This world was a mess, almost beyond saving.

Almost.

Jha'kle had said this was a good reason to hunt these Kainde Amedha and none of them could complain, Hunting was a part of their lively hood and it had been many months since any of the older ones had been able to fight.

So to say Cuh'tor was shocked to see he and Dha-ta were to be going on a patrol with Jha'kle to check out the small Ooman encampment, would have been an understatement.

Dha-ta was hardly much bigger than an Ooman himself, but what he lacked in size he made up for ten fold in skill, speed, endurance and intelligence.

As proven many times when he faced Bhul-Dwag in a sparring match and won.

Jha'kle halted them as a small Ooman, a girl if Cuh'tor was right, raced between hiding places, carrying a large black bag with her as she moved, her helmet was slightly too big but she seemed to know where she was going and stopped only when she needed to, panting heavily and always looking to avoid the webbing around corners and in high places.

Usually this prompted her to lift her helmet up and look around.

"We will follow her," Jha'kle said, "She is a child and likely dependent on older Oomans to survive, she may lead us to their camp."

Dha-ta scanned the child and cocked his head. "She isn't carrying weapons and is alone," He stated. "She's an easy target to the Kainde Amedha," he added.

Jha'kle smiled under his mask. "Then we shall be her protection."

They continued to watch the child dart from place to place before making a huge run for a ruined building and pressed herself hard into the wall as she stopped to catch her breath, lifting her helmet up yet again as she looked around. Clearly she had some training in how to stay alive during this...

Invasion, Jha'kle reminded himself, it wasn't a doom unless there were less than 5% of people still alive.

The child kept herself close to the wall, stopping shortly after she reached a small hole in a wall and heaved herself inside, "Ouch!" she said landing harshly on her side, "Ow, ow, ow, ow..." she winced getting up and dusted herself off.

"She isn't as clumsy as some young her age." Cuh'tor said.

"Hush," Jha'kle said as the girl pulled a large radio from her bag and twisted the top knobs a little.

"Mark? Daddy? I'm in the market place... well, what's left of it," she said, looking around slowly, "Where do I need to go now? Up or down?"

~"First off, where are you on the Market map?"~ A deep voice asked through the radio. ~"What's around you?"~

"Umm... I can see the old butcher shop across from me... there's a... I think it's a fish stall a few feet right of me..." she said looking around then looked up, "Wait I can see Old Tanker!" She said, "I went is a circle."

~"You always were a little run-around,"~ Another voice said and the child smiled. ~"Head down sweetheart, you're looking for the old doctor's shop, you know the one with the funny small you disliked."~

"Ew," She sighed. "I hate that place."

~"We need the medical supplies darling."~

"Ok... but I want a chocolate bar when this is over, that place stinks." The girl said before heading to the edge of the wreckage that was once a market place and looking for a safe way down.

Pausing now and then to move her helmet.

Jha'kle and Cuh'tor followed close behind while Dha-ta remained higher up to watch for trouble.

The girl seemed to have a lot of practice getting around the ruins of this market place, but she was also very wary of the area as if waiting for something to attack.

She reached a small room and scowled. "I hate this place." She said again before going inside and talking on her radio, taking bottles, needles, boxes, bandages, pins and even tubes of creams and jells. Putting them in her bag as she then checked everywhere for anything she might have missed before leaving the room.

"Ok... I'm done... but I can't carry all this the way I came..." she said into the radio.

~"Not to worry Shara, I'm bringing the Tanker to the Market, be ready to move."~ The first voice said. ~"I even got you a nice chocolate bar."~

"Thanks Mark." Shara smiled and Jha'kle noticed a small name tag on the girl's coat that read the Ooman words 'Shara Kelly'. This was likely, the child's name.

He and Cuh'tor moved back to a safe height as Shara crawled her way back outside and waited for the transport, backing herself into a small crevice as she waited, fiddling with her helmet again.

A loud rumbling came towards them and a loud revving was also heard as a huge six wheeled vehicle came over the rubble, bouncing heavily and then coming to a stop a few feet from Shara's hiding place, the side opened and a adult Ooman stepped out, "Shara?"

"In here Daddy," Shara answered crawling out of her hiding place with her bag, her helmet falling down again. "I need a new Helmet."

The man smiled and lifted Shara in his arms hugging her close, despite his body being mostly covered in heavy armour and harnesses that were carrying several guns, Shara clung to him.

"You are a god send my sweetheart." The man smiled kissing her forehead. "Are you alright? You didn't see any of them around?"

Shara shock her head, "I didn't see them, but I still don't like it here..."

"The general is sending a raid here to get the last of the stuff from here," another man said gently ruffling Shara's head, "but for now, let's get you home and safe." He smiled.

"Yes Mark."

Jha'kle smiled as he watched the man place his child into the tanker and buckle her in before the other male, Mark Shara called him, reached back and handed Shara a rectangular object which she instantly ripped the packaging off of and began to eat.

"Follow them?" Cuh'tor asked.

"Indeed." Jha'kle said.

Once at a safe distance, the three Yautja watched as the Tanker pulled in and the two men exited the vehicle and removed several heavy boxes while Shara carried large black bags into a small building.

"Jessica, General we're back," Shara called as four more people came out of the building to help unload the vehicle.

"Did you get all this Shara?" a woman asked as she heaved a huge box up with a man.

"No, I just got the medication and the water." Shara smiled. "I also saw some birds today." She added.

"Such a helpful and informative little scout," an elderly man said as he helped Shara's father with a box, "You keep practicing and you'll be just as good as your father."

Shara smiled.

No one noticed the three Yautja who moved around their base, studying them and gathering information, all the while they noticed how everyone smiled and seemed to become bright spirited when young Shara came into the room.

Jha'kle called them away as another vehicle arrived, carrying a suited man who clearly wasn't human nor was he liked by the reactions Shara's father gave when he lifted Shara up into his arms and held her close, as if to stop the none human from taking her away.

He would have to watch these Oomans.

Several days later, Jha'kle and his crew could name and point out all of the Oomans with young Shara Kelly.

Shara herself was approximately 12 years of age, with bright blue eyes and blond hair, she wore a thick coat and under that she had a heavy plated armour vest that her father insisted she ware for her own safety and the helmet she wore was the only spare one that she would grow into.

Despite this, she was a rather curious child to watch, Be'guna and his brother Bhul-Dwag were both amazed that despite her young age and the clear horror that was happening to her world, Shara still found time to sit and draw pictures, read books, learn to write and count... like a normal child.

Her father, Carlos Kelly, a man of at least 39 years and a soldier from what Jha'kle had seen, was a very loving and caring father, helping to teach Shara what she needed to learn and how to use his weapons so when she was older she could use them too, at the same time he treated Shara with such tenderness and explaining the terrible way the world was in ways that to some seemed foolish but seemed to make it easier for Shara to understand.

The father did everything in his power to protect his child and twice Jha'kle had seen Carlos sit up all night with Shara sleeping against him while he was on guard duty just to be sure she was safe, sometimes even singing a soft song to her when she couldn't settle.

Cuh'tor spent almost as much time watching the parent and child as Jha'kle did, he was also the one to study Shara's relationship with the one named Mark, a dark haired, brown eyed man who was her second teacher, uncle and apparent body guard.

The man was clearly well trained in some form of meditation and he was teaching Shara how to use other weapons beside guns but as far as the Yautja could see, she was not yet allowed to use these weapons unless she was under threat. Mark was also very aware of his surroundings and seemed to know that there was something new in his home.

This was proven when Jha'kle was inside the base watching Mark as he worked on their vehicle, named only the Old Tanker, the Hunter smiled as Shara came in and sat with Mark, dressed in a large shirt of some kind that had the image of a strange creature on it. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"Reinforcing and recoating the Tanker's underside, I heard in some reports that those aliens have started attacking the underside of our vehicals, the damage is so bad some of them don't run again." Mark explained, "Could you pass me that wrench please dear?"

Shara did as she was asked and then blinked as movement caught her attention in the corner of the room, when she looked however there was nothing there, "Mark, is there a Ghost in here?" she asked.

Mark smiled. "No dear, I doubt it was a Ghost." He said.

"What could it be then?" she asked.

"A Hunter."

Jha'kle stopped and looked back at the human male.

"A Hunter?" Shara asked in childish awe, "Like the ones who landed when this all started?" she asked.

"Yes. They are a race of other beings who come to earth to hunt the Xenomorphs," Mark explained with a smile as Shara handed him the wrench, Jha'kle began to record instantly. "Would you like to hear the stories I was told about them? And my own beliefs of them before bed?" he asked.

Shara smiled and nodded, sitting down to listen.

"Many years ago, years before we humans had learnt to build, clean or fight, the Hunters came here with their weapons and their ships, but they did not seek to harm us, rather, to use as easy labour." Mark explained. "They taught us to build, how to live against the wild animals that were killing us and in return we worshiped them like gods, some humans offering their lives for the hunters so they the young ones could learn to be just as good a Hunter as it's parents."

"Sounds like a harsh life." Shara said.

"It was, every hundred years; the Hunters came back and hunted the Aliens to become better, but for those who failed horrible fates awaited them." Mark explained. "However that was rare and most of the Hunters came back again and again, coming back to their hunting areas and as time passed, the stories changed, areas changed and we evolved... some say for the better, others for the worse."

Shara blinked. "How worse?" she asked.

"Many people forgot the gifts the Hunters gave to us, and they were in turn quicker to die when trouble came to our world. Those of us who remembered the gifts and still worshiped the hunters were spared." Mark explained. "However..." he added with a sigh, "With all that has happened, the hunters likely are ignoring us to contain this situation."

"That's mean," Shara said. "We live here, we build their temples and worship them and now those who did worship them are just dumped to their fate?" she asked.

"Not all of them," Mark said. "I know some of the hunters, the ones with more honour are watching the humans, they wish to see how we fair, but they have been around."

"I don't get it," Shara sighed.

Mark chuckled. "The Hunters have learned over the years that some Humans can be rather more skilled than they give credit, those humans have been given a special mark to show their skill. Each Hunter has their own mark."

"Do you have one?" Shara asked and Mark chuckled shaking his head and ruffling her hair.

"I am not that old," he said. "But I have always believed the stories my tribe leaders told me and I have some idea why we may have a hunter or two here." he added.

"Why? Do they think we are funny?" Shara asked.

Mark smiled. "No, dear, they are here to see if we, despite these horrible odds, have given up and what we are doing to try and save ourselves." He said. "And since none of us are dead yet, they must be at least a little curious." He added.

"Filling her head with stories again Mark?" Carlos asked and Shara smiled up at her father. "Nothing scary I hope?" he added lifting his child up. "It's past bed time."

"Good night Mark," Shara said yawning.

"Good night little one, sleep well."

Jha'kle's crew had been amazed to hear what Mark had said and while none of them had the ability to contact home, they did make a note of this.

Dha-ta and Thar'ka had been amused to see Sanderson limp away with a bullet lodges in his leg once after the Android had attempted to forcibly remove Shara from the base, only to have Carlos drop sharply to one knee upholster his weapon and fire on the android, allowing his daughter to yank her arm free to race to the safety of her father's arms.

Dha-ta had even discovered he was the right size to go in and out of the base doorways and explore deeper into the Ooman lives here, that was how the Crew had come to know about Martha Mary.

She was a middle aged woman, with some form of illness according to the scans, her heart beat was weaker than the rest, but despite this, she was a pleasant woman, Shara would often come to talk with Martha Mary while helping her in the Kitchen area.

Martha Mary apparently cooked all the Ooman meals and insured they were all well fed and healthy, she was also apparently very good with computers, typing rapidly and setting up security systems to keep them all safe.

Another female Ooman who caught the Crews interest was Jessica, another middle aged woman who spent her days on the shooting range, working on her aim and also helping set up patrols alongside Mark and Carlos while Shara slept at night.

The last two Oomans of real interest were Ben and a man Shara called 'General', though his true name, Jha'kle found out, was Jamie Connelly, an old warrior from the Ooman wars who was doing his best to keep his kind alive and protect them.

Ben, it seemed, was more than willing to fight this war, even if he had no weapons, as proven when Bhul-Dwag stumbled on Ben late one night, working out in a training room before the Ooman began to rapidly punch and kick a suspended punching bag with such force and brutality, the bag came off the ceiling and Ben was STILL laying into it.

"I can't lose her Mark." Carlos said.

"You won't my friend," Mark assured. "If anything happens to you, I swear, I will watch over her," he added.

Currently Jha'kle was knelt near to the Ooman base window, listening to Mark sing softly while Carlos held Shara in his arms, both men had a weapon on them and while his mask told him they were threats, he knew better and by his own honour, he refused to attack while an unarmed and sleeping child, even one by his own people's law was old enough to be a warrior in training, was present.

Carlos sighed deeply. "She shouldn't have to see this... she's meant to be living a happy life... growing up and learning about the world... not watching it die and be taken over by Aliens."

"Fate's a bitch." Mark said. "We are but souls who wonder the earth and follow a path set for us by some power higher than us."

Carlos chuckled. "I forget sometimes how cryptic you can be," he said.

There was silence and then Jha'kle heard a soft sigh and peeked into the window to see Shara, curled up into a tight ball, hugging her father's coat tightly as she slept.

"I swear, Carlos, if you don't come back in five days from this mission, I'll come looking for you. I'll even make sure you're buried near your wife." Mark said.

"Thanks Mark."

Jha'kle watched for a few more moments before leaving.

Upon his return to his ship he found Cuh'tor looking very worried. "What is it?"

"Bhul-Dwag found the hive... the Queen is hidden in the tunnel. If they go there, they will die." The young elite said, "Your orders?"

"You will all see to it that eggs in that area are destroyed and any of those Kainde Amedha are dealt with. I will watch over the father and child." Jha'kle said. "I sense something familiar with that Ooman... I want to know what it is."

"Understood."

It was suicide.

But Carlos knew if he didn't do this, they might never get another chance.

He held Shara close to him, the team with him all preparing their guns while Shara was muttering a prayer. She knew this was likely going to end badly and that would mean she would soon be seeing her mother.

Mark smiled softly and looped a small necklace over her head, "to keep evil spirits away for you," he said and Shara smiled, tucking it safely under her clothes.

They were suddenly rammed.

Hard.

"Shit!" The Driver snarled, "Man the Gun turrets! We got Aliens!"

Shara clung to her father as the sound of heavy fire and the Alien hissing and cries as they were shot to pieces. "Everyone hang on!" The Gunner said as several heavy hits echoed around them. "Damn it! They just keep coming!"

"Keep firing!" The driver snarled and yelled as the tanker bounced and swayed heavily.

"We're not gonna get much further!" Mark stated over the noise.

"Keep going! We have a mission and we WILL complete it!" The Driver ordered.

"Hold tight to me Shara," Her father said as she felt him shield her with his coat and his armour as the turrets continued to fire and voices began to snarl and shout orders and demands and curses while she held tightly to her father.

"Daddy... what is gonna happen?" She asked.

"We'll get through this my darling. I promise." Carlos smiled and held her close, kissing her forehead.

Several long minutes passed slowly and eventually, it was quiet and Shara felt her father breathe a sigh of relief.

It didn't last.

~"Report."~

"Multiple injuries sir, Gunner, Driver, are down and I can't feel my left side." Mark said. "Carlos, Shara and I are otherwise fine." He added.

"We need at least two people to go in there..." the Gunner said.

"Captain?" Driver asked over the radio.

~"Carlos... I know you won't like it, but you and Shara are the only two that can get in there right now..."~ the Captain said. ~"Will you do this?"~

"We'll do it Sir... but I do have one request... that someone... someone comes and finds Shara... or at least... something of ours... to go on my wife's grave..." Carlos asked as she stayed close to his side.

"I'll do it." Mark said, "And we aren't leaving until that damn bomb goes off or your tracker signals go off." He added.

"Thank you Mark." Carlos said as he placed his guns and a large bomb pack on his shoulders while he pulled thicker armour over Shara's body, "come my dear."

"Yes daddy." Shara said pulling herself out of the vehicals as her father lead the way.

The hive was vast and almost silent.

"They seemed to be more focused on the Oomans." Bhul-Dwag said.

"So it seems," Be'guna said, "the child and her father are moving into the hive," he added.

"Bhul-Dwag, Be'guna, Cuh'tor, Dha-ta, Thar'ka, you will deal with the lingering Kainde Amedha. I will watch the child and her father," Jha'kle said.

"Yes sir," they said all cloaking and moving away.

Jha'kle smiled and looked around the area; spotting the child he followed her, watching as her father move first and then followed his steps.

"Stay close to me," he said softly as he led Shara away from the main body of the hive, for now Jha'kle knew they would be safe and so turned his attention to keeping the Queen from finding them as apparently she was not weight down by an egg sack.

Yet.

And that was likely going to happen if she wasn't killed soon. He would see to it that this Queen didn't settle for a nest.

Carlos constantly checked the tracker, he knew somewhere in this mass of webbing and ick was bound to be movement and he was in no mood to have his child snuck up on by these monsters. "Daddy... the floor is sticky..." he heard her say softly as she struggled to keep up with his larger strides.

"I know my sweet, but we have to keep going," He said as he lifted his tracker higher, no sound as he looked around and the suddenly there was a blip and he froze, "Shhh."

Shara froze, looking around slowly as she heard the blipping sound from the tracker as she tried to find the thing that was making the blipping sound.

She thought she saw something move above them when suddenly the floor gave out underneath her and she fell, screaming loudly as she continued to fall and then suddenly she stopped and found herself in a cold pool of water. "Daddy!?"

"Shara?! Shara are you alright?!" Her father yelled down over the screaming and gunshots as he killed the Alien.

"I'm ok... just cold and wet," Shara yelled up, "What happened?"

"The floor gave out... We both fell..." he said as a bright light shone down on her, "find a place to hide and wait for me, I'm on my way down to you."

"Daddy, don't leave me!" Shara said, "I'm scared!"

"I'm coming down to you Shara," her father yelled. "It's ok, find somewhere to hide."

"I will." She said dragging herself out of the cold water and into a small hiding hole she could see, ducking into it mere seconds before a deadly tail struck the ground where she had been. "DADDY!"

"Cover your eyes Shara!" her father yelled as the Alien backed away and cried out as bullets flew at it. "Stay hidden sweet heart, I'll find my way to you..." he yelled sounding so far away.

She was on her own in this place and she was terrified of everything that seemed to move around her.

Something heavy moved above her and she felt herself fall again, this time a heavy weight fell on her legs and she couldn't move as something big moved above her, hissing as it came closer.

"Shara!?" Her father yelled as the thing stood over her and snarled as bullets rained over head.

"Daddy!" she cried as her father raced over and ripped the lose rubble away from her, trying hard to lift the slab off her leg. "Behind you!"

Jha'kle paused and tuned scanning the deep holes around him as he listened for the tell tale sounds around him of any Kainde Amedha. He could hear none but he could hear gun fire and screaming and the faint call of a child for their parent.

He had his hunt to worry about but this child had somehow managed to win his interest and to hear her frightened reminded him of the pups back home.

He would aid the child later... right now he had to deal with this Queen.

A low hiss beside him made him click deeply.

This wasn't good.

Shara limped after her father as they raced and darted down the many tunnels of the hive, her father shooting and cursing the Aliens as he cleared the path until again they both fell into a deep pit.

"Shara stay close to me."

"Daddy... they're everywhere!" She said watching many black forms move and hiss at them. "Daddy..."

Something heavy slammed through the wall behind them as a strange blue light shone through the room, scattering many of the Aliens and gave Carlos a clear route out of the hive and also...

"Daddy look! The Queen!" Shara yelled as the Queen stood slashing her tail and trying to attack something in front of her.

Carlos nodded and after quickly carrying Shara out of the Hive he kissed her forehead. "Wait here for me." He said.

"What are you doing?!" Shara asked. "Daddy!"

"Stay there baby I'm gonna make sure she never gets out." Carlos said as he took off the back pack he'd been carrying.

Jha'kle saw the Ooman father and child and nodded to himself continuing to keep the Queen's attention focused on him while the Ooman father set up one of the human bombs.

When the child screamed, "Behind you!" in warning Jha'kle knew one of them was not leaving this tunnel alive, as the Queen's tail slashed and cut deep into his arm, jerking violently the limb fell from its place splattering the child in his blood before the Queen threw him into the girl's father and turned on the child.

"Shara down!" Carlos screamed unloading a whole clip into the Queen's back, the child threw herself under the nearest shelter, an overhanging wall. "Run baby!" he yelled as the hive began to fall around them. "Go!"

Shara raced off, but doubled back as several Aliens lunged at her and she darted back towards her father. "Daddy!" she screamed and Carlos had just enough time to move away but he wasn't fast enough to avoid the Queen's tail as it ran through his chest and back on the right side. "Daddy!"

"Down!" Jha'kle snarled deeply as he slammed his combi stick into the oncoming Aliens as the child skidded past him and began to rip the lose stones and slabs away from her father.

"Shara, I told you to go!" he said as Jha'kle forced himself up and opened fire with his plasma caster to keep the Alien's away as he continued to fight the Queen, trying to keep her away from the Oomans as Shara tried to pull her father free.

"I'm not leaving you here Daddy!" She said. "I don't want to leave you in here to die!"

Jha'kle hissed and snarled as the Queen screamed at him, aiming her tail at him and the father, it was seconds later when Jha'kle realized his mistake and looked at the child as the Queen swung her claws towards her.

"Shara look out!" Her father yelled.

Pain ripped through her body, raw, awful and terrible pain ripped through her, her small body sent flying across the room as blood pooled around her, her left arm terribly mangled and misshapen.

"Shara!"

Carlos felt the weight lift off him as he raced to his daughter's side, ripping his coat off his body and wrapping her in it, carefully moving her mangled arm as he did and lifted her up, holding a device in one fist he heaved Shara up.

"Let's go!" he yelled to the Hunter.

Jha'kle saw the device and nodded moving away from the Queen as Carlos headed out of the hive, carrying Shara with him, once Jha'kle was out of the chamber Carlos pressed the device to activate it.

The whole area trembled harshly and Carlos barely managed to throw himself into the safe zone as the floor vanished into a now huge hole, forcing it to seal up and trap the Queen in the Euro Tunnel.