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“You bring honor to us all,” Madkis says. He is the oldest member of our crew, but that does not make him actually old. He could be captain of his own ship if he were so inclined, but he likes being part of our command core. The five of us are very tightly bonded.
“Don’t let Scarton near the brig,” I murmur in Mad’s ear.
“Don’t worry. Focus on your own mission. You will never forget what happens in the next thirty days. The ship is in good hands.”
The Destroyer is in excellent hands. We are the pride of the Vulpari fleet. Young whelps of both sexes have images of our ship and command core adorning their walls. We have been featured in many campaigns to drum up recruitment for the armed services and more. If my mission to the wild ones is successful, there will be even greater honors and fanfare. I will be more than famous. I may become legendary. But that is all before me. For now, I must go inward and find my inner wildness. I must seek the artifacts that the wild ones hold sacred, and liberate one for the betterment of our species.
“I am ready,” I declare, certain that I am not ready. No Vulpari, not the most seasoned warrior, could ever be prepared to face the raw brutality of the wild ones.
The transporter is initialized. I am taken from the transporter bay of the ship and sent through the atmosphere in a stream of atoms that reconvene to form myself, my communicator badge, and my weapon just a few seconds later on the great wild earth below.
I am here. The first Vulpari in years to set foot on hallowed soil. I take a deep breath of unspoiled air and feel a certain sense of pride, honor, and indeed, excitement. It is necessary to take a moment to center myself in order not to become overwhelmed. I have fought many battles in my time, but the battle to stay calm in the face of incredible natural beauty may be the most difficult yet. The scents of this world threaten to overwhelm my senses. This planet smells as the world did when our kind was made. It speaks to the animal core of me, gives me a sense of belonging, hope, and deep connection.
To an outside observer, I have done nothing but stand here. In my heart and mind, I have traveled more than a million years in a single moment.
It is an adjustment to orient my senses to this world. I know what I have to do. I need to find shelter, and possibly some food, though I ate a great deal before I was transported to ensure that my cells were fully stocked with energy.
“Meheheheh!”
An ungulate runs through the undergrowth right in front of me. It is a meaty little individual, fast on the hoof but carrying more than enough protein and fat on its body to sate me for several days to come. I may not be hungry, but I know when it is stupid to pass up an opportunity. There’s no guarantee I’ll see another creature like this by the time I do get hungry, and then I’ll have to waste time…
I am already on the hunt, rushing through the underground. The prospect of real live prey is too exciting to waste. On the ship our food comes in dried pellets that contain every nutrient we need. We can simulate the chase by putting it in plasticated rolling balls that are shot down the halls, but it is not the same as the prospect of real meat.
“Meheheheh!” The creature dashes ahead of me without much in the way of concern. If it knows it is being hunted, it does not fear me. It flashes the white underside of its tail, a biological way of warning the rest of a herd that is not here. I can smell its fur and its pheromones. I can practically taste it already, a hot flush of blood across my tongue, its life force draining even as mine is sustained. This is a moment of anticipatory perfection in which I am in range, close enough to catch it.
“Get away, you mutt!”
I hear words that I shouldn’t be able to hear, words that don’t make sense and come from somewhere I can’t see.
I have complete tunnel vision in this moment, I am entirely focused on my prey, intent on ensuring that it becomes mine. The meat of that creature no longer belongs to it. It is my food. Mine to consume. It is…
Bonk!
A large rock bounces off my head, sending me off balance and giving the creature precious seconds in which to escape.
I growl and snarl, turning about to see who threw the rock. I see nothing. But I do catch a scent. It smells like a Vulpari, but stronger somehow. Earthier. Filthier. More powerful. Much, much more powerful.
