F-33 Farm Planet - Encounter
As the Federation ballooned in size, countless farm planets started popping up across the galaxies under its thumb. The world right in front of us, F-33 Farm Planet, was one of them.
When the planet's full vista unfolded beyond the Night Raven ship's viewport, I saw a landscape stripped of any mystique unique to a habitable world. No natural hues like blue oceans, red earth, or white clouds. Instead, my eyes landed on perfect geometric patterns. The entire planet was sliced into ruler-straight squares, like a checkerboard or a colossal circuit board. One section deep green, the next golden yellow, then earthy brown. The continents paved over with tiles of just those three colors looked unnaturally artificial—grotesque, even.
[Tsk tsk. Not a speck of nature's beauty on this creepy rock.]
Nahibi sent the wave like a tongue-click.
"They bulldozed everything for efficiency. Mountains shaved flat, oceans filled in. See how the horizon's a dead-straight line?"
I pointed at the equatorial region. Spiky structures like thorns jutted out beyond the atmosphere.
"Grain cannons. A type of orbital elevator. They pack harvested crops into capsules and shoot 'em up those pipelines. Cargo ships snag 'em right from orbit."
[Human greed... so annoyingly industrious.]
"That greed's what lets us feed Eve, so let's fleece 'em gratefully."
I pulled up the planetary scan data on the cockpit monitor.
"This place is a fully automated farm. Aside from a manager and a handful of workers, 99% are ag-droids. Means security's mostly machines too."
[Hoh. So we can smash 'em guilt-free.]
Nahibi rubbed her tentacles excitedly.
"No, take it easy if you can. Never kill humans."
[Why? Such a hassle.]
"Property damage or theft? Misdemeanor. Kill a Federation citizen? Murder charges. Punishment squads on your tail."
I locked eyes with Nahibi's red orbs, emphasizing each word.
"We've got Apex Industries breathing down our necks already. No need to piss off the regular Federation military too. We need time, right?"
[Hmph. Fine. For a lowly creature, you sure scheme well.]
Nahibi grumbled but seemed to buy it.
"Good. Briefing time."
I zoomed in on a spot in the holographic map. A region swirling with thick gray clouds.
"No natural rain here. Instead, massive sprinkler drones dump nutrient-laced artificial rain on schedule."
[So?]
"Scale's the problem. Continent-wide artificial downpours mess with atmospheric circulation, spawning massive supercell thunderstorms. Plus, fertilizer particles in the air jam radars and sensors constantly."
I grinned.
"We slip in through that storm. Sensors blinded, we hit the ground and sweep everything clean."
[Hm. I absorb it all, condense it, and pass it to Lady Eve. Simple.]
"Right?"
Nahibi pondered a moment, then curled a tentacle tip in approval.
[Simple and practical. Let's go.]
We banked the ship and plunged into F-33's atmosphere, straight into the gray storm.
KRAAAK! BOOM!
Thunder roared like it would shred our eardrums. The Night Raven pierced the dense thunderheads. Outside, fat rain lashed like machine-gun fire. Not normal water—sticky, yellowish sludge laced with nutrients and chemicals.
Target zone pierced the gale.
"We're here. Sector 4-B. High-protein specialty bean fields."
I cracked the hatch. Wind and rain blasted in. Set the ship to auto-follow the clouds.
"Ready, Nahibi?"
[Always.]
Nahibi had liquefied into a slime backpack plastered to my suit's backplate.
"Going!"
I kicked off the ramp and dropped. Hundreds of meters up. Suicide for a normie without a chute, but not for me.
Thud!
I bent my knees, landing smack in the crop field. Impact jolted through, but enhanced muscles and bones shrugged it off.
All around: beanstalks as tall as a man, packed tight. Drone whines cut through the rain.
[Incoming. Three maintenance drones approaching.]
Nahibi's telepathy stabbed in. Ahead, red sensor lights blinked from guard drones.
"Handle 'em."
Three white tentacles lashed from my back like lightning.
Crunch.
They wrapped the drones, crushing them to scrap in seconds. Swift enough to dodge signals even without the storm.
[Too easy.]
"Focus. Real work starts now."
We held still, listening. No more drones in the sector.
"Sweep!"
Then we went berserk. I dashed through the field on enhanced legs, hacking stalks at the base. Nahibi spread wide on the ground, slurping it all up.
[Ooh... quality stuff. High protein density. Federation's come a long way.]
Nahibi marveled as she absorbed, beans melting inside her white body into green extract.
We rampaged the farm through the storm.
"Next: synthetic meat zone! Eve loves meat—grab plenty!"
[Yes! Hit that warehouse too while we're at it! Stacked with concentrated feed!]
We synced perfectly. I disabled security and cracked doors; Nahibi vacuumed the contents.
Like veterans who'd fought side-by-side for years.
About an hour in, Nahibi's body ballooned.
[Ugh... can't eat more. Bursting.]
"Good. Back to the ship—deliver to Eve."
We returned. In the room, we administered the haul. Nahibi morphed a tentacle tip into a needle and jabbed Eve's arm. Concentrated nutrients flowed from her stores into Eve's veins.
Eve slept on, but instinctively guzzled the life-giving energy.
Effects hit fast. Color returned to her pale face. Forehead cooler—no more raging fever.
"...It worked."
I exhaled in relief. Nahibi was right.
Nahibi relaxed too, her gooey form rippling proudly.
[Phew. Lady Eve's noble body should balance out now.]
"Yeah. Couldn't have saved her without you—I know squat about xenoforms."
I smirked and flicked Nahibi's "head."
[H-Hey! How dare you!]
She bristled but let it slide.
From then on, F-33 became our playground. We'd hit rainy zones, plow fields, raid factories, suck dry grain silos.
"Yo, scout ship incoming! Bounce!"
[Wait! Those strawberries look juicy! Just those first!]
"Crazy bitch, strawberries ain't worth a missile!"
We tumbled through the rain, cackling. Fleeing together, harvesting together, saving Eve together—something like battlefield camaraderie sprouted between us.
Monster and human. Born to kill each other. Now family with one goal.
A week passed. Eve improved visibly. Fever gone, awake more than asleep.
"Kal! I'm all better! Hungry!"
"Not yet, Eve. Still residual heat—lie down a bit longer. Meat soon."
Watching her bounce on the bed, I knew we'd crested the crisis.
"Last run."
I geared up, telling Nahibi.
"Security'll tighten soon. Clean sweep today, then we bail."
[Agreed. Sick of beans and corn anyway.]
"So... we split up today."
[Huh?]
"I'm hitting Sector A—special livestock pens. High security. If they spot you? Disaster."
A xenoform like Nahibi caught on Federation turf? Instant war footing, full pursuit.
So solo today. Eve deserved top-shelf meat for her recovery.
"Storm lasts five hours. Grab nearby crops, stay with Eve. I'll probe once—if it's a no-go, I'm out."
[Mm... Got it. Don't play hero and die alone.]
"Says the expert."
I grinned and dropped the ramp.
Sector A was different. Open fields elsewhere—this was sealed domes. Prime marbled cattle for Federation brass.
I masked footsteps in the rain, slipped through a vent. Body-blocked a spinning fan, infiltrated.
'Oh.'
Below: vast pens with three cows idly chewing. Double normal size, glossy coats—top-tier.
'Eve'll burst from these.'
I dropped silent. Enhanced body killed all sound.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
Instant. Precise head strikes. Concussions dropped them dead—no screams, clean kill.
"Perfect."
I bound their legs, hoisted all three. Near three tons, but felt like a heavy pack to my strength.
'Just gotta exfil...'
Chill prickled my back. Elisia's gift had honed my senses razor-sharp.
Someone's here.
I hurled the cows aside, diving sideways. Lasers punched holes; blood and guts exploded on impact.
I rolled to cover. Heart hammered.
Guard droid? No—droids warn before firing, don't sneak like this.
Human. Trained pro. Erased presence, hit my blind spot for a one-shot kill.
"Who're you."
I growled low over cover.
No answer. Footsteps from the dark.
Step. Step.
Confident, leisurely.
"Ex-soldier instincts? Sharp senses."
A man emerged from shadow. Black full-body reinforced suit. Tactical visor. Chest logo I knew too well.
'Apex... Industries.'
They'd caught up. Faster than expected.
"Night Raven captain, Kal. That you?"
Two more shadows behind him. Three total. No amateur mercs—each radiated killer aura.
The man—Alpha—spoke.
"Hid well. But we never miss company thieves. Where's the girl?"
"Guess. Can't say with my mouth—drill holes and ask my corpse."
"Bluffing in this spot..."
Alpha signaled; they fanned to encircle me.
"Bluff or balls, doesn't matter."
"Your ship's already got our friends aboard."
What? Others on Night Raven?
"Scans confirmed—the girl's alone. Surrender quietly."
Eve alone?
"Ha... hahaha!"
"What's so funny? Lost it?"
"Nah. You're the crazy ones."
No way Eve's solo on that ship.
"Delusional ravings."