Author's Note: I usually reply to reviews via PM, but I don't have that option for those who don't have a registered account. To the anonymous reviewer "x," I really do appreciate your support, as well as everyone else's! Your comment meant a lot to me, and I only regret not having this chapter ready sooner for you. To reviewer "Truthordareftw," more or less, yes. Basically, Thoulux's birth queen was an experimental test subject for about two years just as he was, and she was also the type of queen who demands absolute control over her children through direct telepathic manipulation (much the same as the way I interpret the queen from the movie Aliens). Unfortunately for her, she only had two children to control in the first place, and while she viewed herself as an all ruling goddess, she was actually not nearly as telepathically capable as most queens. Anyways, ladies and gentlemen, I (finally) give you chapter 13:

Alien: Post-Apocalypse

Chapter 13: Intruders

Operative George McGalister sat back in his bunk with the stripped down parts of a pistol in front of him, which he was in the process of cleaning and lubricating. He had already cleaned each of his weapons twice, and he was only cleaning his pistol once more since it was the only lethal firearm that he was allowed to bring for the next op, as per the mission perimeters. McGalister frowned at that; he didn't trust the nonlethal sedation weapons that he and his fellow operatives would be equipped with for the mission, especially against alien life forms, which were classified as "hyper-lethal." Nonlethal versus hyper-lethal, huh? Great, he thought with a mirthless chuckle. He had no doubts that he and his team could handle this op, but he had no illusion that it wouldn't be easy with their sub-standard weaponry, if it could even be called weaponry. Perhaps sub-standard wasn't the right word, since the array of chemical and electrical incapacitation weapons were state of the art, but the fact that they lacked the ability to end a fight by sheer force was concerning.

McGalister checked his wristwatch, which read 2300 on the dot. "Strange to think that in less than 24 hours from now, we'll be inside an alien structure trying to kidnap one of 'em, isn't it?" he said to his bunk mate, Operative Weston.

"Yeah, sure. It says here that these 'xenomorphs' don't have eyes, so what's the point of going at night?" responded Weston, reading over the mission briefing on a data pad.

"'Cause we're the boogeymen, and you know that boogeymen only come out at night," said McGalister jokingly. "Besides, we've got NVGs."

"Night vision sucks. No matter how dark it is, I'd probably still be able to aim better without the goggles than with them on. How did we get stuck with this op anyways?" protested Weston.

"Who cares? I'll take a risky mission every now and then over living like a civilian any day. Ya know what kind of rations they get? A quarter pound of rice and a quart of water, which they have the choice of either drinking or cooking the rice with. That's it. Life sucks for them," McGalister said, only half joking. He finished reassembling his weapon and rack the slide once to make sure it was functioning correctly.

"There's a lot more truth to that than you'd think. You can't really blame the civies for rebelling. People will do anything when their family's starving."

"On that, we can agree. Anything else useful on that mission brief?" asked McGalister, changing the subject. He had read it himself, albeit not very carefully.

"Well apparently, these suckers have acid for blood. Maybe it's better that we've got nonlethal weapons after all," suggested Weston.

"Forget that noise. I'd rather shoot and kill 'em before they get close enough for me to have to worry about their blood."

Operative Weston's only reply was a unfocussed "Right." His thoughts were obviously elsewhere now.

"Oh well. If I'm gonna die because we're supposed to take one of these freaks alive instead of just killing them all, I might as well do it on a full night's sleep." McGalister said in conclusion after putting his pistol away. However, his thoughts were on the upcoming mission, and he suddenly had an uneasy feeling about it. Sleep did not come easily for him.

…

Morning finally arrived, and Verexa woke up on her own, soon followed by Thoulux. For a moment, the two simply stayed where they were, wrapped in each other's arms and tails, until the former moved to stretch. A few pops sounded from her vertebrae as she arched her back while speaking to her lover telepathically.

"Did you sleep well?" the sentry asked warmly as Thoulux also rose to his feet.

"Much better than at first. And you?" he replied.

"Of course, thank you. Waking next to you each morning is probably going to be my favorite part of each day," said Verexa.

"I agree, though I also enjoy every other moment I spend with you," Thoulux replied in a gentle tone, as he stepped closer to her and embraced her once again, resting his chin behind her shoulder. "And to think that I could have spent my life apart from you."

"We both could have spent our lives alone," the sentry responded with a bit of sadness in her voice. "But we found each other instead, so there's no need to worry about what might have been."

Thoulux crooned softly at that, and they both sat beside one another. The warrior kept his arms around his prospective mate's midsection and slowly traced circles around the soft spot over her belly with the tip of his finger, being careful not to scratch her with his claw. "We could go and speak with the queen and be bonded now if we choose to. Are you still sure that is what you want?" he asked.

Verexa placed her hands over Thoulux's, putting a stop to his tracing, although she was enjoying it in a way. "Never before have I been so sure of something in my life," she answered with conviction. Her companion smiled at her reply.

"Likewise," he said.

With that, the pair of xenomorphs stood once again and exited their nest in order to make their way to the queen. Ironically, no sooner had they done so than The Empress's telepathic presence entered the minds of each of them. "Verexa and Thoulux, please see me in my chamber at once. There are some urgent matters that I must discuss, and I believe the two of you have a request of me as well," she said calmly.

"Yes, Mother; we were already on our way, in fact," responded Verexa.

"Excellent," said the queen before her telepathy receded from their minds.

The two continued on, side by side and tail in tail, until they arrived in The Empress's chamber and bowed before her. No one else was present at the time.

"As always, your gestures of respect are not wasted on me. But please, be at ease and listen." she said. As directed, the couple took to more comfortable sitting positions right next to each other and waited for the queen to continue. "Allow me to begin by saying that I appreciate your diligence and lack of complaint regarding your work while separate from one another. While it is important to me that you each performed your duties regardless of the company you were in, I now understand that you are both very close to the other, and I will take this into consideration before tasking you separately again."

"Thank you, my queen," replied Thoulux.

The Empress stopped for only a moment before continuing on straight to business. "Now, on to more important matters," she said. "It has come to my attention that the humans are aware of our hive. No doubt, they will seek to destroy us. However, we have no knowledge of where these human scouts who found us originated. Of course, my own scouts have explored the area around the hive thoroughly and never found anything more small human encampments nearby. The only region that has yet to be so well reconnoitered is to the north. The two of you are to travel north to see what is there. Return in a day's time or less, and tell me what you've found."

"As you wish, my queen," Verexa said, with only the slightest hint of disappointment in her voice.

"Ah yes, one last thing: Thoulux, I believe you had something to ask of me?" The Empress prompted before they left.

Realizing what the queen was referring to almost immediately, Thoulux stood to his full height and boldly stepped forward. Verexa also stood and followed just behind her mate-to-be. "Respected Empress, I ask that you would bond Verexa and I permanently as life mates."

"And this is your will as well, Verexa?" she inquired.

"Absolutely, my queen." replied the sentry with just as much sureness as before.

"I see. My proposition is that upon returning from your scouting run of the northern region, I shall bond the two of you immediately," decreed the queen.

Thoulux had half a mind to insist that they be bonded at the present, but he ultimately decided that disputing the queen's decision wouldn't bode well. A telepathic nudge, which urged restraint, from Verexa solidified his decision. "Very well," he replied flatly.

"Good. I suggest that the two of you slake your thirst and hunger before leaving"

The two lesser xenomorphs agreed and were dismissed from The Empress's presence. Together, they made their way to the fresh kill chamber and the adjacent drinking pool. Along the way, Thoulux expressed his disappointment toward the outcome of their meeting with the queen. "Why would she deny us our bond until the task she's given to us is complete. It isn't as though we would be any less likely to do her deed." he said.

"As our queen, it is certainly her right to do so," explained Verexa.

"Of course... You're right, but what purpose does it serve?" the warrior insisted.

"Surely, she knows better than us how dangerous the area to the north may be. It's possible that one of us could die along the way. It would be horrible for the other to be bereaved so soon." Verexa suggested before realizing the full gravity of what she had just said.

An air of unease passed over them both as they considered such a concept. Thoulux wrapped his tail once around Verexa's to try and comfort both of them. "If I were to lose you, I would be bereaved with or without being officially bonded," he said solemnly.

"As would I, but it doesn't matter; I will protect you with my life, and I know you will do the same for me. We will not allow death to separate us," stated the sentry

"My thoughts exactly."

Just then, the pair arrived at their destination. They each selected a portion of meat, which would keep their hunger sated until their return, and found a quite area to sit and share their meal together. After they had finished, they made their way to the drinking pool, where Verexa spotted a familiar mute sentry satisfying her thirst.

"Nelasier! It's good to see again, friend." Verexa said, and Nelasier turned to focus on the two xenomorphs approaching her. Her emotions reflected that she was happy to see her new friend again and also that she was curious about the male who accompanied her. "This is my mate-to-be, Thoulux. Thoulux, this is Nelasier, my friend whom I told you about yesterday," she introduced.

Nelasier extended the same 'pleased to meet you' gesture with which she had greeted Verexa the previous day before their hunt, and Thoulux quickly understood it. "It's nice to meet you as well," he said courteously.

"Do you have any work to do today?" Verexa asked Nelasier, to which she tilted her head slightly and shook it side to side as a negative answer. "Ah, well I hope you enjoy you day of rest. Thoulux and I have been charged with exploring to the north. The queen believes there may be a base of human combatants there."

Nelasier visibly recoiled a bit at the mention of the northern region, and her emotions reflected that she was suddenly on her guard and perhaps a bit dismayed for her new acquaintances. She tapped the front of her forehead just between the two empty eye sockets of her vestigial skull, which was the spot where a xenomorph's perception was most clear. She was trying to suggest watchfulness and the use of caution. Verexa and Thoulux understood the gist of her warning.

"We'll keep our guard up until we return to the hive. And we will return to the hive, safe and sound," Thoulux replied with his usual confidence.

The mute sentry simply nodded her head once with an air of worry before briefly hugging Verexa, gripping Thoulux's palm in farewell, and then departing. Internally she once again struggled with her lack of ability to tell Thoulux and Verexa exactly what her concerns were, and she felt a strong need to see her queen. The Empress understood Nelasier's alternative communication better than any other, and besides that, she needed answers.

"That was a bit odd," said Thoulux after Nelasier had left.

"Yes. I wish she could have told us what bothered her," agreed Verexa.

The two crouched next to the water reservoir and began to drink deeply. "Do you think that The Empress knows more about the northern region than she let on?" the warrior inquired.

"I would like to think not,... but it's possible.

Thoulux didn't like the way this was beginning to look. Nevertheless, he maintained his trust in the queen for the time being and resigned to complete their mission as quickly as possible and protect Verexa no matter the cost.

After slaking their thirst, Verexa and Thoulux walked alongside one another as they made their way through the tunnels to get to the northern entrance. Naturally, their course took them through the same busy section of the hive, which was still under refurbishment and nearly complete. As the other xenomorphs milled about their business while Thoulux and Verexa passed by, the latter heard the telepathic voice of one of her new sisters speaking privately in her mind.

"Thoulux is likely the best mate you could have found in this hive. Do well by him, and keep him safe," said the unknown person to the sentry.

"I will," replied Verexa. It wasn't clear whether the other had heard her or not, for she did not receive a response after that. Strange. I feel as though I've heard her voice before, yet I don't believe we've met, she thought to herself.

It wasn't until several moments later that she realized that she recognized the voice from Thoulux's memories the night before. It was none other than the voice of Qarinna.

…

The room in which General Harver sat in was not unlike the conference room that he and the other generals were used to when The Director needed to speak with them, albeit smaller. He sat alone, and the room was dark, save for the faint light from the blank screen in front of him. Suddenly, the screen displayed the face of a man sitting in a large, comfortable looking chair. However there was a light directly behind the man on the screen, so his features were completely hidden by shadow.

"Director." General Harver greeted mirthlessly.

"General Harver. Or should I say 'Colonel Harver', as it soon will be?"

Harver's eyes went a bit wider upon hearing the suggested demotion, but he was not entirely surprised. He now knew exactly what this unexpected meeting was going to be about. "Excuse me?" he prompted for an explanation.

"Your demotion to colonel is pending while we find a suitable candidate to replace you. While your work as a general was commendable, your insolence has earned you this," said the director without feeling.

With no small amount of self control, Harver once again bit back what he really wanted to say to the tyrannical Director. "Understood, sir. Will that be all?" he said instead.

"Yes, I suppose anything further would be a waste of my time. Dismissed." replied The Director.

Harver immediately rose from his seat and made his way to the door, which unlocked and open just as he got to it. As far as he or anyone else aside from The Director was concerned, he was still a general, and if he was about to lose his position after losing his son, he was going to make it all worth it. He sought vengeance against both the xenomorph species and the Phoenix organization, and he had a plan to kill two birds with one stone. There was work to be done, and Harver's window of opportunity was shrinking by the minute.

…

As the pair of xenomorphs approached the northern exit of their adoptive hive, they noticed something strange. A contingent of standard warriors were relieving the enforcers from their post. It seemed that they were being directed to guard the inner sanctum of the hive – including the queen's chamber. They passed the enforcers going the other way, but when they reached the exit, the largest of the warriors there stopped them.

"May I ask why you're leaving the hive?" she asked, though it was more of a command than a question. Suddenly, she seemed to recognize their mission, or perhaps the queen had communicated it directly to her. "Ah yes, the north-bound scouts. Please, carry on."

"Is the hive expecting trouble?" Thoulux asked the unnamed warrior in regard to the enforcers moving to protect The Empress more directly.

"We aren't sure. We're simply following Mother's directives," she replied professionally.

"As are we. We'll be on our way then," said Verexa. "We should be returning around nightfall."

"Today is still young; you should have no problem returning by then. Just be careful when you get there," said the warrior guard.

"We will," Verexa responded as she and Thoulux continued out of the hive. She was curious about specifically what the warrior had meant by "there," but she didn't bother to ask.

…

As Thoulux and Verexa ran due north, they spoke about various things: each other, their new hive, the other xenomorphs they had met, what they expected to find on their scouting trip, etc. As they traveled, the vegetation around them became thinner and thinner until the familiarly empty desert was all they could see before them.

After about an hour, they reached a vast plain, the ground of which was far different from the rest of the desert. There were patches of ground that were solid, yet they weren't stone, but rather spots where the dirt and sand had fused into crude glass from intense heat. As they looked ahead, they found that the patches of solidified ground became larger until the ground was nothing but one great broken glass sheet. They found themselves on the border of a circle of trinitite several kilometers across.

"What happened here?" Thoulux asked, completely awestricken. He stepped forward, and the half-fused glass cracked beneath his feet with each step. He could taste the same stale, metallic scent in the air that he had sensed upon returning to The Citadel a few days before. He had no idea what to make of any of this.

Verexa approached him from behind after he stopped a few steps into the glass field. "This was the humans' final solution to their conflict. This is the result of their most powerful weapons. For days, they set fire to their own planet, Thoulux. Can you imagine it?" She explained solemnly. "I've seen this once before."

"Where?" he inquired before turning to her.

Verexa hesitated for a moment before replying. "Around... my birth hive," she said with great sadness in her mental voice.

Thoulux couldn't believe he hadn't found the answer to his own question before asking, since she had told him what had happened to her hive. It only made sense that she would have returned to it before realizing what had happened and seeing the destruction first hand. He cursed himself for asking her about it, and stepped toward her to comfort her. He hugged her close to him, and while she hung her head in memory, she slowly reciprocated his embrace.

"I'm sorry, Verexa. I should have known." he said.

The sentry nuzzled into him a little more, and welcomed the soothing emotions that he projected. "All is well," she said softly. She pulled back slightly, but still held him at arm's length. "We need to continue onward, but we should go around this crater. I care not to see what lies at the center."

"I'm right at your side," replied the warrior. With that, they released one another and went on the move once again.

Together, they circumnavigated the nuclear blast radius in order to continue northward. Before long, they could just make out the silhouette of something very large standing out above the otherwise flat horizon in the distance. "That could be the human base that the queen suspected!" Verexa exclaimed.

"You're right. It's certainly worth investigating,"

They ran toward the structure in the distance, and as they drew nearer, it became certain that is was indeed human in design. It appeared to be a cluster of small, geometrically shaped hives that humans typically lived in. surrounding the cluster of hives, was a thin grid well of crisscrossing metal strips supported by evenly spaced, vertical rods. When the pair of xenomorphs arrived at the fence, they could sense the humans within their homes, but there were none around to see them at the moment. Placing his fingers through the chain-link fence, Thoulux easily wrenched the thin metal strips apart, creating a hole large enough for the two to crawl through.

There were humans everywhere, but they were all either within or on the other side of the building from where Thoulux and Verexa were. "I think it's best if we stay hidden. If these humans are all combatants with the same weapons they brought to The Citadel, I doubt we would escape unharmed if they detected us," Thoulux reasoned.

"You're right," Verexa agreed.

The buildings were very close together and were not aligned perfectly, making it easy for the two to go from one alley to the next without being noticed. After only a short while of exploring the area, it became clear that it was more of a settlement than a base for human warriors. There were places where the humans grew food, there were children, and there were only a few armed guards, which they had avoided so far. There were none of the large vehicles, weapons, or anything else that the humans would keep in a military base. All of the humans who weren't guards seemed miserable and quite underfed, as the xenomorphs watched them from where they hid.

"I don't understand any of this, but I don't think this place is any threat to the hive," said Verexa.

"My thoughts exactly, but the queen will certainly want to know about this none the less. We should return to the hive and inform her about this place; perhaps she'll be interested in these humans as hosts," Thoulux replied as they entered a particularly long alleyway.

Neither of them noticed the guard walking at the other end of the alley a couple dozen meters away. The man stopped in his tracks and stared at the two alien creatures ahead of him, dumbfounded. He then raised his rifle and fired at them. Thoulux immediately reacted by blindly barging through a weak wooden entrance to one of the human structures. Verexa followed him, and they both managed to avoid the bullets that whizzed right past them. They stood on either side of the doorway and only had to wait a few seconds before the human followed them into the building to give chase. He hadn't expected them to be waiting for him, and the two xenomorphs simultaneously skewered him with their tails, causing him to die almost instantly with blood soaking through his black uniform.

It was only after they retracted their tails and let the body fall that they realized they were still not alone in the building. On the other side of the room, backed up into the far corner, a man stood in front of his mate, who was clutching a small child in her arms and was clearly carrying another in her womb.

The humans stared back in fear, but the male stood his ground to defend his mate and offspring in any way he could. Thoulux turned and hissed aggressively, bearing his claws. Verexa, on the other hand, simply examined the three humans. She remembered hunting the deer with Nelasier. They had spared the doe and fawn and had only killed the buck for his meat. This was almost the exact same situation; these humans were no threat to them, and there wasn't even a reason to kill the male. She brought her attention to the mother and her child. The way that other species reproduced was alien to her, particularly the fact that seemingly all of their females were fertile. She wondered what it would be like to bear Thoulux's child and help in raising it in the way that the humans did with their children. She processed all of these thoughts over the course of only a couple seconds before returning to the here and now.

She placed a hand on Thoulux's shoulder before he could make any move. "Thoulux, we have no reason to kill these humans, and it would behoove us to leave immediately. Other guards will be on their way, and we need to return to the hive."

The warrior slowly lowered his claws, as he considered her suggestion. She was right; the humans posed no threat to them. He stepped toward the humans, and he could see, smell, and almost feel their fear. He tilted his head. It was so strange to stand so close to them without the intent to kill. He reached his powerful forearm out and used it to shove them not too gently aside so the he could get to the door behind them. He placed his hand on the door and pushed until the latch broke and the door swung open. Never did his gaze leave the terrified humans until he exited the building into the alleyway on the other side with Verexa right behind him. Before long, they were back on the other side of the fence and making their way back to the hive, just as the sun slowly made its way back toward the horizon once again.

...

Not long after the two xenomorphs had left the house, a group of guards entered only to find their dead comrade and give chase to his killers, who were already long gone. The occupants of the home were only able to tell them that the creatures had gone through the other door, which was obvious given its broken state. However, the guard that the alien creatures had killed happened to be one of the many who were notorious for taking advantage of the civilians, including the family that the aliens had spared. Therefore, had they known which way the creatures went, they probably would have lied about it anyways.

…

Donterus walked with purpose toward the queen's chamber. Along the way he passed several groups of enforcers, the massive praetorian not even acknowledging them as they stepped aside for him. He was perhaps the only being that they would allow into the inner sanctum at the moment, and while the heavy plated warriors would drive off any intruded foolish enough to attack the hive, they did well to stay out of Donterus's path. He stepped between the last line of guards into the queen's chamber itself, and bowed his head briefly in respect to her.

"I'm sure you're aware of the human vehicle that our patrols spotted on approach to our hive." said The Empress.

"Of course, my queen. It should arrive by nightfall," responded The Praetorian Guard.

"Very well. I entrust my own safety and that of the hive entirely to you. However, it is strange that the humans would send such a small group of their warriors. I want them to be taken alive. Once they've been subdued, I will personally interrogate one of them, and the rest shall serve as hosts. I will have The Praetorian Heir safeguarded here with me. The rest of the hive is yours to command until the conflict is over."

"By your word, Empress." With that, Donterus bowed his head once more and exited the queen's chamber. He let out a long and powerful screech, which resonated throughout the entire hive, as well as sending a telepathic call for every member of the hive to assemble for instruction. It didn't take long for everyone, save for the enforcers who were already tasked with guarding the inner sanctum, to gather around him in a large meeting chamber. They stood in absolute silence, ready to hear what he had to say and carry out is directive.

"If you are not already aware, the hive is soon to be under attack by humans," he began in a deep, authoritative voice. "Primarily, we are to protect the queen at any cost. However, the humans have sent only a small number of their warrior, and the enforcers would be more than capable of handling them with ease on their own, should they reach the inner sanctum, which leads me to our secondary objective. The humans are to be taken alive to be used as hosts. I understand that this puts us further at risk. Therefore, we will remain within the hive and leave the outer perimeter empty."

"Respected Praetorian, the humans would be allowed to enter the hive!" a warrior near the front spoke out.

Donterus turned to face her. He clenched a fist, and his mouth formed a wicked grin. "That's what I'm counting on," he said coldly. "Within the hive, we have every advantage against the humans." The other xenomorphs immediately understood The Praetorian Guard's sound tactics. "The sentries will be best suited for the task of hunting them down once there within the hive. Warriors and drones will stand by to assist as needed. Kill only if they reach the inner sanctum; otherwise, the queen decrees that they must be taken alive."

Every xenomorph in the meeting chamber sent their acknowledgment to Donterus, who was satisfied at their willingness to accomplish the task ahead.

"Let us defend what is ours and make preparations for the birth of our new brothers and sisters!" the praetorian telepathically yelled while letting loose a booming roar. The other xenomorphs screeched their own battle cries even as they all scattered throughout the hive, crawling along the walls and ceilings of every tunnel and blending in perfectly with the pitch black resin. Within moments, the entire hive, usually buzzing with activity, became absolutely and completely still. One who didn't know better would likely assume that it was empty and dead. However, the hundreds of creature, all very much alive, waited ever so patiently for their enemy to arrive.

…

"This is it, boys: Freak City," Operative McGalister called to the rest of the special operations troops in the APC. A little over a kilometer away, he could see the massive dome structure that was the hive through the window. It was totally alien in appearance, and was like nothing he'd ever seen. McGalister shuddered a bit. He used to think extraterrestrials weren't real.

"Damn! That thing's huge! How many of 'em do you think live in there?" somebody asked.

"I don't plan on staying long enough to find out, that's for sure," said another.

McGalister took a deep breath and let it out, while driving the APC at a steady speed. "I'm with you on that. I say we bag the first one we see and then get back to base as soon as possible." A few murmurs of agreement answered him. After that, the only sounds that broke the silence between there and the hive were the sounds of weapons being prepared and the hum of the APC's engine. After a short while, Operative McGalister brought the vehicle to a halt a few dozen meters away from the hive's out shell and powered it down. "Alright, people, just like we said. Let's just grab the first one we come across and leave," he said in a poor attempt to motivate them. With the press of a button, the ramp descended, and two rows of nine black-clad soldiers each stormed up the slight hill toward the alien hive. The sun was now below the horizon, and the hive was completely and utterly dark, so each soldier flipped down his or her night vision goggles.

As they approached the nearest opening into what appeared to be a large tunnel system, McGalister felt a pit in his stomach and the hairs on the back of his neck stand up despite the heat. Something just didn't feel right, and he suddenly had a very bad feeling about this op.

…

Verexa and Thoulux sighted their home not too far away. The sun had set, and they were both happy to return. That was, until they noticed the stationary human vehicle just outside of the hive. It was exactly the same type of vehicle as the ones that had passed them on their way to the Citadel, complete with the Phoenix insignia.

"Thoulux! Our hive is under attack!" exclaimed Verexa.

"Hurry, we need to help our siblings' defense!" answered the warrior, and with that, they doubled their efforts toward the hive. Once again, the human interlopers brought conflict to the xenomorphs, and what the humans started, the xenomorphs would finish.

Author's Note: Again, my sincere apologies for the long wait, but please trust me when I say that I will not be discontinuing this story prematurely. I also apologize if this chapter seemed a little bit rushed, and I'll probably rewrite it if necessary. I don't have an ETA for the next chapter, but at least we're making progress. Just bear with me, and as always, I really do appreciate all the views, reviews, comments, and PMs that I get about this story. More reviews and messages are always welcome!

I do not own anything in this story except the plot and characters.