Small modification here to make the Predators fit in with convention lore. Unless I'm just following someone's own system of name endings... still, it'll probably look better.
The Elder grunted, unimpressed. In truth, he thought, he'd have probably done the same in their position.
He watched the two cowering young bloods. What they spoke of was, indeed, unusual. But that still didn't excuse the c'jit insolence of them, leaving their post guarding the Shrine just to satisfy curiosity.
Kal'Arak'e looked up briefly, trying to assess the Elder's reaction, then decided to stay in a submissive posture.
"Very well," said the Elder finally. "You will go without punishment, on account of the information that you have gathered, and the fact that you have behaved well until now. But do not disobey me again. This is a Hunt. You have seen what creatures there are here, quite apart from the Stranded. Those who do not co-operate with the rest of the Kindred stand alone, and vulnerable. Do I make myself clear?"
The siblings bowed low, and then retreated to the corner of the Shrine that was their place in the Kindred.
"A union of the pyode amedha and the kainde amedha is certainly worrying," said the Elder, addressing all the Yautja present. "But it is not enough to be considered a problem. The tarutaska amedha are growing in strength, and I believe that it is time to introduce you young bloods to them. Remember that although they look large and clumsy, they are stronger than they look, and have powerful weapons. Do not underestimate them."
Ke'La'Tur'e cha, the Kindred's pilot, beckoned them into the ship. As the last Yautja stepped aboard, the door closed and the ship vanished from view. There was a sound like breathing as the silent craft took off, and then the ship, along with the local Predators, left the area.
Shadow looked down at the corpse of the attacking creature. Even in death, it was a terrifying sight.
>We should get inside,> he said quietly. >We don't want another of those things getting the jump on us. I should have known that coming out when our senses were not at full strength was a bad idea.>
"'Not at full strength'? What does that mean?" asked Jake.
>We were… blinded, for want of a better word, by the crash. I thought that we had recovered enough to be able to sense any dangers, but I was wrong. It was… a bad decision.>
"Bad decision," said Jake. He sounded like he was trying to hold his temper in check, and then decided not to try. "Warren is dead because of your 'bad decision'!"
>Get. Back. Inside,> snarled Shadow. >In case you forgot, it's only because we were there that you weren't all ripped apart.>
"I don't give a damn! This whole business is your fault! We're only here because of your fiddling with the controls! If you had just stayed away from this ship, none of us would be here."
>Yes,> said Shadow, his voice dripping with sarcasm. >If we hadn't come along, everything would be nice and cosy for you. Fine. You live with that dream. I'm happy with what I did. Don't ask me for an apology, human. If we hadn't stowed away on the Charon, we'd all be dead.>
Jake stared at him. "What did you say?"
>I said that we'd all be dead! They detonated a mountainful of nuclear explosives and wiped out everything on the map! Earth is a dead radiation zone!>
"No, before that. You called me 'human'."
>Cover the entrance. Make sure that nothing else comes through.> Shadow turned to look at Jake properly for the first time. >You are human.>
"You said it as though I was something different. I know that you look different, but…"
>Maybe it's more than that,> said Shadow with quiet menace. >I'm sick of humanity. Before… before, I was living in constant fear of, of this! He waved a claw across his face. I don't even remember before the infection of Earth. Constantly frightened of when they'd get here. Hoping that someone could stop them. Then they got to my home, and I was running for my life from nightmares. That I could handle. Constant fear has a way of becoming comforting you know? There's something out there to fight. Something to escape from.>
Hukken ran into the room, took a look at Warren, and went white.
>And then YOU turned up, Hukken! You and your little gang of scientists!>
Hukken spun to look at the Alien, and started trembling. He'd heard that tone of voice before. From Kail, when she was threatening Haines.
>You took me in, and I thought it was over. Then you give me a little injection, and I turn into this.>
"I don't understand!" said Jake. He'd picked up on the tone, too. It was the voice of a psychopath on the edge of control that's about to let go. "If you were so scared of Aliens before, why are you giving up on us now?"
>Simple. The Hive took me in. It treated me as an equal. There was nothing left to fear. Nothing left to be scared of. Because that was our job. It was different. Oh, I was still scared at first. I clung on to my humanity. I told myself that as soon as I found an antidote, I'd turn back. Just like that. And then, in those three months between you crawling away with your tail between your legs, Hukken, and stowing away on the Charon, I discovered something. Do you want to know what it was?>
Jake, Hukken and Holly were backing away, and suddenly slammed into the wall.
>Humanity is the problem. You see, who was it that brought the Alien Hives to Earth in the first place? Who was it that created me? And my Hive? Who was so desperate to get their hands on a way to control us, desperate enough to sacrifice others' lives?> Shadow advanced slowly. >I think you'll find the answer to all of those questions is a little species called Homo Sapiens. And that only covers our current problems, doesn't it?>
>And then I looked at the Aliens. They… we… may not be perfect. We may be vicious killing machines. But that's what we evolved to be. And if a species is stupid enough to bring us to their home and start playing 'fetch, doggy'… well, they deserve everything they get.>
Shadow was now face-to-face with the trio. His lips drew back slightly, revealing the teeth below.
And then he turned away, seeming to become smaller.
>Get back to the rest of the colonists. We'll keep the cargo bay secure. Until we decide what to do next.>
Jake opened his mouth to say something, and found Holly's hand over it.
"I don't think we should stick around here, do you?" she whispered.
The other colonists joined them from where they had been cowering, and the six left without a word.
Spiketail unfolded from the ceiling, and dropped next to Shadow.
>I thought that those were supposed to be my lines,> she commented. >When did you go all vicious and nasty like that?>
>Don't ask. I guess I just got a bit worked up about losing Warren. I never saw that thing coming! >
>Don't worry. You couldn't have done anything. I saw it all, the Queen showed me.>
Shadow sighed mentally. >What I said was true, though. Humanity is the worst thing that happened to itself. I'm well off being rid of it.>
Spiketail grinned like a shark. >I realised that right after I got hit by that retrovirus. Took you long enough.>
Shadow smiled back. >You know, Spike, you may be a borderline psychopath in human terms, but it's impossible to stay morose around you. Come on, we need to make sure that the cargo bay is secure. Having another of those big crocodile-things coming in would not be healthy for anyone.>
NEW STRANDED VESSEL LOCATED
ANALYSING OCCUPANTS
OCCUPANTS IDENTIFIED: TWO DIFFERENT SPECIES
FIRST SPECIES: MAMMALIAN BIPEDAL SPECIES, KNOWN NAMES: HOMO SAPIENS, HUMAN, OOMAN, PYODE AMEDHA
ORIGIN: PLANET NY27957-4, KNOWN BY NATIVES AS 'EARTH'
SECOND SPECIES: BIO-ENGINEERED WEAPON 75984, MODIFIED GENOME STRAND VARIANT, KNOWN NAMES: XENOMORPH, ALIEN, BUG, KIANDE AMEDHA, PROJECT 17
ORIGIN: UNKNOWN
THREAT LEVEL OF COMBINED STRANDED: MEDIUM
SUGGESTED PROCEDURE: OBSERVATION AND TESTING
CALCULATION ENDS
The creature known to the Yautja as the levat'kasura was a large, reptilian winged predator. Paralysing venom was secreted from its barbed tail, and long, razor-like claws extended from its four long limbs. The most dangerous aspect of them was that they hunted in packs.
In fact, it was the ideal next step in 'testing' the new arrivals.
The drone looked out from the cargo bay, analysing the numerous life-forms that passed within its vision.
Mostly insects. A few birds.
There. Something new.
Large. Six limbs, two of them wings.
Clearly predatory. Possibly a threat.
A long pair of claws reached out for the drone out of nowhere, and snatched it. As the levat'kasura crushed the life out of the creature, it sent out a mental warning to the rest of the hive.
The winged predator screeched in triumph, and then in abrupt pain as the acid from the dead Alien sprayed over its body. It spiralled out of control and landed on the forest canopy and died in agony.
Spiketail, Shadow, and ten drones leapt out of the cargo bay, scanning the area. They spotted the swarm of levat'kasura immediately and dived for cover.
The flying attackers dived, lashing out with their claws and tails, but failed to touch the agile xenomorphs. Shadow flicked out his tail at one of them, which slammed into the Charon's outer hull with cry of pain. A drone leapt at the fallen predator and started dragging it inside, ready for infestation.
The levat'kasura were fast and dangerous, but not fast enough. They were picked off one by one, until, as one, the last five spiralled away.
Shadow looked at the rest of the Aliens. Two more dead, crushed and sliced by the attackers' powerful claws. Three more apparently in stasis from the tail barbs. Those would recover. And they had captured twelve of the flying creatures for hosts. Seeing what sort of drones they would produce would be most interesting…
>Fairly good result, considering the odds,> said Spiketail. >But…> She trailed off, looking at the three corpses. >We still lost some.>
¬It is a shame. But they died for the Queen, and for the Hive. No one could ask for more,¬ commented a drone. ¬And they will return. With the new ones.¬
Shadow smiled. Aliens had a simple philosophy of life and death. Those who died could be replaced. If you died for the Hive, what more could be said?
It was a good philosophy. As long as one survives, the Hive survives. And considering the way that even a humble drone could evolve to become a Queen, it made sense.
The smile faded. He was thinking in Alien terms, not human ones. Oh, he'd meant it when he had said to Jake and Spiketail about being glad to lose his humanity, but still…
>I may not be able to hear your thoughts, Shadow, but I can tell that you're suffering from a mental crisis. Like I said, you're well-off being shot of humanity. It either complicates or it destroys. Not much middle ground. May I make a suggestion?>
>Depends what it is. Knowing you, it'll involve killing something.>
Spiketail grinned. >How did you guess? Something helpless, for preference. That way you can take your time. Stretch it out. Trust me, you'll feel a lot better afterwards. It clears the mind wonderfully.>
>Is that what you were doing all those times you went missing? I was always curious, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to know.>
Spiketail's 'tone' darkened. >Oh yes. You have no idea how satisfying it can be to corner a… perhaps I shouldn't go into that. You're in a funny mood.>
>You were going to say child, weren't you.>
>No point in denying it.>
>How many people – how many humans have you killed?>
Spiketail counted. >Twenty one. Six during break-out, thirteen during those three months, two while breaking into the space port. You?>
>Four. Three during the break-out, one when the Queen was testing us. You remember?>
Spiketail nodded. >She wasn't sure how far we'd go in our loyalty to the Hive. She had the drones bring in two people, and ordered us to kill them. I didn't have a problem with it, but you agonised for ages. The Queen said something about you 'not being out of options'.>
>I only killed those people at the facility because they were pointing a gun at me. I had no choice but to kill. I've stung plenty, if that's any help.>
>But you seldom return them to the Hive, I notice. No direct or indirect deaths on you hands, eh? Remember what you said to me right after I changed?>
Shadow considered the irony of it in retrospect. >You said you didn't want blood on your hands. And I said 'Empty reflex. I thought that way to begin with.'>
>Our roles seem to be reversed. Think about what I said. The Queen might help.>
>No. She might be wise, but she never went through this. She views it all from the perspective of the Alien, and no matter how she views the situation, She can't see it from a human's. Let alone from the view of a weird mental cross-breed.>
TEST STAGE TWO COMPLETE
STATUS: PASSED
STRANDED CASUALTIES: THREE, ALL 'ALIEN'
NO HUMANS SPOTTED
CONTINUING OBSERVATION
NEW DATA RECEIVED
YAUTJA HAVE ATTACKED WRAITHS
WRAITH CASUALTIES: TWELVE
YAUTJA CASUALTIES: NONE
THREAT ANALYSIS OF YAUTJA: VERY HIGH
PROBABILITY OF DETECTION OF US: HIGH
ACTIVATING NEW FILE: STRANDED: ASPHODEL
NEW OPERATION COMMENCING
CALCULATION ENDS
So there we go. The next local predator has encounted the crew of the Charon and our Aliens have made it out fairly well. But what is this mysterious thing that is analysing both Predators and the crew of the Charon? What is Asphodel? And what are the Wraiths? Hopefully I've got you all on tenterhooks now…