All Hope Was Lost—Until Humanity’s Ruthless Soldiers Arrived! | | Sci-Fi Reddit

the ground shook again as another grax bomb hit the surface deep in the underground bunker Commander Zilla wiced his wed fingers trembled over the control panel the blue skin around his gills had turned pale a sign of extreme stress among the vorton status report he coked Shield grid for just collapsed replied Miri a maloian tactical officer her feathers were pressed flat against her body in fear that was our last line of defense the command room fell silent 20 Faces some with scales others with feathers a few with tentacles all turned to the large screen on

it red dots representing gra warships surrounded their small mining colony of Andromeda son the GRS had already taken three star systems from the galactic concordat in the past month now they had come for this world how many civilians still in the upper levels xyx asked about 300 said Miri mostly vorton Miners and maloian researchers the evacuation tunnels are blocked after that last hit Zilla closed his three eyes and tried to think the conquer at had always been peaceful the vorton were natural diplomats the malians were Scholars and artists the drans were Builders none of them

were warriors that's why the gra a hive species that lived to conquer had cut through their territory so easily the gr ships are beginning their Landing sequence reported Cal another officer they'll be on the ground in 20 minutes everyone knew what that meant the GRS didn't take prisoners they consumed other species literally they ate their flesh and studied their DNA to improve their own Hive it was a fate worse than death order all remaining troops to protect the civilian bunkers xyx said we fight to the last but his words sounded Hollow their troops were mostly

mining security guards with basic weapons against trained gra Warriors they wouldn't last 10 minutes Commander called a Communications officer suddenly I'm picking up a transmission it's breaking through the gra jamming signal put it through xyx ordered though he didn't dare hope for rescue the concordat fleet was 3 days away at the speakers crackled then a voice firm confident and speaking in a language their translators barely recognized filled the room andromida 7 command this is Colonel Maya Ortega of the human expeditionary Force Hold Your Position we are inbound ETA 18 hours repeat hold position murmurs spread

through the command center one of the younger officers leaned towards Zilla humans what are humans Zilla searched his memory a new species from a small system at the edge of concordat space they joined the trading Network only 5 years ago are they Warriors asked Miri hopefully they are primitive xyx admitted their technology barely qualifies them for Interstellar travel they have no significant Fleet the hope that had briefly flared in the room dimmed again we should still respond said his second in command Zilla nodded and pressed the transmit button human vessel this is Commander Zilla we

are under heavy bombardment gra forces outnumber us 50 to one they will breach our final defenses within hours the reply came back instantly understood Commander we've studied the graas we know how they operate just stay alive until we get there the transmission ended around the room officers exchanged confused glances what difference can some primitive humans make someone whispered Zilla had no answer but as another explosion rocked the bunker he found himself watching the clock 18 hours could they survive that long and if they did what then little did he know that the Galaxy was about

to learn exactly what humans were capable of when back back into a corner 18 hours later alarms blared across the gra Fleet 23 ships had just appeared at the edge of the system the gra Supreme Commander a massive insectoid creature with gleaming black armor clicked its mandibles in annoyance identify those vessels it ordered unknown design Supreme Commander replied a drone but scans indicate primitive technology not Concord at ships on the main scen the vessels approached most looked like they had been built for mining or transport with weapons bolted onto their Halls as afterthoughts only three

ships had the Sleek design of actual warships humans the Supreme Commander realized the dirt walkers from the Backwater system it made a sound that might have been laughter continue The Invasion divert two Cruisers to eliminate this nuisance aboard the human Flagship uncore relentless uncore Colonel Maya Ortega gathered her officers in the briefing room a hologram of Andromeda 7 spun in the center of the table red dots showed gr's position swarming Across The Colony ladies and gentlemen we have about 10 minutes before the gra realize were not just going to line up and fight their way

Ortega said she was a tall woman with dark hair cut short and scars on her face that told stories of previous battles Lieutenant Kira chin raised her hand and Colonel The Briefing says there are approximately 12,000 gra troops on the ground we have 400 combat Personnel that's why we're not fighting Fair orer replied with a grim smile she tapped the Hologram and it zoomed in on the colony's Dome structure the concordat forces are holed up in these underground bunkers the GRS are systematically working their way down standard procedure for them they're harvesting said Captain Jackson

read a Burly man with a thick beard taking the colonists for food and DNA samples or take AED which means they want the colonists alive at least initially that gives us our window she tapped the console again and several points on the colony lit up these are the colony's main ventilation shafts Waste Disposal Systems and maintenance tunnels a younger officer frowned The Landing zones are heavily defended Colonel that's why we're not using them Ortega's smile grew wider prepare the drop pods we're going in hot straight through the Dome across the room the human officers nodded

none looked surprised at the audacious plan none questioned its recklessness this was how humans fought down on Andromeda 7 Commander Zilla and his surviving officers had retreated to the deepest level of the bunker the ground R had breached the upper floors 3 hours ago the screams of captured colonists still echoed through the air vents we can't hold them much longer Mary whispered her feathers now completely flat against her head the humans never came they said 18 hours xyx insisted though his Hope was fading suddenly one of the few working monitors showed new contacts entering the

atmosphere not Landing ships but something smaller faster what are those asked an officer before anyone could answer the entire bunker shook with a series of impacts that were different from the bombing they'd endured for days these were sharper more focused the communications panel crackled to life androma 7 command this is Lieutenant Chen of the human expeditionary Force we've touched down inside the colony I repeat we are inside the colony the vorton and mosan stared at each other in confusion inside xyx asked how can you be inside the landing pads are all under gr's control we

didn't use the landing pads Commander came the calm reply we dropped in literally my team is currently in what looks like a food processing center there are about 30 gr soldiers who don't know we're here yet that's about to change standby in the background of the transmission they heard sharp popping sounds and strange battle cries in the human language Miry turned to Zilla her eyes wide they dropped through the Dome that's suicide xyx said nothing he was beginning to understand that humans had a very different definition of what was possible in war the gra Command

Center was in chaos reports flooded in from all sectors of the colony humans appearing where they shouldn't be attacking without warning then Vanishing into the Maze of corridors and maintenance tunnels how are they moving so quickly demanded the gra field commander its armored exoskeleton clicking as it paced where did they come from they using the Waste Disposal system reported a drone its antenna twitching nervously and the ventilation shafts places our Warriors cannot fit then collapse the tunnels flood them with toxins we're trying Commander but they seem to know our movements before we make them meanwhile

deep in the colony's maintenance level Lieutenant Kira Chen led her Squad through narrow service tunnels unlike the bulky gra humans could craw through these spaces easily each Soldier carried a compact rifle and wore light armor dotted with sensors team two reports gr Squad moving toward Section 8 said her Communications officer they're trying to cut us off Chen smiled too late she tapped her wrist display detonating remote explosives they had planted 20 minutes earlier the distant Rumble of the explosion vibrated through the metal floor that should keep them busy they emerged into a storage area where

a group of Aven aliens malians huddled behind crates the aliens flinched at the sight of the Armed humans we're not here to hurt you Chen said hands raised human expeditionary Force we're here to help an elderly melosian with silver feathers stepped forward cautiously I am Trill Elder of This research group you are the humans Chen nodded Lieutenant Kira Chen we need to get you to safety the GRS have blocked all paths to the bunkers Trill said they hunt us like prey then we hunt them first Chen replied she turned to her Squad rivered Jackson set

up a perimeter doc check these civilians for injuries as the human medic approached trill's feathers fluffed out in Surprise your minds they are so strange to us Chen had forgotten that malians were telepathic what do you mean you feel compassion for us yet I also sense something else trill's head tilted a Darkness a Readiness to kill without hesitation that's how we survive Chen said simply a younger melosian joined the conversation you compartmentalize violence in a way we cannot comprehend it is both terrifying and fascinating frill stepped closer to Chen if you permit I can form

a stronger telepathic link we could help you see through the eyes of the GRS know their movements Chen hesitated only briefly do it Trill placed a feathered hand on Chen's Temple a strange sensation flowed through her mind like cool water filling empty spaces suddenly she could feel the presence of her Squad members more clearly and Beyond them like distant stars in her Consciousness the minds of the melians now Trill whispered reach further Chen gasped as New Impressions flooded in Alien thoughts cold and hungry the GRS I can sense them she said in Wonder three squads

approaching from different directions Trill nodded The Hive mine that makes them strong also makes them vulnerable to those who know how to listen Chen quickly relayed positions to her team Sanchez Kowalski take the north tunnel Rivera with me to the east the rest of you protect these civilians as the human soldiers moved with new purpose trill watched them with a mixture of Hope and concern in just 6 hours the humans had already destroyed Three gron Bs but the Elder mosan sensed something that troubled him deeply these humans did not fight like the concorded species with

reluctance in fear they fought with a primal Joy a terrible efficiency born from thousands of years of warfare against their own kind by Nightfall The GRS would learn what it meant to face Predators more cunning than themselves Commander Zilla stood nervously as Colonel Maya Ortega entered the underground Command Center he had expected a giant perhaps with extra limbs or armored skin instead the human leader looked almost fragile two arms two legs soft skin with no scales or protective plates yet something in her eyes made his three hearts be faster Commander xyx she said extending a

hand in what he had Learned was a human greeting custom thank you for the invitation Colonel Ortega he touched her hand briefly with his webbed fingers your soldiers have achieved unexpected results around the command table other Concord ad leaders watched with a mixture of relief and unease in just 12 hours the humans had secured four sectors of the colony the gr's advance had not just stopped it had been pushed back I've reviewed your combat reports said Krell a senior voran military adviser he flipped a tentacle toward the display your tactics seem unnecessarily brutal brutal Ortega

raised an eyebrow we're fighting for survival you set traps with your own wounded as bait said another adviser you lured GRS into ambushes using the sounds of injured colonists and it worked orer replied calmly we've saved hundreds of your people with minimal casualties on our side Zilla gestured for calm we are grateful Colonel but we do not understand your species is new to space travel you have no history of interstellar Warfare yet you fight with unusual skill or take his face softened slightly you evolv differently than we did all concordat species developed in environments that

rewarded cooperation your Predators were few your resources plentiful and humans asked Trill the maloian Elder who had worked with Lieutenant Chen we evolved as both predator and prey Ortega explained we developed empathy to care for our young and our tribe but we also developed aggression to hunt and to defend Earth's history is Written in Blood and compassion often in the same chapter the aliens exchange troubled looks our soldiers are taking risks no rational being would consider noted Kell Ortega smiled humans have a saying who dares wins sometimes the most unexpected action is the most effective

their conversation was interrupted as a junior officer burst in the GRS have launched a massive Counterattack they've overwhelmed the Eastern sector Ortega's face immediately hardened she tapped her Communicator all units fall back to defensive positions Chen what's to her status static answered her then a GRS voice spoke your soldiers fought well human but we have them now the command center fell silent on the Tactical display a large force of GRA troops had indeed broken through in the East they've captured some of your people xylax at quietly Ortega's expression didn't change but something in her eyes

made the vorten step back involuntarily then the gra just made their second mistake she said their first was attacking this Colony their second she turned to her officers prepare operation scorpion the GRS are about to learn something about humans they won't find in any biological database in a holding cell on the colony surface a captured human surgeon hung from restraints as the gra Commander studied him your species is physically unimpressive the gra said clicking its mandibles yet you fight with unusual ferocity tell me your weaknesses and your death will be quick the surgent his face

bloody looked up with a strange smile you want to know our weakness it's that we're really really bad at giving up the gra Commander didn't understand why the human laughed then or why that laughter even through pain felt more threatening than any weapon it had ever faced the gr's Supreme Commander ship descended through the atmosphere of and Roma 7 its massive form cast Shadows over the damaged Colony Dome inside the ship the Supreme Commander larger and more heavily armored than regular gra Warriors received disturbing reports the humans resist our mind probes reported the science officer

their pain threshold exceeds our calculations they are merely animals the Supreme Commander clicked dismissively deploy the nerve gas it paralyzes all concordat species within minutes at once Supreme Commander as yellow clouds of gas billowed through the colony sectors the gra forces Advanced confidently in their sealed armor they expected to find helpless victims instead they found humans still fighting slower coughing blood but still deadly the gas is only partially effective reported a gra squad leader the humans biology is different in the medical section of the human command post soldiers received injections and oxygen masks as they

continued to battle it's working Colonel Ortega told Commander Zilla her voice raspy from the gas the GRS are committing all their forces to this push working zlac stared at her in shock your people are dying some she admitted but while the gra Supreme Commander focuses here captain Reed's team is aboard their Flagship high above the colony Captain Jackson Reed LED Shadow team through the dimly lit corridors of the gra Flagship unlike the Brute Force approach of the ground teams these six humans moved like ghosts using Advanced stealth technology to avoid detection control room ahead whispered

Lieutenant Park checking her scanner two guards Reed nodded they had studied gr ship designs for months remember remember we're not here to destroy the ship we need the navigation systems and communication array intact silent as Shadows they neutralized the guards and entered the control room Park immediately connected a small device to the main console uploading the virus now she said 3 minutes until it spreads to all systems make it two read ordered hearing the heavy footsteps of more gra approaching back on the surface Colonel Ortega initiated operation Trojan all human forces began a coordinated Retreat

toward the colony's industrial sector they're pulling back a gra Commander reported excitedly pursue and eliminate the gra forces surged forward their hive mind focused on the kill they didn't notice the small devices humans had placed along their path they didn't see how certain walls and ceilings had been carefully weakened as the last human Squad cleared the indust Ral Zone Ortega gave the signal now Across The Colony explosions ripped through support structures tunnels collapsed on gr's troops buildings toppled onto their formations hidden weapons activated catching the aliens in crossfire in the command center the concordat leaders

watched in amazement as the Tactical display showed gra forces being decimated they trapping themselves Trill observed his tele AIC connection with Lieutenant chin giving him insight into the human plan the humans knew exactly how the GRS would react to a retreat they studied their enemy xyx realized they learned how the hive M thinks maloian telepaths now linked to human tactical officers coordinated the battlefield with unprecedented Precision every gra movement was anticipated every Human Action was perfectly timed by Dawn as Andromeda 7's son Rose over the damaged Colony the situation had changed dramatically the GRS numerical

advantage had fallen from 30 to1 to 5:1 in orbit Captain Reed's team completed their mission the virus spread through the gra fleet's Communications scrambling their signals and disabling their targeting systems it's done Reed reported to Ortega their ships are blind and deaf and they don't even know it yet the colonel allowed herself a small smile phase one complete now for phase two the arrival of the mining ships the gra Communications officer frantically adjusted controls on its console nothing worked their entire network had collapsed Supreme Commander we cannot contact our Fleet all channels are compromised the

Supreme Commander compound eyes narrowed with rage the humans find their sabots but it was already too late in orbit above Andromeda 7 28 new ships dropped out of hyperspace the gr's defense systems scanned them automatically mining vessels the Tactical officer clicked in confusion they send mining ships against our warships destroy them ordered the Supreme Commander the gra weapons locked onto the newcomers but the targeting systems infected with the human virus failed to fire the mining ships moved unchallenged toward the colony broadcasting gra identification codes stolen by Captain Reed's team in the colony's Command Center Commander

Zill watched the new arrivals with bewilderment those aren't warships he said to Colonel Ortega what can mining vessels do against the gra Ortega's tired face broke into a smile those ships carry industrial drilling equipment terraforming explosives and plasma cutters that can slice through mountain ranges you'd be surprised what they can do when used creatively the first mining ship landed near the colony's main power plant a sector now contested by human and gra forces its cargo bay opened to reveal not soldiers but civilian miners in makeshift armor they unloaded massive drilling machines and laser cutters designed

for breaking through planetary crust listen up shouted a Burly Miner as he powered up a drill that stood twice as tall as a human these tools weren't made for fighting but they'll cut through gr's armor like butter just point them in the right direction Across The Colony similar scenes unfolded as the mining Crews join the battle the GRS had never encountered enemies who weaponized Industrial Equipment their tactical manuals had no response from massive drilling lasers cutting through their barricades or terraforming charges creating instant sink holes beneath their troop formations Lieutenant chin led a combined force

of humans and mogans to retake the central habitat Dome the mosan traditionally pacifists had begun emulating human fighting techniques but with their own telepathic twist they behind that barrier a young mosan named cirri War Chen her mind sensing the gra troops in Ambush 23 of them chin nodded can you make them think we're coming from the East corridor C's feathers rippled with concentration yes I'm projecting false Impressions into their hive mind the human soldiers watched in amazement as the gra troops suddenly turned away from their position firing at an empty Corridor where they sensed humans

approaching now Chen ordered her team burst through the West entrance catching the gra completely unprepared Commander Zill observed the battle reports with growing astonishment the human soldiers had been fighting continuously for nearly 30 hours many with injuries that would incapacitate any concordat species how do they continue he asked Trill who had become the main telepathic link between humans and Aliens their bodies produce chemicals under stress that enhance performance Trill explained but more than that they have something we lack a genetic memory of warfare spanning thousands of generations operations on his command ship the gra Supreme

Commander received the worst news of the campaign the humans had retaken 70% of the colony the once- certain victory was slipping away initiate final protocol it ordered coldly if we cannot have this world no one will the gra forces began a strategic withdrawal toward the remaining dropships but they weren't retreating they were regrouping for one last devastating attemp attack on the colony's Fusion reactors Colonel Ortega studied the holographic map of the colony with growing concern the gra forces were in retreat but something wasn't right they weren't running in panic they were moving with purpose they're

concentrating around the fusion reactor complex she realized suddenly xyx what happens if those reactors are damage the vorton Commander's skin ped to a light blue total Destruction the explosion would not only destroy Andromeda 7 but poison the planet for centuries Ortega immediately activated her Communicator all units the GRS are targeting the reactor complex Converge on that location immediately but the communications network crackled with static the GRS had deployed local Jammers cutting off coordination between human forces we can't warn most of our troops Ortega said grimly I need volunteers for a Strike Team meanwhile in a

makeshift laboratory aboard the gra command ship the Supreme Commander personally studied the captured humans three soldiers lay strapped to examination tables their body showing signs of brutal experimentation yet none had broken under questioning fascinating creatures the Supreme Commander said to its science officer their bodies are fragile but their will is unlike anything in our record we've analyzed their brain chemistry reported the science officer they produce unusual neurotransmitter combinations under stress what would break most species only makes them more determined the Supreme Commander extended a sharp claw and traced it along the face of Sergent Miller

the human who had laughed at his captor earlier the human didn't Flinch you should have studied us better before you attacked Miller said through cracked lips humans dub like bull your species will be thoroughly examined before Extinction the Supreme Commander replied we've never encountered such psychological resistance The Hive will benefit from understanding it Miller smiled blood staining his teeth that's your second mistake what was our first bringing us aboard your ship at that moment alarms blared throughout the vessel the Supreme Commander rushed to the bridge to find chaos somehow the restrained humans had activated emergency

beacons hidden in their bodies the signals had triggered dormant sections of the virus Captain Reed had uploaded earlier critical Systems Failing reported a drone life support compromised in sections 5 through 12 the Supreme Commander realized too late capturing humans had only given them access to the heart of cra's operations back at the colony Colonel Ortega led her small Strike Team through service tunnels toward the reactor complex Lieutenant Chen joined them bringing three malians whose telepathic abilities could help navigate through gra controlled areas 15 minutes until they can initiate a meltdown warned a human engineer we'll

never make it in time through these tunnels then we don't use the tunnels or take it decided she pointed to a mining vehicle abandoned nearby a massive drilling machine with Treads designed to cross broken terrain we go straight through through the machine roared to life its enormous drill bit tearing through walls and debris as it carved a direct path toward the reactor gr's troops scattered as the improvised battering ram smashed through their defensive positions in the command center Commander Zilla watched The Desperate race unfold the conquer at had always valued life Above All Else avoiding

unnecessary casualties even in Warfare but the humans fought differently they calculated acceptable losses to achieve Victory they know some will die he said quietly to Trill yet they go anyway it is their greatest strength and most terrible burden the maloian replied they understand sacrifice in ways we cannot as Ortega's team reached the outer perimeter of the reactor complex they could see dozens of GRA Warriors setting demolition charges the final battle would not be for victory it would be for for survival itself 3 days after the battle began the last gra Warrior fell the mining colony

of andreta 7 lay in Ruins but its people were alive the first concordat Victory against the GRS in two years of war the reactor complex stood intact save when Colonel Ortega's team had crashed their mining vehicle directly into the gra demolition team the explosion had killed several humans including two of Ortega's closest officers but had stopped the gra from reaching the reactor Corp in orbit the gra Fleet had retreated in disarray after Captain Reed's team had taken control of their flagships navigation systems sending several warships on collision courses with each other the colony's Medical Center

was crowded with Wounded from all species human soldiers lay on beds next to maloian researchers and for ten miners doctors from all three species worked together learning on the Fly how to treat each other's injuries Colonel Ortega sat on the edge of a bed her arm in a makeshift sling reading casualty reports 42 humans dead over a 100 wounded but they had saved thousands of concordat lives the maloian Elder Trill approached her slowly his once bright feathers now dulled with exhaustion may I he asked gesturing to her mind or take a nodded and Trill placed

a gentle hand on her Temple through their telepathic connection she felt the concordat's perspective on Humanity flow into her Consciousness terrifying yet magnificent capable of violence beyond comprehension but tempered by equally powerful compassion your people see War differently than we do Trill said softly you embrace it Channel it use it as a tool where we only see horror we don't enjoy it or take a replied we're just good at it a Comm ition at the entrance interrupted them a delegation from the galactic Council had finally arrived 3 days too late to help but right on

time to assess the situation their expression showed shock at the devastation and even more shock when they learned who had Sav The Colony humans asked a senior council member looking at Ortega with disbelief your species has only been space fairing for a decade Commander zulla his wounds banded Ed but his posture proud stepped forward the humans did what we could not they fought as we never could later in the privacy of his quarters Zilla drafted an official report to conquered at high command his fingers hesitated over the final recommendation knowing it would cause controversy then

he remembered the humans fighting to save his people strangers From A Distant world who had blowed and died without question he wrote I formally request human military advisers for all conquer that Defense Forces their methods while sometimes disturbing to our sensibilities have proven effective against an enemy we could not defeat alone light years away the gra Imperium received news of their defeat for the first time in their long history of conquests they had been beaten decisively the gra Supreme Commander its exoskeleton cracked and pride wounded added a new designation for Earth in their tactical databases

approach with Extreme Caution on the human Flagship uncore Relentless uncore Colonel Ora met with her remaining officers maps of nearby star systems covered the table systems the GRS had conquered worlds where other species suffered under their rule the conquer at wants us to stay on the defensive she told them protect their worlds train their troops and what do we want asked Lieutenant Chen her arm in a cast but her eyes sharp Ortega's finger traced a path through the stars all the way to the gra home worlds we want to finish what we started the Galaxy

was about to learn that Humanity's ruthlessness in defense was only matched by their determination when they took the offensive