Aliens versus Predator: Blaze of Glory !
By : Ronald Delval
Main characters:
Doctor Ernfeld (Human - Chief scientis at Anteias 9) Captain Santos (Human – Mercenary Commander at Anteias 9) Tridon Ghaidatan Rua, 'Bringer of Death' (Yautja – Prince of the Kinatar dynasty – leader of a pack/clan) Ronar, Nuara tyre Rua, 'Lord of blades' (Yautja – Royalty – Future Prince of the Kinatar Dynasty – Clan Champion) Sarissa Tria (Yautja female - Ronar's mate – Clan Champion.)
- Nadassa (Yautja female – Krigon's maye– Clan Champion) Krigon (Yautja - Clan Champion) Sergeant Nikolai (Human – Sergeant of the Colonial Marines) Corporal Mikhail (Human – Corporal of the Colonial Marines) Executive Director Janos (Human – Corporation member) Commander Roland Dutch (Human – Leader of the Colonial Marine insurgency team and the 'Shadow Claws' – Former Yautja Hunter) Lieutenant Kevin Gaul (Human – lieutenant recently assigned to the Colonial Marines) Machiko Noguchi (Human – a woman that was a part of a Yautja pack for two years)
Prologue:
Anteias 9...
'The research was going well, extremely well. The Xenomorphs were such a fascinating species. These creatures, Aliens as the Colonial Marines called them, were resilient, fierce and capable of superhuman actions. Until now I've only been able witness the beauty of the mere drones... until now'.
Doctor Ernfeld took his keycard slid it through the opening of the computer and when the familiar beep came, he pushed a few buttons. Another beep followed and the door opened. Ernfeld entered the room. Three scientists, dressed in white and working frantically on their computers did not look up as their superior entered.
'Now let me go and see my sweet... sweet...little Alien Queen! Yes, they had been able to capture and imprison an Alien Queen. The mother of an Alien Hive population, captured by an entire regiment of Colonial Marines as they took back a colony which had become the home of a Xenomorph strain.'
Doctor Ernfeld entered the observation area where he'd be able to observe all the Xenomorph lifeforms.
'The data gathered here would be extremely useful in the Rim territories where Alien infestations were quite frequent and of course for major advances in certain areas of future warfare... .'
The observation area was a huge transparent dome that overlooked an area that served as a breeding ground and artificial hive. Camera's stood in every corner and the entire installation was highly secured. "We've learned from past mistakes and this time we will not fail" Doctor Ernfeld said.
Through the transparent floor, he saw a huge lifeform. It was pitchblack and very long with skinny arms and legs. The Xenomorph had a cocoon attached to it's exoskeleton through which small egges fell onto the floor. In these eggs once could find the notorious 'facehuggers', small creatures which jumped onto their prey and injected into the victims' mouth a Xenomorph egg. The Facehugger would die and so would the victim as soon as the Xenomorph had hatched and forced itself to freedom. Doctor Ernfeld watched some of the eggs open prematurely before victims were near, while the others still waited for a host. Near the huge Queen he could see several Praetorians. These were evolved Drones, with a greater resistance and a more developed killer-instinct. The Praetorians were the Queens' royal guard. A bit further in the distance, the drones moved around, shredding several dead cows to bloody pieces while others climbed the walls and the ceiling.
A cry startled Ernfeld for a moment. Beneath him, inside a cocoon was a man. Another prisoner, sentenced to death and transferred to this station by the almighty Corporation. The man cried out in pain and agony, his arms stuck to the wall and his head shaking spasmodically. The man was pale and his face covered in slime.
Suddenly his movements became even more spastic and his entire body trembled underneath the cocoon. A small red Xenomorph pushed through the man's chest. The little creature was not yet matured but it would, very soon. The Alien scurried of into the safety of the shadows. The former host lay lifeless inside the cocoon, with his chest ripped open and blood dripping out of his mouth.
'Magnificent, magnificent!'
Suddenly a black shadow bumped into the glass. Startled Ernfeld stepped back. A Xenomorph had jumped from the ceiling onto the transparent observation area. It's tail and claws desperately trying to burst through the observation area. But Ernfeld knew they would fail. Once they had even killed one of their own kind to release the acidic blood own to the Xenomorph species. But even the acid was unable to bite through the materials used to keep the Xenomorph Hive in captivity. Food and 'prisoners' were sent into the Hive through a huge tunnels which immediately sealed and was unbreachable. And the Corporation Garrison stationed here made sure escape for the Xenomorphs was out of the question.
"Sir! Supervisor!" a scientist ran in. "What?" the doctor asked. At that same moment the alarms went off and a red light shone throughout the base.
"Alright men! Battlestations" Captain Santos yelled as his armoured mercenaries came running by with their Pulse rifles ready for use. "Soldiers, you know the drill! The same as usual! But instead of an Alien outbreak we got unknown Xenomorphs assaulting the facility! It seems the Aliens want this Queen freed and the planet colonised at the same time!".
'Those damn creatures! Arrived onboard some weird vessel! Didn't even know they got ships! The Corporation on Earth MUST be informed.'
In the distance gunfire could be heard and screams off pain accompanied by the Alien hissing and squeaking echoed through the corridors of the vast complex.
Chapter 1: Enter the Hunters!
Three months later: Several starsectors away from the Human controlled Rim Territories...
The Yautja Cruiser lay in orbit around a planet, still and seemingly abandoned. Yet that was far from true. Inside the hull of this battleship more than fourty Yautja warriors awaited the return of their kindred. These warriors were hunters known to most intelligent species as the Predators. They hunted humans and other intelligent lifeforms for the thrill of the hunt and to prove their worth in the eyes of whatever Clan they belonged to. But most of all they hunted Aliens, THE Aliens, the Xenomorphs. Since these creatures spread through the known galaxy, destroying all on their way, they were the enemies of all intelligent lifeforms and most importantly... worthy prey. There was hardly a greater glory that could be achieved than returning with the head of an Alien Queen. But today the Predators hunted a less numerous Prey. Nonetheless the hunt would be most gratifying for those Predators down on the planet. Four Predators were down on the planet. Four of the greatest warriors the Clan possessed and all four had been hunting for two weeks now. Each of them planned on taking down as many worthy foes as possible before returning to the mothership... .
'The hunt is nearing it's end. Soon the last two soldiers will lie at my feet and their skulls will be mine!'
Tridon Ghaidatan Rua, 'Bringer of Death', looked down onto the two last opponents. Through his mask he gazed upon them while he held in his right hand a long combostick, his favourite weapon. On his shoulder, stood a small yet powerful visionguided weapon, a Plasmacaster. The two victims moved through the streets of the city as if the Devil himself chased them, but they were wrong, something worse was chasing them. They were probably mercenaries of some kind, as the 'meat' had been part of some rogue band of warriors which had pillaged and utterly burned down the area. This part of the city had become a ruin. Not that it mattered to Tridon. He was the oldest and mightiest of the Clan and he had not yet met a warrior from another Clan which possessed the skill to best him in honourable combat. He was becoming slower than the other ones, other ones like his son but he was wiser and more experienced. The helmet served not only as a possible breathingmask or protection, it enabled him to view the world with a vision most appropriate for the hunt. He could look at the world with a visionmode that picked up bodyheat through the infrared spectrum and if he desired he could even switch to a visionmode that picked up cold or many others variations. Today, he used heatvision. The bodies of his prey were now flaming red and orange on a blue vague background and thus it was easy to track them. Suddenly they met four others and after a quick exchange of words they teamed up. Most Predators took down their opponents one by one, which was the wisest and most prudent way to hunt. A direct confrontation was an honour only the worthiest of prey was granted. Rarely a Predator would rush into a well guarded area, facing almost all opponents at once. Rare... but not unseen. He had done it so many times, more times than he himself knew were wise but that was the price to remain the Alpha, the Clan Champion and to honour his title of Prince, for he descended from a royal bloodline.
'So many memories... so many hunts and so many battles. Had he become really that old?'
Tridon was like all Predators coldblooded, lizard-like and with the typical height of at least two meters with broad shoulders and sharp claws. He had a normal height for a Yautja male, over 2 meters tall. His body wore the scars of past battles and except for his weapons and high-tech gauntlets most of his armour was tainted by time as well. Deliberately left unrepaired, the rare metal still remained sturdy yet scratched. A long, thick scar-like cut run vertically over the mask of this ancient Predator.
'The time has come!
The Predator activated his shiftsuit. This technology used by all Yautja, gave them the ability to blend into their environment, an ability which was invaluable. Becoming seemingly transparent, Tridon activated his Plasmacaster which immediately locked onto a mercenary. A laserbeam locked onto the opponent, three beams which merged into one. And than the blast came, a blue projectile was fired and the mercenary's body was pierced by pure plasma energy. The Plasmacaster shot again and hit another mercenary who was immediately beheaded. The mercenaries fired into all directions. Their four arms each holding an exotic energy-based rifle. But the beams did not hit target, as the cloaked Predator moved from roof to roof. Than he jumped down and landed behind one of the Mercenaries. The flaming red bodies were now close yet still unaware of his presence. He now held the small staff in his left hand while he deployed the most basic of Yautja-weapons. Out of his right gauntlet sprung two wristblades which cut through the nearest opponent. Than he retracted the wristblades and activated his combistick. The small staff became long and he wielded his favourite weapon with deadly accuracy. The stick moved through the air in several circular motions and than all resistance had ceased as the combistick's blade cut through their bodies. Tridon deactivated his combistick , which returned to it's more compact size. The old warrior knelt next to his victims and ripped of their heads. After the proper treatment, their skulls would make excellent prizes. He also took one of the weapons as a price and decided that the hunt was over for him, enough trophies collected on this planet.
Fifty-five kills, the best warriors he had found and a huge beast in a month. Most Yautja would have been impressed but not he. The hunt had become dull, he was old and he yearned for an honourable death. A last battle for the greater good of the Clan or to obtain some greater glory. Yes, several hundreds of years were more than enough...
'Time to return home...'
Tridon, Ghaidatan Rua, 'Bringer of Death', Prince of the Kinatar bloodline, opened his left wrist gauntlet. The internal computer deactivated his heatvision as he pushed a few buttons on the keyboard which was integrated into the gauntlet. "The hunt is over..." he said in the tongue of his kind. His insectlike mouth twitched behind his mask as he made the regular clicking sound so typical of his infamous, yet honourable race.
Ronar, Nuara tyre Rua, 'Lord of blades' and son of Tridon, jumped from treebranch to treebranch. His shiftsuit enabled him to remain unseen for all but the sharpest of senses. He had tracked several ferocious Carnivores who ruled this Jungle. But now the hunt was nearing it's end, as Ronar was closing in onto the last member of the pack. The young Predator jumped down and as his massive body touched the ground, the Earth shook slightly. The blue blood of his prey emitted heat just like the body from which it originated. Orange dots of fading intensity were left behind by the crippled yet still ferocious beast. Ronar deactivated his cloak and roared defiantly. The inhuman roar was a challenge of the most primitive kind. But there came no answer and the Predator switched to electrovision. He picked up nothing. The internal vision system switched back to heatvision while the young Yauja warrior bent through his knees and observed the trail of blood. His clawlike fingers touched the blood as if to make sure it was real. Ronar wore red armour onto which the more 'standard' Yautja technology was placed: the helmet, the gauntlets, an armoured shoulderpiece with plasmacaster and a few pieces of armour which protected his ankles, joints and some other areas of his body. The mask, gauntlets and shin guards were black. Red and black... an unusual and outlandish colour but the colours of his house...as a royalty and future prince he had the right to wear such unusual colours. It was a mark of honour and authority... a distinction. Ronar looked up and the laserbeams originating from the trackingdevice at the side of his mask, were aimed at the thick bushes. Immediately the Plasmacaster moved so that it was aimed at those bushes.
'I am close, I'm sure of it! Today I'll have yet another trophy for my collection!'
Ronar was only thirthy-five and that was by Yautja standards nothing, since they had a natural lifespan of several hundred years at least, while some rare Predators even became infinitely older. Yet, Ronar had surpassed almost all of his fellow hunters already in skill and ability. If it was not for his lack of experience and his youthful recklessness, he might even begin to equal the four other champions of the Clan.
'But than again I descent from Tridon and I am a member of the unsurpassed Kinatar bloodline!'
Ronar deployed his wristblades to cut through the bushes. He was nearing his prey. Soon the young Predator found himself in a clearing. The ferocious beast stood before him as if it had been expecting him. The animal had it's side wounded by the Plasmacaster of Ronar and seemed unable to continue to run. The beast growled and showed his long fangs in defiance. The creature was six meter long and had a long spiked tail, it's claws were razorsharp and made for the kill. "A prey worthy of single combat" Ronar said as he removed his helmet and lay it on the ground. He revealed a face resembling that of a Scorpion with hair wires resembling dreadlocks spawning out of the back of his head. These strains of hair were bound in this way in ritual fashion. Than he removed the upper armour and his plasmacaster which he placed cautiously next to his mask. He never took his eyes of the carnivore, to do so could be a fatal mistake. He now relied on his natural vision to perceive the Carnivore. Through a misty haze of bloody red, he now saw the animal as a shadowy figure. A Yautja possessed vision far below average but it remained constant in day and night, light or dark. Together with their heightened senses they could function with great efficiency. Besides, thanks to the alternative visionmodes acquired via their masks, the Predators were quite able to surpass their minor problems. The now bare chest of his body, revealed the dark skin of a Predator. Sandgrey with brown dots. Ronar raised his arms and yelled out a roar. The carnivore responded with it's own. The young Yautja warrior deployed his wristblades, who slid out of his right gauntlet. In the tongue of his own kind, Ronar challenged the beast. After doing so he leapt towards the carnivore. The beast did the same and both Predator and beast clashed in mid-air. Ronar pushed back the carnivore using his huge strength and struck. The beast fell back, it's mighty jaws had almost gotten hold of Ronar but almost wasn't good enough. The tail of the beast, however, hit the Predator head on. The spikes pierced Ronar's skin and tore away flesh from Ronar's side. Green fluorescent blood dripped onto the sand. The Predator stepped back and making several clicking sounds he rose his wristblades into the air and charged like a crazed animal himself. He dodged a blow dealt by the Carnivore's tail and delivered his own blow. The beast fell down.
'Victory!'
Ronar turned to take his armour when suddenly the beast rose once again.
'Impossible, I tore open it's rib cage!'
The Predator however drew his favourite weapon, a weapon used only by the most skilful and high ranking hunters. It was a razorsharp disk, computercontrolled and composed out of the same light yet almost unbreakable alloy as the other Predator weapons. If he had still worn his helmet he could have had his helmet lock onto the beast, so he'd be sure he'd hit target. But this was ritual combat, so no extreme technological benefits were allowed. The beast used all his strength to ignore it's wounded leg and exposed ribcage, assaulting with berserk might. Ronar jumped aside and swung back his right arm, his hand holding the disc firmly.
'One shot... only one...'
He swung and threw the disc and as it moved towards the creature, Ronars held his breath because the beast had turned and was already moving straight towards him, ignoring the disc. The razorsharp weapon cut through the beast's neck. The animal fell down without a sound. "A worthy foe" Ronars said as he opened his hand and summoned back into his hand the disc whose use he had mastered through extensive training. The Carnivore's skull would be added to those of the others of it's pack and would be a fine addition to his collection. Ronar put on his weaponry once more. He opened the wristgauntlet on his left arm and activated it's computer. With a few puhed buttons, the gauntlet prepared a substance to heal his wounds. The Medicomp had done it's work... . Ronars took the liquid and dripped the substance onto his glowing green wounds, he roared out in pain.
Suddenly he heard a noise, the helmet had magnified the noise and pinpointed it to the east. He turned and looked towards the place the sound had come from. He zoomed in several times, with his plasmacaster ready to fire. But there was nothing but a small feline creature.
A message reached him through his communicator... the hunt was over and a ship would come to get him. There Sarissa Tria would await him... his mate. A Yautja female older than he... . Usually the female Yautja were mere breeding vessels... but some became great warriors. Sarissa had done so and instead of him conquering her... she had beaten him and claimed him. She was perfection in his eyes. Like Krigon he had chosen not to take a couple of extra mates... he was content and loyal to Sarissa. A warrior maiden worthy of his seed... . In Yautja society females were bigger and stronger and it were the males who proved their worth through the hunt. And after that they bred as much as possible with as many females as possible before leaving for the hunt again. His father... had dozens of offspring scattered throughout the clans. But only one full blooded royal one... Ronar.
Nadasa and her mate Krigon aimed their weapons at their prey. The speargun of Nadasa fired several spearpoints and she pinned the native warrior to a three. As a female Yautja she was more slender but almost as tall as a male Predator. She rose her gun and looked at the native. Not as advanced as their brethren on the South continent, these creatures were intelligent nonetheless and armed with primitive yet most effective weapons, they were worthy foes. The 'meat' as some of her kind would call their less developed opponents, were never to be underestimated. Soft meat was rare and only one kind had reached a high stadium of development as far as the Yautja knew. She moved towards her opponent, her dreadlocked head protected by her mask.
The native tribal warrior pulled out the spearpoint, which had pierced it's upper shoulder, with his four arms and than drew an obsidian knife. Nadasa stepped over the body of a fallen tribesman. The village would have to do without their most experienced huntingparty. The man took a spear in one hand while he still pointed his knife towards Nadasa. She grinned and spoke with the few words of their language, the computersystem in her protective mask had memorised. "Brave Warrior... meet..." she made a clicking noise before continuing "Watergod... soon". The man attacked and managed to kick Nadasa's speargun out of her hands. She did not wear the much used plasmacaster but she did have a few other things in her arsenal Her wristblades splintered the spear as the native warrior threw his weapon. She moved towards him and in one fluid movement she grabbed his throat and pulled him up. The man squirmed but to no avail. Than when his struggle seemed to have reached it's peak; she increased the hold on his throat. And then a short snap followed. She dropped the body and slammed her hand into his back. The pleasing sound of cracking bones welcomed her as she grabbed the spine of the alien and ripped it out with the head still attached to it.
'An excellent trophy...I wonder what Krigon will say?'
The red and orange shapes with yellow and blue spots vanished slowly as the bodyheat from her victims diminished. Behind her however there was a sound. The helmet or mask, since it served both as protection and concealment, picked up the noise easily. She turned and faced three hunters from the nearby village. She drew her Plasma Pistol and fired. This 'burner', like a plasmacaster or a medicomp, severely drained the energy needed to cloak but it would recharge easily enough. Two spears hit her but merely ricocheted away when they bumped into her helmet and a piece of shoulder armour. The plasmabolts hit target and the natives were evaporated.
'Such a waste. Their skulls would have been yet another fine addition to my collection'
Nadasa took her trophies and bound them to her back and to her belt. Then she decided to go look for her mate.
'Krigon? Where the hell have you gone?'
She looked around. The massive creature overtowered even the male Yautja's which were compared to all soft meat, giants. Nadassa and Sarissa were two of the few females who also hunted... but for specific reasons. She chuckled as she looked around for her regular mate.
'males can be so... reckless and stupid'
Krigon stood victorious over the warriors. In his left hand he held the head of one of the slain. It had been a huge man for the standards of his people. He was certain that it had been a leader of some kind since the man had been equipped with a primitive burner and thus wielded a much more sophisticated weapon than the other savages. But the leader's outfit had also been incrusted with rare shiny objects which most races seemed to cherish above all. Like all Predators he and his beloved Nadasa had stalked the warriors of the village. Using stealth, trees and the other high grounds to hunt them all down one by one. Using their shiftsuits they integrated into the background becoming almost invisible. Only a very attentive eye could find them. And everything had seemed to go well. The hunt had been good. At least until they had become trapped by an expedition which had surrounded them. Krigon had been impressed by their resourcefulness, but in the end they had failed nonetheless. Only a pregnant warrior-woman, several children and an unarmed man had been spared. They had not intended to encounter him, they merely were at the wrong place, at the wrong time. His net gun had immobilised them. And now they all lay unconscious on the floor or pinned to a tree. Children, pregnant women and weaklings were not to be killed because there was no honour in that. It was the code of the Yautja, straying from it would mean swift retribution with lethal consequences for him and worse... dishonour.
A ship flew over, it was shaped like the tip of a blade and landed nearby. It looked as if the hunt was over. The orange flashing of the lights on the ships' hull seemed to call him.
'Time to collect my trophies and leave this mudball!'
Chapter 2: The Marines go forward
A few sectors away from Anteias 9, on a Marine Outpost...
"Alright you worthless pieces of ! Get in line and shut your mouths!" Sergeant Nikolai snapped at his men. Immediately the Marines formed a straight line. All stood straightened with chins high and arms against their sides. There was nobody who spoke as the visitors entered the conference room. A few other squads were present too.
'Great some Corporation heads and their Synthetic soldiers. Just the guys we Marines DON'T like seeing!' Corporal Mikhail thought.
Mikhail stood at the end of the line and at his left Tommson gazed at the Corporation superiors. "This is Executive Director Janos" he pointed towards a man in his fourties wearing an expensive suit, looking sour at those he thought were his inferiors. The Serge clearly didn't like the Corporation goons but like the rest of 'em he wasn't asked anything, he just had to do what THEY asked. "And this is Commander Roland Dutch" he pointed towards a military officer dressed in a long leather coat who was entirely clad in black. One of his hands was replaced by a cybernetic hand and a red scar ran over his right eye. "This is our new lieutenant, Kevin Gaul, who'll be replacing our previous lieutenant... who..." the sergeant went silent. He was a hardcore veteran, having fought Rebels and Xenomorphs across Earth's interstellar Colonial Empire, yet the previous lieutenants' death had gotten to him badly... they had gone way back. "I think that'll be enough presentations" the lieutenant said "Alright Marines, the situation is like this, we are temporarily placed under the command of the Executive Director...". The young lieutenant stopped and looked at the Commander who took a step forward. "Sir?" the lieutenant asked, taking of his cap and placing his hand on his holster. The Commander probed the men "You may all take a seat... gentlemen" he said coldly. He was young, very young, yet his face was pale and his eyes filled with uncanny wisdom. As he probed the men one by one, the left corner of his mouth curled as he prepared to speak once more. All Marines seemed hypnotised until the Lieutenant and the Sergeant both yelled "Sit down!". Instantly all Marines took a seat in one fluid motion. "Excellent. Now the situation is as follows..." the Commander pushed a button on a keyboard placed on the table next to him and a map of one of the Outer Rim territories appeared on a the huge screen behind the Commander. "This map show sectors 34 to 40 of the boarder region in the Outer Rim territories. There has been a small situation there for quite some time now" Commander Roland pointed towards several planets "Several Xenomorph Hives or Alien Hives, if that's the word you'd prefer, have spawned on these planets. The huge asteroid near these planets has been sending Alien infested rocks towards colonies and uninhabited planets. One of our most important facilities has been under constant attack" he showed another planet "Anteias 9 was a well defended planet with a science facility which worked with live specimens of the Alien species. Among them... an Alien Queen". The Commander stopped a moment to let the cries of indignation die away. "The colony is holding out but recently, the contained hive has broken out and now the colony faces aggressors both from the inside and the outside. The infested planets all have Alien Queens and the presence of an Alien Empress or at least her influence is presumed as being highly probable. The infestation is spreading at an unseen rate" the Commander deactivated the viewing screen and held his hands behind his back. "The mission set before us is clear... We will assault every hive, destroy the present Alien Queens and go on to the next..." A Synthetic soldier moved closer to the Executive Director as this one had stepped forward. The Commander opened his long vest, which almost reached the ground, revealing black bodyarmour and a blade hanging to his side. The armour was seemingly Predator in design. The same went for the chin guards and the gauntlets he wore. Predators... an alien race of which nobody knew much... but rumours had spread after several 'incidents'.
'Probably made of some Predator alloy!' Corporal Mikhail thought.
"...planet. We will also assist the still operational facility. The invasion has gotten top-priority and thanks to the Corporation..." the Executive Dirtector smiled appreciatively at the Commander although this one ignored him and continued "... we will have many resources at our disposition. This is all you'll need to know for the moment. We ship out in two hours and I'll hope you'll prove to be the elite soldiers everybody thinks you are" with this the Commander turned and left. The Executive Director left too, flanked by his humanoid Synthetic bodyguards. "All right, Sergeants... prepare the men!" lieutenant Gaul ordered. "Yes sir!" the sergeants answered and they started shouting at the Marines.
'Oh man... join the Marines they said... jeez...'
15 other units had already left their bases. This meant that about 750 Colonial Marines were send towards the Outer Rim. And then there were still the Special Synthetic Squads and Corporate Mercenaries that had been mobilised for this mission. But they would receive the most crucial parts of the Campaign. 50 men, divided in 5 squads of ten men, plus some sergeants, the lieutenant, the Commander a squad of Synthetic Bodyguards and three Corporate goons. There would also be a few transportcrews, a small Corporate Mercenary squad, a few pilots, four assault Jets and three armoured vehicules with their drivers. It was going to be a hell of a fight. But first 2 months in Cryo sleep... he hated Cryo sleep
Lieutenant Kevin Gaul pondered all this and more as he walked up the ramp of the craft which would fly him and a part of the men to the battleship which would bring them to their destination.
Aboard the ship several Marines had already taken place in their chairs, activating the special harnesses that would keep them unshaken in case of a bumpy ride. Mikhail saw Lieutenant Kevin Gaul enter and take a place between his squad sergeant and that of Tango squad. The last Marines took their seats and the comm-speakers were activated "Pilot Alpha here, are all passengers ready for lift-off?". "Yes pilot, you may take-off" the lieutenant answered through a speaker. "Affirmative sir, we will depart in... 5...4...3...2...1...0!". The ship shook and left the hangar of the colony base. The other transports left soon afterwards. Soon they'd board the battleship who'd taken orbit around the planet and than... .
'Then it's Cryo-sleep and off to the fleet" Mikhail thought.
Commander Roland Dutch left the transport after it had gently set down in the Hangar of the Battleship. The Corporate goons and their Synthetic bodyguards had shipped into the transport carrying their own elite Mercenary Force. Behind him, his own team followed. They were the best of the best, Assault Troopers with Cybernetic upgrades, they were the 'Shadow Claws'. The elite-team disembarked with remarkable efficiency. "Alright men! Move out! Grab your things! Quickly! NOW!" Roland's right handman barked at his men. The troops were actually doing nothing wrong but as in most elite military units this kind of bossing around had become quite normal. Roland Dutch wore a Predator mask and on his shoulder he now wore a plasmacaster. This proved the rumours... he had been part of a Predator pack! Only two humans had ever been excepted in such a... 'group'. The heroine Machiko Noguchi... and Commander Dutch... . Machiko had saved several civilians in an 'incident' many years before... from Aliens and a vengeful pack of Predator warriors. Dutch had met her... many stories had spread about that encounter... . Dutch's mask was seemed too big yet he seemed to experience no difficulties. The Commander oversaw his men as they formed lines.
The cryogenic tubes
By : Ronald Delval
Main characters:
Doctor Ernfeld (Human - Chief scientis at Anteias 9) Captain Santos (Human – Mercenary Commander at Anteias 9) Tridon Ghaidatan Rua, 'Bringer of Death' (Yautja – Prince of the Kinatar dynasty – leader of a pack/clan) Ronar, Nuara tyre Rua, 'Lord of blades' (Yautja – Royalty – Future Prince of the Kinatar Dynasty – Clan Champion) Sarissa Tria (Yautja female - Ronar's mate – Clan Champion.)
- Nadassa (Yautja female – Krigon's maye– Clan Champion) Krigon (Yautja - Clan Champion) Sergeant Nikolai (Human – Sergeant of the Colonial Marines) Corporal Mikhail (Human – Corporal of the Colonial Marines) Executive Director Janos (Human – Corporation member) Commander Roland Dutch (Human – Leader of the Colonial Marine insurgency team and the 'Shadow Claws' – Former Yautja Hunter) Lieutenant Kevin Gaul (Human – lieutenant recently assigned to the Colonial Marines) Machiko Noguchi (Human – a woman that was a part of a Yautja pack for two years)
Prologue:
Anteias 9...
'The research was going well, extremely well. The Xenomorphs were such a fascinating species. These creatures, Aliens as the Colonial Marines called them, were resilient, fierce and capable of superhuman actions. Until now I've only been able witness the beauty of the mere drones... until now'.
Doctor Ernfeld took his keycard slid it through the opening of the computer and when the familiar beep came, he pushed a few buttons. Another beep followed and the door opened. Ernfeld entered the room. Three scientists, dressed in white and working frantically on their computers did not look up as their superior entered.
'Now let me go and see my sweet... sweet...little Alien Queen! Yes, they had been able to capture and imprison an Alien Queen. The mother of an Alien Hive population, captured by an entire regiment of Colonial Marines as they took back a colony which had become the home of a Xenomorph strain.'
Doctor Ernfeld entered the observation area where he'd be able to observe all the Xenomorph lifeforms.
'The data gathered here would be extremely useful in the Rim territories where Alien infestations were quite frequent and of course for major advances in certain areas of future warfare... .'
The observation area was a huge transparent dome that overlooked an area that served as a breeding ground and artificial hive. Camera's stood in every corner and the entire installation was highly secured. "We've learned from past mistakes and this time we will not fail" Doctor Ernfeld said.
Through the transparent floor, he saw a huge lifeform. It was pitchblack and very long with skinny arms and legs. The Xenomorph had a cocoon attached to it's exoskeleton through which small egges fell onto the floor. In these eggs once could find the notorious 'facehuggers', small creatures which jumped onto their prey and injected into the victims' mouth a Xenomorph egg. The Facehugger would die and so would the victim as soon as the Xenomorph had hatched and forced itself to freedom. Doctor Ernfeld watched some of the eggs open prematurely before victims were near, while the others still waited for a host. Near the huge Queen he could see several Praetorians. These were evolved Drones, with a greater resistance and a more developed killer-instinct. The Praetorians were the Queens' royal guard. A bit further in the distance, the drones moved around, shredding several dead cows to bloody pieces while others climbed the walls and the ceiling.
A cry startled Ernfeld for a moment. Beneath him, inside a cocoon was a man. Another prisoner, sentenced to death and transferred to this station by the almighty Corporation. The man cried out in pain and agony, his arms stuck to the wall and his head shaking spasmodically. The man was pale and his face covered in slime.
Suddenly his movements became even more spastic and his entire body trembled underneath the cocoon. A small red Xenomorph pushed through the man's chest. The little creature was not yet matured but it would, very soon. The Alien scurried of into the safety of the shadows. The former host lay lifeless inside the cocoon, with his chest ripped open and blood dripping out of his mouth.
'Magnificent, magnificent!'
Suddenly a black shadow bumped into the glass. Startled Ernfeld stepped back. A Xenomorph had jumped from the ceiling onto the transparent observation area. It's tail and claws desperately trying to burst through the observation area. But Ernfeld knew they would fail. Once they had even killed one of their own kind to release the acidic blood own to the Xenomorph species. But even the acid was unable to bite through the materials used to keep the Xenomorph Hive in captivity. Food and 'prisoners' were sent into the Hive through a huge tunnels which immediately sealed and was unbreachable. And the Corporation Garrison stationed here made sure escape for the Xenomorphs was out of the question.
"Sir! Supervisor!" a scientist ran in. "What?" the doctor asked. At that same moment the alarms went off and a red light shone throughout the base.
"Alright men! Battlestations" Captain Santos yelled as his armoured mercenaries came running by with their Pulse rifles ready for use. "Soldiers, you know the drill! The same as usual! But instead of an Alien outbreak we got unknown Xenomorphs assaulting the facility! It seems the Aliens want this Queen freed and the planet colonised at the same time!".
'Those damn creatures! Arrived onboard some weird vessel! Didn't even know they got ships! The Corporation on Earth MUST be informed.'
In the distance gunfire could be heard and screams off pain accompanied by the Alien hissing and squeaking echoed through the corridors of the vast complex.
Chapter 1: Enter the Hunters!
Three months later: Several starsectors away from the Human controlled Rim Territories...
The Yautja Cruiser lay in orbit around a planet, still and seemingly abandoned. Yet that was far from true. Inside the hull of this battleship more than fourty Yautja warriors awaited the return of their kindred. These warriors were hunters known to most intelligent species as the Predators. They hunted humans and other intelligent lifeforms for the thrill of the hunt and to prove their worth in the eyes of whatever Clan they belonged to. But most of all they hunted Aliens, THE Aliens, the Xenomorphs. Since these creatures spread through the known galaxy, destroying all on their way, they were the enemies of all intelligent lifeforms and most importantly... worthy prey. There was hardly a greater glory that could be achieved than returning with the head of an Alien Queen. But today the Predators hunted a less numerous Prey. Nonetheless the hunt would be most gratifying for those Predators down on the planet. Four Predators were down on the planet. Four of the greatest warriors the Clan possessed and all four had been hunting for two weeks now. Each of them planned on taking down as many worthy foes as possible before returning to the mothership... .
'The hunt is nearing it's end. Soon the last two soldiers will lie at my feet and their skulls will be mine!'
Tridon Ghaidatan Rua, 'Bringer of Death', looked down onto the two last opponents. Through his mask he gazed upon them while he held in his right hand a long combostick, his favourite weapon. On his shoulder, stood a small yet powerful visionguided weapon, a Plasmacaster. The two victims moved through the streets of the city as if the Devil himself chased them, but they were wrong, something worse was chasing them. They were probably mercenaries of some kind, as the 'meat' had been part of some rogue band of warriors which had pillaged and utterly burned down the area. This part of the city had become a ruin. Not that it mattered to Tridon. He was the oldest and mightiest of the Clan and he had not yet met a warrior from another Clan which possessed the skill to best him in honourable combat. He was becoming slower than the other ones, other ones like his son but he was wiser and more experienced. The helmet served not only as a possible breathingmask or protection, it enabled him to view the world with a vision most appropriate for the hunt. He could look at the world with a visionmode that picked up bodyheat through the infrared spectrum and if he desired he could even switch to a visionmode that picked up cold or many others variations. Today, he used heatvision. The bodies of his prey were now flaming red and orange on a blue vague background and thus it was easy to track them. Suddenly they met four others and after a quick exchange of words they teamed up. Most Predators took down their opponents one by one, which was the wisest and most prudent way to hunt. A direct confrontation was an honour only the worthiest of prey was granted. Rarely a Predator would rush into a well guarded area, facing almost all opponents at once. Rare... but not unseen. He had done it so many times, more times than he himself knew were wise but that was the price to remain the Alpha, the Clan Champion and to honour his title of Prince, for he descended from a royal bloodline.
'So many memories... so many hunts and so many battles. Had he become really that old?'
Tridon was like all Predators coldblooded, lizard-like and with the typical height of at least two meters with broad shoulders and sharp claws. He had a normal height for a Yautja male, over 2 meters tall. His body wore the scars of past battles and except for his weapons and high-tech gauntlets most of his armour was tainted by time as well. Deliberately left unrepaired, the rare metal still remained sturdy yet scratched. A long, thick scar-like cut run vertically over the mask of this ancient Predator.
'The time has come!
The Predator activated his shiftsuit. This technology used by all Yautja, gave them the ability to blend into their environment, an ability which was invaluable. Becoming seemingly transparent, Tridon activated his Plasmacaster which immediately locked onto a mercenary. A laserbeam locked onto the opponent, three beams which merged into one. And than the blast came, a blue projectile was fired and the mercenary's body was pierced by pure plasma energy. The Plasmacaster shot again and hit another mercenary who was immediately beheaded. The mercenaries fired into all directions. Their four arms each holding an exotic energy-based rifle. But the beams did not hit target, as the cloaked Predator moved from roof to roof. Than he jumped down and landed behind one of the Mercenaries. The flaming red bodies were now close yet still unaware of his presence. He now held the small staff in his left hand while he deployed the most basic of Yautja-weapons. Out of his right gauntlet sprung two wristblades which cut through the nearest opponent. Than he retracted the wristblades and activated his combistick. The small staff became long and he wielded his favourite weapon with deadly accuracy. The stick moved through the air in several circular motions and than all resistance had ceased as the combistick's blade cut through their bodies. Tridon deactivated his combistick , which returned to it's more compact size. The old warrior knelt next to his victims and ripped of their heads. After the proper treatment, their skulls would make excellent prizes. He also took one of the weapons as a price and decided that the hunt was over for him, enough trophies collected on this planet.
Fifty-five kills, the best warriors he had found and a huge beast in a month. Most Yautja would have been impressed but not he. The hunt had become dull, he was old and he yearned for an honourable death. A last battle for the greater good of the Clan or to obtain some greater glory. Yes, several hundreds of years were more than enough...
'Time to return home...'
Tridon, Ghaidatan Rua, 'Bringer of Death', Prince of the Kinatar bloodline, opened his left wrist gauntlet. The internal computer deactivated his heatvision as he pushed a few buttons on the keyboard which was integrated into the gauntlet. "The hunt is over..." he said in the tongue of his kind. His insectlike mouth twitched behind his mask as he made the regular clicking sound so typical of his infamous, yet honourable race.
Ronar, Nuara tyre Rua, 'Lord of blades' and son of Tridon, jumped from treebranch to treebranch. His shiftsuit enabled him to remain unseen for all but the sharpest of senses. He had tracked several ferocious Carnivores who ruled this Jungle. But now the hunt was nearing it's end, as Ronar was closing in onto the last member of the pack. The young Predator jumped down and as his massive body touched the ground, the Earth shook slightly. The blue blood of his prey emitted heat just like the body from which it originated. Orange dots of fading intensity were left behind by the crippled yet still ferocious beast. Ronar deactivated his cloak and roared defiantly. The inhuman roar was a challenge of the most primitive kind. But there came no answer and the Predator switched to electrovision. He picked up nothing. The internal vision system switched back to heatvision while the young Yauja warrior bent through his knees and observed the trail of blood. His clawlike fingers touched the blood as if to make sure it was real. Ronar wore red armour onto which the more 'standard' Yautja technology was placed: the helmet, the gauntlets, an armoured shoulderpiece with plasmacaster and a few pieces of armour which protected his ankles, joints and some other areas of his body. The mask, gauntlets and shin guards were black. Red and black... an unusual and outlandish colour but the colours of his house...as a royalty and future prince he had the right to wear such unusual colours. It was a mark of honour and authority... a distinction. Ronar looked up and the laserbeams originating from the trackingdevice at the side of his mask, were aimed at the thick bushes. Immediately the Plasmacaster moved so that it was aimed at those bushes.
'I am close, I'm sure of it! Today I'll have yet another trophy for my collection!'
Ronar was only thirthy-five and that was by Yautja standards nothing, since they had a natural lifespan of several hundred years at least, while some rare Predators even became infinitely older. Yet, Ronar had surpassed almost all of his fellow hunters already in skill and ability. If it was not for his lack of experience and his youthful recklessness, he might even begin to equal the four other champions of the Clan.
'But than again I descent from Tridon and I am a member of the unsurpassed Kinatar bloodline!'
Ronar deployed his wristblades to cut through the bushes. He was nearing his prey. Soon the young Predator found himself in a clearing. The ferocious beast stood before him as if it had been expecting him. The animal had it's side wounded by the Plasmacaster of Ronar and seemed unable to continue to run. The beast growled and showed his long fangs in defiance. The creature was six meter long and had a long spiked tail, it's claws were razorsharp and made for the kill. "A prey worthy of single combat" Ronar said as he removed his helmet and lay it on the ground. He revealed a face resembling that of a Scorpion with hair wires resembling dreadlocks spawning out of the back of his head. These strains of hair were bound in this way in ritual fashion. Than he removed the upper armour and his plasmacaster which he placed cautiously next to his mask. He never took his eyes of the carnivore, to do so could be a fatal mistake. He now relied on his natural vision to perceive the Carnivore. Through a misty haze of bloody red, he now saw the animal as a shadowy figure. A Yautja possessed vision far below average but it remained constant in day and night, light or dark. Together with their heightened senses they could function with great efficiency. Besides, thanks to the alternative visionmodes acquired via their masks, the Predators were quite able to surpass their minor problems. The now bare chest of his body, revealed the dark skin of a Predator. Sandgrey with brown dots. Ronar raised his arms and yelled out a roar. The carnivore responded with it's own. The young Yautja warrior deployed his wristblades, who slid out of his right gauntlet. In the tongue of his own kind, Ronar challenged the beast. After doing so he leapt towards the carnivore. The beast did the same and both Predator and beast clashed in mid-air. Ronar pushed back the carnivore using his huge strength and struck. The beast fell back, it's mighty jaws had almost gotten hold of Ronar but almost wasn't good enough. The tail of the beast, however, hit the Predator head on. The spikes pierced Ronar's skin and tore away flesh from Ronar's side. Green fluorescent blood dripped onto the sand. The Predator stepped back and making several clicking sounds he rose his wristblades into the air and charged like a crazed animal himself. He dodged a blow dealt by the Carnivore's tail and delivered his own blow. The beast fell down.
'Victory!'
Ronar turned to take his armour when suddenly the beast rose once again.
'Impossible, I tore open it's rib cage!'
The Predator however drew his favourite weapon, a weapon used only by the most skilful and high ranking hunters. It was a razorsharp disk, computercontrolled and composed out of the same light yet almost unbreakable alloy as the other Predator weapons. If he had still worn his helmet he could have had his helmet lock onto the beast, so he'd be sure he'd hit target. But this was ritual combat, so no extreme technological benefits were allowed. The beast used all his strength to ignore it's wounded leg and exposed ribcage, assaulting with berserk might. Ronar jumped aside and swung back his right arm, his hand holding the disc firmly.
'One shot... only one...'
He swung and threw the disc and as it moved towards the creature, Ronars held his breath because the beast had turned and was already moving straight towards him, ignoring the disc. The razorsharp weapon cut through the beast's neck. The animal fell down without a sound. "A worthy foe" Ronars said as he opened his hand and summoned back into his hand the disc whose use he had mastered through extensive training. The Carnivore's skull would be added to those of the others of it's pack and would be a fine addition to his collection. Ronar put on his weaponry once more. He opened the wristgauntlet on his left arm and activated it's computer. With a few puhed buttons, the gauntlet prepared a substance to heal his wounds. The Medicomp had done it's work... . Ronars took the liquid and dripped the substance onto his glowing green wounds, he roared out in pain.
Suddenly he heard a noise, the helmet had magnified the noise and pinpointed it to the east. He turned and looked towards the place the sound had come from. He zoomed in several times, with his plasmacaster ready to fire. But there was nothing but a small feline creature.
A message reached him through his communicator... the hunt was over and a ship would come to get him. There Sarissa Tria would await him... his mate. A Yautja female older than he... . Usually the female Yautja were mere breeding vessels... but some became great warriors. Sarissa had done so and instead of him conquering her... she had beaten him and claimed him. She was perfection in his eyes. Like Krigon he had chosen not to take a couple of extra mates... he was content and loyal to Sarissa. A warrior maiden worthy of his seed... . In Yautja society females were bigger and stronger and it were the males who proved their worth through the hunt. And after that they bred as much as possible with as many females as possible before leaving for the hunt again. His father... had dozens of offspring scattered throughout the clans. But only one full blooded royal one... Ronar.
Nadasa and her mate Krigon aimed their weapons at their prey. The speargun of Nadasa fired several spearpoints and she pinned the native warrior to a three. As a female Yautja she was more slender but almost as tall as a male Predator. She rose her gun and looked at the native. Not as advanced as their brethren on the South continent, these creatures were intelligent nonetheless and armed with primitive yet most effective weapons, they were worthy foes. The 'meat' as some of her kind would call their less developed opponents, were never to be underestimated. Soft meat was rare and only one kind had reached a high stadium of development as far as the Yautja knew. She moved towards her opponent, her dreadlocked head protected by her mask.
The native tribal warrior pulled out the spearpoint, which had pierced it's upper shoulder, with his four arms and than drew an obsidian knife. Nadasa stepped over the body of a fallen tribesman. The village would have to do without their most experienced huntingparty. The man took a spear in one hand while he still pointed his knife towards Nadasa. She grinned and spoke with the few words of their language, the computersystem in her protective mask had memorised. "Brave Warrior... meet..." she made a clicking noise before continuing "Watergod... soon". The man attacked and managed to kick Nadasa's speargun out of her hands. She did not wear the much used plasmacaster but she did have a few other things in her arsenal Her wristblades splintered the spear as the native warrior threw his weapon. She moved towards him and in one fluid movement she grabbed his throat and pulled him up. The man squirmed but to no avail. Than when his struggle seemed to have reached it's peak; she increased the hold on his throat. And then a short snap followed. She dropped the body and slammed her hand into his back. The pleasing sound of cracking bones welcomed her as she grabbed the spine of the alien and ripped it out with the head still attached to it.
'An excellent trophy...I wonder what Krigon will say?'
The red and orange shapes with yellow and blue spots vanished slowly as the bodyheat from her victims diminished. Behind her however there was a sound. The helmet or mask, since it served both as protection and concealment, picked up the noise easily. She turned and faced three hunters from the nearby village. She drew her Plasma Pistol and fired. This 'burner', like a plasmacaster or a medicomp, severely drained the energy needed to cloak but it would recharge easily enough. Two spears hit her but merely ricocheted away when they bumped into her helmet and a piece of shoulder armour. The plasmabolts hit target and the natives were evaporated.
'Such a waste. Their skulls would have been yet another fine addition to my collection'
Nadasa took her trophies and bound them to her back and to her belt. Then she decided to go look for her mate.
'Krigon? Where the hell have you gone?'
She looked around. The massive creature overtowered even the male Yautja's which were compared to all soft meat, giants. Nadassa and Sarissa were two of the few females who also hunted... but for specific reasons. She chuckled as she looked around for her regular mate.
'males can be so... reckless and stupid'
Krigon stood victorious over the warriors. In his left hand he held the head of one of the slain. It had been a huge man for the standards of his people. He was certain that it had been a leader of some kind since the man had been equipped with a primitive burner and thus wielded a much more sophisticated weapon than the other savages. But the leader's outfit had also been incrusted with rare shiny objects which most races seemed to cherish above all. Like all Predators he and his beloved Nadasa had stalked the warriors of the village. Using stealth, trees and the other high grounds to hunt them all down one by one. Using their shiftsuits they integrated into the background becoming almost invisible. Only a very attentive eye could find them. And everything had seemed to go well. The hunt had been good. At least until they had become trapped by an expedition which had surrounded them. Krigon had been impressed by their resourcefulness, but in the end they had failed nonetheless. Only a pregnant warrior-woman, several children and an unarmed man had been spared. They had not intended to encounter him, they merely were at the wrong place, at the wrong time. His net gun had immobilised them. And now they all lay unconscious on the floor or pinned to a tree. Children, pregnant women and weaklings were not to be killed because there was no honour in that. It was the code of the Yautja, straying from it would mean swift retribution with lethal consequences for him and worse... dishonour.
A ship flew over, it was shaped like the tip of a blade and landed nearby. It looked as if the hunt was over. The orange flashing of the lights on the ships' hull seemed to call him.
'Time to collect my trophies and leave this mudball!'
Chapter 2: The Marines go forward
A few sectors away from Anteias 9, on a Marine Outpost...
"Alright you worthless pieces of ! Get in line and shut your mouths!" Sergeant Nikolai snapped at his men. Immediately the Marines formed a straight line. All stood straightened with chins high and arms against their sides. There was nobody who spoke as the visitors entered the conference room. A few other squads were present too.
'Great some Corporation heads and their Synthetic soldiers. Just the guys we Marines DON'T like seeing!' Corporal Mikhail thought.
Mikhail stood at the end of the line and at his left Tommson gazed at the Corporation superiors. "This is Executive Director Janos" he pointed towards a man in his fourties wearing an expensive suit, looking sour at those he thought were his inferiors. The Serge clearly didn't like the Corporation goons but like the rest of 'em he wasn't asked anything, he just had to do what THEY asked. "And this is Commander Roland Dutch" he pointed towards a military officer dressed in a long leather coat who was entirely clad in black. One of his hands was replaced by a cybernetic hand and a red scar ran over his right eye. "This is our new lieutenant, Kevin Gaul, who'll be replacing our previous lieutenant... who..." the sergeant went silent. He was a hardcore veteran, having fought Rebels and Xenomorphs across Earth's interstellar Colonial Empire, yet the previous lieutenants' death had gotten to him badly... they had gone way back. "I think that'll be enough presentations" the lieutenant said "Alright Marines, the situation is like this, we are temporarily placed under the command of the Executive Director...". The young lieutenant stopped and looked at the Commander who took a step forward. "Sir?" the lieutenant asked, taking of his cap and placing his hand on his holster. The Commander probed the men "You may all take a seat... gentlemen" he said coldly. He was young, very young, yet his face was pale and his eyes filled with uncanny wisdom. As he probed the men one by one, the left corner of his mouth curled as he prepared to speak once more. All Marines seemed hypnotised until the Lieutenant and the Sergeant both yelled "Sit down!". Instantly all Marines took a seat in one fluid motion. "Excellent. Now the situation is as follows..." the Commander pushed a button on a keyboard placed on the table next to him and a map of one of the Outer Rim territories appeared on a the huge screen behind the Commander. "This map show sectors 34 to 40 of the boarder region in the Outer Rim territories. There has been a small situation there for quite some time now" Commander Roland pointed towards several planets "Several Xenomorph Hives or Alien Hives, if that's the word you'd prefer, have spawned on these planets. The huge asteroid near these planets has been sending Alien infested rocks towards colonies and uninhabited planets. One of our most important facilities has been under constant attack" he showed another planet "Anteias 9 was a well defended planet with a science facility which worked with live specimens of the Alien species. Among them... an Alien Queen". The Commander stopped a moment to let the cries of indignation die away. "The colony is holding out but recently, the contained hive has broken out and now the colony faces aggressors both from the inside and the outside. The infested planets all have Alien Queens and the presence of an Alien Empress or at least her influence is presumed as being highly probable. The infestation is spreading at an unseen rate" the Commander deactivated the viewing screen and held his hands behind his back. "The mission set before us is clear... We will assault every hive, destroy the present Alien Queens and go on to the next..." A Synthetic soldier moved closer to the Executive Director as this one had stepped forward. The Commander opened his long vest, which almost reached the ground, revealing black bodyarmour and a blade hanging to his side. The armour was seemingly Predator in design. The same went for the chin guards and the gauntlets he wore. Predators... an alien race of which nobody knew much... but rumours had spread after several 'incidents'.
'Probably made of some Predator alloy!' Corporal Mikhail thought.
"...planet. We will also assist the still operational facility. The invasion has gotten top-priority and thanks to the Corporation..." the Executive Dirtector smiled appreciatively at the Commander although this one ignored him and continued "... we will have many resources at our disposition. This is all you'll need to know for the moment. We ship out in two hours and I'll hope you'll prove to be the elite soldiers everybody thinks you are" with this the Commander turned and left. The Executive Director left too, flanked by his humanoid Synthetic bodyguards. "All right, Sergeants... prepare the men!" lieutenant Gaul ordered. "Yes sir!" the sergeants answered and they started shouting at the Marines.
'Oh man... join the Marines they said... jeez...'
15 other units had already left their bases. This meant that about 750 Colonial Marines were send towards the Outer Rim. And then there were still the Special Synthetic Squads and Corporate Mercenaries that had been mobilised for this mission. But they would receive the most crucial parts of the Campaign. 50 men, divided in 5 squads of ten men, plus some sergeants, the lieutenant, the Commander a squad of Synthetic Bodyguards and three Corporate goons. There would also be a few transportcrews, a small Corporate Mercenary squad, a few pilots, four assault Jets and three armoured vehicules with their drivers. It was going to be a hell of a fight. But first 2 months in Cryo sleep... he hated Cryo sleep
Lieutenant Kevin Gaul pondered all this and more as he walked up the ramp of the craft which would fly him and a part of the men to the battleship which would bring them to their destination.
Aboard the ship several Marines had already taken place in their chairs, activating the special harnesses that would keep them unshaken in case of a bumpy ride. Mikhail saw Lieutenant Kevin Gaul enter and take a place between his squad sergeant and that of Tango squad. The last Marines took their seats and the comm-speakers were activated "Pilot Alpha here, are all passengers ready for lift-off?". "Yes pilot, you may take-off" the lieutenant answered through a speaker. "Affirmative sir, we will depart in... 5...4...3...2...1...0!". The ship shook and left the hangar of the colony base. The other transports left soon afterwards. Soon they'd board the battleship who'd taken orbit around the planet and than... .
'Then it's Cryo-sleep and off to the fleet" Mikhail thought.
Commander Roland Dutch left the transport after it had gently set down in the Hangar of the Battleship. The Corporate goons and their Synthetic bodyguards had shipped into the transport carrying their own elite Mercenary Force. Behind him, his own team followed. They were the best of the best, Assault Troopers with Cybernetic upgrades, they were the 'Shadow Claws'. The elite-team disembarked with remarkable efficiency. "Alright men! Move out! Grab your things! Quickly! NOW!" Roland's right handman barked at his men. The troops were actually doing nothing wrong but as in most elite military units this kind of bossing around had become quite normal. Roland Dutch wore a Predator mask and on his shoulder he now wore a plasmacaster. This proved the rumours... he had been part of a Predator pack! Only two humans had ever been excepted in such a... 'group'. The heroine Machiko Noguchi... and Commander Dutch... . Machiko had saved several civilians in an 'incident' many years before... from Aliens and a vengeful pack of Predator warriors. Dutch had met her... many stories had spread about that encounter... . Dutch's mask was seemed too big yet he seemed to experience no difficulties. The Commander oversaw his men as they formed lines.
The cryogenic tubes