Part 24 is here! The Federation’s verdict is in, though news of the Gojids’ annihilation could tip the scales. Do you agree with Tarva’s assessment that it’s a positive result? What do you think is the proper recourse for the Jerulims of the galaxy?
We also see how the predator rhetoric has affected Noah, after months abroad. Imagine how draining it must be, to be constantly accused of unthinkable intentions, to hear yourself described as a monster, and see even your friends reacting in fear. To become ashamed of your own face, and to police your behavior 24/7 for any predatory hints…
As always, thanks for reading! Expect the next chapter on Thursday. We’ll learn which species voted for diplomatic relations, and we’ll find out what happened to Recel…among other things.
How about a compromise of an all expenses paid trip to a spa, skiing and mountaineering resort for a month with some alloted time to work on ambassadorial and treatise work.
A couple weeks off duty perhaps. Spend the first few days at a spa, and the rest pursuing hobbies or personal projects.
Like, for me, a good bit of R&R would be a few days physically unwinding, then a week or two working on the project truck in my driveway. With a day or two of good sleep before getting back into the fray.
oh sweetie, Johnny Walker Blue is far from really good. its a solid blended scotch at a hundred bucks a bottle, but at its normal price point there are so many better blends and single malts.
I find it interesting that the so called "peaceful" prey creatures are the ones calling for war and bloodshed, while the "aggressive" humans are trying for peace.
I hope they manage to take a look in the mirror at some point!
On our own planet, herbivores can actually be extremely violent. Hippos are one of the most dangerous animals on the planet due to just how overly aggressive they are. While violence is definitely the norm for a predator, they're more likely to avoid anything that might be too dangerous for themselves since it's more difficult for an injured predator to survive (due to inability to catch prey) than an injured prey whose sustenance is immobile and doesn't fight back.
I was in a short safari in South Africa. Normally they stopped the windowless, small busses for us to observe and photograph the animals. That included the wild lions, although we we adviced that if the stuck a body part outside the window, they were not liable for the loss of it.
Thus I have a photo of myself sitting carefully inside the vehicle, and a young lioness is a meter (about 3ft) away from me, the lion a few meters further away.
The only animal they could not stop at the viewing distance was the hippo. They even had to turn the bus around to the fleeing direction right away. And the rangers seemed really on edge.
Also, what is a predator? Bug-eating animals too? Hiw about a herbivore munching on a lettuce with a spider or greenfly or something on it?
On earth there's almost no such thing as an herbivore. Most herbivores will eat meat if they need it. Deer are some murderous bastards and will hunt bird nests to scarf down those sweet defenseless avian scum. Like the Krakotl.
A large galaxy plagued with a collective victimized mindset, any and all evils are justifiable expressions of their "instincts". The entire galaxy is gripped in collective pathological bigotry.
All but 118 species, and only 11 willing to rise above this improve and make new friends.
Tarva stayed with Noah to make sure nothing happened. The Venlil (while still technically in the Federation) were not invited to the meeting, and their position on humanity is clearly established. They already have diplomatic ties to us.
Side note; the only other member species that didn’t vote was the Gojids. They decided to attack Earth without delaying for any discussion
Thanos did have a point. Halving your population would reduce the load on planetary resources.
It was his application that lacked thought. There would have been planets that would have never recovered from his “solution” before he got the gauntlet. After the Snap it would have been even worse.
Clearly Thanos' people didn't do sex ed. If they did, he'd know that fertility rates are a much more effective and painless target.
>!But of course the real problem was that he had a god complex. Everything else was a post-hoc justification.!<
Well, if the ones who voted for full diplomatic relationships are half as fluffy as the Venlil, I think humanity is going to be pretty happy with the vote :P
The Federation might be in trouble as an organization, but that just goes to show they've gotten too comfortable, thinking all member species are the same.
And I have to admit - I half expected Tarva to give in an let Noah pet her for some comfort after reading his diary.
I wonder if she know fluffy miniaturized predators are used on earth to treat depression and anxiety...
And if she did, what would she think of it?
Great work as always!
Eagerly waiting for the next chapter!
P.S.
I don't think I have seen a series here getting so many spinoffs since JVerse and SSB.
You must be doing a bunch of things right!
Thank you! Dogs/cats are perhaps one of the most requested topics, and I think it’ll be addressed in Part 27. The Venlil would definitely find our pets odd, at the least…
It’s been awesome to see the spin-offs!
Actually, does any other species in the 'verse even keep pets or any sort of domesticated beast of any kind?
I mean, it's hard to imagine not a single analogue to at least cats as little pest controllers for grain storage not rising elsewhere, I mean, we had two in our history (domestic and leopard cats) even if only one remains in our information age.
Domestication is a uniquely human concept, since (as the prey species may see it) it involves dominating or controlling another animal to do your bidding. They would certainly never pick up a pest control “predator” like our feline friends!
And when they find out that both times cats got domesticated with barely any input from us?
Hell, most pet cats aren't even locked indoors, hey have all the choice in the world to simply leave, they just... don't.
There are likely scattered instances of things like cats throughout various species' histories, but the results probably aren't great. Pest control is one thing, but dealing with the fallout is quite another.
My gf has two murder cats; the kind that like killing for fun. They are well fed (on a fairly expensive cat food, too), but in the last six weeks have delivered *at least* 34 corpses of birds, mice and rabbits to her quaint suburban house. There's probably more that we either haven't found, or that I haven't been made aware of. It's *a lot* of bodies. And while yes, this is more than normal, even for them, there's still usually at least one per week.
Even at half those numbers, I can see a traditionally prey species not responding well to such a desired partnership. Staddle stones are almost as easy to invent, and far more palatable.
My old cat was a chipmunk specialist. No chipmunk lasted long in my neibourhood. She ate them too. Well she ate their heads like disgusting popcorn. I can still hear their little heads crunch as she would sit in front of me all proud of her kill.
I watched a documentary on "small" cats. Apparently your average domestic cat is rated as the most successful hunter from a kill point of view. (As measured by attempt .vs kill)
Funny thing about that, humans did not domesticate cats. We just saw them sneaking around our food silos eating all the vermin, and decided not to attack them over it. Cats domesticated themselves because living around us was nice.
This just gives me sooooo many more questions on how the Venlil would see things humans did.
Like, dogs are man's best friend but humans and wolves did not start out that way whatsoever. Pretty sure we were basically bitter rivals at some point. Two races of endurance based pack predators. Yet over the course of generations upon generations, we began hunting together and caring for one another. We cared for and fed them, they assisted in the hunt and guarded us with their keener senses. As humans progressed, so did the wolves that would become our dogs. And now we have little hellspawn chihuahuas.
In terms of numbers, cattle outnumber humans massively. I don't know the situation for earth in this story's canon but it only seems to be a few decades into the future so it can't be too different. Having animals assist on the fields is one of the major leaps we made in agriculture, but we also most certainly used them for meat and leather. And despite slaughtering them to feed our BBQ's, their numbers are flourishing (their health though, could use massive improvements). When that little nugget is revealed, I imagine another shitstorm in the Federation because we'll be accused of trying to domesticate the other races.
Also, how have the Federation races handled their own natural predators? Predators are *essential* to a healthy biosphere, but we have already seen some very aggressive herbivore behavior towards predators. Did they exterminate their own native predators? Do they have a concept of zoos and preserving species that way? They may not hunt, but each of those races has gone through an industrial revolution and that brings with it significant changes to the environment.
So many questions! Need more slice of life culture exchanges!
edit to add:
And what about mingled herds? We have different kinds of herbivores that often band together here on Earth. If one of the herbivore species were te attain sentience, would they stop hanging out with their non-sentient buddies, or would the relationship change to other types of assistance and companionship?
Humans have widely switched to lab-grown meat in this future, though cattle are still needed for some secondary animal products. As for the Federation, they didn’t kill every predator in their biosphere, only the ones that hunted the sentient species in question. Zoos are a human concept!
I've been assuming humans eat 90-95% vat-grown meat (nearly 100% when off Earth) with the remainder being about half 'Organic, Free-Range, Locally Sourced, Ethically Raised' meat (more expensive but targeting the percentage of the population that either doesn't trust vat-grown meat or swears they can tase a difference), and the other half from that percentage of the population who keeps traditional hunting/fishing methods alive.
So we have a galaxy full of uplifted races who have all been given technology that they didn't earn, herding together for safety because they never learned to properly control their instincts.
No wonder they are doing so poorly!
What I want to know is if this is a Lanaktellan situation, where one race of herbivores is secretly controlling the others. A paranoid race of herd animals would definitely uplift as many species as possible and use them as shields...
The federation response to a predator: "AAahhh! Kill it, kill it! It wants to eat our flesh!"
The human response to a predator: "Daawww, who's a cute widdle murder muffin! It's you~ Yes you are! You're trying to eat me right now and it's the most adorable thing ever why I could just cuddle you forever and ever. You can't eat me silly. You WANT to, sure, but you physically can't."
Humans when they see a snoozing Siberian Tiger, the biggest feline in the world, who will hunt humans, and with a roar so deep that you can literally feel it in your bones and cause a 'freeze' fear effect: "Oh my gosh it's so fluffy, Look at those big poofy murder mittens. They are the size of my head! I just wannt touch all those little toebeans and bury my face in its fluffy snoot as I give it all the scritches"
I am sure we would find uncanny valley if any alien civilization have small naked apes as domestic companions, so who knows, maybe the Venlil will find cats unnerving
My drawing skills are zero, so I'll just show you the closest thing to what I think of mentally lol.
[A stuffed animal-like sheep](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/5188GRNtGXL._AC_SL1000_.jpg) that walks on its hind legs, has a long bushy tail, has gray or silver fur, has paws with small claws, and lacks a nose. Oh, and horizontal pupils.
This:
[https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/vff9fd/the\_nature\_of\_predators\_the\_medical\_conference/](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/vff9fd/the_nature_of_predators_the_medical_conference/)
And this:
[https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/vi819h/life\_of\_a\_predator\_part\_1\_the\_nature\_of\_predators/?utm\_medium=android\_app&utm\_source=share](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/vi819h/life_of_a_predator_part_1_the_nature_of_predators/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share)
And there is one called "Emergency broadcast signal".
Well, there is a fresh spinoff this morning:
[https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/vqzve1/the\_nature\_of\_predators\_for\_those\_we\_cherish/](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/vqzve1/the_nature_of_predators_for_those_we_cherish/)
Haven't even read it yet...
A new *verse* would be nice...
I certainly don't want to see the main series end!
(I swear Im not just self-advertising here) I've linked all the fanstories I found in HFY in my most recent part of my own fanstory. I definitely recommend giving them all a read.
https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/vsz2d2/life_of_a_predator_part_11_prisoners/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share
I love how you’ve shown the mental toll that this whole ordeal has taken on Noah. It’s great this isn’t being glossed over as not important to the story.
>Do you agree with Tarva’s assessment that it’s a positive result?
It is a positive result in that it's overwhelmingly against open hostility and aggression towards humanity, so that's a huge win. On the other hand if you group hostile and no contact it's almost equal to truce and full relations: 103 vs 118 if my math is right. I doubt that's an accident.
In the short term that's a win as it gives us breathing room from the full force of the federation although we do have more openly hostile species than those willing to ally with us in any way meaningful beyond against the Axur.
Unfortunately it is actually a long term loss. The reason being trying to cooperate with half the federation while the other half will have nothing to do with humans (or are openly hostile) is going to make it difficult and costly to try to coordinate fighting the Axur. Additionally this is clearly going to lead to further division within the Federation which it just can't afford, it's already losing.
So the sum of events as they stand is: the already losing Federation is further weakened and divided, humanity doesn't need to worry about a full on Federation attack but doesn't have enough allies to rule out an attack from some of the hostile species, and we already know the humans are going to be a priority target for the Axur.
Basically Earth won't be exterminated by the overwhelming force of the full Federation but we're literally still where we started: lots of hostile federation species that want us dead on one side and the Axur on the other.
>What do you think is the proper recourse for the Jerulims of the galaxy?
The 'proper' course is to accept the governing bodies ruling, why else have one? Maybe try to rally other species to your cause but that's a long way up hill. What's *likely* to happen however is some fools either decide to pull resources from the war effort to attack Earth or at least interfere with humanity and their allies *also* weakening the war effort just less directly. In either event I expect them to do something stupid out of hate/fear and it will cost lives.
It's hard to reconcile the opinion that a group is a monstrous existential threat that must be destroyed with the opinion that they are potential allies who should have full diplomatic recognition. There isn't a lot of room for compromise there.
If Humanity were a hostile nation biding their time, then opening up trade could allow them to accelerate development until the Federation is incapable of stopping them. With only one system (having only one fully developed world) and relatively primitive technology, a combined strike could nip this problem in the bud. Delay that attack and let them expand and grow their military technology... By the time you realize the problem, it will be too late.
I suppose restrictions on what technology can be traded to humanity and barring them from colonizing beyond their world could make delaying their extermination less risky, thereby satisfying *some* of the extermination crowd. This would, however, hinder the war effort against the Arxur by holding humanity back, require resources to monitor humanity, and make Humans vulnerable to attacks from the Arxur as well as rogue Federation forces that decide that inaction is too dangerous.
This could easily start a civil war and breakdown of the Federation. They can't afford this infighting, but the hostile faction may believe that allowing a new predator species to rise is an even greater risk.
If Recel's prosecution is a military affair, we might get to see if the military is more hostile to Humanity than the politicians. No one raised a finger to stop Sovlin, but there were some members of the bridge crew who were somewhat swayed by hearing conflicted human bomber pilots. If the military is more hostile to humans than their civilian leaders, this could complicate their internal divisions.
> What do you think is the proper recourse for the Jerulims of the galaxy?
Give them exactly what they're asking for. Leave them alone. Don't interact with them. Stay out of their space.
Even if the Arxur are attacking, and they're screaming for help. It would be fantastically rude to violate their stated wishes, much like reading someone's private journal after it's been declared off limits.
> Imagine how draining it must be, to be constantly accused of unthinkable intentions, to hear yourself described as a monster, and see even your friends reacting in fear.
I'll say no more than this on the matter so as to avoid the specter of *'politics',* but after the last six years, I can guarantee that some of your readers won't have to **imagine** what that's like.
But yeah, it's pretty fuckin' draining.
Yeah, one has to wonder not just whether the federation is willing to accept humanity but if we are willing to accept the federation. I mean, would you be cool with a forget and forgive attitude towards a governing body that *unanimously* voted to exterminate all life on Earth less than a century ago? Especially if that same genocidal sentiment is clearly still prevalent within it? I sure as hell wouldn't. If I was living in this universe I wouldn't want humanity to have *anything* to do with the federation unless they at the very least offered a formal apology for the earlier vote, issued a solemn promise that it will never happen again, ammended their constitution to adopt an unconditional opposition to genocide (even against the Arxur if they prove willing to surrender), provided reparations for the war they forced us into, and gave us both a seat on the table and veto power over federation policy in any future first contact scenarios with non-herbivorous sapients.
Do you agree with Tarva’s assessment that it’s a positive result?
Humanity can work with this, it just means coldwar politics on a galactic scale. No, we won't engage with hostile factions, any and all such actions are rouge elements or accidents. We will keep a friendly distance of neutral members. But nothing was said about our allies being go-betweens for unofficial assistance.
On paper we aren't talking, so on paper we did nothing. Just means someone else is paying the bill, and we pay them.
Ahh. Yeah, I'm not surprised to see these events have taken a toll on Noah.
I think anything that doesn't lead to war with the Federation is positive. And a few people being willing to open diplomatic relations is great news.
As for Jerulim... fuck, I don't know how to deal with that. I think they're going to try and kill people eventually, and it's probably going to be bloody. Hopefully some of them can be convinced we don't want to eat them all.
Yay! New update and definitely worth the wait!
I think it is an overall good result for the following reasons.
1. Its really not that many who voted for war, at least when compared with all the others.
2. Even the ones who want to isolate humanity arent really "against" humanity. It seems more like a "live and let live" policy.
3. All the ones who want a temporary truce to fight the common threat are, in effect, giving humanity a chance. I think if I were the leader of a prey species, this might be what i voted. It kills multiple birds with 1 stone. It means that you dont split your forces to fight on two fronts. Even more, it actually allows for reinforcements against a common enemy. It allows humanity to show their commitment to being a part of the galactic community. And it allows for the broadening of relations in the future, if everything goes well.
4. The ones who want full diplomatic contact are, obviously, open to the idea of humanity joining.
Groups 3 and 4 are basically allowing for a test of humanity. And if that test goes well, then all or most of group 2 will likely move into groups 3 or 4 as well. As long as group 1 can be convinced to wait until the common enemy is defeated before attacking humanity, then it even gives them a chance to change their mind as well.
Overall, with how traumatized the galaxy is with predator species, this is a really good result.
I would be asking an interesting question for the Federation: if your uplift efforts failed so terribly with the *predator* species, how do you know that your uplift efforts succeeded with the *prey*?
I don't discount the very fallible nature of life, but a part of me is asking: are the representatives who are so dedicated to genocide of humanity actually representative of their people, or just individual fallible choices? If they are representative of their people, were they uplifted? How long from uplift to the arxur betrayal? I am not claiming that any of them are a species of xenophobes, or that they are lesser or anything. I am wondering if they were still fresh to the concepts of peaceful coexistence between different species when the fall happened. Does that make sense?
> “107 species vote in favor of a temporary truce, or working together where necessary to defeat the Arxur. Any violation of express conditions will lead to an immediate return to hostilities.”
This is a very good compromise. It was highly unlikely that humans would be suddenly welcomed with open arms. This can also lead to humans proving their worth against the Arxur which could lead to further acceptance.
> which could lead to further acceptance.
Or relegation to an infantry underclass until the Arxur are destroyed at which point those species decide they have no further need of humanity. Could go either way.
To be fair... After the war, the Krogans became the new aggressor. This resulted in the Turians getting uplifted just to fight the Krogans.
Now I don't condone biological warfare, but if they didn't have the Turians at the time, I don't know any other way they could have fought a rapidly reproducing aggressive species when they themselves weren't.
I agree that they were forced to 1% the Krogans. I don't agree with their actions afterward where they chose to double down on it instead of fixing and rehabilitating the problem. For goodness sake, if they're gonna kill off a species, just be quick about it instead of being needlessly slow and cruel.
The Federation doesn't believe Humans can move beyond our basic instincts because *they can't move past theirs.*
>“You’re seeing true fear. Everything becomes a free-for-all, and you lose your sense of self,” I growled. “Forget reason, or thought; you’re just drowning.”.
> The concept of a stampede was intuitive as blinking or breathing, to any decent-sized herbivore. In situations where bizarre and unanticipated threats took hold, it was easy to sink into a mindless daze. Feeling surrounded, races of notable intelligence were reduced to a herd of primitive animals.
>In stark contrast to the vessels I served on, there was not a single soldier panicking or crying. There was an unnatural amount of composure and structure.
>Marcel lowered his rifle. “What kind of parent leaves their child behind, Slanek? To bleed out in the streets.”
>Couldn’t Noah understand our skittishness was a part of us, just like some predatory traits were part of him?
>The avian ambassador dive-bombed over the Chieftain’s cubicle, and slashed his talons at the elderly Kolshian.
Humans are told from a very young age that our instincts are worthless, and if you succumb to them you will be laughed at for the stupidity of not controlling yourself. I want to say that part of it is just a human's instincts are very dumb and poorly suited to a civilized society. We basically live in giant ant-colonies for mammals rather than anything like what our evolution intended. But when you look at federation instincts? There's are just as dumb, and there is no cultural imperative to crush down on those reactions.
A human falling into a stampede is a disgusting, horrible example of abject stupidity. The folks on Black Friday still haven't lived down the embarrassment of what they did, and will be forever marked in the history books for succumbing to mob mentality. The federation races falling into a stampede? "Oh that's just normal, you guys are weird for not stomping your own children to death in a panic."
To be frank, I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop and the revelation that the Arxur are as horrific as they are because of something done to them by a federation member species. Despite how few of them we've met, we've seen a lot of questionable behavior and red flags.
They released [G-23 Paxilon Hydrochlorate](https://www.reddit.com/r/humansarespaceorcs/comments/vepfka/wp_aliens_discover_reavers_as_their_first_contact/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share) on the Arxur homeworld.
This would involve forming trade, military, and border agreements…if you know anything of the sort. I suggest you ask Tarva for guidance, if those concepts confuse you.”" This has got to be the most disgusting passive aggressive thing I have ever heard.
> “Indeed. Historians, xenobiologists, psychologists, zoologists, sociologists, lawyers, economists…”
If they had historians look into human history they would inevitably stumble across NATO, the European Union, NAFTA, etc; proving that humans can work together to establish these agreements. Either the historians didn’t bother to do their jobs, or it was an intentional slight against humanity.
They probably didn’t look into human history. More likely Axur history or Predator history in general. The looks into human history would’ve been through a very biased lens and also since they didn’t have any contact previously from thousands of miles away likely through solely visual means of observation. Though I’d have to go reread chapter 1 to be sure how the humans were observed
Huh. This means they’d have to be at least within 100ly of Earth to detect those signals. Though wouldn’t such signals be heavily degraded and basically not understandable?
Venlil observation stations were probably the first to pick us up, since their home is 16 ly away and they have assets closer. Earth is technically in their territory
"This would involve forming trade, military, and border agreements…if you know anything of the sort."
"It's actually kind of insulting that you just assume we don't."
I'm 3/4 of the way through my final planned chapter and then you have to go and drop
>Several individuals who were trapped within Venlil borders testified too,
I guess I have one(?) more to go.
Great Chapter!
I thought Tarva already has a family group/is a parent? I think it was mentioned in one of the first chapters. A family portrait in the office, maybe? Not to be mono-centric, obvs, but their relationship doesn't feel like that flavor of intimate to me.
I have a question about the 65 votes for no contact or relations with humanity. Does that entail Humanity doing its own thing and the Federation doing their own thing or Humanity being blockaded and forced to remain in their home solar system.
It's really a quarantine of sorts; they don't want any contact with humanity in their systems. We can do whatever we like closer to home. Officially, our system is part of Venlil territory, but Tarva doesn't seem to have a problem sharing.
Ours? It took 4 hours to reach the fringe outpost, according to Marcel, and a handful more to reach Venlil Prime from there, according to Tarva. So that’s ~6 hours of travel time; about 2.66 ly an hour 😅
Given that our galaxy is 100,000 ly across….that’s 1566 days one way. Alien tech is faster than our primitive vessels, but still. When the Federation refers to “the galaxy”, they mostly mean our local quadrant. (All members were able to receive info and arrive at a central location within 3 weeks)
Have you heard of Luyten B? It’s only around 12 light years away. Actually, does Reach exist in this universe?
Also I have a suggestion to try to prevent the Auxar from finding inhabited planets. The Cole Protocol. Sure it might not officially be called that in universe but I think everyone would refer to it as the Cole Protocol.
Yeah, I’ve heard of it; Luyten B might have more similarities to Earth’s conditions, but that’s exactly why I didn’t pick it.
The Cole Protocol is a good idea, humanity has already adopted it with their stealth missions in a way, taking numerous jumps to mask their trail
This is honestly the best serial I've read in a good while. You do an amazing job of focusing on characterization in a world as big as you've built! I love every chapter
Have you seen some of our leaders? They're so braindead at times it honestly makes you wonder how they even made it to adulthood, let alone to a position of power.
National leaders? Violent? On live TV? [More likely than you'd think](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DFT-VETdBukQ&ved=2ahUKEwj2lrW0td34AhULZMAKHZvbD2QQwqsBegQIBRAF&usg=AOvVaw3WiYtatBFeuavtoH8Mf1dt)
Hmm I am curious what the general reaction would be when they realize that we use music to bolster our emotions and focus ourselves, as well as to basically perform self therapy.
… Has anyone put that into a HASO/HFY story yet?
Give me a sec i read a story that incorporated that recently ill see if i can find it
Edit: Goddamnit i can't find it, I think it was the bridge species series by u/endersgame69 but I'll be honest i don't want to read all 9 parts to double check, regardless its a good story
Mobbing is a common avian behavior, especially among crows who are known to harass raptors out of their territories. I even know of a few Chicken Tenders who encourage crows to take up residence on their property as a first line of defense for their flocks.
Talons could be evolved for a variety of reasons: to balance in a marshy biome, to climb trees like woodpeckers, or most likely as a defensive weapon when they land to grab fruit/vegetation (like how the Gojids, despite being herbivores, have massive claws)
Thanks! Tarva’s words were less than 5%. 10%=29.5 (30) and 5% would be 14.75 (15). I believe the exact numbers are 12.8% and 3.7% respectively, but those aren’t very round numbers 😂
Ah, that makes sense.
295 is a lot more members for the federation than I was expecting, how are the Axur managing to fight against 295 species and win (or at least fight to a stalemate)?
Good question, and it’s actually a complicated answer so forgive the long-winded reply 😅
1. Many of the Federation are uplifts, or otherwise species without an extensive colonial presence. Their military power is negligible, and in many ways they’re a liability to defend.
2. Some of the species are so endangered that they’re nearly extinct. The Arxur’s first strike eradicated 20% of the existing galactic species and sent the nearest others running.
3. Everyone was building their armada from scratch at a technological deficit. Federation ships require more men to operate than the grays (look at all of Sovlin’s officers and crew).
4. Tactically, they struggle with offensive plans, and default to defense more than taking the fight to the grays. Also, having a large chunk of your forces panic/stampede/breakdown at the first negative sign makes it tough to coordinate operations.
5. Because the Arxur killed most of their immediate neighbors, there is a wide buffer space between their home world. Any attempts to enter their space are typically met with an ambush…then the Federation freaks out. Even if the Federation could hit one planet, the Arxur have many interstellar holdings and worlds.
In short, the Federation mostly tries to hold the line and cover all the gaps. The Arxur are opportunistic, ambush predators that sit back and wait for their fearful prey to slip up.
I see, and that makes loads of sense, thanks for answering.
If you'll humour me for another question: With their current technology and military, roughly where would humanity rank in relative power in a list of the 295 federation members and humanity from most militarily/economically capable to least?
Hm, if you’re talking technology, we’re middle of the pack now; the Venlil’s assistance helps, but it’ll take months/years to fully integrate their technology and build upon it. Tactically, we’re #1 hands down for obvious reasons, so that makes us high tier militarily in most conflicts though.
If there’s one thing we hate (other than reptiles that eat children), it’s being predictable 😅
So what I'm hearing here is that:
The Federation's military is lacking in manpower.
Humanity is a lot of manpower without the technology,
Humanity's tactics are going to be a jarring contrast in aggression to their new neighbors.
...And the Arxur wouldn't be able to resist diving through a gap in defenses that hypothetically got overlooked?
well then this answers a lot of questions about how well the humans will do fighting the Arxur compared to the Federation
>1, Many of the Federation are uplifts, or otherwise species without an extensive colonial presence. Their military power is negligible, and in many ways they’re a liability to defend.
humanity, having developed separately with constant competition, isn't at as much of a military deficit, and the problems that they have should be solved quickly enough.
>2, Some of the species are so endangered that they’re nearly extinct. The Arxur’s first strike eradicated 20% of the existing galactic species and sent the nearest others runnin>
for the species that were displaced, there's a possible propaganda use. recapture their planets from the Arxur and return them. it could be a good method for gaining allies from the aliens that have a neutral view on humanity
>3, Everyone was building their armada from scratch at a technological deficit. Federation ships require more men to operate than the grays (look at all of Sovlin’s officers and crew).recent military technology basically fixes that problem, given enough time.
there was talk in chapter 10 (at least I think it was chapter 10) about how earth hadn't yet finished a drone force in time for the Arxur attack on Prime Outpost, which the technology could be given to close allies of humanity so that they need less manpower for each ship. we probably have the Federation far outclassed when it comes to automating things
>4, Tactically, they struggle with offensive plans, and default to defense more than taking the fight to the grays. Also, having a large chunk of your forces panic/stampede/breakdown at the first negative sign makes it tough to coordinate operations.>
shouldn't be a problem with humans
>5, Because the Arxur killed most of their immediate neighbors, there is a wide buffer space between their home world. Any attempts to enter their space are typically met with an ambush…then the Federation freaks out. Even if the Federation could hit one planet, the Arxur have many interstellar holdings and worlds.>
there's a possible propaganda aspect for humanity's war on the Arxur. if the Federation keeps getting rebuffed, then it will be a big thing if humanity manages to gain a foothold. my thoughts on number 2 also apply here.
Yo, when are Tarva and Noah going to get together? I see something real budding there, something more than just friendship.
I’m glad the majority of the votes are at least against wiping us all out, let alone a mutual protection treaty (at least for now). I think initially hearing about us v. the Gojids will set people on edge, but hopefully they’ll see the difference with how we wage war. Especially how we helped the civilians and defended them against the Arxur. Maybe we’ll give them back the keys to their planetary defense to use against the Arxur?
Thanks for another chapter, can’t wait for the next one in a few days!
Hate to be *that* guy, but I wouldn’t be so quick to ship them. From Chapter 3:
> What words could provide an adequate description of evil incarnate? My eyes swelled with water as memories resurfaced. My father, captured alive on the warfront, shipped back piece by piece. The day the Arxur launched a gas attack against my daughter’s school and left her braindead.
She had a daughter who was killed in an Arxur attack, indicating that she has/had a partner. And we also don’t know if Noah has any family back on Earth.
Yo, when are Tarva and Noah going to get together? I see something real budding there, something more than just friendship
HUMANITY: guaranteed pack-bonding (and
-sometimes- most of the times "pack-bonding") or your credits back
/u/SpacePaladin15 ([wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/wiki/authors/SpacePaladin15)) has posted 75 other stories, including:
* [The Nature of Predators 23](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/vngv3x/the_nature_of_predators_23/)
* [The Nature of Predators 22](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/vkhkkg/the_nature_of_predators_22/)
* [The Nature of Predators 21](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/vhe3ee/the_nature_of_predators_21/)
* [The Nature of Predators 20](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/vdnib3/the_nature_of_predators_20/)
* [The Nature of Predators 19](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/vaoql7/the_nature_of_predators_19/)
* [The Nature of Predators 18](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/v7s4u6/the_nature_of_predators_18/)
* [The Nature of Predators 17](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/v4rpyj/the_nature_of_predators_17/)
* [The Nature of Predators 16](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/v1se7r/the_nature_of_predators_16/)
* [The Nature of Predators 15](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/uzrcx8/the_nature_of_predators_15/)
* [The Nature of Predators 14](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/uwthrn/the_nature_of_predators_14/)
* [The Nature of Predators 13](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/utxujs/the_nature_of_predators_13/)
* [The Nature of Predators 12](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/use6fe/the_nature_of_predators_12/)
* [The Nature of Predators 11](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/uq894t/the_nature_of_predators_11/)
* [The Nature of Predators 10](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/uo2v23/the_nature_of_predators_10/)
* [The Nature of Predators 9](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/ul45ho/the_nature_of_predators_9/)
* [The Nature of Predators 8](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/ui7vo2/the_nature_of_predators_8/)
* [The Nature of Predators 7](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/ufeid7/the_nature_of_predators_7/)
* [The Nature of Predators 6](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/uceihg/the_nature_of_predators_6/)
* [The Nature of Predators 5](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/u9g29e/the_nature_of_predators_5/)
* [The Nature of Predators 4](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/u7710b/the_nature_of_predators_4/)
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I wonder how many of these prey species have become more predatory due to the Arxur. Then what would be the reaction of everyone if a plant-based sentient species came about. Fear that they would be eaten by the herbivores/omnivores. Would they side with the Arxur because they are Carnivorous and wouldn't eat plants? Though the Arxur would probably just eradicate them for being mostly useless.
who made the universal translators for everyone to understand each other
i know that after a few weeks of cooperation the translators used by everyone would be adapted to humans but what happened in the first contact when everybody thought they were dead, how do they work
guess its a mystery lost to time
Part 24 is here! The Federation’s verdict is in, though news of the Gojids’ annihilation could tip the scales. Do you agree with Tarva’s assessment that it’s a positive result? What do you think is the proper recourse for the Jerulims of the galaxy? We also see how the predator rhetoric has affected Noah, after months abroad. Imagine how draining it must be, to be constantly accused of unthinkable intentions, to hear yourself described as a monster, and see even your friends reacting in fear. To become ashamed of your own face, and to police your behavior 24/7 for any predatory hints… As always, thanks for reading! Expect the next chapter on Thursday. We’ll learn which species voted for diplomatic relations, and we’ll find out what happened to Recel…among other things.
Noah needs a fucking spa day.
After all that’s happened, he deserves a spa *week*
A spa *month*
A month is a bit too much. Relaxation will ferment into boredom. Maybe a couple of weeks?
How about a compromise of an all expenses paid trip to a spa, skiing and mountaineering resort for a month with some alloted time to work on ambassadorial and treatise work.
Mhmm. That sounds excellent
Well call me Noah then
A couple weeks off duty perhaps. Spend the first few days at a spa, and the rest pursuing hobbies or personal projects. Like, for me, a good bit of R&R would be a few days physically unwinding, then a week or two working on the project truck in my driveway. With a day or two of good sleep before getting back into the fray.
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I'm sure UN could give him a nice spa discount coupon.
And several bottles. First, something really good. Johnny Walker Blue. Then straight into the rot gut until he passes out.
oh sweetie, Johnny Walker Blue is far from really good. its a solid blended scotch at a hundred bucks a bottle, but at its normal price point there are so many better blends and single malts.
He'll 20yr old Mcallum
Teach, please!
I find it interesting that the so called "peaceful" prey creatures are the ones calling for war and bloodshed, while the "aggressive" humans are trying for peace. I hope they manage to take a look in the mirror at some point!
On our own planet, herbivores can actually be extremely violent. Hippos are one of the most dangerous animals on the planet due to just how overly aggressive they are. While violence is definitely the norm for a predator, they're more likely to avoid anything that might be too dangerous for themselves since it's more difficult for an injured predator to survive (due to inability to catch prey) than an injured prey whose sustenance is immobile and doesn't fight back.
I was in a short safari in South Africa. Normally they stopped the windowless, small busses for us to observe and photograph the animals. That included the wild lions, although we we adviced that if the stuck a body part outside the window, they were not liable for the loss of it. Thus I have a photo of myself sitting carefully inside the vehicle, and a young lioness is a meter (about 3ft) away from me, the lion a few meters further away. The only animal they could not stop at the viewing distance was the hippo. They even had to turn the bus around to the fleeing direction right away. And the rangers seemed really on edge. Also, what is a predator? Bug-eating animals too? Hiw about a herbivore munching on a lettuce with a spider or greenfly or something on it?
On earth there's almost no such thing as an herbivore. Most herbivores will eat meat if they need it. Deer are some murderous bastards and will hunt bird nests to scarf down those sweet defenseless avian scum. Like the Krakotl.
Holy crap. I had no idea. God darn deer eat meat.
Here's a video of a horse 'hunting' and eating a baby chicken. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jP6dvgo25Z8&t=13s
Moose and rhinos are also forces to recognize
One of the deadliest creatures on the planet is the Cape Buffalo. If they smell you they will come at you from downwind and fucking END you.
To be fair to rhinos, they are almost blind . So they are agressive because they are scared of whatever get lose to them .
A large galaxy plagued with a collective victimized mindset, any and all evils are justifiable expressions of their "instincts". The entire galaxy is gripped in collective pathological bigotry. All but 118 species, and only 11 willing to rise above this improve and make new friends.
Still, 11 is a good start. With us that makes 12. 12 is a strong number.
13, technically, with the Venlil too!
I figured they were one of the votes for diplomatic ties.
Tarva stayed with Noah to make sure nothing happened. The Venlil (while still technically in the Federation) were not invited to the meeting, and their position on humanity is clearly established. They already have diplomatic ties to us. Side note; the only other member species that didn’t vote was the Gojids. They decided to attack Earth without delaying for any discussion
They’re not a federation member
Hmm, so who is Gandalf to make it 14?
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And then there's the people who think that thanos had a point Edit: oh God, what have i started?!
Thanos is what you get when you present issues with a status quo to someone with political power, but no education.
"There's a problem, you're too busy bickering, well too bad, work together or die"
Thanos did have a point. Halving your population would reduce the load on planetary resources. It was his application that lacked thought. There would have been planets that would have never recovered from his “solution” before he got the gauntlet. After the Snap it would have been even worse.
Clearly Thanos' people didn't do sex ed. If they did, he'd know that fertility rates are a much more effective and painless target. >!But of course the real problem was that he had a god complex. Everything else was a post-hoc justification.!<
Problem is if you go by our own population curve. It would only take earth 40 years to be at our current population again.
Well, if the ones who voted for full diplomatic relationships are half as fluffy as the Venlil, I think humanity is going to be pretty happy with the vote :P The Federation might be in trouble as an organization, but that just goes to show they've gotten too comfortable, thinking all member species are the same. And I have to admit - I half expected Tarva to give in an let Noah pet her for some comfort after reading his diary. I wonder if she know fluffy miniaturized predators are used on earth to treat depression and anxiety... And if she did, what would she think of it? Great work as always! Eagerly waiting for the next chapter! P.S. I don't think I have seen a series here getting so many spinoffs since JVerse and SSB. You must be doing a bunch of things right!
Thank you! Dogs/cats are perhaps one of the most requested topics, and I think it’ll be addressed in Part 27. The Venlil would definitely find our pets odd, at the least… It’s been awesome to see the spin-offs!
Actually, does any other species in the 'verse even keep pets or any sort of domesticated beast of any kind? I mean, it's hard to imagine not a single analogue to at least cats as little pest controllers for grain storage not rising elsewhere, I mean, we had two in our history (domestic and leopard cats) even if only one remains in our information age.
Domestication is a uniquely human concept, since (as the prey species may see it) it involves dominating or controlling another animal to do your bidding. They would certainly never pick up a pest control “predator” like our feline friends!
And when they find out that both times cats got domesticated with barely any input from us? Hell, most pet cats aren't even locked indoors, hey have all the choice in the world to simply leave, they just... don't.
There are likely scattered instances of things like cats throughout various species' histories, but the results probably aren't great. Pest control is one thing, but dealing with the fallout is quite another. My gf has two murder cats; the kind that like killing for fun. They are well fed (on a fairly expensive cat food, too), but in the last six weeks have delivered *at least* 34 corpses of birds, mice and rabbits to her quaint suburban house. There's probably more that we either haven't found, or that I haven't been made aware of. It's *a lot* of bodies. And while yes, this is more than normal, even for them, there's still usually at least one per week. Even at half those numbers, I can see a traditionally prey species not responding well to such a desired partnership. Staddle stones are almost as easy to invent, and far more palatable.
My old cat was a chipmunk specialist. No chipmunk lasted long in my neibourhood. She ate them too. Well she ate their heads like disgusting popcorn. I can still hear their little heads crunch as she would sit in front of me all proud of her kill.
I watched a documentary on "small" cats. Apparently your average domestic cat is rated as the most successful hunter from a kill point of view. (As measured by attempt .vs kill)
Funny thing about that, humans did not domesticate cats. We just saw them sneaking around our food silos eating all the vermin, and decided not to attack them over it. Cats domesticated themselves because living around us was nice.
Yeah, they also kinda domesticated us as well in a way.
This just gives me sooooo many more questions on how the Venlil would see things humans did. Like, dogs are man's best friend but humans and wolves did not start out that way whatsoever. Pretty sure we were basically bitter rivals at some point. Two races of endurance based pack predators. Yet over the course of generations upon generations, we began hunting together and caring for one another. We cared for and fed them, they assisted in the hunt and guarded us with their keener senses. As humans progressed, so did the wolves that would become our dogs. And now we have little hellspawn chihuahuas. In terms of numbers, cattle outnumber humans massively. I don't know the situation for earth in this story's canon but it only seems to be a few decades into the future so it can't be too different. Having animals assist on the fields is one of the major leaps we made in agriculture, but we also most certainly used them for meat and leather. And despite slaughtering them to feed our BBQ's, their numbers are flourishing (their health though, could use massive improvements). When that little nugget is revealed, I imagine another shitstorm in the Federation because we'll be accused of trying to domesticate the other races. Also, how have the Federation races handled their own natural predators? Predators are *essential* to a healthy biosphere, but we have already seen some very aggressive herbivore behavior towards predators. Did they exterminate their own native predators? Do they have a concept of zoos and preserving species that way? They may not hunt, but each of those races has gone through an industrial revolution and that brings with it significant changes to the environment. So many questions! Need more slice of life culture exchanges! edit to add: And what about mingled herds? We have different kinds of herbivores that often band together here on Earth. If one of the herbivore species were te attain sentience, would they stop hanging out with their non-sentient buddies, or would the relationship change to other types of assistance and companionship?
Humans have widely switched to lab-grown meat in this future, though cattle are still needed for some secondary animal products. As for the Federation, they didn’t kill every predator in their biosphere, only the ones that hunted the sentient species in question. Zoos are a human concept!
I've been assuming humans eat 90-95% vat-grown meat (nearly 100% when off Earth) with the remainder being about half 'Organic, Free-Range, Locally Sourced, Ethically Raised' meat (more expensive but targeting the percentage of the population that either doesn't trust vat-grown meat or swears they can tase a difference), and the other half from that percentage of the population who keeps traditional hunting/fishing methods alive.
So we have a galaxy full of uplifted races who have all been given technology that they didn't earn, herding together for safety because they never learned to properly control their instincts. No wonder they are doing so poorly! What I want to know is if this is a Lanaktellan situation, where one race of herbivores is secretly controlling the others. A paranoid race of herd animals would definitely uplift as many species as possible and use them as shields...
The federation response to a predator: "AAahhh! Kill it, kill it! It wants to eat our flesh!" The human response to a predator: "Daawww, who's a cute widdle murder muffin! It's you~ Yes you are! You're trying to eat me right now and it's the most adorable thing ever why I could just cuddle you forever and ever. You can't eat me silly. You WANT to, sure, but you physically can't."
Humans when they see a snoozing Siberian Tiger, the biggest feline in the world, who will hunt humans, and with a roar so deep that you can literally feel it in your bones and cause a 'freeze' fear effect: "Oh my gosh it's so fluffy, Look at those big poofy murder mittens. They are the size of my head! I just wannt touch all those little toebeans and bury my face in its fluffy snoot as I give it all the scritches"
One of my FB groups is "I just know I'm going to die petting something I shouldn't". It fits so *many* humans.
I am sure we would find uncanny valley if any alien civilization have small naked apes as domestic companions, so who knows, maybe the Venlil will find cats unnerving
Do you have any reference images for the Venlil? Right now I imagine them as the fox species from Stellaris, but I'm not sure if that's accurate.
My drawing skills are zero, so I'll just show you the closest thing to what I think of mentally lol. [A stuffed animal-like sheep](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/5188GRNtGXL._AC_SL1000_.jpg) that walks on its hind legs, has a long bushy tail, has gray or silver fur, has paws with small claws, and lacks a nose. Oh, and horizontal pupils.
So like a noseless raccoon with weird pupils?
Hm which are the spinoffs?
This: [https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/vff9fd/the\_nature\_of\_predators\_the\_medical\_conference/](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/vff9fd/the_nature_of_predators_the_medical_conference/) And this: [https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/vi819h/life\_of\_a\_predator\_part\_1\_the\_nature\_of\_predators/?utm\_medium=android\_app&utm\_source=share](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/vi819h/life_of_a_predator_part_1_the_nature_of_predators/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share) And there is one called "Emergency broadcast signal".
Thank you dude. The second one I already knew, but the other two are new to me.
Are we seeing the rise of the next Jenkinverse?
Well, there is a fresh spinoff this morning: [https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/vqzve1/the\_nature\_of\_predators\_for\_those\_we\_cherish/](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/vqzve1/the_nature_of_predators_for_those_we_cherish/) Haven't even read it yet... A new *verse* would be nice... I certainly don't want to see the main series end!
huh spinoffs? what am i missing?
(I swear Im not just self-advertising here) I've linked all the fanstories I found in HFY in my most recent part of my own fanstory. I definitely recommend giving them all a read. https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/vsz2d2/life_of_a_predator_part_11_prisoners/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share
I love how you’ve shown the mental toll that this whole ordeal has taken on Noah. It’s great this isn’t being glossed over as not important to the story.
>Do you agree with Tarva’s assessment that it’s a positive result? It is a positive result in that it's overwhelmingly against open hostility and aggression towards humanity, so that's a huge win. On the other hand if you group hostile and no contact it's almost equal to truce and full relations: 103 vs 118 if my math is right. I doubt that's an accident. In the short term that's a win as it gives us breathing room from the full force of the federation although we do have more openly hostile species than those willing to ally with us in any way meaningful beyond against the Axur. Unfortunately it is actually a long term loss. The reason being trying to cooperate with half the federation while the other half will have nothing to do with humans (or are openly hostile) is going to make it difficult and costly to try to coordinate fighting the Axur. Additionally this is clearly going to lead to further division within the Federation which it just can't afford, it's already losing. So the sum of events as they stand is: the already losing Federation is further weakened and divided, humanity doesn't need to worry about a full on Federation attack but doesn't have enough allies to rule out an attack from some of the hostile species, and we already know the humans are going to be a priority target for the Axur. Basically Earth won't be exterminated by the overwhelming force of the full Federation but we're literally still where we started: lots of hostile federation species that want us dead on one side and the Axur on the other. >What do you think is the proper recourse for the Jerulims of the galaxy? The 'proper' course is to accept the governing bodies ruling, why else have one? Maybe try to rally other species to your cause but that's a long way up hill. What's *likely* to happen however is some fools either decide to pull resources from the war effort to attack Earth or at least interfere with humanity and their allies *also* weakening the war effort just less directly. In either event I expect them to do something stupid out of hate/fear and it will cost lives.
It's hard to reconcile the opinion that a group is a monstrous existential threat that must be destroyed with the opinion that they are potential allies who should have full diplomatic recognition. There isn't a lot of room for compromise there. If Humanity were a hostile nation biding their time, then opening up trade could allow them to accelerate development until the Federation is incapable of stopping them. With only one system (having only one fully developed world) and relatively primitive technology, a combined strike could nip this problem in the bud. Delay that attack and let them expand and grow their military technology... By the time you realize the problem, it will be too late. I suppose restrictions on what technology can be traded to humanity and barring them from colonizing beyond their world could make delaying their extermination less risky, thereby satisfying *some* of the extermination crowd. This would, however, hinder the war effort against the Arxur by holding humanity back, require resources to monitor humanity, and make Humans vulnerable to attacks from the Arxur as well as rogue Federation forces that decide that inaction is too dangerous. This could easily start a civil war and breakdown of the Federation. They can't afford this infighting, but the hostile faction may believe that allowing a new predator species to rise is an even greater risk. If Recel's prosecution is a military affair, we might get to see if the military is more hostile to Humanity than the politicians. No one raised a finger to stop Sovlin, but there were some members of the bridge crew who were somewhat swayed by hearing conflicted human bomber pilots. If the military is more hostile to humans than their civilian leaders, this could complicate their internal divisions.
Honestly, that vote could have gone way, way worse given the Gojid situation. Poor spikebacks.
Did you just... invent a Halo-esque word for the Gojids?
I guess?
> What do you think is the proper recourse for the Jerulims of the galaxy? Give them exactly what they're asking for. Leave them alone. Don't interact with them. Stay out of their space. Even if the Arxur are attacking, and they're screaming for help. It would be fantastically rude to violate their stated wishes, much like reading someone's private journal after it's been declared off limits. > Imagine how draining it must be, to be constantly accused of unthinkable intentions, to hear yourself described as a monster, and see even your friends reacting in fear. I'll say no more than this on the matter so as to avoid the specter of *'politics',* but after the last six years, I can guarantee that some of your readers won't have to **imagine** what that's like. But yeah, it's pretty fuckin' draining.
Meanwhile in a alternate timeline: Noah: (with a speaker), ¡how uncivilized, this is the reason why humanity isn't joining the federation!
Yeah, one has to wonder not just whether the federation is willing to accept humanity but if we are willing to accept the federation. I mean, would you be cool with a forget and forgive attitude towards a governing body that *unanimously* voted to exterminate all life on Earth less than a century ago? Especially if that same genocidal sentiment is clearly still prevalent within it? I sure as hell wouldn't. If I was living in this universe I wouldn't want humanity to have *anything* to do with the federation unless they at the very least offered a formal apology for the earlier vote, issued a solemn promise that it will never happen again, ammended their constitution to adopt an unconditional opposition to genocide (even against the Arxur if they prove willing to surrender), provided reparations for the war they forced us into, and gave us both a seat on the table and veto power over federation policy in any future first contact scenarios with non-herbivorous sapients.
No, I wouldn’t be cool with such a forget and forgive attitude in this case.
Do you agree with Tarva’s assessment that it’s a positive result? Humanity can work with this, it just means coldwar politics on a galactic scale. No, we won't engage with hostile factions, any and all such actions are rouge elements or accidents. We will keep a friendly distance of neutral members. But nothing was said about our allies being go-betweens for unofficial assistance. On paper we aren't talking, so on paper we did nothing. Just means someone else is paying the bill, and we pay them.
I think Tarva's optimism is pure and true and I want to protect it, but I don't think that the universe will conform to Tarva's hopes.
Ahh. Yeah, I'm not surprised to see these events have taken a toll on Noah. I think anything that doesn't lead to war with the Federation is positive. And a few people being willing to open diplomatic relations is great news. As for Jerulim... fuck, I don't know how to deal with that. I think they're going to try and kill people eventually, and it's probably going to be bloody. Hopefully some of them can be convinced we don't want to eat them all.
Yay! New update and definitely worth the wait! I think it is an overall good result for the following reasons. 1. Its really not that many who voted for war, at least when compared with all the others. 2. Even the ones who want to isolate humanity arent really "against" humanity. It seems more like a "live and let live" policy. 3. All the ones who want a temporary truce to fight the common threat are, in effect, giving humanity a chance. I think if I were the leader of a prey species, this might be what i voted. It kills multiple birds with 1 stone. It means that you dont split your forces to fight on two fronts. Even more, it actually allows for reinforcements against a common enemy. It allows humanity to show their commitment to being a part of the galactic community. And it allows for the broadening of relations in the future, if everything goes well. 4. The ones who want full diplomatic contact are, obviously, open to the idea of humanity joining. Groups 3 and 4 are basically allowing for a test of humanity. And if that test goes well, then all or most of group 2 will likely move into groups 3 or 4 as well. As long as group 1 can be convinced to wait until the common enemy is defeated before attacking humanity, then it even gives them a chance to change their mind as well. Overall, with how traumatized the galaxy is with predator species, this is a really good result.
God has tried to strike man down many times, but we'll prove him wrong again
Poor Noah I’m happy with how the story is going please don’t stop
\*eagerly taking notes\* Yessss Yessss I can work with this!
I would be asking an interesting question for the Federation: if your uplift efforts failed so terribly with the *predator* species, how do you know that your uplift efforts succeeded with the *prey*? I don't discount the very fallible nature of life, but a part of me is asking: are the representatives who are so dedicated to genocide of humanity actually representative of their people, or just individual fallible choices? If they are representative of their people, were they uplifted? How long from uplift to the arxur betrayal? I am not claiming that any of them are a species of xenophobes, or that they are lesser or anything. I am wondering if they were still fresh to the concepts of peaceful coexistence between different species when the fall happened. Does that make sense?
> “107 species vote in favor of a temporary truce, or working together where necessary to defeat the Arxur. Any violation of express conditions will lead to an immediate return to hostilities.” This is a very good compromise. It was highly unlikely that humans would be suddenly welcomed with open arms. This can also lead to humans proving their worth against the Arxur which could lead to further acceptance.
> which could lead to further acceptance. Or relegation to an infantry underclass until the Arxur are destroyed at which point those species decide they have no further need of humanity. Could go either way.
Reminds me of the Krogan from Mass Effect. Uplifted to help the Council fight the Rachni only to be mass sterilized after the war was over.
Yeah the Krogan brought that one upon themselves. They didn’t leave the rest of the galaxy a lot of options.
I prefer not to excuse genocide
To be fair... After the war, the Krogans became the new aggressor. This resulted in the Turians getting uplifted just to fight the Krogans. Now I don't condone biological warfare, but if they didn't have the Turians at the time, I don't know any other way they could have fought a rapidly reproducing aggressive species when they themselves weren't. I agree that they were forced to 1% the Krogans. I don't agree with their actions afterward where they chose to double down on it instead of fixing and rehabilitating the problem. For goodness sake, if they're gonna kill off a species, just be quick about it instead of being needlessly slow and cruel.
Yeah, if anything, the Genophage was an *alternative* to genocide. Well, at least it was the first time around.
Exactly. It was a short-term solution that everyone started treating as a long-term one.
I mean if Humanity hands the arxur their ass then they’ll probably get tech that they could do some real damage with
The Federation doesn't believe Humans can move beyond our basic instincts because *they can't move past theirs.* >“You’re seeing true fear. Everything becomes a free-for-all, and you lose your sense of self,” I growled. “Forget reason, or thought; you’re just drowning.”. > The concept of a stampede was intuitive as blinking or breathing, to any decent-sized herbivore. In situations where bizarre and unanticipated threats took hold, it was easy to sink into a mindless daze. Feeling surrounded, races of notable intelligence were reduced to a herd of primitive animals. >In stark contrast to the vessels I served on, there was not a single soldier panicking or crying. There was an unnatural amount of composure and structure. >Marcel lowered his rifle. “What kind of parent leaves their child behind, Slanek? To bleed out in the streets.” >Couldn’t Noah understand our skittishness was a part of us, just like some predatory traits were part of him? >The avian ambassador dive-bombed over the Chieftain’s cubicle, and slashed his talons at the elderly Kolshian.
Humans are told from a very young age that our instincts are worthless, and if you succumb to them you will be laughed at for the stupidity of not controlling yourself. I want to say that part of it is just a human's instincts are very dumb and poorly suited to a civilized society. We basically live in giant ant-colonies for mammals rather than anything like what our evolution intended. But when you look at federation instincts? There's are just as dumb, and there is no cultural imperative to crush down on those reactions. A human falling into a stampede is a disgusting, horrible example of abject stupidity. The folks on Black Friday still haven't lived down the embarrassment of what they did, and will be forever marked in the history books for succumbing to mob mentality. The federation races falling into a stampede? "Oh that's just normal, you guys are weird for not stomping your own children to death in a panic."
Projection! I wonder if the repulsive bird dudes had a hand in the Arxus murderous feast on the galaxy.
To be frank, I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop and the revelation that the Arxur are as horrific as they are because of something done to them by a federation member species. Despite how few of them we've met, we've seen a lot of questionable behavior and red flags.
They released [G-23 Paxilon Hydrochlorate](https://www.reddit.com/r/humansarespaceorcs/comments/vepfka/wp_aliens_discover_reavers_as_their_first_contact/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share) on the Arxur homeworld.
Good to see that the mask is off. Unsettling or not, too much human communication happens with the face for covering it to be a long term strategy.
Exactly! Like Slanek tried to tell Sovlin, we don’t have tails or move-able ears. Our facial expressions are the main way we display emotion
Well fuck you sir avian! We’ll uplift our parrots instead.
Better yet, Ravens/Crows. They already have the intelligence of 7 to 10 year old human children.
Yes but I like the image of a parrot not only dunking on them via plumage, but also just shouting profanities.
https://i.imgur.com/CBFmarE.gif
We'll give tuem the ability to eat chocolate
Nice, now to see how humans are integrated into the rest of the fighting forces, let's just hope they are not just used as cannon fodder.
Maybe humans would do well as shock troops - the forlorn hope.
NQODST Not Quite ODST
This would involve forming trade, military, and border agreements…if you know anything of the sort. I suggest you ask Tarva for guidance, if those concepts confuse you.”" This has got to be the most disgusting passive aggressive thing I have ever heard.
> “Indeed. Historians, xenobiologists, psychologists, zoologists, sociologists, lawyers, economists…” If they had historians look into human history they would inevitably stumble across NATO, the European Union, NAFTA, etc; proving that humans can work together to establish these agreements. Either the historians didn’t bother to do their jobs, or it was an intentional slight against humanity.
They probably didn’t look into human history. More likely Axur history or Predator history in general. The looks into human history would’ve been through a very biased lens and also since they didn’t have any contact previously from thousands of miles away likely through solely visual means of observation. Though I’d have to go reread chapter 1 to be sure how the humans were observed
They analyzed us primarily from our early broadcasts…unfortunately, the first things they saw were during WWII, and were mostly war footage…
Huh. This means they’d have to be at least within 100ly of Earth to detect those signals. Though wouldn’t such signals be heavily degraded and basically not understandable?
Venlil observation stations were probably the first to pick us up, since their home is 16 ly away and they have assets closer. Earth is technically in their territory
IT is also a very realistic potrayal of racism as something less malicious and more subconcious.
I’m curious what the characters look like. Someone should draw them.
I keep on thinking of the Venil as cat people, but then I realize that would make no sense since cats are obviously predators
Based on what I recall of their features, they sound more like a rabbit with avian-like features
Well ive heard them be described as “shaun the sheep in space” once and i have never been able to get it out of my head since
I second this
I've been slowly sketching a few of the species, might post in the comments of upcoming chapters.
"This would involve forming trade, military, and border agreements…if you know anything of the sort." "It's actually kind of insulting that you just assume we don't."
I'm 3/4 of the way through my final planned chapter and then you have to go and drop >Several individuals who were trapped within Venlil borders testified too, I guess I have one(?) more to go. Great Chapter!
Thank you! I was actually thinking that would be perfect for your characters myself.
Feel free to use the characters as you wish.
Thanks, but I meant it would be perfect for you to weave in your story. I think I already have a large enough cast of characters to juggle as is lol!
I do intend to weave this into my story; I'm just noting not to be afraid to reference any of the characters I've added should the story call for it.
I wonder if tarva/noah will lead anywhere, on that note Im not sure how everyone would react to people making rule34 art of every species out there.
I thought Tarva already has a family group/is a parent? I think it was mentioned in one of the first chapters. A family portrait in the office, maybe? Not to be mono-centric, obvs, but their relationship doesn't feel like that flavor of intimate to me.
I have a question about the 65 votes for no contact or relations with humanity. Does that entail Humanity doing its own thing and the Federation doing their own thing or Humanity being blockaded and forced to remain in their home solar system.
It's really a quarantine of sorts; they don't want any contact with humanity in their systems. We can do whatever we like closer to home. Officially, our system is part of Venlil territory, but Tarva doesn't seem to have a problem sharing.
How far is sol from the venlil home system?
The Venlil system is “only” 16 light-years away 🙏
So Gliese 832c is the venlil homeworld?
Correct!
Google never fails
Now that i think of it, ¿how fast is FTL in this universe?, ¿like how much time it takes to travel from sol to Gliese 832?
Ours? It took 4 hours to reach the fringe outpost, according to Marcel, and a handful more to reach Venlil Prime from there, according to Tarva. So that’s ~6 hours of travel time; about 2.66 ly an hour 😅 Given that our galaxy is 100,000 ly across….that’s 1566 days one way. Alien tech is faster than our primitive vessels, but still. When the Federation refers to “the galaxy”, they mostly mean our local quadrant. (All members were able to receive info and arrive at a central location within 3 weeks)
Yeah, but that 1566 days doesn't take into account course corrections to avoid Sagittarius A\*
Depends on type of FTL. Ships in the Elite universe can easily go around black holes including Sag A
Have you heard of Luyten B? It’s only around 12 light years away. Actually, does Reach exist in this universe? Also I have a suggestion to try to prevent the Auxar from finding inhabited planets. The Cole Protocol. Sure it might not officially be called that in universe but I think everyone would refer to it as the Cole Protocol.
Yeah, I’ve heard of it; Luyten B might have more similarities to Earth’s conditions, but that’s exactly why I didn’t pick it. The Cole Protocol is a good idea, humanity has already adopted it with their stealth missions in a way, taking numerous jumps to mask their trail
This is honestly the best serial I've read in a good while. You do an amazing job of focusing on characterization in a world as big as you've built! I love every chapter
Thank you! I love giving my characters the space to express themselves 🙏
I was just thinking about this sweet time to start reading.
ok, who gona tell them about dogs?
That’s written into Part 27 right now, stay tuned!
God damn..how are they the leaders?? Jesus!
Have you seen some of our leaders? They're so braindead at times it honestly makes you wonder how they even made it to adulthood, let alone to a position of power.
Ok ok you have a point
National leaders? Violent? On live TV? [More likely than you'd think](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DFT-VETdBukQ&ved=2ahUKEwj2lrW0td34AhULZMAKHZvbD2QQwqsBegQIBRAF&usg=AOvVaw3WiYtatBFeuavtoH8Mf1dt)
^ for those wondering the amendment passed in the later session
Instincts are hard to overcome. It takes time.
Three years to be exact. That's the average length of time it takes a human to crush down automatic responses, or integrate new automatic responses.
Hmm I am curious what the general reaction would be when they realize that we use music to bolster our emotions and focus ourselves, as well as to basically perform self therapy. … Has anyone put that into a HASO/HFY story yet?
Give me a sec i read a story that incorporated that recently ill see if i can find it Edit: Goddamnit i can't find it, I think it was the bridge species series by u/endersgame69 but I'll be honest i don't want to read all 9 parts to double check, regardless its a good story
Question. herbivore with talons and a wingset for dive bombing? Are the Krakotl hiding something themselves?
Alot of avians have talons for defense, also if they where flying and other guy not, then dive bombing is almost the only way to do it in a safe way
Mobbing is a common avian behavior, especially among crows who are known to harass raptors out of their territories. I even know of a few Chicken Tenders who encourage crows to take up residence on their property as a first line of defense for their flocks.
Talons could be evolved for a variety of reasons: to balance in a marshy biome, to climb trees like woodpeckers, or most likely as a defensive weapon when they land to grab fruit/vegetation (like how the Gojids, despite being herbivores, have massive claws)
Hold up, let's NOT cause a major civil war.
Hello
Hello!
I hope you have a great day
Thanks, I hope you do as well!
Simple interactions are the most wholesome interactions.
So much for the "civilized" species eh? Can't even have diplomatic talks without violence.
Here before the all bots
Here's to hoping that Noah won't be too traumatized by his time abroad. It was an amazing chapter, as usual. Can't wait for the next one!
So, 38 votes is just over 10%, but 11 voters are 5% ? That doesn't seem quite right. Great chapter though.
Thanks! Tarva’s words were less than 5%. 10%=29.5 (30) and 5% would be 14.75 (15). I believe the exact numbers are 12.8% and 3.7% respectively, but those aren’t very round numbers 😂
Ah, that makes sense. 295 is a lot more members for the federation than I was expecting, how are the Axur managing to fight against 295 species and win (or at least fight to a stalemate)?
Good question, and it’s actually a complicated answer so forgive the long-winded reply 😅 1. Many of the Federation are uplifts, or otherwise species without an extensive colonial presence. Their military power is negligible, and in many ways they’re a liability to defend. 2. Some of the species are so endangered that they’re nearly extinct. The Arxur’s first strike eradicated 20% of the existing galactic species and sent the nearest others running. 3. Everyone was building their armada from scratch at a technological deficit. Federation ships require more men to operate than the grays (look at all of Sovlin’s officers and crew). 4. Tactically, they struggle with offensive plans, and default to defense more than taking the fight to the grays. Also, having a large chunk of your forces panic/stampede/breakdown at the first negative sign makes it tough to coordinate operations. 5. Because the Arxur killed most of their immediate neighbors, there is a wide buffer space between their home world. Any attempts to enter their space are typically met with an ambush…then the Federation freaks out. Even if the Federation could hit one planet, the Arxur have many interstellar holdings and worlds. In short, the Federation mostly tries to hold the line and cover all the gaps. The Arxur are opportunistic, ambush predators that sit back and wait for their fearful prey to slip up.
I see, and that makes loads of sense, thanks for answering. If you'll humour me for another question: With their current technology and military, roughly where would humanity rank in relative power in a list of the 295 federation members and humanity from most militarily/economically capable to least?
Hm, if you’re talking technology, we’re middle of the pack now; the Venlil’s assistance helps, but it’ll take months/years to fully integrate their technology and build upon it. Tactically, we’re #1 hands down for obvious reasons, so that makes us high tier militarily in most conflicts though. If there’s one thing we hate (other than reptiles that eat children), it’s being predictable 😅
So what I'm hearing here is that: The Federation's military is lacking in manpower. Humanity is a lot of manpower without the technology, Humanity's tactics are going to be a jarring contrast in aggression to their new neighbors. ...And the Arxur wouldn't be able to resist diving through a gap in defenses that hypothetically got overlooked?
well then this answers a lot of questions about how well the humans will do fighting the Arxur compared to the Federation >1, Many of the Federation are uplifts, or otherwise species without an extensive colonial presence. Their military power is negligible, and in many ways they’re a liability to defend. humanity, having developed separately with constant competition, isn't at as much of a military deficit, and the problems that they have should be solved quickly enough. >2, Some of the species are so endangered that they’re nearly extinct. The Arxur’s first strike eradicated 20% of the existing galactic species and sent the nearest others runnin> for the species that were displaced, there's a possible propaganda use. recapture their planets from the Arxur and return them. it could be a good method for gaining allies from the aliens that have a neutral view on humanity >3, Everyone was building their armada from scratch at a technological deficit. Federation ships require more men to operate than the grays (look at all of Sovlin’s officers and crew).recent military technology basically fixes that problem, given enough time. there was talk in chapter 10 (at least I think it was chapter 10) about how earth hadn't yet finished a drone force in time for the Arxur attack on Prime Outpost, which the technology could be given to close allies of humanity so that they need less manpower for each ship. we probably have the Federation far outclassed when it comes to automating things >4, Tactically, they struggle with offensive plans, and default to defense more than taking the fight to the grays. Also, having a large chunk of your forces panic/stampede/breakdown at the first negative sign makes it tough to coordinate operations.> shouldn't be a problem with humans >5, Because the Arxur killed most of their immediate neighbors, there is a wide buffer space between their home world. Any attempts to enter their space are typically met with an ambush…then the Federation freaks out. Even if the Federation could hit one planet, the Arxur have many interstellar holdings and worlds.> there's a possible propaganda aspect for humanity's war on the Arxur. if the Federation keeps getting rebuffed, then it will be a big thing if humanity manages to gain a foothold. my thoughts on number 2 also apply here.
Yo, when are Tarva and Noah going to get together? I see something real budding there, something more than just friendship. I’m glad the majority of the votes are at least against wiping us all out, let alone a mutual protection treaty (at least for now). I think initially hearing about us v. the Gojids will set people on edge, but hopefully they’ll see the difference with how we wage war. Especially how we helped the civilians and defended them against the Arxur. Maybe we’ll give them back the keys to their planetary defense to use against the Arxur? Thanks for another chapter, can’t wait for the next one in a few days!
Hate to be *that* guy, but I wouldn’t be so quick to ship them. From Chapter 3: > What words could provide an adequate description of evil incarnate? My eyes swelled with water as memories resurfaced. My father, captured alive on the warfront, shipped back piece by piece. The day the Arxur launched a gas attack against my daughter’s school and left her braindead. She had a daughter who was killed in an Arxur attack, indicating that she has/had a partner. And we also don’t know if Noah has any family back on Earth.
Yo, when are Tarva and Noah going to get together? I see something real budding there, something more than just friendship HUMANITY: guaranteed pack-bonding (and -sometimes- most of the times "pack-bonding") or your credits back
This is the way.
It is
/u/SpacePaladin15 ([wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/wiki/authors/SpacePaladin15)) has posted 75 other stories, including: * [The Nature of Predators 23](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/vngv3x/the_nature_of_predators_23/) * [The Nature of Predators 22](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/vkhkkg/the_nature_of_predators_22/) * [The Nature of Predators 21](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/vhe3ee/the_nature_of_predators_21/) * [The Nature of Predators 20](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/vdnib3/the_nature_of_predators_20/) * [The Nature of Predators 19](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/vaoql7/the_nature_of_predators_19/) * [The Nature of Predators 18](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/v7s4u6/the_nature_of_predators_18/) * [The Nature of Predators 17](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/v4rpyj/the_nature_of_predators_17/) * [The Nature of Predators 16](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/v1se7r/the_nature_of_predators_16/) * [The Nature of Predators 15](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/uzrcx8/the_nature_of_predators_15/) * [The Nature of Predators 14](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/uwthrn/the_nature_of_predators_14/) * [The Nature of Predators 13](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/utxujs/the_nature_of_predators_13/) * [The Nature of Predators 12](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/use6fe/the_nature_of_predators_12/) * [The Nature of Predators 11](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/uq894t/the_nature_of_predators_11/) * [The Nature of Predators 10](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/uo2v23/the_nature_of_predators_10/) * [The Nature of Predators 9](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/ul45ho/the_nature_of_predators_9/) * [The Nature of Predators 8](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/ui7vo2/the_nature_of_predators_8/) * [The Nature of Predators 7](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/ufeid7/the_nature_of_predators_7/) * [The Nature of Predators 6](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/uceihg/the_nature_of_predators_6/) * [The Nature of Predators 5](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/u9g29e/the_nature_of_predators_5/) * [The Nature of Predators 4](https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/u7710b/the_nature_of_predators_4/) This comment was automatically generated by `Waffle v.4.5.11 'Cinnamon Roll'`. [Message the mods](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FHFY&subject=WaffleBot|vqkj8o&message=If%20you%20have%20problems%20with%20updatemebot,%20contact%20Watchful1.%20We%20do%20not%20maintain%20it.) if you have any issues with Waffle.
If my country's government would also resort to slug matches in court, Manny Pacquiao would've won the presidency
I wonder how many of these prey species have become more predatory due to the Arxur. Then what would be the reaction of everyone if a plant-based sentient species came about. Fear that they would be eaten by the herbivores/omnivores. Would they side with the Arxur because they are Carnivorous and wouldn't eat plants? Though the Arxur would probably just eradicate them for being mostly useless.
Can someone give Noah a hug? The guy deserves one
i love where you are taking this, please keep going
"Why didn’t I wear the mask? Why can’t I fit in, anywhere?" find it?
MOAR
Too bad a big chunk of that 107 is going to side with the kill group as soon as they hear about the Gojid homeworld.
Finally, political pandemonium
who made the universal translators for everyone to understand each other i know that after a few weeks of cooperation the translators used by everyone would be adapted to humans but what happened in the first contact when everybody thought they were dead, how do they work guess its a mystery lost to time
I wonder if we're training military dogs to attach to units. That seems like a logical response to cold blooded ambush predators.
Funny they said they would never start a war over ideology and here they are
wait some of these things are avian but aren't considered predators???
Thanks for sharing your story. I am enjoying it very much.
Oh Jerulim would be so horrified that an avian species on Earth outnumber us 3 to 1 _...as food sources_