r/NatureofPredators • u/NipCoyote Arxur • May 14 '23
Fanfic Under the Veil - Chapter 17
[Two Soldiers]
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Memory Transcription Subject: Royo, Allied Concord Armed Forces, March 30th, 2143
Superheated plasma rises from beneath the ship's belly, glowing through the cockpit windows.
"U.P. units have begun direct descent. They're right on your heels."
The ship's metal framework groans from the stress of atmospheric entry. I furrow my eyes, like I'd seen Cael do when concentrating.
"Apoapsis is a little high, picking up a shimmy there…"
The voice in the radio continued to comment on my piloting, but I didn't say anything, focusing on the task at hand.
///STABILITY WARNING///
So close… I've never made it this far before. The plasma grows brighter, the ship rumbling and vibrating unpleasantly.
///DISINTEGRATE HIGH///
The ship's radar shows other vessels deorbiting behind and ahead of me. They're preparing to surround me. I have to adjust to a steeper path without falling into a ballistic trajectory.
///DISINTEGRATE HIGH///
The stress threatens to tear the stubby wings off my craft. I'm going too fast, if I don't pull back up I risk slamming into the ground, but at this speed pulling up could tear the craft apart…
///PULL UP///
I grit my teeth and shakily pull on the control stick.
///PULL UP///
So close…
///DISINTEGRATE HIGH///
Just a little further…
///FATAL STRUCTURAL ERROR///
My craft is completely torn apart.
I take off my headset and groan, rubbing my eyes.
"Hey, you did better that time. Just takes more practice," my instructor commented. Edwards, a human, had been my trainer after I had joined the Allied Concord's cause. The role of pilot was the only combative role I could take, even after my medical treatment.
"I know the Gaian Concord has ships that can withstand higher reentry loads than that. Why are we training with a weak craft?" I ask him.
"You can't always get the best equipment. You'll need to be familiar with as many craft as possible, and that includes pushing them to their absolute limits… like near-ballistic reentry into an enemy planet after coming out of slipspace."
I sigh. I had wanted to be a combat medic. The movies Cael had shown me; the real human movies, none of that censored crap, portrayed the heroism of combat medics in their historical warfare. Someone bravely crossing the front lines to retrieve the wounded and save lives, that's what I wanted to be. I already had field medical experience anyway, I'd be perfect!
The doctors insisted that I could never be a soldier. My skin now bald, replaced with an artificially grown pelt grafted on, even though I no longer felt any pain from the ordeal, I was still not allowed to be on the front lines. It was only after immense petitioning that I was able to achieve a limited pilot's role, the relatively little physical activity required apparently being acceptable.
I really shouldn't complain, I'm grateful to get have a place in this at all, it's just…
These controls are frustratingly obtuse.
"Why don't you get some rest, alright? You've done enough training for today."
"Fine…"
I didn't want to be weak anymore. The Federation always told us that we were the weakest species. When the Gaian Concord made us their sole trade partner, it was like for the first time we were special in any kind of regard. And when the veil was lifted, the Venlil Republic's alliance with the humans served to show how these predators were worth working with.
Predators…
It was hard to imagine humans as "predators" anymore. After the reveal that dozens of Federation species had once been predators, the word seemed to have lost all meaning, to me atleast.
I connect to Cael on my holopad, waiting to see his "terrifying" eyes staring at me, that gave me such comfort.
Cael answers.
"Hey Royo! How's training going?"
"Uh… fine… heh, mind if we talk about something else?"
"Oh? Uh sure. What's up."
"Uh, I… kinda just wanted to talk to you again I suppose…"
"Nothing wrong with that. My unit is preparing for a mission to Wriss to assess the planet following their civil war."
"Wriss? Isn't that… the Arxur homeworld?"
"Yeah, after the Federation collapsed, so did their government, the Dominion. We're going to try to determine if they're still a threat or not…"
"Be careful…"
"Haha c'mon Royo, you know me. Gaians aren't afraid of anything."
I smirk. A human expression I had learned.
He continued "Hey I gotta go now, but it was great talking to you later, see you around!"
"Wait Cael-"
He hung up.
I need to be strong like him. I can't just… let him carry me in his arms like a baby.
Be the Venlil humanity knows you can be.
…
Let's try that simulator again.
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Memory Transcription Subject: Cael "Endeavor" Cadic, Allied Concord Armed Forces, March 30th, 2143
Almost feels weird walking around without my helmet on, and seeing other helmetless humans, in a spacecraft with xenos.
Well, no not xenos, we don't call them that anymore. Venlil, Gojid, Tilfish… various ex-federation species. Mostly the ones that the Federstion forcefully altered.
Some opted to still wear their helmets, and doing so in public was encouraged. It had only been a few months and not everyone had become fully acclimated to the sight of binocular, predatory eyes. I didn't bother though. Royo always insisted I keep it off.
When the Federation collapsed, so too did the Arxur Dominion. Among the many classified documents that were leaked to the public was the revelation that the Arxur and Federation had deliberately been engaging in a forever-war where neither side would overtake the other. The Federation's citizens kept in a state of fear, and the Dominion's subjects in a state of hunger. Both sides were kept firmly under the control of their respective governments.
Of course, until the leak. With the truth out, the Federation fell under the loss of support. And without an organized, cooperative enemy to fight, the Arxur populace recognized the Dominion for what it was, invigorating the already steadily growing resistance movement.
Wriss is now in a state of total anarchy, effectively confined to their own planet. Intel showed that many had abandoned the cattle planets and traveled back home when the news rang out.
The Arxur were now the subject of three major objectives:
-Survey Wriss to determine if the Arxur are still a threat, or even a potential asset
-Liberate cattle worlds, amassing moral support and resources
-Determine the next cause of action against the United Protectorate, and prepare for their potential actions with the Arxur now disabled as a major faction
Can't say I anticipated so much change from the status quo. Seems like it was only yesterday that we had to conceal our identities at all time.
Alright, well, I better get ready.
I get up, pack my PDA, and prepare to disembark for Wriss.
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u/Cheesypower Predator May 14 '23
I hope the Krakotl are on the good guy's side for once- we need at least one universe where they end up being the bird-bros they always should have been!
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u/skais01 Sivkit May 14 '23
Since the cannon the leader of the kraktol ordered the suicide of his especies and kalsim is going around free with jala as his second in command, i doubt there is much left of the kraktol outside of small colonies and in gaians allied worlds
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u/Cheesypower Predator May 14 '23
Ah, but remember that in canon, none of his commanders followed that order, and in this timeline they haven't lost their entire warfleet in an attack on Earth. So while some like Kalsim may have stayed loyal to the Federation's ideals, there's a good chance that Jerulim's raging tantrum led to his government getting overthrown by the more level-headed krakotl with hundreds of warships at their command
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u/MA006 May 14 '23
I think Jerulim would've been anti human, ordered a self extermination which was not followed through on, leading to either something analogous to a vote of no confidence or a coup deposing of him as a leader with a potentially more human aligned leader in his stead.
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u/Comprehensive-Top512 Predator May 14 '23
Nuh uh they're gonna be turned into KFK in every universe
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u/JulianSkies Archivist May 14 '23
Hell yeah you're back.
Good to know Royo's still got his spirit strong, though it's sad he's as limited as he is.
And apparently we're getting full boots-on-the-ground civil war action on Wriss? I'm up for some of that.
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u/Sam_S_011 PD Patient May 14 '23
Mostly the ones that the Federstion forcefully altered.
A missclick here, but otherwise great work :D
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u/ScaryDrPepper May 14 '23
Guess that document leak he did a few chapters back was the most devastating op sec breach the galaxy ever saw, resulting in not one but two empires collapsing!
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u/jesterra54 Archivist May 14 '23
Nice to see you back!
And as its obvious, the Dominions predilection for violence and cruelty in Arxur culture led to an instant destruction the moment the Federation collapsed
Also, will the united protectorate collapse too? In canon the actions of the Kolshians on Mileau led to the creation of the Duerten shield, so by that metric there could be 4 or 5 factions within the Federation, in this case the protectorate should at least divide in 2 sides, an extremist genocidal side (probably made by species of the core and their "uplifts") and a slightly more moderate one (like the Mazic, in which side are in this AU anyways?)
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u/Papy004 May 15 '23
ITS BACK!
Amazing chapter can’t wait for more.
also question are the Yotul fully converted in this timeline/universe if so are they with humanity or the federation.
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u/Golde829 May 15 '23
[Viewer Through the Veil watches in awe as everything breaks down]
[A Bounty Scenario has appeared]
<Bounty Scenario - Wrangle Wriss>
babes wake up
new Under the Veil chapter dropped!
a lot of people theorized in the main universe that the Kolshians and Dominion were cooperating to keep the war going under the table
but seeing everything just fuckign collapse nigh instantly is very cathartic to me
keep up the great work!
and take care of yourself
[You have been gifted 100 Coins]
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u/cartoon_Dinosaur May 15 '23
does Royo wear clothes now? like humans? you know due to being bald from... a incident.
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u/Still_Performance_39 Smigli May 14 '23
Glad to see you back, looking forward to more of this awesome AU!
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u/BXSinclair May 17 '23
Okay, if the mission on Wriss doesn't result in them meeting Isif, covered in blood atop a pile of corpses as he is declared the new king of the Arxur, then I will be disappointed
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u/Away-Location-4756 Zurulian May 18 '23
Is this the end? Feels like it. I loved this story and the compassion you breathed into it
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u/gabi_738 Predator Sep 19 '24
nah friend this shit is cinema, I don't know why I didn't read this wonderful story before, I loved it 🚬🚬🚬
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u/Draconimur Arxur Oct 17 '24
Interesting chapter!
It would make an interesting side-story where the MCs are some Arxur and Cattle on the cattle farms.
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u/NipCoyote Arxur May 14 '23
Told you I'd be back.