Jek'tual

Hunting grounds

3300 AD

In their first real combat, two of my students have died. Shortly after their death, the xenomorphs retreated. The rest of the unblooded decided to stay put while I used a vial of xenomorph acid to rid of the fallen bodies. We don't want humans to find yautja dead bodies or our technologies, like they somehow managed to find a queen. Why else would the xenomorphs retreat? Xenomorphs are too stupid to retreat tactically on their own without a queen. The humans must have one somewhere.

I roared at the unblooded to gain their attention. They circled around me as if we were in one of our lectures on the clan ship, but a group of five pups ignored me as they talked amongst each other. Not doing anything about the disrespect would prove me to be something in which I am not, It would prove me too weak to correct them. I walked over to the group and pulled a dread out of the bigger ones head, the talkers hand flew to his head as he cried out in pain. Green blood dripped from the wound, down his dreads, and on to his arm. Nothing a Medicom can't handle, if he can get one of his hunt brothers to give him one.

"The oomans have a queen." I can not lead them, but I can inform them of the change in their chiva. " Go hunt." I said no further because nothing else was needed to be said. I have already told them in previous lectures what we must do when dealing with a hive. If the pups were listening, they would know we must fight our way to the center of the hive and plant a wrist bomb. Those who don't make it out in time, or fall at the hands of xenomorphs, will have died an honorable death.

I followed as they tracked the fleeing xenomorphs to the outer rim of a human compound, where we were met with even more xenomorphs. They were forming a defensive circle around a human encampment, in which neither of them have made a move to attack us. Confirming my suspicion that the humans are harboring a queen.

"N'yaka-de?[Master?]" I turned to meet the eyes of the runt. "Are you challenging me?" The runt instantly looked down in submission. "No n'yaka-de. We found a clan brothers body." I looked from the runt to see the rest of the pups circled around a fallen hunters body. "He is not your clan brother. You have not proven yourself to be apart of this clan yet." I moved past the runt and through the circle of pups. There was a clean hole that went through the fallen warriors abdomen, he was killed by a xenomorph.

"Nau'gkon dtain'aun bpi-de. [the fight that began would not end until the end]." I said, opening the vial of acidic blood and emptying what's left of that vial. The pups stood behind me, watching as the acid ate his body away. When I stood, they circled around me. Waiting for orders they do not need. They do not have to stay by me or in my sight, they just have to prove their strength and show me a trophy from their greatest kill.

" Are you lost pups or hunters?"

The pups clicked at each other, deciding where to hunt. Working as a group, the smartest choice for them at this moment. Maybe they have been listening to my lectures afterall, if so, then most of them should live.

Leo Albin

Carplis, Colony Planet 287.

Zora's place.

3300 AD

Another blood-curdling scream made its way through the halls, each one making me stop in my tracks. Every scream getting closer, working its way up the floors. It's how I've been keeping track of the creatures, listening for the screams of the victims.

I stared at the ceiling as I sat on the futon with a bag between my feet and the pulse rifle laying next to me. It's already been 20 minutes, I know Zora said to leave if she didn't come back in 15 minutes, but I hate being alone. I'll give her 10 more minutes before I leave, so to pass the time I'll go over everything I packed. Just to make sure I'm not forgetting anything, maybe it'll calm my nerves. I reached down and unzipped the bag. " I got a holographic screen, canned food, a bandage roll, hydrogen peroxide, paper, led pencil, eraser, and a water canister in the bag. I got the loaded pulse rifle, a knife, hairspray and a lighter on my person." Don't think I'm missing anything.

*AHHHHCKK!*

I looked at the wall next to me, where the scream came from. "That one was really close." I can't waste any more time here. I was hoping she'd be back by now, but something must've happened. She wouldn't leave me here to die, would she? No, she would've taken the pulse rifle with her if she was going to leave me here. I threw the bag on my shoulder and grabbed the pulse rifle.

"All you gotta do is get to the ship hangars and leave. If there's no ships there, don't panic, go to the landing pads. Don't aim at anything you're not going to shoot, this is all the ammo I got. The pulse rifle is only for absolute protection. If I can run, then run." I stood in front of the door with my hand on the doorknob, trembling as I turned my wrist.

I peeked into the empty hallway. All the doors were closed, except for one. That's probably where the scream came from. "Maybe it's not too late to help?" I could use the pulse rifle if I have to. Zora never said my protection, she just said protection. Besides, I really don't want to be alone. I hate being alone.

The door was wide open. I could hear a struggle coming from inside. "No, plea-Uhhck." That sounded like Zora! The creature's hand slowly dropped from her neck and hung by its side. Zora was still in the air, held up by the creature's tail. Blood pooled beneath Zora, pouring out from her mouth and dripping onto the creature's tail from her abdomen. With weak and shaking hands, she grabbed the creature's tail. Her expression was stuck in shock, but her eyes looked blank. Like she wasn't really there. Then suddenly, the creature screeched and Zora was thrown out the window.

"Zora!" My hands flew to cover my mouth, but it was too late. The creature knew I was here. It's inner mouth opened and closed with a snap. "Fuck no!" I reached in and slammed the door shut. Not even a second after, the creature bursts through the door. It screeched as it chased me through the hallway. It was gaining on me, fast.

I opened the stairway door and started running down the stairs before the creature could catch me, but then I slipped. My knee hit the step at full force as I instinctively brought my arms up to protect my face. "AHHH!" I cried out when my head slammed into the corner of a step. Grunting in pain the rest of the way down.

With one arm pulsing in a beat of pain and the other holding my head, I used the stair railing to pull me up on my shaking legs. "Ow!" I nearly fell over from the pain pulsing from my left ankle up to my knee.

The upper set of steps and the railing were covered by some weird black substance. "Eww." I was covered in the substance, it looked like saliva but it was very slimy and thick. This must've been the reason why I slipped down the stairs.

*BANG*

The creature started beating huge dents in the door. I think it's safe to say that, that door will not last long. "Please help me!" Someone grabbed the back of my shirt and pulled. "Ahh!" I instinctively put weight on my bad ankle to keep from falling. "Please!" She was stuck on the wall covered in whatever the black substance was. I looked back and the creature that was pounding on the door was now on the ceiling, halfway down the stairs. "I can't!" I grabbed the back of my shirt and struggled against the hands that held me in place. "No! Please help me!" My back was turned on the creature, but I could hear it approaching. "I'm sorry!" Tears streamed down my face as I grabbed the knife from my pocket and stabbed her hand. She released me with a scream.

*HISSSS*

The creature was right behind me, its warm breath hitting the back of my neck as saliva dripped from its mouth into my hair. It killed Zora without a fight, but it's not killing me without one. I could pull out the pulse rifle, but I won't be able to shoot it fast enough.

Tightening my hand around the knife, I turned my head to get a look at it. "I'm gonna make you bleed before I die." It growled when I spoke. "You hear me?" The creature lifted its tail up to strike, but I was too quick. I spun around with the knife and sliced at its throat, holding nothing back. It reeled back, hands flying to its wound with a drowned screech. Green blood pouring out from the wound and melting through the floor. I dropped the knife into the steaming mess of melted metal.

"Shit!" I damn-near vomited from the pain. A couple of small acidic droplets made it onto my hand and was now melting through. I slowly looked up from my hand just as the creature fell to its knees, then through the hole in the floor.

I limped away, cradling my hand. This time prepared for the slippery black substance that covered the stairs. Once I got to the ground floor, I turned to take a look at the creature I killed, but it wasn't there. It had melted through the floor.

I stood next to the door that leads into the main lobby and I waited. Listening for any movement, but I don't hear anything. I put my hands on the doorknob and twisted it slowly, afraid that it'll make any noise. When the knob wouldn't twist anymore, I pushed. The door was lodged and difficult to push because of the stuff that's all over the walls. If I had my knife I'd try to cut through, but I don't. So instead, I threw my body up against the door, trying to ram it open. After four times, the door slammed open.

I regretted that immediately after. The creatures are all over the walls, it's hard to tell cus they blend in with all the weird shit covering the wallpaper, but you could see them.

Although, It seems as if they're asleep. Curled in tight balls and nestled in the indents of the weird substance on the walls. I guess they didn't hear anything from before or the door slamming open. Lucky me, huh? I should bring out the pulse rifle though, seeing as I don't have a knife anymore.

I limped out of the lobby and into the alley, carefully closing the door behind me. The alley is completely empty and covered in the same sticky shit as the walls in the hotel, although it's not as bad out here. It's not as bright anymore, it's darker. The suns barely peeked over the horizons across from each other, and with every passing minute, they were falling. It's going to get dark soon.

*SCREEEEEE*

I spun around to face the all too familiar battle cry that came from the hotel.

"They're waking up."

Syrai Clarke

Carplis, colony planet 287

Hangar

3300 AD

"What the fuck are those things?" I made sure to whisper, unable to keep the question in my head. They still don't know where I'm hiding at even though my gun is on the other side of the crate, I left it there like a dumbass.

I've never seen anything like them before. Is that what the mercenaries call the Ya-oot-chah? The yautja? They all stand around 6ft - 8ft tall. If they're anything like humans they'd all be considered male. They all have a mask on but their weapons and armor differ. They all seem to have a reptilian texture to their skins, each of them with different splotches, stripes, and colors. None of them were just a single color or pattern. Every one of them has black dreads that were decorated, except for one with grey dreads that had three times as many decorations in his hair.

He appeared older, wiser, and much more experienced in whatever it is they were doing here. He's much more decorative with his skulls, armor, and weapons. I'll call him the elder.

The elder stood by the hangar entrance as the rest clicked to each other in what I'm guessing is their language. All the others roared with their weapons in the air and charged into the underground entrance. The elder strayed behind the rest, my guess would be that he's just watching how things play out. He's walking a little too slow for my comfort though, taking his time to really look around. "He must know I'm here." Did I say that out loud? He turned his head in my direction and I ducked with my back behind the crate.

My breathing increased as his footsteps, that would not have been heard if not for the dirty concrete floor, approached the crate. He stopped right on the other side, where my gun lays. I don't hear anything. No steps, breathing, clicks, not even the xenomorph war cries. Maybe he's gone? I turned to look but came to face an armored boot. "SHit!" I crawled backward until the wall stopped me. The elder stared down at me, tilting his head as he typed something in his gauntlet.

"SHit!"

It was my voice, but I didn't say it. Did he record me? "What are you guys doing here?" He seemed to take a moment, typing into his wrist-thingy.

"What are you guys doing ~Scrrrch~ with ~Scrchh~ XENOMORPHS! ~pew, pew, pew! SCreee!~."

The last recording ended with gunshots and xenomorph screams. He must take different recordings and make sentences from them in mere seconds. "You can understand me?" He growled and balled his hand into a fist, like I had just insulted him. Does he think I called him stupid?

"You... ~Scrrch~ ...going to DIE... ~Scrrch~ ...from… ~Scrrch~ XENOMORPHS! ~Scrrch~ ...stupid-" Then with a low and guttural voice that almost sounded like a growl, he said. "-Ooman." Without giving me a chance to respond, he turned and followed after the rest.

Leaving me sitting here against the hangar wall, speechless.