Citali and Maquinna finished their meal and considered the Earth. "Ready the weapon to be deployed," Citali ordered.
"Weapon is ready," the Captain replied.
Alarms went through the bridge. "We are under attack," one of the Lieutenants announced.
"How?" Citali wondered.
The battleship scanned with difficulty a small missile approaching. "We're detecting a nuclear signature," the lieutenant said.
"Shoot it down!" Citali ordered alarmed.
"We're having difficulty tracking it," the Lieutenant said.
The battleship fired wildly in an attempt to destroy the nuclear missile. "They can see us!" Citali said outraged. Additional missiles were approaching the battleship.
"If we can't shoot them down move out of range," the Captain ordered.
The battleship moved away from the Earth towards the moon out of fuel range of the missiles that floated harmlessly in space. "Ships decloaking," the Lieutenant reported.
The ships became visible to the battleship while remaining cloaked to the humans on Earth. There were several cruisers that suddenly appeared around Earth. They were surrounded. "On the King's order you are to go back to Yautja Prime," the Captain of the flagship told Citali.
"The orders have been authenticated," Maquinna said looking it over on a computer. "Our game is over."
"This is not a game. The planet is at stake," Citali argued with him. "Deploy the weapon," Citali ordered.
The battleship fired the missile at the planet. The Yautja cruisers took aim and fired plasma bursts at the missile just before it could reach the atmosphere destroying it.
The King stared at Lex. "I knew of the Crown Prince's goal and I permitted to kill the entire human race on the planet," he said.
Lex stared at the King in shock. "Have the human colony killed immediately," the King ordered one of his servants.
"Now, what to do with you and the hybrid," the King considered. "I think I will have the hybrid killed but keep you alive. That is fitting punishment enough for trespassing on my palace."
Lex struggled with the two guards. "Let her go. I want to see how well she avenges her people," the King said to his guards.
As soon as the guards let her go, Lex extended her blades and went for the kill. The King extended his own blades and the two clashed near the throne. Lex furiously tried to hurt the King however she could even allowing herself to be stabbed. The King quickly realized that he would have to block if he wanted to survive. Lex felt multiple stab wounds from the King even as she stabbed at him. The King had brute strength but Lex had been taught to use speed to her advantage. The King finally took hold of Lex's wrists and then head butted her. Lex fell to the ground dazed.
"Very good," the King complimented as green blood leaked from his wounds.
Servants immediately attended to the King's wounds. Lex was on the ground barely able to move from her wounds and exhaustion. Her entire race was gone and her only child to be killed. Lex extended her blades. "It's all over," she said to herself.
She placed the blades towards her neck in a last move of defiance.
"Stop her!" the King said as he realized what she was doing.
The guards took hold of Lex's arm before she could slit her throat. The King dismissed his servants and walked over to Lex. "For as long as I rule, your planet and your people are safe," the King told her.
Lex stared at the King confused. "I was aware of the Crown Prince's plan and I intercepted him at Earth. He will now return to Yautja Prime to answer for his arrogance," the King said.
Hope sprung up in Lex upon hearing those words but could she really trust him? "Treat this champion of the humans," the King ordered his servants.
Lex was surrounded by female servants that attended to her wounds. The guards nursed their wounds and collected the debris left behind by the battle. Workers immediately started repairing the statue that fell to the ground.
"When her wounds have been treated she is to dine with me as my guest," the King ordered.
Meanwhile, the Prince walked casually over to Nahuel who had fallen into a giant pit. There was a spike through his leg that was oozing green blood. "Brother, do you need my help?" the Prince asked.
Nahuel cursed at him outraged. "You set this up," he accused.
"You shouldn't underestimate the Miwok. They may be small and primitive but they can form excellent traps," the Prince said.
"Help me out," Nahuel said finally.
"It is fortunate I happened to find you. I do not believe your other hunters are even close to this area. If I didn't know better I would think you were following me," the Prince remarked.
"What do you want?" Nahuel asked annoyed.
"I want your support on the council on the question of Earth," the Prince said.
"First brother is on his way to kill the humans. The question is over," Nahuel said.
"Do you think father isn't aware of what first brother is doing?" the Prince asked.
Nahuel said nothing for a few moments. "Assuming first brother hasn't killed them all already, I will support you."
"You took me on this hunt so my family would be vulnerable. Do not dishonor me like that again," the Prince said and then attached a rope to a tree. The Prince then took the rope and lowered himself down into the pit. Using his blades, the Prince swiped off the wooden pikes so he could walk in the pit. Once his feet were on the ground, he sliced the pike that had gone through Nahuel's leg. He applied a tourniquet around the leg and then gently pulled the leg off the pike. Nahuel roared in pain as the Prince moved it.
The Prince then placed the rope around Nahuel and then using the tree branch pulled his end of the rope down so Nahuel would go up out of the pit. Nahuel climbed out of the pit as the Prince leaped out. The Prince placed Nahuel up against a tree and put blue rock powder on the wound so it would stop bleeding.
"I apologize," Nahuel said finally.
"If my wives and children are unharmed I will forgive you," the Prince promised.
"That is fair," Nahuel agreed.
Lex felt bewildered as she was brought to the King's table. She was still in her armor, which had green blood stains all over it. There was a sense of nervousness as she considered the possibility that the King was just toying with her before her eventual execution. The King came to the table and stared at Lex. "You have not been taught Court decorum," he noted.
"No, I have not," Lex replied.
The King took a seat across from Lex. "It is good for me to talk with someone else on an equal level."
Servants came to the table and placed food in front them. Lex couldn't help but feel like she was starving from the battle. "Eat," the King offered.
Lex cautiously did so watching the King the entire time. "Has your husband told you the story of how life began on Yautja Prime?" the King asked.
"No, he has not," Lex answered.
"The religious texts have their stories of the creation of our race but this is the truth as we know it from our exploration of the stars. Our solar system formed at the same time as your own but fortunately we did not encounter as many asteroid bombardments or extreme seasons that would have caused mass extinctions. Life did not originate here on Yautja Prime or Earth. An ancient race called the Mala'kak also known as Engineers planted their DNA on many planets creating bipedal sentient life forms. Have you ever noticed that the alien races you encounter all appear as bipedal?" the King asked.
"I had wondered about that," Lex admitted.
"They came to Yautja Prime and then deposited DNA in our oceans creating the first life forms billions of cycles ago when our planet was relatively young. We evolved from small mammals with tusks for teeth into what we are today after millions of cycles. Despite all the changes we have gone through due to natural selection we still contain the DNA foundation of the Engineers that created us," the King said.
"So, every alien race comes from one source: these Engineers?" Lex realized.
"Yes, including the human race. They came to Earth and deposited their DNA into the oceans. The depositing was simple enough but in their religion they emphasize self-sacrifice of one's body. There must be a balance in their faith between life and death. If they bring forth life on a planet sacrifice is required. So, in a ritual suicide they would poison themselves with the DNA concoction and therefore create life from death," the King said.
"A few ten thousand cycles ago we developed the ability to go into space and explore other worlds. Instead of hunting each other we took the hunt to other planets. At first entire civilizations were lost but then wise Kings decided on a new doctrine of hunting. We would hunt to preserve a species from destroying itself, over populating itself, and dying of diseases. It became part of our honor code to hunt the most dangerous and aggressive of a species, but it was also part of the King's policy to reduce violent behavior in a population. Despite our efforts we have completely failed when it came to humans," the King said.
"A few thousand cycles ago, the Engineers returned and declared war on us. They appeared just as they were billions of years ago. They had modified their DNA so it would never change or evolve. They were obsessed with keeping their original form. Their ships were ancient and slow. We were able to over power them in battle. So, they unleashed a plague upon our world. They sent Xenomorph eggs onto our world and from those eggs gave birth to thousands of serpents. We rallied together as a people and destroyed the Xenomorphs but at a great cost. Warriors would kill themselves before the Xenomorph could escape their chests. Towns and cities would lure the Xenomorphs to them and destroy themselves. There are many tales of heroism and self-sacrifice from that war," the King continued.
"Why did the Engineers declare war?" Lex asked.
"They disapproved of their creation. They saw us as a mistake. They did not believe other races should be hunted even if it was for their own good. So, they tried to destroy us. When we defeated them, we took their Xenomorph technology for our own use. We forced the Engineers back towards the center of the galaxy," the King said.
"What happened to them?" Lex asked.
"We think they have outposts throughout the galaxy where they sleep waiting for a time when the moment is right. We are always watchful for them," the King said.
"That's quite a story," Lex said.
The King eyed the cross necklace in Lex's armor. "Does it question your beliefs?"
"Even if the story is true, the question still remains," Lex said.
"And what would that question be?" the King asked.
"Who made them?"