Thanks to all the people who hace reveiwed so far! it's nice to know people are reading this let alone liking it : ) thought that no one would read cos I'm a n00b and this is my first fic!

Cth'ctchi felt the human's terror and confusion as she found his mind. Then as quickly as the presence had come it was gone, leaving the Predator to enjoy the echoes of her fear still sounding in his head. Cth'ctchi pressed the com button for D'ran's connection and the Predator responded in a testy voice.

"Yes Cth'ctchi?"

He laughed under his breath, D'ran so frequently forgot about his… acquired abilities. The feelings of revulsion D'ran gave out for the one he was talking to and himself for failing to stand up and challenge Cth'ctchi amused the head Yautja, safe in the knowledge he would never be contested. Normally he would have insisted D'ran talk to him using the proper terms of respect for one in his position but he was in too good a mood to torment even his least favourite underling right now.

"Bring me the female."

Cth'ctchi cut the connection and awaited his prey to be brought to him… his mind going over the details of what he was going to do to her…

"Sir?"

It was D'ran on the com system.

"Sir, what female?"

Cth'ctchi's eyes narrowed.

"What…?"

Ad'risti stood nervously before the ships commander, and told him what he had done with Joanne. Cth'ctchi paced around the young Predator, listening to what was being said. Then suddenly he unsheathed his wrist blades and sliced through Ad'risti's hamstrings on one of his legs. Crying out in surprise and pain Ad'risti fell to the floor, clutching the deep slash at the back of his knee while his leg thrashed and spasmed uncontrollably. Florescent green blood splattered on the floor and Cth'ctchi kicked the fallen warrior in the face.

"YOU INCOMPETANT FOOL" he roared, "I HAVE WAITED ALL THIS TIME, TAKEN SO MANY RISKS AND NOW BECAUSE OF A DISGRACED IMMATURE IDIOT WHO IS NOT EVEN WORTHY OF AN ADULT'S STATUS THE CHANCE TO KILL THIS GIRL HAS BEEN GIVEN TO ANY OF THE MINDLESS BEASTS THAT NOW STALK THE HALLS OF THIS SHIP!

He kicked Ad'risti again, ripping some of his mandibles off in the process. Cth'ctchi then marched to the two guards who had brought the recruit to him.

"Take him to the Queen. Give him to her; she will decide what end he will suffer."

Ad'risti's eyes grew wide as he heard his punishment. He tried to speak but his mouthparts where too badly damaged, and Cth'ctchi had already stormed from the room. The two guards grasped his arms and started to drag him from the room, leaving a messy trail of vivid blood as they went.

D'ram watched Cth'ctchi vent his rage on various objects in the training room. That had been close, and only a lot of fast talking on his part had prevented D'ran from sharing Ad'risti's fate. For a Predator meant to have telepathic powers, Cth'ctchi obviously didn't use them very well or he would have seen D'ran was more responsible than the young recruit. Well, thinking about it it was Cth'ctchi's fault in the first place for not ordering anyone to keep the female back but no one was about to suggest that. Everyone had looked for a scapegoat and Ad'risti had been the one to take the fall. D'ran walked away from the viewing panel, like he cared what happened to a weak child who had no place on this ship or in this hunt.
Meanwhile, deep in the labyrinth that was the ship's layout, Ad'risti waited. He knew it was only a matter of time before the hard meat found him and then… He shuddered and tried to stop thinking about it. He'd failed his adulthood trail because he had fled the hunting zone after seeing his team mates being ripped apart by these monsters. Now alone and wounded those memories he'd tried to suppress came back, playing hideously before his eyes… watching the first one go down, being torn to pieces by the swarming black mass… their leader's chest exploding in a green haze as an infant clawed its way to freedom and life… he opened his eyes again, glancing up and down the corridor, anything being better than those images.

A skeletal figure darted silently above the fallen Predator's body, its blind head turning this way and that as it listened to the heavy breathing and smelt the spilt blood…

Ad'risti tried to get up. If he could make it to an observation panel then one of the other recruits working there might let him back into the 'safe' parts of the ship…

The creature was swaying from side to side, confused. It had never encountered one such as this before and while its instincts screamed at it to attack it hesitated, seeking reassurance from Her…

Ad'risti snorted as he crawled forward, using his arms now that one of his legs wasn't working. Some 'safe' zone. He hardly called being mutilated by one of his race very safe…

Soothing thoughts blossomed out to the black form, encouraging it and sending reinforcements at the same time. The creature's muscles bunched ready to leap on the crawling figure…

Ad'risti managed to get to his feet, supporting his weight entirely on his working leg. Leaning on the side of the passageway he began his slow hobble to safety when he was suddenly knocked to the ground, slamming into the metal floor. He roared in pain as something began clawing at his back and legs and instantly his training and natural impulse to survive kicked in. He rolled over quickly, throwing his attacker off balance and swatted at the thing with his fist. The blow connected with a brittle exoskeleton and sent his attacker flying down the passage, limbs flailing in all directions while screeching in distress.

The Xenomorph untangled its gangly limbs and crouched once more, tail lashing from side to side. It hissed at the thing that had harmed it and leaped again.

And again Ad'risti fought it off, somehow finding strength to battle with the thing despite his injuries, yet as he swung at the black creature he could feel his strength failing, he was going to loose…

>NO!
Something in him burned, enraged at the thought of loosing to a Xenomorph. On the aliens next lunge he grasped its head in one hand, forcing it to the ground. His exhausted body fell on top of the slim creature, causing snapping sounds and shrieks of pain and rage from the struggling form underneath him. Ad'risti felt its acid blood begin to burn his legs and torso, having eaten through his armour already. Ignoring the searing pain, he held the struggling alien's head in one hand and concentrated on ripping at the exposed tendons in its neck. The Xenomorph screamed louder.

Then something was wrenching Ad'risti off his prey and forcing him down. Strong black limbs held him as sharp teeth bit at his limbs, ruining them. He howled in pain and misery as he knew, without a doubt, that he had lost his battle.

Something hot and wet dripped over his face. Ad'risti woke groggily, his eyesight blurred by the liquid covering his face. As he focused on what was before him he gasped, and tried to move away but he couldn't. Looking down he saw his limbs had been reduced to tattered stumps. Reluctantly, he looked back up into the jaws of the Queen.

The prey was awake, the Queen informed her servants, and instantly they moved to restrain it in case it attacked their beloved matriarch. She could see that would not be necessary, however, as the thing was weak and soon would perish. She hissed at the creatures surrounding her, telling them to be more careful next time with such beings. In this state, She told them, they could not be implanted with young for they would die before the child could develop. Another hiss summoned a small, very battered individual to the Queen and it sat before her, waiting for orders. She informed the small one that She was pleased with it for attacking the intruder on its own, and reassured it that its painful injuries would heal given time. As She relayed Her wishes to the small one it chittered in excitement and hobbled u p to the near dead Predator, squatting on his chest…

Ad'risti gazed into the eyeless face of the Xenomorph calmly. The pain from his wounds was fading and light dimming from his eyes. He allowed himself to drift away, and did not see the alien bare its inner jaws, nor feel the killing blow when it came.

Hope u all like, haven't seen any of the aliens films so if anything in this about them is wrong please say. Wanted to practise writing for the xenomorphs before I got into the part of the story which has more of them... so hope it wasn't too offensive!

Once again, please read n' review if u've got time or are outraged at my portrayal of the characters : P : D