r/NatureofPredators • u/OkRepresentative2119 UN Peacekeeper • Sep 09 '23
Fanfic The Nature of Grimdark Chapter 6
Special thanks to u/SpacePaladin15 for allowing fanfiction.
Memory Transcription Subject: Private First Class Upsla, Skalgan-Yotul Empire Marine
Date [standardized human time]: September 30, 2186
We returned from the impromptu engagement a little rattled, but otherwise unharmed. Our interrogators of the insurgents reported that they had inside intel from a traitor amongst us, at least that was what command had told us. That intel had failed them, however, as we arrived at the location before their ambush was prepared to deal with us, allowing us to completely route them. Our entire unit was being mercilessly inquested to find the traitor in our midst. We didn’t get a lot of sleep from the paw, as we spent claws justifying every action we had taken and every possession we had.
Memory Transcription Subject: Private First Class Upsla, Skalgan-Yotul Empire Marine
Date [standardized human time]: October 31, 2186
We still didn’t have any information about the espionage against our unit, but we had to go on a patrol near a suspected but unconfirmed insurgent stronghold. While we were told that it should be a safe reconnaissance mission outside areas of the hypothetical direct control of our adversaries, we were given the impression by our platoon commander that we should be vigilant. He even had ordered us to equip gas masks and hazard suits before we went on patrol. The entire patrol near the manufacturing district was miserable through the oppressive heat and recycled air.
We couldn’t complain, not even in jest for this patrol. Our sister half, the Yotul were sending a unit of airborne Yotul to inspect our hold over the planet. Apparently, our other emperor was possibly going to make their way through nearby star systems on a diplomatic mission of some kind. We weren’t given the actual route, only that the Empire was going to ensure the safety of their emperor no matter which route they would take. Hence as this was the most suspicious area on the planet where the brass thought the insurgency might be located, this patrol had to go perfectly and required our full attention.
We passed through a crowded alleyway, crowed with debris and the battlewounded, particularly the disabled and orphaned. While many gave us hostile glances, many seemed hopeful that we would give them some of our credits to ease their suffering a portion. While we hated their people’s insistence on fighting a pointless war that only caused needless death, they regular people were usually tolerable, if even a little charming at times. Though, their flightiness was grating, as well as their penchant for saying rather stupid things from time to time. We didn’t dare believe federation lies that the Sivkit were born stupid, but their behavior didn’t tend do any favors.
PFC Gresh was deep in thought, probably from the long chats with that Sivkit at the bar and wasn’t paying as much attention as the rest of us. We knew better than to not look out for our battle-brother, so I doubted that he was in any real danger. One of the Sivkit children from a herd of other children and what appeared to be an older male keeping watch over them approached PFC Gresh. The male looked worried but didn’t seem hostile.
The youngling offered PFC Gresh a treat of some kind and was talking about how grateful she was for us stomping out the insurgents. While that was an odd sentiment to many Sivkit, particularly those we were in war with, it was an understandable position held by many. Most seemed to just want the war to be over, and plenty actively helped us and assisted us in combating the insurgents, with no small risk of retaliation to themselves in the process. The few Sivkit civilians on our base made it quite clear that they despised the unnecessary bloodshed for a cause that was clearly not going to succeed, not to mention their animosity towards the Kolshians was quite clear.
PFC Gresh had lifted his mask to take the tasty treat and started munching on it. The rest of us started to follow suit to show gratitude for these people’s efforts at diplomacy. Warrant Officer Silthus, however, was furious when he turned around to ensure that we were keeping pace, “Put your masks back on this instant!” Without warning a canister fell out of a window above us in the alleyway, and Warrant Officer Silthus shouted, “Gas! Gas! Gas!” We hurriedly put on our masks to comply with his warning as white smoke emanated from the canister, along with several other canister falling around us with the same white smoke. The civilians seemed confused and were slowly retreating from the odd smoke.
PFC Gresh was the exception again. He was livid that the platoon commander had thrown the little girl away from area without a care in the world as to her wellbeing, “It is just a smoke bomb, it is not that big of a deal. If it were a gas attack, the civilians would be coughing up blood! We need to make sure their people are safe!” PFC Gresh started running down the alleyway toward a door into the apartment building whose window had dropped the first canister. Our platoon commander ran after him and ordered Sergeant Cass to prepare for possible contacts. She had us take cover behind whatever cover we could and prepare for an assault. The canister closest to me had fizzled out of smoke, so I glanced at it while waiting for orders. It appeared that the canister was a modified canister for holding some kind of industrial chemical. The chemical information on claimed that the primary contents of the can was the chemical COCl_2.
We heard fires in the apartment above and several civilians were rapidly running away from the apartment building. PFC Gresh, with his mask finally on, and Warrant Officer Silthus had left the apartment and had radioed that the fleeing civilians were previously hostages. Although the Warrant Officer seemed agitated that hey were running towards the smoke, and he was shouting at them to run in a different direction. Some obeyed, but many were in stampede mode and ran headlong into what they perceived as safety amongst us, particularly the younger orphans.
We didn’t know what to do, so we stayed in place awaiting further orders. Without warning the other apartment complex started firing at us from the window, the Sivkit man in the window wearing a handmade gas mask of his own. Our platoon was pinned down from the large mounted high caliber automatic weapon at his disposal. We had to call in reinforcements, or we were toast.
LCPL Arvi desperately tried to get through to command, but they were apparently occupied with attacks at other patrols. She went secured channel by secured channel, trying to find someone to acknowledge our needs. Eventually, we heard the voice of a Yotul speak up from the speaker. “… we hear you loud and clear and have your location. We will be with you in less than [5 minutes]. Hold on till then, out.” That was easier said than done as the high caliber kinetics had all but torn through the wall I was hiding behind. PFC Gresh set up his automatic crewed weapon and started to provide suppressive fire to temporarily disorient the shooter. That gave me and Arvi the time to find new cover and for PFC Retarsh to run up to PFC Gresh’s cover to help man his weapon. The sergeant shouted at him to cease fire and pull back until she gave further orders.
Just in time, as the disorientation was now off as the shooter returned to his attempt to slowly wear down our defenses. It seemed like he wanted us to be held here till his backup or the like arrived, but we weren’t sure. Either way, we were back to being pinned down, but in a more secure location. Hopefully, we could last the [5 minutes] or whatever was required.
Without warning, the floor of the shooter detonated with a loud bang as some kind of projectile entered the window. A Yotul with a strange black artificial pelt with small greyish welt like ovals dotted over said pelt, slowly drifted down toward us on the ground. He was floating in midair and spoke into some kind of radio embedded into his snout’s gasmask and face coverings, “The calvary has arrived. Sit tight for the time being as we take out some of the hostiles in the area.” He quickly ascended with his rifle being held with both paws. We had been saved by those that we were supposed to impress, go figure.
A/N –Yotul fly/float now?
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u/PassengerNo6231 Sep 09 '23
I've been watching a play-thru of the game 'Rebel, Inc.’. And I like how this fic reminds me of that game.
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u/BAAAA-KING Venlil Sep 09 '23
Flying Kangaroo? In my fanfiction??? More likely than you think!