The Prince and his first wife joined hands in a large ballroom in the house. The curtains were drawn back so that the moonlight could flow in. "It has been too long," his wife said, as they embraced.
"Have the others been good to you?" the Prince asked referring to his other wives.
"Yes, but nothing compares to a male like yourself," she said. The two extended their mandibles and kissed.
"I have a proposition, but I need your consent. The female I brought to the house has qualities I wish to see reproduced," he said diplomatically.
The two danced slowly in the ballroom, as they talked. "What kind of qualities?" his wife wondered.
"She has human DNA in her system. It has been coated with Yautja DNA transforming her body. Her offspring would have that DNA in them," the Prince explained.
"Why does human DNA interest you? Why not mate with a hound?" she asked.
The Prince twirled his wife so that they both walked backward and forwards in the same direction. His hand rested on her breasts and abdomen sending shivers through her body. She moaned in pleasure at his touch and lost herself briefly. "Humans are hunters as well. They can evolve to better themselves. Our race needs more diversity," the Prince said.
"Didn't you just come from killing diversity?" she asked referring to the Black Yautja.
"The Black Yautjas were my enemy because they wanted to take the system for themselves," the Prince said.
"Whatever that female reproduces may not be to your liking?" she warned.
"I'll take my chances," the Prince said confidently.
"Do you find her attractive?" she asked.
"My senses are conflicted. She is a mixture of a number of diverse Yautja races. I am attracted to you because your appearance is safe, normal, and dependable. I am attracted to her because she is so exotic," he said.
"She does look younger than me," she said and then broke away from him so that they faced each other.
"You will always be my first wife. What is mine is yours including her. Command her how you wish and if you feel ill will towards me make her your slave," he said.
"I already have too many slaves. You don't need my permission to marry her," she said, as they continued to dance.
"I don't require it, but I desire it," the Prince replied.
"Then you have my permission on one condition," she said.
"What condition?" the Prince asked curiously. "A new house, a ship, a vehicle?"
"I want another baby," she said and then gave him a kiss.
"That I can do," he agreed.
"Good, and I want her flesh before you do. I want to know if she can serve you well enough or if she will require training," she requested.
"Make sure she is ready," the Prince agreed.
"You have my consent, my prince," she said finally and the two then went to their chambers.
After nearly having her throat slit by one of the Prince's wives, Lex ventured to another section of the palace. She went through a swing door and was immediately confronted with a strange creature. Lex backed away until she noticed something familiar about it. The creature had a big forehead and small mandibles. Lex also noticed that the creature's hair was tightly braided like her own. She didn't realize it at first but the creature was a baby Yautja.
"Bring him to me," Aylen ordered a maidservant.
Lex looked up and saw the three wives sitting in thrones in what could only be described as a large daycare center. Lex scanned the room and saw a dozen children walking about. Some of the older children were playing with toys that were replicas of space ships. Other children were braiding each other's hair. Others seemed to be wrestling with each other on a mat closely supervised by one of the wives. The youngest ones were closest to the wives; some of which were nursing.
"Come," Makawee ordered her.
Lex felt obliged to comply with the senior wife. "In my presence, you will come forth and kneel before me," she ordered.
Lex hesitated but did as she was told. "Good," Makawee said, and then got up from her throne. She carried an infant in her arms, as they walked around the center.
"All of the children are raised here," Makawee said of everything.
Lex looked around and saw some of the children in front of computer screens. She also saw maidservants talking with the children while others were playing games. For Lex, the creatures were innocent when they were young. She knew that in a short time all of them would eventually be killers. But for the time being, they were just children acting normal. "A pregnancy lasts for fifteen months and then the child is nursed for several months afterward," Makawee explained.
Makawee then turned to Nizhoni. "Bring me one of your youngest to me," she ordered.
There seemed to be tension between the two, but Nizhoni complied. She brought her daughter in her arms to Makawee. The first wife then turned to Lex, "Remove the garments around your breasts."
Lex decided not to argue with her and lowered her garment down to her around her waist. Makawee seemed to inspect Lex and then placed her hands on her breasts. Lex tensed up, as Makawee sensed her firmness. "She will do. Give her the child," Makawee ordered Nizhoni.
Nizhoni complied giving Lex the child. Lex was not accustomed to carrying infants, especially alien monster infants. "Nurse the child," Makawee ordered.
"I don't know if I can," Lex protested.
"We will know one way or the other," Makawee insisted.
Lex moved the child's jaws to her breast and hoped it wouldn't bite her. The child seemed to know what to do more than she did. The infant's mandibles became extended and then wrapped around her nipple. Lex felt a sucking sensation, as the infant tried to take milk from her. The two wives watched closely, as Lex struggled with the infant. Finally, Lex felt a surge of pleasure as a milky liquid leaked into the infant's mouth.
"It appears to be working. You will report to me every morning and, in time, your breasts will become fuller," Makawee ordered.
After being released by the first wife, Lex went back to her quarters and stayed there. Going out to explore the palace was causing her more grief than she needed. She decided to take a shower and take a nap. As she was drying off, Kachina entered her room.
Lex quickly covered herself with her towel, but Kachina didn't seem disturbed. "I thought it was locked," Lex said embarrassed.
"It was, but I have the combination to your room," Kachina said.
Lex simply stared at Kachina wondering if she wanted to fight or do something weirder. "You are in my charge. What you do reflects on me now," she said.
Kachina seemed to stare at Lex as if she was looking her over. "You may not be aware of the genetic diversity in our clans, but you are very different from what is typical in this city," she said.
"Oh, well, humans have different races, too," Lex said still embarrassed.
"Yes, those closer to the equator have darker skin than those towards the poles. What was your skin before you changed?" she asked.
"I was black…what I mean is that my skin was dark brown," Lex said.
"Did you identify with your tribe?" Kachina asked curiously.
"I wasn't really part of a tribe. I was part of a nation of many tribes, and we all worked together towards a common goal," Lex explained.
"We have found it easier to simply segregate the different tribes so that each one can practice their own customs," Kachina said.
"How will those tribes be exposed to other cultures then?" Lex asked.
"If every clan was exposed to every culture, they would eventually become one clan and their diversity would be lost. You say you are black? You mean you were from the African continent?" Kachina asked.
"My ancestors did," Lex confirmed.
"Which nation or empire in Africa? What tribe were your ancestors from? What cultures from your tribe do you practice?" she pressed.
"I don't know," Lex said flustered.
"There appears to be a cost to your diversity," Kachina remarked.
"I don't think that's fair," Lex protested.
"I don't mean to anger you. I am here to help you. Get dressed and follow me to my room," she said.
Lex got dressed while Kachina watched. Apparently, privacy wasn't much of a concern for these aliens. Finally dressed, she followed Kachina to her room.
Lex was led inside the Princess' room and found an entirely different style. There were a number of artifacts from different worlds, some trophy skulls, and a dance floor of a sort. As they entered, Kachina motioned for the guards to go outside.
"Have some fruit," Kachina said and then grabbed one for her.
Lex took the fruit cautiously and gave it a bite. It tasted sweet and so she ate the rest of it. "You practice dance here?" Lex asked referring to the floor.
"Yes, it is my passion. Do you?" she asked.
"Not very much," Lex admitted.
"Maybe I will teach you," Kachina considered.
After finishing the fruit, Lex immediately felt something wrong. It was if she had become suddenly intoxicated. She took a seat on the couch to steady herself. Kachina advanced on Lex noticing her change. "These fruits are natural aphrodisiacs for us. You are already experiencing the effects," she said amused.
Kachina took a bite into the fruit as well. "I have built a tolerance for them since being exposed to them. I wonder how it must feel for someone like you."
"You tricked me," Lex accused.
"We all have our duties. I am in charge of training you for the Prince, and I didn't think you would agree voluntarily. Even if your technique is sloppy, you are strong for a female," she said.
"What duty is that?" Lex asked.
"What do you think we do with ourselves when the Prince is gone for months or years? We have needs too of course. When you join this family, you are mated not just to the Prince but to everyone in the marriage," Kachina explained.
Lex wasn't sure she understood. Her muscles had become relaxed and her vision was out of focus. "It is one of the reasons why a Prince must ask his first wife permission to mate with another. If you become the Prince's seventh wife, you will become subordinate to all the other wives as well," Kachina continued.
The Princess then lowered herself to the couch towards Lex. As she lowered her hand to Lex's garments, Lex took control of Kachina's wrist. The two briefly fought for control, but Kachina was able to escape. "You are a strong one," she remarked.
Kachina then quickly shot towards Lex's garments pulling Lex closer to her. With her other hand, she went inside Lex's garments. Lex felt a sudden reaction as Kachina expertly touched all the right spots. She stopped resisting and allowed Kachina to undress her. Lex squirmed on the couch as Kachina continued her movements.
"I have become quite experienced these many months. Now, come with me," Kachina pulled Lex off the couch.
Lex stumbled away from Kachina, but there was no escape. Kachina casually walked over to Lex and guided her to the bedroom. Finally, Kachina pushed Lex onto the bed and undressed.
The next morning, Lex and the Prince took a shuttlecraft to forests outside the city. Lex could see the magnetic highways leading to and from the city. The shuttle landed near an outpost tower. She looked around and saw high fences that were metallic. There were symbols on the fence, and immediately her translator interpreted them as "Danger: Electrical Shock." The preserve reminded her of the movie Jurassic Park only the people here seemed to know what they were doing.
"How was your sleep?" the Prince asked casually.
Lex touched her head to illustrate her headache. She didn't remember everything but what she did was unsettling. She eyed the Prince wondering how much he knew. "Uneventful," she lied.
The Prince bowed his head to her and did not press the issue. The vehicle stopped in front of the command center and the two got out. The Prince walked up to the head administrator and embraced in a friendly hug as if they had known each other for years. "What do you have for me this time?" the administrator asked excitedly.
"I have two humans of breeding age," the Prince said.
The administrator seemed to frown disappointed. "Humans? Why not hunt them like game?" he asked confused.
"The male was injured, and I plan to have the female impregnated soon," the Prince replied. "They know too much about us and can't be allowed to go back to Earth," he added.
"It is unusual. I don't have any humans in the preserve. I don't know how much space they need or what foods are appropriate," the administrator said.
"If they die, you won't be responsible," the Prince assured him. "I have brought a human expert with me," the Prince introduced Lex.
"Glad to have your acquaintance," the administrator said to her.
Lex nodded respectfully but didn't appreciate their conversation. The three went inside the administrator's building where a few other Yautja worked. There was a hologram detailing the entire preserve. It was massive; nearly the same size as Yellowstone National Park. A patch of land was highlighted indicating the area the administrator wanted to place the humans. "Good, if the humans attempt to escape they will be in these areas," the Prince pointed at the map.
"They would not survive long if that happened," the administrator chuckled. "I am certain they will not get past my fences."
"What if they dig underneath the fence?" Lex wondered.
The Prince turned to the administrator for an answer. "The fences go into the ground for (the equivalent of several meters). They are not electrified due to the ground, but they will make it difficult to get past."
The Prince seemed satisfied with this. "They are to be put on the endangered species list until they grow in numbers."
"You intend to hunt them later?" Lex asked stunned.
The two males stared at her. "I want to study their diversity," Lex said lamely.
"It will require a few generations for their numbers to become too large," the administrator told her. "You will need to add more humans or there will be inbreeding," the administrator added.
"Of course. My fiancée will assist in that when the time comes," the Prince said.
The humans were then brought forth into the building chained together. Lex could see Royce limping, as he walked along. Lex felt a wave of guilt, as she realized she was betraying her species. She could easily have been the one in the preserve, and those two in her place. Looking back to them and to herself she believed her life would be better off than theirs. The Yautja inserted a chip into their arms, so they could be tracked at all times. They were then analyzed for any diseases and upon finding none they were sent to the next station. The Yautja pointed out a laser at them and fired.
The laser sliced their clothes off but did not burn their skin. "You're sending them out naked?" Lex wondered.
"All animals in the preserve are naked," the administrator said unconcernedly.
Lex saw the two humans try to cover themselves in embarrassment but eventually got to use to the fact that they were naked in front of alien monsters. Lex could then see the injury she had inflicted on Royce's leg; it was horribly scarred. After the Yautja had tested the humans thoroughly, they were then led by force to a vehicle that resembled a bus. They were taken away and were gone.
"It reminds me of the myth of your creation. They will be naked without shame in a beautiful garden filled with fruits," the Prince said.
"I doubt it will be that tranquil for them," Lex said conflicted.
"Nature shall take its course," the Prince said, and then turned to the administrator, "Inform me of any developments. If the female is not impregnated within a few months, the male will be terminated and replaced," he ordered.
"As you wish, Prince," he replied.
Kachina came into the court of Makawee and knelt down as she entered. "What is your progress?" Makawee asked of her.
"She was too drugged for me to teach her anything. Yet, I believe I am breaking down her resistance," Kachina reported.
"Be delicate with her. She does not know our ways," Makawee ordered.
"My persuasion will not fail," Kachina promised.
As Kachina left the courtroom, Makawee turned to an empty space and motioned with her hand. Kachina walked down the halls and upstairs to Lex's room. She had already been told that she had come back from the game preserve. Kachina wondered to herself the difference between this human turned Yautja and the humans placed in the preserve. As she entered Lex's room, she didn't see anyone there. Looking around, she eventually caught a blur out of the corner of her eye.
Kachina was suddenly shoved across the room knocking over the couch. Lex was on her immediately pinning the princess to the wall. Kachina resisted kicking Lex back, but Lex kept up the attacks. Kachina barely dodged Lex's furious punches but tripped over a small table. Lex kicked the table away blasting it apart and then grabbing ahold of Kachina. The two stared at each other briefly and then Lex threw her against the bed.
Kachina quickly got up before a punch blasted the frame of the bed. Lex quickly wrapped drapes around Kachina's head and then slammed her into the furniture within the room. Lex spun Kachina around and then slammed her into the bedroom wall. It crashed open sending Kachina to the floor. Using her claws, Kachina sliced up the drapes around her face and tossed it aside. Lex did a swinging kick forcing Kachina back on a small table. The table and glass collapsed on impact as Kachina hit. The princess was on the ground stunned wondering if Lex was truly fighting her or if this was some sort of physical game. Disoriented, she slowly got back to her feet. Lex grabbed her by her braided hair and then placed her in a hold.
"Not a fair contest," Kachina protested.
"Wasn't supposed to be," Lex replied back. She was feeling an intense adrenalin rush from the fight as she tossed the princess around like a rag doll.
"What do you want?" Kachina gasped.
Lex pulled down on Kachina's scalp forcing her to her knees before her. "How undignified," a voice said from nowhere.
Lex and Kachina looked around and saw Talutah casually leaning against the wall. "Help me," Kachina pleaded.
"I don't know what he sees in you," Talutah said of her. She then turned to Lex, "Release her."
Lex hesitated to do so. "I have some issues to work out with her," she said.
Talutah sighed. "Very well. You can resolve them with me."
Kachina extended her mandibles in protest at Talutah, but Lex didn't see it. "This whole family is dysfunctional. The way wives treat each other here and how you all worship the Prince. And the things you do to each other," Lex said.
"We are an aggressive species, and we are prone to our instincts. What you have observed here is similar to any other royal family. It is similar even among the commons. Due to the wars and hunts, there is a significant gap between males and females. What would you have us do? Be single and childless all of our lives?" Talutah asked.
"Why not end the wars and the hunts?" Lex said.
"That goes against our nature. We must work with what we have and not believe in fantasy," Talutah replied.
"I am not your pet to drug and do whatever you wish with me," Lex said.
"I was merely doing as I was told," Kachina said as she continued to struggle against Lex's hold.
"You two will get along or I will have to supervise your sessions," Talutah threatened. She then turned to Lex specifically. "As I am next in line, if you refuse Kachina you will face me instead."
Lex let that sink in. There was a sudden movement by Talutah and immediately Lex and Kachina were both on the floor. Talutah activated her wrist band summoning servants to the room. "Both of you stand up," she ordered.
The servants came in and looked over the mess in the room. "Did something happen?" one of the servants asked.
"Do not assume anything. Just have the room cleared," Talutah ordered roughly. She then focused on Lex and Kachina. "Until everything is fixed and replaced in this room, the two of you shall use the room designated for the human," she ordered.
That night, Royce and Isabelle set up camp for the first time. The atmosphere lacked the oxygen on Earth, so it felt like they were high in the mountains despite being close to the coast. They quickly clothed themselves with various plants hoping none of them were poisonous or would develop a rash. The preserve had numerous types of fruits making hunger a non-issue. There were no predators in their preserve, and so nothing could harm them. If they wished, they could hunt plant-eating alien animals that existed in the preserve.
"We should create a shelter for ourselves. We don't know the weather of this planet," Isabelle suggested.
"You're giving up on getting out of here?" Royce demanded.
"It's impossible Royce. We're in a fenced preserve in the middle of nowhere. They have cameras watching us, and those things in our arms are tracking us," she reasoned.
"Well, I don't care about that. I am getting a ship and I am going home," Royce said determinedly.
Isabelle sighed at Royce's refusal to accept the reality of their situation and followed him to the fence. Once they got there, Royce considered the fence and how high it was. He threw a stick at the fence, which immediately caused the stick to burn up. "There must be a way. We dig underneath it," Royce said.
"What if you can't Royce? What if the fence is too deep?" Isabelle questioned.
"Then we go deeper," Royce replied.
Royce looked around for something he could use to dig. Seeing nothing, he began digging with his hands. Isabelle watched and then walked off in frustration at him. As she did, she saw out of the corner of her eye a bright flash. Fearing the worst, she ran back to Royce and saw him unconscious on the ground. She immediately checked vital signs and found him alive. He had a burn mark on his back, but otherwise, he was not seriously hurt. Looking around in the forest, she realized they were being watched. Royce had attempted to dig a hole through the fence, and they had stunned him.
The next day, the courtroom was packed with legal observers, political figures, religious leaders, reporters, and distinguished guests. Lex felt nervous with so many powerful figures in the room. "The Prince will not be joining us. He does not want the attention his presence would cause," her lawyer told her.
The Judge entered the room and immediately everyone present rose to their feet. He sat down above the floor of the court but below a large television screen. The screen became active and began showing a video of Lex and then the plaintiffs.
"The defendant wishes to have this case be made a private affair with the removal of all guests from the court," Lex's lawyer motioned.
"If the defendant wanted to make this case private, she could have settled in a private meeting. The motion is denied," the Judge ruled. The Judge then turned to the plaintiffs, "Submit your evidence."
A video screen displayed what Wolf saw the moments before his death. Lex immediately recalled the mortal fight between her and Wolf. It was a fight she did not believe she could have won and if not for the Hybrid that would have surely been the case. She was not sorry he was dead. After the video had concluded, the Judge considered it for a moment.
"Make your case," the Judge ordered the plaintiffs.
"As you can see from the video, the defendant defended the humans from Wolf, she then engaged in unlawful combat against Wolf, and her actions caused his death," the plaintiff's lawyer summarized.
Lex's lawyer then took the floor. "The female was aiding the humans from a Xenomorph attack. She was ordered to do so by her Elder superior and not just because of her sympathy to her former race."
"The humans were armed and thus worthy prey," the plaintiff's lawyer countered.
"Wolf's strayed from his mission unnecessarily exposing himself on two occasions. The first was when he killed a human law enforcement agent and skinned him in plain sight of the humans. The other was when he killed an armed human a distance away from the Xenomorph infestation. Hunting the humans, worthy prey or not, was not Wolf's primary mission," Lex's lawyer argued.
"There is no fault in containing the Xenomorph threat and hunting worthy prey at the same time," the plaintiff's lawyer responded.
"We will make the case that hunting armed humans increased Wolf's risk to himself and his mission," Lex's lawyer argued.
"Move on," the Judge ordered them both.
"The evidence on the video recording of Wolf's mask is evidence enough of wrongdoing. The plaintiff rests," the plaintiff's lawyer said.
The defense lawyer then took the central stage and activated the video screen showing a 3D image of Lex's brain. "We request the doctor take the stand now."
"What do you see?" the defense lawyer asked the doctor.
"I see significant dormant areas of the brain. Areas of the brain that increase intelligence, memory, empathy, and sexuality are non-active. The reason for this is that the transformation of the defendant from human to Yautja did not activate these areas of the brain. I believe this was done to protect the defendant from going into mental shock during her transformation; a fail-safe," the doctor said.
"Can these dormant areas become active?"
"With proper therapy, these areas of the brain will become active and functional. She will be able to function in society," the doctor said optimistically.
"Would the defendant at the time of this event been empathetic towards Wolf?" the defense lawyer asked.
"No, she would have considered him a monster similar to human mythology. She would have had no empathy towards him at all," the doctor concluded.
"In essence, a sociopath towards Yautja?" the defense lawyer continued.
"Yes, her empathy would have been directed towards humans at this time," the doctor answered.
"No more questions," the defense lawyer said sitting down. The plaintiff's lawyer took the stage for questioning.
"Did the defendant understand right from wrong? And if so, could she intellectually understand the consequences of her actions?" the plaintiff's lawyer asked.
"She has that understanding, but due to her lack of empathy towards our race, her moral compass was oriented towards helping her former race from harm. It is unlikely she put much thought into the consequences of her actions as her actions seem to be reactive to Wolf," the doctor said.
"No further questions," the plaintiff's lawyer said. He then turned to the Judge, "There is case law whereby mentally challenged Yautjas were convicted of civil penalties for their actions. The defense will have to prove how this female is different from them."
"The plaintiffs have not yet proven that the female had a notable impact on Wolf's death. As seen in the video of Wolf's memories, the warrior died in combat with the Hybrid. He removed his weapons and engaged the Hybrid as an equal. He was then stabbed through the chest by the Hybrid's tail resulting in his death. The actions of the defendant were marginal in affecting Wolf," the defense lawyer argued.
The plaintiff's lawyer appeared a little uneasy as he realized where the discussion was going. "Wolf suffered numerous injuries and was attacked by multiple enemies. We do not claim that the female could cause his death all by herself. We claim that the female was a contributing cause to Wolf's death and that she must be punished for her actions."
"The defense argues that Wolf engaged the Xenomorphs on his own without reinforcements and then hunted dozens of Xenomorphs including the Hybrid. The Xenomorphs were reproducing at a faster rate than Wolf could kill them, and it was inevitable that Wolf would eventually become overwhelmed by the task. The defense reasons that Wolf took undue risks with his life and that the female should not be responsible for Wolf taking these risks."
"Had the female cooperated with Wolf, it may not have been a futile task," the plaintiff's lawyer argued back.
"The humans detonated a primitive hydrogen fusion weapon on the location to contain the infestation. Whether or not they worked together, they would have been destroyed by the nuclear blast or fallout," the defense lawyer pointed out.
"Enough!" the Judge interrupted. "Place the defendant on the stand," he ordered.
Lex nervously approached the floor of the court in front of everyone present. There was no witness box in which to feel safe in. A device from the ceiling came down and hugged her head tightly. The plaintiff's lawyer came forth to interrogate her in the square. Images on the video screen showed a male Yautja warrior and a human woman. "If given the choice, which one would you save?"
Lex looked at the defense lawyer with a pleading gesture as if asking him to object. "Answer the question," the Judge ordered.
"The human," Lex answered honestly.
The video showed symbols indicating she was stating a true statement. The images changed to that of Wolf and the human named Dallas. "Which one would you save?"
"The human," Lex answered again becoming annoyed.
The plaintiff's lawyer seemed to grin with his mandibles. An image of a Yautja child appeared on the screen alongside an elderly human male. "Which one, female?"
Lex realized she was falling into a trap, but she couldn't lie. "The human again," Lex answered.
"If a Yautja warrior were to engage in combat against a human, would you interfere to save the human?" the plaintiff lawyer asked.
"That would depend on the human," Lex dodged. The computer registered the statement as true, but barely.
"So, if the human were a murderer, a rapist, a terrorist, or a soldier from a foreign military you would not intervene on the human's behalf?" the defense lawyer interjected.
"Probably not," Lex answered, which registered as barely true.
"Let us put her to the test," the defense lawyer said. Immediately, guards brought forth a human male of Arabic descent. He struggled with his chains and cursed at the aliens in his native language. He had a notable scar on his face and some of his fingers were missing. He was brought forth into the middle of the court square.
"This man constructed primitive explosive devices that caused the deaths of several dozen humans in the nation of Iraq on Earth. In one instance, he sent a young female of six years of age to deliver a package to a police station and then detonated the device killing fifteen humans and injuring thirty-three others," the defense lawyer introduced.
The man was pushed down to his knee and his neck out. Another guard extended his blades and placed them on the man's throat. The screen showed the memories of the bomb-maker right before he handed the packaged to the little girl. Lex watched the screen, and then back at the bomb maker. "Will you intervene on his behalf?" the defense lawyer asked.
The guard reached up with his blades to strike. Lex turned to the screen and then back to the bomb maker. He was still struggling, but he could not escape the grip of the guard. "Stop!" Lex shouted as the guard was about to behead him.
The plaintiff's lawyer extended his arms in victory. Lex walked up to the bomb maker and, before the guards could stop her, plunged her blades into the right and left side of his lungs. The bomb maker coughed up blood and struggled to breathe as Lex sliced deeper into him. The plaintiff's lawyer stared in stunned silence as Lex twisted her blades breaking ribs and slicing tissue. After a few moments, the bomb maker could no longer breathe and drowned in his own blood. He fell to the floor creating a bloody mess.
Lex retreated from the bloody mess and retracted her blades. She still felt furious for what the bomb maker had done and the adrenalin was still pumping through her veins. She felt good, she felt righteous for what she had done. "Beheading was too good for him," Lex said. The statement was registered as perfectly true on the computer.
The guards looked at each other and then dragged the dead bomb maker out of the room. "There will be a brief recess as this mess is cleaned up," the Judge ordered.
It took a few moments for Lex to bring herself back to normal. "Excellent showmanship," the defense lawyer approved.
"You tested me. What if I had failed?" Lex asked angrily.
"We lawyers work to establish the truth even if it does harm to our clients. It was the Prince's idea, and he was certain you would pass," the lawyer said.
Lex sat down and took some deep breaths. "I am not an executioner," she muttered.
"On your world, you killed a Xenomorph without hesitation," the lawyer pointed out.
"Yes, but that's different. They're animals," Lex said.
"Humans are to us, as Xenomorphs are to humans in intelligence," the lawyer said.
Lex didn't agree with the comparison. "Well, this human survived when three young Yautja warriors were killed in Antarctica. I survived when Wolf did not. I survived when many Black Yautjas and Royal Guards were killed on that moon. What does that say about human intelligence?" Lex argued.
The lawyer merely smiled with his mandibles. The Judge came back to his podium after the blood had been cleaned up from the floor. "Proceed," the Judge gave the floor to the plaintiff's lawyer.
"A nice trick, but humans are known to execute their own for crimes. That display proved nothing," he said.
"It proves that the female's loyalty to humanity is not absolute. She can be persuaded to hunt and kill her own former species depending on the target," the defense lawyer said.
"Is this true?" the Judge asked directly.
Lex recalled the Prince's offer to kill the worst of humanity in return for medicine that would turn her human again. "Yes, it is true," she said finally. The computer detected her answer as barely true.