp but a moment ter she twitched and was back in the fight. At this point, they are within melee range and the woman throws a punch which Griffin catches and rolls around her pulling the arm.
He locks an arm around her throat and after a few moments, she lightly taps him. “Ladies and gentlemen we have a champion let’s hear it for the colonel”
The people around me cheer and some groan. The big man escorting me ughs “Let’s go talk to them I should probably do a checkup on the general anyway”
We leave the room and head down the hallway until we reach a training room. It has two guards outside one of them comments “damn Barbosa I feel bad for you guys having to spar him” We get waved through but my guide barbosa replies as we walk past “It’s not so bad just remember to turn in all bets to Rabbit so the winnings can be distributed”
We enter the room I saw on the screen and I watch Griffin help the general up and then remove his helmet. “You were going easy” he states. The general removes her helmet and I watch a gem float out for a moment before she catches it and puts it in one of her eyes.
Barbosa rushes over to her and shines a light in her other eye “Any dizziness or light sensitivity” she waves him away “I’m fine griffin just knocked it loose when I hit the wall… looks like our guest is here”
I feel a trill of panic as all their eyes lock on me. The general then speaks “Griffin can you gather a few people for me? Barbosa can you get him to the briefing room I’ll get some food brought in. It’s finally time to pn this shit”
I’m immediately led to a different part of the huge ship and it’s a room full of screens and tables with screens at the top. Barbosa takes a seat while I stand there unsure of what to do.
“I’d get comfortable if I were you we have a little bit of a wait then we’re going to be in here a while” I decide to try one of the chairs but it’s not designed for Tukyarid.
Slowly other people start to trickle in and at first I was worried that they said nothing to me but it was crified that any questions they had would be best asked once everyone was here to prevent repeating.
Finally, the general arrived with a few men in their full armor and a whole entourage carrying food. She cps and all the side conversations stop at once and everyone stomps the floor and salutes. One hand over their chest the other tucked in the small of their back.
“At ease. Now as this is going to take a while we’ll eat in here do try to not make a mess otherwise you can try to get pig fat out of a wiring harness”
She then looks right at me and her eye gem seems to refract the light making it appear to glow. “Please correct me if I mispronounce the but your name is kheks correct”
I bob my head “Nearly perfect I’m amazed by your species vocal range” The corners of her mouth stretch up towards her eyes.
“Thank you, help yourself to any food you see just be mindful about your own biology” She pauses for a moment then turns to the fully armored men “Can you go fetch one of the rge bean bags for our guest” They nod and run off.
“Now then kheks can you inform us of the current state of your people and then your culture and power structure” I tilt my head a little confused about what our culture would have to do with a war but who am I to argue with the angry bipeds.
“Certainly, what spurred us to contact you is a message from our home pnet. We made contact with a separate species who then invaded and ensved my people”
“As for a power structure, I doubt it’s still intact in the message I was informed they killed one of our hive queens. That destroyed an entire section of the comforting mind”
I noticed that many if not all the humans specifically called to this meeting are all taking notes “The hive queens are our rulers but also a form of communication node”
One of the humans raised an arm into the air puzzling me. After a few moments, they look at their arm and then as if with sudden realization put it down.
The one to do this speaks out “Apologies that gesture means the one doing it has a question” I bob my head and they continue “I feel your biology may be very closely integrated into your society can you give us a brief expnation”
I continue to expin how our memory is stored genetically so our children can share our experiences. Then I expin how parts of our brains are simply transmitters and receivers like a radio communication system.
While we can’t talk to one another through it we do get impressions and rough emotions. Next, I described how we can hibernate for years without issues which one more creative hive queen used to allow us to explore the stars.
Now that we were back on the main topic I was pulled around figuratively speaking as question after question was asked.
Popution when I left. Pns to colonize a separate pnet both inside and out of our system. Military structures of which we had none that I knew of. That produced grumbles throughout the humans gathered.
After several hours they seem to have exhausted their questions for me. The general stands up “included in the message kheks received were files on the enemy."
"They are an arachnid-like species that best we can tell share some simirities to the Tukyarid. Fully formed internal organs including a heart so they will be big."
"They have an exoskeleton and use a hybrid system for their musculoskeletal system. They have strand muscles like us but also hydraulic systems so their strength is not to be ignored."
"The exoskeleton likely has devolved from not needing to be as strong as when they lived in caves or their equivalent so putting them down shouldn’t be a problem."
"What might be a problem is their military organization of which we have no information on they could run around without armor or could be walking tanks covered in hundreds of pounds of armor carrying a rge cannon”
I’m amazed how just from a biological survey they are guessing how the misnai will fight.
“Let’s not ignore they look like spiders so let’s pn for web traps and ambush tactics as well as three-dimensional fighting. if that’s how they operate then this will be easy”
I shudder at that statement. Thank the hive these humans are reasonable I doubt we’d survive long enough to realize our mistake if we had to fight them.
“Before we ship out I want a full complement of low temp napalm and enough fmethrowers for each squad to have one. If we can help it we will not be entering any holes in the ground I’m not in any hurry to become acquainted with saper warfare”
A few moments passed “That’s it for now we’ll reconvene ter to discuss insertion pn’s hopefully with some maps”
All but two of the humans leave, Griffin and Barbosa. Griffin asked after a few moments “ Is the food not safe to eat or just not to your liking” I shift on the surprisingly comfortable bag seat I was given and looked at the food.
“I have not tried it” I answer then decide now is as good a time as any to try human delicacies so I get up and inspect some cuts of flesh. Being a carnivorous species I had no interest in the pnts.
I pick one juicy cut that’s still on the bone and proceed to strip the bone clean. It was some of the best meat I’ve tasted in my life and possibly my memory.
I eat a few more before I fill myself up and rub my wings in satisfaction. It’s only when I hear Griffin speak that I remember they were in the room “Seems the foods safe. Seeing as you are going to be with us a while I’ll show you your quarters just let me know if you need anything”
Tanya
Onboard the Onager
I’m on the bridge half staring out at empty space and half watching a screen that’s showing the transtion point of the test craft.
It should be returning any second now but even without its test fully completed all my ships are being retrofitted with the drives so we can go as soon as possible.
Arms Bir suddenly and the cameras shift to a new point. A point very far from where the ship was supposed to come out.
Its location is surprising but not as surprising as the next two facts. It is in fact our ship but it’s also just shy of being a debris field.
Cole hits the red alert and all our guns charge up. “Launch a transport with a fighter escort I want feet on that ship now before it comes apart” I bark
Once we maneuver closer because it missed the mark by fifty million miles the transport and its escort make their way over.
The pilot’s camera and the boarding team's cameras fill the sides of the main monitor with the main space still showing the ship from our cameras.
Over the bridge speakers, the boarding team leader speaks “Top this is Hellion one we are walking to the vessel now” The seriousness of the bridge is stifling as everyone just watches and listens “Copy that Hellion, eyes are good proceed with mission” the comms operator replies.
They proceed to space walk to the vessel then once magnetized to the hull they walked to a breach in the hull.
Inside they found a technician fused with a wall. “Top we have found the first casualty” the comm officer responds with an acknowledged.
The team proceeds through the ship until they find the bridge which is still pressurized. Immediately a second transport is sent over with a mobile airlock that will form a seal around the bulkhead so the door to the bridge can be opened safely.
Within half an hour it’s set up, pressurized and the door opened with half the team on the inside. What the bridge holds is the remaining crew frail from malnutrition and several in critical condition from external injuries.
The squad lead pulls the bck box while the rest on the inside of the airlock check over the crew. I choose this time to move over to the comm station “Put me through I need answers”
The officer nods. “hellion do you read” I state. He replies “I read send traffic” They finish securing the bck box to their armor “Find the highest rank there and put me on the speaker” Their camera nods “Hellion copies all”
Hellions squad leader walks around the bridge for a few moments then stops in front of an injured man. Not serious mind you. “The general wants a word he states”
The officer nods “Probably wants to know what happened I’ll just cut to the chase… the drive works but has a few hiccups I saw what happened to our junior technician when we jumped and he was unprotected”
The officer frowns “We didn’t have a choice though. We couldn’t wait for him to get through a bulkhead. When we transted into the system we were way off target in the outer system”
“We used our passive systems to take a look but I guess our entry let off a fir or something. Next thing we knew we had a bunch of alien ships chasing us a few managed hits before we were able to jump away”
Satisfied with his answer I decided to leave him to rest “Rest up we’ll get you off this wreck and get you a warm meal” I tell him through hellions speakers.
Once the remaining crew was checked and deemed safe to move their vacuum suits were checked and any that didn’t pass were repced through the airlock before we finally got them to the dropship.
I was eagerly awaiting the bck box and all the scans and data it held it seems our pns might change somewhat.
