*UPDATE 10/16/14: Allowing ratings because I messed up somewhere last night when I uploaded the story and missed that checkmark. * ***** They were once castaways from a long dead world, but the vulpine species Melani have prospered into a galactic superpower. Focusing their colonization efforts on the planet Mars in the Terra solar system, they have aroused mostly fear, suspicion, and hatred from the humans on Earth. However, as forces from space threaten Melani, Human, and Earth-born Anthro alike, they must put aside their differences and unite to prevent a potential galactic cataclysm. Of Men, Melani, and Malevolent Machines Prologue: Threat from Beyond MARS DEFENSE COMMAND, CONFEDERATE ARMED FORCES OF THE MELANI LARISA CITY, HESPERIA, MARS The image of Captain Teros Bahadur appeared on the viewscreen at Mars Defense Command. "ETA to contact in less than five minutes, Control." "Acknowledged, Scimitar Squadron," Communications Officer Matas replied. "Keep channels open, Teros," Major Kei Otono said. "Two frigates will be joining you shortly. Disable and contain the trespasser if at all possible." "Should be easy enough, Major. Acknowledged." The view shifted. Above the rust-red hue of Mars, six dark gray and weathered interceptors sped away towards a ship in the distance. Easy enough, Otono mused. We're Melani. Nothing's easy where we're concerned. It wasn't enough that the vulpine Melani was still in a row with the reptilian Hux over control of their homeworld of Hiraaj. It wasn't enough that the Melani established a colony on a world that for all intents and purposes belonged to the humans on Earth (even though there were yet to be any humans physically on the Red Planet). Otono's people then had to deal with the matter of Species BEO2K10, more commonly known as the Paklet. That machine race have been harassing Hiraajan borders for almost a year, and have recently taken Melani lives. It was clearly a prerequisite for military action by the Confederacy. Captain Bahadur's image appeared again. "Control, we have visual contact with the intruder." A light blue freighter with black stripes appeared. "It's an Ovittas Corporation freighter, Ma'am. According to Station Theoras, it was supposed to have arrived three days ago." "Ovittas freighter, come in please," Bahadur hailed. "Are you in need of assistance?" Otono shook her head. This seemed all too wrong. "Ovittas freighter, report at once." "Ma'am, I think it's a trap," Matas said. "Very much so, Sergeant," Otono replied. "Teros! Pull your squad back! Let the frigates deal with this!" "Yes, Ma'am." "The Irihani and Cetura are inbound, Ma'am," Matas reported. As Scimitar squadron pulled away, two larger ships closed in on the freighter's starboard. "Ovittas freighter," said a new voice over the channel. "This is Confederate Navy Ship Cetura. This is your final warning. Respond at once or you will be disabled and board-" Suddenly, to the disbelief of all who bore witness: the Ovittas freighter exploded, consumed by a fireball. Two Scimitar interceptors were too close, and was torn apart by the torrent of debris. Two more were disabled by the shockwave. "Isolde's' Curse!" bellowed someone in the control room. "Dionus!" Otono snapped. "Coordinate a sensor sweep of all Mars space, yesterday!" "All Navy ships!" said the voice of the Cetura. "All Navy ships elevate to Priority Two Alert! Terrorist action in progress!" "Matas!" Otono said. "Notify Administrator Lessard to have all her security forces deployed throughout the city, then call Kalos to have TAC squads back them up!" "Yes, Ma'am." "Ma'am, orbital platform Paxoras reporting multiple jump signatures, spanning half a light year," Dionus said. "Their sensors and those of other reporting stations confirm signatures are Paklet in origin." Everyone in the control room exchanged nervous glances. "Paklets," Otono sighed. "Goddess-damned Paklets." On the viewscreen, some distance away from the debris field of the former freighter, pockets of space rippled. From these disturbed pockets five gray and red supercarriers emerged, along with several supporting frigates and corvettes. All lumbering their way towards Mars. "All Navy ships! Elevate to Priority One!" said the voice of the Cetura. "Priority One! Prepare for Paklet engagement!" "Matas," Otono said with a snarl, "get General Bakar on the line, along with our people on Earth. I'm sure the Paks have already targeted it for extermination." ***** Continue to Chapter 1: Unlike a Sunday ---> The mechanical species Paklet have declared open, total war on the vulpine Melani. Let's hope I have what it takes to get through this project. I'm winging it as I write, without much of an outline. After a while I get tired of trying to plan these things in advance, so I'm diving headlong into this, warts and all. I hope you enjoy the chaos, I mean, ride. :D The Melani © Wesley Brown BEO2K10 (the Paklet) © Christopher "Mestophales" Haigood and Jared "Sequestrian" Buchanan