A/N: Ladies and Gentlemen, before you read this chapter, I want to apologize for both the delay and the terrible battle scene which CAUSED the delay, as I'm terrible when it comes to fights. If you do not have the patience for this story, then that is your choice, but though the story is progressing slowly I do do with great reluctant and great purpose.
Again, sorry, and enjoy.
Seeking Salvation
Chapter 7
"Takes More Than Courage"
It was in these moments, that flashed by like lightning, that Slash and Dagger truly saw it.
Perhaps the had numbed themselves to the possibility for they had chalked everything up to coincidence like their clans-brothers and clan-sisters.
But in these slowed moments with two packs of xenomorphs and two leaders, clashing like good and evil, it seemed to show in it's most potent form.
How utterly powerful a woman was.
There was a drawn out yell in the slow move of time as the White Woman ran forward, surpassed only by the xenomorphs at her heels; the bodies darting forth like serpentine-ing and sleek predators and slamming into their feral counterparts like two waves of oil. Teeth and snarls alight as the untamed guards of the Hive Queen teetered from side to side as their powerful legs sluggishly pushed them into a good form to start galloping as black forms clashed and slammed into each other in the White Woman's path.
But it was not soon enough.
The two guards flanked the fighting Xenomorphs; one on the left and one on the right. As they drew closed, a stray Xenomorph launched itself from the fray, arms open and claws wide and primed. With a shriek it propelled itself onto the left Solider Xeno like a raptor of war and too the creature down; and the White Woman jumped up. Her foot landing on one of the fighting Xeno's heads just long enough to propel herself forward towards the right-flaking Xeno that screamed at her in defiance.
And her answer to it's blatant show of disrespect came in the form of a spear, spearing it through the mouth and head that it lifted towards her.
Amid running stride, it collapsed into the swarm of black bodies and knocked friend and foe to the ground; but it was forgotten as the White Woman yelled and charged at the thin Queen. The female's own screech of battle as it began to make a desperate and pathetic attempt to charge at the White Woman.
While the Predators moved to try and join the fray and perhaps even the odds in the White Woman's favor, she gave no mind to them or the much larger foe before her and fell to a skidding slide down the metallic tunnel.
And they watched as she held the halberd with both hands, and swung with the fury of a Valkyrie, just before passing under the Queen.
A biting bellow of immeasurable pain and agony fell from the south end of the tunnel where the two females engaged.
And the Queen slammed forward into the ground, with the speed her strong legs had tried to carry her on to add to the crash. The acidic blood splashing against the ground.
The Queen pushed up from the ground with her front arms, arching her body and turning it to look back at the smaller female as another roar of agonize passed her sharp white teeth and slick black gums. And as she raised her head and exposed her thin neck a silver flash flickered across the thin black skeletal structure.
Roars and shrieks of fury from the feral xenomorphs filled the air as the Predators watched the body collapse to the floor.
The White Woman standing upon the Queen's shoulders as it's head from from its severed neck.
Xenomorphs turned to attack her and charged at her, but in the disarray it made them easy to distinguish who was friend and who was foe- and the Predators caught most of them off guard; a few making it over to the White Woman, who fearlessly held the halberd in both tanned hands once more and ran towards them. She slashed at the smaller ones, getting one in the side before another retaliated by tossing her aside with a heavy blow from it's powerful tail, knocking the wind from her and having her sailing back over the body of their dead Queen.
The tagged Xenomorphs, larger in number now, jumped onto the feral ones and their pained shrieks rose as they were taken down and savagely attacked. Xenomorph against xenomorph. However, something else arose- pieces.
Claws and teeth and tails; a fury of blacks and dark blues attacking and piling on specific spaces. Black bits and parts tossed in the air and aside from the areas where the xenomorphs were piled. Wails and roars short-lived as vocal cords were devoured and skulls smashed in; inwards sucked down ilk throats that were virgin to the taste of brother and sister. The Predators stood to the side with the exception of Slash and Dagger, who maneuvered around the horrid sight to find the White Woman. Quickly and clumsily averting burning themselves upon the spilled blood of their longest and most ancient rivals.
They found her at the end of the tunnel, upon the floor, separated from the weapon she had stolen from the Guards. Laying on her side as the pooling blood slowly moved towards her, it's pace faster than the Predators charged with her care as it bit into her thermo-suit. Dagger acted quickly lifted her up as she moaned in protest. "Quick!" Slash hissed in pain as he ripped off the affected cloth that burned him and tossed it aside before the two moved away from the blood to set her on her feet as she groaned and leaned against them.
"Brothers." One of the guards alerted them and Dagger and Slash looked over.
12 lithe forms staring at the three. "They're ours." One of the guards said, but the genetically altered Xenomorphs stared at the trio.
What was left of their untampered brethren in unknown piles left upon the floor beneath their bony feet. Their teeth, coated with specks and flecks of black skin from their grotesque meal, parting as they released hostile hisses. The White Woman adjusted her footing as the two Predators stiffened while they cautiously moved around the dead bodies they hadn't bothered to eat, and towards the Trio.
Slash pulled out a dagger while Dagger pulled out his shuriken- and the White Woman pushed away from them, walking toward the Xenomorphs, "WAIT!" Slash said in a panic as he grabbed her arm to pull her back; and the chorus of hisses rose a sharp octave or two. She turned towards him as gently patted his arm,
"It's… Ok." The Words were slow and paced, but they were in their language, and the White Woman pulled her arm away and moved towards the Xenomorphs. The pack stopped in union and watched as she approached them as one would approach a much larger and wild predator.
After several minutes, she was less than a few inches from them, and they continued to watch, and parted their ranks, letting her walk into the middle of their little group- and she lowered herself to her knee. The Predators held their breath as they watched her drop to another knee-
And watched the Xenomorphs as they moved tighter around her and nudged her.
Their hissing stopping, and she reached up and ran a nervous hand over one of their sleek black heads. It didn't bite her, and it moved into her touch. She gained more confidence and reached out another hand to pet another one. They quieted and they allowed the petting and she softly murmured to the creatures, which nudged her sides and arms when they deemed themselves neglected. Slash and Dagger approached her, the Xenomorphs nearest to them turning on them and hissing when they grew near; selfish of the new form of attention they were receiving. "River Lady, are you alright?" Slash ventured and she looked at him and nodded.
Gradually the Xenomorphs had began to lay down during the petting session, a couple still before her on all fours, and one of which she gently took their head in her hands and it tilted its head downwards as she put her forehead to it's head. "Good." She said in their language, looking at them and pointing to the tunnel where they came from, "Back?"
"Yes, they need to go back." Dagger said firmly and she nodded, slowly standing up- hissing erupting from the Xenomorphs as they quickly leaped back to their feet.
"SSH!" The White Woman hissed at them and they silenced, before she walked through their ranks once more towards the other end of the Tunnel- and they moved around her. Some following, some falling back, and some guesstimating where she intended to move in front of her. Like a dangerous bubble of protection floating around her as they walked calmly, occasionally snapping and biting at one another amid the travel but otherwise they showed no single of hostility towards the White Woman as Dagger and Slash stayed behind to collect the heads of their kills- and the White Woman's.
Black Dawn wouldn't believe their tale. Or how the White Woman's hands on the Xenomorphs seemed to calm them.
They quickly caught up with the slow ensemble of trotting and deceptively docile xenomorphs, the other Guards keeping close and directing her to the opening in the floor. When the reached it, however, the platform was still broken and their comrades still around. "We can't get out." One of the guards said, and the White Woman knelt once more to the Xenomorphs, making them all stop and wait. She took one of their heads in her hands and spoke her foreign language to it; soft, and gentle and slow. And when she released the Xenomorph, she stood up- and the Xenomorphs began to go back up the wall, back into the facility, only enough of the Xeno's left to equally number the Predators and the White Woman.
Slash and Dagger watched as two of the Xeno's wrapped their long tails loosely and unsure around two of the predators, and the White Woman spoke something, making their grip tighten, before the Xenomorphs climbed up and out of the hive tunnel and lifted the guards with them- Another going the same for the White Woman. The left over Xeno's giving the same service to Slash and Dagger, and pulled them into the guard of Xenomorphs and Predators all awaiting Slash and Dagger. And When they were there, the Xenos were quick to regroup with the White Woman and receive their congratulatory petting on a job well done.
"My lady?" One of the Guards questioned and she looked at him- and the Xenomorphs looked at him too, baring their white teeth to the Guards. "It's an honor to meet you."
"White Woman." Dagger said firmly and she looked at him, their Xeno's following the motion, "Can you lead them to where they came from?"
After a few long seconds, she nodded, and brushed her hands among the black masses around her, before moving forward and they continued their almost escort-like circle, the Predators following closely to ensure her safety, passing by one of the control rooms as an annoying beeping sound arose from it. Growing louder and louder as they drew closer and closer. "That's Yautja Prime." Majh voiced and went forward, flicking a switch and tapping a button to answer it,
"This is Clan Leader Black Dawn from Yautja Prime." The familiar voice of their leader came through and Dagger and Slash nervously stood by, "An emergency alarm was raised; I sent two of my young-bloods and a female to your facility. What is the condition of your emergency?"
The second guard flipped a few switched on the control panel and pulled down two levers as a small display showed a red screen, which turned to green when the levers were pulled fully to a resting position. "The situation is under control, Leader; We are turning off the alarm now." The Second guard gave Majh an affirmative nod as he concluded, "Casualties are Xenomorph-only."
"Confirmed. Let me speak to one of the young-bloods." Dagger moved toward the machine before slash could,
"This is Dagger, Clan Leader." Dagger voiced and added on, "The White Woman is safe and sound; We're alright too."
"Collect their weakest and bring the Daughter of White back here. We will determine whether or not to proceed with your First Hunt upon your arrival." The intercommunication device cut out and ended the transmission as Dagger stood up and looked at Slash, before they looked at some of the blooded guards as they brought back the heads of the kills.
Including the White Woman's. "Should I come and vouch for you, brothers?" Majh offered and Dagger waved a dismissive hand,
"No need, Brother. We have the White Woman." Dagger assured and pointed to the video screens, where a few of the blooded guards were repairing a wall as the White Woman stood there and the Xenomorphs watched, moving around as if waiting for another chance to strike. Anxious. "Think that will hold?"
"They put in the holders for a Plasma Barrier, so that will fend them off long enough for our brothers to fix the damage to the wall." Majh assured before concluding, "We needed to fix them anyways, but with the sport Xenomorphs, it gets a bit… tricky."
"Could you get a cage in on the ship and put it over the drop hatch while we go and pick a couple?" Slash asked and Majh nodded,
"We'll put one up. Why are you picking your Xenos from here?"
"...Our other Clan-Brother disrespected the White Woman. In front of the Elders,, the Leader, and an Ancient." Slash said quietly and Majh pulled away from the controls,
"They told you to pick the weakest from here? With the White Woman? She shouldn't even be here, she should be somewhere- well- never mind." Majh sighed and walked off, "We'll go get the cage." With that, he and two other blooded guards left as Slash and Dagger went to the pen where the White Woman had led the Xenomorphs back.
She quietly watched them and looked up at the others came back, "My Lady, are you alright?" Slash asked and she smiled and nodded,
"They seem to like you." Dagger commented dryly and she shook her head in a 'no' before looking at them, the other blooded guards working on repairing the wall,
"Maybe." She said slowly in their language and looked at the xenomorphs which looked back at her curiously before she stroked one of their heads slowly and the recipient let out a low and almost pleasurable growl.
"We need the 3 weakest. To hunt." Slash said gently and she nodded, "Could you find them?" The White Woman looked a bit worried before looking at the Xenomorphs and they stared back at her, watching her every move like birds of prey.
She slowly walked forward and touched the shoulders of the working yautja and they paused, parting and offering their hands ot let her back into the area where the genetically-altered Xenomorphs were. They crowded around her, nudging and poking her as she ran her hands around and touched their heads, softly murmuring to them. She sat down and put her forehead to theirs, one by one, spending several minutes doing so. Dagger and Slash watched tensely as did the other guards, as she gracefully stood up and touched the heads of three of them before walking out of the hole in the wall- and the xenomorphs cautiously following behind her. "These." She said softly, "Good."
"We do not NEED good ones, My Lady, we NEED weak ones." Dagger said, and the raise in his tone made the Xenomorphs snarl at him to which she was quick to shush them. They chirped and nudged her hands which absently pet them as Majh returned to alert them that their ship was ready. "We need them to go into the cage, on the ship." Dagger explained slowly as he watched one of the larger Xenomorphs warily, and she nodded. "And you can not go jumping out of the ship this time." She shook her head.
The two young-bloods went to the ship first, a heavy black cage in the ship, and opened it up for the White Woman as she calmly walked to the cage, her pace checked by the Xenomorph as they snapped and hissed at her if she walked too quickly. After a long wait, she sat in the cage and the xenomorphs followed obediently once more and laid down as she sat down, the young-bloods locking her in before tending to the ship and it's take off.
As the hanger bay door closed, she smiled and held one of the Xenomorph's heads and whispered a subtle gesture to them. "Thank you."