AVP Across the Stars
Chapter 3
Mar'us and Karn were rather amazed to see the humans work with such easy in their ship, even more so when one foolish male attempted to seduce a young female and Jessica kicked said male through the door to the training room and put the male through his paces and then turned him over to Big Guns and Bull Dog.
Shara spent her time either helping Martha Mary or in the training room beating the life out of the equipment or undergoing training with Striker, Guan-Thwei, Vi'cor and Les'ie, learning faster than Mar'us had ever seen and also using methods she had learned on earth to fight.
All the while never using his father's sword.
As they slowed to let the unblooded off for their trial, Guan-thwei stood before the gathered young Hunters and giving them a little pep talk while they readied themselves to go on their hunts.
"You will be picked up by us when you have finished your trial, if you fail, you will be left to your own fates and if we do not return you will set up camp and wait for the Ship to come for you." he stated.
"How long should we wait before we assume you aren't coming?" One asked.
"Three weeks." Guan-thwei stated.
"Why so long?" I'ka asked.
"Killing off a Hive is not an easy task, much less one who has a mobile Queen," Guan-thwei said. "Three weeks and if there is no sign or signal of us, send word back home. Understood?"
"Yes sir."
"Drop Ships ready to deploy Darts." Bull Dog said. "Young ones inside, now." He added.
"Got everything?" I'ka asked her fellow unblooded as they paired up in twos and threes.
"Everything I can carry, you?" He'ry said.
"Everything and anything," I'ka smiled.
"Good luck." Striker stated as he and Dart set their darts ready to take off, they were the last two to leave the ship.
"Thanks, brother." I'ka smiled.
~"BRACE!"~
I'ka and He'ry backed themselves against the ship walls as the ship rattled and violently shook.
"Martha what happened?" Ben yelled.
~"Meteor Shower!"~ Martha answered. ~"Everyone hang on! We need to land this ship before she cracks open!"~
"We still have unblooded on the ship!" Another Hunter yelled.
"So we take them with us!" Shara yelled back. "Get us down safe, Martha!"
The ship continued to rattle and shake violently, making everything jerk as panels and ammo crates slammed into the walls. "Meteors shouldn't cause this kind of damage!" Karn yelled out.
"So what's happening?!" Ghost yelled.
"Whatever it is, we can't stay in orbit! We have to go down!" Vi'cor said. "Martha Mary, what's happening?"
~"We're going down!"~ Martha Mary stated. ~"Everyone hang on and pray we land on something soft!"~
Shara growled, "I'ka! He'ry! Get your backsides out of the launching bay with the others and grab onto something stable!" She yelled as the ship groaned.
She hissed and slowly uncurled from her nest, listening and smirking in her way as she felt a familiar presence close to her.
~Soon...~ she chuckled to herself. ~Soon sister you will be where you belong and the Hunters will become our slaves. ~
I'ka groaned as she woke up, everything ached but at least she knew she was alive.
"Roll Call!" Ben chocked out, he was somewhere to her left. "Where is everyone?!"
"Here!" I'ka yelled, and a heavy weight was lifted from her as Ben and Bull Dog pulled her free of the collapsed part she'd been trapped in.
"What happened?" He'ry asked as he staggered to his feet.
"Mar'us get off of me..." Karn groaned.
"Can't move... deal with it..." Mar'us said before he was helped up by the others.
Mar'us, Karn, Ghost, Guan-thwei, Les'ie, Striker, Dart, Tracker and Vi'cor were on their feet, but Cas'kar and Bull Dog were searching for anyone else who had survived.
"Jessica? Martha Mary? Mark?" Ben asked.
~"Here Ben."~ Martha Mary said over the comms. ~"Damage reports says we lost the third engine but the rest of the ship is ok... just needs a patch up..."~
"Where's Shara?" I'ka asked.
All eyes fell on the place Shara should have been to find a gaping hole in the wall.
"Shara?!"
"Down here!" Striker leant over the edge to se Shara tightly clutching on to a sharp edge with her left hand while her right tightly clutched Big Guns' arm. The larger warrior out cold and limp in her grip.
"Hang on!" Striker yelled as Bull Dog grabbed some rope and tied one end around his arms while tossing the other end to his fellow Hunters as they secured it and began to climb down the ripped and ruined gap.
"Get Big Guns!" Shara winced as she tried to keep hold of the heavy hunter. "I can't hold him much longer..."
"We got him," Vi'cor stated heaving the huge warrior up with the help of Bhu'ja. "He's heavier than I remember..."
"He's been training." Dha-ta stated as Striker pulled Shara up and they began their climb back up.
"Shara your back..." I'ka said as they reached the top again and Shara hit the ground on her knees. "The scars..."
"One side pups." Thar'ka said as he and Dha-ta opened several medic kits from the store crates and began to mix up the needed ingredients for cauterizing gel.
"Hold her still, this is going to hurt." Thar'ka said and Striker, Guan-thwei, Vi'cor, Bull Dog and Bhu'ja restrained Shara.
I'ka winced as Shara screamed and cursed up a storm, denting the floor with her fingers as the gel was spread over her bleeding back, while she knew it was a good thing it still made her stomach turn over when Shara screamed, how she lived knowing that this would happen every time the scars reopened made I'ka admire her all the more but also question Shara's sanity just slightly.
"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, OW!" Shara hissed as the gel finally stopped hissing against her back and she was able to pull some spare armour on to protect herself.
"What do we do now?" He'ry asked.
"Now, we move to a safer place, this crash will bring attention to us and we don't know how many will come." Ghost stated, "Grab what you can and head out with Striker, Dha-ta and Guan-thwei. We will follow when we have the rest of the stuff." He added.
"What about Shara?" I'ka asked.
"I'll go with you," Shara stated. "I can't fight while this is still tender." She admitted indicating to her back while heaving some of the surviving crates on to a make shift sled. "Let's go."
They walked a long while, dragging and heaving the crates up steep hills to get to safety, they camped in a cave a few miles from the ship crash, while Ghost and Guan-thwei worked on establishing contact with home, Shara, I'ka and He'ry were resting, the others were dotted about taking turns to watch for danger while the others checked supplies and tried to make out where they were exactly on the planet.
Shara suddenly sat up in her bed and seemed to focus on something away from the rest of the group.
"Shara?" I'ka asked.
"Shush!" Shara said and the camp fell silent.
There was a soft rustle sound and Pan slowly moved closer to Shara, trying to see what was in the under growth.
An injured and badly bleeding Hunter dragged himself out of the undergrowth, clutching something in one hand while the other clutched his chest.
"He isn't one of ours..." Ghost said.
"Nan'ji!" Karn gasped.
"Karn... Queen..." the named Nan'ji spat out clicking into his mask as Karn and Mar'us tried to help their fellow hunter.
Shara watched the hunter before turning her attention to the under growth again, watching for anything that might be a threat, she found nothing but she still felt uneasy.
And she didn't like it.
"What did he say?" Ben asked as Karn bowed his head to the now dead Nan'ji.
"There are u'darahje, Abominations here." Karn stated taking the item from his fellow hunter's hands, a disk of some kind. "And an Ooman settlement of some kind... north of here."
"Ooman?" Ghost asked. "How could they be here?"
"Terror forming... or rather, attempting to." Ben said. "But nothing here can be used for Human life, or sold on." he added.
"Hmmm... We need to look into it..." Mark stated.
"Agreed." Jessica said.
"Oh my head..." Big Guns groaned as he came around. "Ow..."
"Glad you're still with us big fella." Ben said. "We're gonna need everyone for this."
"What about the pups?" one Hunter asked.
"This is still their trail." Ghost said. "You two are travelling with us, but we are not going to make any kills for you, you have to make your kills alone, just as we did." He stated.
"We understand." Both He'ry and I'ka said.
"Good." Ghost said. "Move out."
Shara looked at Guan-Thwei. "I have a bad feeling about this."
The older warrior nodded. "Watch the Unblooded... I will deal with the rest." He assured.
Shara nodded.
"The ship crashed?"
Nagara felt dread flood her body.
{"Everyone is alive... but the ship is heavily damaged... we need you to send another ship to pick up the unblooded after their trials!"} Martha Mary said over the comms. {"I'ka and He'ry are with us!"}
"But their trails..."
{"Are going as planned... Ghost and Guan-Thwei... making sure of that!"}
R'ka sighed deeply. "We will send ships to pick them up, but we will need to wait until the comet has passed."
{"Understood."}
"Paya help them..." Rha-n said softly. "And us... Please," He sighed.
"I have a bad feeling this hunt will become far too much for our Unblooded..." R'ka said.
"Shara is with them." Nagara said. "No matter what happens, Shara will bring them luck."
No one dared speak against her.
She chuckled in her way, feeling her sister come closer and closer to her; she chuckled and settled herself in her nest again.
~this will be the end of your days as a hunter sister... and soon enough you will be reborn as one of us...~
I'ka didn't like the look of the Ooman settlement.
Tight confided space, little light be it natural or artificial, the stench of death lingered in the air.
"Is it meant to look like that?" He'ry asked.
"No, a Terror Form station is high tech; this is a ruined space station." Ben explained. "See the 'entrance'? It's an air lock not a door way."
"Could it have been the way that Queen got here?" Dha-ta asked.
Shara suddenly gasped and staggered, holding her head and growling.
"Shara?"
"She's close to this place..." Shara hissed, slowly pushing the invading mind away from her. "She knows we are here... Keep your guards up." She added.
"Got it," Everyone said as their weapons loaded up and began to hum to life.
"Mar'us, Karn, stay with Shara and Bhu'ja," Guan-Thwei said. "I'ka, you and He'ry are going with Be'guna and Bhul-Dwag."
"Understood." And with that said the groups split off.
"I know you can hear me..." Shara sent to her unwanted watchers. "I will not fall prey to you."
~We shall see...~
"Mr Weyland, the Xenomorph hive ship has begun to show activity." One said.
"I see..." the old man said, "Monitor it... I want to know it is why it is there."
"Yes sir."
"You say Oomans made this thing?" Karn asked.
"It's a strange design but yes, it's human make." Shara said, slipping through a small gap and then kicking a bar lose so they could move on.
"How can you tell?" Ghost asked.
"Rip me that panel off above your head." Shara said and Ghost did as she asked, handing her the panel and watching her flip it over in her hands and point to very small words in the lower corners of a power cable. "'Made in China'."
"China?" Mar'us repeated in her voice.
"A Country on Earth where technology took hold first and where most of the money Weyland Yutani makes comes from." Shara explained.
"Was the whole ship made in China?" Karn asked.
"Likely not, this ship has designs from a lot of ships I've seen before." She said. "Most of the main seven."
"And they are?"
"Roscosmos, the Russian Space Forces, the US NASA, The US Air Force, SpaceX which is a US private aerospace company, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the U.K who are all members of the European Space Agency, the People's republic of China, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and the India Space Research Organisation." Shara listened off. "At least those are the ones my Parents told me about..." She added.
"Your parents were well informed." Mar'us said.
"They were high standing officers in the army." Shara said, "They had to be well informed."
~"They use to sneak Shara into the bases so she wouldn't be lonely at night."~ Mark stated through the comms. ~"The General would let her plan mock battles so she wasn't board too."~
"So your family was close," Karn said.
Shara nodded. "I was an only child and they didn't want me to stay with a child minder."
"Sounds nice." Karn said before pausing. "What in the world are those?" he asked and Shara looked up.
"Those, Karn, are M577 APCs." She said moving closer to the vehicals. "Marines use then to get around when on missions..."
The ceiling dropped suddenly and He'ry landed heavily on his back, wincing as he got back up. "Lose flooring...?"
"No... Weakened floor..." Shara said looking at the floor that had come down and then looked up. "They've been here..." she added looking around as I'ka, Bull Dog and Big Guns came in.
"Should this structure be so unstable?" I'ka asked, slowly climbing down. "All I've seen is ruined walls and a lot of holes."
"It's meant to be for humans and heavy cargo. But with acid blood spilled on the floor it's weakened the structure so some places will be weaker than normal." Shara explained.
"Can you use these vehicals?" He'ry asked.
Shara looked over the vehicals and then hit the outside near a door and watched it slide open. "Let's see," She said looking inside and checking everything. "Mark, starting switch for the APC Class M577."
~"Driver seat, should be a steering control, a lever, a green and yellow switch, the red one on top is a kill switch it should be flicked down."~ Mark said over the comms. ~"Got it?"~
"Yep," Shara said.
~"Good, starting that thing is easy, you sit in the chair, flick the yellow switch to turn on the main gear, lights and such, then you flick the green one, that's the engine. You open the engine to full with the lever and you steer with the controller. Got all that?"~
"Yea I got it, but there is one problem, this thing has been filled with ammo and weapons... and judging by the dust, it has been here a while." She said.
~"How old are the weapons?"~ Mark asked.
Shara looked them over. "Same age as me."
~"Shit... this place is a joke."~ Ben said. ~"It's an old ship launched back in the day... this place is out dated and likely been abandoned for years. Then got dragged down here. If the humans are here they likely used it as a dumping ground for out of date stuff."~
"Think anything still works?" Shara asked.
~"Might do... why?"~ Ben asked.
"We could use it, until we run out and then we have our own ammo." Share said.
~"Stock it up and move that APC out of the area."~ Mark said. ~"Martha Mary, Jessica, watch that thing."~
~"Understood."~
"I thought you were in charge?" Mar'us asked Shara.
"I have no desire to lead and really, I have no idea how to lead." She said.
"Humans are strange..." He'ry said.
"That is why no human is the same the other." Shara said.
"We should move on... if they are watching us, they will try to ambush us if we stay still." Karn said.
"Agreed." Bull Dog said. "We will stay here until Martha Mary and Jessica arrive to take the ammo, you will keep going."
"Agreed." Ghost said. "Let's go." He added as Shara slipped through a partly opened door and pushed it fully open.
"Sir... it's those hunters... and some humans." His officer said.
"What?" he asked almost dropping his cup of tea as he saw the images before him, "This can't be..." He said.
"Look for yourself, sir." His officer said. "No less than five humans with the hunters."
"Hmmmm... Send in the probes, we have to see what these things are going to do with the Xenomorphs and I want to know what those humans are doing with the hunters."
"Yes sir."
The search of the ship remains turned up nothing but Shara was still unsure about the area.
With two APCs, the group moved away, to a forested area where Shara was able to think without hearing the echoes of her unwanted 'sister'.
But she could still feel something watching her.
Mar'us watched as Shara fiddled with her necklace and paced back and forth, her free hand tightly clenched around her father's sword.
"Go talk to her." Karn said.
"Shut up Karn."
"He's right though." Striker stated. "You both have much to talk about and right now she needs something beside her own fears."
"What can I talk to her about?" Mar'us asked.
"Anything." Striker and Karn said.
Mar'us sighed but eventually, got up and took two bowls of food over one for himself and one for Shara.
"Hungry?" He asked.
Shara nodded taking the bowl as they both sat down on a fallen log, for a few moments they said nothing until Mar'us sighed softly. "How much did my father tell you about me?" he asked.
Shara looked at him. "In what manner?" She asked.
"Generally."
"Not very much," She said. "I only know that you were his only son and he loved you, he mentioned you two had been in a big argument before he left but he never once said a bad word about you... in all honesty the way he spoke of you made me a little jealous."
"Jealous?" Mar'us asked.
"I was an only child, hearing about you from Jackal made me feel like I'd missed out on having someone else to help make sad times a little easier." She explained, "Having lost both my real parents... well... I wasn't sure I'd be able to say goodbye to Jackal if the day had come he'd have to go home and I'd have to stay on earth."
And so it went, the two talked mostly about Jackal and the relationship they had both had with him as both his biological and adopted child.
Mar'us found he had more in common with Shara than he thought he would have, they were only children, both families had been close and loving, even if there were more spats and fall outs in Mar'us's family than Shara's, they both had the desire to prove themselves worthy of the love and skills their parents gave them, they always gave their all in fights.
They both had the same dislikes for the Xenomorphs and even more binding of the two, they both agreed that Jha'kle was worthy of the title Paya, despite his death.
They both it seemed were very much alike, despite the different races they were.
Mar'us was starting to see why his father liked this one, she was as eager to learn and willing to listen as he had been when he was younger, but where he had grown to keep his curious side and eagerness hidden when in conversation, it seemed Ooman couldn't mask it very well.
"Do you think he's proud of us?" Shara asked looking up at the sky.
Mar'us clicked looking up himself, he could see some starts from where they were, some he knew were seen from their home world. "I would hope so… we have both done as he would have done… I would think he'd find some way, however small to tell us he was happy." He said.
"Maybe he has?" Shara said. "You came home, even after that big argument he said you had… maybe that was his doing?" She offered.
"If it was… I hope I get the chance to thank him…" He said.
"My mother use to say that when we die, we wait for the ones we love to follow us before we move on… maybe Jha'kle is waiting for you." Shara smiled.
"Maybe…" Mar'us said.
"Ahem." Guan-thwei appeared between them, "Cloaks, now."
They nodded and activated their cloaks as a soft buzzing and beeping sound was heard, and a strange looking APC arrived on the edge of the clearings. Shara felt her fellow hunters move up into the trees and followed them, this APC was a new design and seemed to have an odd antenna upon its roof.
~"Drone"~ Ben stated over the comms, as the antenna began to spin.
Shara nodded and kept her body as still as she could, watching the drone beep and whistle before moving on.
~"Should we follow it?"~ He'ry asked.
~"No… it's looking for us, and if we follow it, it will track us. But we can follow the trail it left."~ Ben said.
~"Ben, Guan-thwei, myself and Thar'kar will go over the trail. The pups stay with Shara and the others keep an eye out for more drones."~Bhu'ja said over the com.
~"Yes sir."~
Shara looked over the area and then sighed. "I have a bad feeling about this."
"You aren't the only one." Mar'us said.
She felt her sister leave and hissed softly, this was not how she had foreseen things… and the medalling humans were another unseen problem, she would have to deal with them.
And she would have to do so soon…
Her plan was too well thought out for anything to go wrong now.
Shara sat up later that evening, wringing her hands and trying to clear her mind, while the others were sleeping and while she knew she should also be she was struggling to settle.
And her mental barriers were starting to suffer, leaving her restless and jumpy, not a state she enjoyed being in.
"We have a spare bunk if you need company." Mar'us offered from the door of their ship, as it seemed to be the only place Shara was able to calm down and felt some form of security to try and settle.
"Thank you…" Shara said slipping off the higher bunk he had been in, and following Mar'us and Karn to their shared room, sure enough three bunks were set up.
"I call the wall." Karn said yawning and kicking his boots to the foot of the bunk closest to the wall.
Mar'us sighed. "Old habit, he punches out at night and often the wall gets dented."
"Sounds like Ben when he gets startled." Shara smiled settling on the bunk on the other wall. "You two always share a room?"
"No one else could stand my sleeping habits and to be honest, Mar'us is able to move fast enough to avoid a fist to the face." Karn chuckled.
"Bet that wakes people up." Shara chuckled, slipping out of her coat and neatly folding it, unfastening the armour plates and letting them fall neatly into a pile on the coat.
"That what the Queen did to you?" Karn asked and Shara paused, looking over her shoulder and down as best she could at the scar, nodding. "How did you survive that?"
"Quick and steady hands." Shara said. "I owe Dart and the others my life. If not for them I would have died."
"I can see that," Said Karn, "You have a strong will to live, Shara." He added.
"So it seems," She said and settled on her back looking up at the ceiling. "Good night."
"Night Shara."
The night passed with little trouble, until Karn punched the wall with enough force to knock himself out of bed, Shara woke with a slight start as Karn climbed back into his bed and grunted before settling again.
"He's never done that before." Mar'us chuckled. "You ok?" he added.
"Yea… just not sure anyone I know how ever fallen out of bed that way." She admitted with a slight smile. "You always wake up when he punched things?" She asked.
"Just to make sure he hasn't broken his hand." Mar'us said shifting slightly so he was on his back. "Good night."
"Night Shara." He clicked lightly.
Finally got this chapter done... GOD It has taken me SOOOOOOOOOOOO Long.
I blame him. *points at Karn.* He wanted to make this chapter go places it wasn't meant too.
So yes, I am sooooooo sorry this took so long, guys and girl, I know I promised a chapter for you but I have just had so much to do this year. Work has been so busy. But I am here now and I promise I will try and keep this going until the end.