Grim vs. Queen

Chapter 2: First Encounter

It was a calm, summer day on Panzia. Tiger couples were hanging out, wolf couples were traveling with their several children, everything was peaceful. Unless you were part of the international military. These soldiers routinely work themselves to the peak of their abilities from the day they enter boot camp, all to make sure their society was safe. They've been trained in several martial arts as well as using their advanced technology.

Strange weaponry and armory was discovered in the grand desert on their planet, looking nothing like whatever their ancestors could've constructed. Many locals theorized them to be products of an ancient alien species. Other theorized that they belonged to a resident civilization and that the current populous were the aliens. Many officials and captains didn't care about where it came from, as long as they can protect them from any threats. From pulse rays, to lasers, to mechanical suits, and more, they were confident this tech would be just what they'd need.

They haven't needed to use that tech in anything other than training rounds, but that was enough to cement their power.

---

One such soldier was known as Grim. He's currently taking a break in his cabin. Grim was considered a bit of a black sheep. He may have been a well built, bipedal tiger, but how many tigers had blue fur? With how muscular he was, he wouldn't look out of place on a superhero comic book cover, from big biceps, to big pecs, to thick, firm legs. But it was his fur that always made him stand out, with varying reactions. Some locals were interested in his fur, starting light blue up towards his face, and getting darker and darker the further down you looked at his fur. Some just looked at him perplexed.

As of current, he was stretching out next to his bunk, trying to keep hi limbs loose and ready. He was dressed in a white tank top, camouflage pants, and combat boots. He believed, as a soldier, he was supposed to be at tip top shape just in case anything went south.

"Aren't you supposed to on break?" he heard someone behind him ask. He turned around and saw one of his friends. It was Derek, a puma boasting black fur and piercing, yellow sclera. He was slightly less muscular than Grim, but still impressive. He wore similar attire to Grim.

"Hmph," Grim scoffed. "The moment I'm not in shape is the moment I'm needed." He continued stretching.

"You're not gonna be in shape if you keep spending yourself like this." Derek leaned against Grim's bunk.

"I'm not gonna spend myself that fast." Derek raised a brow.

"Sure you aren't."

"Look, did you just come up to me to tell me to loosen up?"

"Hardly. You got another delivery." Derek pulled a letter out from behind his back, holding it out for Grim. He immediately stopped his stretching and snatched it out of his hand. He sat down on his bed, slicing it open with a claw. He received a post card from his wife, Jenny, also a tiger. She was holding his son up to the camera, and, from the looks of the surroundings, they were touring around ancient technology, which resembled a large battleship. On the back of the postage, there was a message from the two.

Our time out here is out of this world!

Hope to see you soon!

With love, Joyce

Hey Dad!

They said this ship wasn't made with any Panzia stuff!

Isn't that interesting?

Come home soon! Love, Steve

Grim grinned at seeing his family so happy.

"Looks like they went to the Desert Battler," Derek said, observing the photo.

"Looks that way," Grim answered back.

"'Not built with any Panzia stuff,'" Derek read. "Do you think Jenny'll set him straight? Tell him not to listen to some tour guide working minimum wage?"

"Why crush the fantasy?" Grim pinned the postcard to a wall, brandishing other postcards, with a thumbtack. Now wearing a grin, Grim got back to his stretches.

"Do you think it's that hard to believe that there could be other life?"

"I don't really know what to think. If you do believe in that stuff, people think you're a psychopath distrusting the powers. If you don't, people believe you're being too close minded. I say just focus on us, and see if anything comes up."

"Naw man, aliens are the future," the two heard. The turned towards the source of the voice, and saw a bipedal jaguar, dressed up like the two, coming up to them. This was Jake. He didn't have much in terms of muscle, but he had one hell of an eye. However, he had some deep seeded trauma that he insists were the result of aliens. "You don't make way for the aliens, they'll crush you under foot!"

"Ah yes, like those aliens that only looked at you funny?" Derek asked, referring to the experience Jake had.

"Shut up! Those were eyes unlike any I've seen! Those were the eyes of a God!" Jake shot back.

"Guys, calm down," Grim tried to interject. Before the conversation could advance any further, the door slammed open, their general at it. Their general, a muscular gray wolf named Pierce, was a man of few expression. Few people saw him shocked, but here he was, shock painted across his face.

"Everyone! Turn on the news, pronto!" he shouted out.

---

The news discovered a UFO, several thousand meters above the surface. On its side, painted in black, was "Aphrodite." The UFO appeared to be the size of a small city, and didn't look like any of the ancient tech the people of Panzia had seen. As the UFO descended, tons of residents gathered around the soon to be landing sight. And the people on Aphrodite noticed that.

"Looks like we're getting a bit of attention," Queen said as she saw the residents gather around.

"Looks that way, mom," an alien standing close to her said. This was Pandora, a female alien that resembled a bipedal red panda, boasting assets only slightly less impressive than Queen's, accentuated by the black skin tight bodysuit she was wearing. She may not've been as smelly as her, but she was just a bit stronger than her, physically. A long time ago, during one of Queen's invasions, she found this newborn. After seeing the strength of her species, she decided she wanted one of them, not just as a drone for her pheromones, but something for her to groom into one of her strongest warriors. After tending to her parents, she "adopted" the young alien, raising her for 22 Earth years. She didn't even have to use her pheromones on her, she just had to raise her into the perfect soldier, teaching her that Queen deserved everything in the universe, that resistance was to be met with swift punishment. She rose Pandora into a puppet to serve her every whim.

The two started to walk down a hallway in Aphrodite, heading towards the exit bay, where they would introduce themselves to the rest of the world.

"You saw the tech, right?" Queen asked Pandora.

"Yes, mom," Pandora answered.

"I don't remember seeing anything like it. I don't know how strong any of that is."

"So we don't just swarm these ones?"

"Precisely."

"I wouldn't take you the type to be shying away from a gun."

"Not me. Not everyone on this ship can be as powerful as us. Besides, wouldn't be a bit more fun to play with these muscle babes, pull the wool over their eyes, and see the look on their faces when we show them what we really are?"

"Oh-ho-ho. I'd love to see that." Pandora licked her lips at Queen's suggestion.

"Everyone know to only attack when I say attack, to see everything we need to see, and acquire anyone we need when we need them. I'm sorry, dear, but you'll have to play nice for now. Just keep thinking of the moment they realize they're too late to stop us, meanwhile."

"Urgh, I'll try, mom."

Aphrodite was approaching the surface, everyone nearby looking on, holding their breath in anticipation. Several news channels kept their cameras on the approaching object. For centuries, residents of the planet wondered whether they were alone or not. And here was proof, proof of life forms, foreign to their planets! The exit doors opened up, a platform extending from below the doors and towards the ground. Once the end planted itself upon the soil, all cameras focused on the door, two figures in it.

What appeared to be a skunk and a red panda walked down, and they were followed by tons of green cat ladies, marching down past the two. Once they stepped off of the pathway, the cat ladies formed a ring around the two. One of the news stations approached cautiously, men dressed in mech suits keeping the crew covered. They cautiously handed a microphone to one of the cat ladies, who handed it back to the skunk. Everyone present looked on with even more intensity. She began to speak.

"Ble bla bla ble blo," she began, speaking into the mike for all to hear. "Nah, I'm kidding." A few people in the crowd couldn't help but laugh. "Nah, but seriously, I've been looking at your planet for a while now, and I couldn't help but be interested in this place. Though, a few bits of info on a computer screen could only go so far. In exchange for a bit of... personal time with my guard, I humbly request to see everything this planet has."