The Nix
I’m not even sure why I wear the rings anymore. The war has been over for years. I guess once you’ve seen what a Nix can do to a human, you never really let go. Then there are the news blips of sightings and the stories of attacks that never quite make the headlines. The war may be over, but I don’t think we’ll ever be rid of them completely.
Their Colonizer crashed into Sonora about 80 klicks north of Hermosillo on a hot summer evening without tripping a single alarm. Their gift for camouflage extended to their interstellar craft, though we didn’t piece that together until after the worst of it. The impact drew enough local attention that the Mexican scrublands were painted red before any countermeasures were enacted.
I believe we were very lucky that they didn’t come in force. I don’t think they knew we were here though. Analysis of the Colonizer indicated that this was a one way trip by a single vessel. Expansion through colonization to a hospitable environment. We’re not even sure that they intended to establish communications with their base of operations. So much data was lost, and that which was recovered was so alien, I expect that we’ll be wondering about a great many of their motivations long after I’m gone.
It certainly would be easier if we could apprehend a live specimen, study it, perhaps establish a communication of sorts. Those are just pipe dreams of the lab coats though. The Nix are too violent, too dangerous. Conservative tactical approaches quickly upgraded to termination with extreme prejudice.
This was not a straightforward war though. Not when your enemy specialized in stealth, patience and ambush. The beaches saw the worst of it.