Survivors, Monsters and Murderers

by jetangel02

Night Raid and the Jaegers are prepared to battle each other to the death. But are either of them ready to stand against one of the galaxy's deadliest species? Their best hope lies with a group of survivors from beyond the stars. War is inevitable and death is certain. Courage and trust are their best weapons against the Xenomorph plague. Rated M for language, violence and gore.

3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer : I do not own any of the Aliens Franchise and Akame ga Kill! Franchise. Those belong to their owners respectively.

Chapter 2 : Encounter

Atmosphere Processing Station, Hadley's Hope, South of the Empire

"Alright! Time to wake up, you two!" Mine raised up her Imperial Arm, and fired two rounds into the air Kapow! Kapow!

Two things happened, the shooter stumbled back from the unexpectedly large recoil of Pumpkin's shots, and Something made a loud ear splitting shrieking noise from inside the nearby forest SHREEAAH!

"What the hell was that?" cringed the Genius Sniper "Was that the Danger Beast, I was hunting before? Must have scared it off."

For good measure, Mine fired more rounds into the trees Kapow! Taking notice of Pumpkin's recoil getting weaker, she stops "Okay. Either it's dead, or a long way from here. The others will have heard those shots and come running to see what happened." She looks down and notices the woman and little girl haven't woken up.

"Don't tell me…" Mine quickly reached down and checked their breathing and pulse. She stands back up and sighs in relief "Phew! You both are still alive, at least. But I still don't understand why you won't wake up. Better wait for Najenda to get here so we can figure out what to do with you." She looks down at them again and examines to see who these people might be. The woman was tall, around Najenda's age perhaps older, with dark brown hair in a slightly messy state, and her pants and shirt were covered in dirt and sweat. The little girl was pretty young either 6 or 7, had blonde hair and her overalls had some weird slime all over it.

"Yuck! What has this kid been crawling through, to end up covered in so much snot?" Mine wondered in disgust. "Mine!" she turns around to see who called her name, and saw Akame walking up to her from the western area.

"Are you alright?" Akame asked worriedly "When I heard the shots, I thought you were under attack!"

"I'm fine Akame." Mine assured "Just trying to signal everyone to come here fast." But the crimson-eyed assassin persisted "Are you sure? On my way here, I heard something scream, then you fired some more shots."

Night Raid's sharpshooter looked back at the forest, and began slinging Pumpkin across her back "That was nothing. Some Danger Beast I was trying to hunt. It seemed to have gotten away though, and I was never able to see what it looked like."

"So where are the others?" Mine asked, changing the subject "I thought they'd be on their way here?"

Akame shrugged "I don't know. I was already on my way, because I wanted you to take a look at what I've found." She unslung a large, odd-looking rifle off her shoulder and offered it to her Teammate.

"Wow!" Mine gasped excitedly as she took hold of the weapon that was held out in front of her "What kind of gun is this? I've never seen anything like it!"

"I don't know Mine. I was hoping you would know." explained Akame "It was lying under some debris, within my search zone." She inches closer to her pink haired comrade and spoke in a whisper. "I had a suspicion that this might be what caused the explosion. And that it might be something the people from this place were working on. Maybe it's an Imperial Arm, or a weapon that can rival one?"

Mine holds up the firearm to eye level and begins examining it "No. I don't think it's an Imperial Arm. If it was, it would try to sync with either you or me to see if it was compatible. Then the both of us would have felt the rejection effect. As for whether it's strong enough to rival one, that's something we'll have to test out later. Preferably in a safe environment." She shows Akame the weapon's back end and two grips "What I can say for sure, is that it's not even a single gun. It's two guns, cleverly strung together to form one. They're tied together at this end here and another at the base of each barrel. As for what they tied it with, it seems they used some sort of bonding strip."

"Why would someone tie two firearms together?" Akame wondered aloud.

"For the extra firepower, of course!" explained Mine "Two rifles as big as these, are too heavy to hold in each hand. Better to combine them and use both arms and a shoulder strap for steady aiming." She hoisted the weapon and maintained a firing stance. Akame side stepped out of the way.. Anyone caught in front of Mine wielding that, would most likely face devastating overkill. "Whoever thought of this, must be a genius like me. I wish I could have met him."

"Hey, you two!" Mine and Akame turn their heads to see their commander Najenda calling out, while running towards them from the east area "What's going on!? Are you both okay!?" Following behind her was Chelsea, Tatsumi in his Incursio armor, and Leone in her Lionelle form. Akame noticed that Tatsumi had what looks like a jacket tied his waist and Leone seemed nervous for some reason.

"We're fine Commander!" Mine called back "We just found a couple of things, we'd like to show you!"

Najenda and the other Night Raid members gathered around the woman and child that Mine found. "So, we've finally found survivors." said their leader "And a mysterious weapon, as well. I think we're making some real progress in this investigation." Akame speaks up "But these people haven't woken up and we don't know why."

Najenda kneels down over the woman. She lays her out along her back and begins checking for wounds, signs of fever, and if there's labored breathing. She turns and does the same for the girl "It's not poison. And there's no obvious wounds on either of them. I'd say it's exhaustion. Whatever they been through, drained their strength and made them faint." She concluded "They may need a day or two of bed rest, before waking."

"But, Boss!" Leone said nervously "What about that place I found earlier? What if we don't have that kind of time?" Mine looked at Leone, perplexed "What place? What did you find, Leone?"

Leone hesitated to talk, so Najenda chose her words carefully and answered "She's found the other people that resided here. They…didn't make it."

Taking the hint, Mine solemnly abandoned her line of questioning. Instead, she turns to Tatsumi and Chelsea. "And what have you losers found on your search? Cause all I see are a bunch of empty hands!" she taunted.

"Oh. Just a few boxes, full of treasure." Chelsea answers nonchalantly. Mine looks at her in disbelief.

"Chelsea's found three crates." Najenda corrected "Two of them contained odd tools and equipment. The third was stuffed full of ammunition to some kind of weapon. Maybe to the one you're carrying Mine." Mine thoughtfully looks down at the gun combination she's still holding. She then looks up at Tatsumi, and bursts out laughing after seeing the jacket tied around his waist. "What's that Tatsumi?" she jeered "Did you do a little thrift shopping while searching inside the building. I gotta say, that jacket is a small improvement over that dumb vest you always wear!"

Tatsumi ignored her, and approached the unconscious woman lying in front of him. He deactivates Incursio's armor, and it dematerializes off of him. As he bends down to observe the woman's face, his own face lit up with recognition.

"Boss! I've seen this woman before!" Tatsumi reveals. He unties the jacket from his waist, reaches into its pocket and hands Najenda the card he pulled out. Night Raid's leader began reading the information on both sides of the card. She looks down at the woman, back to the card, and makes a smirk "Great work, Tatsumi! You just confirmed that this woman, Ellen Ripley might be just the person who can explain all that happened here."

Mine frowns after seeing Tatsumi receiving praise "Why's that Ma'am? Who exactly is this woman? Ellen Ripley, I mean."

Najenda slips the card in her pocket and lights another cigarette. She looks towards the west at the setting sun and clears her throat to speak "I really don't know Mine, but I have a hunch that Ellen here might have our answers. I'll explain more back at base camp. Right now we need to gather our findings and bring them back with us. Akame, you and Mine stay here and guard these two. Leone and Tatsumi, the two of you will accompany Chelsea back to her sector, and start moving those crates to camp. I've lit the signal fire, so Su and Lubbock should be here momentarily. Get Su to help you out. Once you're done, come back here with stretchers to carry Ellen and the little girl." She reaches her normal arm out to Mine expectantly, and the genius sniper reluctantly hands her leader the combination firearm. "I'll hold onto this and keep it safe. We don't exactly know the kind of devastation this gun can unleash. Lubbock and I will scout near the other buildings, to find a way inside for tomorrow's search. Now move out everyone! I want us all back at camp by nightfall."

Night Raid Base Camp, Hadley's Hope, South of the Empire

The following morning, all of Night Raid's members gathered in front of the camp's central tent. Inside the large tent, they placed the Colony sign and Atmosphere Processor sign on one side. The other side held the three crates that Chelsea found. The side opposite the tent's entrance had Ripley's jacket draped over a locker that held the weapon, Akame found. In the center rests Ripley and Newt on small sleeping cots.

"Hieh!" Suddenly Ripley jerks herself awake and lets out a small yelp. She looks around, panicked and disoriented.

After seeing no immediate threat, Ripley began to slow her breathing and try to collect her thoughts. "Where the hell am I? What the hell happened?" she concentrated hard to remember. To her horror she was able to recount past events.

("The Nostromo, The Alien, the death of her crew, the ship's destruction and her elimination of the creature.") Ripley stifles a sob, as she went over recent events. ("57 years, drifting through space. The passing of her daughter, her company's inquiry and the Colonial Marines' expedition to the Hadley Colony on LV-426.") Finally, she recalled her last moments. ("The Aliens overran the Colony, Newt was the only survivor. The Marines fought the Aliens, both sides suffered heavy losses, and Newt was captured. I went to rescue Newt, and then destroyed the Alien nest. Their Queen chased us, we were about to escape on the dropship…") And that was all, Ripley can remember. Everything after that was blank.

"Mmm…mm" Ripley looked beside her, and saw Newt laying in a cot right next to hers, mumbling in her sleep.

Ripley got up and sat at the edge of her cot, and began to calmly study her surroundings "I don't know where we are, but at least we're alive. We made it somehow." She looks down, and noticed her clothes were gone and that she and Newt are wearing large robes. She also smelled soap and shampoo coming from the both of them. "Someone stripped us, bathed us, and laid us here to rest." she found her clothes, folded neatly in a box beneath her cot.

After slipping into her pants and shirt, Ripley noticed her jacket was hanging over a metal locker at one end of the tent. Her heart skipped and her blood ran cold when she remembered the last time she seen that jacket. It was dropped onto the Atmosphere Processor's elevator platform, during her attempt to rescue Newt. She walked over to a side opening of the tent and peered out.

"Oh No!" she quickly bit her fist in an attempt to keep her screams from escaping. In the distance, visible by the first morning light, stood the terraforming colony of LV-426.

Ripley turned around and made ready to grab the still sleeping Newt and find somewhere to run. While doing so, she shifted her gaze at the tent's entrance and saw several people standing outside the loose flaps. She instinctively froze and after seeing no one notice her, crept to one side of the tent to avoid being seen. "Who are these people?" she wondered "They can't be a rescue team, no one's wearing any Marine uniform. And they aren't Weyland-Yutani, otherwise, me and Newt would've been in hyper sleep chambers aboard a starship bound for Earth. Not sleeping here, in some cozy tent…"

In the end, Ripley decided it didn't mattered. As long as they have a way to get off planet "They wouldn't have believed what I told them anyway." She convinced herself, as she began to quietly search the tent for a weapon "Might as well persuade them with something else." She instantly recognized the boxes that the Colonial Marines used for storing equipment, sitting across from where she stood.

Ripley took another look at the entrance and can see the people in front are busy listening to some woman at their center speaking to them. The woman was tall, lean, had short silver hair, one purple colored eye with a patch on the other, wore a black business suit and a mechanical right arm.

Seeing an opportunity, Ripley quickly stepped towards the boxes and began opening them "Come on, please be carrying a gun. I'll take anything, a pulse rifle, flamethrower or both!" The first box contained pulse rifle ammo, with half the box filled with loose 10mm explosive tip caseless cartridges and the other half in preloaded 99 round magazine clips. Atop the clips sat a small box of M40 grenades, about two dozen in total. It was enough ammunition to take on an army.

"Terrific, as much ammo as I can carry.. Now I just need a pulse rifle to go with it." Encouraged, she opened the second container. It was holding support equipment. Two motion trackers, two shoulder lamps, two portable welding torches, a portable terminal, four communication headsets and a long range transmitter. "These could come in handy, but not what I need right now!"

She opened the last crate and her heart sank in disappointment. It contained only medical kits, emergency rations, a box of marking flares, and a medical diagnostic unit that came with its own vaccine synthesizer and surgery equipment.

"Fuck!" Ripley muttered "No guns, here! Where else?" She looked up and her eyes drifted back to her jacket, hanging on top of the locker from earlier. She took out one of the welding torches from the box and moves towards the locker…

Mine was trying hard to pay attention to Najenda's instructions, and not doze off. Next to her, Chelsea lets out a long yawn. "Something, the both of you would like to share with us Chelsea? Mine?" scolded their leader.

"Yeah." Mine answers defiantly, while rubbing her eyes "Why did you stick me and Chelsea on guard duty, last night? I got bags under my eyes, for not getting enough sleep!" Chelsea finishes yawning, then turns to her "That's because I caught you trying to break into the Imperial Arms locker, where we kept the weapon found yesterday. You were supposed to be helping me and Akame give the survivors a bath, and wash their clothes."

Najenda bumps her fist against Chelsea's head, berating her "And YOU were supposed to come to me, when there's a problem! Instead, you tried to blackmail Mine into covering your shift of guard duty!"

Najenda pulls back her hand and massages her temple. She then turns to her other subordinates "Let's go over this again. Today, we're searching the buildings that lie near the Atmosphere Processing Plant. We'll be entering through an entrance, located on the south side that me and Lubbock found yesterday. We'll also be going in as a group to search the ground level. If we find a basement and upper floors, we'll split into pairs and take different paths. Akame and Tatsumi will go below, while Leone and I will search topside."

"Excuse me, Ma'am?" Mine asked "What about me and Chelsea?" Najenda puts on a smirk and answers "The two of you are staying right here, and watch the camp and the survivors. Lubbock and Susanoo will be going with us this time." Before Mine can protest, her commander kept on speaking "It'll be tight quarters inside the buildings. And you and Chelsea aren't suited for close quarters combat. Plus, we could use the extra muscle. I'll post Lubbock and Su outside the south entrance. If you or Chelsea encounter any trouble, light the signal fire, and Lubbock will pull on Cross Tails' thread tied to me to call us back and help you. If I tug the thread to signal for backup, he'll light a fire on our end. If you see the fire, Mine will come join us. Chelsea, I want you here at all times guarding that woman and child." Chelsea nods and smiles inwardly, thinking that she landed the cushiest job to have.

Najenda turned back towards the other members of Night Raid "Is everyone ready to go?"

Lubbock raises his hand to get her attention "Boss, I think we should bring the weapon with us, so Mine doesn't try to take it out of the locker and play with it." Tatsumi speaks up as well "Yeah. We don't know yet, what that gun can do. And Mine was already caught red handed, trying to get it."

Night Raid's leader looks down in thought to ponder their request. Meanwhile, Tatsumi and Lubbock both throw Mine the middle finger and stuck out their tongues. Mine bites her lip in frustration, knowing her plans have been foiled.

Najenda reached into her pocket and produced a small key "Chelsea, go inside the tent and bring out the rifle. Check on the woman and little girl, while you're at it." She hands over the key, and Chelsea goes into the tent, holding a hand over her mouth to stifle another yawn.

"Lubbock, I'm entrusting the weapon to you. Hold on to it and no matter what the circumstances are, don't ever use it."

Click…

Akame's sharp ears heard the cocking sound of a firearm being locked and loaded. The other Night Raid members all heard Chelsea gasping loudly "WAIT! DON'T SHOOT!"

Everyone came rushing into the tent. What they saw next made them stop in their tracks. Near the entrance stood Chelsea frozen in place, looking fearfully at the woman survivor they brought back. The woman was holding the weapon in her arms and was aiming towards the glamorous assassin.

"Who the fuck are you people!?" Ripley yelled at them, keeping her pulse rifle trained on the young woman in front of her "And what the hell are you doing here!?" The others began to spread out to surround her, but she switched to the grenade launcher and used the pump-action to chamber a grenade round. Ch-chk! They stopped immediately and watched her cautiously. Then the woman with the silver hair began talking "Calm down. We don't want to hurt you. We mean you no harm."

"No Shit!" Ripley retorted in a sarcastic tone. She quickly glances around, to assess the threat level. Two of them carried swords and only one of them has a gun. Everyone else was bare handed.

"I don't want to hurt anyone either. So just take us to your ship, and let's get the hell out of here! We need to get away, before They come!" cried Ripley.

The strangers looked at each other with confusion, and the silver haired woman spoke again "We don't have a ship. The nearest port and ocean are about a thousand miles from here. And who is coming? The Imperial Army? They shouldn't reach this place for another day or two."

Ripley was on the verge of panicking as she hears this information "What are you saying? LV-426 has no ocean, and I'm not talking about some damn army. I'm talking about the Aliens!"

"Ripley?" Newt woke up amidst the talking and rubbed her eyes awake. She looks over towards Ripley, and then behind to see strangers around her.

"Newt! Get behind me! Quick!" urged Ripley.

Too late. In the blink of an eye, one of the strangers, a young woman wearing a black sleeveless top and matching miniskirt with long black hair and crimson eyes, drew her sword from its sheath and laid the flat of the blade on Newt's shoulder.

"Let Her Go!" bellowed Ripley, but the swordswoman ignored her demand and looked at silver haired woman, wearing a questioning expression.

"Akame! Stand down!" ordered Najenda, and her subordinate quickly withdrew Murasame away from the girl. "I meant, what I said." she declared "You're safe with us. If we wanted you dead, you wouldn't have been sleeping here in this tent. We just want to talk. There's questions we're hoping that you might have answers to."

Ripley looks at the group's leader and then at Newt. "The girl and this gun stays with me at all times. That's my only condition. Then I'll tell you everything you want to know." She looks at everyone to see them eyeing their leader, who is thinking about the proposal. "I'm desperate for you to understand the danger, we are all in!" she added.

Najenda looks up and makes her decision "Deal." Akame steps away from the girl, who jumps off her cot and runs straight to the woman survivor and hugs her by the waist. The woman lowers her weapon and everyone starts to relax.

"I still don't know who you people are, or how you came here. But I'm telling you again, we must leave this place and get as far away as possible." insisted Ripley.

"And I'm telling YOU again, you're safe here with us." Najenda assured "My team and I are very much capable of handling any dangers that come our way. I can guarantee your safety."

"Another person told me the exact same thing, a short time ago." argued Ripley "Him and his team died, not long after that. There is no such thing as handling the Aliens! You kill them, before they kill you and you run as far away as possible!"

Najenda was starting to get annoyed, so she stepped back towards the tent's entrance flap and opened it. She beckons for Ripley to come outside "I don't know anything about these ALIENS, your talking about. But in the 14 hours we've been here, none of us have come across any animals, or Danger Beasts. Come and see for yourself."

With Newt still clinging to her side, Ripley slowly walked out of the tent and into the early morning light. She instantly recognizes the Colony laid out before her. Everything else stunned her with disbelief. The surroundings was a vast valley wilderness with high mountains encircling it. Around them was a dense green forest below a bright blue sky with a warm sun shining down. She can no longer see the barren rocky terrain or the dark stormy sky, that made up the qualities of planet LV-426. And every breath she takes, came with a fresh scent of pine. She wanted to call the scenery beautiful, if it didn't confuse her so much.

"Where are we?" the former Warrant Officer asked "Why aren't we on the same planet anymore? How the Fuck did we get here?" Najenda looks at her and gently places a hand on her shoulder "Come back inside. We have so much to talk about."

Ripley quietly nods, and with one last view of the scenery, leads a bewildered Newt back inside the tent.

"Okay! I think introductions are in order!" Najenda exclaims enthusiastically "My name is Najenda. I'm the leader of this band of…misfits." All the members of Night Raid shook their heads in response to their leader's lousy attempt to cover the group's identity.

Ripley raises her hand to get their attention "Look. It's pretty obvious that you want to keep your identities hidden. But let me assure you that it's not necessary to hide it from me. You gave me reason to trust you by finding and taking us in. Now allow me the opportunity to return the favor and place your trust in me as well." Taking the initiative, she stands in front of everyone and began introducing herself "My name is Ellen Ripley. I'm an employee of the corporation Weyland-Yutani, who was attached to a platoon of United States Colonial Marines, to serve as an advisor in their investigation of a possible Xenomorph infestation on the terraforming colony of planet LV-426."

She lost them. Every member of Night Raid looked at each other in confusion again. One of then spoke up in an irritating know it all tone "Duh! We already know your name. What we don't know is whatever the rest of that bullshit you said, means." Ripley studied the girl that made that remark.

The girl was young, short, had long pink hair, tied into twin tails and wore a pink dress, complete with a pink shawl and cardigan. "Oh. Great." Ripley thought "the Smart Ass of the bunch. Every group has one." Ripley saunters up to her and lowers down to see her face to face.

"Well, that's why you have to pay attention and listen to what I say, Sweetie." Ripley explained in a condescending tone "Otherwise, you won't live long enough to see your pubes grow in." The girl blushed a deep red. The two young men beside her started snickering, which quickly became full on laughter. Suddenly the girl reached for her firearm, only to see it fly out of her hands as Najenda used her prosthetic hand to hook the weapon and reel it towards her. "Mine! Cool it!" warned Night Raid's leader.

Mine began to argue "But she started it!"

"You were asking for that one." countered Najenda "Now, fix your attitude or I'll put you on latrine duty for the rest of this mission." The genius sniper quickly stopped talking and turned back to Ripley with a loathsome expression.

Najenda turned to speak to Ripley "Miss Ripley, please understand. We're still having a hard time grasping the concept of your vocabulary." Ripley just shrugs and says "I'll explain the finer details as we go along. Also, you can just call me Ripley. No one ever calls me Miss, or Ellen for that matter. And how did you come to know my name in the first place?" Najenda reaches into her pocket and hands Ripley a small card.

"This is my ID card." Ripley turned it over, and studied the curmudgeon expression of her photo "It was in my jacket pocket, when I last saw it." She then recalled the earlier observation of the coat she thought was left behind.

How did you guys find it?" Ripley asked. "That would be thanks to Tatsumi, our newest member." Najenda answered "He and another of ours went inside the atmosphere processing plant, and found it laying in a corner." She turned to one of the men who laughed at Mine, and motioned for him to step forward. The youth had brown hair and green eyes. He carried a sword on his back with some chain links hanging off the pommel. He also wore a white jacket with a tan vest underneath and black pants.

When he approach Ripley to offer a handshake, she can see in his motion that he's definitely new and inexperienced. "A true Green Horn" Ripley thought as she shook his hand "A firm grip, and a little too shaky. A Cherry for sure. But one with great potential."

"I must be making you nervous." Said Ripley "Relax, kid. Hard work and dedication will make a fine gentleman out of you." She let go of Tatsumi's hand, then turned to indicate Mine "At least it'll be sooner than Little Miss Pink Eye over there becoming a proper lady." Mine started steaming.

"Thank you Ma'am." Said a grinning Tatsumi

"Don't forget, it's just Ripley" she insisted.

Tatsumi looks down in embarrassment and sees a shy Newt, hiding behind Ripley. "And who might you be? Newt, was it? I'm Tatsumi, nice to meet you." Ripley stepped aside, and encourages her "Go on Newt. You don't have to be scared of these people."

Newt slowly walks up to Tatsumi and after a while, finally speaks "I like your vest. You also remind me of Mr. Hicks." Flattered, Tatsumi rubs the back of his head, happily saying "Thanks". Behind him, Mine groaned and rolled her eyes. Najenda looks at Ripley with a raised eyebrow "Mr. Hicks?"

"Hicks is a friend of ours, who saved our lives more than once." Ripley explained "He's a really kind person. I'll describe him and the others in greater detail, once we start our discussion."

Newt looks down at the mended overalls she's wearing, and looks back up at Tatsumi "Thank you for fixing my clothes." He shakes his head and apologize "Sorry. I can't take credit for that one. Lubbock here, deserves all the praise." With a wave of his hand, he invites the other young man over.

The person standing in front of Ripley and Newt had green hair, green eyes, wore goggles and a fur rimmed jacket with jeans, and carried himself in a cool relaxed manner "It's nice to meet you ladies. My name is Lubbock." Ripley looks him over "You're the guy who mended our clothes? Quite a handy skill you have there."

Lubbock holds up both his hands to show them covered with odd looking gloves and bundles of silvery thread tied to them "It's just a small trick, done by my Imperial Arm here."

"Imperial Arm?" Ripley looks back at Najenda. "I'll explain it in due course." she responded.

Suddenly, someone grabbed Lubbock by the shoulders and shoved him towards the back of the crowd. In his place stood a voluptuous woman with yellow medium length hair, golden eyes, and a revealing outfit "Hi there. My name's Leone. I was the other person, who looked inside the processing plant. I saw what was down in Sub Level 03." Ripley gave her a somber look. She checked to see Newt wandering around the tent, and replied "Then you should know that's exactly how we'll all end up. If my fears are true and the Aliens came to this place along with us, then your whole world may be doomed." Leone solemnly nods in agreement "I'm one of the veteran members of this group. I'll convince my friend to help me argue your point to our boss, so that we may leave sooner."

"And who's your friend?" asked Ripley.

"Akame!" Leone called out to her teammate who was keeping an eye on Newt, as the little girl walked towards the back of the tent. Akame turned to Leone and walked up to her and Ripley. "You expect me to believe your friend here, can help convince Najenda? She was about to cut Newt's head off!" Ripley argued.

"And you, were about to blow us all to smithereens with your gun!" interjected a young woman, whom Ripley first met and aimed the pulse rifle to before "I'm Chelsea by the way." She introduced herself, and Ripley sized her up. She had long reddish brown hair and wore a headset, a white long sleeve shirt beneath a black vest, and a checkered skirt. Ripley could have imagined her as a famous pop singer, back on Earth. "I wouldn't have shot you." Ripley said defensively "I was trying to save all of you."

"You were acting hysterical, and Akame did what was necessary to stop the situation from escalating." Chelsea said indifferently "In this world, it's kill or be killed. Everyone here is fighting a nation that has thrived on those principles which made it corrupt and evil, and we're trying to make it a better place. And I have a feeling, that you also want a world in which people can live happily and free."

Ripley looks at everyone thoughtfully "It seems I have a lot to learn about all of you. Alright. Who's left that hasn't been introduced yet? I like to start exchanging information." After that inquiry, a tall man with a pair of horns on his head and wearing a white robe, stepped forward and made a bowing gesture. "My name is Susanoo and I'm-"

"Why is there a red disc on your chest? And why is everyone in their underwear?" Ripley can hear Newt behind her, asking weird questions. She turns to look at her and noticed on her forehead, was some sort of headpiece that resembled a large metal eye.

"Newt? What is that, and where did you find it?" asked Ripley. "Back there. In an open metal box." Newt confessed. "Take it off! You don't know what that is, or what it can do!"

"Hold on a minute, Ripley!" Najenda places a hand in front of her "She's not in any danger, so humor me. If she can use that Imperial Arm, it'll be much easier for you to protect her." Intrigued, Ripley stands behind Night Raid's leader.

"Now, Newt." Night Raid's leader inched towards the little girl "Tell me, how do you feel?"

"A little tired, Newt replied "But, it went away just now." Najenda place her normal arm behind her back "Okay. Now try to guess how many fingers I'm holding up behind me. Look at where my hand is and focus on it." Newt stares at her and concentrates "5, 2, 3, 5, 1, 4, you keep moving your fingers and changing the numbers."

"That's alright, we're done with it." Najenda brought her arm around "Please, tell me how you feel now?" Newt shrugs, and answers "The same. I keep feeling a little tired, then the feeling quickly goes away."

Najenda kneels in front of Newt, and looks into her blue eyes "Okay, Newt. I want you to look inside my head and try to see what's in my mind." Newt closes her eyes and concentrates. Suddenly images began coming into view.

("A young woman who resembles Najenda, turns down a marriage proposal offered by a handsome young man. Another image shows the same young woman standing in front of a burning village. Mountains of dead bodies surrounded her, and at the center of it all, stood another woman. She had long blue hair, a white caped uniform and her eyes were blue too. But her eyes had something else also, they looked evil and cruel. It's as if she was enjoying the destruction and suffering that was happening all around her. Last image shows young Najenda looking up from below a hill, at the blue haired evil-looking woman who conjures hundreds of shards of ice with a wave of her hand. She sends the ice shards flying through the air and into the bodies of people who where near the young Najenda. One of the shards comes at Najenda and pierced her right eye-")

Newt opens her eyes and lets out a scream. Ripley was instantly holding her, trying to calm her down "It's okay Newt! You're alright! Najenda! I thought she wasn't in any danger!" she complains.

"I'm fine Ripley!" assured Newt "You were the one I was seeing, right Najenda? You worked with really Bad People, who tried to hurt you when you ran away."

Najenda looks down at her prosthetic arm "You don't know the half of it." She looks back at Newt "Okay Newt. Last one, I promise. You get to return the favor for scaring you." She signals all of Night Raid to gather in one spot. "Gaze upon us and think about what you fear the most. Show us what one of these ALIENS look like. Concentrate Newt."

The little girl looks at Ripley, who nods her approval "Do it, Newt." She closes her eyes and thinks hard about the giant monster that chased her and Ripley through the processing station. She can hear everyone in front of her, let out a multitude of frightened gasps.

All the members of Night Raid staggered back, as they gazed in horror at the creature in front of them. It was big, maybe two or three stories high. But crouched, so as not to hit the tent's ceiling. Its body was an exoskeleton, black and insect-like, with slime running all over. A long tail uncoiled from behind, at its end was a large blade. Spikes ran in pairs along its back and it had two grotesquely muscular pairs of large and smaller arms. Each came equipped with razor sharp claws. And lastly was its massive crested head, resembling a broad, reinforced shield. Beneath the shield-like head, extended a large mouth which parted to let out a foreboding hiss. Afterwards, the monster opened its fang-filled jaws even wider to produce a loud earsplitting shriek. At the same time, a second set of jaws with sharp teeth shot out of the primary mouth, in a ferocious snapping motion.

Akame drew Murasame from its sheath and assumed a battle stance. Beside her Tatsumi and Leone transform into Incursio's armor and Lionelle's beast form, respectively. Chelsea was cowering behind Susanoo, who has brandishing a polearm with sickle blades at its end. Mine began calling at Najenda to return Pumpkin to her, but the leader of Night Raid stood in front of everyone with her arms spread and shouted "Stand Down, All of You! It's just an illusion! That is still Newt in front of us!"

As if on cue, the image of the giant Alien creature faded into nothing. Leaving a worn-out Newt held steady by Ripley, at where it once stood.

"What in the Hell was that thing!?" exclaimed Mine "It sounded just like the Danger Beast I heard, when I found you two." Ripley immediately turned to face her "Where and when did that happen! Did you see it!?" Mine shook her head "No. It ran away when I shot at it. After finding you passed out behind some bushes."

"Ripley!?" Newts calls out to her with a frightened expression, but Ripley places her arms around her reassuringly "Don't worry Newt. I think we're safe for the time being." She looks at the others "Am I right?"

Lubbock spoke up and held up his gloved hands again "I've set a barrier around this whole area. Nothing goes in or out without me knowing."

Ripley walks over to one of the supply crates and pulls out a motion tracker and switched it on "The same here. This device can sense movement within a kilometer. Unless those things can tunnel underground, nothing's getting the drop on us anytime soon." Nobody bothered to put away their weapons. "It's about time we tell each other everything. When we're all done, I'm gonna ask again that we leave this place. Otherwise, we all die horribly."

Every member of Night Raid quietly gathered around Ripley. "Newt." She addressed the little girl "Can you use that headpiece and look inside my memories, and show everyone here what you see?"

"She should be able to, Ripley." Najenda ascertained "Her demonstrated abilities show that she has 100% compatibility with Imperial Arm, Spectator."

With ready determination, Newt nods her head. Ripley turns to Najenda and the others. When she sees everybody settled down and listening intently, she began to speak "It all started on the starship, USCSS Nostromo when my crew and I were pulled out of hypersleep and diverted off course to investigate an unknown broadcasting signal…"

Jaegers' Quarters, Royal Palace, Capital of the Empire

Esdeath was busy admiring Tatsumi's hand drawn face in her little art book, when Run entered the room carrying a portfolio with papers inside. "Ma'am, new orders from the Prime Minister." he offered the folder to her "And there's some intel on the recent flood of rumors, circulating throughout the Empire."

The General makes a frown, then slowly closes the book and puts it away. She takes the portfolio held out to her, and began looking over the pages.

"Run, gather the Jaegers. Have them meet in the conference room immediately."

Some time later, the doors leading into the conference room swung open. The first ones to walk in was Run, followed by Wave and Kurome who was busy munching on a bag full of sweets. Bols came in after, carrying his daughter and with his wife walking by his side. He gives his daughter one last hug and tells them both to go back home. Everyone began taking their seats, when the last arriving member came bursting through the doorway.

"Greetings, Fellow Warriors of Justice! Seryu Ubiquitous, Reporting for Duty!" Seryu raises one of her metal arms and salutes. Her Imperial arm, Koro does the same. "How soon can we go out and dispense Justice on those lowly criminals of Night Raid?"

"If you hurry and take your seat Seryu, I can explain the details sooner." Esdeath answered calmly "We're against the clock on this one." With a cheerful grin, Seryu sat down next to Bols.

The leader of the Jaegers unfolds a map, and places it on the conference table "Like I just told Seryu, we don't have a lot of time to waste. So, I'll just tell the important bits. The Imperial Army has been mobilized to investigate a disturbance near the Empire's southern border."

Wave raised his hand, and asked "Is it the Revolutionary Army? Are they mounting an attack?" Esdeath shrugs "Don't know. All we have are eyewitness accounts from the local garrison, claiming they saw a bright flash of light and a thunderous explosion shook the ground and devastated the nearby mountain range." She continues talking "An Expeditionary Force will make its way through the wilderness and establish a forward base, just North of this mountain" she points to a certain area on the map "Its peak has been blown off as a result of the explosion, and it should make it easy for our forces to traverse it and reach the valley beyond. We the Jaegers, are being sent out there as well to assist in the investigation."

"But first…" Esdeath traces her finger upwards along the map to highlight a widespread portion "We've been getting reported sightings of a Danger Beast, flying around this area here. The reports go on to describe the creature as large and dark in color. With a long streamlined body and a broad shape towards the front."

This time Run was the one to speak up "You think it's Night Raid? Riding atop their Air Manta, they've been rumored to have?" Esdeath throws him a smile, and answers "It seems likely. The Danger Beast has been circling several small towns and villages before making it's way towards the Capital."

"But why expose themselves already?" Wave inquired "Why let so many people see them, before making their way towards us?" His Commander smirked, and replied "It's probably one of Najenda's cheap tricks to draw us out. Regardless, we'll know for sure when we see it for ourselves. The most recent sightings places it here, south of the fortress Shisuikan. If it continues on its current flight path, it should reach the fortress within the next day. We're riding out there today to head it off."

"Yes, Commander! Justice always fights Evil head on! Let them just try and lay a trap for us, it will never work with Justice in our side!" claimed an enthusiastic Seryu. The others Jaegers sighed and shrugged their shoulders. Esdeath kept on speaking "We'll launch an attack on it to bring it to the ground. If it turns out to be Night Raid, we'll eliminate them in an all out fight. If it's just a random Danger Beast, we'll just kill it for distracting us and continue riding to join with the Expeditionary Force." All of her subordinates nodded to confirm they understood the plan.

"Then gather your weapons and Imperial Arms, and meet me at the stables. We ride out as soon as possible!"

Esdeath stood by the horses with one hand on a horse's reigns and the other resting on a large rapier hanging by her side, waiting for the other Jaegers to join her.

Run and Wave have just arrived, with Mastema's wing discs tied to Run's shoulders, and Grand Chariot in its cutlass form strapped to Wave's hip.

Kurome was in her room gathering more sweets into her bag. She reaches for her katana Imperial Arm, Yatsufusa in its sheath and ties it to her waist. "Wait for me Big Sis." she murmured "I'll be seeing you real soon." She then trotted out the door.

In a nearby room, Bols takes one last look at a photo of his wife and daughter. "Wish me luck. I'll be back as soon as I can." he says, before placing the framed picture on a shelf and picking up his flamethrower Imperial Arm, Rubicante and strapping its harnesses over his shoulders. He walks out the door, and follows Kurome towards the stables.

In an armory behind Dr. Stylish's lab, Seryu was going over inventory of all the Judgment of the Ten Kings, left for her to use. After confirming that she was fully stocked, a malicious grin takes form across her mouth "Just wait Night Raid! I'll have Koro devour each and every one of you right down to your feet!" Beside her, Koro also makes a sinister grin showing rows of cruelly sharp fangs. "Koro! Load Up!" ordered the auburn haired murderer, and the biological Imperial Arm enlarged his head and opened his expanded mouth expectantly.

Seryu began placing various types of weapons and equipment into the gaping maw. A large drill, an anti- tank rifle, a hook-shot, a spiked ball and chain, a metal arm with a radar scope attached to it, another arm with a missile pod attached to it, a large blade, four missile launcher turrets, and a giant heavily armored missile which Koro had to use his expanded arms to help shove into his mouth. Koro then closed his mouth and returned to his normal small size. Seryu rubbed the back of her head thoughtfully, before picking Koro up and made towards the lab's exit. She took one last look at the lab to reminisce about the man who once worked in it "I'll bring Justice to those bastards that murdered you Dr. Stylish!" she swore "Then you and Father and Captain Ogre can rest easy."

At the Palace walls, its large gates open to let the Jaegers through on horseback with Esdeath leading them. Hidden in the bushes nearby, two men watched them leave "Get a message to HQ." One says to the other "Tell them the Jaegers are on the move, and to warn Night Raid."

Night Raid Base Camp, Hadley's Hope, South of the Empire

Ripley, Newt, and all the members of Night Raid sat back in chairs, taking a moment to process all the incredible information that was shared between them. Only Ripley didn't seem as impressed as the others. "A corrupt nation, on the brink of civil war, the strong preying on the weak. People slaughtering and tormenting each other in droves. This world was fucked up long before we got here." she concluded.

Najenda looks at her "None of this comes as a surprise to you?" Ripley smirked and said "On my world, Humanity has had a long sad history of violence, war and suffering. For more than two millennia, the mass homicides and genocides have dragged on. The only difference is it's become much cleaner. People mostly just kill each other to gain wealth."

The leader of Night Raid makes a shuddering motion "You're talking about your employers and their plans for the Aliens?" Ripley nods "Yes. If they ever got their hands on the Aliens, countless worlds would end up like the Hadley Colony. The death toll would go beyond numbering."

"But what about our world?" argued Chelsea "How can you be so sure these Aliens can bring about it's end? I don't know if you noticed, but our world has its fair share of Danger Beasts. And we've been getting by just fine with them running around." Ripley looks at her in response "These aren't some species that evolved naturally on this planet. They didn't even originate from my world. Their physiology comes as an unholy miracle from beyond any known space. A perfect killer that doesn't know pain or fear or pity. They exists only to kill all those around them. And their Queen is capable of breeding them to match one egg to a host. As long as there's a planet with life. The Aliens can match it with death."

"Sounds like they have most in common with Esdeath, Seryu and the Prime Minister." surmised Tatsumi "As long as people like those three still breath, not a soul on this planet will know peace." Ripley places a hand on his shoulder "I know those three have caused you all so much grief and misery. But if they are as powerful as you described. Then perhaps they can help in eradicating the Aliens. The Enemy of My Enemy-"

"Is still an Enemy" interrupted Najenda "Nobody from the Empire would want to kill this species. Worst case scenario, they attempt to capture these creatures and turn them into weapons against us." Ripley shakes her head "They will fail and die"

"And the Aliens will flourish because of it and will make this fight even more complicated." Night Raid's leader adds "Our goal to bring down the Empire remains our highest priority. The Alien threat will have to wait afterwards."

Ripley moans in frustration "It will be too late by then. If left unchecked, these things will swell in numbers and overwhelm any force that might try to stop them."

Najenda shrugs "I'm sorry, Ripley. But every member of both the Revolutionary Army and Night Raid have laid down their lives to bring about change to this world. It would not be right to suddenly abandon the cause, when we have come so close to making the world a better place." Ripley persisted "If you take me to your superiors, and I plead my case to shift priorities. Would you then focus on the Aliens, instead?"

"We're all soldiers here. We'll follow the orders we've been given." replied Najenda "I can't guarantee that the higher-ups would even listen to you and your story. It would sound too farfetched. What then? Would you fight the Aliens all on your own? You could always join our group and fight for a better future for you and Newt."

Ripley shakes her head again "You're talking about changing the world. But I'm talking about making sure there's still a world left for you to change. You've already known it would be impossible for me to go it alone. That's why I've decided to follow Night Raid. At least until I'm no longer by myself in this situation."

"You're referring to your comrades, Hicks and Bishop?" Lubbock asked "How can you be sure they're alive and in this world?"

"Because everything that was in the colony wound up here. It stands to reason they'd be here too. We just need a way to find them." Ripley went to one of the crates and pulled out the transmitter "If I can get to a high enough elevation, this communication device can broadcast a radio signal far enough to reach them in the Dropship. Wherever that might be."

Leone looks at the transmitter with interest "Amazing! To think, you can find your friends and speak with them in an instant. All thanks to this gizmo"

"Big Deal!" Mine rambeld "Why don't you use that thing to contact your spaceship? You said the one you came with, the USS Sulaco was a warship, right? Can't you call upon its arsenal to help fight the Empire, and destroy the Aliens as well?"

"It's not that simple, Mine." Ripley explains "This transmitter isn't strong enough to manage orbital communication. At best it can scan for the ship's IFF, but that's only possible with adequate power being provided." She looks up as if searching through the skies "And even if by some miracle, the Sulaco is up there and we can find it, we still need the Dropship to take us off planet."

Akame walks up to Ripley "How high do you need to get, for you to send out the signal?" The former Warrant Officer looks back up again "The higher I can get, the better the coverage will be. Maybe atop a mountain or flying over the clouds." Najenda looks at her thoughtfully "Would the Air Manta work?"

"What's an Air Manta?" Ripley asked. Najenda grabs her hand, and leads her and Newt out the tent towards the edge of camp where the Danger Beast is tethered. The rest of Night Raid followed close by. Ripley and Newt looked at it with suspicion. After a while though, Newt rubs her hand along the Air Manta's smooth belly. The creature makes a pleasant humming tune in response. "So, you all flew around on top of this?" she wonders aloud.

"We normally use horses and wagons for transport." Najenda informed "But a few of us can use flying Danger Beasts as a means to travel by air. If you can tame one, of course."

Ripley looks at the transmitter in her hands excitedly "Then let's try it out! We've got to find Hicks and let him know where we are!"

Suddenly, a growling noise sounded off from Ripley's stomach. Another, smaller growling noise came from Newt's. And finally a loud growl that sounded more like a roar, escape from the stomach of Akame, who covers her belly in embarrassment. Everyone looks in shock, causing her to blush.

Najenda chuckles and says "I think we should eat some dinner first before we try anything. Newt there looks almost like skin and bones. And I can't have my best fighter here, lose her edge by missing out on a meal." Ripley concedes and nods.

"Su! Prepare this evening's supper. Let's have a feast in honor of our guests!" Everyone cheers and made their way back to the central tent to set the tables, while Susanoo rolled up his sleeves and headed towards the cooking tent.

After a while, Ripley, Newt and the members of Night Raid sat together around a large dinner table waiting for Susanoo to serve their meals.

"Hope all of you are ready, because I went all out on this one!" the humanoid Imperial Arm placed several plates of food in front of each person seated "For our Leader, there's Salt Ramen with hard noodles and a Zesty Chicken."

Najenda make a doe-eyed face "Wow!"

"For Mine and Chelsea you both get Strawberry Parfait with a little extra ingredient included"

Mine clasps her hands in excitement with some hearts floating above her head, while Chelsea quickly grabs the one with the largest portion.

"For you Lubbock, Bokkai Shrimp, fresh from the water."

Lubbock's face lights up with overwhelming joy, as if some gorgeous babe appeared in front of him and asked him out.

"Leone, I've brought you Oden and Chilled Alcohol a very pricey beverage at that."

Leone makes a cheering gesture "Yes!"

"For you Newt, I've made a Tomato Bisque garnished with Cheddar Cheese and Nutritional Herbs."

Newt looks at the large bowl in front of her with the uncertainty of being able to eat all of it, but she looks up and says "Thank You"

"Ripley, you get Spaghetti and Meatballs with Mushrooms and Assorted Spices mixed in."

Ripley looks up from her plate "For an Artificial Person, you seem to know your way around the kitchen."

"I prefer the term, Humanoid Imperial Arm myself" corrected Susanoo. "Sounds like something, Bishop would say" commented Ripley. Susanoo raises an eyebrow "You mean your Synthetic friend? We're not that much similar. I was created by means of magic and alchemy to fight my creators' battles, while your Artificial Person was made by science and technology to accommodate your menial needs." Ripley smirks "Yet, you both display sincere devotion to the people around you. Nobody would call you a real person but you and Bishop maintain a standard of humanity, people from both our worlds should aspire to imitate."

"I'll take that as a compliment. Please enjoy your meal. Okay! Next, we have Akame. Yours is an Assortment of Meats from every animal I can find, coated in my Secret Sauce."

Akame looks at her food in an ecstatic daze, as her mouth slowly begins to salivate.

"And Tatsumi said anything was fine, so a Special Susanoo lunch set."

Tatsumi looks at his plate, befuddled "Hey. Doesn't this look like a kid's meal?" Mine snorted in an attempt to conceal her laughter.

"Wanna trade?" asks Newt. Tatsumi shakes his head "Now Newt. When we learned you survived by yourself scavenging for food, it's decided we start you off on the simple qualities. Hence the soup." Newt frowns and picks up a spoon to begin eating.

"Hey, Tatsumi!" Leone wraps her arm around Night Raid's newest member "You do know what you're supposed to do when your Big Sis' cup is empty right?"

"Yes, Leone. I'll fill it for you." Tatsumi replied. "Well Done!" Leone tries to give him a chest smothering hug. Mine turns to both of them "Hey, quit it! I'm trying to eat in peace-Hrk!" she began coughing uncontrollably.

Najenda looks at her Subordinate "Su! Help Mine out! She's choking!"

Ripley looks at Mine also, with a dark suspicion. She slowly reaches for her pulse-rifle hanging off her chair, but Chelsea grabs her by the wrist "Easy, Ripley! It's not what you think!"

Susanoo rushes up behind Mine and gives her a hard slap against her back. She coughs one more time, and a half-eaten strawberry shoots out her mouth and lands on Akame's recently emptied plate.

"Gross!" Lubbock, Tatsumi, and Newt said out loud.

Mine blushes in pure embarrassment, while Lubbock begins to berate her "Dammit, Mine! Hasn't anyone taught you to chew your food?-!"

Suddenly, he stops talking, and picked up one of Cross Tails' gloves "Boss! The barrier's been tripped. Something's caught in it."

All eyes turned towards the green haired defense operative.

"I feel tugging on the threads. Whatever's been caught, it's Big." Thwrp! The threads started to tighten hard "And it's strong!" Lubbock puts on Cross Tails' gloves, knotting off certain lines so as not to be yanked around by the violently jerking force.

Najenda and Ripley, both call out "Which direction!?" Lubbock feels along the many strands in front of him "It's from the Northern side of the Colony."

Ripley picks up her motion tracker "I'm not reading any movement."

"That's because anything caught in the barrier are immobilized by the threads." Explained the verdant haired youth "Like a fly in a spider's web." he turns back to the threads, and sees that more lines have started to tighten "We've got more of them! They're getting snagged all over the place!"

Ripley slings her weapon over her shoulder and grabs Newt's hand "Najenda. For the last time, we need to leave right now!"

"Cool it, Ripley! Nothing's getting through the barrier. Right, Lubbock?" Night Raid's leader looks at her male subordinate. "That's right." he assured "Once they're caught, all they can do is struggle until the threads begin to cut into their flesh-" Twang! Suddenly, the strands in front of Lubbock began to snap loose and go slack.

"What the hell?" Lubbock winds the loose threads back to him. He looks at some of the strands' severed ends. They're melted and dripping with yellowish fluids "These are some of my strongest threads. What kind of liquid can burn through them like that?"

"Acid" answers a terrified Ripley "Acid for blood."

Blip! Blip! The motion tracker in her hand began beeping Blip! Blip! Blip!... It's view screen show ten contacts dots, then twenty, then thirty with more increasing until half the screen was covered with tracking dots.

Everyone grabbed their Imperial Arms, before turning to Najenda for instructions. She looks over at Ripley "Alright Ripley. We'll do it your way. We're abandoning Camp. Mine, take Pumpkin and cover us. Su, you and Tatsumi go with her and back her up. The rest of you, come and help me prep the Air Manta for take off!"

"Wait!" Ripley called for everyone to stop "You can't hold them off with hand to hand and a single gun, your melee weapons will disintegrate from the acid. I'll go with Mine. The rest of you, load those crates and come pick us up when you're finished." She lets go of Newt's hand "Newt, stay close to Najenda. Do whatever she says. Alright?"

The little girl quietly nods, and Najenda picks her up with her prosthetic arm. "C'mon kid! This way!" she says while making her way towards the flying Danger Beast.

Ripley went to where her jacket lay and slipped it back on. She readies her pulse rifle and checks the ammo counter showing 99 rounds in the magazine. She remembers the grenade launcher was loaded and ready too, so she looks at the flamethrower and frowns. It was still empty, and she had no way of refilling it.

Kapow! Kapow! Kapow! Shots rang out from outside the tent, at the edge of camp. Realizing time was running out, the former Warrant Officer rushed to the ammo crat, and grabbed some spare pulse-rifle clips before pocketing them and running out to join Mine.

"It's about time you came! These bastards just keep coming!" Mine yelled out as she kept firing at the approaching horde "I count at least forty of them before giving up, and began shooting." Ripley looks out ahead of her, and once again had to fight the urge to run away.

There they were, charging across the landscape between the Camp and the Colony, came the Aliens. They scuttled over one another, driven by the single-minded purpose of storming the campsite.

"Don't let them get close!" Rata-ta-ta-ta! Ripley steadied her pulse-rifle and opened fire, silently praying she had enough rounds to keep them at bay.

"Don't have to tell Me twice!" Mine responded as she continued to blast away at the oncoming Aliens. While Ripley was spraying rounds everywhere and reloading, Mine was quickly selecting a target and squeezing Pumpkin's trigger. All of her shots were accurate, with every spirit-powered round blowing apart any Alien that got hit. But with every Xenomorph that went down screeching, two more took its place bringing the horde closer to their prey.

"We're losing ground!" Ripley called out "We can't hold them off for much longer!"

"Don't worry!" Mine responded "The closer they get, the more powerful Pumpkin's shots become!" She began taking notice of her Imperial Arm's strengthening recoil, causing more Aliens being blown apart behind every Alien she shot at.

The Alien horde began to split down the middle and circle around the sides.

"They're trying to flank us! I'll take the left side! Mine, you take the right!" Ripley instructed, reloading the last magazine she brought with her.

"Yeah! I got it!" answered Mine, trying hard to maintain her aim as Pumpkin's recoil and shots grew stronger and stronger.

Ripley focuses on the Aliens coming to her side, unleashing a storm of pulse-rifle fire. Her last magazine ran dangerously low, but seeing them bunched up together gave her an idea. She switches to the grenade launcher and fires off a round Plunk!

Kaboom! Five Aliens at the front of the pack were instantly blown to pieces. And the remaining Xenomorphs had to pause in order to maneuver around the flames left behind by the grenade's detonation.

Ripley worked the pump-action and fired the remaining grenades. The barrage she sent resulted in her side completely blocked off by fire and deep smoking craters, buying her time as the Aliens looked for a way through the devastation. She inspected the pulse-rifle's ammo counter. 15 rounds left then it's empty. That's enough bullets to kill about a handful of Aliens, but many more would remain.

Ripley looked behind her, pondering the idea of her going back to camp and fetch more ammo, before Mine can get overwhelmed. But she startles, when a man wearing a white and silver suit of armor, appeared next to her.

"Ripley! It's Me, Tatsumi!" The new member of Night Raid called out from inside his armor's helmet "I'm wearing my Imperial Arm, Incursio. I've come to help!"

"I've told you before! Fighting them up close is a bad idea!" Ripley warned. Tatsumi ignored her, and turned around to pick up the trunk of a fallen tree he'd brought from the nearby forest "I've heard you before! So check this out!" He lifts the tree, and hurls it at the Aliens.

The tree lands on a trio of Xenomorphs that made it past the wall of flames Ripley made, crushing them.

"Incursio grants me immense physical strength as long as I wear its armor. I can throw large objects without effort!"

Ripley looks in wonder as Tatsumi picks up another tree and sends it flying towards the Aliens. This time the tree starts rolling as it lands, tripping up the pack of Xenomorphs and slowing them down as they scatter to avoid the incoming projectile.

Ripley looks over at the pile of fallen trees Tatsumi stockpiled for throwing "Tatsumi! Concentrate your aim at one side of the pack! Try to force them over to Mine's range. Mine! I'm low on ammo, so Tatsumi's gonna send more targets your way! Think you can manage!?"

Mine gleefully smiles and answers "Leave them to me! I can handle these bastards, no problem!" Pumpkin was now powerful enough to send Mine stepping backwards with its recoil, and her shots were destroying four Aliens at a time. Her rate of fire started to decrease as she struggled to keep the Imperial Arm steady and accurate.

One of the Aliens at the front of the horde took advantage of the slowing barrage and dodged around a shot. The Xenomorph was a few yards away from Mine, when it quickly jumped at her with a pouncing motion.

"Mine! Look Out!" Ripley called out in a panic. The pink haired sniper had a split second to see a mass of claws, teeth and slime coming straight at her.

Suddenly, the Alien was sent tumbling a few feet away, after Tatsumi jumped in front of Mine, and delivered a left hook into the monster's face. It recovered instantly, then faces him, hissing viciously.

Before the Alien can attack Tatsumi, Ripley aimed her pulse-rifle, and shot it till it stopped moving "We're out of Time! We have to get out of here, Now!" As if in answer, another voice calls out from above "Up Here!"

Ripley and Tatsumi look up to see Najenda, Newt and the other members of Night Raid on top of the flying Air Manta, hovering a few stories over them.

"Su! Get them on board!" ordered Najenda, and Susanoo quickly jumped down, picked up Ripley in his arms, then leapt back on to the Air Manta.

"Mine! Grab on to me!" Tatsumi grabs Mine, and picks her up in a bridal hold, before taking a similar leap towards the Air Manta. An Alien pounces towards them to intercept, but Mine quickly fires Pumpkin, and blows it away right as it reaches for Tatsumi's leg and rakes its claws on his boot's shin protector.

Once Tatsumi and Mine land safely aboard the Air Manta, Najenda tugs its reigns to make it fly higher.

Another Alien makes a jump at them, and latches on to the Danger Beast's side. It crawls up on top and makes ready to attack, but was suddenly set ablaze when Leone threw a lit Molotov cocktail at it.

"That's for ruining my Dinner! You Piece of Shit!" the angry blonde yells in fury as the Xenomorph screeched in burning agony.

While the Alien was distracted, Akame quickly ran at it, and delivered a roundhouse kick to the face. It stumbled over the side, and fell off the Air Manta in a burning, screaming heap. The other Aliens below, scattered as their torched brethren hit the ground.

Shreee! A loud, piercing shriek echoed across the land and the Aliens charged back North, towards the same direction where the shriek came from.

From atop the Air Manta, Ripley and the others looked down to see what's happening.

"Where are they going now?" Chelsea asks. Ripley sits beside her with Newt sitting in her lap "They're going wherever their Queen tells them to go. She's the one that made that noise and called them back. They follow her will and orders, whatever that may be." Akame looks at her "Was she the monster Newt showed us, using Spectator's Illusion Sight?" Ripley nods her head "She's the one who leads the Aliens. She's bigger, stronger, and smarter than the ones you've just seen. She also lays the eggs that allows her species to breed and grow."

Leone, Mine and Chelsea place a hand on their chests with disgust and sickening fear, thinking about when Ripley explained during her briefing, the facehugging and chestbursting process with which Aliens are born.

"The Queen and her eggs are the center of this infestation." continued Ripley "As long as either of them exist, the Aliens will swarm over this entire planet. One living host at a time."

Night Raid watches as the Aliens disappear among the trees at the north end of the Colony, leaving the valley into the quiet desolate ruin that it was.

Tatsumi deactivates Incursio, then suddenly grabs his leg in pain. He rolls up his pants, and see that his shin has a set of bleeding cuts at where the Alien had slashed him. "Damn!" he hissed through clenched teeth "These guys are strong to be able to get through Incursio's armor like that! And you say the Queen is stronger? Boss, maybe we should listen to Ripley and focus on getting rid of these Aliens. There's no telling how much destruction they can cause, if left running loose."

"It's not my call to make. We can't ignore the Jaegers and the Empire, either." Najenda looks over at Ripley "Again, I'm sorry. We've underestimated the Aliens, which is why I'm taking you to Headquarters to have our leaders decide our next course of action. Believe me, none of us wants those monsters to spread out and take over the world."

Ripley nods her head in understanding "Fine. I've underestimated you all too. You're much stronger than what I've could've imagined. Now I know you guys are our best hope in wiping out this species for good."

Akame places her hand on Ripley's shoulder "Don't worry Ripley. If all it takes is for us to kill the Queen, you can count on me to Eliminate her." She holds up Murasame with resolve. Ripley looks at her Imperial Arm with skepticism "You're gonna need more than that sword of yours."

"It's deadlier than you think." Akame insisted.

"Relax, Akame." said Najenda "You'll get your chance soon enough. We just have to wait and see which problem needs our attention first, The Aliens or the Empire" She steers the Air Manta towards the South, after taking one last look Northward "Beside, we're not the only group capable of fighting the Aliens…"

"Stay still Tatsumi. Let's have a look at your wound." Mine takes some bandages and a rag out of a sack, and kneels down beside Tatsumi's injured leg "The cuts aren't that deep. I guess Incursio was strong enough to protect you this much. Otherwise you would have lost a foot."

Ripley sits Newt down next to Chelsea and tells her to stay, while she goes over to the crate that held the Colonial Marine medical supplies. "Here, take these." she hands Mine a couple of bottles of medicine "This one will disinfect the cuts and this one will stop the bleeding."

Mine wipes up the blood with the rag and sprays the first bottle on Tatsumi's shin.

"It feels cold. And the pain is gone!" exclaimed Tatsumi. Mine sprays the other bottle, and the blood stopped flowing. "Amazing!" she gasped.

"Our pharmaceuticals are far more advanced than yours in this world" Ripley explained "And you can get these medicines for cheap at any retail market back where I'm from."

Mine gives back the bottles of medicine and starts to wrap Tatsumi's leg with the bandages. Once finished, she stands up looking accomplished "There! Treatment successful!" Tatsumi looks up at her gratuitously "Thanks Mine. You've been a great help."

Mine blushes and replies "It's nothing! You watched my back earlier down there, so I thought I'd return the favor."

"I should thank you too Mine." Ripley states with genuine appreciation "You've fought your hardest to ensure we all escaped safely. And me and Newt wouldn't be sitting here with you all if you haven't found us." Newt looks over at them and says "Thank you Mine. And you too Tatsumi. You both were amazing down there, fighting the monsters."

Overwhelmed by the compliments, a still blushing Mine quietly sits down with her back against Tatsumi who throws Newt a thumbs up.

Lubbock stares at the three equipment boxes in amazement "Wow. Your world has so much incredible things Ripley. Miraculous medicines, extremely advanced technology…"

"Don't forget, space travel" added Akame, as she looks up at the evening sky "I thought it was already fascinating to just sail the ocean and see new places. But to think that you make your living flying beyond the stars. It must look beautiful from up there."

"It is" said Ripley, while putting away the medicine bottles "Space can show you just how beautiful and terrible our universe can be. Even more so considering what's lurking up there, among the stars."

Akame looks at Ripley again "Do you think it's possible to visit your world? I mean if you were able to come to this place, then perhaps there's a way for you to return?"

Ripley smiles and brings out the transmitter from its box again "Only a certain Artificial Person can answer that. And if he's out there somewhere, this is the only way for him to find us." She powers up the transmitter and began speaking into the microphone "Bishop. Hicks. This is Ripley. Over."

The transmitter's speaker lets out a sound of whining static. Everyone aboard the Air Manta gathered around Ripley. Najenda hands the reigns over to Susanoo and joins as well.

After a minute of listening to static, Ripley speaks into the microphone again "Bishop! Hicks! This is Ripley! Do you read me!? Over!"

More static.

Another minute passed by, then two before Ripley began to lose hope. Then finally, a faded voice began to sound off through the speaker. Ripley began pressing buttons on the transmitter in an attempt to get a clear signal. When she finished, the voice from the speaker rang out loud and clear ["Ripley? This is Bishop. We read you loud and clear. Over."]

All of Night Raid cheered loudly and Newt went to hug Ripley with silent tears of joy.

["Are you there, Ripley? This is Bishop. We read you loud and clear. Over."] The voice continued to sound off through the speaker. Everybody grew quiet when Najenda raises a finger to her lips to settle them down, then Ripley answers "Bishop!? Thank God! It's good to hear you. Where are you? Are you with Hicks? Are you both alright? Over."

Another minute went by and Bishop replies ["It's good to hear you too, Ripley. Yes, I'm with Hicks. We're both safe inside the dropship. Hicks is unconscious right now. I had to give him another dose of medicine for his wounds, so he'll be out for a while. As for where we are, I can't say for sure. My memory banks is somewhat corrupted. My last memory was attempting to rescue you and Newt at the Atmosphere Processor's landing platform. Then we woke up to find ourselves landed on a grass field in the middle of some forest. That was yesterday morning. Afterwards, I've powered up the ship and took flight. We've been searching for you and Newt ever since."]

Ripley breathed a sigh of relief. From what Bishop described, their situation doesn't seem dire. And it sounds like the dropship remains functional. Now they just need to find each other.

Bishop continues speaking ["Ok, Ripley. Same questions as you asked me. What's your location and situation. Over."]

Ripley looks at everyone around her and carefully answers "I have Newt here with me. We're both fine and safe among friends. But, listen Bishop. Wherever we ended up, the Aliens came with us along with the Hadley Colony. We barely managed to get away. I need you to come and find us, so we can try to find the Sulaco." Najenda whispers into her ear. Ripley continues talking into the microphone "We're currently heading south of the Colony through wilderness to meet with allies. Can you meet us there? Over."

A few seconds go by and Bishop answers ["I'm sorry Ripley. The ship's navigational computer is still malfunctioning. We can't get our bearings or determine our position on this planet since the computer was calibrated for LV-426's cartography and new mapping data has to be supplied by docking with the Sulaco and downloading the data from its sensors. Our best chance is to give me a day or two to manually calibrate the computer using visual reference of the sun's, stars' and the moon's relative rotation. Do you see the small button in back of the transmitter? Press it. It's a homing beacon that I can lock on to. Once I have the computer working properly, I can triangulate the signal and pinpoint your exact location. Until then, keep the transmitter activated and broadcasting close to you. Understand? Over."]

Ripley follows the instructions and pressed the button for the homing beacon "Alright Bishop. Beacon's activated. Once you have our position, come find us right away. And another thing, don't try to land or contact the indigenous population. There's a group of people out there who would try to attack or capture you, and we can't risk you or the ship being destroyed. Or worse, falling into the wrong hands. You have to be careful, trust me Bishop. Also, the Aliens. We've last spotted them heading north, away from the Colony. If you spot them on your way towards us, use the ship's weaponry and kill as many as you can. Do you copy? Over."

Bishop verbally confirms her orders ["Roger. Avoid the indigenous, destroy any Xenomorphs I come across, and come find you. Correct? Over."] Ripley nods to herself "That's right. I'll contact you if something happens. See you soon. Over."

Bishop replies with a final transmission ["Stay safe. Over and Out."] The speaker resumes giving off the sound of static, then Ripley flips a switch and shuts it off. The only sound remaining was the homing beacon generating a steady beeping sound.

"Well? How did it go? Are your friends coming?" Najenda asked.

Ripley shakes her head "No, not yet. It's gonna take them a while to find us. Maybe about a day or two."

Tired from today's events and the promise of battle in later days, all of Night Raid began to rest aboard the Air Manta.

Leone was already lying down, snoring and making hiccups from having drunken the last bottle of alcohol left to her.

Chelsea laid down nearby, clutching a sleeping Newt for warmth.

Mine was still sitting with her back against Tatumi's, while drifting into sleep. Tatsumi lays her down properly and covers her with his jacket. He lies down nearby and sees Akame next to him, laying on her back and staring up at the night's sky and its many stars. "Can't sleep Akame?" he asks.

The crimson-eyed assassin answers without taking her eyes off the stars "No, not really. I'm still just so excited about space travel. To think, Ripley's friends have a ship that can take them up there. Perhaps I can ask to go with them? Just a quick trip up there and back would be more than enough for me. I wish Kurome can be there with me to share that experience."

Tatsumi turns to look up at the stars as well, just in time to see a shooting star race across the sky. He smiles and says "Don't give up Akame. After meeting Ripley and Newt, and with everything we've seen today, I just know this world is full of possibilities. We'll get your sister back, even if we have to beat her up and drag her with us kicking and screaming."

Akame smiles "Thank you, Tatsumi. That's real nice of you. I think." She turns her head and closes her eyes to sleep. Still smiling, the green eyed fighter took one last look at the stars and goes to sleep.

Ripley was at the storage crates, putting away her weapon and Newt's newly acquired Imperial Arm. Najenda approaches her with Lubbock at her side "Are you're friends going to be alright? If they don't know where they are and they find themselves within the Empire, there's no guarantee they won't be spotted or attacked." Lubbock concurs "Yeah! And if the they run into the Jaegers, they'll be worse off!"

Ripley sighs, then shrugged "There's nothing we can do right now to help them. At this time, they're on their own." She places the transmitter in an empty sack and ties it to her back "Don't worry, they're both tough and smart. And the dropship is extremely powerful. Nothing's gonna trouble them, anytime soon."

South of the Fortress Shisuikan, Inside Imperial Territory

In the light of the next morning, above the flat rolling plain, flew the UD-4L Cheyenne Dropship as it makes its way towards the Imperial Fortress. In its cockpit sat the android Synthetic Lance Bishop as he pilots the ship, all the while inputting information into the ship's computer of every visual data he sees. Since his programming granted him the ability to obtain and process all sorts of information at 10 times that of a regular human, he was able to gather the local geography, topography, and thanks to the computer's built-in compass, even a rudimentary direction of North, East, South, and West. But to get a fix on Ripley's position, he'll need global positioning data for the computer. And for that to happen he'll need to acquire the necessary data on a massive scale. Hence the reason why Corporal Dwayne Hicks was in the ship's passenger bay, hastily assembling a device, using tools, some tape, and a welding torch. As per Bishop's instructions.

"I don't understand, Bishop." Hicks questioned "Why are you flying us toward another populated settlement, if Ripley specifically told you not to contact the local natives?"

The synthetic technician finished making adjustments to the computer, and answers "Because, Corporal. We need a drop point for the probe I'm having you build. If we can set it on the surface and fly up into orbit, we can use the probe as a reference point to help map this planet's surface. Then, I can track Ripley's transmitter and bring us to her location."

Hicks puts down his tool and examines his creation. A modified communication transmitter coupled to a large power cell and a few processing hardware patched into it's systems. The probe's assembly and function was complicated, but thanks to Bishop's use of layman's terms and Hicks' own basic knowledge of Com-Tech engineering taught to him by his late loudmouth friend Hudson, the Corporal was able to build without it blowing up in his face. "Don't need anymore burns on my cheek." he said to himself, while feeling the bandage attached to the side of his face. The wounds from the acid burns still ached, but he can feel the pain dulling by the hour.

Hicks wraps the probe in a protective layer of duct tape to keep all the components together, before securing it to a seat and stepping into the cockpit to join the ship's pilot. "You still haven't told me, why are we heading towards a populated area?" He persisted. Bishop looks at him and clarify "Because if the probe malfunctions, gets damaged or destroyed. We'll need a visual landmark to find it again and make repairs or replace it."

The dropship lands on a clear field, just within view of the Fortress and Bishop lowers the ship's step ladder for Hicks to exit. The Corporal takes the probe, an electric auger, and a shovel, before stepping down the gantry.

"Use the drill to dig a hole, about 3 feet deep." instructed Bishop "Then activate the probe and gently lower it to the bottom. And use the shovel to bury it." He then looks at the ship's forward camera view screen, and adds "Hurry, Corporal. I can see people coming. Six individuals approaching on horseback."

Hicks was already burying the probe when he heard about the inbound natives. He quickly gathered the auger and shovel, before running up the gantry and sat in the cockpit's copilot seat behind Bishop. "Alright the probe's been activated and installed. Now let's get out of here before these people see us."

Too late. The group on horseback already came within shouting distance from the ship, before stopping in a tightly spreading formation. Hicks and Bishop studied the group as they came closer. At their center was a woman in a white military-looking uniform. She had long blue hair with matching eyes and a slim figure with a large bust. To her left was a young woman with auburn hair and amber colored eyes. She wore a similar uniform in green and has an animal resembling a small dog, hanging on her shoulder. Her arms seem metallic and resembles machinery, instead of flesh. The last person on the left was a large muscular man in a mask. His top was shirtless and there were three scars across his chest. On his back was an object resembling a gas tank with an odd looking weapon hanging from the side. To the blue haired woman's right was a young man with blond hair and golden eyes. He wore a white robe over a black suit underneath and there were two disc-shaped objects attached to his shoulders. Next, was another young man with dark hair and dark blue eyes. He wore a blue leather jacket with coal-colored pants, and had a sword tied to his waist. Finally, the last person was a teenage looking girl with medium length black hair and black eyes. Her clothes were a black sailor uniform and she also had a sword tied to her waist.

"No time to say hello, Bishop." Hicks ordered "Take us into orbit." Bishop grabbed the controls, and guided the ship upwards.

"They're escaping!" Seryu turned to her Imperial Arm "Koro! Number 6!"

Koro enlarges his head and clamps his mouth over Seryu's upper body. He opens his mouth and Seryu emerges with a giant missile attached to her right arm, with a number 6 painted on its side. Jumping off her horse and keeping the missile steady with her other arm, she takes aim "There's no way I'm letting you get away!"

FRRWSSHHH! Seryu launches the missile at the dropship.

"Bishop! Evasive maneuvers!" Hicks buckles into his seat, while screaming "Now!"

Bishop throttles the ship's engines to max output and barrel rolls the ship out of the missile's path. It misses the ship, but immediately turns around and comes back.

"It's got a lock on us! Punch it, Bishop! Try to lose it!" the dropship jets upwards and attempts to outrun the missile, which follows them persistently.

"It's pointless!" Seryu declared triumphantly "You can't run away from Justice, nor hide from it! It will always pursue Evil and annihilate it!" Beside her Esdeath shouts orders to the other Jaegers "Stay on your guard, everyone! We don't yet know what this thing is"

Bols jumps off his horse and readies Rubicante. Run activates Mastema and sprouts wings, then flies off his horse and hovers in place. Wave stabs Grand Chariot's cutlass form into the ground and summons his Imperial Arm's black armor onto himself, before taking a ready stance. Kurome dismounts and draws Yatsufusa from its sheath. She stands by, ready to summon her undead puppets depending on how the situation unfolds. Finally, Esdeath does the same and stands patiently with her rapier in hand.

"It doesn't seem like a Danger Beast." Run assessed "Its body looks metallic. And did anybody see what was in its head? It looked liked two people."

"Whatever it is, it's fast and agile despite its size." Esdeath commented "Let's see how long it last."

The dropship breaks right and rapidly decelerates to let the missile fly by. Before it can turn around and come back towards them, Hicks targeted it with the gatling gun and opened fire. In a series of ricochet noise, the 25mm rounds bounced harmlessly off the missile's armored shell.

"Ha!" Seryu taunted from below, grinning with pure malice as she sees the flying object try to fly away, with her missile in close pursuit "It's futile! You can't harm Justice!"

Suddenly, in a swift graceful motion, the flying object somersaults over the missile and levels behind it. Several appendages unfold from its body, each one holding weapon pods brimming with munitions.

"It's tough…" Hicks selects a Headlock air to air missile "Let's see how it holds up against this."

Right when the targeting HUD shows it's locked on target, the Corporal presses the launch trigger "Eat This!"

Shrrsshh! The Headlock missile shoots out of its launch pod and rockets towards the giant missile, ramming itself into the larger missile's rocket propulsion and detonates violently. Without its means of flight, the missile falls to the ground in a resounding crash and explodes. Kaboom!

Seryu looks in disbelief "Impossible! How can it destroy the reinforced armor weapon!?"

"Bring us in close…" Hicks directed "I want these twits kept in our sights."

Esdeath makes a sinister grin, while the other Jaegers watch in determine readiness as the Dropship descends towards them in a slow hovering motion.

"Are you sure about this, Hicks? They did just shoot at us" Bishop inquired, as he follows his orders to lower the ship down to face their assailants. "I know." Hicks rebutted "But, we need answers, and we got to try and reason with these folks.. They might at least know where we can find Ripley. You have instant reflexes, Bishop. If any of them make a move, gun the ship and make for orbit."

With its weapon pods still deployed, the Dropship levels into view, about a stone's throw away from where the Jaegers stood.

"Captain! Run is right! I see two people inside that thing's head" Informed Seryu, as she offered her commander a pair of binoculars she was using. Esdeath refuses the offer, and instead, conjures a scope made of ice and takes a look "Interesting. It seems the object they're in, is some sort of flying vehicle." She studies the two men inside. The one sitting in front had brown hair and hazel eyes and wore a blue jumpsuit. The other one had short brown hair and green eyes with a large bandage on the side of his face, and wore green combat fatigues. "Tatsumi?" she wondered out loud, but corrected herself. This man resembles her love interest, but had notable differences. The man looked older and more rugged, a different hairstyle and a confident attitude. The man puts on a headset and speaks into the microphone. Even his voice sounded different, as it blared electronically from the vehicle. "You should know, it's bad manners for you to attack us like that. Why don't we talk this out? Like civilized adults. This doesn't have to get any uglier."

"How dare you make demands with us!" Seryu called out "You think Justice will negotiate with Villains like you!?" The other Jaegers look at their leader, waiting for her to decide the next move.

Intrigued, Esdeath signals her team to stand down. "Yes." she replied "I think we can have a conversation. I hope you'll forgive us for our actions. We thought you were in league with our enemies. But now it seems, not to be the case. So tell me, who are you? And why are you here?"

"Since you shot at us just now, I think we're entitled to some answers first." The bandaged man responded, and the General nods her consent. He continues "Who are YOU. And why were you trying to kill us?" Esdeath shrugs and answers "Like I said before, We thought you were someone else, an enemy we've been tracking." She then adds "And, I wanted to see how strong you are."

Hicks was angry "Lady! Where I come from. We usually give each other names and warnings, before getting to shooting at one another. If you're part of some army or any kind of military organization, I'd make a formal complaint to your Commanding Officer." The blue eyed woman chuckled "I AM this Army's commanding officer. My name is Esdeath. GENERAL Esdeath. I'm the strongest in the Empire and one of the top military leaders of the Imperial Army. These…" she points to her subordinates "Are my specialized fighting group, the Jaegers. We defend the Empire against its enemies, whoever they may be." Then, she smugly adds "And where I come from, only the strong get to have a say in how they conduct themselves in battle. The weak stay downtrodden and die off. Now you have my name, and here's my warning. Answer what I asked earlier, or suffer and die."

Bishop glances at his flight HUD "Corporal. The thermometer just spiked below zero degrees for an instant. Not sure if that was a glitch or not."

Hicks eyed his weapons control console thoughtfully but decided to let it go for now. He still needs more answers from these people. But somehow, someway this woman is extremely dangerous, and he's not sure why. So he decides to push her "My name is Huckleberry Finn. And this is my good friend, Tom Sawyer. We're adventurers, looking for fame and fortune in the world." This time he felt a chill.

Bishop looks again at his HUD "Hicks. The thermometer spike down again. Seems deliberate, not a glitch." That confirms that the woman was the cause, and Hicks realized why he felt that chill for another reason beside the loss in temperature. It was Killing Intent. The woman, Esdeath just stood there with her face frowned and her eyes narrowed "You're lying. I know enough about sarcasm, to know if you're using it. Now speak truthfully! Last Warning!"

Hicks spoke with an innocent tone "Sorry! Sorry about that. Just a joke to liven up the mood. You'll get the truth from here on out. I promise, no bullshit."

Esdeath was not amused, but decided not to attack ("I still need more information. But afterwards, I'll show you my idea of a joke to liven up the mood. In the Torture Chamber") she thought. She finally responds "Talk!"

"My name is Hicks. CORPORAL Dwayne Hicks. I'm with the United States Colonial Marines Corps. And this guy here is Science Officer, Lance Bishop. We're part of a military expedition to investigate and eradicate a possible Xenomorph infestation on Planet LV-426. But something happened and we found ourselves in this place, with no idea how we got here or where our teammates went." Hicks explained, and all of the Jaegers looked at each other confused.

"That's one hell of a story you're talking about, but I believe you're speaking honestly" Esdeath spoke "Why don't you land your vehicle and come on out? We'd like to discuss this tale in person. And I would personally love to hear every detail of your story." Then she spoke quietly to herself ("In the Torture Chamber.")

Hicks looks at the Jaegers, suspiciously "You mind, sharing the names of your subordinates? There's no need to be strangers here. We can help each other."

The auburn haired girl, who fired the giant missile at them, stepped forward and waved her only remaining arm at them "My name is Seryu Ubiquitous! I'm an Ally of Justice! And this is my Imperial Arm, Koro." The small dog-like creature stood next to Seryu, and held up a spare metal arm, offering it to her. She looks down, takes the arm and attaches it to her shoulder. After moving it around to make sure it's set right, she uses it to form a salute. Koro mimics her, and salutes too. She made no threat or indication of hostility, as if she had completely forgotten that she tried to kill them a moment ago.

The other Jaegers introduced themselves more formally. The big man in the mask raised his hand in greetings "My name is Bols. Nice to meet you." The man with wings lands on the ground, and bows "My name is Run. It's a pleasure." The young man in black armor dematerialized the suit, and waves his hand "I'm Wave. Let's get along." And lastly, was the teenage girl, who sheaths her sword and speaks plainly. "Kurome" was all she said, before picking a small bag, and began eating its contents.

"Now that we all know each others names, can you please come down from there?" asked a smiling Esdeath, stepping forward.

"Stand By." Hicks called back "I'm bringing this Ship down to land-"

Swoosh! Suddenly, a missile fires from one of the weapon pods, and Esdeath instantly creates a large wall of ice to protect herself and the Jaegers. Instead of coming at them, the missile strikes the ground in front of them. It explodes and covers the entire area with a cloud of thick, black smoke. The Jaegers start coughing and look around, unable to see anything.

"Run! Clear this smoke!" ordered Esdeath, and her personal aide flaps his wings and dispelled the smoke cloud. She looks around to find the ship, and sees it gone. Then, she looks up along with everyone else and sees the dropship shrinking to the size of an insect as it rockets its way into the sky and disappear into the clouds.

"Cowards!" Seryu shrieked "How dare you trick us with such lowly tactics!"

The other Jeagers began gathering their horses.

"We'll deal with them later, Seryu." Esdeath commanded "For now, get back on your horse. We're moving to our next objective, rendezvous with the Expeditionary Force." She climbs back on her horse and takes one last look at the sky. "We will meet again, Corporal Hicks." She promised, and smiles at the thought of reuniting with such a worthy opponent.

The Jaegers' leader looks at her subordinates, to see them ready and waiting. "Let's go!" she orders, and the Jaegers ride on south towards the Empire's southern border.

Above the Empire's Atmosphere, Outer Space

The dropship flies out of the gravity well of the world it just left, and decelerates into stationary orbit.

Inside, Hicks and Bishop relax and checked the ship's status "Weapon pods retracted, Life Support is active and performing beautifully." observed the Corporal "All that's left, are the Champagne and Cigars." He turns to the Synthetic "How's it going on your end, Bishop?"

"Computer's syncing with the Probe." the Science Officer informs "Data feed should commence momentarily." He looks back at Hicks "So, why did you refuse General Esdeath's invitation to speak in person? Why, suddenly order me to fly us away from the Jaegers?"

"I thought your sharp eyes could see the threat for what it is, Bishop." the seasoned Marine makes a scowl "She was gonna kill us. The instant we land, she was gonna murder us somehow."

Bishop thinks over Hicks' revelation "Her breathing did change when she stepped towards us. Perhaps she had an ulterior motive?" Hicks shakes his head "C'mon, Bishop. Think. What did you see when you looked at her? What did she show that was wrong, and betrayed her intentions."

Bishop went over his many inbuilt databases and compared Esdeath's image to the human anatomy "She had a mark on her chest, just above the cleavage. It looked like a tattoo." Hicks shakes his head again "Close, Bishop. Try again. I saw it in her eyes but you can see it as a whole."

Bishop pushed his thought processors to the limit. He ran a comparison of everything that is Esdeath, and compared it to everyone else he's met in the past. Her mannerisms, her body motions, and overall dispositions towards other people. He looks up in conclusion "She's different from normal people. Abnormal, in a way as if she was made to be a normal person, but using a different and sinister material."

"She's EVIL, Bishop!" Hicks clarifies intensely "Pure Fucking Evil. That's what I saw when I looked in her eyes. I fought people who had that same look, but hers were colder and fathomless. It's as if her entire being was made up of Evil. Log that into your database, Bishop. Evil has a human form, and its Name is General Fucking Esdeath!" He punches the reinforced hull of the dropship in anger.

Even though his companion was distressed, Bishop stands there quietly and updates his database with this new information. He waits for the Corporal to calm down, and asks "What do we do next?"

Hicks slows his breathing and looks up. He sees the planet they where on and notices how similar it was to Earth. Except the local Moon was red in color. He then, looks around the dropship's interior and its cargo. Crates and boxes full of ammo, supplies, and equipment tucked away in the back, right beside the ship's weapons cache full of M41A pulse-rifles and M240 flamethrowers. He looks at his last remaining friend, Bishop who's vast knowledge and android faculties allow him to be their best chance at overcoming all the problems that stand before them. He looks at the ship's weapons control console, and the massive firepower that it's capable of launching. And finally, he looks at the flight computer and sees that is has begun downloading the global map data from the Probe.

"We wait, Bishop. We wait until we have Ripley's position. Then we'll fly down there and locate her and her friends. After that, we're going to find the Sulaco. And when we do, I'll use its arsenal to wipe out every last Alien off the face of that Planet. Just like how Ripley wanted it. Afterwards, I'm gonna ram a nuclear warhead up Esdeath's ass, and blow her straight to Acheron. Either the LV-426 planet or that river in Hell, whichever comes first." Hicks walks over to the supply boxes and opens one. He pulls out a standard issue M3 body armor, and smoothly slips it on. From another box, he pulls out an M37A2 Shotgun and began loading it with shells Ch-chk! He then, slings the loaded Shotgun across his back, and walks towards the weapons cache. As he starts loading every weapon with its respective ammunition he talks to Bishop "I don't know how we got here, Bishop. And I don't know if we can ever go back to Earth. That's for you to figure out. But in the meantime, I'm not letting THIS world get consumed by Monsters. Be it Human or Xenomorph, It doesn't matter which. I'll fight them all, right down to the last bullet and blade."

Hadley's Hope, South of the Empire

In the forest to the north of the Colony, the Danger Beast, Alpha Boar noses around a thick underbrush looking for food. The explosion from two days ago, had sent the Danger Beast scurrying from its home. When everything calmed down, it wandered back to reestablish its territory.

Hhrsss! Nearby, something let out an intimidating hiss, causing the Alpha Boar to stand still and perk its ears to listen.

After a moment, nothing happens and with a snort, the Danger Beast resumes its foraging-

Whhlrrsshhh! Suddenly, a devastatingly sharp object skewers the side of the Alpha Boar and lifts its impaled body upwards. The Danger Beast violently shakes its head, hoping to gore it's assailant with its massive tusks, but to no avail.

Two large grotesquely powerful arms descend from above and grabs the wounded Alpha Boar, holding it in place as the sharp object slips out of its flank. Then, in a single effortless motion, the arms tear the Danger Beast in half.

In its last moment of life, the butchered Alpha Boar looks up and sees the Alien Queen descend gracefully from a canopy above the trees. As darkness takes the Danger Beast's consciousness, it last sees a horde of smaller Aliens gather from all over the forest to surround the Queen.

After killing such a formidable yet unwitting victim, the Queen looks around to see her brood assembled and awaiting by her will. She perks her head up and extends her senses to the far reaches of the forest.

There is Life everywhere. All across the four corners of this world, life has flourished in abundance. All for the Xenomorph Queen to do what she wills, and her will is simple. Capture every single lifeform she can use to breed her species and rebuild her Hive. And kill every single creature that tries to stop her, or can't be of any use to her. Her kind will take over this entire planet and so many more, when the opportunity presents itself.

The Queen turns her head northwards and focus her senses. Other lifeforms are fast approaching this place. Lifeforms, very similar to the ones that gave birth to her and her brood on the planet she formerly resided on. She makes her way North, towards the direction the lifeforms are coming from, with her brood following close behind. Her wounds are nearly healed, but it will take time for her to grow another egg sac. Fortunately, her brood has managed to retrieve and safeguard a significant amount of eggs from the Nest. Before it was destroyed by the treacherous lifeform that attacked her and her freshly laid eggs, and before the catastrophic explosion that destroyed the Hive and rendered the area inhospitable.

These incoming lifeforms will serve as new breeding hosts with which to replenish her losses, after the failed attack on the lifeforms to the South. And then, her and her brood shall go forth and take every lifeform they come across. By teeth and claw and tail blade. By deafening screech and acid blood and cocoon secretions. By Face Hugger and Chest Burster and Brood Warrior. And finally, by the dense foliage of the forest and the vast expanse of the wilderness and the cover of night.

Chapter 2 : End

Thank you for reading. Please leave a review, any feedback will be appreciated. If you have any questions let me know with PM. Next chapter, Heroes unite for a common goal and Villains clash to determine the deadliest of species.