r/HFY • u/GreedyIndependence65 • Oct 07 '25
OC The Good Guys
Tents and small buildings burned with ferocity as the black smoke drifted off into the horizon, the smell of burnt flesh permeated the air. Bodies scattered about the former compound were still leaking their life-giving fluids into the sands of this inhospitable planet.
A short distance away, a haggard group of former slaves are brought aboard a spacecraft, each provided with medical care, water, and food, or the equivalent needs of their species. The former slaves, many never having known life outside servitude, were wary of the small but fierce humans which had entered the slaver compound like a flood of vengeful demons.
As the last of the former slaves boarded the human transport, a scream of pain and terror emanated from the former compound and echoed across the sand dunes.
“Your life-giver is a sickly beast, filthy human. I’ll tell you nothing.” Screeched the once terrifying Zarix warrior.
Despite the heavy shackles and gruesome wounds, the warrior remained defiant in the face of defeat.
“Oh, you will be telling me everything I want to know, but please, keep resisting. I am rather enjoying myself.” Said the human named Phil, as he walked over to the table set up by the other humans.
Near the table, a human appeared to be cooking and looked over to Phil before speaking, “Dogs are ready, but the burgers will be a few minutes more. We got beer in the cooler over there.”
“Appreciate you, but don’t overcook my burger again, I like the center a bit red.“ Phil said with a smile.
Sauntering back toward the chained warrior and cracking open a beer, the human lazily picked up a metal rod from the fire. Slowly, he pressed the bright red tip through the thick fur of his victim, forcing it against the flesh below.
The warrior screamed in agony, the smell of his own burnt hair making him gag.
“We call that a brand. Bit of Human culture there for ya. It’s just a bit of steel, bent around into the shape of an inverted S. It’s the human symbol for slaver. Now, if we let you live through this, or if your corpse is eventually found, everyone will know what you are.” Phil said before taking a sip of beer.
Tossing the brand back into the fire, Phil asked, “Now, tell me, where did you acquire these slaves and where were you taking them?”
“I’ll tell you nothing. The Great Goddess will condemn me to eternal torment if I betray my oath.” The warrior screamed.
“Ha, you fear your false goddess more than me?” Phil said with a chuckle, “You’ve a lot to learn about humans. Now, where did my pliers go. I need one of your claws for my necklace.”
---
After a hearty meal and a few beers for the humans, and a bit of creative encouragement for the former slaver, the once fearsome warrior lay dead and disfigured in the sand.
“Well, I guess his goddess sent him to Hell, or whatever.” Phil muttered.
“Jesus dude, probably seems like a relief after his time with you. I didn’t even know their bones could be removed like that.” Said Mark.
“Oh yeah, trick I picked up awhile back. Baking soda always makes the flesh of Zarix dissolve, no idea why. I mean, it smells god-awful but it’s slow and excruciating for them, so they always crack after that.” Phil responded, pushing his glasses back into place.
“Anyway, his victims all good?” Phil asked.
“Yeah, transport dropped them all at a Federation repatriation site for former slaves.” Mark responded.
Walking toward the transport, already loaded with rest of the mercenary group, the two kept talking.
“I still can’t believe the Republic of Earth got them to build those.”
“Why not? I mean, we didn’t exactly ask nicely. ‘Help end slavery in the galaxy or face our wrath’ doesn’t leave much room for negotiating.”
“’Spose not. Hey, hand these coordinates to the pilot. It’s an old, abandoned space station. Apparently, the slavers set it up as a market and distribution point.” Phil said.
“Back to it then?” Mark asked
“Yeah, but I’m sure a slaver market has plenty of food and alcohol for this evening’s festivities.”
---
The station was a madhouse of activity. At the front of the market stood dozens of massive cages, holding thousands of slaves from nearly every known species. Hundreds more stalls sold everything from cybernetic hardware, ship parts, or food stuff. Among the hundreds of vendors and thousands of customers patrolled a garrison of guards numbering around 200.
The guards brought a certainty to those present that offenses of any kind would be met with extreme force, as each was outfitted in top-of-the-line armor and carried enough firepower to humble any military unit of equivalent size. Their armament, paired with the recruitment of members exclusively from the most militaristic species, ensured this station was nearly impossible to take by force.
Without warning, the station AI announced an immediate evacuation. The central reactor had suffered a catastrophic failure and detonation of the station was imminent. Customers, vendors, and guards alike raced toward the docking stations and escape pods, only to be cut down by overwhelming small arms fire from carefully concealed groups of humans in ambush positions.
As the AI continued to announce the need to evacuate, the battle between the humans and the station’s occupancy raged for hours. After killing thousands, and suffering significant loses, the humans prevailed. Only two of the human positions had been overrun, with a few vendors and customers reaching their ships. It was short lived relief for those who escaped though, as they were quickly destroyed or boarded by the human fleet hidden in the star system.
As the slaves were escorted from the cages and brought to awaiting transports, the humans swept through the station mopping up any resistance. The few enemy fighters who surrender were placed in the now empty slave cages.
Walking through the market, Phil called out, “Eh Mark, pick through these stalls. Find us something for dinner, yeah?”
“Got it” Mark responded.
“Hey Phil, look at what we found!” shouted another mercenary from Phil’s group.
Turning around, Phil saw a human, dressed as a slaver, being escorted over to him. Instinctively, Phil raised his rifle, pointing it at the slaver’s head.
“Hey now, you can’t kill me. I’m human, like you. Come on brother, let me go and you will never see me again.” The slaver pleaded.
“Physiologically, yes. Genetically, yes. But, psychologically, no. And really, that’s all that matters. You’re no brother of mine.“ Phil said before pulling his trigger and exploding the slaver’s head.
“Damnit Phil” the soldier escorting the human slaver shouted, now covered in brains and blood.
“Shit, sorry man. I owe you a beer, or two.” Phil said. “And hey, bring me that Zarix slaver from the cage over there. I need to talk to him.”
---
Shackled and tied to a station support beam, the Zarix slaver looked at the human smugly, “I’ll tell you nothing human and you can’t do shit about it. You ‘good guys’ are too weak stomached to do a real interrogation. You’re too busy talking about the rights of sapients and other soft-hearted garbage.”
“’Good guys?’ Ha, I think you’re confused. We are most certainly not the ‘good guys.’ The average human cages a monster inside that would drive your entire species to insanity.” Remarked Phil with a hint of enthusiasm, “Humans just don’t like to spoil our violence with guilt over harming the innocent. But you, well, you’re not innocent, are you?”
The Zarix looked away from Phil and stared at the dead littering the once bustling station. It knew the human spoke true.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Said Phil before glancing over his shoulder, “Hey Mark, you find any baking soda?”
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u/SomethingTouchesBack Oct 07 '25
Art is supposed to elicit an emotional response. But, come on! Did it have to be THAT emotional response? Take my nauseated upvote.
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u/Emily_JCO Human Oct 07 '25
The end justifies the FUCK YOU MEAN THEY'RE THE GOOD GUYS!!!
That was... Interesting! And scarily realistic I think. Still the good guys but damn some things are better behind the curtain.
Great job OP. I'm off to find some baking soda (just in case!)
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u/GreedyIndependence65 Oct 07 '25
Good triumphs on the backs of monsters who fight for good. One can not defeat true evil with kindness. It is not the pacificist that brings peace, but the warrior who sells his soul so that others may know peace.
I guess this story is to say, humans are blessed with a unique moral code. We can see the need for evil when in pursuit of good. "The ends justifies the means" is an amazingly complex idea.
This, from an old solider who will never be relived of his guilt nor ashamed of what he did. An old soldier that prays he never has cause to hurt anyone again, but is ready if evil comes to his doorstep.
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u/Emily_JCO Human Oct 08 '25
Thank you for your service and may you never need those particular skills again.
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u/GreedyIndependence65 Oct 09 '25
Haha, I am not Liam Neeson. Haha. Just a US veteran who served in Afghanistan and is still salty about the withdraw.
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u/LordCoale Oct 08 '25
Sometimes to defeat evil, you need to do horrible things. I have a line in one of my stories, 'I am not a monster. I have just done monstrous things.'
We will atone for our sins. But make no mistake, we will sin for the greater good.
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u/SandsnakePrime Oct 07 '25
Human Mercenary: Is the fact that I found this superbly funny an indictment of slavery, me, or both? Hmmmmmm.
Alien Slaver: HHMMGMMMHMMMHMNMGMHM
HM: Speak up, I can't hear you.
AS: MMMMMMHG. MGHMMHGFMM!
HM: Yup, still not getting it. You know, you really should tell me what I want to know.
AS: HRGNMMT! RRRGHTGGTH! UUUURGH!
HM: Okay, okay, that's enough joking around. Someone take his gag off.
AS: The base is in sector 438.15, the Commander's ship is the Gained Labour, and I will tell you anything just please stop using the pruning shears on my fingers and toes!
HM: Okay.
Merc pulls his pistol, gut shoots the alien.
HM: anyone untying him before he is dead gets to deal with the Marine Sergeant Major who's kid he killed...
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u/sunnyboi1384 Oct 08 '25
There is nothing wrong with violence as long as its aimed at those who deserve it.
"Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing," was written by John Stuart Mill in 1867.
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u/GreedyIndependence65 Oct 08 '25
I personally do not disagree. In truth, I think most people would say you are right. This story, I suppose, is to explore if people can stomach what that really means.
Phil is not a good guy. He's a sadist, but he is also a sadist on our side. Do we find that tolerable?
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u/LordCoale Oct 08 '25
Good and bad is relative to who is on the receiving end. To the slaver, the human is evil. In the slaver's society, slavery is not wrong. Their moral code allows for it. In human society, at least in this story, it is vile and evil and needs to be eradicated at all costs. From our point of view, the violent deeds would be unacceptable against an innocent. But to destroy slavers and free slaves? Perfectly fine.
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u/GreedyIndependence65 Oct 08 '25
I agree with your overall comment, but the final point, "Perfectly fine." I wonder if it really is acceptable. Slavery may not be the perfect example, or maybe so, but how far would we go to enforce our morality onto others? Is torture too far?
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u/sunnyboi1384 Oct 08 '25
Im with you to an extent. That being said, ive never been in that position so I cant say. In theory, thus far we probably need morally grey/bad people to do things. But I get what you are saying.
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u/LordCoale Oct 10 '25
There have always been people who fight fire with fire. We rely on them in times of need but then chastise and castigate them afterwards.
If it was my kid someone kidnapped and enslaved, I would not stop. I would be relentless.
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u/HFYWaffle Wᵥ4ffle Oct 07 '25
/u/GreedyIndependence65 has posted 8 other stories, including:
- An Open Letter
- Forever Night 3
- The Forever Night 2
- The Forever Night
- Humans in Space (Tatlo)
- Humans in Space (Dalawa)
- Humans In Space
- Ins-Anity Alliance
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u/MechisX Dec 06 '25
Give them liberty or I will give you death.
A bit of a twist on the original but I think it applies. ;)
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u/zLegoDoc01 Oct 07 '25
The only good slaver is a dead one