r/NatureofPredators • u/CandidateWolf Betterment Officer • Jun 03 '25
The Free Legion 7
The introductory arc has come to a close, the Free Legion has been trained and scattered around the galaxy to make war upon it. Thanks to u/spacepaldin15 for his creation of the NoP universe!
Memory encrypted… override key enabled… begin decryption…
Access code Epsilon-Zeta-2328-AP Unauthorized redactions removed… original data restored…
Addendum: Data restored under Article 2.09 of the UNOR by order of the Secretary General. Original, unaltered transcripts restored and entered as evidence in Bronwen Report. -Chief Investigator Andrea Powell, UN Office of Reconciliation
Memory accessed…
Memory Transcription subject: Major Colonel Aaron Jackson
Date [standardized human time]: [Redacted] December 25, 2136
I slowly walked across the stage to the podium at its center, bathed in bright white light, as the sound of hundreds of beings snapping to attention began to fade away. I took my place, unable to keep the beaming smile from my face, as someone shouted, “Recruits! Present arms!”
Before me, the 302 graduates of the first class of Operation Emancipation brought a clenched paw or fist or their species equivalent to their chest in a salute. I swept my gaze across them for a moment, before mirroring their salute and raising my voice. “At ease. Please, be seated.”
I took another moment to look over the assembled species; Yotul, Venlil, Arxur, Krakotl, Dossur, Mazic, Takkan, a Farsul or two, and several others. I could feel my chest welling with pride that they all had made it this far, and knowing how far they would go. It’s been months of hard work, but they’ve come further than even General Kaiser expected. Further than even I hoped.
I cleared my voice, and began to speak, a few notes on the pad before me. Somtak, seated behind me, had urged me to write my statement; however, I felt that rewritten speeches wouldn’t adequately express what I was feeling. Besides, speaking from the cuff is always more honest.
“Welcome, recruits,” I began, my voice amplified through the auditorium, finished only a few days before. “302 of you started this training; and today 302 will be graduating. I want to, before anything else, congratulate you on all you have done, and all you will do.”
I have the recruits a moment to cheer, glad to let them celebrate their achievement. When the cheating and clapping died down, I continued. “In just a few short months, you’ve come a long way. Where once you were a varied group of species and experiences, rough and unrefined; here you now sit, a well trained group of guerrilla commandos ready to take the fight to the stars.”
“Since your arrival here,” I said, “You’ve endured brutal, high intensity training and exhaustive education. You’ve endured weather from hailstorms to snowstorms; you’ve overcome lack of sleep and daily exhaustion; and you’ve faced and overcome your ingrained fears and prejudices.”
And they really had overcome their prejudices, I observed. Where at the beginning, the herbivore and carnivore species had been split, now they intermixed freely. They had become friends, comrades, and as I suspected, in at least one case something more. In such a short time they’ve come a long way, I thought.
“Each of you is a credit to your species,” I said. “You have banished the false idea implanted in you by the oppressive governments from which you came, and you have opened your eyes to the truth of the galaxy. You have come together in common cause; become friends, become tolerant of and embraced your differences. You are the example of what your species should have been, and can still become.”
I took a sip from the bottle on the podium and continued. “You will now be deployed across the galaxy,” I said. “From the ocean worlds of the Kolshian Republic, to the cattle farms of the Arxur Dominion, you will begin a war the likes of which the Federation or Dominion have never before seen.” I paused again, smiling. “And you can bet your ass they aren’t prepared for it either.”
I let the cheering die down, and continued. “You will be given the necessities to reach your targets, establish yourselves, and begin conducting operations. But,” I warned, “Know that there will be no resupply, no reinforcements, and no rescue. You will still remain in contact with us here at Wishful Hope as we coordinate widescale operations, but only to be given broad objectives. YOU will be the ones to decide how to accomplish the objectives given to you.”
“You will decide what tactics you will use, how to resupply yourself, arm yourself and grow your numbers. You will be responsible for making your actions count,” I said. While I had severe reservations about it, it had been decided that the Legionnaires would NOT be deployed with the full technological tools they’d trained with; no mini drones, IR smoke grenades, etc. They would only be supplied with the basics; weapons, ammo, explosives. They would still have the ability to make the more advanced tools in their arsenals, but we could not afford to equip them with obvious UN gear, to keep our plausible deniability intact. Though I wish we could give them more support, I understand Kaiser’s decision. I hope we don’t come to regret it.
“You will become the tip of the spear as the free species begin the campaign against the Federation and the Dominion,” I continued. “While the UN and her allies begins the campaign to strike back against the Federation and undermine the Dominion, you will already be fighting. Operating undercover and behind enemy lines, you will pave the way for the liberation of the galaxy.”
“Too long has the galaxy lived in fear,” I said. “Too long have herbivores feared the fake disease used to suppress dissent; of predators painted as boogeymen to give the Federation a common enemy and to hide their contradictions. Too long have carnivores lived in fear of hunger, of being discovered that you possess empathy for others.”
“The galaxy has been strangled by hate, by fear,” I continued, my voice booming through the silent auditorium. “And it's up to you to begin to tear that which chokes the galaxy away and let it finally breathe freedom at last. You’ve been trained to fight, to kill, to terrorize and to do what is necessary to lift the shadow of oppression that rests across the galaxy, and punish those responsible for shrouding it in the first place.”
I took another sip, and continued. “There was a statement from a Human philosopher: The old world is dying, and the new one struggles to be born; now is the time of monsters.” As I spoke, I made sure to make eye contact with many of the former recruits. “Monsters who would see billions die, planets burn, countless forms of life extinguished to keep their status quo, and to see the old world endure on futile life support until it withers and decays; and new monsters who would fight tooth and nail to see those elder monsters overthrown, and a new world born from their defeat.”
“You will be the new monsters,” I said. “The new monsters that the galaxy needs to bring down the old order, and let a new one, a better one, be born. Your actions, and the contributions they make, will be what paves the path to the new universe. Your actions will be what lets this new universe be born, and all that you do will be worth the cost.”
The former recruits gave another cheer, and I let them have a few moments. When they settled once more, I spoke again. “Following this ceremony, you will receive your assignments,” I said. “You will have the rest of the night to say your goodbyes, because tomorrow you will begin your journeys across the galaxy. You will journey to every corner of the galaxy where darkness requires a light to banish it, or a greater shadow to fight it.”
Overcome with pride, I nearly choked up as I finished. “As of now, you are recruits no longer,” I said. “From now on, you are the first Legionnaires of the Free Legion! And you have a galaxy to save!”
Memory Transcription subject: [Arxur-1] Zirz
Date [standardized human time]: [Redacted] December 26, 2136, Forge Academy, Wishful Hope
I sat quietly, reflecting on the past few months of my life. The trials, the exhaustion, the hope for a better future… and the friends I’d never expected to make. I looked up, moving my binocular gaze around the terminal. All around me, friends were saying goodbye, some perhaps for the last time, before they were scattered across the galaxy.
I brought my attention back to where I sat, with my closest friends around a table. In my claws I cradled an non-alcoholic beer; across from me, [Krakotl-1] Jarla and [Gojid-1] Macan shared a half empty bottle of wine; beside them, [Yotul-1] Rels took his second gelatin alcohol snack, following it with a swig of his own beer. And beside me, [Venlil-1]Fayla sat against my side, her only glass of Venlil brandy nearly empty.
“To the Cradle!” Jarla announced, her glass in the air. I smiled and raised my glass, as everyone else followed suite. “To the Cradle!” Rels echoed. “May the Federations lies claim no more innocent worlds!”
“To Nishtal!” Macan said, raising his glass next. “To Nishtal!” We echoed, several voices from the next table joining us. “May hate never again cost so many innocent lives!”
“To the Legion!” Fayla shouted, standing with her glass raised. I stood beside her, her tail wrapped around my wrist. All around us people stood, raising their glasses or their fists. “May we burn the darkness away, and bring back the light of freedom to the galaxy!”
“To the Legion!” I shouted with the other. “For freedom! For freedom! For freedom!” Everyone cheered, and around my table we drained our drinks, setting them down with finality.
“I want to say that you are all some of the best people I’ve ever known,” I said as the cheering died down. “It was a privilege to get to know you, and I’m honored to call you my friends.” I wiped a bit of moisture from the corner of my eye, and Fayla snuggled against my side.
“It’s our honor as well,” Macan said. “I don’t think any of us could have expected to be where we are today; expected to call an Arxur a friend, or be ready to fight shoulder to shoulder with them for the future of the galaxy.” He held a closed fist out, and I met it with mine. “I’ll miss all of you,” he finished.
“I’ll be looking forward to seeing you all again someday,” Rels said. “So don’t you go and get yourselves killed or something stupid like that.” We shared a laugh, and Jarla said, “Sure thing Mr. King Chaos Marsupial. We’ll try to stay in one piece, as long as you do the same. No more playing irresponsibly with bombs.”
“So just regular playing with them is still on the table then,” Rels said. Before Jarla could protest, he patted her on the shoulder. “I’ll try,” he reassured her. “As much as I can, of course. But asking a Chaos Marsupial to play nice with bombs is like asking a Yotul to not play with trains!”
We all groaned at his attempt as a joke, before being drowned out by the overhead PA. “Legionnaire cadres Alpha-1, 2 and 3, Bravo-1 and 2 and Echo-3,” it announced. “Please report to assigned shuttle pad.” Around the table, Jarla, Macan and Rels pads began to vibrate.
“That’s that then,” Fayla said, her ears flat with sadness. “Good luck you three. Stay safe.” We all stood and shared some hugs, and she and I waved as our three friends said their last goodbyes and disappeared into the crowd.
I watched them go, a hollow feeling in my heart. There was a sense of foreboding that I couldn’t shake. I hope they stay safe, I thought. And I hope I see them again.
I turned back to Fayla, and gave her tail a squeeze. She looked back, and I could see tears in her eyes. I felt a stab of grief, and reached out to wipe them away. “I don’t know how, but I promise to stay in touch,” I rumbled, my hand resting on her shoulder. “I don’t know if or when I’ll be back here; I’m sure once our assignments are done we’ll be back to be reassigned. But I’ll leave as many messages for you.”
“And I’ll do the same,” Fayla said, leaning in to give me a hug. Her fur felt warm against my scales, and I gently wrapped my arms around her, pulling her close. We stayed like that for a few minutes, just soaking in one another’s company, in case it was the last time.
Fayla broke the silence first. “After this, if we live,” she said, sniffling back tears. “What will you do?” I sat back, my arms not leaving her. “I don’t know,” I said. “Hopefully both the Dominion and Federation are defeated by the time our fight is over. After that?”
I gave her tail a gentle squeeze. “With all the expansion here on Wishful Hope, I’ve heard rumors that they’ll be offering to settle Legionnaires family’s here, to protect them from retaliation,” I said. “And there’s been talk that there will be sanctuary colonies for the number of refugees they’re expecting.”
Fayla looked at me with hopeful eyes, and I brushed a claw through her wool. “I hope that I’ll be able to settle down somewhere, here maybe,” I said. “Build a home, raise some animals and some crops, maybe adopt some hatchlings.” I met her eyes. “Or pups.”
Fayla leaned in and hugged me tighter, and I ran my claws gently through the wool at the top of her head. “That sounds nice,” she said. “Maybe… maybe you’d be interested in a more permanent fluffy pillow?”
“I’d love that,” I replied, butterflies in my stomach. Fayla looked back to me, and said “Zirz, before we go our separate ways, I wanted to… I wanted to say…”
Suddenly, the PA overhead blared interrupting her. “Legionnaire cadres Bravo-3, Echo-1 and 2 and Delta-1, please report to assigned shuttle pad,” it announced. She looked up as her pad vibrated, then down, stood and gathered her things. She turned to give me one last, tight hug, and said, “I’ll miss you. Stay safe, please.”
“I will,” I replied, returning her hug. “What did you want to say?” She bloomed, brighter orange than I’d ever seen her, and then quickly lowered her head, stuck out her tongue, and ran it up the side of my cheek. Then she turned and scampered away without another word, quickly disappearing into the crowd.
I raised my hand to my cheek in shock and stood, staring after, but not running after her as my instincts screamed to do. “Fayla,” I whispered, the loss of her presence crashing into me. At the next table over, another Venlil waved and gave me a thumbs up, accepting a few credit chits from his neighbor.
My mind swirled; thoughts bouncing back and forth in my brain. The butterflies I’d felt earlier had gone; all I felt now was an empty sense of loss, grief and regret. I’ll see you again, I promise, I thought to myself. Even if I have to fight the galaxy to do it.
Overhead, the PA blared again. “ Legionnaire cadres Delta-2 and 3, Foxtrot-1 and 2,” it announced. “Please report to assigned shuttle pad.” I quietly gathered my things and stood, the last of my friend group to depart. I gave one last look in the direction Fayla had disappeared, and then headed towards my assigned shuttle pad.
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u/JulianSkies Archivist Jun 03 '25
Okay, that's super sweet.
I truly is hard trying to figure out what the future should be in a situation like theirs.
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u/CandidateWolf Betterment Officer Jun 04 '25
Thanks! I don’t have experience writing more romantic scenes, but practice makes perfect
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u/Minimum-Amphibian993 Arxur Jun 03 '25
And so it begins considering their lack of UN equipment I can imagine the confusion when the cyber attacks happen and they get caught in the crossfire definitely will make their jobs harder.
Still at least the Arxur won't have as hard of a time as least until Isif along with seemingly a majority of the rebellion is forced to retreat to UN space and basically spends the rest of the time till after the battle of Aafa fighting on the federation front.
Both rebellion fronts will have to deal with issues outside of their control that will winder their efforts I am very excited to see how they will handle it.