Deathworlder Girl Smiled at 02 01 By 02 04 They Realized They Were

Security footage log, Galactic Station Omega F and Incident Report, hurt 847 to time stamp, two hours, location, station bar, late cycle, a maintenance worker, EMTT-Shan human female sits alone at a corner table, quietly drinking, hours and 47 seconds, three Draxian mercenaries enter, big, loud and already looking for trouble, one of them identified later as crash stomps over to Emma's table, audio recording, crash, human this is our table move, Emma looks up calm polite there are plenty of other tables I was here first hours one minute and 15 seconds crash slams his hand down on the table hard crash I don't negotiate with prey species move or be moved Emma's smile doesn't fade she takes another sip of her drink Emma I'd rather not security later noted this moment that smile it never reached her eyes those stayed cold and watchful was hours one minute and 43 seconds crash grabs Emma's arm big mistake hours one minute and 45 seconds her free hand moves fast glass shatters across crashes face he reels back roaring the hours one minute and 47 seconds Emma's already moving she kicks the table into the second Draxian's legs he hits the floor hours one minute and 50 seconds the third Draxian reaches for a weapon but Emma's faster she grabs a chair swings it like it weighs nothing and it connects clean hit he's out cold hours one minute and 55 seconds crash charges again bleeding and furious Emma sidesteps easily minimal movement perfect timing crash slams into the wall hours two minutes and three seconds Emma's on his back arm locked around his throat Draxian's are stronger than humans he should be able to throw her off but he can't hours two minutes and 18 seconds crash goes limp she lets go and steps back no heavy breathing no panic just calm hours two minutes and 31 seconds station security arrives security officer what happened here Emma sits back down picks up her drink they asked me to move I declined somehow her glass survived the fight that hours four minutes security begins reviewing the footage officer vexlar and enturee watches Emma's face closely vexlar posit right there two hours one minute and 15 seconds that smile now skip to two hours one minute and 47 seconds she's still smiling while dropping three armed mercenaries vexlar now two hours two minutes and 18 seconds still smiling even as crash loses consciousness vexlar feels a chill vexlar she was smiling the entire time hours four minutes and 33 seconds chief of security krale arrives he watches the footage then turns pale krale that's not self-defense that's a predator playing with prey she could have ended it in two seconds she chose not to they rewatch the scene Emma's movements are smooth precise controlled not desperate not fearful practiced hours five minutes and 12 seconds krale pulls up her file file data name Emma Chen education xenobiology current job station maintenance previous occupation earth marine core combat instructor service 12 years honorable discharge vexlar she's not hiding from her past she's an apex predator pretending to be prey at hour six minutes Emma's brought in for a statement she's calm polite still wearing that slight smile officer your record says you're a decorated combat veteran why maintenance work Emma shrugs I wanted peace quiet work no violence officer yet you just defended yourself her smile fades for the first time the room goes silent beneath that polite face they glimpse something far older something that evolved through 200,000 years of survival Emma I prefer peace officer I really do but preference and capability aren't the same thing she stands Emma am I being charged officer no self-defense is clear Emma then I'll return to my shift the smile returns harmless polite she leaves quietly but hours eight minutes and 43 seconds chief krale updates her record a red flag appears military background confirmed do not engage vexlar still watching the footage you know what scares me that smile she was never afraid never angry she was just handling it krale humans are terrifying because they can be both peaceful workers and perfect predators and the worst part vexlar what krale you never know which one you're talking to until it's too late the feed shows Emma Chen back at work repairing a junction box humming softly she greets passing residents with a kind smile they all smile back unaware they're smiling at the most dangerous creature in the room only security knows now