Sorry this updates been abit of a while, exams have reared their ugly heads and revision must be done.
Strange how when you have work or important things to do you feel most inspired to write more, yet when you have time to spare you can't write anything!
Enjoy : )

Cth'ctchic leant back in the control room, having finished with his trophies. The two gleaming human skulls he ignored, looking solely at the other skull. One that belonged to his own species. He chuckled slightly, the sound emerging bizarre and twisted from his mangled mandibles. D'ran…
Cth'ctchi briefly pondered whether he could display the skull with his other trophies, D'ran was, like him, facing a death sentence if recaptured so if Cth'ctchi was pardoned technically he should not be punished for killing him. He frowned and placed all the skulls in a compartment, out of sight. Such an issue would have to wait until after his honour was restored. He ground his teeth at the thought of those who had banished him, cast his name into the dirt… Simply because he'd dispatched that insolent upstart and a mere human had tattled on him. The insult that they had believed her over him! In Cth'ctchi's eyes it did not matter that she had been telling the truth, all that mattered was his elders acceptance of a human's account rather than his, one of their own clan! Species even!
He consoled himself with the thought that soon he would be restored to his rightful position, if not higher.

The first Predator in recorded history to take down a queen alien single handily… such an achievement would outshine his minor offence and bring such rewards.

His mandibles then began to spasm, twitching awkwardly. Cth'ctchic frowned and reached to his pack, locating the med kit stored there and pulling it in front of him. He knew he should have treated his wounds earlier, but he'd been too engrossed in persuading the queen to leave him alone, and then his new trophies and the progress of the search program slowly ticking over on the display to his right. He glanced at the display and clicked angrily, or tried to. Pain blossomed over his face as clotted blood cracked and fresh blood flowed. Still no sign of the girl. He began checking himself over, looking for any serious injuries but finding nothing more than shallow slices, scrapes and bruises. Gingerly he explored the extent of the damage on his face with his hands, wincing as he found the tender spots most harmed. He frowned as he felt that unless he got help from a trained medic he would loose the mobility in another mandible. Medics could also replace the two he'd lost with technological ones but there where no medics on this ship, and he could not, would not cry for help. Besides without revoking his death sentence he would simply be killed rather than given medical aid.

No, he'd have to make the best of it until this hunt was over, he could get patched up another time.

Making up some of the blue healing gel normally reserved only for serious injuries, Cth'ctchi tended to his facial injuries, not minding the waste because there were several spare kits in the control room with which he could replace the valuble stuff.A yelp escaped him as he felt the gel's painful kick. He had thought the small amount he'd used would not have produced its characteristic 'sting' but…
Snarling he replenished his med supply and reattached it to his pack. He turned and glared at the monitor, still nothing.
He had so wanted to kill her.

The creature twitched. Then again.
Once more and, like a flipped switch it's mind was back.
It felt. It thought.
And it was no longer the basic organism it had been.
Before it had been so limited, so blind. Controlled completely by what was written in its blood and instincts.
But now things where different.
It tried moving, but once more found itself restricted. No matter, it knew how to deal with such a situation now…
Tensing its muscles it was about to slam against the case that restrained it but something held it back, another instinct saying that caution may be advisable.
So it tried to see what was around it, and was taken aback by what it saw.

There was the world, vibrant and clear, picked out in waves and shimmers that spiralled and reflected of each other, enticing and beautiful.
It called out to the young one, for it to escape this drab prison and be part of it, there was nothing near except…

Except HER.
It's Queen.
Mother, protector, guide.
The most important thing in its world.

It tensed once more to break free, thoughts buzzing and ecstatic, greeting its Queen and exploring in its new found senses.
It barley started its push against its cocoon before it cracked and split, so easily it had broken! How strong it was now!
It dropped to the floor and chittered excitedly as blood rushed to its new limbs, the numbness in them fading away with each throb of its heart.

It arched its whole body, stretching every tendon and joint, its exoskeleton snapping into place and hardening, covering almost its entire body. Talons unfolded and it brought its writhing body down into a crouch, reaching forwards with its arms now trying to dispel the stiffness that plagued it. Watching each hooked finger as they flexed and clasped, it admired its new body, picked out in the ever changing pulses and patterns that made up its world. Muscles rippled from beneath the hard armour it wore, claws glittered and spines rose from its back all the way down its tail, and oh what a tail! Its slender form ended in a blade like structure, so sharp yet so delicate looking…
It turned its head and slivery strands tumbled from its neck, hanging lazily down as it looked around the chamber. However its head movement was restricted by some of the tresses caught in the spines along its back. It shook its head suddenly to dislodge them, the smooth, hair like chords untangling from its back.
It reached forth an arm as it turned to approach its Queen in a four legged gait, yet a second later it propelled itself upwards and continued in an effortless upright stance, flexing its now delicate mandibles with none of the hesitation or clumsiness it had before, revelling in its new body and in the strength, the grace it now possessed.

Reaching her, it crouched by her and crooned softly, mental link strong but yet also muted at the same time…
It did not ponder about this overly, the Queen's ways where not its own and she always knew what was right, and what must be done. There undoubtedly where many other things she must attend to besides it.
So it deepened its crouch into a more comfortable one and waited, while its mind went over every detail of the place it was in, savouring every new observation as they came.
The Queen would tell it what to do soon enough.

Joanne looked at the thing squatting next to her.
It was humming slightly.

She then looked at Kelly, who had thankfully fallen asleep not long ago and had remained that way through the alien's emergence. She tried to keep her fear out of her mental bond with the young creature. Now it was older and considerably more dangerous she could not afford for it to question her again.

But what would Kelly say, and do, when she woke up?

She closed her eyes and the images she'd tried to shut out and forget swam before her, released by the alien's appearance. Memories of the group she had briefly been part of, and of the grisly fate they had suffered.
How could she have not realised!
Her last memories of Will surfaced in her mind once more, of the black things that had held him for the pale creature to drop on his face…
How had she not made the connection!
She berated herself for not thinking clearly, for blocking the incident out rather than using it to know what the worm would become.

And Kelly…
She had a more personal reason for shutting the event out, for not making the link
What would she do when she woke and realised their protector was kin to those who killed her beloved Mark?

There where some differences between it and the black creatures they had encountered before but those where small compared to the similarities. It felt a lot smarter than the ones Joanne had felt before too. Its appearance suggested it had taken some of its host's characteristics, but how much had that extended internally? Would it be as smart as Predators where? Joanne could see things rapidly going downhill if it was, or would be, that intelligent.

The creature turned its head slightly, and Joanne could feel its adoration flowing from it. It would do anything for her, anything. Not because she was forcing it to or because she was hurting it, but because it was devoted to her, and would do anything to please her.
Her mind struggled with the warm, content feelings she was receiving from the alien and the knowledge that these things where brutal killers. How could they be so affectionate yet so violent?
It was the last thing she had expected and was at a loss.

As if sensing her uncertainty, which could easily be possible, the creature focused more on her, positive feelings pouring from it to her.

Joanne clutched her head and tried to think, when Kelly woke up she might demand it be killed or simply do it herself without warning and before she had linked with it Joanne would have been with her every step of the way.

Except now things where different.
Could she really betray its unwavering trust and allow harm to come to it?