Disclaimer: I don't own aliens. Oh, wait, yes, I do. I own all the characters in here!

Chapter 10

Healing Wounds

Renee impatiently tapped her foot against the hard stone ground. Scar's running back and forth had gotten annoying and she still couldn't take the Devil's Light. Not that she wanted to rush into that.

Finally the jet-black drone entered the room again. He looked around and then asked. (Do you still want to go through with this?)

Renee growled. "Yes, let's just get it over with."

"Let me," Rachel said grabbing the vial that Renee had. A needle extended out of the container and Rachel stuck it into her daughter's arm.

(You might want to sit down,) Scar suggested as small blotches of black began to spread over Renee's skin. Renee nodded as she jerked slightly from a brief shot of pain. She sat in the corner.

Rachel reached into her pant's pocket and withdrew the vial meant for her. The needle extended. She gulped and plunged the needle into her wrist. Rachel gasped and dropped the vial.

Rachel's eyes widened in freight and she doubled over in pain. Scar gasped as a yellowish liquid burned through Rachel's skin. Rachel screamed in pain as more acid ate through her skin. Scar turned away from the horrid sight, but he couldn't block the smell of burning flesh, or Rachel's screams. Finally the screams stopped. Scar gulped and turned to find…

Rachel's body was lying on the floor. The acidic blood was still eating the remains away.

Scar turned away, barely keeping himself from throwing up. Renee was unconscious and almost halfway through her change. He could still hear the acid as it burnt at the resistant resin that covered the floor.

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Renee awoke as Scar shook her. She gasped and then stood up carefully. She swung her tail from side to side. She raised her head and screeched. (Cool!)

(Uh, yeah,) Scar said nervously. (Listen… uh… your mom… didn't survive the transformation.)

(What?) Renee spun to face him. (How?)

(Her blood was the first thing that changed…) Scar said. (So it ate through…) He couldn't finish his sentence.

Renee then caught sight of her mother's remains. A spot where the acid had partly dissolved the resin and a few pieces of what had changed before the acid could eat them. Renee groaned and threw up. Her strong digestive acids partially burnt the floor.

She turned to Scar and hugged him as she sobbed. She couldn't cry lacking eyes it was just the sound being conveyed through her telepathy. Scar patted her back.

(It'll be okay,) he tried to comfort her.

Renee looked up at him. (Will it?)

(What's going on?) The Queen asked.

(Rachel died,) Scar directed his telepathy only to the Queen. He didn't want Renee to break into another crying fit.

(And the girl?)

(She's fine,) Scar replied.

(Good,) she replied.

(Would you have preferred them both dead?) Scar asked. Renee was still clinging to him.

(It would save me some trouble,) the Queen growled. (Half-Jaw was down here complaining about the addition of more humans to the hive. You're more trouble then you're worth.)

Scar growled as the Queen broke contact. Xena and Sonar entered the room. Scar pushed Renee away from him as Xena and Sonar shared a look.

(What do you want?) Scar growled.

(The Queen insists that the three of us are to keep an eye on the human,) Xena said.

(Okay,) Scar said. (So is she separated from the hive mind as I was?)

(No,) Sonar replied. (You were only separated from them because the Queen didn't want the praetorians knowing of your existence and it is very easy to learn to block that telepathy anyway.)

Sonar then caught sight of Rachel's remains and Scar was surprised to see him recoil. Xena and he turned and left the room and Scar and Renee followed.

Xena led them to her quarters and insisted that she would teach Renee to block telepathy. Since they weren't needed Scar and Sonar left.

(So what do you want to do?) Sonar asked as they walked down the tunnel.

(I don't know,) he shuddered as Rachel's screams echoed in his mind. (Something to take my mind off what happened.)

(How about we go thank those Komoslothes for helping you earn your name,) Sonar suggested.

(What do you mean?) Scar asked.

(Well, your name's supposed to be Scar yet you've had no scars,) Sonar explained. (Until those Komoslothes attack you.)

Scar looked back at the numerous scars that lined his flank. (Heck, why not?)

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Scar screeched as he jumped toward the Komosloth whose belly was exposed. The Komosloth rolled over onto its feet. Scar slashed its flank and turned to face it. The creature leapt and pinned him, but Scar managed to maneuver his foot under it and kick it off. In a flash he was back on his feet and had rammed his tail into the Komosloth's belly. The cat fell limp.

Scar hissed in satisfaction and turned to the battlefield. The battle was over. The drones were gorging themselves on their kills.

Scar turned back to his opponent's corpse and shot his tongue out ripping a piece of flesh off to devour. Sonar appeared beside him and took a bite out of the creature.

(So are you and the human-,)

(Her name's Renee,) Scar interrupted.

(Are you and Renee… um…?) Sonar paused. (An item?)

(What? No!) Scar said as he swallowed another piece of meat. (Where'd you get that idea?)

(Well, you were hugging when we came in,) Sonar explained.

(Her mother just died,) Scar said. (So, she needed somebody to cry on.)

(Well, if you ever decide to take a mate…)

(Sonar?) Scar began. (You're sucking around to get impaled.)

(Oh, and what makes you think you'd get the chance to impale me?) Sonar retorted.

Scar screeched and lunged at him. The two rolled across the ground until Scar successfully pinned him. He shot out his tongue and its jaws snapped shut a few inches from Sonar's face.

(Another win for the human.)

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Renee was turned away from Xena. She didn't have much enthusiasm left for the lesson. She felt Xena approaching behind her. She ground her teeth together expecting a rebuke or something.

(I can relate to what you're going through,) Xena said gently. Renee turned to face the large praetorian. (A Komosloth killed my mate, Devin; if he were still alive we would probably have a hive of our own somewhere on this planet.)

(I'm sorry,) Renee said.

(So am I,) Xena said.