"See this shit right here is why we have to keep you in stasis whenever we visit home. I'd half expect you too see a baby and think it's a snack" The captain said trying to lecture me.
"Is it?" I asked genuinely.

"No! For fucks sake man why are you like this?" The captain was growing fustrated... Bad sign.

"Excessive gene modding, psionic programming and 17 years in near constant warfare." I said bluntly. Hoping the honesty would help calm him down.

"I know that! I was more... Nevermind" The captain had a defeated look on his face. I kinda felt bad for him. "Look, we've got to go planetside on home in a couple days due to some regulation bullshit, and you THANKFULLY don't count as human so you're not gonna be tried for your worryingly large list of warcrimes. You ARE however going to required to wear these."

He sat a collar with some kinda battery attached down on the desk along with what looked like an earring and a muzzle.

"A shock collar? Who's holding the remote?"

"Me."

My tail sank between my legs as lowered my head forward "Go ahead..."

"Good boy." I felt my tail wag lightly. Not sure why that instinct was coded into me but it's there and it feels so good!.
"Now while we're there you don't say anything unless you're spoken too directly, if anyone approaches for any reason, look at me before you decide to do ANYTHING on your own. Ok?"

"Why? It's just some guards in the worst case scenario"

"Because those guards could level a city block if they wanted to"

"What's a city block?"

"A bunch of buildings about as wide as a freight ship and about as tall as 5 of them stacked on top of each other"

I audibly gulped, reaching for the ear-piece and clipping it into place. Instantly I could feel a Psi-connection forming "This will help with comms. Anything remotely violent goes through here first, and only if I say yes do you do it. Understood?"

I nodded my head. This was gonna be a long week...

Psionic telemetry reading of crew member 626, Callsign: "Warbeast" regarding boarding incident 621.

Beginning playback:

It was a standard day on The SS Kobold. We're a small Merc company that's technically part of the UER (United Earthen Republic) army, though no one would blame you for thinking otherwise.

My role of "Warbeast" Is to be a big hulking lug with sharp claws, wicked fang and to look like I'd snap you in half if you looked at me the wrong way. Captain wants me to be proactive about it but I think trying to hard to seem intimidating makes you look insecure. I mean I already match the description of a werewolf from those pre-space myths he liked to bang on about.

I was going about my usual day not listening to the captain unless he got the taser out and making it nice and quick for any who got in the way of our tasks. Today it was a simple scavenger mission. Lots of psi-ko tech in the area from a recent space battle that Carl and Onyx would be all over.

It was also a trap, while I was lagging behind I heard two of my allies scream quickly before it was cut off. Naturally I came looking and saw those two allies, Rock and Fox, with the barrels of flashslights (sys note: mark II Lasguns) sitting on their temples. Unconscious.

One of them said "You, Dog thing! drop your scavenge and fuck off or this gets ugly!"

Now the captain had always said comply with these kinda things. So I did, dropped what I had collected, kicked it over to them, waited for them to do the same...

They did not do the same.

​

One the scavenge had reached them they said "We're taking your friends here hostage. You want them back you've got 2 days to cough up 10000 units of Iridium. Understand doggy?"

I knew everything I was seeing and hearing was also being streamed to the ship so I waited for the signal from command...

A drone was pinged for me, we were reading their ships FTL wake signature. I needed to buy time for the scanning of it.

"Oh ok buddy understood, how about we put the guns down and talk about this like reasonable people..." I tried to sound scared, Hoping that I could juxtapose my intimidating visage with a sort of cute and friendly persona and lull them into a false sense of security.

"Don't try and bullshit, we know what you're really like, 'Warbeast'" The one holding rock croaked

That... made things difficult. I only needed a few more seconds though... "Alright..." I said with my paws in the air "Ya got me." I looked up and smiled a little bit on making that little reference.

"So, where exactly are we supposed to drop of these units? I assume you have a location?"

"Yeah, there's a big ole cluster of asteroids around 1 light-hour south of the Mind'n'body. It's a bar popular with psionic species, familiar?"

"Yeah I know the place, probably gonna have to stop by there after this for the incident report"

"Good. Go there and our contact will meet you. See you in 48 terran hours." The abductors said grinning as they started getting beamed up.

"More like 5 seconds." I replied as my body was cloaked in the same orange-reddish hue of a teleporter.

I closed my eyes to prevent warp-blindness for a second before allowing my instincts to take over from there. I was standing beside the two who had just taken my allies hostage, they twirled on the spot and blew 30 bursts of lightfire into my chest...

I looked at them laughing as I grabbed one in each hand, the staff in the teleporter room too horrified to do anything.

"Standard issue sub-dermal plasma absorption weave... thanks for the juice boys." I cackle as I begin my assault. First, I run a Psi-Op, Data extraction, to learn the layout of the ship. Standard UER vessel with minor refurbishments.

Second... I squeeze both my captives tight, dangling them on the edge of passing out, the doors open as the security team tries to attack with kinetics. I hurl the one who called me dog thing at them making them kill their own ally.

I feel a hunger and I sate it, using the pause created from the security team's emotional distress to devour the second abductor. It's rare I get the chance to do this so I savour the moment, sinking my fangs only as deep as I need to inflict the pain, my jaw unhinging slightly to allow his shoulders and such to pass. Deeper and deeper he falls. Muffled screams and horrified gasps fill the room my gut pushes it's way out to accommodate the meal it's receiving. (SyS note: armour of faction unidentified, reason stated: "Acid burns rendered markings illegible")

Everyone stands still for a second as I gulp the last of the bastard down. The room is slient and still save for my midriff stretching out and the screams of the one causing that stretching with his struggles. The fool should just go limp, that way the acid would hurt less.

"So..." I begin to ask in an open question "I'm usually not a very... active person... but you've all done a few things that earn my ire..." I pause, it's so rare I get to have these moments I've got to savour them

"You jumped my crew, broke the sanctity of a hold up... and now you're all to cowardly to even attack me while I made a meal of your ally... You're all weak, cowardly creatures... Throw down your weapons and I'll make this quick... Or" I pat my distended gut in satisfaction, looks like he finally suffocated or burned in the acid. Laughing menacingly before burping up some stale air.

"Or you can save me a hell of a lot on rations this month" I grin with bloodstained teeth as one man charges forward. My claws meet his chest and punture him like spears through paper. I simply flex my fingers and the gap in his chest expands, eventually separating him into 3 or for chunks of meat.

The rest threw their weapons in the air and ran for their lives. It was time for the hunt to begin.

​

Telemetry playback end.

​

"So do you mind explaining to me why you felt in necessary to EAT 3 other people? I know the first one was an intimidation tactic but after that it just felt unnecessary" The captain said leering at me through his glasses.

"It was an intimidation tactic! Can't have them getting any ideas they might live now" I pleaded my case, casually picking my teeth with my claws.

"You are aware that that's a warcrime right? Cruel and unusual punishments?" He responded in an exasperated sigh.

"We're not at war right now" I semi jokingly pointed out.

"Not the point Warbeast." He replied, unamused.

"I know." I chuckled with a shit eating grin.

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