Spooker

Grass Eaters Book 3 Full Files

These are the full book files for the pdf/epub. Please download them before I unpublish this Patreon page on Sunday.

Thank you for reading!

Grass Eaters 3 | 107 | Pax Galactica III

Uintrei and Beth

As the executive officer of a ship that launched nuclear and strategic weapons, it was probably a good thing for everyone involved that Uintrei never saw combat again. Eventually, her captain Bert retired, and she was promoted into his place. A few years later, she too retired at the rank of rear admiral, after the Federation military integrated with the Republic’s and the rank systems were unified.

On the other hand, Beth accepted early retirement in the draw...

Grass Eaters 3 | 106 | Cogito Ergo Sum

Content Warning

Content warning for explicit descriptions of violence and self-harm.

++++++++++++++++++++++++

“Over here! Over here! I smell a trail! Over here!”

Cursing quietly, Svatken shifted in her position in the underbrush. She raised her rifle and sighted in on the Lesser Predator. It was a short specimen. Larger than her, yes, but not by much. It pointed a claw even as it sniffed, not directly at her, but it was in the general direction. Close enough that...

Grass Eaters 3 | 105 | Pax Galactica II

The Hawk holstered her handgun as the group got back into their truck and drove away from Skhork’s cottage.

There was silence in the vehicle for a full minute.

“Surely he must have been lying through his big buck teeth,” one of her minions said. “Grantor? The Grantor Underground? A Grass Eater collaborator well before their civil war?!”

“That’s a new one though,” another said. “And if he did make it all up… I’ve never heard of a former Grass Ea...

Grass Eaters 3 | 104 | Pax Galactica I

7 years after Armistice

V-Z Day

“Quick! Quick! Get in here!”

“Did you get everything I requested on the list?” Krelnos demanded.

“Just… get in here off the streets, officer!”

“Fine. Fine,” Krelnos huffed as she allowed the shorter Znosian to lead her into his burrow. It was a cozy home. Utilitarian.

He closed and locked the door behind her and sighed in relief. “They have eyes and ears everywhere, Officer Krelnos.”

Krelnos ro...

Thank You and Patreon Update

As the story of Grass Eaters comes to a close, I want to sincerely thank each of you for supporting me on this journey. Your encouragement, generosity, and belief in my work have meant more than I can fully express. Because of you, I was able to dedicate myself to writing and publishing Grass Eaters — something that wouldn’t have been possible without your help.

I want to let you know that I’ll be unpublishing this Patreon page at the end of the month on the 29th. The last chapter...

Grass Eaters 3 | 103 | Insurrection

5.5 years after the Armistice

Khesol hopped into the office, her breathing short. “We’ve got a problem!”

“I run the Dominion, Khesol. We’ve got a lot of problems. What is it this time?”

“There’s a— It’s Znos-9!”

“Znos-9?” Svatken felt the alarm grow in her chest. “The mining colony?”

“Yes! The mining colony. They’ve been receiving coded messages from out of the system.”

Svatken rubbed her eyes exhaustingly. “What… k...

Grass Eaters 3 | 102 | Special II

5 years after the Armistice

“Incapacitation grenade?” Sjulzulp whispered.

Baedarsust shook his ears. “Too loud. Subsonic guns only.”

“Understood.”

They stacked up past the doorway of Objective Bone. “Three… two… one…”

On his command, they all filed into the lobby that covered most of the building’s first floor.

At some point, this was a residential building. Now, it served as a temporary barracks for the Loyalists. And more importa...

Grass Eaters 3 | 101 | Special I

5 years after the Armistice

POV: Sjulzulp, Free Znosian Marines (Rank: Seven Whiskers)

“Well, well, well… look who we’ve got here!” the familiar-looking predator belted out as he practically skipped down the shuttle ramp. “Six Whiskers One-Ear! Slurp!”

Sjulzulp smiled. “Actually, it’s seven whiskers now, Frumers.”

“You and your silly whiskers! Of all the ridiculous things you guys kept from the Dominion…”

“This makes t...

Grass Eaters 3 | 100 | Low Ground III

4 years after the Armistice

The image of the hovering black helodrone was transmitted throughout the remainder of the Skyclaw squadron.

“That looks like—”

“It’s one of the predators’!”

“Are there predators down there?!”

“There are predators down there!”

“That explains the fighting earlier. The Unit Zero troopers said—”

“They were fighting predators at the spaceport!”

“We’re fighting predators!”

The r...

Grass Eaters 3 | 99 | Low Ground II

4 years after the Armistice

Fwup-fwup-fwup-fwup.

The thin blades of the Yakawa helicopter drone buzzed rhythmically over her head, but they were barely a distraction for Bertel. After all, she’d been living in one attack chopper after another since she was hatched. And in a less… physical sense now than during her service in the Dominion, but it was all-so-familiar. She could fall asleep in this loud cockpit.

She closed her eyes for a brief moment and let the ...

Grass Eaters 3 | 98 | Low Ground I

4 years after the Armistice

POV: Sjulzulp, Free Znosian Marines (Rank: Six Whiskers)

“What are we doing? What can we do?”

Sjulzulp gazed at the hyperventilating Planetary Governor of Britvik-3 with as much calm as he could muster. “Governor, they’ve only sent an expeditionary force to Britvik. Four squadrons with an invasion ship. They are merely trying to intimidate you into submission!”

“Merely?! But we have no orbital cover! Y...

Grass Eaters 3 | 97 | Remedial

3 years after the Armistice

POV: Sjulzulp, Free Znosian Marines (Rank: Six Whiskers)

Sjulzulp got lucky.

Five centimeters to the left, and the 4.8mm Dominion standard round would have taken off quite a bit more than his right ear.

Five centimeters to the right, and he might not have been pulled off that defense line for R&R with his unit. Their replacement platoon ate a tactical nuclear strike when the Loyalists ended up abandoning the entire fro...

Grass Eaters 3 | 96 | Entrenched

2 years after the Armistice

POV: Sjulzulp, Free Znosian Marines (Rank: Six Whiskers)

The twin moons of Tatolm‑4 hung in the washed‑out afternoon sky. A warm, fetid breeze pushed across the bomb‑gouged prairie; what little remained here was matted with grime and dried Znosian blood.

Six Whiskers Sjulzulp hugged the uneven parapet of the forward trench, every muscle rigid.

The war had lasted long enough for the smell of death to really settle i...

Grass Eaters 3 | 95 | The More Things Change

1 year after the Armistice

POV: Sjulzulp, Free Znosian Marines (Rank: Five Whiskers)

Five Whiskers Sjulzulp no longer carried his standard issue Dominion Model-183 rifle. The supply division had gotten their paws on a new shipment of predator-made carbines. Technically, the weapons were not actually new, as evidenced by their well-worn exterior, but he had few complaints. They were a little heavier, sure, but nothing that the heavy-duty motors in his new exo-arm...

Grass Eaters 3 | 94 | Will to Fight

Naval Station Europa, Europa (100 km)

POV: Ditvish, Znosian Dominion Navy (Rank: Zero Whiskers)

Sprabr did not look surprised to see him. Nor his Republic-appointed lawyer sitting next to him. “Mr. Ditvish, my client appreciates your visit. But as he is under indictment and this conversation is not privileged, he will not answer any of your questions about the alleged war crimes that he has been charged with.”

“It’s fine. I’ll talk to him,” Spr...

Grass Eaters 3 | 93 | Mercy of Predators

TRNS Crete, Spofke (25,000 Ls)

POV: Carla Bauernschmidt, Terran Republic Navy (Rank: Rear Admiral)

“We will… consider the information you have sent us about the… situation in the Znos system. But we will need to verify it ourselves first.”

Carla nodded earnestly. “Thank you. That is all we ask.”

“Regardless… before that happens, our fleet must traverse this system,” the ten whiskers said. “We have already been delayed here for too...

Grass Eaters 3 | 92 | Deserve

TRNS Crete, Spofke (25,000 Ls)

POV: Carla Bauernschmidt, Terran Republic Navy (Rank: Rear Admiral)

“Attack! Attack! Attack!”

Klaxons and sirens rang as thousands of new missile and threat signals near-simultaneously appeared on the sensor display, racing out from the Resistance ships and their long-range missile sites towards the 75 squadrons of the Znosian fleet.

“What the—” Beth, her electronic warfare officer, exclaimed in confusion as s...

Grass Eaters 3 | 91 | Reinforcements III

SRNS My Other Ship, Spofke-4 (1,000 km)

POV: Telnokt, Znosian Dominion Navy (Rank: Ten Whiskers)

There was a sour expression on the Ace’s face, and Telnokt knew something was up.

Something extremely unpleasant.

“What’s— what’s wrong?” Telnokt asked nervously. “Is it my people? Maybe this is a misunderstanding? I did instruct them not to—”

“No. It’s the damn Reps. They’ve arrived. Always perfectly on time to ruin our fun....

Grass Eaters 3 | 90 | Reinforcements II

Atlas Naval Command, Luna

POV: Amelia Waters, Terran Republic Navy (Rank: Fleet Admiral)

“What fresh horrors are they up to now?” Amelia sighed.

The heavily monitored activities of the former SRN in Spofke were usually the last item on her daily briefings, and usually her least favorite part. Sixty percent of it was a minor treaty violation or another, but it wasn’t like the Republic had the resources or political will to prosecute another war at the...

Grass Eaters 3 | 89 | Reinforcements I

System State Security HQ, Spofke-4

POV: Farsot, Znosian Dominion State Security (Position: Governor)

Farsot wanted to shrink into her chair and disappear.

While nominally still Governor of the system, her jurisdiction had basically disappeared to less than a quarter of Spofke-4. The Great Predators had taken over half of the continents on her planet, and they had done that in record time.

At her future responsibility assignment hearing, the record wo...

Grass Eaters 3 | 88 | Gradually Then Suddenly

“The Outpost” — Terran Reconnaissance Office, Luna

POV: Amelia Waters, Terran Republic Navy (Rank: Fleet Admiral)

The explosion started with a low, metallic groan in the tall silo. It tore itself apart instantly.

Booooooooooooooooooom.

The blast punched upward first — straight through the corrugated steel roof — sending a column of dust, shrapnel, and organic matter into the sky. The silo’s seams burst wide like a pressur...

Grass Eaters 3 | 87 | Sewers

Dominion Navy Logistics Base 02 (Grantor City), Grantor-3

POV: Insunt, Granti Intelligence (General)

“What in the Prophecy is going on here?”

Insunt bared his teeth in a big smile. Smiling was one of those things that the Granti were still getting used to. Casual display of their massive canines during the occupation, in front of a Znosian, was an automatic death sentence, even if they bore no ill will and even if it wasn’t directed towards the natur...

Grass Eaters 3 | 86 | One in Twelve II

ZNS 0025, Snashch (25,000 Ls)

POV: Vzglibro, Znosian Dominion State Security (Position: Messenger)

“We are in this system under orders from Znos-4,” Vzglibro explained on the radio, for the fourth time. As a specially bred State Security messenger, she was supposed to have been gifted with extraordinary patience… But even genetic engineering had its limits. “We have a special message to deliver to your State Security Governor.”

“We no longer re...

Grass Eaters 3 | 85 | One in Twelve I

Ration Distribution Center 2128, Shchakst-5

POV: Khukto, Znosian Dominion Marines (Rank: Four Whiskers)

“No,” Sniper Team Angora said again. “I won’t.”

“What?” Fraspi asked, her voice on the radio filled with disbelief.

“No,” Sniper Team Angora repeated a third time. “This is clearly a predator trap. It’s obvious. Anyone civilized can see through this, and we were bred and trained to spot this type of transparent decept...

Grass Eaters 3 | 84 | One in Twelve

Dominion State Security HQ, Znos-4

POV: Svatken, Znosian Dominion State Security (Position: Director)

“What are we going to do about this, Director?”

“One in twelve. One. In. Twelve,” Svatken said in shock.

“Yes, Director,” Khesol bowed.

“One hundred times the acceptable amount! How could we have missed this?!”

“I’m still trying to find out the specifics, Director, but I’m sure the Great Predators are involved someho...

Grass Eaters 3 | 83 | Prisoner Transfer III

Special Unit Zero Base 3, Znos-4-B

POV: “Hobbsia”, Znosian Dominion Navy (Rank: Four Whiskers)

“Time to move. Get his keys and open the door.”

Hobbsia worked the unfamiliar mechanism, and the door popped open with a click. She peeked through the narrow opening. “There’s nobody out there?”

“I have eyes on you on the hallway cameras. You’re clear for another few minutes. Take a left out the door and keep walking. Remember, you’re we...

Grass Eaters 3 | 82 | Prisoner Transfer II

District 203, Znos-4-B

POV: Plodvi, Znosian Dominion Navy (Rank: Six Whiskers)

“They’re not answering.” Plodvi looked at the elderly Sprabr next to him with pleading and desperation in his eyes.

“Then you should probably stop calling them on the open channel on your radio,” he advised. “They’ve either been killed, or…”

“What do we do?”

“That depends,” Sprabr considered. “Depends on what happened to them. If they’ve...

Grass Eaters 3 | 81 | Population Control II

Dominion State Security HQ, Znos-4

POV: Svatken, Znosian Dominion State Security (Position: Director)

Svatken was in a good mood.

As good as it could be, given the circumstances.

The Navy had suffered loss after loss against the predators in battle. The enemy’s fleet destroyed facilities on vital worlds of the Dominion as it wished. Znos itself was attacked, with the Dominion Navy’s command moon thrown into its system star. The external threat wa...

Grass Eaters 3 | 80 | Prisoner Transfer I

District 203, Znos-4-B

POV: Sprabr, Znosian Dominion Navy (Rank: Zero Whiskers)

Sprabr shifted his hind legs uncomfortably, allowing the heavy steel manacles on them to jingle as he did. He looked around the cramped prisoner transfer vehicle. Other than the two State Security guards watching his every move, there was just Six Whiskers Dvibof, chained up in the seat right across from him.

“You ever been out of Znos?” he asked Dvibof casually.

Dvib...