The great blue jewel stood out against an endless black space and not just for its awe-inspiring appearance. The Mothership's life scans showed a fertile but primitive world brimming with near-limitless potential. If anyone else from their society had come across it, it would have either been strip-mined or worse marked for farming, but as a team of researchers, this world offered a chance to study life in its more primitive state that they seldom had the chance to do. Most worlds they came across were barren, gaseous, or just unlivable, but this one existed in contrast to an otherwise empty, dead, and uncaring universe. Upon entering its orbit, the Mothership launched observation drones to all corners of the planet. Soon enough, the ship began receiving footage of various locations across the planet's surface, from arid deserts to frozen icecaps. Some drones flew easily through the maze of trees that also dotted the planet's surface. The planet's telemetry showed a world ever-changing and one that was unique among the planets the Greys had encountered so far.

  As for lifeforms, while impressive in stature, these animals didn't captivate the Greys as much compared to one particular group of bipeds. These various pink and darker-skinned beings looked almost entirely large, hairy, and indomitable, unlike any being the aliens had seen on other worlds. Compared to them, the average Grey was much smaller, while these aliens looked like fearsome giants.

  The footage being transmitted to the Mothership showed a ferocity that they all agreed could mean trouble if these alien beings could ever leave the planet's surface. Even the thought of these aliens becoming aware of them had the crew on edge. The ship's Overseer Urlak'thul stood close to the reinforced window of the Command Centre. Behind him, other Greys worked; meanwhile, he took his time to marvel at the enticing beauty before him.

  The much younger researcher, Mokvel, had at one point been diligently cataloguing every single biped as it was sighted on the drones. Now, he had been summoned before the Overseer and was poised to lead a group to that planet's surface. The thought of such a thing excited him, but it also stirred a deep, nagging fear within. There's only so much ruthless hunting you can watch before you get the picture. They aren't just strong, there's a terrifying potential baked into them. One I fear we would arouse if they became aware of us, but to the Overseer, that is more than worth the risk.

  “This world must remain off the official record. I fear it will unsettle many and possibly incentivise the Blue Warbands if they catch word of able-bodied hunters.”

  “As you wish, Overseer, the data will remain inside our terminal network. Do you still wish to send a ground team to the planet’s surface?” Mokvel asked.

  The words hung heavy in the air, and the Overseer rested their large hand on the glass that reflected their oval-shaped grey heads. "It's an extraction mission. Nothing too complex. Just extract a small amount of specimens, soil, and other organic samples. There should be in theory no reason to interact with these - what are we calling them, Terrans? Earthlings?"

  “Terror... Terran sounds fitting, don't you think?”

  “Funny, Terra can also mean home of life.”

  "And what if we have to deal with any number of them?" asked Mokvel.

  “They will have to be dealt with, but I’d prefer if that was avoided. At all costs.”

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  "Understood. I will begin preparations for the expedition."

  Before the scientist could leave, the Overseer rested a hand on their shoulder. "I understand this will be your first away mission; do not disappoint me, Mok. Provided this all goes as planned, I will put your name forward for the Deep Space Expeditionary Project. There's a greater unknown beyond this world with plenty more secrets yet undiscovered in this vast universe. As pretty as this jewel is, there are still many diamonds for us to uncover."

  Mokvel knew that better than anyone, still, he would never pass up a chance to set foot on an alien planet. He couldn't even remember the last time he left the ship.

  The Mothership, a large saucer-shaped vessel, had only a few floors, each of them divided into sections. Mokvel had got used to navigating its various corridors and once he had passed some lesser workers and their associated support drones, he soon reached this floor's main hangar. Here, they maintained some of the ship's utility craft, with most of them being used for expeditionary missions. While not strictly a combat-focused vessel, they had a few dozen trained pilots and a couple of rapid strike fighters, but the universe was often so quiet that most of these starfighters would never even see use. A craft they did use often was the Expeditionary Saucer, which looked much like a smaller, more compact version of the Mothership. It could also double up as a forward outpost.

  It wasn't uncommon for these crafts to be used in longer away missions. Mokvel, although excited, secretly hoped they wouldn't be on the planet too long, since it simply presented too many dangers, and that was without accounting for the Terrans themselves. After spending more than enough time watching them hunt, the last thing he wanted was to meet one in person. Unlike him, the Terrans seemed to revel in their capacity for physical violence. Despite all their advanced weapons and technology, these primitives were still predators that could tear him and others apart limb from limb if they so pleased. Because of the present threat on the planet below, the Overseer had assigned his team of researchers, a group of protectors, to watch over their activities. It took a little longer for all the similar-looking greys to gather, but once they did, Mokvel had them all form a line.

  "You have all been briefed on the mission ahead. It's rather simple. The planet, Terra is host to rare organisms we wish to sample as part of an Archival mission. We are there to extract samples that can be used in hydroponics or stored in our cryogenic banks. That means everything goes through decontamination, with no exceptions and no sneaking any easily lost lifeforms on board, no matter how large or small they may be. Can anyone share what happened to the Expedition Group Zeta?"

  The researchers and protectors looked at each other, confused until one researcher stepped forward and said, “A Zeta Researcher brought aboard a Qellick rat from Yora V. And did not expose his new pet to standard decontamination protocols.”

  “And what happened next?” Mokvel asked the researcher.

  “The unaccounted-for rat escaped captivity and was never seen again.”

  “And the Zeta crew?”

  "All dead. They had succumbed to various unidentified diseases and—cannibalism. When the ship was eventually found, it served as an important reminder of why we must avoid cross-contamination at all costs. If you suppose a single rat can doom one vessel. Imagine what a higher being can do."

  “Exactly my point. On most worlds we’ve come across so far, life has barely started. But Terra is beyond that. The Terrans are larger, faster and more lethal in groups, meaning no researcher leaves the bubble alone. If you get caught out there, we are not coming back for you. Is that clear?”

  The following clicks were all the indications he needed. The small crew soon boarded the circular vessel and once at their stations, the Expeditionary craft engaged its engines and soon departed the Mothership. From where Mokvel now sat in his command chair, the sheer scale of the planet and its endless blue oceans led him to grip the chair. He knew the day would come for deployment. He just never expected so much to be resting on it. As long as we leave the Terrans alone, they should not threaten us. We just need to log a couple of samples and catalogue some newer species. How hard can that be?