The human soldiers went through the forest never staying in one place for too long. Some of the Taliban fighters decided to take a break and talk amongst themselves. "What is that?" one of them said to the other in Dari.
"What's the hold-up?" Rodriguez asked.
"He says he has seen red dots from the sky," Salar translated with a confused expression.
A plasma burst suddenly hit the Taliban fighter slicing into his neck. The Taliban and Americans opened fire in all directions for the source of the burst. Another plasma burst went through the air from a different direction. A Black Yautja appeared out of cloak with an injury to the head. His mask was blasted open, and he was leaking blood to the back of the head.
Upon being revealed, the Americans and Taliban fired on the Black Yautja spraying him with bullets. The Black Yautja fired another burst hitting Thompson to the chest. Finally, an RPG hit the Black Yautja in the stomach and then exploded. Body parts and green blood flew in all directions.
"We need a medic," Salar said upon seeing his fallen comrade.
The Americans looked at Patterson for direction. "Holmes: do what you can," he ordered.
Thompson ripped open his burnt clothes and threw aside his burning bulletproof vest. Royce looked over the wound; his chest had been burned but he would live. "Holy Shit," he gasped.
"You're going to need to be more careful from now on. We don't have a spare," Patterson told him.
Holmes looked over the wound and started placing bandages around the Taliban fighter's neck. "It looks to be cauterizing," Holmes said confused.
"Is that good?" Salar asked.
"It's bad if his jugular closes up," Holmes said, as he continued examining the wound. The Taliban fighter struggled to breathe and was barely moving. "Have them talk to him," Holmes said to Salar.
The Taliban talked to their fallen comrade in Dari, while Holmes completed the bandages. However, within a few moments, the Taliban fighter lost consciousness and died. Holmes backed away in shock; he had never seen someone die on him before. Salar nodded to him reassuring him that it was not his fault.
"Holmes, Salar: we need to talk," Patterson called over.
The Prince was given another report on the activities of the humans and was pleased to hear that another Black Yautja had been killed. The Black Yautja had been distracted by hunting humans and Xenomorphs. Upon making the first move, the Black Yautja would often reveal themselves to a Royal Guard.
"When the humans leave, collect the skull. I want to take a look at it," the Prince ordered.
"As you wish my Prince," the Royal Guard replied.
The Prince then turned to Lex. "I find it insulting that you would rather die than be my mate. That is the most absurd course of action I have ever come across. I have wealth, power, status, and privileges that few Yautja possess. Due to your origin, I am doubtful anyone higher than myself would desire you as a mate," he said.
"I will not be forced to love you," Lex told him. "I would rather be with a commoner that loves me than a Prince that doesn't."
"Mating is not about love although it can be over time. When I first mated with my first wife, we were not in love, as you say, at the time. It took time to build, and I am certain it will increase over time," the Prince said.
"I will not 'mate' with anyone unless I love them," Lex continued her defiance.
The Prince chuckled. "I have doubts that you loved every sexual partner you ever had. In your land, the divorce rate is high, and your lifespan is shorter than ours."
"And you have more than one wife," she countered.
"So?" the Prince wondered.
"Could you remain faithful and happy with just one wife?" Lex challenged.
"What I do is for the common good. I have many wives so that I may repopulate our species due to wars and hunting. It is a great charity to mate with a female with no opportunity to advance as well as to adopt the orphans," the Prince said.
"You don't need to mate with a female to be charitable to her," Lex argued.
"You are simply jealous. I have been away from my wives for several months at a time. My self-control is perfect," the Prince said dismissively.
"You would add me to your collection of wives? And would your wives have a say in this?" she asked.
"They will respect my decision and if any of them object they can become the mate of my younger brothers who have few wives," he said unconcernedly.
"How can you call that love?" Lex accused.
"You imply that sex equals love," the Prince shot back.
"I think you're lonely on this moon. You can't leave, because of the blockade, and you haven't had sex in a long time," Lex said.
The Prince chuckled. "I suffer so much disrespect from you, but I like your honest opinion. I encourage you to speak your mind, but you shall hold your tongue in front of my guards, staff, guests, and all other Yautjas."
"As you wish," Lex replied sarcastically.
The Prince then turned to his computer screen. "Xenomorphs are closing on the human's position. Your orders, Sir?" the Royal Guard asked.
The Prince turned to Lex and then back to the screen. "Watch them, but do not interfere."
The Xenomorphs raced across the ground in packs from four different directions, as they hunted the humans. The humans took a tight circular perimeter and watched for any movement. The Royal Guard watched in the trees but did nothing. The Taliban were the first to fire spreading bullets into the forest. The Xenomorphs threw themselves at them. All of them opened fire on the Xenomorphs killing a few of them immediately.
Acid was flung forward hitting O'Connor in the arm. He kept firing even through the pain. Another Taliban fighter was hit with acid to the face and was out of the fight. He fell to the ground and screamed in pain.
"I think we should start using the other guns," Royce suggested.
"I think you're right," Patterson agreed.
The humans took up the plasma rifles and fired into the forest. The Prince watched intently, as the humans fired Yautja plasma rifles. The bursts exploded the Xenomorphs, as they advanced. The injured Taliban fighters were grabbed by a Xenomorph and pulled away into the forest. The Xenomorphs then retreated away.
"We lost one of ours," Salar reported.
"So what?" Rodriguez objected.
"We never leave a fallen comrade," Patterson told him.
"They are not our comrades," Rodriguez said.
"Do it!" O'Connor said as he bandaged up his arm.
Rodriguez held his tongue and went with the group to find the captured Taliban fighter. The team went through the forest and found a cave. The lining of the cave seemed to be covered in organic material.
"Thompson," Patterson ordered upfront.
Thompson used the Yautja mask and scanned visually inside the cave. "Clear as far as I can see," he said.
"Okay, let's move. Don't touch the sides of the cave," Patterson ordered.
"This is bullshit," Royce objected.
Patterson gave him a dirty look and then looked at O'Connor's injured arm. "Fine, stay here with O'Connor."
The team went inside the cave following the directions of Thompson. "Eleven o'clock," Thompson shouted.
The team fired in the same direction blasting the Xenomorph to pieces. Thompson continued to scan for Xenomorphs with the mask.
"The humans have entered a cave where a Xenomorph hive appears to be located," the Royal Guard reported.
"I shall make a note of this for future reference," the Prince replied. He then turned to Lex, "The humans have entered into a trap. They will not survive in there."
"You're going to let them die?" Lex asked displeased.
"Are you willing to offer me something that would make it in my interest to risk my Royal Guards?"
"No."
"Keep watch to see if anything else enters the cave," the Prince ordered.
The humans tossed flares into the cave giving them some light but mostly relying on the eyesight of Thompson. Suddenly, a tail struck Thompson to the back going right through him. The humans opened fire splashing acid on Thompson back causing even more serious wounds. He cried out in pain and shock and then fell to the ground dead. "Take the mask," Patterson said quickly.
Holmes took the mask and placed it on his smaller head. "I see him."
The humans found the Taliban fighter pinned to the wall by organic material. Salar approached the man and saw that his chest was budging. "There is something inside," he said in Dari.
"Comrade, we cannot help you," Salar said sadly.
"They are down in the cave. I will trap them inside forever. You should go," the Taliban fighter said.
"May Allah be with you," Salar said and then went back to the Americans. "We must go quickly."
Rodriguez picked up Thompson's dead body and ran towards the exit of the cave. The Xenomorphs quickly crawled on the ground, on the walls, and on the ceiling after them. The Taliban fighter said a few prayers and then pushed a button attached to his vest. The explosion was massive exploding the Xenomorphs and collapsing the cave. The humans exited the cave just as the entrance collapsed.
The Royal Guard noticed the increase in heat signatures coming from the cave. "There appears to have been an explosion inside the cave," he reported.
The humans traveled some distance away from the cave before stopping. "One of my men is dead trying to rescue one of yours. I need to know where Osama Bin Laden is now," Patterson said to Salar.
"Even if I told you, it wouldn't help you. You can't communicate with your people," Salar pointed out.
"This is about trust. I need to know I can trust you to deliver. Now give it up, or we go our separate ways," Patterson insisted.
Salar hesitated but then relented. "He is in the city Abbottabad in Pakistan in a three-story compound one and one-half kilometers from the Pakistan Military Academy. It is the equivalent of your West Point."
"You got to be shitting me," Rodriguez said stunned.
"How do you know this?" Patterson interrogated.
"I knew a courier that would send messages back and forth from Osama Bin Laden to some of his Al Qaeda operatives. I have never met him myself, but I know he is there," Salar said confidently.
"I call bullshit," O'Connor doubted.
"It's strange enough to be true. I never did trust the Pakistanis," Patterson remarked.
"That is because they work for us," Salar said.
"Why are we even in this fight then," Rodriguez said displeased.
"Because we were ordered to. We don't question our orders," Patterson told him.
"I see something in the trees," Isabelle said while looking through her rifle.
"Check it out, Holmes," Patterson ordered.
"I don't see anything," Holmes reported.
"Where?" Royce asked looking at the same spot. "I see it now."
"Do I engage?" Isabelle asked.
"Take the shot," Patterson allowed.
Isabelle fired slicing into the blur in the sky. Green blood flew into the air confirming what she saw. The Royal Guard turned his attention to the hit and fired. The Americans and Taliban fired in both directions forcing the Royal Guard to take cover. The hit Black Yautja fired at the Royal Guard but missed. The burst hit a tree branch; it fell to the ground slamming into O'Connor.
The Royal Guard ran from tree branch to tree branch as the Black Yautja fired in all directions. Additional plasma bursts went through the air from other directions. "Take cover," Patterson ordered the men.
The Prince closely monitored the situation. He had two Royal Guards on location, but there appeared to be a team of three Black Yautja present. "I am taking command of your plasma cannons. Concentrate on your other weapons and evasion," the Prince ordered.
Lex saw the screen show a split video of the two Royal Guard's masks. The Prince could now see what the Royal Guards saw. Taking control of their two plasma cannons each, he moved the red triangle with his arms. "Join me," he said to her.
Lex put her hands up and moved two red triangles. The Prince furiously moved his hands changing the visual screen in front of him. It was a particular challenge as both the Royal Guard and Black Yautja were in cloak. The two Royal Guards evaded the red beams of the Black Yautja, as they attempted to target them. They both threw blades, spears, and shurikens into the air.
The humans fired aimlessly with plasma rifles. Through it all, Isabelle kept calm and looked for another shot. The blades sliced through the air nearly hitting some of the humans. A Taliban fighter got hit in the shoulder while an American got hit to the helmet. Some of the blades hit their mark slicing into a Black Yautja leg.
Lex fired at anything that moved in the air and in the upper trees. Suddenly, there was an explosion as an electronic falcon was hit in midair. "Good," the Prince encouraged her. The plasma bursts caught fire to everything they hit creating an instant forest fire. The humans attempted to move out so that they wouldn't be consumed in the smoke. They pried the log off Holmes and carried the dead body of Thompson away. The Yautjas on both sides had masks that could filter it out but the fires were making visuals difficult.
As O'Connor carried Holmes in a fireman's carry, a stray plasma burst hit him to the side of his helmet. The helmet burst into pieces and O'Connor fell to the ground bleeding profusely from a head wound. Lex spotted the source of the plasma burst and fired. The burst hit the Black Yautja in the stomach revealing a splash of green blood for a second. The Prince also fired on the same location hitting the Black Yautja's leg and arm.
With O'Connor down, the humans circled around him and formed a small perimeter. Patterson immediately took off the smoking helmet and attempted to stop the bleeding. "There's no way he can survive," Royce said pessimistically.
O'Connor was shaking as if he was going through a seizure and then stopped moving. "This is our last stand. Everyone stay tight," Patterson ordered.
"Help them," Lex pleaded with the Prince even as she kept her eyes on the screen. The Prince hesitated and then activated a com on his computer. "Advance on these coordinates," the Prince ordered and then submitted the coordinates.
"They are on their way, but they may be too late," the Prince said lowering expectations.
A Royal Guard fired several times blasting metal nets into the air. One of the nets was successful, capturing the Black Yautja. He fell to the ground and struggled with the net. The Royal Guard loaded up a spear and shot it through the air stabbing the Black Yautja into the chest pinning him to a tree.
The other Royal Guard used his mask to track the injured Black Yautja and found him crawling along the ground. "Stand," the Royal Guard said to the Black Yautja. He struggled to get to his feet and turned around. The Prince fired both plasma cannons blasting the Black Yautja's body to nothing.
Suddenly, the Royal Guard was hit with a plasma burst that cracked his mask. The Prince lost visual and then rapidly worked to change the plasma cannons back to manual. The Royal Guard realized he could no longer use his plasma cannons, so he took them off his shoulders. The Black Yautja and the Royal Guard extended their blades.
Before the fight could begin, an arm shot through the Black Yautja's stomach. The Black Yautja roared in pain, as the foreign arm scrambled his guts. The Royal Guard stared at the Mutant, as he then tore the Black Yautja apart.
"Retreat," the Prince ordered.
The Royal Guard cloaked himself and disappeared into the forest. The Prince's reinforcements monitored the situation and replaced the Royal Guard with the broken mask. The Mutant roared enthusiastically and then advanced on the humans.
Royce aimed his plasma rifle close to the Black Yautja's face, as he struggled inside the net. "Nothing personal," he smirked, as he blasted his face off.
The Mutant snuck up on Royce smacking him hard with his upper left arm. Royce was thrown into the air and let go of his plasma rifle. The Mutant then advanced on the small squad left. Holmes was propped up next to a body and given a plasma rifle; he could do no more. The Mutant leaped from the trees and landed in the middle of the group. With his upper arms, he punched Patterson and Salar to the head. With his lower arm, he pulled Isabelle's sniper rifle away from her and then punched her to the gut stunning her. A Taliban fighter fired his AK-47 at the Mutant, but it didn't do significant damage. The Mutant grabbed the Taliban fighter and head-butted him.
Rodriguez fired his plasma rifle but missed the quick-moving Mutant. He waited a few panicked seconds, as it recharged. The Mutant extended his blades and punched forward. The Taliban fighter got in the way and was stabbed in his lungs. The Taliban fighter threw his AK-47 rifle to Rodriguez, as he fell. Rodriguez took his M-4 and the AK-47 and blasted the area with gunfire. The Mutant was hit several times and screeched in pain.
"Stop it!" Lex shouted at the Prince.
The Prince hesitated and then took the com for his Royal Guard. "Capture the Mutant but do not kill."
"Copy, Prince," they replied back.
"That's not good enough," Lex said displeased.
"I will not kill my prized pet," the Prince said.
"Then I will," Lex said defiantly and took command of one of Royal Guard's plasma cannons.
She aimed the two triangles and fired. The twin plasma bursts went straight for the Mutant just as he was throwing Rodriguez aside. The Mutant noticed the beams and jumped away just in time. The two beams hit near to the site creating an explosion that consumed Holmes.
Lex released her hold on the controls defeated. The Prince deactivated her control over the plasma cannons but said nothing. He knew she felt terrible. Rodriguez knelt down next to the Taliban fighter who had saved his life. His lungs had been punctured, and he was barely breathing. He formed the peace sign with his fingers and then died.
Rodriguez then noticed Holmes's charred body. He then found Patterson knocked out on the ground. "Sergeant!" he shouted to wake him up.
"You have to get home and tell our intelligence what they told us," Patterson said weakly.
"I am going to get you home, Sergeant," Rodriguez promised.
The two remaining Taliban fighters conversed with each other. "These creatures are not jin. They are flesh and blood. They are infidels," Salar to his partner.
Ghazan nodded and loaded his RPG. "If we die, the Americans will know where he is," Ghazan said referring to Bin Laden.
"I won't let that happen," Salar promised.
Ghazan looked around and saw a blur in the trees. He fired the rocket at the blur but the Royal Guard was quick. He fired his plasma cannon and the RPG exploded in midair. Pieces of metal hit Ghazan and the Royal Guard. Ghazan fell to the ground in pain.
Isabelle fired at the same spot blasting a hole into the Royal's Guard's gut. "Withdraw," the Prince ordered to his injured Royal Guard.
Salar nodded to her as a sign of respect. "Take this," Ghazan said giving Salar the Samurai sword.
Salar took the weapon from him; Ghazan was bleeding profusely from the explosion. "I will avenge you."
Rodriguez assisted Patterson to the high ground above the tree line. Isabelle was close behind. Salar remained behind with a fatally wounded Ghazan. The Mutant reappeared with blades extended. Salar took the sword and took a fighter stance.
"Do not interfere," the Prince ordered his Royal Guard.
Salar whirled his blade against the four-armed Mutant. Blades clashed, as Salar worked to keep up with the Mutant's four arms. The Mutant tore into Salar's thick robes, but Salar managed to slice the Mutant's chest. Lex watched as the two continued their duel.
"I thought you were going to capture him?" Lex asked.
"This man is fighting for his honor. Let him have an honorable death," the Prince said.
"No, let him go," Lex objected.
"He is the enemy of your former nation on Earth," the Prince reminded her.
Lex didn't like America being called her former nation, but she let it pass. "He's still human. His life has value," she argued.
Salar expertly sliced into the Mutant's gut and then ripped across. "Now, capture him," the Prince ordered alarmed.
Nets wrapped around the Mutant, and he was pulled up into the air. Salar desperately swung his sword, but it clanked against the metal nets. "Now, get him to move," the Prince ordered.
The Royal Guards aimed red beams at Salar and fired near him. The explosions encouraged Salar to run for his life away from the captured Mutant. Ghazan's body was burned and blasted apart in the explosions.
Rodriguez assisted Patterson up the hill with Isabelle close behind. "Where's Royce?" Patterson asked.
"Back there," Isabelle said vaguely.
"I think he can fend for himself," Patterson said confidently.
The three then found themselves with more problems. Winged Xenomorphs circled their hill and screeched at them. The three opened fire on the winged beasts, but Isabelle was captured in their claws. She screamed in terror as she was lifted off the ground.
Patterson and Rodriguez watched helplessly, as she was taken away into the distance. "Now what?" Rodriguez wondered.
A plasma burst suddenly blasted open Rodriguez's chest. Salar walked steadily up the hill with his plasma rifle raised. Patterson immediately threw a grenade at Salar and the resulting explosion blasted off his legs and right arm. The torn-up body of Salar fell to the ground and was bleeding out. The plasma rifle had been damaged in the explosion and was no longer functional.
"You son of a bitch," Patterson said upon seeing Rodriguez's dead stare.
"You were going to capture Bin Laden and leave me here," Salor accused.
"Yeah, now we're both good as dead, you bastard," Patterson said angrily.
"I will be a martyr," Salar said, as he was dying.
"You're going straight to hell. No virgins for you," Patterson said rudely.
"That is not my paradise. I will see my family again," he smiled.
"You said your family was back home," Patterson reminded him.
"I lied. They were killed in an air-strike," he said.
"Well, you're not going to get any sympathy from me," Patterson said roughly.
Salar took a sitting position and took out his sword. "I'll kill you if you move an inch," Patterson warned.
"No, all I ask is that you take the sword and give me an honorable death," Salar requested.
"Yeah, I guess I can do that," Patterson said taking the sword. He then raised the sword against Salar and sliced off his head.
The Prince noticed activity around his Royal Guard. "Bring the Mutant back to the pyramid with haste," he ordered. Xenomorphs swarmed the forests killing every little thing in their path, and then moved up towards the hills. Patterson looked around and saw the Xenomorphs moving up the hill. "So, this is it," he said to himself.
The Xenomorphs quickly moved up the hill in a race to see which could get to him first. Patterson took his grenades and the grenades on Rodriguez's body and pulled out the pins. Just as the Xenomorphs reached him, he threw down the grenades causing a large explosion that threw dirt into the air. The Royal Guard heard the explosion from a distance away. The top of the hill was a large crater with dozens of dead Xenomorphs.
The injured Xenomorphs were quickly consumed by the healthy ones until all the body parts were all consumed and then they scattered into the forest.
Meanwhile, Isabelle loaded her rifle and shot through the head of the Xenomorph dragon. It immediately fell to the ground, and Isabelle was flung into tree branches and vines. She dropped down to the ground with a thud and stopped moving.
The Prince watched as the Royal Guards dragged the Mutant back into the pyramid. "Bring his eyes into the scanner," the Prince ordered.
The Mutant struggled against the Royal Guard but was eventually placed in front of the scanner. The scanner looked through the Mutant's most recent memories. When it was done, the Prince ordered the Mutant to the medical wing to be healed.
The Prince then sat on his throne, as he looked over the video recordings. He saw the Mutant diligently hunting down Black Yautja and killing them one-by-one. Lex looked away as the Mutant tore off the limbs of the Black Yautjas. "You should kill that thing," Lex said disgustedly.
"You seem very selective on what should and should not be killed," the Prince remarked.
"It's just an animal. It's not even as intelligent as a human," Lex said.
"I don't recall it being morally justified to kill the mentally disabled on your planet," the Prince countered.
"We don't use the mentally disabled as weapons," Lex argued.
"I am giving this poor beast a purpose," the Prince said defensively.
"What you are doing is wrong," Lex said resolved.
"What would you have done if you knew the child in your womb was mentally disabled?" the Prince asked.
Lex said nothing. "I know what you would do. The difference between us is that I kill what can defend itself," he said.
Once the Mutant was healed, it was led outside and released into the forest. The Prince kept track of the Mutant's movements using a tracking device. The Prince then noticed activity in the air, as he viewed the radar systems. Missiles shot through the air blasted the pyramid. The whole structure shook from the hit.
"We're under attack," the Prince said casually to Lex.
"What do we do?" she asked as more missiles were shot towards them.
"I have a plan," the Prince said, and then walked through the halls deeper into the pyramid. The pyramid shook upon each hit, but it was withstanding the explosions. The pyramid's anti-aircraft guns became functional and fired at the incoming missiles. They exploded in mid-air. The Black Yautja ships then fired plasma bursts at the pyramid.
The Black Yautja ships were damaged with acid cracks from the Xenomorphs and some were barely working. The anti-aircraft guns blasted one of the ships to bits. An army of Black Yautjas landed on the pyramid itself and began to climb down towards the entrance. The anti-aircraft guns continued to fire until all but one ship was destroyed.
"Suit up" the Prince ordered his Royal Guards as the Black Yautja blasted the doors open with plasma bursts.
Once inside the pyramid, the Black Yautja ran through a large hall. There were large statues of Yautja warriors on either side of the hall. Six Royal Guards took places above the statues just beneath the ceiling and fired down below. The Black Yautja activated their cloak and fired back. Statues exploded, as they were hit. The Prince watched the battle while clicking his fingers on his throne in nervousness.
Blades, spears, and other projectiles sliced through the air. A few of the Black Yautja fell to the ground and bled out from their wounds. The Royal Guards were also getting hit. "Withdraw," the Prince ordered, as they were suffering casualties. The Black Yautja abandoned their wounded and continued down the hall.
The Prince activated the controls on the pyramid system and rearranged the doors so as to separate the Black Yautja into multiple groups. The Black Yautja responded by blasting at the walls with their plasma cannons. It would take some time but eventually, they would get through.
"What do you plan to do now?" Lex wondered.
The Prince sent a command through his computer causing a room filled with frozen items to thaw. Slowly but surely the Xenomorphs began to move and crack off the ice on them. "You have those things inside the pyramid?" Lex asked stunned.
"They have been there for years," the Prince said.
"They don't care what side you are on. They will kill us both," Lex said.
"Trust me," the Prince said.
The Xenomorphs became free of the ice and immediately went to find new prey. They quickly found the Black Yautja wandering around the pyramid. Cameras inside the pyramid continually informed the Prince of what was happening. The Black Yautjas were not accustomed to fighting Xenomorphs, but they quickly adapted. For every Black Yautja killed, three Xenomorphs were killed.
The wounded dozen that survived the Xenomorph attacks were then harassed by the Royal Guards who were using the pyramid's structures to their advantage. The Royal Guard had the advantage of wearing Xenomorph suits that made it impossible to find with infrared scanners. "Shall we join the battle?" the Prince asked Lex.
He didn't wait for her answer but left the control room. Lex reluctantly followed the Prince down the halls towards the battle. The Black Yautja had managed to reach the second floor, so they had to walk down a number of stairs to get to the same level. They eventually arrived at a large square where the Royal Guard and the remaining Black Yautja were fighting.
"Leave them to me," the Prince said to his Royal Guard.
They disengaged from the Black Yautja and walked behind the Prince. "Keep the female safe," he ordered.
"You don't have to do this to impress me," Lex told him.
"You flatter yourself," the Prince said amused.
The Black Yautjas was injured but still capable of fighting. They immediately fired on the Prince but their bursts were absorbed by an energy shield surrounding the Prince. The Prince retaliated by blasting the head of one of the Black Yautjas; he fell to the ground with a destroyed head.
"Shall we battle as our fathers did?" the Prince asked.
"You have no honor. You infested the forests with Xenomorphs because you knew you could not defeat us by yourself. You have used the flesh of Xenomorphs to your advantage in battle, and you use the most recent technology to fight," the Black Yautja leader accused.
"When I hunt, I do not use technology. But in war, I shall use every advantage I have. Your kind used genetic engineering to increase your size and strength. It was and still is an abomination," the Prince said.
"You are guilty of the same sin. You have used human DNA in your experiments. The female in your possession is not a Yautja but human," the Black Yautja pointed out.
"I am a Prince. I have that authority," the Prince replied.
"Your authority means nothing to us," the Black Yautja spat.
"You shall submit to me and my father or you shall be killed as beasts," the Prince said.
The Black Yautja responded by extending their blades and taking attack positions. They slowly surrounded the Prince on all sides. The Prince took out a Japanese katana blade and readied himself for the fight. Lex watched as the Prince sliced into the Black Yautja with his sword. Within a minute, the Prince expertly used his sword to cut them all down. The remaining Black Yautja desperately fired a plasma burst at the Prince. The burst was absorbed by the shield; the Prince fired a plasma burst killing the last one.
A few seconds after the last Black Yautja had been killed, the Prince fell to his knees with blood leaking from his wounds. The Black Yautja blades had managed to slice through his Xenomorph armor. The Royal Guards brought the Prince to his feet and assisted him to the medical wing.
Lex stayed behind and stared at the dead Black Yautja bodies. She then heard a beeping noise and then noticed the red bars on a wrist band on one of the Black Yautjas. She looked over the bodies and found that one of them was still breathing. He was playing dead, but Lex could see his temperature with her mask. The bomb would destroy the entire pyramid and kill everyone inside. She aimed her plasma cannon on the survivor but hesitated to fire.
She wasn't a killer. She couldn't just kill him while he was defenseless but if she didn't act everyone would be killed. She quickly slashed the Black Yautja's arm off deactivating the bomb. The Black Yautja roared in pain and bled profusely from the wound.
"Kill me," he said to her.
"It's not my way," Lex said to him.
"You are human. You don't understand our ways. Every male Yautja desires an honorable death so that when he passes to the next life he will be welcomed by his ancestors," he said.
"Tell me about this next life, and I'll consider it," Lex said curiously.
"When a Yautja dies, his spirit goes to another dimension; a spirit world. There he is immortal and will be able to hunt across worlds through the spiritual universe. He does not hunt with technology but with his hands and tools that he finds like how our ancestors hunted," the Black Yautja said.
"And what about the females?" Lex asked.
"They are given the privilege of mating with the males, but they will not give birth. They may hunt too if they desire. Females are rewarded in the next life for their faithfulness and by how many pups they gave birth to," the Black Yautja answered.
Lex was not too enthused by this Yautja heaven. "And all of you believe this way?"
"There are heretics among us and heathens but all races of Yautja believe this," he answered.
"And who revealed this to you? One of you came back from the dead or something?" Lex asked skeptically.
"There was a great prophet who could pass through both worlds at will, and he brought game from the spiritual world back to this world. Its skull is on Yautja Prime and one day we shall take it," the Black Yautja said.
"Well, on my world they would say you were destined for Hell. In Hell, there are lakes of fire, smoke, and darkness," Lex said bitterly.
There was a pause between them. "Is there game in this Hell?" he asked.
Lex did recall there being strange creatures in the mythology of Hell including demons. "Yeah, sure," Lex said.
"In either case, I will be satisfied," the Black Yautja said.
Lex gave the Black Yautja a disgusted look. "You ready?" Lex asked as she readied her blade.
"Do it," the Black Yautja insisted.
Before Lex could make the swing, the Black Yautja's head was sliced off by an invisible force. Lex backed away stunned by what happened and immediately a Royal Guard appeared. "How long were you there?" Lex asked.
"The entire time," the Royal Guard said. "I am assigned to protect you. He would not have wanted to die by a female's hand."
The Prince had his wounds bandaged and placed armor on himself to hide them. Lex was escorted by the Royal Guard to the medical center. "Are they all confirmed kills?" the Prince asked.
"Yes, my Prince," he replied.
"Make preparations," the Prince ordered which was code for taking trophies from the bodies.
The Royal Guard exited the room leaving the Prince and Lex alone. The Prince stared at her with his mask for a few moments and then took off his mask. "Finished?" Lex asked irritably.
"Yes, my skills have decreased. Next time, I will not suffer one of them to live," the Prince said disappointed.
"I can't believe that a race that can build spaceships believes what you do," Lex said disrespectfully.
"How is it said? Throwing stones at a glass house," the Prince replied.
"So, I get points in the next life for how many children I have," Lex said incredulously.
"You don't believe in our religion so why do you concern yourself with it?" the Prince asked.
"Because the rest of you believe it as well. You all believe that if you kill the most challenging game, you get honor in the next life. You think you have a skull from Heaven on your planet," Lex argued.
"That skull is not of this dimension, but it is not from the spirit world," the Prince revealed.
"Then where did it come from?" Lex asked curiously.
"There is an alien race that is older than ours. We discovered how to travel faster than the speed of light because of their technology. We hunted them and then we took it from them. Our plasma weapons came from them. A great hunter managed to kill one of them and then showed the skull to the people," the Prince explained.
"So, your religion is false?" Lex assumed.
"You never actually asked what my beliefs were," the Prince said.
"So, what do you believe in?" Lex asked impatiently.
"Only my mates know that," he said ending the discussion.
Royce kept a low profile while in the forest, as Xenomorphs continued to infest the entire moon. Through her sniper rifle, Isabelle spotted Royce moving through the forest. She fired up into the air to gain his attention. He noticed the source of the shot and started moving towards her. In the meantime, she took aim at a beast that resembled a bull and fired at it.
Royce eventually made it up to the hill towards her. "The high ground isn't safe," he said.
"Weren't you the one that always wanted to take the high ground?" Isabelle reminded him.
"I was wrong," Royce admitted.
"It has been a good day, so far. I haven't seen too many of those things," Isabelle said referring to the flying Xenomorphs.
"I don't know what to think," Royce said gravely.
"Do you know what happened to the others?" Isabelle asked.
"No, but I think they're all dead," Royce said.