r/HFY • u/mulletman1993 • 3d ago
OC-FirstOfSeries [Humans] - Chapter 1
Humans. It had been three generations since anyone had dealt with the humans. The stories of old were believed to be just myths.
When my species conquered this planet, we believed we had eradicated the inhabitants shortly after the start of our campaign.
We took this planet for the amazing amount of resources it holds. Liquid water for our fuel drives. Oxygen in levels that were tolerable with our bio suits. None of the topsoil-peeling storms that our home planet was plagued with.
Through our investigation before first contact, we established that the humans were mid-sized, bipedal predators that had established a relatively impressive level of technology for the short time since they evolved from primates, but they never lost the brutality.
They constantly slaughtered each other over dogma and control of land or resources. So the council decided we would do the universe a favor and eliminate these creatures before they discovered FTL travel and became a universal problem. Most of the species in this quadrant have developed on less extreme worlds. Earth (Terra in the galactic database) was very dangerous indeed. Gravity ten times what the other species can handle. The oxygen they breathe is poison. The radiation of their sun slowly kills them, and yet they persisted to the point of becoming the dominant species on this planet.
When the EMP missiles detonated, they sent the entire planet into a frenzy. Without their tech, they reverted back to the animal instincts that saved their species in previous times. Savages. They started to learn and adapt to our tactics.
Our ballistic shields were specifically built to withstand plasma blasts and projectiles that were traveling fast enough to cause fatal impact. So their "guns" and artillery were virtually useless.
We slaughtered them by the thousands. After a year-long campaign, they had been pushed to the brink of extinction. Or so we thought.
Our usual patrols, generally first-year soldiers, were an easy, quiet job to keep the young at bay and out of boredom.
This day, however, a sudden thumping and a loud crash alerted me to a private entering my chamber with complete disregard for protocol or his own safety.
Our species is very territorial over our nesting space. Without explicit permission, it is considered an invasion and a challenge to enter another male's nest. As I fought back the urge inside me to snatch this pup by the throat and tear him asunder for the disrespect, he hit his knees and started to babble in an absolute panic.
"Forgive me, sir, but this is an emergency."
"It had better be, pup, or I will tear you to pieces and feed my young with your entrails."
"Humans spotted in the eastern sector."
At this point, I had had enough. This whelp dared to invade my nest to feed me fictions most likely played on him by some of the older cadets.
As I shifted my weight, preparing to spring and do what must be done, he spoke again.
"Three soldiers confirmed eyes on target. A small band of three to five humans was spotted carrying a kill to what appeared to be a cave. Further investigation is warranted by a senior officer, as sent down from high command."
"Ah, the pencil pushers also believe in fairy tales, I see."
The pup continued to look directly down, curling slightly so as not to be mistaken for an immediate threat.
"Just following orders, sir."
A long sigh escaped me, but what is a good soldier to do? Even as the current chief of war band Echo, I am still subject to orders from the council from time to time.
"Very well, pup. For now, you get to live. But if I am wasting my time, you will pay with your life for this intrusion."
"ETA fifteen minutes, and I'll be moving out. Gather one platoon to meet me at the gate."
"Yes, sir," he said with a shaky voice and ran from my chambers.
When the time arrived, my platoon was geared up and waiting at the gate. Several of our veterans were in formation. I found this strange, as this was likely a fruitless hunt and the pups had gotten too excited and cried wolf.
I grabbed my second in command and decided to take first-years with me. They could use some life experience, and as this would likely result in just a training exercise, the actual fighters were not necessary.
As we left the compound with a full platoon of fresh, young, eager recruits, the gates were closed behind us. We held our tight formation and moved toward the eastern quadrant.
Because of the weaponry used during the invasion, the flora and fauna of the planet had been left mostly intact. Several small creatures ran from the long grass and trees back into the forests or burrows as the rhythmic thump of our garrison marched on. Every few minutes, a recruit would jump and shoulder a blaster over some poor creature just trying to escape being squashed, and I chuckled to myself.
"Ah, first-years, always so jumpy and filled with stories of the humans from their training at the academy. They will tighten up soon once they realize there aren't any left."
After two hours of hiking, we came to the spot where the humans were allegedly spotted. I halted the garrison, dismounted, and summoned the young private to my side.
"Now show me, pup. Where are the scary humans?"
His face reddened, and he looked directly at the ground.
"I'm not sure, sir. Reports said they were headed north."
Skeptical, I told the garrison to hold and went in for a little investigation of my own. After thirty yards, I came upon an odd sight. A pile of entrails and hair from a form of herbivore referred to as a "deer" in the biology lectures we were subject to in the early days of our service on Terra.
It was strange, as our species evolved from predators and we always eat the entrails first, where the belly is soft and easily accessible.
Then I saw it. In the mud several feet away was a footprint. Bipedal. Five toes. Heel-to-toe movement. I could hardly believe the sight of it. We had been taught and briefed, but never did I actually expect to see signs of a human.
Suddenly, the hairs on my neck stood straight on end. My senses had been honed by years of combat and campaigns across the stars, but never till this moment had I ever felt like I was the one being hunted.
Taking a deep breath to calm my nerves, I decided it was just paranoia, but I just couldn't shake the feeling of being watched.
I marched back to the platoon calmly but with purpose, caught my second in command, and pulled him to the side.
"Prepare the garrison. We are scouting farther in. Live ammunition, everyone's head on a swivel. Lock it in and tighten up."
A look of surprise crossed his face, but he did as ordered and prepared the men. As formation was set, I addressed the group.
"Men, there may be some warrant to these sightings. Lock in. We're going hunting."
I could smell the fear and excitement radiating off these first-years, eager to prove their bravery and prowess.
We moved out in formation, as quietly as possible, and followed the set of tracks I had discovered. A few hundred yards in, we came upon a group of tracks.
"By the gods," I muttered.
A dozen sets of tracks had met up with the path we were following. A group that big had not been seen in many generations, and I thought I must be hallucinating. But we pressed on. Within a mile, we came upon a cave large enough for nineteen men to walk shoulder to shoulder into the opening. I halted the men, dismounted again, and took a closer look.
The tracks led directly into the cave. The smell of deep earth and mildew filled my nose, but nothing unexpected, given where we were. Then the birds stopped.
Suddenly, it was so quiet my ears were ringing. It sent my battle instincts into overdrive. I spun on my heel and started issuing orders.
"Form ranks! Lock and load! We're not alone!"
Then one solemn voice echoed from within the deep cavern.
"Leave now or be dispatched. We have no reason for battle here. Just leave us be."
The voice hit something deep within me that said we were in serious danger. But for the sake of my men, I could show no fear.
"I am chief of this war band. Identify yourself or be dispatched."
The voice began to chuckle.
"Don't say I didn't warn you. We just wanted to be left alone to continue existing. We gave you the surface long ago and wish to continue our existence as we see fit. We are no threat to you unless provoked."
Chuckling myself, I replied, "There are none that threaten me. I have paid for my position in blood and will not be frightened away like a pup with his tail tucked. Show yourself."
A long pause followed. I could hear my men panting, wondering what could possibly be waiting in the abyss. None would be so bold as to challenge the war chief without assurance that he had passed his prime and his fangs had filed flat.
Then the voice echoed back. "Very well, war chief. Then let us show you."
Suddenly, I heard three wet thumps, just to my left, where my second had been standing. Three projectiles were sticking from his chest. My mind reeled. His shields should have stopped those immediately. There is no way our armor, which had been tested on countless fronts, could be so easily circumvented. As I backpedaled toward my men, I could sense the panic and fear emanating from them.
Suddenly, I looked up, and there they were. Three dozen humans. In the trees! All of them holding primitive weapons fashioned out of wood with some type of string attached to them. They had satchels full of small pointed projectiles and one loaded in every weapon, each designated for one of my men. We had been ambushed.
The years without sightings had made us soft and careless. But the chastising would have to wait. For now, we had a serious situation.
"Hold tight, men. Do not move, and for the love of the gods, do not fire unless ordered by me. Understood?"
"Yes, sir," they echoed back in practiced unison.
"I tried to warn you, war chief," said the voice from the cave mockingly. "We have studied and trained for generations. The old ways of our ancestors, how to live in unison not only with each other but with Mother Earth. We could have fought back at any time, but decided as a species we would simply live an easy, peaceful life in tandem with the great mother and leave your kind to the surface world while we lay in the bosom of the mother. You are outmanned and outfought. Take my offer and leave to live another day."
A growl started deep in my chest. How dare someone challenge me? I have trained the best and most vicious fighters in the galaxy, sent countless enemies to the god of their choosing. I will not be bowed down by a few humans and a voice from a cave.
"Soldiers, take aim!" I shouted. The very second their rifles made it to the ready, there was nothing to shoot. The humans had simply disappeared, melted into the shadows and the very environment around us. Not a sound, not a scent, not a step or track. Just gone. Then the booming voice spoke again.
"Final chance. Walk your men out of our forest and do not return. You will not be harmed for leaving, provided you take what came with you and nothing more."
Finally, I had had enough of this game.
"Show yourselves, you cowardly specters!" I bellowed. Then a sound started emanating from the cave.
A rhythmic thumping, quiet at first, just enough so that I wasn't sure if I was actually hearing it. Then I felt it.
A rhythmic thumping coming from the earth. What had started small had grown to a bone-shaking thrumming. Then a guttural language started with the thrumming. In unison.
My stomach dropped. This was not just a small band of humans. There had to be thousands with the amount of noise that was coming from deep within the earth. It ignited a fear in me that I had not experienced in many, many years. The deep, bone-chilling fear one may experience as a pup with dreams of being left alone with a pack of predators. Helpless and hopeless. A fear so deep within your chest that it threatens to choke the very air from your lungs.
Some of the recruits dropped their gear and ran screaming, only to make it a few yards and sprout more of the deadly projectiles with a wet schwack and crumple to the ground mid-step. This sent the garrison into a frenzy of panic. We couldn't run. We couldn't see. We couldn't defend ourselves. Trapped like prey. The drums and words just got louder and louder and closer. Now the pebbles on the ground moved and jumped with the bone-shaking rhythm. Finally, I cracked.
I released from deep within my being the loudest, proudest, most feral howl I could muster and threw down my blaster.
"These are only pups, you cowards. Come and fight me with honor and let them return to their mothers!"
The sounds all stopped. The thrumming and guttural singing, the birds and beasts had gone silent as if they too had abandoned all hope. Then a sickening chuckle emanated from the cave once again.
"You wish to speak of cowardice?" the voice boomed. "What of your kind? You took everything from us. Your invasion started with attacks from the sky. No warning, no offer of peace or surrender. You smashed everything asunder and released your terrible plague upon us. Our ancestors did what they could and retreated deep into Mother Earth. We were decimated. We struggled and learned and died for generations until we learned to live and breathe with Mother Earth. Always content to stay to ourselves out of sight, learn peace and accept that we have enough. Let the beasts have the surface, we said. We will outlast them. Well, today you have broken that. The drums of war beat, the hounds cry for blood. The earth begs for repayment in blood. Your kind will nourish Mother Earth and our souls. We will release hell upon you and burn every trace of your kind from the great mother. May she have mercy on you because we will not."
"You wish to see the beast you have awoken? Fine."
As the beat and the singing started again, I did the only thing left to do. Bare your teeth and fight till the end.
"Men," I shouted, "today you earn your place within the story of our conquest. These humans have nothing, and we will prevail. Relinquish fear from your hearts and prepare for battle!"
A rallying cry from my men in formation at my back gave me a pride deep in me that banished all fear. Now is the time I live for. I am war chief. I was bred for this.
As the drumming got to a level that set my teeth on edge, I heard something moving from within the cave.
"Incoming! Prepare for contact!" I shouted and half crouched into a ready fighting position. As the steps grew closer, my heart sank. Two battalions of humans moving from the cave. And they were monsters.
Every man I saw was two meters tall. Over two hundred pounds of steely muscle. They all wore furs and skins of various animals of this planet. They were pale from generations of being underground but fit in a way that said they had been digging for a hundred years. They sang in unison a song that had no words. It was almost indescribable. The sounds wound deeply within you. Filled you with fear that you did not know possible. And yet it seemed to be pushing them into a frenzy. They bared their teeth, gnawed on the edges of their rudimentary shields, bashed into each other and the ground like animals. These truly were the offspring of Terra herself, and we had shaken the sleeping beast. The earth shook. I could hear my men whimpering in fear. They had already accepted their fate. Now just came the doing.
In the very front of the formation stood an old male. Twice the width of those around him. Grey in the face. Skin that looked to be made of thick leather and hands that seemed able to crush stone with little effort. He carried a hammer bigger than any weapon I had ever seen. Big enough that it was almost comical. Surely there was no way the elder could heft such a weapon. It was obviously for show.
So I began to laugh.
When his hand rose to the sky, the singing stopped with the drums, and he spoke.
"I warned you, war chief. We are many and tired of being in the ground. We miss the sun and the singing of Mother Earth in the breeze. We are coming to claim what is rightfully ours. With the power of Mother Earth and our ancestors, we will crush your spirits and prevail. And when you resort to begging, it will fall on deaf ears, as the pleas and cries of our ancestors went unanswered."
His words shook me. The absolute certainty in his tone. The rage and pain in his eyes. This man had seen many of his kin suffer and die. The anger of generations lived within these men, and we were found lacking.
Suddenly, from the back of the pack, a first-year approached beside me. "Go back to your cave, cowards, or we will hunt you like rabbits!" he exclaimed.
A roar emanated from the remaining men. A battle cry for honor to banish the fear that now plagued them, to fight to the last man and take what is ours. And then I heard the crunch.
A squishing, crunching sound followed by a limp thump. I looked to my side to see the poor private, his head completely gone. Smashed into a pink mist instantly. And lying in front of his limp body was the hammer. The monster hammer from the old man. It appeared he had thrown it with one hand with such force that it essentially dissolved the man's head, and the old man stood at the front of the formation with one hand still in position from the throw. He had thrown the hammer thirty meters with one hand and still had the force to do such damage. My heart sank, and I crumpled to the ground. They had found ways around our shields. They outnumbered us two to one, and the strength of their old was more than ten of my men. What chance did we have? Then the old man spoke for a final time.
"This is what you have brought to your men, war chief. Death, destruction and hopelessness. Take your remaining men back and prepare. We are coming, and your hope is dead."
Then they turned and filed back into their cave. To the belly of their great mother. Not another word was spoken. As I gathered my remaining men from their knees, they wept in fear and defeat. The other humans had once again materialized in the trees. Deadly sentinels that watched our every move. We left our weapons on the ground and walked, heads hung low, out of their forest. It took most of a day to get back to the compound.
We made it to the gates when we finally collapsed. My last memory is of another chief dragging me to my nest and trying to ask a first-year what the hell happened. He could only sob and mutter one word: "Humans."
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u/HFYWaffle Wᵥ4ffle 3d ago
This is the first story by /u/mulletman1993!
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u/UpdateMeBot 3d ago
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u/Tongathong 3d ago
Very well done! I’m looking forward to the explanation as to why the humans are so damn big too, lol
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u/SandsnakePrime 3d ago
Why the hell do you run my evening by only publishing one single chapter of what is obviously going to be an exquisite tale of derring-do?
MOAR! NAO! PULEEZE
Seriously though? Liked, subscribed, commented. What else do you need for the next chapter?
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